Pirates vs. Royals: An Interactive Dynasty

[larrymcg421]

Thursday, November 1st, 2012 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Philadelphia Phillies 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 9 0 Kansas City Royals 5 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 X 10 11 2
Philadelphia AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI T. Gillies CF 5 1 2 0 0 2 2 .385 2 10 D. Brown RF 5 2 4 3 0 0 1 .322 6 14 L. Castro LF 5 1 2 0 0 2 2 .302 2 7 C. Utley 2B 4 0 0 0 0 1 4 .233 4 15 B. Brentz DH 4 0 0 1 0 0 3 .400 2 7 C. Kotchman 1B 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 .300 1 7 G. Laird C 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .241 0 2 N. Punto 3B 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 .286 0 9 J. Rollins SS 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 .150 2 9 Totals 38 5 9 5 1 8 15 BATTING Doubles: D. Brown 2 (6, 6th Inning off D. Ginsberg, 0 on, 0 outs; 9th Inning off J. Johnson, 1 on, 2 outs) Home Runs: D. Brown 2 (6, 3rd Inning off D. Ginsberg, 0 on, 1 out; 8th Inning off D. Ginsberg, 0 on, 0 outs) C. Kotchman (1, 2nd Inning off D. Ginsberg, 0 on, 0 outs) Total Bases: T. Gillies 2 , D. Brown 12 , C. Kotchman 4 , L. Castro 2 2-out RBI: D. Brown Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: T. Gillies , B. Brentz 2 , L. Castro Team LOB: 7 FIELDING Double Plays: 1 (Utley-Kotchman) PB: G. Laird	Kansas City AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI D. Gonzalez RF 4 2 1 0 1 1 2 .324 0 9 A. Callaspo 2B 5 1 1 3 0 0 2 .283 3 9 B. Butler DH 4 1 1 1 0 1 0 .311 1 10 J. Bonilla C 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 .271 2 8 M. Schaplowsky SS 4 2 3 1 0 0 0 .387 0 13 H. Richardson CF 4 0 1 1 0 1 3 .348 1 4 E. Hosmer 1B 4 1 1 2 0 1 3 .222 3 13 S. Smith LF 3 1 1 0 1 1 0 .300 2 14 A. Gordon 3B 3 1 1 0 1 2 0 .267 5 10 Totals 34 10 11 9 4 7 10 BATTING Doubles: J. Bonilla (2, 1st Inning off W. Rodriguez, 1 on, 1 out) B. Butler (4, 1st Inning off W. Rodriguez, 1 on, 1 out) H. Richardson (7, 4th Inning off S. Mathieson, 1 on, 2 outs) Home Runs: A. Callaspo (3, 4th Inning off S. Mathieson, 2 on, 0 outs) E. Hosmer (3, 1st Inning off W. Rodriguez, 1 on, 2 outs) Total Bases: J. Bonilla 2 , B. Butler 2 , A. Callaspo 4 , A. Gordon , M. Schaplowsky 3 , S. Smith , D. Gonzalez , E. Hosmer 4 , H. Richardson 2 2-out RBI: E. Hosmer , H. Richardson Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: A. Callaspo , E. Hosmer 2 GIDP: D. Gonzalez Team LOB: 4 FIELDING Errors: A. Gordon 2
Philadelphia IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA W. Rodriguez L (2-2) 1.0 5 5 5 0 1 1 30 17 4.50 C. Durbin 2.0 3 2 2 1 1 0 44 24 4.15 S. Mathieson 0.2 3 3 3 1 0 1 21 9 7.36 B. Ziegler 2.1 0 0 0 2 1 0 26 14 9.00 R. Madson 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 13 9 0.00 J. Lannan 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 11 7 6.75 PITCHING Game Score: W. Rodriguez 18 Batters Faced: W. Rodriguez 8, C. Durbin 10, S. Mathieson 6, B. Ziegler 8, R. Madson 3, J. Lannan 3 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: W. Rodriguez 0-2, C. Durbin 1-4, S. Mathieson 2-0, B. Ziegler 4-1, R. Madson 0-1, J. Lannan 0-1 Pitches - Strikes: W. Rodriguez 30-17, C. Durbin 44-24, S. Mathieson 21-9, B. Ziegler 26-14, R. Madson 13-9, J. Lannan 11-7 Inherited Runners - Scored: S. Mathieson 2-2 , B. Ziegler 1-0	Kansas City IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA D. Ginsberg W (2-1) 7.1 7 4 3 1 8 3 121 76 3.82 J. Johnson 1.2 2 1 1 0 0 0 18 13 1.50 PITCHING Game Score: D. Ginsberg 57 Batters Faced: D. Ginsberg 32, J. Johnson 7 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: D. Ginsberg 9-5, J. Johnson 3-2 Pitches - Strikes: D. Ginsberg 121-76, J. Johnson 18-13 Inherited Runners - Scored: J. Johnson 1-0
GAME NOTES Player of the Game: D. Brown Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium Weather: Clear skies (49 degrees), wind blowing out to center at 10 mph Start Time: 7:05 pm Time: 3:05 Attendance: 34891

[larrymcg421]

So we will have a game 7, but the chances for the Royals do not look good. They will be sending Dave Corson (0-2, 9.19 ERA) against Phillies ace and probably Cy Young winner Roy Halladay (3-2, 2.87 ERA). However, it's not impossible as the Royals have beaten Halladay twice in this series already.

[EagleFan]

Go me.

[larrymcg421]

For this game 7 I'm going to post the game log, inning by inning.

[larrymcg421]

World Series Game 7 - Philadelphia vs. Kansas City

(Dave Corson vs. Roy Halladay)

Top of the 1st - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Pitching: RHP Dave Corson
Batting: LHB Tyson Gillies	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Called Strike 0-2: Ball 1-2: Strikes out looking
Batting: SHB Shane Victorino	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: LHB Domonic Brown	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ground out 3-1 (Groundball, 34S)
Top of the 1st over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 0
Bottom of the 1st - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Pitching: RHP Roy Halladay
Batting: LHB Hilton Richardson	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 5F 0-2: Foul Ball, location: 7LSF 0-2: Ball 1-2: Ground out 4-3 (Groundball, 4M)
Batting: RHB Mike Schaplowsky	0-0: SINGLE (Line Drive, 6)
Batting: LHB David Gonzalez	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike Mike Schaplowsky steals 2nd base 1-1: Ball 2-1: Swinging Strike 2-2: Ground out 4-3 (Groundball, 4) Mike Schaplowsky to third
Batting: RHB Billy Butler	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 7LDF 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Bottom of the 1st over - 0 run(s), 1 hit(s), 0 error(s), 1 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 0

[larrymcg421]

Top of the 2nd - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Batting: LHB Chase Utley	0-0: Ball 1-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-1: Ball 2-1: Ground out 3-1 (Groundball, 34S)
Batting: LHB Erik Lis	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Swinging Strike 1-2: Ball 2-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 2-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: RHB Leandro Castro	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Ball 3-0: Called Strike 3-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 3-2: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6MS)
Top of the 2nd over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 0
Bottom of the 2nd - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Batting: LHB Eric Hosmer	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Ground out 3-1 (Groundball, 3L)
Batting: LHB Seth Smith	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Ball 2-1: SINGLE (Flyball, 89S)
Batting: LHB Alex Gordon	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Swinging Strike 0-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: SHB Alberto Callaspo	0-0: Fielders Choice at 2nd, U6 (Groundball, 6M)
Bottom of the 2nd over - 0 run(s), 1 hit(s), 0 error(s), 1 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 0

[larrymcg421]

Top of the 3rd - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Batting: SHB Jimmy Rollins	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Strikes out looking
Batting: SHB Nick Punto	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: RHB Gerald Laird	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Swinging Strike 2-1: Swinging Strike 2-2: Strikes out swinging
Top of the 3rd over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 0
Bottom of the 3rd - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Batting: RHB Jose Bonilla	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Foul Ball, location: 7LSF 0-2: Ball 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: LHB Hilton Richardson	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Ball 1-1: Swinging Strike 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball 2-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: RHB Mike Schaplowsky	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6)
Bottom of the 3rd over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 0

[larrymcg421]

That's 4 strikeouts and 0 hits through 3 innings for Corson. Fantastic start.

[larrymcg421]

Top of the 4th - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Batting: LHB Tyson Gillies	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Called Strike 0-2: Ball 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 5SF 1-2: Ball 2-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 2-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: SHB Shane Victorino	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Called Strike 1-2: Ground out 1-3 (Groundball, 13)
Batting: LHB Domonic Brown	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Ground out 3-1 (Groundball, 34)
Top of the 4th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 0
Bottom of the 4th - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Batting: LHB David Gonzalez	0-0: SINGLE (Groundball, 4MD) (infield hit)
Batting: RHB Billy Butler	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball David Gonzalez steals 2nd base 2-0: SINGLE (Line Drive, 9LS) David Gonzalez to third Runner from 3rd tries for Home, SAFE, no throw or cutoff
Batting: LHB Eric Hosmer	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Swinging Strike 0-2: Ball 1-2: Ball 2-2: Grounds into double play, U4-3 (Groundball, 4)
Batting: LHB Seth Smith	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball 2-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 2-2: SINGLE (Groundball, 34D)
Batting: LHB Alex Gordon	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Ball 1-2: Ball 2-2: Ground out 4-3 (Groundball, 34)
Bottom of the 4th over - 1 run(s), 3 hit(s), 0 error(s), 1 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 1

[larrymcg421]

Top of the 5th - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Batting: LHB Chase Utley	0-0: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6M)
Batting: LHB Erik Lis	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball 2-2: Strikes out looking
Batting: RHB Leandro Castro	0-0: Ball 1-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-1: Ball 2-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 2-2: Strikes out looking
Top of the 5th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 1
Bottom of the 5th - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Batting: SHB Alberto Callaspo	0-0: Ball 1-0: Called Strike 1-1: Ball 2-1: Called Strike 2-2: Ball 3-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 3-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 3-2: Base on Balls
Batting: RHB Jose Bonilla	0-0: Bunted foul 0-1: Bunt missed! 0-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: LHB Hilton Richardson	0-0: Ball 1-0: Fielders Choice at 2nd, 3-6 (Groundball, 34)
Batting: RHB Mike Schaplowsky	0-0: Ground out 2-3 (Groundball, 23)
Bottom of the 5th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 1 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 1

[larrymcg421]

Top of the 6th - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Batting: SHB Jimmy Rollins	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Called Strike 2-1: Ground out 4-3 (Groundball, 4)
Batting: SHB Nick Punto	0-0: Fly out, F3 (Popup, 3)
Batting: RHB Gerald Laird	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Swinging Strike 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6M)
Top of the 6th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 1
Bottom of the 6th - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Batting: LHB David Gonzalez	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Called Strike 2-1: Ball 3-1: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 89M)
Batting: RHB Billy Butler	0-0: Ball 1-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-1: Ball 2-1: Swinging Strike 2-2: Strikes out looking
Batting: LHB Eric Hosmer	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Swinging Strike 2-1: Called Strike 2-2: Strikes out swinging
Bottom of the 6th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 1

[larrymcg421]

Top of the 7th - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Batting: LHB Tyson Gillies	0-0: Ground out 4-3 (Groundball, 4)
Batting: SHB Shane Victorino	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 9M)
Batting: LHB Domonic Brown	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Ball 3-0: Called Strike 3-1: Ground out 4-3 (Groundball, 34)
Top of the 7th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 1
Bottom of the 7th - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Batting: LHB Seth Smith	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Ball 2-1: Swinging Strike 2-2: Ball 3-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: LHB Alex Gordon	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Swinging Strike 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Strikes out looking
Batting: SHB Alberto Callaspo	0-0: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 8RXD)
Bottom of the 7th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 0 - Kansas City 1

[larrymcg421]

Corson's no hitter still alive through 7!

[larrymcg421]

Top of the 8th - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Batting: LHB Chase Utley	0-0: Swinging Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: LHB Erik Lis	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Swinging Strike 1-2: Ball 2-2: Ball 3-2: Foul Ball, location: 9LMF 3-2: SOLO HOME RUN (Flyball, 7D), Distance : 395 ft
Batting: RHB Leandro Castro	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Called Strike 2-1: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6M)
Batting: SHB Jimmy Rollins	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Bunt for hit - play at first, batter OUT! 2-4
Top of the 8th over - 1 run(s), 1 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 1 - Kansas City 1
Bottom of the 8th - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Batting: RHB Jose Bonilla	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Ball 2-1: Ball 3-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 3-2: Strikes out looking
Batting: LHB Hilton Richardson	0-0: Ball 1-0: Ball 2-0: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6)
Batting: RHB Mike Schaplowsky	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Ground out 5-3 (Groundball, 56)
Bottom of the 8th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 1 - Kansas City 1

[larrymcg421]

Top of the 9th - Philadelphia Phillies batting - Pitching for Kansas City Royals : RHP Dave Corson
Pinch Hitting: LHB Casey Kotchman	0-0: Ball 1-0: SINGLE (Line Drive, 56)
Pinch Runner at 1stCarlos Ruiz:
Pinch Hitting: RHB Bryce Brentz	0-0: SINGLE (Groundball, 6MD) Carlos Ruiz to second
Batting: LHB Tyson Gillies	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-2: Ball 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: SINGLE (Line Drive, 4M) Carlos Ruiz to third Bryce Brentz to second
Batting: SHB Shane Victorino	0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 7LDF 0-2: Ball 1-2: DOUBLE (Line Drive, 3D) Carlos Ruiz scores Bryce Brentz scores Tyson Gillies to third Runner from 3rd tries for Home, SAFE, no throw or cutoff
Batting: LHB Domonic Brown	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Foul Ball, location: 2RF 0-2: Foul Ball, location: 9LDF 0-2: Ball 1-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: LHB Chase Utley	0-0: Intentional Walk
Batting: LHB Erik Lis	0-0: Ball 1-0: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 8RXD) Runner from 2nd tags up, SAFE at 3rd, no throw
Pitching: RHP Brett Myers
Batting: RHB Leandro Castro	0-0: Fly out, F9 (Flyball, 9D)
Top of the 9th over - 3 run(s), 4 hit(s), 0 error(s), 2 left on base; Philadelphia 4 - Kansas City 1
Bottom of the 9th - Kansas City Royals batting - Pitching for Philadelphia Phillies : RHP Roy Halladay
Pitching: LHP Joe Thatcher
Now at C: Carlos Ruiz
Now at 3B: Bryce Brentz
Batting: LHB David Gonzalez	0-0: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6)
Batting: RHB Billy Butler	0-0: Ball 1-0: Fly out, F3 (Popup, 3L)
Batting: LHB Eric Hosmer	0-0: Called Strike 0-1: Ball 1-1: Foul Ball, location: 2F 1-2: Ball 2-2: Ground out 3-1 (Groundball, 34)
Bottom of the 9th over - 0 run(s), 0 hit(s), 0 error(s), 0 left on base; Philadelphia 4 - Kansas City 1

[larrymcg421]

Friday, November 2nd, 2012 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Philadelphia Phillies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 5 0 Kansas City Royals 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0
Philadelphia AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI T. Gillies CF 4 1 1 0 0 2 0 .377 2 10 S. Victorino DH 4 0 1 3 0 1 0 .167 0 3 D. Brown RF 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .302 6 14 C. Utley 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 .222 4 15 E. Lis 1B 4 1 1 1 0 2 2 .442 7 18 L. Castro LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 .277 2 7 J. Rollins SS 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .143 2 9 N. Punto 3B 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .275 0 9 a-C. Kotchman PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .333 1 7 c-C. Ruiz PR, C 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 G. Laird C 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .232 0 2 b-B. Brentz PH, 3B 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .429 2 7 Totals 32 4 5 4 1 11 5 a - C. Kotchman pinch hit for N. Punto in the 9th b - B. Brentz pinch hit for G. Laird in the 9th c - C. Ruiz pinch ran for C. Kotchman in the 9th BATTING Doubles: S. Victorino (1, 9th Inning off D. Corson, 3 on, 0 outs) Home Runs: E. Lis (7, 8th Inning off D. Corson, 0 on, 1 out) Total Bases: E. Lis 4 , T. Gillies , S. Victorino 2 , C. Kotchman , B. Brentz Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: L. Castro Team LOB: 2 FIELDING Double Plays: 1 (Utley-Lis)	Kansas City AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI H. Richardson CF 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .329 1 4 M. Schaplowsky SS 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 .380 0 13 D. Gonzalez RF 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 .319 0 9 B. Butler DH 4 0 1 1 0 2 1 .308 1 11 E. Hosmer 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .207 3 13 S. Smith LF 3 0 2 0 0 1 0 .317 2 14 A. Gordon 3B 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 .254 5 10 A. Callaspo 2B 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 .274 3 9 J. Bonilla C 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 .258 2 8 Totals 31 1 5 1 1 10 9 BATTING Total Bases: B. Butler , M. Schaplowsky , S. Smith 2 , D. Gonzalez Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: B. Butler GIDP: E. Hosmer Team LOB: 4 BASERUNNING SB: M. Schaplowsky (5) , D. Gonzalez (7)
Philadelphia IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA R. Halladay W (4-2) 8.0 5 1 1 1 10 0 114 73 2.56 J. Thatcher SV (3) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 5 1.86 PITCHING Game Score: R. Halladay 77 Batters Faced: R. Halladay 29, J. Thatcher 3 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: R. Halladay 11-2, J. Thatcher 2-1 Pitches - Strikes: R. Halladay 114-73, J. Thatcher 8-5	Kansas City IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA D. Corson L (0-3) 8.2 5 4 4 1 11 1 123 82 7.40 B. Myers 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 7.36 PITCHING Game Score: D. Corson 68 Batters Faced: D. Corson 32, B. Myers 1 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: D. Corson 12-3, B. Myers 0-1 Pitches - Strikes: D. Corson 123-82, B. Myers 1-1 Inherited Runners - Scored: B. Myers 2-0
GAME NOTES Player of the Game: R. Halladay Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium Weather: Partly Cloudy (44 degrees), wind blowing out to left at 11 mph Start Time: 7:05 pm Time: 2:28 Attendance: 34896

[larrymcg421]

It was a great season for the Royals, but what a depressing way for it to end. Corson pitched his heart out and was 5 outs away from a historic win only for it to fall apart in miserable fashion. It'll be a long offseason in Kansas City, but they have the talent (especially with the 4 youngsters coming back and Greinke locked up for a few years) to get back here.

[larrymcg421]

American League Standings

Eastern Division
Team	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Tampa Bay Rays	103	59	.636	-	95-67	8	56-25	47-34	13-6	28-17	Clinched	W4	8-2
Baltimore Orioles	94	68	.580	9	84-78	10	50-31	44-37	7-5	23-18		W1	6-4
Boston Red Sox	81	81	.500	22	79-83	2	43-38	38-43	8-7	30-22		W1	5-5
Toronto Blue Jays	79	83	.488	24	75-87	4	40-41	39-42	9-7	28-23		L7	1-9
New York Yankees	62	100	.383	41	71-91	-9	31-50	31-50	2-9	22-29		W2	8-2

Central Division
Team	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Kansas City Royals	102	60	.630	-	99-63	3	52-29	50-31	14-8	25-20	Clinched	L2	4-6
Minnesota Twins	82	80	.506	20	84-78	-2	38-43	44-37	11-9	20-23		L1	7-3
Cleveland Indians	69	93	.426	33	74-88	-5	37-44	32-49	7-8	17-26		W2	2-8
Chicago White Sox	69	93	.426	33	73-89	-4	37-44	32-49	7-8	21-24		L2	2-8
Detroit Tigers	61	101	.377	41	67-95	-6	31-50	30-51	6-9	17-28		L1	5-5

Western Division
Team	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Texas Rangers	87	75	.537	-	88-74	-1	44-37	43-38	8-13	25-20	Clinched	L2	4-6
Seattle Mariners	84	78	.519	3	87-75	-3	43-38	41-40	10-13	25-27		W2	6-4
Oakland Athletics	83	79	.512	4	84-78	-1	40-41	43-38	9-8	27-19		W6	9-1
Los Angeles Angels	76	86	.469	11	70-92	6	39-42	37-44	9-6	25-25		L4	2-8

[larrymcg421]

National League Standings

Eastern Division
Team	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Philadelphia Phillies	93	69	.574	-	91-71	2	53-28	40-41	9-11	27-20	Clinched	W3	7-3
Atlanta Braves	84	78	.519	9	84-78	0	43-38	41-40	8-5	21-24		L1	8-2
Florida Marlins	83	79	.512	10	86-76	-3	46-35	37-44	9-12	25-24		L2	4-6
Washington Nationals	77	85	.475	16	74-88	3	46-35	31-50	11-2	30-25		L5	3-7
New York Mets	72	90	.444	21	73-89	-1	35-46	37-44	4-7	16-22		W2	4-6

Central Division
Team	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Cincinnati Reds	88	74	.543	-	85-77	3	40-41	48-33	8-12	31-27	Clinched	L1	6-4
Houston Astros	86	77	.528	2½	89-74	-3	44-38	42-39	11-7	24-19		W3	7-3
St. Louis Cardinals	85	78	.521	3½	80-83	5	48-33	37-45	8-9	27-24		L1	2-8
Pittsburgh Pirates	81	81	.500	7	85-77	-4	46-35	35-46	9-8	23-30		L1	5-5
Chicago Cubs	75	87	.463	13	67-95	8	41-40	34-47	6-9	28-20		W1	4-6
Milwaukee Brewers	67	95	.414	21	69-93	-2	32-49	35-46	5-11	18-27		W1	3-7

Western Division
Team	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Arizona Diamondbacks	86	76	.531	-	88-74	-2	48-33	38-43	10-11	21-26	Clinched	L1	5-5
Colorado Rockies	85	77	.525	1	89-73	-4	47-34	38-43	4-10	21-18		W1	4-6
San Francisco Giants	84	78	.519	2	85-77	-1	45-36	39-42	13-7	21-24		L2	6-4
Los Angeles Dodgers	77	85	.475	9	79-83	-2	42-39	35-46	8-5	20-29		W1	4-6
San Diego Padres	76	86	.469	10	78-84	-2	46-35	30-51	9-10	23-29		L1	8-2

[larrymcg421]

NL MVP: Hanley Ramirez, Florida - .323, 35 HR, 103 RBI
AL MVP: Billy Butler, Kansas City - .310, 33 HR, 147 RBI
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco - 21-5, 2.28 ERA
AL Cy Young: Zack Greinke, Kansas City - 24-2, 2.49 ERA
NL Rookie of the Year: Bryce Harper, Washington - .290, 22 HR, 70 RBI
AL Rookie of the Year: Bradley Suttle, Seattle - .282, 36 HR, 126 RBI
Gold Glove in RF - David Gonzalez, Kansas City

Post-Season Results
Divisional Series	Texas over Tampa Bay, 3-1
Divisional Series	Kansas City over Baltimore, 3-1
Divisional Series	Philadelphia over Houston, 3-1
Divisional Series	Arizona over Cincinnati, 3-1
League Series	Kansas City over Texas, 4-2
League Series	Philadelphia over Arizona, 4-1
Championship Series	Philadelphia over Kansas City, 4-3

[larrymcg421]

2012 Kansas City Royals

Pitching Staff Role T Pitcher G GS W L SV ERA WHIP Status Starter R Zack Greinke 33 33 24 2 0 2.49 1.06 Rested Starter L David Ginsberg 30 30 13 11 0 4.08 1.39 Rested Starter R Dave Corson 32 32 12 11 0 4.72 1.64 Rested Starter R Gil Meche 32 32 13 7 0 4.11 1.35 Rested Starter R Brett Myers 18 11 5 5 1 4.76 1.53 Rested Spot Starter L Nate Robertson 48 9 3 7 3 4.97 1.63 Rested Mopup R Ross Ohlendorf 4 0 0 0 0 1.69 1.31 Rested Mopup R Tim Melville 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 Rested Middle Reliever L Dave Davidson 14 0 1 0 0 0.89 0.98 Rested Middle Reliever R Luke Hochevar 20 7 5 4 0 5.03 1.60 Rested Middle Reliever R Blake Wood 4 2 1 1 0 5.06 1.75 Rested Middle Reliever R Adam Russell 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 Rested Setup Reliever R Jim Johnson 62 0 4 3 5 3.54 1.41 Rested Setup Reliever L Nate Robertson 48 9 3 7 3 4.97 1.63 Rested Closer R Joakim Soria 64 0 11 3 36 2.14 1.03 Rested

Catchers # B Player Pos G AB H HR RBI R BB K .AVG OBP SLG 4 R Jose Bonilla C 136 519 144 17 75 61 32 108 .277 .325 .451 25 L A.J. Pierzynski C 31 97 33 2 14 16 5 16 .340 .387 .485

Infielders # B Player Pos G AB H HR RBI R BB K .AVG OBP SLG 16 R Billy Butler 1B 162 632 196 33 147 115 94 98 .310 .395 .555 13 S Alberto Callaspo 2B 159 614 188 5 65 92 65 33 .306 .369 .409 5 L Alex Gordon 3B 116 385 82 13 64 47 52 109 .213 .304 .390 98 R Mike Schaplowsky SS 157 675 222 11 105 101 42 72 .329 .370 .481 30 L Eric Hosmer 1B 69 236 67 9 28 40 37 62 .284 .393 .449 11 R Jeff Bianchi 2B 84 184 48 4 28 26 13 39 .261 .307 .413 54 R Luis A. Gonzalez 2B 31 53 17 1 7 8 1 5 .321 .327 .547 10 L Tommy Giles 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 15 S Fernando Garcia 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 14 S Irving Falu SS 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 47 R Mario Martinez 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 9 R Adrian Martinez 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000

Outfielders # B Player Pos G AB H HR RBI R BB K .AVG OBP SLG 28 R Carlos Gomez CF 108 434 112 12 44 76 35 97 .258 .319 .422 7 L Seth Smith LF 125 452 115 19 75 67 62 92 .254 .345 .454 45 L David Gonzalez RF 157 668 246 6 98 129 57 21 .368 .418 .499 46 L Jeff Fiorentino RF 90 285 80 9 41 44 31 63 .281 .347 .449 20 L Hilton Richardson CF 61 259 61 5 28 43 26 61 .236 .306 .375 12 L Tim Smith LF 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.000 6 R Jordan Parraz RF 4 16 2 0 0 1 0 3 .125 .125 .125 78 R Jose Duarte CF 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 75 S Derrick Robinson CF 9 5 2 0 0 5 1 0 .400 .500 .400

[larrymcg421]

2012 Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitching Staff Role T Pitcher G GS W L SV ERA WHIP Status Starter R Jordan Zimmermann 33 33 11 11 0 4.46 1.34 Rested Starter R Rich Harden 23 23 6 11 0 4.64 1.49 Rested Starter R Chien-Ming Wang 33 33 12 9 0 5.02 1.57 Rested Starter R Hayden Penn 31 31 12 10 0 4.94 1.44 Rested Starter R Tim Alderson 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 Rested Spot Starter R Chris Jakubauskas 3 3 0 2 0 10.54 2.27 Rested Mopup R Craig Hansen 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 Rested Mopup R Chris Jakubauskas 3 3 0 2 0 10.54 2.27 Rested Middle Reliever R Charlie Morton 19 13 6 3 0 3.40 1.41 Rested Middle Reliever R Luis Perdomo 12 0 1 0 0 3.86 1.20 Rested Middle Reliever R Evan Meek 10 0 0 0 0 1.98 1.32 Rested Middle Reliever R Daniel McCutchen 29 22 8 10 0 5.66 1.56 Rested Setup Reliever R Chad Qualls 70 0 3 6 14 4.36 1.51 Rested Setup Reliever L Danny Herrera 84 0 5 7 4 3.51 1.56 Rested Closer R Octavio Dotel 48 0 4 3 3 4.02 1.45 Rested

Catchers # B Player Pos G AB H HR RBI R BB K .AVG OBP SLG 41 S Ryan Doumit C 63 129 41 5 19 20 10 26 .318 .380 .519 30 R Tony Sanchez C 140 508 125 12 75 56 47 108 .246 .308 .376 35 S Jason Jaramillo C 5 6 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000

Infielders # B Player Pos G AB H HR RBI R BB K .AVG OBP SLG 31 L Prince Fielder 1B 143 433 125 37 92 90 94 97 .289 .420 .596 4 S Eric Young Jr. 2B 143 411 117 9 57 75 43 71 .285 .352 .443 25 R Carmen Hillebrew 3B 112 389 103 17 58 62 72 75 .265 .379 .437 10 L Brock Holt SS 58 211 50 5 20 23 10 39 .237 .277 .351 17 L Pedro Alvarez 3B 125 227 66 11 45 33 34 57 .291 .396 .485 36 R Clarence Gibbs SS 17 36 9 0 4 1 2 5 .250 .300 .333 6 L Akinori Iwamura 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 43 R Rodolfo Cardona SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000

Outfielders # B Player Pos G AB H HR RBI R BB K .AVG OBP SLG 38 L Sonny Ciccarelli CF 137 502 161 24 85 86 65 79 .321 .393 .530 85 R Lastings Milledge CF 45 70 18 0 7 9 5 16 .257 .312 .300 14 L Todd Volmert RF 143 574 191 25 99 103 45 23 .333 .378 .538 2 R Jolton Joe LF 157 632 175 20 98 89 56 52 .277 .334 .434 33 R Jose Tabata RF 32 37 11 0 3 10 2 5 .297 .333 .405 43 R Gorkys Hernandez CF 28 52 16 0 6 7 6 12 .308 .379 .442 20 L Felix Pie LF 86 124 33 3 16 19 7 19 .266 .316 .419 3 L Alex Presley CF 4 4 2 0 1 1 0 1 .500 .500 .500 60 R John Raynor LF 6 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000

[britrock88]

Poor Dave. What a great 7 and 8 innings he threw.

[larrymcg421]

Offseason Update

*Quiet offseason for the Pirates as they decide to stand pat with their crop of youngsters. The one move they did make was resigning SP Jordan Zimmerman for 1 yr, $5.5 million. The Pirates made a run at MR JP Howell, but he went to the White Sox instead.

*In contrast, the Royals were very active. They resigned several players, including 3B Alex Gordon (1 yr, $1.8), LF Seth Smith (1 yr, $4.2), OF Carlos Gomez (1 yr, $2.6) and most importantly MVP 1B Billy Butler (1 yr, $12). On top of that, they made a huge move in free agency by acquiring 2B Brandon Phillips for a $62 million, 4 year deal. Phillips hit .303 with 24 HR, 101 RBI last year. However, they may have overpaid as last year looked more like a fluke for the 31 yr old than anything else and his career OPS+ of 99 is actually lower than last year's 2B Alberto Callaspo.

*Other big free agency moves include SP Cole Hamels going to Boston (3 yr, $28.8), Reds picking up RP Peter Moylan (3 yr, $59.4), RP Pete Wuertz going to the White Sox (3 yr, $40.5).

*Important resignings include 2B Chase Utley staying at Philadelphia (3 yr, $58.2), Adam Jones staying in Baltimore (1 yr, $10.5), 3B Ryan Zimmerman agreeing to a long term extension with the Nationals (5 yr, $81.7), and Tim Lincecum staying in San Fran (1 yr, $14.5)

[sterlingice]

/Gator Fan/ What kind of idiot leaves Corson out there for the 9th?!?

SI

[kingfc22]

Damn, we were so close. Too many blown leads and our manager should have gone to the pen once the game was tied. There was no need to tempt fate with Corson in the 9th.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

/Gator Fan/ What kind of idiot leaves Corson out there for the 9th?!?

SI

That would be AL Manager of the Year Trey Hillman. But yeah, I was shocked at that they left Corson in after it was tied, and even then he should've been pulled after the 1st hit in the 9th. The Phillies skipper also made some questionable moves, several times not pinch hitting for a pitcher in obvious situation, including one in which the pitcher didn't even come out in the next inning.

[EagleFan]

So close, yet so far.

[larrymcg421]

Since everyone is now in the ML, the brackets shows the player's lineup or rotation spot.

April 2013

Pirates (13-7, 1 GA): The Pirates have a strong start to the season despite some more terrible starting pitching. The bullpen has actually been the best in the NL, powered by new closer Kerry Wood, who the Pirates traded for on April 18th. The offense leads in almost every category except for a surprisingly low HR total so far.

Sonny Ciccarelli (1st) - Has been leadoff in most games which is a curious spot for him, but he's excelled there with a .446 OBP so far. Also showcasing great power to start the year. .390/.446/.707 with 7 HR, 17 RBI in 20 games.

Todd Volmert (5th) - Slow start for Todd with only 5 extra base hits and 1 Hr in 81 at bats. Has hit for a decent average, but needs to get that power going again. .296/.344/.381 with 1 HR, 16 RBI in 20 games.

Jolton Joe (3rd) - Despite only hitting 1 HR, it's not a bad start for Joe as he did have 5 doubles, a triple, and an increased walk rate. .287/.370/.412 with 1 HR, 11 RBI in 20 games.

Carmen Hillebrew (6th) - Also having power issues to start the season, but that doesn't matter much because he's awesomely pissing off Dusty Baker by clogging the bases for a .488 OBP. .348/.488/.439 with 1 HR, 8 RBI in 20 games.

Royals (10-11, 5.5 GB): The Royals starting pitching has been solid as expected, but they're still haunted by the World Series as the bullpen has been awful with a 5.23 ERA and 5 blown saves in 9 chances. The offense has had a rough start, 12th in OBP, 11th in SLG, 13th in HR.

David Ginsberg (2nd) - Has pitched well, but received very little run support. Aside from one game where the Royals scored 8, he only got 3 runs in his other 3 starts. Also victim of some bad luck with a .356 BABIP so far. 0-3, 3.67 ERA, 18 K, 10 BB in 4 starts.

Mike Schaplowski (2nd) - After finishing last year so strong, has been very cold to start 2013. Only walked twice in April and committed 3 errors. .250/.275/.345 with 1 HR, 10 RBI in 20 games.

David Gonzalez (3rd) - Terrific start to the year with 8 extra base hits, 9 walks, and 9 stolen bases. Currently leads league in Avg, OBP, and hits. .392/.456/.506 with 0 HR, 10 RBI in 20 games.

Dave Corson (3rd) - Shook off the heartbreaking loss in the World Series to put together the best month of his ML career. Has only allowed 7 runs in his 1st 4 starts and leads the league in K/9 with 9.56. 3-0, 1.97 ERA, 34 K, 19 BB.

[larrymcg421]

Something I forgot to point out. Here was last year's Hall of Fame class:

RF Sammy Sosa
SP Curt Schilling
C Mike Piazza
SP Roger Clemens
LF Barry Bonds
2B Craig Biggio

Also, A-Rod has passed 700 HR late last year and now has 711, only 51 away from the record. He's also 5 hits away from 3000.

[larrymcg421]

May 2013

Pirates (28-21, .5 GA): Pirates only went 15-14 in May, but it was enough to maintain their lead in the division. The early power slump has subsided and they are now completely dominating the league in most offensive categories. Their OPS is a staggering .826, which is even better than every AL team. If they only had halfway decent pitching, they'd be unstoppable.

Sonny Ciccarrelli (1st) - Not quite as dominating in May, but still pretty damn good, with 6 HR and 16 total extra base hits in the month. Currently 2nd in the NL in slugging. .350/.399/.635 with 13 HR, 33 RBI in 48 games. 170 OPS+

Todd Volmert (5th) - Rebounded from his rought start with a terrific month where he hit .360, had 12 extra base hits, 11 walks, and 3 HR. .333/.382/.849 with 4 HR, 33 RBI in 47 games. 125 OPS+

Jolton Joe (3rd) - Finally performing at the level that the Pirates have been expecting. He had his best month in the majors with 11 doubles, 5 HR, and 12 walks. Was named player of the week in mid-May. .355/.423/with 5 HR, 26 RBI in 47 games. 142 OPS+

Carmen Hillebrew (6th) - Had a dominating May with 9 HR and 19 walks in 92 AB. Currently 4th in OBP and 3rd in OPS. .329/.448/.576 with 10 HR, 38 RBI in 47 games. 171 OPS+.

Royals (22-27, 6.5 GB): Had a good start to the month, running their record to 21-19 before an agonizing skid where they lost 9 of 10 to close the month. The bullpen has been a bit better and the offense is 3rd in runs scored. Part of the problem is bad luck. The Pythagorean formula says they should be 27-22 so hopefully there will be some regression to the mean.

David Ginsberg (2nd) - Got roughed up in 2 outings where he allowed 5 runs each, but was solid the rest of the month including a dominating 2 hit shutout over the Rays. 1-6, 3.97 ERA, 48 K, 22 BB in 10 starts. 111 ERA+.

Mike Schaplowski (2nd) - Put a bad month behind him by hitting .371 with 14 extra base hits. Currently 2nd in hits and 3rd in doubles in the AL. .320/.344/.450 with 2 HR, 25 RBI in 47 games. 110 OPS+.

David Gonzalez (3rd) - Missed 17 games in May due to a wrist injury. Continued his strong performance in limited time by hitting .350 over 10 games. .378/.436/.487 with 1 HR, 13 RBI in 30 games. 146 OPS+.

Dave Corson (3rd) - Got roughed up in one start where he gave up 6 runs, but otherwise had a pretty good month, including a 14 strikeout performance against the Twins. 5-2, 3.12 ERA, 77 K, 40 BB in 10 starts. 142 ERA+.

*A-Rod passed 3000 hits in May and now has 719 HR. He's still performing well, so barring an injury I expect him to pass Bonds in early 2014.

[larrymcg421]

June 2013

Pirates (44-31, 0 GA): After a solid 16-10 month, the Pirates are now in a 2 way tie for 1st place with the Reds. The team is working out as expected. The murderer's row lineup continues to dominate opposition pitching and their OPS rose to .834. Only 2 other teams in the majors are over .800 (Colorado and Baltimore). On the flip side, they rank 2nd to last in almost every pitching category.

Sonny Ciccarrelli (1st) - Sonny's power dropped off in June with only 1 HR in 87 AB, but he continued to hit and walk at a good rate. .345/.403/.571 with 14 HR, 45 RBI in 72 games. 153 OPS+

Todd Volmert (5th) - Another solid month with 8 doubles, 3 HR, and a .357 average. Has some great clutch splits if you believe in that sort of thing, carrying a 1.194 over 62 AB in late/close situations. .342/.381/.482 with 7 HR, 55 RBI in 73 games. 107 OPS+

Jolton Joe (3rd) - Good luck throwing a strike past Jolton Joe. In June, he walked 16 times and only struck out 3 times. Also tallied 12 extra base hits and 21 RBI. .332/.411/.537 10 HR, 58 RBI. 148 OPS+

Carmen Hillebrew (6th) - Carmen is hitting for a surprisingly high average so far this season, and continues to slug HR (7) and walk (13) at a high rate. .324/.426/.583 with 17 HR, 60 RBI in 73 games. 163 OPS+

Royals (38-38, 1.5 GB): Talk about regression to the mean! Not only did the Royals regroup with a 16-11 month, but the formerly 1st place Twins went 6-21 in June mto fall to 3rd place. They lost Gil Meche for 2 months, but the starting pitching still ranks 2nd in the AL, while the offense has scored the 4th most runs.

David Ginsberg (2nd) - Had a solid month in which he only allowed more than 3 runs once, but run support is once again an issue as the 3 games he lost in June, the Royals only managed 4 total runs. 3-9, 3.67 ERA, 82 K, 41 BB in 16 starts. 122 ERA+

Mike Schaplowski (2nd) - After rebounding in may, started to struggle again in June with a .270 average, only 6 extra base hits, and a staggering 20 strikeouts. .301/.330/.404 with 2 HR, 39 RBI in 74 games.

David Gonzalez (3rd) - The injury didn't affect him at all as he hit .380 in June with 10 stolen bases, 6 doubles, and 2 triples. Only has 8 strikeouts in 229 AB this season. .380/.433/.480 with 1 HR, 23 RBI, 41 R in 57 games. 141 OPS+

Dave Corson (3rd) - Control problems haunted Corson in June, with 3 starts in which he walked 6 or more batters. Still striking people out at 9.76 K/9 rate and had good run support to keep his record high. 8-3, 3.69 ERA, 111 K, 66 BB in 15 starts. 122 ERA+

*Adam Dunn hit his 400th HR and Pujols hit his 500th. Thome is within 17 of 600, but it doesn't look like he'll get there as he's in AAA currently. A-Rod had 9 Hr in June and is now 44 away from Bonds. Javier Vazquez is 6 wins away from 200 and 69 K away from 3000.

[larrymcg421]

July 2013

Pirates (58-42, 2.5 GA): A 14-11 month was enough to give the Pirates a 2.5 game lead. Despite the horrible starting pitching, their bullpen has been surprisingly good with the 4th lowest ERA, thanks mostly to closer Kerry Wood and setup man Danny Herrera. The offense remains the best in baseball by a large margin.

Sonny Ciccarrelli (1st) - Hello, my name is Sonny Ciccarelli and I do not like pitchers. Sonny went off in July with a .340 average, 10 HR, and 22 RBI. He is currently 3rd in SLG, 3rd in OBP, 2nd in VORP, and 3rd in runs scored. .344/.400/.606 with 24 HR, 67 RBI in 97 games. 161 OPS+

Todd Volmert (5th) - The power was there in July as he hit 6 HR, but he hit a paltry .220 and had an OBP of .284. He did have 5 doubles and a triple for 12 extra base hits in the month. .312/.357/.479 with 13 HR, 72 RBI in 97 games. 118 OPS+

Jolton Joe (3rd) - Continues to rake this year with 7 HR and 13 extra base hits in July. Only 17 K in 381 AB and currently leads the Pirates in RBI. .323/.395/.549 with 17 HR, 76 RBI in 96 games. 146 OPS+

Carmen Hillebrew (6th) - It was an off month for Hillebrew as he only managed 3 HR and hit .205. He still had an impressive walk rate, giving him an OBP of .346 for the month. Major problem is that he only had 4 total extra base hits in July. .294/.406/.516 with 20 HR, 70 RBI in 98 games. 141 OPS+

Royals (53-48, 3 GB): Royals had a very impressive 12-3 start in July and held a brief lead, but lost 7 of their last 10 to fall back into 2nd. They still have a 2 game lead on the wildcard race.

David Ginsberg (3rd) - Despite falling back a spot in the rotation, he had a great month, with 4 of his starts allowing 2 runs or less. He also showed amazing control, only walking 6 batters over 5 starts. 5-10, 3.38 ERA, 115 K, 47 BB. 133 ERA+

Mike Schaplowsky (2nd) - Improved a bit, hitting .325 with 10 extra base hits and 9 stolen bases (without getting caught). His overall season has been a disappointment, but here's hoping he can excel in the 2nd half. .306/.339/.419 with 3 HR, 52 RBI in 95 games. 99 OPS+

David Gonzalez (3rd) - Was named AL Hitter of the month for his tremendous performance. Gonzalez hit .409, had 13 extra base hits, 18 walks, and 7 stolen bases. There has been some chatter that maybe he can be the 1st guy to hit .400 since Ted Williams. .388/.454/.509 with 1 HR, 40 RBI, 69 R in 81 games. 154 OPS+

Dave Corson (2nd) - What a terrific month for the youngster. The World Series is no longer haunting him. In 4 of his 6 starts, he allowed 1 run or less and compiled 1.15 ERA in the month, including an 2 hit (1 walk!) shutout. 11-5, 2.99 ERA, 160 K, 80 BB in 20 starts. 150 ERA+

[larrymcg421]

Congrats to the FOFC All-Stars: SP Dave Corson, RF David Gonzalez, 3B Carmen Hillebrew, LF Sonny Ciccarelli, CF Jolton Joe

Other Pirates All-Star: CL Kerry Wood
Other Royals All-Stars: SP Zack Greinke, CL Joakim Soria, 1B Billy Butler

And here is the box score:

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E American All-Stars 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 11 1 National All-Stars 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 X 3 11 0

American AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI R. Kalish RF 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 .310 14 50 c-A. Cabrera PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .299 13 58 f-M. Brantley 1B, CF 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .312 6 36 B. Butler 1B 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .356 14 80 d-D. Young PH, RF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .297 20 45 D. Gonzalez CF 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 .390 1 34 e-N. Franklin PH, 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .315 4 40 J. Mauer C 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 .325 13 63 G. Beckham 2B 4 0 1 1 0 0 2 .307 19 60 B. Suttle 3B 3 1 1 0 0 2 2 .301 13 57 D. Corson P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 0 2 C. Hamels P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 g-H. Conger PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .307 17 64 J. Mijares P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 J. Bass LF 3 0 1 0 0 2 1 .319 8 36 L. Valbuena SS 4 0 2 1 0 2 3 .313 13 62 J. Howell P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 J. Soria P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 R. Betancourt P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 a-N. Reimold PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .290 19 50 N. Feliz P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 0 2 b-A. Rodriguez 3B 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .285 22 66 Totals 35 2 11 2 0 8 15 a - N. Reimold pinch hit for R. Betancourt in the 5th b - A. Rodriguez substituted for N. Feliz in the 6th c - A. Cabrera pinch hit for R. Kalish in the 7th d - D. Young pinch hit for B. Butler in the 7th e - N. Franklin pinch hit for D. Gonzalez in the 7th f - M. Brantley substituted for A. Cabrera in the 7th g - H. Conger pinch hit for C. Hamels in the 8th BATTING Doubles: B. Suttle (10, 2nd Inning off T. Lincecum, 0 on, 0 outs) A. Rodriguez (19, 7th Inning off D. Aardsma, 0 on, 0 outs) Total Bases: B. Butler , G. Beckham , J. Mauer , B. Suttle 2 , J. Bass , L. Valbuena 2 , D. Gonzalez 2 , A. Rodriguez 2 , H. Conger Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: G. Beckham , L. Valbuena , R. Kalish , N. Franklin GIDP: N. Reimold Sac Bunt: J. Howell , J. Bass Team LOB: 8 FIELDING Errors: B. Suttle

National AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI C. Utley SS 5 1 3 0 0 0 3 .271 14 53 P. Sandoval 1B 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 .361 20 78 c-F. Freeman PH, 1B 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 .339 16 71 J. Heyward RF 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 .320 18 52 d-F. Martinez PH, LF, RF 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 .313 23 64 J. Joe CF 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 .324 14 68 e-A. McCutchen PH, CF 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 .329 10 58 C. Hillebrew LF 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .302 20 68 f-B. DeWitt PH 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .315 13 46 g-A. Lambo LF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .338 14 77 R. Zimmerman 3B 4 1 2 1 0 2 4 .314 21 78 M. Prado 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 .338 5 28 C. Iannetta C 3 0 0 0 1 1 3 .280 13 52 T. Lincecum P 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 .125 0 1 F. Rodriguez P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 0 2 K. Wood P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 a-S. Ciccarelli PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .346 21 57 R. Halladay P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .053 0 2 b-J. Bruce PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 .349 34 76 A. Ranaudo P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143 1 5 D. Aardsma P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 h-M. Montero PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .300 15 43 H. Street P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 H. Kuo P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Totals 35 3 11 3 4 10 27 a - S. Ciccarelli pinch hit for K. Wood in the 4th b - J. Bruce pinch hit for R. Halladay in the 5th c - F. Freeman pinch hit for P. Sandoval in the 6th d - F. Martinez pinch hit for J. Heyward in the 6th e - A. McCutchen pinch hit for J. Joe in the 6th f - B. DeWitt pinch hit for C. Hillebrew in the 6th g - A. Lambo substituted for B. DeWitt in the 7th h - M. Montero pinch hit for D. Aardsma in the 7th BATTING Doubles: C. Utley (11, 6th Inning off D. Corson, 0 on, 0 outs) Triples: J. Heyward (5, 3rd Inning off J. Soria, 0 on, 1 out) Total Bases: R. Zimmerman 2 , J. Joe , J. Heyward 3 , C. Utley 4 , S. Ciccarelli , F. Martinez , A. McCutchen , M. Montero Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: , R. Zimmerman 2 , P. Sandoval , C. Utley , J. Bruce Sac Fly: T. Lincecum Team LOB: 14 FIELDING Double Plays: 1 (Utley-Prado-Sandoval)

[larrymcg421]

American IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA J. Howell 2.0 2 1 0 1 0 0 30 18 0.00 J. Soria 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 21 13 0.00 R. Betancourt 1.0 2 0 0 0 3 0 21 15 0.00 N. Feliz 1.0 2 1 1 2 1 0 30 14 0.00 D. Corson L (0-0) 1.0 2 1 1 1 3 0 26 16 0.00 C. Hamels 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 8 0.00 J. Mijares 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 13 8 0.00 PITCHING Game Score: J. Howell 45 Batters Faced: J. Howell 10, J. Soria 5, R. Betancourt 5, N. Feliz 7, D. Corson 6, C. Hamels 4, J. Mijares 4 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: J. Howell 1-5, J. Soria 0-1, R. Betancourt 0-0, N. Feliz 0-2, D. Corson 0-0, C. Hamels 3-0, J. Mijares 2-0 Pitches - Strikes: J. Howell 30-18, J. Soria 21-13, R. Betancourt 21-15, N. Feliz 30-14, D. Corson 26-16, C. Hamels 13-8, J. Mijares 13-8 HB: J. Soria	National IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA T. Lincecum 2.0 4 1 1 0 2 0 38 23 0.00 F. Rodriguez 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 5 0.00 K. Wood 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 10 8 0.00 R. Halladay 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 4 0.00 A. Ranaudo W (0-0)BS (0) 1.0 4 1 1 0 2 0 23 18 0.00 D. Aardsma H (0) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 15 9 0.00 H. Street H (0) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 11 8 0.00 H. Kuo SV (0) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 7 0.00 PITCHING Game Score: T. Lincecum 42 Batters Faced: T. Lincecum 10, F. Rodriguez 3, K. Wood 3, R. Halladay 3, A. Ranaudo 7, D. Aardsma 4, H. Street 4, H. Kuo 3 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: T. Lincecum 3-1, F. Rodriguez 0-3, K. Wood 1-0, R. Halladay 2-0, A. Ranaudo 0-1, D. Aardsma 1-2, H. Street 1-1, H. Kuo 1-1 Pitches - Strikes: T. Lincecum 38-23, F. Rodriguez 10-5, K. Wood 10-8, R. Halladay 8-4, A. Ranaudo 23-18, D. Aardsma 15-9, H. Street 11-8, H. Kuo 10-7
GAME NOTES Player of the Game: C. Utley Ballpark: Citizens Bank Park Weather: Clear skies (75 degrees), wind blowing out to right at 11 mph Start Time: 7:05 pm Time: 3:07 Attendance: 43258

[larrymcg421]

Also, I realized I forgot to check for Royals-Pirates matchups. They had a 3 game series in June and here are those box scores:

Friday, June 14th, 2013 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh Pirates 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 8 2 Kansas City Royals 5 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 X 7 11 1
Pittsburgh AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI P. Alvarez 3B 4 1 1 0 1 2 2 .188 2 11 T. Sanchez C 4 1 1 0 0 1 2 .264 10 34 J. Joe RF 4 1 2 1 1 0 1 .326 6 44 C. Hillebrew 1B 3 1 2 2 1 0 0 .310 13 47 T. Volmert LF 4 0 1 1 0 0 2 .340 4 40 P. Fielder DH 4 0 0 0 0 2 5 .270 10 38 S. Ciccarelli CF 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 .351 13 38 C. Gibbs SS 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 .241 3 16 E. Young Jr. 2B 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .250 0 8 Totals 34 4 8 4 3 6 15 BATTING Doubles: P. Alvarez (4, 9th Inning off J. Johnson, 0 on, 1 out) Triples: J. Joe (2, 3rd Inning off D. Ginsberg, 0 on, 1 out) Home Runs: C. Hillebrew (13, 1st Inning off D. Ginsberg, 1 on, 1 out) Total Bases: T. Sanchez , C. Hillebrew 5 , E. Young Jr. , T. Volmert , J. Joe 4 , P. Alvarez 2 Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: T. Sanchez , P. Fielder , S. Ciccarelli , J. Joe Sac Bunt: T. Sanchez , E. Young Jr. Team LOB: 8 FIELDING Errors: S. Ciccarelli (3) , J. Joe (2)	Kansas City AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI H. Richardson CF 4 1 1 1 1 2 1 .266 7 32 M. Schaplowsky SS 4 1 1 0 1 1 2 .313 2 35 D. Gonzalez RF 4 0 1 0 1 0 2 .379 1 18 E. Hosmer 1B 5 2 3 1 0 1 3 .220 9 34 B. Butler DH 4 1 1 2 1 0 3 .355 12 65 S. Smith LF 2 0 1 2 1 1 3 .274 5 31 B. Phillips 2B 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 .250 1 20 A. Gordon 3B 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 .242 3 25 J. Bonilla C 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 .236 7 26 Totals 33 7 11 7 7 7 17 BATTING Doubles: B. Butler (19, 1st Inning off R. Harden, 2 on, 1 out) E. Hosmer 2 (10, 6th Inning off O. Dotel, 0 on, 1 out; 8th Inning off C. Morton, 0 on, 2 outs) Triples: H. Richardson (5, 3rd Inning off R. Harden, 1 on, 2 outs) Total Bases: J. Bonilla , B. Butler 2 , B. Phillips , M. Schaplowsky , S. Smith , D. Gonzalez , H. Richardson 3 , E. Hosmer 5 , A. Gordon 2-out RBI: S. Smith , H. Richardson , A. Gordon Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: J. Bonilla , B. Butler , M. Schaplowsky , S. Smith Sac Fly: S. Smith Team LOB: 10 BASERUNNING SB: B. Phillips (4) FIELDING Errors: M. Schaplowsky (5)
Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA R. Harden L (7-5) 2.2 5 6 5 6 4 0 87 43 4.60 D. Herrera 2.2 3 0 0 1 2 0 33 19 1.14 O. Dotel 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 0 16 9 4.01 E. Meek 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 8 2.91 C. Morton 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 5 5.14 PITCHING Game Score: R. Harden 20 Batters Faced: R. Harden 19, D. Herrera 11, O. Dotel 5, E. Meek 3, C. Morton 3 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: R. Harden 1-3, D. Herrera 1-4, O. Dotel 3-0, E. Meek 0-2, C. Morton 2-0 Pitches - Strikes: R. Harden 87-43, D. Herrera 33-19, O. Dotel 16-9, E. Meek 11-8, C. Morton 9-5 Inherited Runners - Scored: D. Herrera 1-0 WP: R. Harden 2	Kansas City IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA D. Ginsberg W (3-7) 7.0 7 4 4 3 4 1 123 74 3.80 M. Gonzalez H (6) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 14 8 3.94 J. Johnson SV (1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 19 11 2.03 PITCHING Game Score: D. Ginsberg 48 Batters Faced: D. Ginsberg 32, M. Gonzalez 3, J. Johnson 4 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: D. Ginsberg 10-7, M. Gonzalez 0-1, J. Johnson 2-1 Pitches - Strikes: D. Ginsberg 123-74, M. Gonzalez 14-8, J. Johnson 19-11
GAME NOTES Player of the Game: C. Hillebrew Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium Weather: Partly Cloudy (64 degrees), wind blowing out to left at 12 mph Start Time: 7:05 pm Time: 3:15 Attendance: 37985

[larrymcg421]

Saturday, June 15th, 2013 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh Pirates 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 7 0 Kansas City Royals 2 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 X 8 13 0
Pittsburgh AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI S. Ciccarelli LF 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 .349 13 38 B. Holt 2B 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 .336 10 43 T. Volmert RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .335 4 40 P. Fielder DH 3 2 2 3 1 1 1 .277 12 41 J. Joe CF 4 1 2 2 0 0 1 .329 7 46 C. Hillebrew 1B 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 .306 13 47 E. Young Jr. 3B 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .242 0 8 T. Sanchez C 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .264 10 34 C. Gibbs SS 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .235 3 16 Totals 34 5 7 5 2 7 8 BATTING Doubles: B. Holt (16, 3rd Inning off D. Corson, 0 on, 0 outs) Home Runs: P. Fielder 2 (12, 1st Inning off D. Corson, 1 on, 2 outs; 6th Inning off D. Corson, 0 on, 0 outs) J. Joe (7, 3rd Inning off D. Corson, 1 on, 2 outs) Total Bases: T. Sanchez , P. Fielder 8 , B. Holt 2 , S. Ciccarelli , J. Joe 5 2-out RBI: P. Fielder , J. Joe Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: E. Young Jr. Team LOB: 4 FIELDING Double Plays: 1 (Holt-Hillebrew)	Kansas City AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI H. Richardson CF 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 .267 7 32 a-C. Gomez CF 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .280 5 14 M. Schaplowsky SS 5 1 2 1 0 0 0 .315 2 36 D. Gonzalez RF 4 2 2 0 0 0 1 .381 1 18 E. Hosmer 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 4 .216 9 34 B. Butler DH 4 1 4 2 0 0 0 .365 12 67 S. Smith LF 2 1 1 0 2 0 2 .276 5 31 B. Phillips 2B 3 1 1 1 0 0 6 .251 1 21 A. Gordon 3B 4 1 1 3 0 1 2 .243 3 28 A. Pierzynski C 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 .243 0 6 Totals 35 8 13 8 2 3 16 a - C. Gomez substituted for H. Richardson in the 5th BATTING Doubles: A. Pierzynski (3, 3rd Inning off D. Herrera, 1 on, 2 outs) B. Butler (20, 7th Inning off O. Dotel, 0 on, 1 out) A. Gordon (14, 3rd Inning off C. Wang, 3 on, 2 outs) Triples: H. Richardson (6, 1st Inning off C. Wang, 0 on, 0 outs) Total Bases: A. Pierzynski 2 , B. Butler 5 , B. Phillips , M. Schaplowsky 2 , S. Smith , D. Gonzalez 2 , H. Richardson 3 , A. Gordon 2 2-out RBI: A. Pierzynski , B. Butler 2 , B. Phillips , A. Gordon Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: B. Phillips , H. Richardson , A. Gordon GIDP: E. Hosmer Sac Bunt: B. Phillips Team LOB: 6
Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA C. Wang L (2-7) 2.2 8 7 7 1 1 0 44 26 6.05 D. Herrera 2.0 4 1 1 0 0 0 24 14 1.34 C. Morton 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 10 4.70 O. Dotel 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 19 9 3.86 E. Meek 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 9 2.78 PITCHING Game Score: C. Wang 10 Batters Faced: C. Wang 17, D. Herrera 9, C. Morton 4, O. Dotel 5, E. Meek 3 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: C. Wang 4-3, D. Herrera 4-1, C. Morton 0-3, O. Dotel 2-0, E. Meek 1-2 Pitches - Strikes: C. Wang 44-26, D. Herrera 24-14, C. Morton 11-10, O. Dotel 19-9, E. Meek 15-9 Inherited Runners - Scored: D. Herrera 1-1 WP: C. Wang	Kansas City IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA D. Corson W (7-2) 5.0 6 5 5 1 3 3 84 53 3.57 B. Myers H (6) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 5.06 L. Hochevar H (2) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15 10 4.85 M. Gonzalez H (7) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 13 7 3.82 J. Soria SV (11) 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 12 9 3.86 PITCHING Game Score: D. Corson 37 Batters Faced: D. Corson 22, B. Myers 3, L. Hochevar 3, M. Gonzalez 4, J. Soria 4 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: D. Corson 6-6, B. Myers 1-2, L. Hochevar 2-0, M. Gonzalez 1-1, J. Soria 0-1 Pitches - Strikes: D. Corson 84-53, B. Myers 4-2, L. Hochevar 15-10, M. Gonzalez 13-7, J. Soria 12-9
GAME NOTES Player of the Game: P. Fielder Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium Weather: Cloudy (66 degrees), wind blowing out to left at 12 mph Start Time: 7:05 pm Time: 2:46 Attendance: 37853 Special Notes: CF Hilton Richardson was injured on a defensive play.

[larrymcg421]

Sunday, June 16th, 2013 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh Pirates 0 2 1 0 4 4 1 7 0 19 20 0 Kansas City Royals 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 7 13 2
Pittsburgh AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI S. Ciccarelli LF 3 1 1 3 3 1 1 .349 14 41 a-G. Hernandez PH, CF 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302 0 7 B. Holt 2B 6 1 1 0 1 1 7 .332 10 43 T. Volmert RF 6 4 2 0 1 0 1 .335 4 40 P. Fielder DH 2 5 1 0 5 0 1 .279 12 41 J. Joe CF, LF 5 4 3 8 2 1 2 .335 9 54 C. Hillebrew 1B 6 1 3 2 0 1 6 .311 13 49 P. Alvarez 3B 6 1 4 2 0 1 2 .215 3 13 T. Sanchez C 6 1 2 3 0 1 4 .266 11 37 E. Young Jr. SS 6 1 3 1 0 2 3 .254 0 9 Totals 47 19 20 19 12 8 27 a - G. Hernandez pinch hit for S. Ciccarelli in the 9th BATTING Doubles: C. Hillebrew (11, 3rd Inning off Z. Greinke, 1 on, 2 outs) E. Young Jr. (6, 5th Inning off D. Davidson, 1 on, 2 outs) T. Volmert (18, 3rd Inning off Z. Greinke, 0 on, 0 outs) J. Joe (20, 2nd Inning off Z. Greinke, 1 on, 0 outs) Home Runs: T. Sanchez (11, 8th Inning off L. Hochevar, 0 on, 2 outs) S. Ciccarelli (14, 8th Inning off M. Gonzalez, 1 on, 0 outs) P. Alvarez (3, 8th Inning off L. Hochevar, 0 on, 2 outs) J. Joe 2 (9, 5th Inning off Z. Greinke, 2 on, 0 outs; 8th Inning off L. Hochevar, 2 on, 1 out) Total Bases: T. Sanchez 5 , P. Fielder , B. Holt , C. Hillebrew 4 , E. Young Jr. 4 , S. Ciccarelli 4 , P. Alvarez 7 , T. Volmert 3 , J. Joe 10 2-out RBI: T. Sanchez , C. Hillebrew , E. Young Jr. , S. Ciccarelli , P. Alvarez 2 Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: T. Sanchez , B. Holt 2 , C. Hillebrew , S. Ciccarelli , P. Alvarez Sac Fly: C. Hillebrew Team LOB: 14	Kansas City AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI C. Gomez CF 5 0 0 0 0 2 1 .263 5 14 M. Schaplowsky SS 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 .317 2 36 b-A. Callaspo PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .233 0 5 D. Gonzalez RF 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .383 1 18 a-J. Fiorentino PH, RF 3 2 3 1 0 0 0 .350 1 7 E. Hosmer 1B 4 2 1 1 1 0 2 .217 9 35 B. Butler DH 4 1 1 2 1 2 2 .364 12 69 S. Smith LF 4 1 3 2 0 0 2 .286 6 33 B. Phillips 2B 4 0 2 1 0 1 1 .256 1 22 A. Gordon 3B 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 .237 3 28 J. Bonilla C 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 .232 7 26 Totals 39 7 13 7 2 9 15 a - J. Fiorentino pinch hit for D. Gonzalez in the 6th b - A. Callaspo pinch hit for M. Schaplowsky in the 9th BATTING Doubles: B. Butler (21, 7th Inning off C. Qualls, 1 on, 2 outs) S. Smith (11, 7th Inning off C. Qualls, 1 on, 2 outs) E. Hosmer (11, 6th Inning off J. Zimmermann, 2 on, 0 outs) Home Runs: S. Smith (6, 2nd Inning off J. Zimmermann, 0 on, 2 outs) J. Fiorentino (1, 7th Inning off J. Zimmermann, 0 on, 2 outs) Total Bases: B. Butler 2 , B. Phillips 2 , M. Schaplowsky 2 , D. Gonzalez , S. Smith 7 , E. Hosmer 2 , J. Fiorentino 6 2-out RBI: B. Butler , S. Smith 2 , J. Fiorentino Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: J. Bonilla , B. Phillips , S. Smith Team LOB: 7 BASERUNNING SB: M. Schaplowsky (12) CS: D. Gonzalez (7) FIELDING Errors: D. Gonzalez (3) , A. Gordon (11)
Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA J. Zimmermann W (7-2) 6.2 10 6 6 2 6 2 115 72 4.21 C. Qualls 2.1 3 1 1 0 3 0 42 29 2.45 PITCHING Game Score: J. Zimmermann 34 Batters Faced: J. Zimmermann 31, C. Qualls 10 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: J. Zimmermann 2-11, C. Qualls 2-2 Pitches - Strikes: J. Zimmermann 115-72, C. Qualls 42-29 Inherited Runners - Scored: C. Qualls 1-1	Kansas City IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA Z. Greinke L (5-6) 4.0 6 6 5 4 4 1 87 53 3.03 D. Davidson 1.1 4 5 4 2 1 0 42 26 4.98 B. Wood 1.0 2 0 0 1 1 0 19 9 7.49 M. Gonzalez 0.2 5 3 3 0 1 1 20 14 4.60 L. Hochevar 2.0 3 5 5 5 1 3 55 25 7.20 PITCHING Game Score: Z. Greinke 28 Batters Faced: Z. Greinke 23, D. Davidson 10, B. Wood 6, M. Gonzalez 7, L. Hochevar 14 Ground Outs - Fly Outs: Z. Greinke 5-3, D. Davidson 2-1, B. Wood 0-2, M. Gonzalez 1-0, L. Hochevar 3-2 Pitches - Strikes: Z. Greinke 87-53, D. Davidson 42-26, B. Wood 19-9, M. Gonzalez 20-14, L. Hochevar 55-25 Inherited Runners - Scored: B. Wood 2-2 WP: L. Hochevar 2
GAME NOTES Player of the Game: J. Joe Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium Weather: Clear skies (86 degrees), wind blowing out to center at 11 mph Start Time: 1:05 pm Time: 4:02 Attendance: 37881 Special Notes: Prince Fielder ties the Pittsburgh Pirates regular season game record for runs with 4. Prince Fielder ties the Pittsburgh Pirates regular season game record for bases on balls with 4. Todd Volmert ties the Pittsburgh Pirates regular season game record for runs with 4. Prince Fielder sets the Pittsburgh Pirates regular season game record for runs with 5. Jolton Joe sets the Pittsburgh Pirates regular season game record for RBI with 8. Prince Fielder ties the National League regular season game record for bases on balls with 5.

[Johnny93g]

Pirates bats really raking it now. Joltin Joe has finally come alive.

What does Sonny's ratings look like. Seems like a bit of a waste hitting him leadoff. Cleanup would be better, although I assume that's where Prince is batting.

[larrymcg421]

Sonny's power actually hasn't developed as much as expected.

Contact: 17
Gap: 16
Power: 13
Eye: 12
Avoid K: 13

Compared to the other Pirates FOFC-ers: Hillebrew (18), Joe (16), Volmert (15). Also, Prince has 19 and 3B Pedro Alvarez is 14. Sonny actually only has the 6th highest power rating on the team.

[larrymcg421]

August 2013

Pirates (77-52, 6 GA): Pirates had their best month of the season at 19-10 and have won 7 of their last 8. Danny Herrera has taken over the closer role, while Kerry Wood has been moved to set up and both have been fantastic. Offense continues to dominate and the Team OPS is now .831.

Sonny Ciccarrelli (1st) - Despite only hitting 3 HR, Sonny had a fantastic August, hitting .369 and an OBP of .431. He is currently 2nd in Avg, 5th in OBP, 4th in SLG, 3rd in VORP, and 1st in Runs. .349/.407/.595 with 27 HR, 81 RBI in 125 games. 160 OPS+

Todd Volmert (5th) - Had 10 extra base hits, 5 of them HR in August, walked 18 times, and hit .337 for the month. Also continues to perform well in most clutch situations. .317/.371/.491 with 18 HR, 91 RBI in 124 games. 125 OPS+.

Jolton Joe (3rd) - Missed the last half of the month due to an ankle injury. Was not performing very well before that point, hitting .271 with only 1 HR in 59 AB. Looks recoverd and ready to go in September. .316/.389/.527 with 18 HR, 79 RBI in 111 games.

Carmen Hillebrew (6th) - Hillebrew's slump continued through the first half of August, but he regrouped at the end, hitting HR in 3 of his last 4 games. Continues to make life difficult for pitchers with control problem with another 18 walks. .286/.400/.512 with 26 HR, 91 RBI in 125 games.

Royals (70-60, 1.5 GB): Fell as far as 6 games behind the White Sox before a 6 game winning streak put them right back in the race. They have a 2 game lead in the wildcard over the Rays. The resigning of Billy Butler is a major success as he's had a terrific season. On the other hand, Brandon Phillips has rewarded the Royals for his $15 million a year deal with 3 HR and a .593 OPS.

David Ginsberg (3rd) - Got roughed up by the White Sox, only going 1.1 and giving up 5. The Red Sox tagged hm for 5 in 6.2 innings. His other 4 starts were stellar, allowing 2 or less runs and the Royals won each game. 7-11, 3.41 ERA, 142 K, 59 BB in 27 starts. 132 ERA+

Mike Schaplowsky (2nd) - Showcased his tremendous gap hitting and speed in August with 16 doubles and 2 triples. Currently leads the league in doubles with 44, and 2nd is way back at 38. Also 4th in Avg and 3rd in Hits. .311/.343/.439 with 4 HR, 67 RBI in 123 games. 105 OPS+

David Gonzalez (3rd) - Gonzalez hit over .400 again to give him AL Hitter of the Month award for the 2nd month in a row. As his average continues to climb closer to .400, there is tons of buzz around whether he can do the unthinkable. Also has 12 extra base hits and 15 walks in August. .393/.462/.520 with 2 HR, 63 RBI, 96 R in 109 games.

Dave Corson (2nd) - Still having a career year, but this wasn't his best month. He got roughed up in one start, allowing 5 ER in 3.1 and had another outing where he allowed 5 ER in 5.1. His other 3 outing were decent (3 ER in each) and he still leads the league with a 10.00 K/9. 13-5, 3.47 ERA, 193 K, 92 BB in 25 starts. 130 ERA+.

[britrock88]

None of the Pirates seem to be batting at the appropriate spot in the lineup. Sheesh.

[larrymcg421]

October Update

I usually do my last update at the end of the regular season, instead of the end of October. However, when I simmed to Oct 1st, I noticed a terrific playoff race develop. The Royals are in as the Rays, Twins, and Yankees all collapsed in October. They've clinched a wildcard, so the division race with the White sox is meaningless. However, the Pirates had a terrible October (10-17) and have found themselves in a tie with the Reds with 6 games left. I will do a game by game summary of those final 6 games.

Current standings:

Pittsburgh: 87-69
Cincinnati: 87-69

October 1st

Cincinnatti at Florida: Marlins starter John Lanaan is brilliant, throwing 8 innings of shutout ball and only allowing 3 hits. Florida scores 2 in the 1st and breaks open the game in the late innings for an easy victory. Florida 8, Cincinnati 0

Pittsburgh at St. Louis: Pirates starter Jordan Zimmerman struggles at the start, giving up 3 runs in the 1st 2 innings. The Pirates get 2 back in the 4th and then take the lead in the 6th on back to back solo HR by Tony Sanchez and Sonny Ciccarelli. Zimmerman goes 7 and maintains the lead, as does setup man Kerry Wood in the 8th. Closer Kerry Wood comes in for the 9th, gives up a leadoff double. Then with 2 outs, Yadier Molina hits a triple that ties the game. Then a single scores Molina and the Pirates blow a chance to get a game ahead of the Reds. St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 4

Pittsburgh: 87-70
Cincinnati: 87-70

October 2nd

Pittsburgh at St. Louis: Hits from FOFC players Ciccarelli, Volmert, and Hillebrew stake the Pirates to a 3-0 1st inning lead. However, Pittsburgh starter Brad Hand has a terrible day and is pulled in the 3rd inning when the Cards have taken an 8-4 lead. It is 9-6 going into the 9th when Joe and Hillebrew hit solo HR to make it 9-8. Then a crazy combination of walk, balk, and fielder's choice puts Ryan Doumit on 3rd who scores on a sac fly to tie it up. The Pirates can't mount anything in extra innings, while the Cards get bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th and score the game winner on a wild pitch. St. Louis 10, Pittsburgh 9

Cincinnati at Florida: It's a pretty good pitching duel between the Reds Jonathan Sanchez and Marlins Wynn Pelzer. After no score through 6, Jay Bruce walks and Joey Votto doubles to open the 7th. Two singles bring both of them in for a 2-0 lead. The Marlins score in the bottom half on an error to make it a 1 run game. Moylan comes in to close things out in the bottom of the 9th. A single and 2 walks (one of them intentional to Adam Dunn) loads the bases with 2 outs, but pinch hitter Wildredo Gimenez strikes out and the Reds now lead the NL Central race. Cincinnati 2, Florida 1.

Cincinnati: 88-70
Pittsburgh: 87-71

October 3rd

Cincinnati at Florida: The Reds knock out Marlins starter Chris Volstad in the 3rd with a 5 run barrage that gives them a 6-0 lead. It would only get worse from there. They get bases loaded in the next 2 innings, converting with runs both times. Todd Frazier hits a 3 run HR and Jay Bruce hits a 2 run HR as the Reds absolutely humiliate Florida. Cincinnati 21, Florida 1

Pittsburgh at NY Mets: A Hillebrew double leads off the 2nd and he later scores to give the Pirates an early lead. Pirates starter Rich Harden gets into serious trouble in the bottom half when the Mets load the bases with no outs. Harden walks one runner in and a grounder from Joe Wieland scores another. However, Harden gets out without any further damage. This proves to be key as a Ciccarelli single scores 2 runners in the 4th to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead. Harden leave in the 5th, but the bullpen does their job and preserves the lead. Pittsburgh 5, New York 2

Cincinnati: 89-70
Pittsburgh: 88-71

[sterlingice]

Yadier Molina with a triple? Pure fiction

SI

[larrymcg421]

October 4th

Pittsburgh at NY Mets - Sonny walked to leadoff the game and later scored on Jolton Joe's 2 out HR. the Mets evened things up in the 2nd with a 2 run HR from Jeff Clement. Sonny comes up big again in the 4th with a double that scores 2 more runs, giving the Pirates a 4-2 lead. Prince Fielder extends the lead with a solo HR in the 5th. The Mets come back in the bottom half thanks to some awful Pirates fielding, scoring 2 runs to make it a 1 run game. Sonny continues to dominate by leading off the 6th with a double. He scores on a Prince Fielder single. Two more singles load the baes and Pedro Alvarez drives Prince in with a 3rd single, giving the Pirates a 3 run lead. Sonny adds to his great day with a solo HR in the 9th and the Pirates relief pitching doesn't allow any runs in the final 4 innings. Pittsburgh 9, NY Mets 4

Cincinnati at Houston - Reds starter Johnny Cueto falls apart in the 2nd inning. An Ian Stewart single gives Houston a 1-0 lead. Then Cueto walks the bases loaded and Michael Bourn breaks the game open with a grand slam! Meanwhile, Astros pitcher Francisco Liriano is mowing the Reds down with 4 strikeouts through the first 3 innings. In the bottom of the 3rd, Jeff Wilson and Ian Stewart hit HR to give the Astros an 8-0 lead. The Reds finally break through in the 6th with two HR to make it an 8-3 game, but they cannot build on this aside from one late meaningless run. Houston 9, Cincinnati 4

Cincinnati: 89-71
Pittsburgh: 89-71

October 5th

Cincinnati at Houston - Astros break up a scoreless tie in the 3rd with a Giovani Miller double that gives them a 1-0 lead. They extend the lead in the 4th with a Justin Smoak RBI triple followed by a sac fly to give them a 3-0 lead. The Reds find themselves playing from behind once again. Astros starter Bud Norris is dominant, only allowing 1 run and 2 hits through 8 innings. The Astros extend the lead to 4-1 in the 8th with an Ian Stewart HR. This proves key as Astros reliever Huston Street struggles in the 9th, giving up 2 runs to make it a 1 run game, but he gets Joey Votto to strike out to end the game. The Reds have lost back to back games at a very inopportune time. Houston 4, Cincinnati 3

Pittsburgh at NY Mets - Pirates ace Jordan Zimmerman immediately gets into trouble, allowing a 2 run HR in the 1st and an RBI double in the 2nd. He settles down after that and the Pirates get 2 back in the 4th as Mets starter Jenrry Mejia has control issues. After a Volmert single, he hits a batter, then walks Fielder to make the bases loaded. Gorkys Hernandez draws a walk and the Pirates are on the board. A Tony Sanchez grounder scores another run on a fielder's choice, making it a 3-2 game. The Pirates get bases loaded once again in the 6th and a Tony Sanchez single scores Jolton Joe to tie the game. Meanwhile, Zimmerman has recovered from his rought start, retiring 15 out of his next 16 batters after the 2nd. The Pirates break through in the 8th when Jolton Joe singles and pinch runner Eric Young Jr, steals 2nd. He then scores on a Tony Sanchez single to give the Pirates a 4-3 lead. The Pirates excellent relievers Kerry Wood and Danny Herrera retire the next 6 Mets batters and the Pirates have a 1 game lead with 1 to go! Pittsburgh 4, NY Mets 3

Pittsburgh: 90-71
Cincinnati: 89-72

October 6th

Pittsburgh at NY Mets - The Pirates have two chances to win the division either winning the early game or the Reds losing the late game. Worst case scenario would be a one game playoff for the final spot. Pirates get a good start as Gibbs opens with a triple and then scores on a grounder. Mets immediately get one back on a David Wright solo HR. In the 4th, Joe has a great at bat where he fouls off 6 pitches and then hits a solo HR to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. In the bottom half, Daniel Murphy hits a 2 run HR. A passed ball scores another runner, giving the Mets a 4-2 lead. The Pirates come right back with a 2 run HR from Pedro Alvarez and another run coming on an error to retake the lead in the 5th. In this seesaw game, the Mets score 2 runs in the 7th to retake the lead, but the Pirates tie it up in the 8th on a Todd Volmert HR. Kerry Wood comes in and finds himself in a bases loaded jam, but gets Wilson Figueroa to pop up. In the 9th, Brock Holt leads off with a single and pinch runner Hernandez steals 2nd. The Mets intentionally walk Sonny. The two runners get moved over with a sac bunt. Then with 2 outs, Clarence Gibbs hits a single that scores both and gives the Pirates a 2 run lead! A Pedro Alvarez double scores Gibbs and makes it a 9-6 lead. The Pirates are now 3 outs away from the postseason. Herrera walks David Wright on 4 straight pitches, but he gets the next 3 Mets out to preserve the win and send the Pirates to the playoffs! Pittsburgh 9, NY Mets 6

Cincinnati at Houston - With nothing left to play for, the Reds get shutout 2-0. An excellent September for the Reds put them into contention for the playoffs, but they lost their final 3 games of the season.

Pittsburgh: 91-71
Cincinnati: 89-73

[larrymcg421]

End of Regular Season

Pirates (91-71): Almost gave the division away but finished strongly, winning 4 straight to clinch their second postseason trip in three years. They got there with the best offense in baseball in spite of some awful pitching.

Sonny Ciccarelli - Sonny was once again the Pirates best player, hitting career highs in almost every category. Despite oddly being used at leadoff, he still managed 100 RBI. Potential MVP candidate. .345/.409/.586 with 33 HR, 100 RBI in 156 games. 160 OPS+

Todd Volmert - Despite his July struggles, he really came on in August and September, eventually putting up similar numbers as he did last season. .329/.378/.528 with 28 HR, 121 RBI in 156 games. 137 OPS+

Jolton Joe - After the injury in August, he had a terrible September (.214/.292/.367), but rebounded with 3 HR in the critical October stretch and had a very nice season overall. .302/.375/.511 with 24 HR, 96 RBI in 142 games. 132 OPS+

Carmen Hillebrew - A terrific sophomore campaign for the slugger, improving in every single category. However, he had 20 errors on the year and 15 at 3rd base. .288/.391/.512 with 33 HR, 108 RBI in 157 games. 137 OPS+

Royals (89-74): Ended up in the wildcard spot after losing a pointless 1 game playoff with the White Sox for the division title. Unlike the Pirates, the Royals are an all around team with the #1 Offense and #1 Pitching. They were unlucky, performing 6 games worse than their Pythagorean.

David Gonzalez - Made a good run at .400, but didn't quite get there. Still had an insanely good year, capturing his 2nd straight batting title and has a good shot at MVP. Also one of the top fielders, finishing 2nd in the AL in Zone Rating. .391/.460/.527 with 4 HR, 81 RBI in 137 games. 158 OPS+

David Ginsberg - Very unlucky this year. Despite a very solid pitching performance throughout the season, he just couldn't get enough run support. Advanced metrics support his case, as he's 2nd in VORP and 4th in FIP. 10-12, 3.22 ERA, 185 K, 72 BB in 34 starts. 144 ERA+

Mike Schaplowsky - Schaplowsky fell back a little bit this year, mostly due to an awful start. He's very good at getting extra base hits and led the league in doubles with 56 (2nd was 45). The main knock is his lack of walks and relatively high strikeout rate. .313/.348/.439 with 4 HR, 78 RBI in 155 games. 109 OPS+

Dave Corson - Shook off the crushing postseason loss to put together a terrific season. Control is still a problem as it will always be for him, but he led the league in Strikeouts, K/9, and opponent Avg. 15-8, 3.55 ERA, 245 K, 118 BB in 32 starts. 135 ERA+

[larrymcg421]

Divisional Series - Kansas City Royals vs. Texas Rangers

It's a rematch of last year's ALCS. The Rangers got here on the strength of the 3rd best pitching staff in the AL, led by Neftali Feliz (15-7, 3.47) and Kyle Lohse (16-9, 3.54). The middle of the pack offense was led by 1B Chris Davis (.252, 41, 104), C Doug Hogan (.274, 27, 80), and RF Dennis Raben (.271, 17, 92).

Game 1 - (Dave Corson vs. Neftali Feliz)

The Royals get on the board first when Schaplowsky walks, steals 2nd, and moves to 43rd on an errant throw. Gonzalez hits a deep fly that easily scores him. Corson walks two batters in the 2nd and the game is tied when Seung-Min Park singles a runner in. The Rangers take the lead in the 5th when Elvis Andrus singles and Chris Davis hits a double that scores him. The Royals are having no luck breaking through against Feliz, stranding several base runners. In the 6th, Ian Kinsler hits a 2 run HR off Corson that makes it a 4-1 game. A Seth Smith double is the only hit for the Royals in the final 3 innings and they go down quietly for a disappointing start. Texas 4, Kansas City 1

Game 2 - (Zack Greinke vs. Kyle Lohse)

Royals get off to a great start in a crazy 1st inning as Schaplowsky walks and Gonzalez singles to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Then they both pull off a double steal. Schaplowsky scores on a wild pitch and then a grounder scores Gonzalez. Greinke gets into trouble in the bottom half when Elvis Andrus doubles and Julio Borbon singles. Chris Davis hits a sac fly for the first Texas run. Doug Hogan follows with a single that scores Borbon. Engel Beltre then hits a double that scores Hogan and gives the Rangers a 3-2 lead. Both pitchers settle down after this wild start and both teams go down in order for the next 4 innings. In the 6th inning, Dennis Raben doubles and Davis hits a 2 run HR that gives Texas a 5-2 lead and chases Greinke from the game. The Royals get bases loaded in the 7th, but Schaplowsky pops up. The Rangers score an insurance run off Meche in the 7th. Gonzalez opens the 8th with a single, but a double play erases him. This is key because Hosmer follows with a HR that would've made it a 1 run game. Seth Smith walks to open the 9th and scores on a double to make it a 2 run game, but Richardson and Schaplowsky fly out to end the game. Texas 6, Kansas City 4

Game 3 - (David Ginsberg vs. Michael Main)

Two things Ginsberg is known for is good control and giving up very few HR (he was 6th in the AL in this category). Unfortunately, both of these things happened in the 2nd inning as David walked two batters, then gave up a 3 run HR to Brandon Arnold. Once again, the Royals are behind in the series. A sac fly in the 3rd adds a 4th run. The Royals finally get on the board with their own sac fly in the bottom half. The Royals continue that momentum in the 5th when 3 straight singles and some good baserunning scores 2 runs to make it a 1 run game. Ginsberg struggles again in the 6th, when two walks load the bases and a single scores 1 run. A runner is thrown out at home to prevent it from being worse. The Royals get 1 back on a Wil Myers solo HR in the bottom of the 6th. But the momentum is lost immediately once again. Meche comes on to pitch and after a double steal puts runners on 2nd and 3rd, a Raben single scores both of them to make it 7-4. Frank Francisco comes in to close it in the 9th and the Royals have 3 outs left in their season. Seth Smith starts a rally with a solo HR. Then with 2 outs and a man on, Hilton Richardson hits a 2 run HR that ties the game! Schaplowsky follows with a double and Gonzalez is walked. Jose Bonilla hits a line drive that falls in for a base hit and scores Schaplowsky for the winning run! 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th saves Kansas City's season. Kansas City 8, Texas 7

Game 4 - (Dave Corson v. Neftali Feliz)

David Gonzalez hits into a double play in his first AB, but it scores a runner to give the Royals the early 1-0 lead. Corson walks Beltro, who then scores on Josh Hamilton's triple. Hamilton then scores on a fielder's choice for a 2-1 lead. The Royals go back ahead in the 2nd on a Callaspo single that scores 2 runs. They increase the lead to 6-3 in the 3rd on back to back doubles from Butler and Smith. Things are looking fine until the 5th. Elvis Andrus singles, then a Schaplowsky puts 2 runners on. Raben singles to score one. Then Corson's control issues come into play again as he walks the bases loaded and then walks a runner in to make it a 1 run game. Beltre hits a double that scores 2 more and sends Corson to the showers after yet another disappointing postseason. Meche comes in and gives up a double that scores 2 more runs. The onslaught continues and by the time the inning is over Texas has an 11-6 lead. The lead is stretched to 13-7, but a Hosmer 2 run HR in the 7th makes it 13-9. Then in the 8th, Gonzalez has an RBI single. Hosmer comes up with another big hit, with a double that scores both Gonzalez and Schaplowsky. Suddenly it's a 1 run game. Could there be another miracle comeback in the works? Butler strikes out with the tying run on 2nd. Rangers closer Frank Francisco comes on in the 9th and squashes all comeback talk by setting the Royals down in order. The Rangers advance to the ALCS. Texas 13, Kansas City 12

[kingfc22]

Bah! Damn bullpen!

[sterlingice]

Bullpen? Sounds like it was more on the starters

SI

[MizzouRah]

What is up with our team?