Category: Linescores of the Day

Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies

3 for 5, HR, run, 5 rbis

Way back in April, a friend of mine encouraged me to post something about Chase Utley.  This was back when he was playing half time, splitting time with Placido Polanco.  I hesitated but my friend is usually right about this kind of thing so I posted a paragraph or two questioning why the Phillies don’t ditch Polanco and play Utley full-time.

Well, come June 9, the Phillies traded Polanco to the Tigers and Utley has been playing full-time for the Phillies since then.  Not only that, he has been on fire!  At this point, he is hitting .317 with 15 homeruns and 60 rbis.  His stats this year (.317, .549, .393) are a vast improvement over last year’s (.266, .468, .308).

I guess I should listen to my friend more often.

 

Randy Johnson, New York Yankees

8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K (Win)

The Unit shows he still has it allowing only 2 hits (and no walks) against the Twins for his fourth win of the month. 

 

Derek Lowe, Los Angeles Dodgers

8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (Win)

Lowe allowed just 1 hit and 1 walk in 8 innings for the win against the Reds before a blister on his thumb took him out of the game. 

Neifi Perez, Chicago Cubs

1 for 5, HR, run, 4 rbis

One hit.  But boy, did Neifi make that hit count!  His grand slam in the top of the 10th broke a 4-4 tie and the Cubs won it 8-4.  It was his first homer at Busch in 109 at-bats.

USA Today’s timing was a bit off.  They ran an article about the Cardinals entitled Showing Spirit in St Louis a day after the Cubs took two of three from the Cardinals.

On another Cub note, new addition Jody Gerut has started out 0 fer 8.  He’s only started one game and is pinch hitting mostly. 

This is for my buddy, DonS who seems to know that Kevin Brown is pitching on his last legs… or whatever.

Kevin Brown, New York Yankees

3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR (Loss)

Look at Brownie’s performance since May 31… 25 ER in 24 1/3 IP.  Even his control is down (10 walks and 4 HBP). 

Shoot, the Yanks would be better off trading for the Gambler at this point.  I hear he can be had for pretty cheap.

Special mention to Justin Morneau who went 2 for 3 with a double and a homer.  Morneau had only one hit in his previous 10 games.

Craig Monroe, Detroit Tigers

5 for 5, 3 2B, run, 6 rbis

Monroe capitalized on his 3 doubles and drove in a career high 6 rbis in the Tigers’ 12-6 drubbing of the Twinkies.

Monroe had 5 rbis in game on July 8.

Special Mention: The Houston Astros.

14 runs, 19 hits, 0 errors

Why the Astros?  Because Clemens was pitching.  The Rocket had a sub-1.50 ERA and yet still had a 7-4 record.  On Friday, he pitched his typical game allowing no runs on 6 innings. The difference was that he had the lead when he left.

The ironic thing was that the ‘Stros waited till he left the game before they scored the bulk of their runs.  After six innings, they led 4-0.  In the next three freames, they managed to score 10 more.

Bengie Molina, LA Angels of Anaheim

4 for 4, 2B

How does the saying go?  If a tree goes 4 for 4 in the middle of the forest, would it produce any runs? 

Something like that.

Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals

7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (Win)

Greinke was one of the hottest rookies to come out of the Class of ’04.  In ’05 his sophomore year, things haven’t been so smooth.  Even with this win, he is 3-11.  Won-loss records can sometimes be deceiving but not necessarily in this case.  Greinke has a 5.66 ERA (though his control is decent with 30 walks in 109 2/3 innings).

Maybe Zack is turning things around.

Or maybe he just had a good day.