Daily Baseball Update: 7/22
Photos
Did You Know?
The Chicago Cubs hold the MLB record for most consecutive shutout losses. On April 27, 1992, the Atlanta Braves shut them out 5-0. The Braves then beat them 1-0 and 8-0 on the 28th and 29th, respectively, then the Reds beat them 4-0 on May 1st to make it four straight shutouts. The offense finally found some life on the 2nd, erupting for a 10-3 win over Cincinnati.
This Day in Baseball History
7/22/1923: Walter Johnson strikes out pitcher Stan Coveleski to become the first pitcher to 3,000 strikeouts. Johnson will go on to strike out 508 more batters from 1923-1927.
News
Emilio Bonifacio (Marlins) extended his hitting streak to 20 games. Craig Kimbrel (Braves) became the first pitcher to 30 saves. Mariners lost their 12th straight game.
Players to Watch
Brett Gardner (Yankees): Being a die-hard Red Sox fan, it pains me to say this, but it is undeniable that Gardner is on fire at the plate and on the bases. He is 15-29 (.517) in his last 8 games, knocking his AVG up from .265 to .290, as well as stealing 7 bases in his last 6 games. The rest of the Yankees haven't been very helpful, though, as he only has one RBI since June 19th.
Jimmy Rollins (Phillies): J-Roll has been rolling with the Phillies these past few weeks, going 22-50 (.440) over his last 11 games including 4 home runs and 8 RBI. He has knocked his AVG from .253 to .277 and his slugging percentage all the way from .364 to .410. He highlighted his stretch on Wednesday with a 3-5, 2 homer performance in which he won my Offensive Top Performer.
C.C. Sabathia (Yankees): Here is another Yankee who has been rolling. He has given up 4 earned runs in his last 6 starts, finally pitching like the ace the Yankees thought they signed after the 2008 season. (I am open to arguments about that matter). He has thrown 47.2 innings over the stretch, accounting for a 0.76 ERA, dropping his season stat from 3.39 to 2.62. It has also dropped his career ERA to exactly 3.50.
Greg Billo (Royals Class A): The 21-year-old Royals prospect has not given up more than one run in a game since June 12th, a stretch of 33.1 innings in which he has given up 3 earned runs (0.81 ERA) to take over the MiLB ERA lead. He is now 7-2 with a 1.41 ERA, so look for a promotion to High Class A or even AA soon.
Game Scores
Rays (52-45) beat the Yankees (57-39) 2-1. Braves (58-41) beat the Rockies (47-52) 9-6. Red Sox, Dodgers, Phillies, Nationals, and Cubs didn't play.
Top Scorer: Braves beat the Rockies 9-6.
Standings
AL East: Red Sox (59-37, .615 WPCT).
AL Central: Tigers (52-46, .531).
AL West: Rangers (56-43, .566).
NL East: Phillies (61-36, .629).
NL Central: Pirates (51-45, .531).
NL West: Giants (57-42, .576).
AL Wild Card: Yankees (57-39, .594).
NL Wild Card: Braves (58-41, .586).
Bottom Team: Astros (33-65, .337).
League Leaders
Offensive: AVG: Jose Reyes (Mets), .349. Home runs: Jose Bautista (Blue Jays), 31. RBI: Adrian Gonzalez (Red Sox), 78. Stolen bases: Michael Bourn (Astros), 35.
Pitching: Wins: C.C. Sabathia (Yankees), 14. K's: Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), 167. ERA: Jered Weaver (Angels), 1.81 (154 innings, 31 earned runs). Saves: Craig Kimbrel (Braves), 30.
Top Performers
Offensive: Jhonny Peralta (Tigers): 3-4, double, home run (15), 3 RBI, run, AVG up .005 from .312 to .317, hitting streak to 1 game (3-4, .750).
Pitching: C.J. Wilson (Rangers): Loss (10-4), 8 shutout innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 8 K's (132), ERA drop: 0.17 runs from 3.11 to 2.94.
Worst Pitching Performance: Javier Vazquez (Marlins): Loss (6-9), 4.1 innings, 5 earned runs, 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 K's (82), ERA jump: 0.21 runs from 5.14 to 5.35.
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Teams followed in this blog: Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves
If your team is not included, please email me at zackmatt4@gmail.com and I will add them.
HR: home runs. RBI: runs batted in. AVG: batting average. SB: stolen bases. ERA: earned run average. BAA: batting average against. K's: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage.
Nicole Trifone
11:50 am on Friday, July 22, 2011
I'd definitely add Craig Kimbrel to your "Players to Watch" list. He's been ridiculously awesome all year, and has a fantastic shot at Rookie of the Year.
Zack Silverman
1:49 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011
He was actually on it last week. He hasn't let up a run in forever.
Nicole Trifone
2:00 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011
Oh good! Although we probably just jinxed it.
Zack Silverman
12:04 am on Saturday, July 23, 2011
Well if we did, then maybe the Nats would have a chance at the playoffs.
Sean R. Sedam
12:09 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011
Nats to watch: Mike Morse, Danny Espinosa, Jordan Zimmermann (don't let the win-loss record or his latest performance fool ya. He's providing hope for Strasburg in a Tommy John surgery that worked).
Great photo of Walter Johnson. If anyone wants to spend some time reflecting on Washington baseball, the Big Train is buried in the Rockville Cemetery on Baltimore Road in Rockville:
http://rockville.patch.com/articles/riggleman-a-headless-hen-and-children-of-eden
Frank Werman
12:50 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011
Zack, good luck in the Regionals. Make sure you head over to ECU and check out their baseball facility. Pretty awesome.
mick hanson
6:10 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011
Zack, very impressive write-up on your baseball blog. What high school will you attend and what position do you play?
Patty Hanson
Kristy O'Malley
8:40 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011
jroll was bangin' in chi-town! nice blog post!
mick hanson
11:19 am on Saturday, July 23, 2011
Lucky for Madison. We'll make sure to come watch when you play Oakton.
Ben Joyce
11:29 am on Saturday, July 23, 2011
i'd love to see some bryce harper updates. i know he's struggling a bit at AA, but so far the numbers for his entire minor league career compare pretty well with those of griffey jr, pujols and a-rod. he's going to be an absolute beast, no doubt about it
Zack Silverman
11:34 am on Saturday, July 23, 2011
I want him traded. He brings a terrible attitude to the clubhouse and we could get a lot in return for him like Justin Upton, Mike Trout, or Matt Kemp with James Loney. There is not doubt though that he will be one of the best players in the game for a long time.
Nicole Trifone
12:19 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
Not a lot of people think about a player's attitude, especially young players, when they're thinking about what's good for the team. I'm with you, Zack. I wouldn't want a superstar on my team if it's going to be nothing but a headache. Maybe he can grow out of it? Being around someone like Ryan Zimmerman, who seems level-headed, could benefit him.
Zack Silverman
12:33 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
Maybe. I just think that his attitude could be a detriment to the team's morale, but if we traded him it probably wouldn't hurt his overall trade value, so we could get someone just as good but without the attitude issues.