Tigers 5 - Royals 4
- Rick Porcello was mediocre as he pitched 7 innings and allowed 4 earned runs, in a no-decision. He gave up 8 hits, 2 of which were home runs, with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. Porcell has just 1 quality start over his last 5 outings.
- Nate Adcock pitched 5.1 innings and allowed 2 earned runs on 6 hits and now walks, also in a no-decision. It was only his 3rd start of the season and 2nd since late May. On the season he has a 4.45 ERA over 54.2 innings with 30 strikeouts and 24 walks.
- Austin Jackson went 4-4 with a double, triple, and 3 runs. The CF is batting .249/.316/.366 this season over 550 plate appearances.
- Eric Hosmer went 3-4 with two solo homers. The rookie is batting .278/.327/.441 this season with 14 homers and 59 RBI.
- W: Daniel Schlereth (2-1), L: Blake Wood (5-2), SV: Jose Valverde (40)
- HR: Eric Hosmer (13, 14)
- SB: Chris Getz (20), Austin Jackson (19)
Twins 7 - White Sox 6
- Scott Diamond turned in a quality start with 6 innings of 3-run ball on 3 hits and 3 walks. He also struck out 5 batters with a homer served up. It was his 3rd start of the season and 2nd since coming back up from the minors. At Triple-A he pitched 123 innings with a 5.56 ERA, 90 strikeouts, and 36 walks.
- Jake Peavy got knocked around yet again, this time for 6 earned runs over 5 innings. He did so on 8 hits and no walks with 4 strikeouts. Staking the Twins to 6 runs in the first inning was pretty much the beginning of the end for him. With an ERA at 5.21, I have no idea if his stock can get much cheaper going into next season.
- Joe Nathan received his 12th save, after he allowed a 3-run lead turn into just a 1-run lead. Officially, he gave up 2 earned runs on 2 hits and 1 walk with 2 strikeouts. His ERA is a salty 5.02.
- Paul Konerko went 2-4 with a double, 3 RBI, and a walk The steady 1B is batting .317/.404/.546 with 28 homers and 93 RBI.
- Brent Lillibridge went 1-3 with a homer, 2 RBI, 2 runs, and a walk. See Adam Dunn, it's not so hard.
- Dayan Viciedo went 2-4 and is now 7-13 with a homer, 4 RBI, 4 runs, 2 walks, and strikeout since coming up.
- W: Scott Diamond (1-2), L: Jake Peavy (6-7), SV: Joe Nathan (12)
- HR: Jason Repko (2), Jason Kubel (12), Luke Hughes (7), Brent Lillibridge (13)
- SB: Juan Pierre (23); CS: Trevor Plouffe (3)
Indians 4 - A's 3
- Rich Harden and Ubaldo Jimenez were spitting images of each other as they both pitched 6 innings with 3 earned runs allowed on 6 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. They also both took no-decisions in this one as it last for 16 innings.
- Frank Hermann received the win, after he pitched 4 perfect innings with 2 strikeouts. The walk-off hit came via Jack Hannahan, who singled in Cord Phelps. Hannahan also had a homer, 3 RBI, and 2 runs in this one.
- The A's had their running shoes on as they swiped 4 bags in the game.
- Lou Marson went 1-6 with 4 strikeouts… have fun wearing that Golden Sombrero.
- W: Frank Hermann (4-0), L: Josh Outman (3-4)
- HR: Kurt Suzuki (13), Jack Hannahan (7, 8)
- SB: Jemile Weeks (20), Cliff Pennington (1), Coco Crisp (38), Brandon Allen (2)
Blue Jays 13 - Orioles 0
- Henderson Alvarez pitched 8 shutout innings on 3 hits with no walks and 5 strikeouts. Over his 5 starts since coming up from Double-A, he's pitched 30.2 innings with 21 strikeouts and 5 walks. At Double-A this season he pitched 88 innings with 66 strikeouts, 17 walks, and a 2.86 ERA. He merits starting the next time out, assuming it's not against the Yankees or Red Sox.
- Jo-Jo Reyes was shelled for 7 earned runs over 2.2 innings on 8 hits and 1 walk. A 6-run 3rd inning that included a 2 singles, a double, and 2 homers pretty much says it all. He's now 7-11 with a 5.63 ERA over 134.1 innings.
- Jose Bautista went 1-4 with a homer, 3 Rbi, and a run. The MVP candidate is now batting a stupid .311/.451/.645. He'd get my vote for the best in the AL.
- Edwin Encarnacion was one of four Blue Jays to wrap out 4 hits. The other two were Eric Thames and Yunel Escobar. The only way to explain this offensive explosion is the man in white… or the Orioles pitching.
- Kelly Johnson went 2-5 with a homer, his first as a Blue Jay, 3 RBI, and a run. I wouldn't be shocked to see him have a big September.
- W: Henderson Alvarez (1-2), L: Jo-Jo Reyes (7-11)
- HR: Jose Bautista (39), Edwin Encarnacion (15), Kelly Johnson (19), Jose Molina (3)
- SB: Eric Thames (2)
Red Sox 9 - Yankees 5
- Josh Beckett improved his record to 12-5 as he pitched 7 innings and allowed 4 earned runs. He struck out 8 with 3 walks and 6 hits. His 2.54 ERA is 3rd in the AL, while his WHIP is 2nd (0.98). The win was his third in a row.
- Phil Hughes flossed his AJ Burnett skills as he allowed 6 earned runs over 5.2 innings. He gave up 8 hits with 2 walks a 4 strikeouts. Seriously, he needs to stop hanging around AJ Burnett as this is affecting him negatively on the mound.
- Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-5 with a double, homer, 2 RBI, and 2 runs. The MVP candidate is now up to 35 doubles, 24 homers, 84 RBI, 36 stolen bases, and 97 runs, which is fantasy gold any way you slice it.
- Derek Jeter went 2-3 with a RBI as he climbs his way towars a .300 batting average. Right now he's at a .295/.354/.383 batting line.
- W: Josh Beckett (12-5), L: Phil Hughes (4-5)
- HR: Jacoby Ellsbury (24), David Ortiz (28), Jason Varitek (10)
- SB: Derek Jeter (14)
Rays 4 - Rangers 1
- James Shields held the Rangers scoreless for 8 innings as he allowed just 4 hits with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts. He's now up to 12 starts this season where he's pitched 8 innings or more. In the AL he ranks 3rd in innings pitched (209), 4th in strikeouts (199), 5th in ERA (2.84), and 5th in WHIP (1.04).
- Alexei Ogando wasn't anywhere near as sharp as he pitched just 2.2 innings and allowed 3 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. Over his last 5 starts (22.2 innings), he's given up 21 earned runs with 15 strikeouts and 8 walks. He's probably just tired from all the innings he's thrown this season (154).
- Johnny Damon went 1-3 with a solo homer, walk, and stolen base. The elder of the Rays clan is batting .264/.316/.423 this season with 14 homers and 13 stolen bases.
- W: James Shields (13-10), L: Alexi Ogando (12-7)
- HR: Johnny Damon (14)
- SB: Johnny Damon (13)
Mariners 2 - Angels 1
- King Felix was in vintage form as he pitched a complete 1-run game with 9 strikeouts. The reigning AL Cy Young award winner is now 13-11 with a 3.27 ERA, 204 strikeouts, and 63 walks over 209.1 innings.
- Dan Haren was no slouch as he pitched 7.2 innings and allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits and 1 walk with 7 strikeouts. He now has a 4.24 ERA since the All-Star break. He now has a 4.09 ERA after the All-Star break for his career (3.19 pre-All Star break).
- Mike Carp was 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI. He finishes the month of August with 8 doubles, 15 homers, and 25 RBI… not bad.
- Mike Trout went 1-3 with a run. I have a feeling he's going to be plenty valuable to fantasy owners in the month of September.
- W: Felix Hernandez (13-11), L: Dan Haren (13-8)
- SB: Eric Aybar (27), Torii Hunter (4), Alberto Callaspo (7)
Dodgers 4 - Padres 2
- Ted Lilly gave up 2 earned runs over 5.2 innings for his 9th win. He walked 4 batters and struck out 3 with 5 hits given up. He's pitched much this month with a 2.35 ERA over 38.1 innings.
- Wade LeBlanc pitched 6 innings and gave up 4 earned runs on 6 hits with a walk and 3 strikeouts. Over 49 innings this season he has given up 28 earned runs with 30 strikeouts and 21 walks… pretty tough to have success when you're walking nearly as many batters as you're striking out.
- Jesus Guzman went 3-3 with a walk and stolen base. His 8 bags are more than he's had at any previous stop in his career in the minors.
- Andre Ethier went 1-1 with a single, in a pinch-hit appearances. His achy knee might keep him out of a few games down the stretch.
- W: Ted Lilly (9-13), L: Wade LeBlanc (2-4), SV: Javy Guerra (13)
- HR: Rod Barajas (15)
- SB: Jesus Guzman (8), Kyle Blanks (1); Tony Gwynn Jr. (4)
Giants 4 - Cubs 0
- Madison Bumgarner struck out 11 Cubs batters as he pitched 8 innings of shutout ball. He gave up just 2 hits with 2 walks for his 9th win as the Cubs offered no friction with their bats. In the month of August he had a 2.30 ERA over 43 innings with 42 strikeouts and 11 walks.
- Rodrigo Lopez was up to Rodrigo Lopez things as he gave up 4 earned runs over 5.1 innings on 9 hits, 2 of which were homers. Back-to-back homers in the 4th inning was all the Giants needed as the Cubs bats were silent.
- Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada were designated for assignment prior to the game. I'm only surprised that this didn't take longer and that Aubrey Huff isn't joining them.
- Jeff Keppinger went 3-4 with a double, homer, 2 RBI, and a run. Over his last 6 games he has 3 doubles, a homer, and 7 RBI.
- Pablo Sandoval provided the rest of the offense with a 2-4 effort that included a solo shot. Kung-Fu Panda is hitting .301/.345/.503 this season.
- W: Madison Bumgarner (9-12), L: Rodrigo Lopez (4-6)
- HR: Jeff Keppinger (6), Pablo Sandoval (16)
- SB: Starlin Castro (18); CS: Andres Torres (5), Cody Ross (2)
Braves 3 - Nationals 1
- Derek Lowe allowed just 3 hits as he pitched 6 innings of 1-run ball with 6 strikeouts. Over his last 3 starts he's pitched 18 innings with 3 earned runs allowed, 19 strikeouts, and 8 walks. The veteran is now sporting a 4.52 ERA.
- John Lannan allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and 1 walk with 6 strikeouts. He's given up 3 earned runs or less in 24 of his 28 starts this season, which sounds impressive, but he has a 3.54 ERA.
- Matt Diaz was traded back to Atlanta and he immediately made his presence known with a 2-3 effort at the dish. He's a career .329 hitter against lefties, so you can pretty much see his value in being part of a platoon, which likely won't help fantasy owners.
- Chipper Jones went 1-4 with a solo shot. The 39 year old 3B is batting .276/.347/.470 this season with 14 homers and 59 RBI.
- W: Derek Lowe (9-12), L: John Lannan (8-11), SV: Craig Kimbrel (41)
- HR: Michael Morse (24), Chipper Jones (14), Derek Lowe (1)
- CS: Ian Desmond
Phillies 3 - Reds 0
- Cliff Lee nearly pitched a complete game shutout as he pitched 8.2 innings with no earned runs allowed. He was pulled after he loaded the bases on a pitch that hit Miguel Cairo in the 9th, which is understandable. For the game, he struck out 7 batters with 1 walk and 6 hits given up. In the NL he ranks 3rd in innings pitched (194.2), 2nd in strikeouts (198), 6th in ERA (2.59), and 4th in WHIP (1.05).
- The D-Train known as Dontrelle Willis produced a quality start as he pitched 6.2 innings and allowed 3 earned runs. His command was erratic as he walked 5 batters and struckout 6 with 5 hits allowed. His 4.10 ERA is actually better than I thought it would be to this point (59.1 innings).
- Carlos Ruiz went 3-4 and is now batting .278/.370/.385… not bad for those in an OBP league.
- Hunter Pence went 1-3 with a solo shot and walk. It was his 7th homer and 17th RBI as a member of the Phillies.
- W: Cliff Lee (15-7), L: Dontrelle Willis (0-4), SV: Ryan Madson (25)
- HR: Hunter Pence (18)
- CS: Dave Sappelt (1)
Mets 3 - Marlins 2
- Chris Capuano allowed 2 earned runs over 5 innings on 7 hits and 2 walks. Not exactly the greatest encore to his complete game shutout that featured 13 strikeouts, but it'll have to do. For those curious, his fastball sat around 86 mph and topped out at 89 mph. Now if he can just stay healthy.
- Chris Volstad had a quality start as he pitched 6.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned). He still took his 12th loss, but at least it wasn't a disaster, as some of his starts are known to be. He struck out 4 batters with 2 walks and 7 hits given up in this one. With a 5.48 ERA, it's doubtful he's on any fantasy radar screens.
- Jason Bay went 3-4 with a double and RBI. The OF is batting .234/.318/.342 this season with 9 homers and 44 RBI over 435 plate appearances.
- Jose Reyes went 2-4 with a double and run. It was his first extra-base hit since coming off the DL with a hamstring injury.
- W: Manny Acosta (2-1), L: Chris Volstad (5-12), SV: Bobby Parnell (3)
Astros 2 - Pirates 0
- J.A. Happ pitched 7 scoreless innings on 3 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts. That's now back-to-back starts where he's been pretty lights out. Though considering the level of competition (Giants & Pirates), you have to temper expectations. 20 losses is probably more realistic than him being useful to fantasy owners in the month of September.
- James McDonald pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned), in a loss. He struck out 6 Astros batters with 2 walks and 7 hits. Coming into this game he had a 5.35 road ERA, but given the fact that it was against the Astros, this only seems natural.
- Carlos Lee went 2-4 with a double. Surprisingly he's 43 in WAR among NL position players this season. Still, I can't wait till he's out of Houston.
- W: J.A. Happ (5-15), L: James McDonald (8-7), SV: Mark Melancon (16)
Cardinals 8 - Brewers 3
- Jake Westbrook picked up his 11th win of the season, after he pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned). He walked none, but struck out just 1 batter. Offensively, he hit a grand slam… yes, a grand slam. Randy Wolf should be fined heavily for allowing such shenanigans…
- Randy Wofl gave up 3 homers, en route to giving up 6 earned runs on 7 hits over 5 innings. He's now 11-9 with a 3.58 ERA with 113 strikeouts, and 58 walks over 180.2 innings.
- Ryan Braun went 2-4 with a triple, a RBI, and a stolen base. The LF is batting .333/.403/.592 this season with 25 homers, 89 RBI, and 31 stolen bases… 30/30 is well within his reach.
- Rafael Furcal went 2-5 with a homer, 2 RBI, and a run. The SS is batting .215/.279/.302 this season in what has become a mostly lost season.
- W: Jake Westbrook (11-7), L: Randy Wolf (11-9)
- HR: Rafael Furcal (4), Albert Pujols (32), Jake Westbrook (1), Corey Hart (22)
- SB: Ryan Braun (31); CS: Ryan Braun (5)
Diamondbacks 4 - Rockies 2
- Josh Collmenter lowered his ERA to 3.18 as he pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 earned run on 5 hits and no walks. The righty hasn't allowed more than 2 earned runs in any of his last 4 starts. He's a reason the D-Backs are doing as well as they are this season.
- I've been to Esmil Rogers neighborhood and it's not a nice place. With a 5.94 ERA, what would you expect? In this one he pitched 6 innings and allowed 4 earned runs on 7 hits and 2 walks.
- Miguel Montero went 2-4 with a double, homer, 3 RBI, and a run. Not that it matters to most fantasy owners, but he's 2nd in WAR among catchers in the NL, behind only Brian McCann.
- Aaron Hill went 2-4 with a double and run. In 8 games for the D-Backs, he has 4 extra-base hits with 6 RBI.
- W: Josh Collmenter (9-8), L: Esmil Rogers (6-4), SV: J.J. Putz (35)
- HR: Dexter Fowler (2), Miguel Montero (14)
- SB: Willie Bloomquist (15)