Monthly Archives: September 2010

9 run 2nd inning leads Giants to 13-0 rout of Cubs as Uribe homers twice in 2nd inning(inc Slam)

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This one was over quickly. It was as if Muhammad Ali(the Giants)was fighting George Chavalo(Cubs). A second round knockout. Former White Sox SS Juan Uribe,the man who made the final play in the 2005 World Series, threw the two big punches. Uribe had a two run homer and a Grand Slam, both in San Francisco’s nine run second inning(six RBI’s)and the Giants went on to rout the hapless Cubs 13-0. Ryan Dempster(14-11)failed to get out of that long second inning, his shortest outing of the season and he was touched for 9 runs,all earned. Former Cub Mike Fontenot doubled to lead off the game and scored on a double play. The second inning started with Jose Guillen getting hit by a pitch before Uribe’s two run blast on an 0-2 pitch. Five runs had already scored in the inning when Dempster was relieved by Thomas Diamond,and he in turn was greeted by Uribe’s Slam to cap that inning. The Giants added single runs in the 3rd,6th and 8th innings while Madison Bumgarner(6-6) managed to stay focused and and shut down the listless Cubs before giving way to Guillermo Mota in the 8th,and Dan Runzler in the ninth.

NOTES—The crowd was a bit late arriving due to the early 6:05 start and was announced as 34,481…..The Cubs final home series of the season starts Friday at 1:20 against St.Louis with Tom Gorzelanny(7-8)opposing Adam Wainwright(19-11).

LES

Wells and Marmol shut down Giants 2-0 as Kosuke goes deep.

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The Cubs have put a huge dent in the Cardinals of late,and now they have at least for one day knocked San Francisco out of first place in the N.L.West. Randy Wells and Carlos Marmol combined on a six hit shutout as the Northsiders beat the Giants 2-0,just one night after losing 1-zip. Kosuke Fukudome got the Cubs the only run they would need when he lifted a solo homer to straight away right field against loser Jonathan Sanchez in the 3rd inning. The other run was unearned in the home half of the 5th as Sanchez was reached for a leadoff two base hit by Koye Hill. Wells(8-13) was then trying to sacrifice, but Sanchez threw a wild pitch and catcher Buster Posey made a poor throw  in an effort to get Hill at third, and that throw got away near the Cub dugout and Hill scored to make it 2-0. That ended the scoring for the night. Wells worked 7.2 innings before Marmol came in for a four out save-his 34th.

NOTES—Attendance was 37285….The game only lasted 2:22…..Thursday’s game starts at 6:05pm with Ryan Dempster(14-10)facing Madison Bumgarner(5-6).

LES

Sox take advantage of A’s short-handed bullpen to rally 3-2 and snap 8 game losing streak

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OAKLAND—A day after being eliminated from the division race, the White Sox rallied to end their longest losing streak of the season.Mark Teahen hit a go-ahead double with two outs in the ninth inning right after pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay’s tying single, lifting the White Sox over the Oakland Athletics 4-3 Wednesday and stopping their eight-game skid.On Tuesday night, the Sox loss clinched the AL Central for Minnesota.The White Sox got to Oakland’s short-handed bullpen, scoring twice against Brad Ziegler (3-5). The right-hander hadn’t given up a run in his previous 12 appearances.Juan Pierre stole his majors-leading 60th base, swiping home in the eighth to get the Sox within 3-2. He moved into 30th place on the all-time steals list with 519 and into second on White Sox career single-season list.Matt Thornton (4-4) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the win. Chris Sale recorded the final out for his third save in as many tries, striking out pinch-hitter Steve Tolleson to end it with runners on first and second.Oakland’s Chris Carter hit his first career home run. Manny Ramirez was a late scratch after he told Guillen during batting practice he didn’t feel well. Dayan Viciedo, who replaced Ramirez in the lineup, hit an RBI single in the seventh.”A little flu,” Ramirez said afterward. The White Sox won for only the third time in their past 15 games and snapped their longest September skid since dropping nine straight games in 1976.Guillen said after the game he would like to know where he stands with the White Sox beyond 2010. The skipper is signed through the next two seasons – and he wants to stay put in Chicago.Oakland was an out away from its first sweep of the White Sox since Aug. 14-16, 2007. The White Sox avoided being swept in a third straight series for the first time since Aug. 19-28, 1991, by Detroit, Cleveland and Kansas City.On a day when four of Oakland’s top relievers weren’t available, Brett Anderson went 6 2/3 innings. He allowed one run on six hits, struck out one and walked one.Ziegler hasn’t converted a save in four chances this year. The A’s had no lefties to pitch in relief.Since Carter began 0 for 32 in his initial 11 big league games, he is 4 for 8 in his past three games. He homered leading off the third, then Jack Cust added an RBI single in the sixth.

NOTES—Oakland’s Jeff Larish snapped a career-worst 0-for-16 stretch with a double in the seventh. It was just his second hit in 30 at-bats over his past 12 games….Pierre’s career-best year for steals was 65 in 2003 for Florida…..Geren plans to play 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff every other day because he recently missed nearly two weeks with back spasms…..The A’s renewed their player development agreement with Triple-A Sacramento through the 2014 season.The Sox went 2-4 at the Coliseum this year and 4-5 overall against the A’s in 2010…..A’s closer Andrew Bailey, the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year, is set to see Dr. James Andrews on Thursday for another opinion on his troublesome elbow…..Eric Sogard made his first start at 2B for the A’s.

Giants edge Cubs 1-0, six game sreak snapped

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The Cubs saw their six game winning streak end against the NL West leading San Franciscio Giants 1-0.Both starting pitchers were outstanding,and the bats were pretty silent until Rookie Buster Posey decided the outcome in the top of the 8th.Matt Cain saw pretty much the Cubs regular lineup,other that of course Tyler Colvin and Geovany Soto who are both done for the season.He worked six innings,giving up only singles to Kosuke Fukudome and Blake DeWitt. Zambrano left due to a high pitch count(116) after six innings of three hit shutout ball. Andrew Cashner tossed a shutout inning in the 7th,but with one out in the 8th, Posey ripped one to dead center that the wind carried just over Marlon Byrd and into the basket to break the scoreless tie.Ramoln Ramirez worked the 7th for the Giants,Sergio Romo the 8th,and Brian Wilson had a perfect ninth to earn his 44th save.

  

NOTES—The rain delay at the start was 1:11…..Attendance was 36,364….Marlon Byrd bounced to third to end the game as his bat shattered and a huge portion went wind-milling into the stands behind the Cub third base dugout. Nobody was reported hurt. 

LES 

Sox drop eighth straight, 7-2 to A’s, eliminated from A.L.Central race

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OAKLAND—Trevor Cahill pitched eight solid innings for his team-leading 17th victory and the Oakland Athletics won 7-2 on Tuesday night, sending the White Sox to their eighth consecutive loss and handing the AL Central title to the Minnesota Twins.Kurt Suzuki and Cliff Pennington drove in two runs apiece for the A’s, who pounded out 13 hits off Mark Buehrle and one reliever.Omar Vizquel had two hits for the White Sox, who have lost 12 of 14 overall. Minnesota rallied to beat Cleveland 6-4 and became the first team to clinch a postseason spot when it secured the division with the Sox loss.One day after Gio Gonzalez and three relievers combined on a four-hit shutout, Cahill (17-7) dominated the White Sox through eight innings by himself.He retired 12 of the first 14 batters before Alexei Ramirez doubled leading off the fifth. Ramirez scored on Brent Morel’s groundout and the Sox added another run in the sixth but that was it.The 22-year-old Cahill, who began the season in the minors after losing out to Gonzalez as Oakland’s fifth starter, became the first Oakland pitcher to win 17 games since Mark Mulder did it in 2004. The right-hander is also the first A’s pitcher to get to 17 victories without winning in April since Vida Blue in 1974.Cahill benefited from an A’s offense that had its best night in more than a month. Oakland had four doubles and got some help from two Sox errors.Rajai Davis had three hits and scored twice for the A’s, who reached 76 wins for the first time since finishing 76-86 in 2007. Jack Cust and rookie Chris Carter had two hits apiece.The White Sox fell 12 games back of Minnesota in the AL Central after they led the division by a half-game at the All-Star break.Buehrle (12-12) got knocked around early and often, extending his winless slump to six games. The left-hander, who beat the A’s in Oakland with a four-hitter on July 23, was tagged for five runs and nine in the first four innings alone. He left after six innings with five strikeouts.It marked the 16th consecutive game the White Sox have failed to get their starting pitcher a win, breaking the franchise record of 15 set in 1985. Sox starters are 0-9 with a 7.12 ERA over the rough stretch.The White Sox loaded the bases in the ninth against two relievers before Craig Breslow got pinch-hitter Paul Konerko to ground out, ending the game.

  

NOTES—Buehrle needs 1 2/3 innings to reach 200 for a 10th straight season, which would be the longest active streak in the majors. … Gavin Floyd, who left Monday’s game after just seven pitches due to tightness in his right shoulder, is almost certain to miss his next start while resting. … Oakland RHP Ben Sheets, on the disabled list after undergoing three surgeries on his right elbow, was selected as the winner of the 2010 Jim “Catfish” Hunter Award, given annually to an A’s player who exemplifies the courage and spirit of Hunter. … Carter singled in his first two at-bats against Buehrle, giving him three consecutive hits after starting his major league career with an 0-for-33 slide. 

Sox skid reaches seven with 3-0 loss to A’s-Tragic # now 2.

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OAKLAND—Chris Carter finally got his first major league hit, Boof Bonser won for the first time in more than two years and the Oakland Athletics sent the White Sox to their seventh straight loss 3-0 on Monday night.Kurt Suzuki had three hits and two RBI as the A’s won their third in four games. Daric Barton also drove in a run.Andruw Jones doubled and singled for the White Sox, who matched their longest losing streak since April 28 to May 5, 2008.The Sox are on the brink of being eliminated from the AL Central race.They Sox fell 11 games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins, who can clinch their second consecutive division title Tuesday night with a win over Cleveland and a Sox loss in Oakland.A’s starter Gio Gonzalez allowed four hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking four. Bonser (1-0) tossed a perfect seventh for his first major league win since June 4, 2008, with Minnesota against Baltimore.Former Cub Michael Wuertz worked the eighth and Craig Breslow got three outs for his third save.White Sox starter Gavin Floyd left after only seven pitches with tightness in the back of his right shoulder. He did not get an out.Tony Pena pitched six shutout innings in relief, allowing six hits. He walked two and struck out two.Scott Linebrink (3-2) allowed all three runs — one earned — in the seventh.Carter’s single leading off the seventh sparked the decisive rally. Carter was hitless in his first 33 at-bats, the longest streak to start a career by a non-pitcher since Texas’ Vic Harris began 0 for 36 in 1972.Linebrink’s throwing error on Cliff Pennington’s bunt put runners on first and second, and Rajai Davis beat out a bunt to load the bases. Barton’s groundout allowed pinch-runner Greg Gross to score, and one out later Suzuki added a two-run single.The Sox had runners on second and third with one out in the second but failed to score, and Gonzalez walked the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth before escaping.

NOTES—Floyd, who has struggled in his last few outings, is 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA in five career starts against Oakland. … A’s OF Coco Crisp missed his second game with a fractured pinkie and will likely miss the rest of the season. … Breslow has four career saves. … The White Sox have allowed 23 of their last 27 runs in the seventh inning or later.

Bears make most of Cowboys mistakes, pull off 27-20 upset

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ARLINGTON—For the first time,the Bears visited Jerry Jones oversized Palace in it’s second season,and for the initial time since 1986,the beat the Dallas Cowboys down here 27-20. Jay Cutler’s three yard touchdown pass to Matt Forte with 5:16 left,proved to be the game winner.The Bears won the turnover battle 3-0 en route to this upset victory against a Dallas team that could be overrated. After the Bears received the opening kickoff,they began at their own 38. After a five yard pickup by Forte, Anthony Spencer sacked Cutler for a seven yard loss.That killed the drive and Brad Maynard had to punt,which he did 35 yards to the Dallas 25.After a Tony Romo pass which Miles Austin caught,Charles Tillman knocked the ball loose it and D.J.Moore intercepted it, and returned it 19 yards to the Dallas 23. Forte ran six yards to the Dallas 17.The drive then stalled at the 20,so Robbie Gould kicked a 38 yard field goal.Chris Williams and Major Wright both went out with hamstring injuries and were ruled out for the game.After each team was forced to punt, Maynard kicked it to Dez Bryant and he ran to the near side,got free with only Gould to beat,and zig-zagged past him around the Bears 35 and took it the distance for a 62 yard TD to give the Cowboys a sudden 7-3 lead.David Buehler then tried to catch the Bears off guard with an onside kick that he ‘popped up’ but Tim Jennings ‘fair caught’ it at the Bears 42. That move backfired on the Cowboys however. After a quick pass to Devin Hester got the ball to the Dallas 39, Cutler threw a quick pass over the middle to Greg Olsen who avoided two tacklers and scored untouched with 1:09 left in the quarter and the Bears again lead, 10-7.On the next Dallas series,Romo found Roy Williams for 19 yards to the Bears 41.,then he hit Jason Witten for 16 more to the 25.Miles Austin went high to grab a second down pass for 7 yards to the Bears 11 for a first down.A screen pass to Chris Gronkowski got the ball to the five,and after he lost the ball and the Bears recovered, but it was ruled down by contact. Lovie Smith promply threw his first red challeng flag of the season,and in turn LOST his first challenge! Marian Barber ran for three yards to the two. Barber again carried to the one for a first and goal. Barber tried to leap over the line and was stopped for no gain.Finnaly on second and goal, Romo on a well designed play action, had a wide open Grankowski and simply tossed it to him for the first Cowboys offensive score of the game,and they regained the lead 14-10.This drive lasted 7:53 and covered 73 yards in 13 plays. The Bears took over at their own 26.On a third an long, Cutler hit Johnny Knox for 59 yards to the Cowboys 20.He beat Mike Jenkins. Chester Taylor next grabbed a screen for nine yards to the 11. Forte picked up a first and goal to the 9.On the next play Hester made a one handed grab and was ruled just in bounds for a TD,but Dallas challenged that, and like Smith, Wade Phillips came up 0-1 in that department.The Bears went 74 yards in just six plays,using 4:38 off the clock to take a 17-14 lead. Romo then again had a pass picked off by Moore and he returned it twenty yards to the Dallas 47. Forte grabbed a quick 14 yard pass to the 33. Cutler then hit Earl Bennett for seven to the 26.Another pass to Bennett set up a fourth and one at the 24.Cutler exacuted a QB sneak for the first down at the 22.Thre incomplted passes later Gould kicked a 40 yd field goal with :20 left and the Bears took a 20-14 lead into halftime.
Dallas received te second half kickoff, and got to the Bears 16 after a 20 yard pass to Roy Williams. The Bears stopped the drive at the ten and David Buehler got the Cowboys within 20-17 with a 28 yard chip shot.That’s how the third quarter ended. The Bears wrapped this one up with a 66 yard,four play drive in which Cutler found Forte from the 3. The Cowboys added a 48 yard field goal by Buehler with 1:17 left,but the Bears recovered the on-side kick and ran out the clock.
NOTES—The Bears are 2-0 for the first time since their 2006 NFC Championship season….The hole in the roof was closed with temperatures at kickoff being 87* and with them expected to reach the middle to upper 90’s outside here in the Metroplex.

LES

 

IOWA Cubs finish off rare sweep of Marlins

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MIAMI — Welington Castillo had a banner day at the plate, and all he could think about was his role in a scary injury for a teammate.Castillo hit his first major league homer and drove in three runs to help the Cubs beat the Florida Marlins 13-3 on Sunday despite losing rookie outfielder Tyler Colvin to a punctured chest.Colvin was standing on third base in the second inning when he was struck by a sliver of Castillo’s maple bat. Colvin scored on Castillo’s double, but was replaced in the field in the bottom half and taken to a hospital. “I feel really bad about it,” Castillo said. “It wasn’t on purpose, but he’s my teammate. I hope he’s getting better.” A Cubs spokesman said Colvin was in stable condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital and is expected to remain there for the next few days for observation.Colvin was watching Castillo’s liner into the left-field corner and looked surprised when he was hit by the bat. He is expected to miss the rest of the season.The Marlins issued 12 walks, tying a franchise record for a nine-inning game set Oct. 5, 2001, against Atlanta. Brett Sinkbeil issued three consecutive bases-loaded walks in a six-run second.Bobby Scales, Brad Snyder, and Jeff Baker each drove in a pair of runs for the Cubs, who completed a three-game sweep and earned a sixth consecutive win for the first time since a seven-game streak from August 23-29, 2008. They also wrapped up an 8-1 trip, the best road trip of at least nine games in franchise history.Dan Uggla hit his 31st homer for the Marlins, who managed just three hits. Hector Luna also went deep.The Cubs’ starting lineup had four rookies and seven players without a home run this season, but they chased Andrew Miller (1-3) during the second. Scales got the Cubs off to a nice start with a two-run single in the first and Snyder added another two-run single in the second for his first career hit. Castillo also had the RBI double on the play that sent Colvin to the hospital.Miller recorded just four outs and was charged with five runs and three hits. He walked four and struck out one.Jeff Samardzija (2-1) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and three hits. He improved to 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Iowa.Castillo’s two-run homer off Burke Badenhop in the ninth was the first of his career.

NOTES—Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez missed his third straight game with a sore left elbow…..Marlins rookie Logan Morrison extended his streak of reaching base safely to 38 games with a walk in the first inning.

Cats fry Rice 30-13, off to 3-0 start.

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 HOUSTON—Northwestern is 3-0 for the first time in two seasons after a decisive 30-13 win over Rice on a humid evening at Rice Stadium.The Wildcats defense was so dominant that the Owls didn’t reach the end zone until the final 14 seconds of the game. After Rice won the coin toss and deferred, NU got the ball starting at their own 26.On a third and 7, Dan Persa hit Sidney Stewart for 25 to the Owls 46.On another third down,Persa hit Fields for 12 to the 29.After the drive stalled, Stefan Demos kicked a 42 yard field goal to cap a 49 Yard,ten play opening drive. After stopping the Owls three and out,the Wildcats(3-0) took over at their own 23.But holding and chop block penalties pretty much killed that drive.This time Rice got a couple of first downs,but on a fourth and three,QB Nick Fanuzzi quick kicked to the NU 4,and on a third down, Person hit Stewart for 13 to the 23.The first quarter ended 3-0 Northwestern. After another exchange of ‘four and outs’,Kyle Martens of Rice(1-2) kicked it dead on the NU 1 where the Cats again had to punt after three downs,and Brandon Williams sent it up field where it rolled dead on the NU 44.Rice was moving when Tyler Smith fumbled and NU’s Jack DiNardo recovered at the 37.On an incompleted pass,Persa was hit after throwing the ball and went out.Evan Watkins replaced him for one play.Persa returned and hit Jeremy Ebert for 14 to the Rice 36.Persa hit Demetrius Fields who got 14 yards to the Rice 5,and on fourth and two,the Wildcats were called for delay of game and Demos kicked a 28 yard field goal with 5:32 remaining in the half to make it 6-0.The kickoff was returned by Denzel Wells who faked like he was going to down it in the end zone, then decided to come out with it and was stopped at the 11. The Cats held on three downs and forced a punt which was fair caught at the Rice 46,but they also did nothing and Williams punted it dead on the Rice 9. Backup Owls QB Taylor Cook’s pass was picked off by NU’s Quentin Davie at the 11 and he had an unchallenged run into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown with 3:44 left in the half,making it 13-0.Both teams were stopped the Owls took over at their 19 from where they used their two minute offense and moved to the Cats 13 with nine seconds left.After an incomplete pass in the end zone, Chris Boswell kicked a 31 yard field goal as time expired and Northwestern led 13-3 at halftime.
Rice started out at their own 11,and were stopped in three downs to start the third quarter.Hunter Bates returned the punt 33 yards to the Rice 27,and on the first play from scrimmage, Persa hit Ebert at the ten,and he took it the rest of the way for a 27 yard TD, the first scored by either offense in the game to make it 20-3.Rice came right back with a 61 yard march to the NU 9,but were halted there and had to settle for another Boswell field goal,this one a 24 yarder with 9:46 left in the third quarter.But NU began to wear the Owls down with an effective ground game as they moved 74 yards,using 5:39 off the clock and Persa escaped a couple of tacklers en rout to an 18 yard scoring run which ended with the QB diving over the goal line.After again stopping Rice,the Cats took over the Persa hit Drake Dunsmore who broke two tackles and ran for a 47 yard play to the Rice 22.But that drive ended when Arby Fields fumbled at the one yard line and the Owls Kevin Gaddis recovered in the end zone for a touch back.Rice sued 3:26 off the clock and got to midfield before Fanuzzi coughed it up and Quentin Williams recovered at the NU 46. Persa found Ebert on a 32 yard play to the Rice 20.That drive ended with Demos kicking his third field goal of the night in as many attempts,this one a 21 yarder to make it 30-6.
NOTES—The rather small crowd was 15.562,of which about 2000 fans were rooting for Northwestern….Persa was 24-32 for one TD and no interceptions….This was the first meeting between Northwestern and Rice since a Wildcats 23-14 win here at Rice Stadium in 1998…..The Wildcats still trail the all time series 4-2….The Wildcats finish their non-conference schedule by hosting Central Michigan next Saturday at 11am in Evanston.

LES

Cubs stay hot under Quade, beat Marlins again

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MIAMI—Marlon Byrd drove in two runs, Casey Coleman pitched six solid innings and the Cubs beat the Florida Marlins 5-3 Saturday night.Aramis Ramirez and Blake DeWitt also drove in a run for the Cubs.Carlos Marmol pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 33rd save in 38 opportunities.Marlins rookie Logan Morrison had three hits to extend his streak of reaching base to 37 games, tying Cliff Floyd for the third-longest string in franchise history. Coleman (2-2) allowed a run-scoring single to Mike Stanton in the first inning, but settled down over the next five frames before giving up back-to-back doubles to Cameron Maybin and Brad Davis in the seventh, chasing the 23-year old lefty.Coleman allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out five and walked four.Morrison’s RBI single scored Davis pulling the Marlins to 4-3, but were unable to get any closer. DeWitt’s RBI double in the eighth gave the Cubs a two-run cushion.Marmol retired all three batters he faced ending with Morrison to preserve the Cubs’ win.The Cubs tied it at 1 in the fifth thanks to a wild throwing error by Davis, his second of the game. With runners on first and second, Starlin Castro walked, but following the pitch, Davis fired to third base as the runners were moving on the full-count offering. The throw got by a diving Helms allowing a runner to score. Byrd immediately followed by bouncing a double over Helms’ head and Ramirez doubled home Byrd for a 4-1 lead.Anibal Sanchez (12-10) walked three and gave up two doubles in the pivotal inning. He was lifted after the fifth. He allowed four runs.

NOTES—Before the game, Mike Quade told reporters that he wants to remain the Cubs manager next season after taking over on August 23 on an interim basis. “Absolutely, I was given a great opportunity and I wanted to make the best of it,” Quade said. “I’ve been waiting to manage at this level for a long time.” The Cubs are 15-7 under Quade. … Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez missed his second straight game with a sore left elbow. … Morrison is chasing Luis Castillo’s franchise record of 47 straight set in 2002.