Rasmus Leads Rays Past Angels

May 25, 2017

Colby Rasmus delivered a pair of clutch 2-out hits, driving in four runs on the day, as the Rays defeated the Angels 4-0. The Rays and Angels split their four-game series.

Rasmus came to the plate with 2 outs and the bases loaded in the 1st, then came through with a 2-run single to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

In the 5th, Rasmus was at it again, coming up with a 2-run double with the based loaded once more. The ball bounced over the center field wall, otherwise the 4-0 deficit might have been even bigger.

That was all the offense the Rays needed on this day. Matt Andriese (5-1) got the win after pitching 8 shutout innings. He gave up 6 hits, walked 2 and struck out 5, while throwing 112 pitches. Tommy Hunter pitched a scoreless 9th for the Rays.

The Angels looked like they were poised to take an early lead in the 1st inning, but Mike Trout was thrown out at home plate by Steven Souza.

The Halos put runners at 1st and 3rd in the 2nd inning, but Danny Espinosa popped out to end the inning. Those were the Angels best chances to score on the day.

Daniel Wright (0-1) took the loss after making a spot start for the injured Alex Meyer. He went 4 1/3 innings, giving up 4 runs (2 of them earned) on 6 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 4, departing after 73 pitches.

Keynan Middleton, Deolis Guerra, and David Hernandez provided 3+ innings of scoreless relief for the Halos pen.

After 50 games the Angels are an even 25-25 on the season. Their road trip continues on Friday in Miami, where they’ll begin a 3-game set with the Marlins. Jesse Chavez (4-5, 4.61 ERA) will be on the mound for the Angels, while the Marlins counter with Dan Straily (2-3, 3.70).

Rays Top Angels 5-2

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May 24, 2017

Colby Rasmus and Steven Souza hit back-to-back homers in the 7th inning, as the Rays took down the Angels 5-2 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

The loss came despite the fact the Halos got off to a great start. Albert Pujols connected on a 2-run homer in the 1st inning. The 597th homer of his career.

That was one of only 4 hits on the night for the Angels. Erasmo Ramirez (3-0) settled down after that. He picked up the win after pitching 6 innings, allowing only those 2 runs on the 4 hits to get the victory.

Souza hit a pair of home runs, including a 2-run blast off Ricky Nolasco in the 2nd to tie the game at 2-2.

The Rays would take the lead in the 3rd on an RBI double from Kevin Kiermaier, scoring Corey Dickerson.

Nolasco (2-4) took the loss after pitching 6 innings. He gave up all 5 runs on 7 hits, including the three home runs. Nolasco departed after giving up the back-to-back homers in the 7th.

Blake Parker and Brooks Pounders provided two innings of scoreless relief after that.

However, the Rays got three innings of scoreless relief from their bullpen as well. Jose Alvarado, Ryne Stanek, and Alex Colume did not allow a hit. Colume picked up his 12th save of the season.

The Angels and Rays will do it again tomorrow morning in the final game of the four game set.

Cards Beat Up Dodgers

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May 24, 2017

Mike Leake gave up 1 run in 8 innings of work, as the Cardinals hammered the Dodgers 6-1 at Chavez Ravine on Wednesday night.

Leake (5-2) got the win after allowing just four hits, striking out five, while not walking a batter. He has a National League-leading 1.91 ERA.

“He’s got a lot of movement on his ball,” Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger said. “He was hitting his spots. He has been effective all year, and he has got a good thing going. We just didn’t execute well tonight.”

Jedd Gyorkoa had three hits and scored a run in the 2-run second inning that gave the Cards the lead for good.

Rich Hill (1-2) took the loss in four innings of work. He gave up 5 runs on 4 hits. He walked 7 and struck out 4, while throwing 82 pitches.

“It was a bad outing. It was terrible,” Hill said. “I accept full responsibility for that. I just gave them the game. That is unacceptable.”

Kolten Wong delivered a 2-run single in the 2nd inning to give the Cardinals a quick 2-0 lead. Gyorko added another 2-run single in the 5th, aided by a throwing error from Bellinger. Yadier Molina would add a sac fly, and then connect on a solo homer in the 7th to make it 6-0.

The only Dodger run of the game came on a sacrifice fly by Bellinger in the 7th inning. LA couldn’t get much going offensively.

Chris Taylor started in center field for the Dodgers, replacing the injured Joc Pederson. Pederson collided with Yasiel Puig the night before, and is being monitored for concussion symptoms.

The Dodgers and Cardinals will be back at it on Thursday night in the rubber game of their 3 game set. Kenta Maeda (3-2, 5.03 ERA) will be on the mound for LA, while Michael Wacha (2-1, 2.74 ERA) gets the ball for St. Louis.

Forsythe’s Heroics in 13th Help Dodgers Win

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May 23, 2017

Logan Forsythe delivered a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the 13th inning, as the Dodgers outlasted the Cardinals 2-1 on Tuesday night at Chavez Ravine.

With two outs in the 13th, Kike Hernandez walked, setting the stage for Forsythe. The Dodger 2nd baseman drove a 1-1 pitch into the right field corner, which bounced off the wall, allowing Hernandez to come all the way around to score the winning run from 1st base.

The game was a great duel between Clayton Kershaw and Cardinals’ starter Lance Lynn, resulting in a 1-1 draw between both sides after 9 innings. Neither pitcher received a decision.

Kershaw pitched 9 innings, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits. However, he took a 1-0 lead into the 9th inning when Randal Grichuk lead-off with a single to center. Grichuk advanced to second on a groundout from Tommy Pham, then scored on a wild pitch that Kershaw uncorked. That was Kershaw’s only blemish in an otherwise brilliant performance.

The Dodgers’ ace threw 104 pitches. He didn’t walk anybody and struck out 10. It was the 53rd time that he has struck out 10 or more batters in a game.

The Dodgers’ only other run of the game came on a solo homer from Yasmani Grandal in the 1st inning. That was one of only two hits that Lynn would allow on the night. It just so happened that one of them went 418 feet.

Grandal has at least one extra-base hit in 10 of his last 13 games. In one of those 3 games without, he had 1 at-bat as a pinch-hitter. The homer was his 5th of the season.

Lynn was equally as brilliant as Kershaw. The Cardinals’ ace went 8 innings, giving up just the 1 run on 2 hits. He struck out 10 Dodgers and walked 2, while making 123 pitches.

With Kenley Jansen pitching the 10th inning, he retired the side in order, however, a scary moment occurred on the final out of the inning. Yadier Molina hit a fly ball to deep right, which was chased down by both Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson. Puig caught the ball but collided with Pederson, who took an elbow to the head. Pederson also slid into the wall, cutting his forehead and then leaving the game after that. He was replaced by Kike Hernandez. Puig stayed in the game, despite grimacing and grabbing his side after the collision.

Forsythe’s heroics came on the night he returned to the lineup for the boys in blue after missing the last 30 games with a toe injury. He started at 3rd in place of the injured Justin Turner, who was out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. Forsythe batted lead-off and struck out 4 times and walked once before coming through in the 13th. Yasiel Puig also returned to the lineup and started in right field after sitting out for two games with a back injury. He was hitless in five at-bats.

Game 2 of the series will be on Wednesday night at the Ravine. Rich Hill (1-1; 2.77 ERA) goes to the mound for LA, while Mike Leake (4-2; 2.03 ERA) gets the call for the Cardinals.

Angels Blank Rays 4-0

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May 23, 2017

Mike Trout and Cameron Maybin each hit solo home runs and the Angels shut down the Rays 4-0 at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night. The Halos have now won 3 straight games.

Matt Shoemaker (4-2) pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings to get the win. He gave up just 3 hits, walked 5, and stuck out 3, while throwing 89 pitches.

The Halos got 2+ innings of shutout relief from Yusmeiro Petit, Jose Alvarez, and Keynan Middleton, who did not allow a hit.

Maybin lead off the game with a homer to left center off of Alex Cobb. Then Trout went back-to-back, crushing the first pitch he saw to left center.

Cobb (4-4) took the loss after giving up 4 runs on 7 hits, striking out 5 and walking 3. He departed after 7 1/3 innings.

Luis Valbuena added an RBI single in the 8th, scoring Trout. Later in the inning, Kole Calhoun delivered a sacrifice fly as well.

The Angels will try to make it 4 in a row on Wednesday evening. Ricky Nolasco (2-3; 4.01 ERA) will be on the mount for the Halos, while the Rays counter with (2-0; 3.00 ERA).

Predators Eliminate Ducks & Reach Final

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May 22, 2017

Colton Sissons scored a hat-trick, including his 3rd goal with 6 minutes left in regulation, as the Predators knocked off the Ducks 6-3 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Nashville eliminated the Ducks for the second year in a row, and advanced to their first ever Stanley Cup Final in franchise history.

“Our effort was there and we were a desperate hockey club right from the opening faceoff, and we didn’t quit until they scored the second empty-net goal,” Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said.

The Ducks trailed 2-1 heading into a wild 3rd period. Sisson scored his 2nd goal of the game 3 minutes into the period, after relentlessly chasing after a puck in the slot, then backhanding it past Jonathan Bernier. With John Gibson sidelined with a hamstring injury, Bernier got the start, but only stopped 12 of the 16 shots he faced.

The Ducks would rally at the 5 minutes mark after a creative chip shot from Chris Wagner, which beat Pekka Rinne top shelf. 2 minutes later, Cam Fowler tied the game on a slap shot from the blue line, which got by a screen Rinne. Corey Perry had knocked down the Predators’ goaltender moments earlier, who scrambled to get back into the play, but could not make the save on the shot from Fowler. The Predators asked for a review on the play, but referees ruled it a good goal, making the score 3-3.

Just over five minutes later, Sissons 3rd goal of the night came on a cross-ice pass from Calle Jarnkrok, allowing him to connect on a one-timer which got past the blocker of Bernier. That would prove to be the game-winner.

Ducks forward Ryan Kesler was disappointed his team couldn’t keep it together after fighting back. “It definitely hurts worse when you play that good and you come back. This team showed resiliency all year. To give up a goal like that, it (bleeping) sucks.”

Trailing 4-3 with 2:33 left, the Ducks pulled Jonathan Bernier for an extra attacker, resulting in a 6-on-5 advantage. However, Nashville would add two empty-net goals, one by Filip Forsberg at 17:38, the other by Austin Watson at 18:26, his 2nd goal of the game.

Watson and Sissons scored in the 1st period to make it 2-0. Rinne made 38 saves to improve to 12-4 during this year’s post season.

Ondrej Kase scored his second career playoff goal in the 2nd period, pulling Anaheim within one heading into the 3rd period.

The Ducks outshot the Predators 41-18 for the game, but Rinne made some big stops throughout the night. Anaheim was also 0-4 on the power play.

Both teams were missing their top scorers again. Nashville was missing Ryan Johansen and Mike Fisher, while the Ducks were without Patrick Eaves and Rickard Rakell.

“There’s a lot of fight in this room,” Ducks forward Corey Perry said. “This one is going to sting for a while. You got to give credit to them too.”

The Predators will play either the defending champion Penguins or the Senators beginning Monday, May 29th. Meanwhile, Anaheim’s playoff run ends once again in disappointing fashion.

Angels Beat Rays On Wild Pitch

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May 22, 2017

Jefry Marte scored the decisive run in the 7th inning, and the Angels defeated the Rays 3-2 on Monday night at Tropicana Field.

The Angels loaded the bases with two outs in the 7th, which brought Albert Pujols to the plate. Pujols, who returned to the lineup after suffering from a hamstring injury, took a 1-1 pitch that got away from Rays reliever Jumbo Diaz, which allowed Marte to score. Pujols was walked intentionally after that, then Luis Valbuena fouled out, which ended the inning with the Halos up 3-2.

JC Ramirez (4-3) got the win and pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up just 2 runs on 6 hits. He struck out 5 and walked 1 in a 99-pitch performance.

The Halos got a solo homer from Cameron Maybin in the 5th, which tied the game at 2-2. It was his 2nd long ball of the season.

David Hernandez, Jose Alvarez, and Bud Norris pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Norris got the final four outs to pick up his 9th save of the season.

Rays starter Jake Odorizzi gave up two runs on five hits while striking out eight in six innings. Diaz (0-3) took the loss after giving up the decisive run in the 7th.

After the Angels took a 1-0 lead in the 1st on a sacrifice fly by Andrelton Simmons, the Rays got a pair of solo homers from Corey Dickerson and Logan Morrison to take a 2-1 lead after one inning.

The Halos will be back in action tomorrow night in game 2 of the series at Tropicana Field. Matt Shoemaker (3-2, 4.47 ERA) gets the start for the Angels, while the Rays go with Alex Cobb (4-3, 3.67 ERA).

Monday Morning Coffee

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May 22, 2017

I don’t know why you guys are so surprised the Lakers got the #2 pick in the draft. Lavar Ball told us that it was going to happen. The only guy who doesn’t understand what’s going on is Joel Embiid, who is still trying to understand the lottery. If the Lakers do actually keep the pick and not trade it, they should absolutely take Lonzo Ball. For those of you that don’t want to because of Lavar, it’s simply because you have been hanging around AYSO or Little League with helicopter parents. Those parents don’t matter in the NBA or in professional sports. They become irrelevant over time. What the Lakers do have to worry about though is the Celtics taking Ball, or even trading the pick to somebody who wants him, just to screw the Lakers. It would be a very Boston Celtic thing to do.

That wasn’t the only good news for the Lakers last week. The All-NBA teams were announced, and Paul George did not make it, increasing the likelihood of him not re-signing with the Pacers. At this point, George isn’t even hiding his desire to join the Lakers, and seems confident that he can resurrect the franchise. George was on with Jimmy Fallon last week and didn’t deny anything, which can’t make the Pacers feel too good. As for All-NBA and the media determining the outcome, they should, even if an extra $76 million is on the line. If it were up to the owners and coaches, they strategically wouldn’t vote for certain players so they would have a better chance to leave in free agency. Besides, great players will go wherever they want to play. Kevin Durant left $100 million on the table last year to leave for the Warriors.

Lavar ball is going to get some bad press for his heated discussion last week with Fox Sports One’s Kristine Leahy. However, this was one incident in which both Lavar and Kristine were wrong. Since when does Kristine actually ask guests questions on Colin Cowherd’s show? This was nothing but Leahy trying to make a name for herself by being confrontational, but in all the wrong ways. As for Lavar, he once again demonstrated his lack of business acumen by failing to suggest that the “Big Baller Brand” will not cater to women, and that they don’t need to. They actually have women’s T-shirts on their website that he didn’t even mention. No reason to give people a reason to hate your brand when you are trying to build it. In case you missed the exchange, here it is.

The Dodgers took 3 out of 4 from the Marlins over the weekend and Cody Bellinger is still hotter than the Sahara desert. However, the bad news is that their stud pitcher Julio Urias has been getting destroyed. It’s bad enough that the Dodgers are being as cautious with him as you would be with a newborn baby. On top of that’s he’s just not that effective right now. No matter how hard you try to convince yourself, the Dodgers don’t have any real reliable starting pitching beyond Clayton Kershaw when it matters. That’s why Urias needs to get on track if LA hopes to have any real chance come October. He has the highest ceiling and the most talent of anybody on the roster after Kershaw.

The Angels had a rough weekend in New York against the Mets, but they are somehow still hovering around .500. Even more encouraging is the fact that Doug Fister is joining their starting rotation. You’re wondering why that’s encouraging? Because when your #1 starter is Ricky Nolasco, adding Doug Fister feels like you just signed Nolan Ryan. Maybe now they will find a 2nd baseman and a left fielder that can hit better than .200.

Things are looking bad for the Ducks. They are now one game away from elimination after the Predators beat them at the Honda Center yesterday. This series has featured more injuries than a United Airlines flight. Ryan Getzlaf has suddenly remembered that he’s the old guy Ryan Getzlaf, and the Predators are a little better in goal and on defense. This series might go seven games, but Anaheim looks like a strong bet to lose in the conference finals again. Meanwhile, parking pass prices are rising for game 7, as Kings fans are buying them in hopes of witnessing the Ducks fans crying while leaving the Honda Center.

Tom Brady is going to be endorsing a new DB11 Aston Martin. The new car costs $211,000 , which is an amount that many of his teammates probably can’t even afford. Brady will also be designing several limited edition models that will be sold for $300,000. There will only be 12 of those made available to the public. If you can afford it, as long as those cars don’t say “Patriots” all over them, you probably want one of those. It will be one of the few cars that actually appreciate in value. For those of you that hate Tom Brady for his perfect life, now you can hate him even more.

In the latest Harris Poll annual brand report, Five Guys was named the Burger Brand Restaurant of the Year, eclipsing In-N-Out, which has won the award twice before. This poll is the biggest scam I’ve heard of in years. Five Guys is nationwide, while In-N-Out is on the west coast, skewing the poll drastically. In-N-Out serves more customers in 1 hour than Five Guys does in one day. Five Guys has no drive thru and it’s twice as expensive. The next time someone tells me that Five Guys is better than In-N-Out will be the first.

Gonzales Leads Dodgers Over Marlins

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May 21, 2017

Adrian Gonzales had 3 hits and drove in 3 runs, as the Dodgers defeated the Marlins 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at Chavez Ravine. LA took 3 out of 4 from Miami during their weekend series.

Brandon McCarthy retired the first 14 batters he faced, and allowed just 1 run in 6 innings of work to improve his record to 4-1 on the season. He attributed his success to finally being healthy.

“A lot of it is just focus and getting reset after two years of being up and down and all over the place,” McCarthy said. “I had a healthy offseason where I could focus on myself and pitching again instead of just focusing on my arm. I kind of brought back the me that I would like to be. I’ll just try to hold that through the season.”

Yasmani Grandal added three hits, including a pair of doubles for the boys in blue. Joc Pederson had a solo homer in the 4th as well.

Vance Worley (0-1) made his Marlins debut but took the loss. He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings of work.

The Dodgers grabbed a 3-0 lead by the 4th inning after a 2-run double from Gonzales and Pederson’s homer.

Gonzalez was 1 for 8 in his first two games back but was back on track on Sunday. “That’s what I pride myself in,” he said of driving in runs. “It’s not like I’m putting more responsibility. It’s just what I try to do.”

Former Dodger A.J. Ellis put the Marlins on the board in the 5th with an RBI single.

However, Gonzales’ countered with an RBI single just half an inning later to make it 4-1. Brett Eibner had a pinch-hit 2-run single in the 6th, and that was all the offense the Dodgers needed.

The Marlins managed to get a couple of runs in the 8th and 9th inning off of Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen. Justin Bour hit a solo blast off of Jansen.

Yasiel Puig was held out of the line with a back injury for the second straight day. He pinch hit in the eighth and struck out.

The Dodgers will be back in action on Tuesday night against the Cardinals, in the first game of a 3-game set. Clayton Kershaw (7-2; 2.15 ERA) will try to keep LA rolling while the Cardinals will go with Lance Lynn (4-2; 2.78 ERA).

Trout Helps Angels Avoid Sweep

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May 21, 2017

Mike Trout homered, doubled, and drove in three runs, as the Angels dominated the Mets 12-5 on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. The win helped the Angels avoid a 3-game sweep.

C.J. Cron also added a grand slam in the 1st inning, which was part of a 5-run explosion for the Halos in the early going.

Andrelton Simmons and Jefry Marte also went deep for the Angels, and by the 3rd inning, it was 9-0 Halos.

The Mets hit some home runs of their own while trying to rally. Matt Reynolds, Curtis Granderson, and Jay Bruce all went deep, but it wasn’t enough.

Jesse Chavez (4-5) picked up the win after going 5 2/3 innings, yielding 5 runs on 7 hits. He departed after Bruce’s 3-run blast, which made it 9-5.

Tommy Milone (1-2) took the loss for the Mets. He only lasted an 1 1/3 innings, and was charged with 7 runs on 7 hits.

Trout’s homer was his 14th of the season, a 2-run blast. Marte went back-to-back and that chased Milone.

Albert Pujols missed his third game in a row because of tendinitis in his right hamstring.

The Angels will continue their 10-game road trip in Tampa Bay on Monday night. JC Ramirez (3-3; 3.97 ERA) will get the ball for the Halos. Jake Odorizzi (3-2; 3.16 ERA) goes for the Rays.