Notables:
-If the Rockies somehow make the playoffs, Troy Tulowitzki deserves to be in the MVP discussion. Notice I said "in the discussion" and not the clear-cut winner. Since his trip to the DL, the Rockies have gone 29-18 and gotten right back into the playoff run. He's been a huge part of the 29 wins, hitting .361 with 11 home runs and 27 RBI during the month of September.
-Jonathan Sanchez struck out 12 and allowed only one earned run over seven innings. His ERA now sits at a tidy 3.21.
-Jake Westbrook tossed eight shutout innings over the Padres at home.
-Making a rare positive appearance in the "Notables" section, Rodrigo Lopez gave up only one run over seven innings en route to his sixth win. No confirmation to the rumor that he'll be the pitcher at the home run derby next summer.
-Alexei Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a home run and two stolen bases. He has now gone 7-for-17 over his last three games.
Save Chances:
-Juan Gutierrez, converted. Quietly, Juan has been masterful with a 2.84 ERA since the All-Star break. I don't think he'll be the closer for the snakes next year and they'll likely go outside the current roster to find one. That being said, Gut has made himself fantasy-relevant over the last two seasons so who knows.
-Matt Capps, converted. A 2.65 ERA and 39 saves; who saw this coming?
Other Closer Outings:
-Chris Perez threw a scoreless ninth with the game tied to lower his ERA to 1.81.
Tough Days:
-Ted Lilly was lit up by the Giants, giving up six runs over 3.1 innings. He's been great since his move to LA and should command a nice contract this offseason.
-The Pirates lost their 59th road game on Thursday, making them the team with the worst record through 74 road games since the schedule expanded to 162 games.
-Kevin Frandsen went 0-for-4 with three Ks.
-Bobby "Rockin' the" Cassevah gave up the game-winning run in the 11th against the tribe.
Injuries/Lineup-ology:
-Aroldis Chapman could take the David Price route with the Reds heading into the playoffs with Francisco Cordero struggling.
-Andre Ethier was held out of the starting lineup since he's batting .218 vs. lefties this year.
-Johan Santana was not able to undergo arthroscopic surgery as planned and now has to have more invasive surgery which could keep him out longer than the start of next year.
-Pablo Sandoval was held out of the starting lineup due to his 1-for-22 slump.
-Carlos Beltran, Gordon Beckham, Brandon Phillips and Jason Kubel all got a routine day off on Thursday.
-Nyjer Morgan's suspension was reduced to eight game starting immediately so bench him for next week.
Stolen Bases:
-Angel Pagan (34), Yadier Molina (8), Bobby Abreu (21), Michael Brantley (10), Trevor Crowe (16), Lou Marson (8), Drew Stubbs (25), Juan Pierre 2 (58), Alexei Ramirez 2 (12)
Caught Stealing:
-Jayson Nix (2)
Home Runs:
-Delmon Young (18 – SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR NEXT YEAR), Paul Konerko (37), Hideki Matsui (20), Mike Napoli (25), A.J. Pierzynski (8), Alexei Ramirez (17 – over double than Manny Ramirez), Aubrey Huff (25), Buster Posey (14), Jose Guillen (18), Russell Mitchell (1)