The Baseball Zealot

Jason Isringhausen got his first save since getting off the DL. His return is a welcome one for the Cardinals, I’m sure, with the loss of Scott Rolen for 4-6 weeks.

Though as Baseball Musings points out, it hasn’t always been Rolen, Pujols or Walker carrying the Cardinals as of late. Sometimes the “light-hitting” guys have been contributing as well.

Today was no exception with Mark Grudzielanek with a homer and a rbi single and Abraham Nunez (Rolen’s replacement) with another homer.

Some Izzy Trivia: When Jason Isringhausen and Bill Van Landingham faced each other in the mid-90’s, it was the matchup with the longest last names by the starting pitchers in the history of MLB.

Texas starter Kenny Rogers extended his scoreless innings streak to 30 today after throwing a complete game shutout against the Twins. He’s now 4-2 for the year.

No spring chicken, the Gambler, at age 40, is one more example of a pitcher in advanced age who shows he still has it.

It was career win #180 for Rogers.

Carlos Zambrano has been lifted early because of forearm tightness.

Cubs are down 4-2..

Friday the 13th in LA was freaky for Adam LaRoche. LaRoche came up huge for the Atlanta Braves in the top of the eighth inning. He hit a two out grand slam off Jeff Weaver to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead.

But his mental mistake set up Milton Bradley’s heroics in the bottom of the frame. With one out and runners on 1st & 2nd J.D. Drew of the Dodgers hit a hard ground ball to first. LaRoche looked to 2nd in an effort to keep the potential tying run off secondbase, but then thought better and attempted to beat J.D. to the bag. All Adam had to do was feed reliever Chris Reitsma for the 2nd out, but he had a brain cramp. Drew was credited with a single, when it should have been ruled a failed fielder’s choice (as LaRoche could’ve gone straight to first rather than looking at second) or an error (as J.D. would have been out had Adam flipped the ball to Reitsma). Reitsma then got Jeff Kent to fly to left. That would have been the third out, but instead it set the stage for Milton Bradley.

Bradley a switch hitter batting lefthanded hooked a grand slam inside the rightfield foul pole to give the Dodgers a lead they wouldn’t cough up. Milton hit a homer batting righthanded earlier in the game off Horacio Ramirez. He became only the second player, joining Eddie Murray, in the history of the Dodgers to hit a homer from each side of the plate more than once in a game. As Bradley streaked around the bases he kept puffing out ‘Dodgers’ scripted across his chest as if to say, “this one’s for the team”. 53,689 fans went delirious as Milton came out for a curtain call.