Everyone was extremely excited about the Yu Darvish-Justin Verlander pitching matchup in Texas on Friday night. When all was said and done and all the smoke was cleared…the matchup was an extreme disappointment. In the Rangers' 10-4 win, Verlander tallied just eight outs and allowed eight runs on six hits, walking two (with the bases loaded, mind you) and striking out just three. Darvish was better, but only by comparison. The Rangers' ace allowed four runs on seven hits over eight innings, striking out six and walking one. All in all, the epic battle fell flat, and neither Verlander nor Darvish are in the top 15 in the American League in ERA after all was said and done.
PIC OF THE DAY
Ian Kinsler demonstrates proper sliding technique. (Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports)
Game of the Night: White Sox 5, Angels 4. Another tough loss for the Angels. On a related note, the sky is blue. A two-run double in the sixth by Howard Kendrick gave the Angels a 4-2 lead over the Sox, but Mike Scoscia then pushed reliever Dane de la Rosa to the breaking point. After he recorded two outs in the seventh, de la Rosa started the eighth and promptly a pair of singles, a strikeout with a wild pitch that scored a run, and another single to tie the game at four. Michael Kohn relieved de la Rosa and got a groundout for out number two before walking the next two hitters to load the bases for Jeff Keppinger. Of course, Kohn walked Keppinger (HIS FIRST OF THE SEASON!) to give the White Sox the lead. Jesse Crain pitched around a Mark Trumbo one out double in the eighth, and Addison Reed shut down the bottom of the Los Angeles lineup in the ninth to seal the win.
Pitching Lines of the Night: The Nationals beat the Padres 6-2, and Stephen Strasburg allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in eight innings, walking three and striking out four. Mat Latos got a no decision in the Reds' 5-3 win over the Marlins, giving up two runs on four hits in 8 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one. Jose Fernandez pitched nearly as well, giving up two runs on five hits in seven innings, striking out five while walking three. Alex Cobb pitched well for the Rays in their 4-3 loss to the Red Sox, allowing one run on three hits over 6 1/3 frames, walking a pair and striking out six.
Hitting Lines of the Night: Travis Snider powered the Pirates to a 7-1 win over the Brewers, going 3/5 with two runs, three RBI, a homer, and a stolen base. Daniel Murphy gave the Mets some offense in their 5-2 win over the Cardinals, going 4/4 with two runs, an RBI, a walk, and a pair of doubles. Wilin Rosario had a good game in the Rockies' 8-6 loss to the Giants, going 2/4 with two runs, three RBI, and a homer. Michael Morse continued his hot start to the season for the Mariners in their 3-2 victory in New York, going 2/3 with two runs, a walk, and his tenth homer of the year.
Other Games: Got em all.
What You Missed: Jonny Venters' season is done. David Price is on the DL. Garrett looked at pitchers that still have jobs, but shouldn't. Ian explains why Mariano Rivera shouldn't start the All-Star Game.
Today's Games: Matt Harvey starts in Wrigley against Edwin Jackson. Hyun-Jin Ryu takes on Paul Maholm in Atlanta. Cliff Lee and the Phillies host Tony Cingrani and the Reds. Hiroki Kuroda and the Yankees host the Blue Jays. Clay Buchholz starts for the Red Sox in Minnesota. Jaime Garcia and the Cardinals host the Brewers. Madison Bumgarner takes on Jorge de la Rosa in Denver. Chris Sale starts for the White Sox in Anaheim against CJ Wilson. James Shields takes on Jarrod Parker in Oakland. Gio Gonzalez starts for the Nationals in San Diego.
National TV: Dodgers-Braves (7:30 PM, MLB Network), Tigers-Rangers (8 PM, MLB Network [alternate])
Enjoy your day of baseball, everyone.
