Blazing Glory: A RTTS Dynasty (MLB 09: The Show)

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 20, 2013 -

Lou had a long talk 2 days ago about how disappointed he is in in my performance. I need to do better soon. Tonight, I get the start at home vs Toronto. They are 50-76. We are 53-72.

Markakis just misses getting to a drive in right center and it is a double to start the game by Matsui. Inglett grounds to 1st to move the runner to 3rd. I intentionally walk Berkman to set up the double play. It fails to pay off as Jacobs comes up with a RBI single. After runners advance on a passed ball, I strike out Rios for the 2nd out. After loading the bases with a walk, I struck out Guzman to end the inning.


Murphy with a 2 RBI double and Santana with a RBI in bottom of the 1st to make it 3-1.

Bases loaded with 1 out for Berkman in the 2nd. Struck out Berkman with a 0-2 slider! Berkman has owned me so that was a huge one. Jacobs flies out to left to end the inning.

Murphy with a 2 run homer in the 3rd! 5-1 lead now.

Berkman with a 2 out RBI single in the 4th.

Markakis with his 26th homer of the year, a solo shot, to make it 6-2 in the 5th.

Struck out Wells with a 0-2 slider to start the 6th.

Lou pulls me after 7 good innings. We win the game 14-2 as we have a 8 run 8th inning! David Murphy with 8 RBI's and 2 homers tonight.

7 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. I'm now 5-16.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 27, 2013 -

Tonight, I'm starting in Texas. Josh Hamilton is on their team now and healthy. He has 36 HR's and 103 RBI this year.

He comes to bat with 2 outs and a man on 3rd so I intentionally walk him. I accidently walk the next batter, but Ronny Cedeno grounds to Lacey to end the inning.

Markakis with a brilliant defensive play in the 2nd to cover a ton of ground and then make a diving catch along the line for the 1st out of the inning.

Struck out Chris Davis with a 0-2 fastball in the 3rd. That was my 100th strikeout of the year. That brings Josh Hamilton to the plate with 2 outs and a man on 1st. Going to pitch him very carefully. He hits an outside fastball weakly to left for the 3rd out.

Lacey with a RBI double in the 4th to make it 1-0.

JC Siegel hits the 1st pitch, a fastball, of the 4th down the left field line and it actually clangs off the foul pole for the homer. 1-1. That was only his 3rd homer of the year.

Struck out Greg Golson for the 2nd out of the 4th with a 1-2 fastball. Struck out Chris Stewart with a 2-2 fastball.

Struck out Hamilton with a 3-2 slider to start the 6th. Lacey with an error that allows Siegel to get to 1st.

No! After another error by Lacey, Greg Golson hits a 2 out 3 run homer off a 2-2 slider that just hung on me a bit. The next hitter gets a single and I'm pulled. We lose the game 4-3.

5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. My record drops to 5-17.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 1, 2013 -

I'm sinking into such a depression that it is hard to write. I'll post brief recap for now.

We lose 8-1 as I pitch badly again giving up 5 runs over the 4th and 5th innings. 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. I drop to 5-18.


Sep 6, 2013 -

I suffer a shoulder injury in the 1st inning, but not before I give up a 2 run homer. We lose the game 6-5 and I get my 19th loss.

1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.



Sep 11, 2013 -

My confidence has just been shot most of the season and it's a spiraling pattern that I can't get out of. I earn my 20th loss in a 9-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.


Sep 17, 2013 -

Finally, another strong outing as I only give up 2 runs to Boston. Unfortunately, Lester only gave up 1 run. We lose the game 3-1.

6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K.


Sep 22, 2013 -

Another good outing for me, until I fall apart in the top of the 7th against the Mariners. A 2 run homer causes me to lose my 4-2 lead. We lose the game 6-4 when our pen gives up 2 more runs in the 8th.

6 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.


Sep 28, 2013 -

I have another strong outing against Boston, but it isn't enough against Lester. We lose in 11 innings 6-3.

6 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K.


Sep 30, 2013 -

We finish the year 69-93. I finish the year with a miserable record. Not at all what I imagined when I was pitching in H.S. and was striking everyone out. Hopefully, I can regain my confidence during the offseason because I'm not feeling any of it right now.

[Eaglesfan27]

October 1, 2013 -

My final stats on the year, almost every category is a career worst:

33 GS, 5-20, 4.38 ERA, 12 QS, 2 CG, 2 SO, 178.2 IP, 214 H, 102 R, 87 ER, 23 HR, 56 BB, 123 K, 1.51 WHIP, .288 vs RH, .309 vs LH.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct 27, 2013 -

Boston beats the Cards in 7 games in the World Series. Kevin Youkilis is the MVP of the WS with .500 avg, 2 HR's, and 8 RBI's.

I get a shock as I'm named a Gold Glove winner! I didn't think my fielding was that good, although it is improving.

Josh Hamilton won the MVP with a .316 avg, 51 HR's, and 147 RBI's.

Josh Beckett in Boston won the Cy Young with a 2.85 ERA, 19 wins and 5 losses.

Delmon Chance of the Angels won Rookie of the Year with a .330 avg, 25 HR"s and 90 RBI's.

[Eaglesfan27]

Nov 1, 2013 -

Notable retirements:

LF Carlos Guillen, Yankees
CF Torii Hunter, Angels
RF Ichiro, Mariners
P Derek Lowe, Braves
LF Manny Ramirez, Mets
P Chan Ho Park (no more threads on him), Phillies
CF Ryan Sweeney, Cubs (due to career ending injury)
SS Nomar Garciaparra , Arizona

Nov 15, 2013 -

Lots of great FA's on the market, the best of them being Josh Hamilton. Chase Utley is a very good one as well.

Shane Victorino signed a 4 year 60 million dollar deal to remain with the Phillies

Detroit signed Curtis Granderson to a 6 year 60 million dollar deal.

The Phillies signed Cole Hamels to a 3 year deal worth almost 60 million.


Nov 30, 2013 -

The Yankees signed Chase Utley to a 5 year 65 million dollar deal.

The Orioloes gave Lacey a 1 year 9 million dollar contract avoiding arbitration.

The Yankees signed Joba Chamberlain to a 6 year deal for 106 million dollars.

The Dodgers signed Johan Santana to a 6 year deal for 122 million.

The Yankees signed Jose Reyes to a 4 year deal worth 90 million.


The Phillies signed Troy Tulowitzki to a 5 year deal worth just over 70 million.

The Angels signed Josh Hamilton to a 6 year deal worth just under 100 million.

The Angels signed Geovany Soto to a 3 year deal worth just over 15 million.

The Phillies signed John Lackey to a 3 year deal worth 33 million.

The Angels signed SS Cesar Izturis to a 2 year deal worth 10 million when the Orioles were unwilling to re-sign him.

The Red Sox signed Brian Roberts to a 2 year deal worth 14 million when the Orioles were unwilling to re-sign him.

The Orioles are doing nothing to improve themselves. I'm asking for a trade again.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 31, 2014 -

I've had a good spring. As Mike reminded me, I'm only 23 and I have my whole career ahead of me. He thinks I'm ready to turn the corner this year and become a dominant pitcher. I hope he is right. I'll have a big test right off the bat as we face the re-tooled Yankees and C.C. Sabathia on our opening night at home.

A look at their lineup:

SS Jose Reyes
2B Chase Utley
1B Mark Teixeira
3B Alex Rodriguez
RF Vlad
LF Chase Headley
DH Robinson Cano
CF Melky Cabrera
C Ramon Hernandez

Our lineup:

CF Adam Jones
SS Gustavo Flores (a young guy who should still be in the minors in my opinion. I think he is going to be a disaster and nowhere near Cesar's ability, not that Cesar was that good.)
3B Lacey
C Saucedo
RF Markakis
1B Wes Helms (a new signing for under a million.)
LF David Murphy
DH Josh Whitesell
2B Kevin Frandsen (another kid who should still be in the minors in my opinion.)


Jose grounds out to short for the 1st out. Struck out Utley with a 2-2 fastball at the knees. Mark grounds to 1st to end the 1st.

A-Rod with a line drive to right center for a double to start the 2nd. Vlad flies out to right, moving A-Rod to 3rd. Headley grounds to 2nd for the 2nd out but the run scores. Cano with a 2 out double down the left field line. Melky flies out to center to end the inning.

After Ramon flies out to center, Reyes bunts for a 1 out single in the 3rd. Utley lines to center, but Adam throws out Reyes going to 3rd! Struck out Mark with a 0-2 fastball to end the 3rd.

Struck out Vlad with a very high 2-2 fastball to start the 4th. Kevin with a nice defensive play to end the 4th.

In the 5th, Melky with a double and then Ramon with a RBI single down the 1st base line. Struck out Reyes with a 1-2 outside fastball for the 2nd out of the 5th.

Chase Headley with a leadoff double to right center to start the 7th inning. Mike Smith, our new manager, pulls me after that.

Hennessey gives up the inherited run and we lose the game 6-2.

My record drops to 0-1, but I feel like I pitched a quality game today.

6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 6, 2014 -

I feel good today as we prepare to take on Tampa at home. We are 3-2. They are 2-3. We've got our best defensive outfield out there today. I have to be careful of the heart of their order with Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena, and Jason Bay.

Struck out Longoria with a 0-2 slider to end the 1st inning.

Struck out Pena with a 0-2 changeup to start the 2nd inning. Adam Everett at short today and he has an error of a simple grounder by Bay. Struck out Matt Joyce with a 1-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the inning.

YES! Pie with a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 2nd.

Struck out Chavis looking with a fastball on the inside corner for the 2nd out of the 3rd. B.J. Upton puts a fastball into the 4th row in left field. Wow. Xavier Nady follows that with a deep blast off a changeup. Finally, I get the 3rd out of the 3rd when Pena grounds to 1st.

Struck out Bay with a slider to start the 4th. Struck out Joyce looking with a 2-2 slider at the knees. Back to back bad plays (just lack of range) by Everett allow men to get on 1st and 3rd. Everett with another play where he shows no range and a RBI single gets by him. Tied game. Finally, I get Upton to ground to 1st to end the inning.


YES!! Lacey with a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 5th! 6-3 lead.

Saucedo's passed balls are terrible, he allows one to get by him in the 6th with 2 outs that moves a runner to 2nd and then the run scores on a liner by Chavis to left center. After walking Upton, I strikeout Nady with a 1-2 high fastball.

Lacey with a RBI single in the bottom of the 6th. 7-4 lead.

Longoria with a leadoff double down the left field line. Mike pulls me after that. He turns to Kameron Mickolio who has a 3.38 ERA so far this year. Kameron gives up the inherited run, but gets out of the inning.

We win the game 7-6. I get my first win of the year.

6 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 12, 2014 -

We are on a 6 game winning streak, including a sweep of Tampa and a win vs Boston in the first game of this series. Tonight, I'm pitching in Fenway trying to keep the streak going. They have Ben Sheets pitching.

Struck out Jacoby with a 1-2 slider to start the game. The rest of the inning is rough. Felix Pineda with a single. Pedroia draws a walk and then Justin Upton with a RBI single to center. After I get a 2nd out, Mike Lowell with a RBI single past Adam Kennedy at 2B. Finally, a ground out to 1st ends the inning.

(Darn, just saw my first bad glitch of the game - a run crossed home and counted despite the 3rd out being made at 1st on the play.)

Adam Jones with his first RBI of the year in the top of the 3rd.

Struck out Brian Roberts to end the 3rd.

Kevin Youkilis with a RBI double in the 5th to put them up 4-1 (sigh.) After that, I throw a 0-2 wildpitch fastball that was just too high. Kevin advances to 3rd with 1 out. Struck out Lowell looking with a 1-2 slider at the knees. Brian Roberts with a 2 out RBI single to right.

I'm pulled after that. We lose the game 7-1.

I drop to 1-2. 5 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 17, 2014 -

Tonight, I'm starting against the White Sox at home. They are 7-8. We are 10-5. Their most dangerous slugger is young hitter Tyron Whaley, their 1B.

Struck out Ty Wigginton to end the 1st inning.

Wigginton hits the 1st pitch, a fastball, over the left field wall to start the 4th inning. Struck out Adam Dunn with a 100 MPH fastball for the 2nd out in the 4th.

In the 5th, Kevin with a great diving catch at 2nd! However, he hurt his leg on the play. Adam comes into the game.

The team finally scores in the 6th, and they score big putting 4 up on the board. 2 run homers by Lacey and our new catcher, Mathis.

In the bottom of the 6th, Whaley hits it to deep left for a sac fly that is the 2nd out of the inning. Sheesh. Why can't I protect my leads? I give up a 2 run homer to Alexei Ramirez that ties it at 4. I get out of the inning and cross my fingers that the bottom part of our order can give me the lead back..

Tied at 4 as I take the mound to start the 7th. Darn, Doc is absolutely screwing me on the ball/strike calls. 4 ball walk. That does it and I'm yanked from the game.

We score in the bottom of the 7th too and win it 5-4. If I just could have gotten through that inning, it would have been my win.

6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 22, 2014 -

Tonight, I get the start against Texas. Stanley Mudd, their RF, is their most dangerous hitter. We are 14-6 and I'm determined to get my 2nd win tonight. They are 7-12.

Lacey is improving. Very nice defensive play to start the game. Struck out Taylor Teagarden with 3 straight fastballs.

Markakis knocks in Jones to start the bottom of the 1st. 1-0 lead.

Struck out Golson with a 2-2 fastball to endt he 3rd.

My no hitter is broken up and shattered in the 4th, as they manage to load the bases for Arias who hits a 2 RBI single up the middle. Ronny Cedeno with a RBI single before I finally get 2 ground outs to end the inning.

Saucedo with a solo homer to make it 2-3 in the bottom of the 4th.

Struck out Teagarden with a 2-2 slider for the 2nd out of the 5th. Struck out Davis with a 1-2 fastball outside to end the 5th.

I pitch a 1-2-3 6th and then Smith decides to go to the pen. We win the game 6-3, but we didn't score until the 9th.

6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 28, 2014 -

We are 1st in the AL East! We are 18-7. Tonight, I'm pitching in Tampa Bay.


We start off with 4 runs in the top of the 2nd. Flores had a 2 RBI double, Mathis had a RBI, and we scored 1 on an error.

Terrible 2nd inning. After a single, I field a chopper along the 3rd baseline and throw it into right field which allows a run to score and a runner to advance to 3rd. A 2nd run scores on a groundout to 3rd.

Longoria leads off the 3rd with a double and then scores on a RBI single to left. Mathis allows a passed ball that allows the runner to advance to 2nd. I respond by striking out Dioner Navarro with a 2-2 outside fastball.

Pie with a RBI in the top of the 4th to give me a bit more breathing room.

Struck out Almegza to start the 4th. Jeff Salazar tries to get to a ball in deep left center and dives, but it hits off his glove and is a triple for Upton. I pop up the next 2 batters to get out of the inning.

Whitesell with a solo homer in the 5th to make it 6-3.

Struck out Upton with a 0-2 slider for the 2nd out of the 7th.

We get another run to make it a 7-3 lead in the top of the 8th.

Struck out Longoria with a 1-2 fastball to start the 8th. Struck out Bay with a 0-2 slider. Darn. I give up a single and then a homer (by Navarro) to right field. 7-5 game. Smith pulls me after that.

They turn to Matt Albers who has a 3.12 ERA. Matt gets the job done and Reinaldo Cortez gets his 8th save of the year. We win the game 7-5.

My record rises to 2-2. 7.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 1, 2014 -

We are on another 6 game winning streak! With a 21-7 record, we are in 1st place by 4.5 games over the Yankees. We are 1st in batting average, 3rd in runs scored, (interestingly the Pirates are 2nd and 4th in those categories as their young hitters are developing), 6th in homers, 4th in walks drawn, 7th in slugging %, 2nd in On base percentage.

We are 4th in ERA as a staff, 8th in hits allowed, 2nd in walks, 24th in strike outs (I lead the team).

My stats after a month:

6 GS, 2-2, 2 QS, 5.35 ERA, 37 IP, 47 H, 25 R, 22 ER, 5 HR's, 5 BB, 25 K, 1.41 WHIP, .306 vs RH, .300 vs LH.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 3, 2014 -

Today, I'm starting against Chien-Ming Wang and the Yankees at home. We lost the series opener yesterday and I need to come up with a great game today to help preserve our lead over them.

Reyes had an incredible April and is batting .400 with 8 HR's and 30 RBI's. He starts off the game with a single and then quickly steals 2nd.

Utley is batting .385 with 5 HR's and 22 RBI's. He hits a double off the left field wall to make it 1-0.

Mark Teixeira is batting .295 with 7 HR's and 20 RBI's. He hits a RBI single into left field.

A-Rod is batting .240 with 3 HR's and 10 RBI's. He pops up to me.

Vlad is hitting .270 with 1 HR and 11 RBI's. He flies out to Markakis.

Headley is batting .260 with 3 HR's and 14 RBI's. I strike him out with an outside fastball to end the inning. Not a good start.

Struck out Robinson Cano with a high fastball to start the 2nd.

Struck out Mark with a 3-2 fastball to start the 3rd. 1-2-3 3rd.

1-2-3 4th. We are being no hit so far.

Lacey with a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 4th! That is his 6th of the year and 20th RBI.

Reyes beats out an infield single to deep short. That is his 3rd hit of the game. But, I get out of the inning by popping up Utley and getting Mark to hit a line drive right at Markakis.

Struck out Vlad with an inside fastball for the 2nd out of the 6th. Headley with a double to right center. Struck out Cano with a 2-2 slider to end the inning.

Struck out Jason Kendall with a 0-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 7th. Reyes with a little dribbler towards Lacey, Lacey tries to barehand it and misses it! Reyes goes for 2nd, Lacey recovers and barely throws him out at 2nd.

Despite pitching 7 strong innings, skipper thinks that my arm is done.

Kameron Mickolio gives up a homer to Utley in the 8th and that is the final margin. 3-2 loss. I think I was definitely pulled much too early. Only 80 pitches thrown.

7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 9, 2014 -

Tonight, I get the start in Kansas City. We were swept by the Yankees and have lost 4 of our last 5, so we desperately need a win tonight.

Murphy with a 2 RBI double in top of the 1st.

First up is Coco Crisp who is batting .306 with 2 homers and 14 RBI's. Got him with a fly ball to right. Billy Butler is batting 3rd. He is hitting .324 with 3 HR's and 13 RBI's. 1-2-3 1st.

Mark Teahan is batting 5th with a man on 1st. He is hitting .233 with 3 HR's and 13 RBI's. Mathis throws out Fidel Collazo on the attempt to steal 2nd. Struck him out looking with a 1-2 fastball at the knees over the inside corner.

Lacey with a solo homer in the top of the 3rd. 3-0.

Struck out Tony Pena, Jr. with a low 1-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 3rd.

Murphy and Markakis with RBI's in the 4th. 5-0 lead.

Struck out Butler with a high fastball for the 2nd out of the 4th.

Struck out Matt Tupman with a 3-2 fastball for the 2nd out in the 5th. Struck out Esteban German to end the 5th.

Tony Pena, Jr. starts off the 6th with a double. Coco Crisp with a bunt single. Enrique Manley hits into a 6-4-3 double play but they score a run.

Struck out Pena looking with a 2-2 slider at the knees for the 2nd out of the 8th.

I'm feeling it tonight and Mike is going to let me pitch the 9th..

That ends when I give up a double off a 1-1 fastball to start the inning. Smith turns the ball over to Matt Albers who has a 3.05 ERA. I threw exactly 100 pitches tonight in my best outing of the season. We win the game 5-3.

My record is now 3-2 after that win.

8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 15, 2014 -

We've lost our last 2 games to the Yankees and they have taken over the division lead. Tonight, I pitch the final game in the series at their stadium. I'm going against Erik Bedard who is 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA so far.


WOW! Markakis with a solo homer, Lacey with a 2 run homer, and Whitesell with a RBI single in the 1st inning. 4-0 lead before I even take the mound.

Reyes, who is batting .400 with 9 HR's, is up first and I strike him out looking with a 1-2 fastball just below the letters. Headley and Utley follow that up with singles. Then, A-Rod with a RBI single down the third base line. Cano grounds to third for the 2nd out, but a run scores. Melky with a line drive to right to drive in A-Rod. Struck out Ramon Hernandez looking with a 100 MPH fastball on the corner.

Adam Kennedy with some horrible range at 2nd. 3 Ground balls by him in a row to drive in a run to tie the game at 4. 1 out, Utley up with runners on 1st and 3rd. Utley hits a 3 run homer to left. Sigh.

Struck out A-Rod for the 2nd out of the 2nd, but it is too late. Down 7-4 after 2 innings.

Lacey with a solo homer in the top of the 3rd. 7-5.

The 3rd starts with 2 more grounders that easily get by Adam. A line drive to right scores a run and puts men on 1st and 3rd. WOW. Adam actually starts a double play. It scores another run though. 9-5 after 3.

In the 4th, A-Rod hits a 2 run homer. I can't believe how bad I'm getting hit today. Dwon 11-5 after 4.

I finally get pulled. We lose the game 14-6.

4 IP, 14 H, 11 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. My ERA balloons as my record drops to 3-3.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 21, 2014 -

I try to forget the last start as I prepare for Toronto at home. They are 16-32. We are 27-18 and still only 2.5 games back from the Yankees. Big crowd tonight to see me and the team.

Struck out Lance Berkman with a 1-2 outside fastball for the 2nd out of the 1st. A 1-0 fastball is too high and Mike Jacobs hits a 2 run homer. That was his 8th homer of the year.

Saucedo knocks in Jones in the bottom of the 1st. 2-1 game.

Struck out Mike Morse to end the 2nd inning.

Sheesh. Alex Rios with a solo shot in the 3rd. He caught a fastball that missed its spot. That was his 5th homer. I need to stop overthrowing my fastball. I bounce back to strike out Lind.

Saucedo, Betemit, and Kennedy with RBI's in the 3rd. We are up 4-3.

In the 4th, Jones hits a 2 run homer. 6-3 game.

Struck out Paul Janish to end the 4th inning.

Once, I stopped trying to throw my fastball as hard as I could, everything became so much easier. I just need to remember that at the beginning of every game. Flores bobbles the ball costing us the 3rd out in the 7th. 2 out, men on 1st and 2nd with Mike Morse at the plate. I get him to ground to Lacey to end the inning. 6-3 after 7 innings.

Mike turns to the pen for the 8th. We win the game 6-3.

My record rises to 4-3.

7 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 26, 2014 -

We've lost 2 of 3 vs the Tigers. Tonight, I get the start at home in the last game of the series. Justin Verlander is starting for them. He is 3-4 with a 5.47 ERA on the year. We are now 29-21 and 2 games out of 1st.

A bad start to the game as I walk Chone Figgins. Now, I have to get Magglio who already has 10 homers. I get Magglio to hit into a 6-4-3 DP. I get Cabrera looking with a 1-2 slider that caught the inside corner.

I get Trammell to hit into a 5-4-3 DP in the 2nd inning. Struck out Polanco with a 0-2 outside slider.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Wes Helms knocks in Adam Kennedy. 1-0 game.

In the top of the 4th, I throw a fastball right where I wanted it, in on his hands, but he turns on it and crushes it to left field. 1-1.

Wow. Adam with 2 good defensive plays in the 4th. Where has this been all year?

Struck out Trammell to start the 5th.

Struck out Laird looking with a 96 MPH fastball on the outside corner. 1-2-3 6th.

We score 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th - Saucedo, Markakis, and Flores with RBI's.

3 singles to start the 7th, and they score a run. Smith pulls me after that. I hope the pen can stop those runs from scoring..

No! They bring in Brad Hennesey who has a 5.65 ERA..

He gives up a run, but then Mickoloio comes in gets out of the 7th. Sarfate pitches a perfect 8th and Cortez gets his 16th save. We win the game 4-3 as I get my 5th win of the year!

6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Note to self:

Do not throw the ball as hard as possible. Easing up on the delivery was critical to my success tonight.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 30, 2014 -

SOB! The Orioles are reportedly shopping me around. The good news is that the Cubs and Twins are both reportedly interested. The Twins are 2nd in their division and the Cubs are 1st in theirs.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 1, 2014 -

Tonight, I get the start against the Angels in Anaheim. Josh Hamilton is batting 2nd tonight. He is hitting .335 with 19 HR's already. Albert Pujols is batting 3rd and batting .341 with 13 HR's. They are the 2 most dangerous hitters in a lineup filled with power.

We get a run in the top of the 1st as Saucedo knocks in Jones.

Struck out Cavazos with a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner at the knees to start the game. Flores with a nice leap on a Josh Hamilton line drive for the 2nd out. Struck out Pujols with a low inside fastball to have a 1-2-3 1st.

In the 2nd with 1 out, I have men on 1st and 3rd and a slider gets away from the catcher, Mathis. I run to cover the plate and he gets the ball in time to throw it to me. I successfully put the tag on Napoli to stop the run from scoring! The next hitter lines hard to Lacey who handles it.

With a man on 2nd and 1 out, I get a much needed strikeout of Cavazos again. The fastball was only 96 MPH but had some great movement. Hamilton grounds to 1st to end the inning.

Markakis catches a ball that was well hit by Soto at the low wall in right field that would have been a homer if he hadn't made that running catch. That was the 2nd out of the 5th.

Saucedo and Murphy with RBI's in the top of the 6th. 3-0 lead.

Struck out Cavazos for the 3rd time in the bottom of the 6th. This time it was a 0-2 slider. Hamilton hits into a 4-6-3 DP to end the inning.

Flores with an error to start the bottom of the 7th. That allows Pujols to get to 1st. He eventually gets to 3rd with men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out. We almost get the 4-6-3 to end the play, but Cotts barely beats it out at 1st. 3-1 game. Struck out Soto with a 2-2 high fastball to end the inning.

Maicer Izturis hits a 2-2 fastball just over Flores head and the ball rolls into the left center gap for a double. Struck out a pinch hitter with a 3-2 slider to get the 1st out. Cavazos avoids a strikeout, but he pops the first pitch to 1st weakly. Hamilton with a 10 pitch at bat before he draws a walk. That upsets Smith who goes to the pen to face Albert.. he gives it to Dennis Sarfate who has a 9 ERA


Sarfate gets Albert out! That is his only batter faced and Cortez pitches the 9th for his 17th save of the year. I get my 6th win of the year as we win it 3-1.

7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 1, 2014 -

Despite a very good month, I'm still not happy with my stats:

12 GS, 7 QS, 6-3, 4.91 ERA, 77 IP, 89 H, 47 R, 42 ER, 10 HR, 11 BB, 54 K, 1.30 WHIP, .236 vs RH, .345 vs LH.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 6, 2014 -

Tonight, I get the start at home against Tim Hudson (5-6, 4.98 ERA) and the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are 32-29. We are 35-25. A sold out crowd today. I feel good going into the game. I definitely have to watch out for Joe Mauer who is batting 3rd. Their lineup is stacked with left handed hitters today.

Struck out Yunel Escobar looking with a 1-2 fastball across the inside corner. Great movement on that pitch.

Struck out Claudio Vargas to end the 2nd.

In the 3rd, an error by Flores costs us the double play and the out. Men on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. McCann is at the plate. McCann hits a hard grounder that is just out the reach of Flores. RBI single to left as the runner barely beats the throw from Pie. Mauer at the plate. I jam Mauer with the first pitch but he fights it off and it is a bloop down the left field line for a RBI single. Josh Fields fights off a good fastball inside and it is a bloop RBI double down the right field line. Still no outs with men on 2nd and 3rd...

Struck out Escobar with a 3-2 fastball for the 1st out. A sac fly to right scores another run. Struck out Kelly Johnson with a 1-2 outside fastball to end the inning. 4-0 after 3 innings.

Struck out Rivas to start the 4th. Trouble after that as 2 singles and a walk load the bases for Mauer. A 1-2 wild pitch allows a run to score. Mauer with a deep fly to left scores another run. That is it, I'm yanked. So much for my hot streak.

3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. We lose the game 8-3 and my record drops to 6-4.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 11, 2014 -

Today I get the start against the Mets at our place. We are 37-28 and in 3rd place behind the Yankees and Tampa Bay. We are only 3 games out of 1st. The Mets are 34-31. They had some big retirements this offseason, but they had some big acquisitions and still have a great lineup. Rollins is leading off, Castillo batting 2nd, Wright 3rd, Thames 4th, and Beltran 5th. That is a huge difficult stretch of their lineup.

Rollins draws an opening walk as he holds up on a 3-2 slider. Castillo beats out an infield single to 3rd. Wright flies to deep center to put runners on 1st and 3rd. Thames flies to right to score Rollins. Beltran grounds to 1st to end the inning.

Flores with an error to start the 2nd inning. First pitch, Jose Gullien takes a high fastball to left center for a 2 run homer. Rollins draws another walk to put men on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Castillo pops up to Kennedy. Wright grounds out to Lacey to end the inning.

Struck out Thames with a 1-2 slider to start the 3rd. 1-2-3 3rd.


In the bottom of the 3rd, Saucedo, Flores, and Murphy all have RBI's. 3-3 game.

Markakis with a GREAT throw from the corner of right field to throw out Jose Guillen on what I thought was going to be a leadoff double. Flores with a bad bobble and then a bad throw that allows Smith to get to 2nd base. Smith gets to 3rd on a single and then a passed ball allows him to score, although I almost tagged him out. NO! Luis Castillo hits a 1-1 changeup that hung down the right field line and it clangs off the foul pole for a 2 run homer. Struck out David Wright with a 1-2 fastball at the knees to end the inning.

Struck out Thames with an inside fastball to start the 5th.

Mike pulls me after a scoreless 5th. We get 2 in the 6th and 1 in the 7th to tie it, and get me off the hook for the loss. The Mets score in the top of the 9th and Francisco Rodriguez gets the save. We lose the game 7-6.

5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 17, 2014 -

Today, I'm starting against the Marlins whose best hitters are Hank Blalock, Hanley Ramirez, and Dan Uggla. They are batting in the 2nd-4th spots.

Struck out Cameron Maybin with a 0-2 slider to start the game. Struck out Blalock with a 3-2 changeup. Hanley Ramirez fouls off a few pitches and then hits a 2-2 fastball into right center for a double. I pitch around Uggla and walk him with 4 pitches. Struck out Jeremy Hermida but a dropped 3rd strike almost lets him get to 1st. Threw him out by a step.

A leadoff double, a sac fly, and a groundout to short score them their first run in the 2nd. Jeff Supan grounds to 2nd to end the inning. Oh yeah, I get to bat today!

I pop up a bunt attempt in the 2nd.

I struck out in the 4th.

Struck out Booker with a 3-2 changeup to start the 5th. Struck out Supan with a 0-2 slider. Struck out Cameron with a 0-2 slider. My 2nd time striking out the side this game!

Struck out Blalock with a 2-2 outside fastball to start the 6th. Struck out Uggla looking with a 2-2 fastball on the inside corner to end the 6th.

Still down 1-0 after 6.

Mike pinch hits for me in the 7th inning. It doesn't work as we get shutout. 4-0 loss. My record drops to 6-5.

6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 23, 2014 -

Tonight I'm pitching at home vs the Red Sox. They are 36-39 and we are 41-34. They have gotten back a few good hitters who were hurt early and are surging back up in the standings. I'll definitley have to watch out for Dustin Pedroia and Justin Upton, not to mention I seem to have fits trying to get out their leadoff hitter, Jacoby Ellsbury.

Jacoby draws a 6 pitch leadoff walk. Mathis throws him out attempting to steal 2nd. Unconventional 1-2-3 inning.

Murphy knocks in Jones in the bottom of the 1st. 1-0.

Struck out Upton with a 3-2 inside fastball to start the 2nd inning. Struck out Dejesus with a high fastball for the 2nd out. My old teammate, Brian Roberts, with a 2 out single to left. Edgar Renteria flies out to center to end the inning.

Julio Lugo flies to center for the 1st out in the 3rd. Josh Bard flies out to right for the 2nd out. Jacoby with a hard shot at Flores who bobbles the ball allowng Jacoby to get a single. Struck out Kevin Youkilis to end the inning.

An 0-2 fastball is too high and inside and it hits Pedroia in the back to start the 4th inning. Upton hits it to deep left, Murphy dives.. and misses it completely. It turns into an RBI double. A fly to left for the 1st out. Roberts flies out to center advancing the runner to 3rd. 2 outs. Renteria draws a walk. Lugo hits a 1-2 fastball into left field for a RBI single. Sheesh, Bard hits a 1-2 fastball on the hands down the left field line for a RBI bloop single. Jacoby grounds to 1st to end the inning.

Struck out Youkilis with a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner to start the 5th. Struck out Pedroia with a 2-2 high inside fastball. Upton flies out to center to end the inning.

Brian Roberts with a double in the 6th. Then, Lacey with a great diving stop of a hard grounder towards him. He tries throwing from his knees and throws it away. Runners advance to 2nd and 3rd. Mike pulls me after that.

Mitchell Whitaker does a great job to get us out of the inning without any more runs scoring. However, he gives up 2 runs the next inning. We tie it up in the 8th and 9th before losing it 6-5 in the 11th.

5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 28, 2014 -

Tonight, I go for my 7th win as we face the Rangers on the road. I need to watch out for Chris Davis who is among the league leaders with 20 homers.

I start off the game by striking out Scott Olson with a 1-2 change. Teagarden grounds to Lacey for the 2nd out. Struck out Chris Davis with a 3-2 slider to end the 1-2-3 inning.

After Stanley Mudd gets an infield single to Lacey, I get Joaquin Arias to pop up to Helms at 1st. Struck out Brendan Harris with a high inside 0-2 fastball for the 2nd out. Ronny Cedeno hits a hard liner that bounces off Flores glove into left field. Men on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs. Corey Patterson at the plate now..

A 3-2 slider just misses the corner and he draws a walk to load the bases. Greg Golson steps up to the plate. He grounds a 1-2 change weakly to 1st to end the inning.

Markakis, Saucedo, and Flores all with RBI's in the top of the 3rd. 3-0 game.

Struck out Harris with a 2-2 slider to end the 4th.

Struck out Olson with a 2-2 outside fastball to end the 5th. 3-0 after 5.

Struck out Teagarden with a fastball on the low outside corner to start the 6th. Struck out Davis with a 2-2 slider in the dirt.

Harris with a leadoff single in the 7th as he hit a 3-2 slider into center. Cedeno hits into a 6-4-3. Golson flies out to left to end the inning. 3-0 after 7.

My arm is starting to really tire, but I start the 8th and get Olson to ground to Lacey after 7 pitches. Struck out Teagarden with a 2-2 slider! Struck out Davis with a 2-2 fastball just barely outside.

I get to start the 9th despite being up to 120 pitches as we now have a 4-0 lead. Mudd is up first..

He grounds a 1-1 inside fastball to Lacey for the 1st out. Joaquin Arias grounds out to Betemit, but a great stretch by Helms at 1st to save the error. Harris flies out to center and I get my first shutout/complete game of the year! My record is now 7-5.

I tie a career high with 9 strikeouts. 9 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. My fastball, slider, and changeup were all working well tonight.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 1, 2014 -

I'm not going to make my first All-Star game with these stats through the first 3 months of the season:

17 GS, 7-5, 4.42 ERA, 9 QS, 1 CG, 1 SO, 106 IP, 120 H, 63 R's, 52 E, 12 HR's, 20 BB's, 84 K, 1.32 WHIP, .237 vs RH, .340 vs LH.

I wonder if there is a pitch that the staff can teach me to help me get out Left handed batters more effectively?

[Sun Tzu]

I just read all of this in the last two days. Definitely a quality dynasty. Regarding left handers, I would think either a strong sinker or screwball...something that trails away from them on the outside corner, or comes back in and catches the inside corder.

[Eaglesfan27]

My running fastball tails away from them which is how I usually get them to strike out, otherwise I would consider a screwball. I'm definitely considering a hard sinker for my final pitch.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 4, 2014 -

Today, I get the start at home vs Toronto. They are 33-55 and really struggling now while we are 45-40.

Terrible start as Rios gets a single up the middle and Lind with a single past Helms at 1st. Men on 1st and 3rd with no outs. Urban hurts his ribs swining at my 1st fastball and has to leave the game. That helps as he was hitting .340. I strike out the pinch hitter, Mike Morse, with a 1-2 low fastball. Jacobs hits a 1-2 slider into center for a RBI single. Struck out Vernon Wells looking with a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner at the knees. Rolen grounds out to Lacey to end the inning.

Saucedo with a solo homer in the bottom of the 2nd to tie it at 1.

Struck out Morse with a 0-2 fastball near the dirt to end the 3rd.

Lacey with a great defensive play to start the 4th inning. He is developing into a solid defensive player and he is leading our team with 21 homers. 1-2-3 4th. The ball hasn't left the infield for the last 3 innings.

Kennedy misplays the ball to start the 5th allowing a single to get by him. Hard hit grounder perfectly played by Lacey for a 5-4-3 DP. Tied at 1 after 5 innings.

Struck out Morse looking at a 0-2 fastball at the knees to end the 6th.

Lacey with another good defensive play to get the 2nd out of the 7th.

Whitesell knocks in Helms in the bottom of the 7th. 2-1 game.

Helms with a very nice dive to his right to secure the 1st out of the 8th as I run over and cover for the toss. Berkman, pinch hitting, tries to take 2 on a hit down the right field line but Marakis guns him down! Paul Janish with a single to center, my arm is definitely tiring. Mike goes to the pen..

NO! He turns it over to Sarfate. He has a 7 plus ERA. Please get out of the inning, Dennis..

He gets the out. Cortez pitches a perfect 9th for his 24th save. We win the game 2-1.

My record is now 8-5.

7.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 8, 2014 -

C.C. Sabathia gets the start for the A.L All-Star Team. I finish 20th in the voting.

Our closer, Reinaldo Cortez, gets selected onto the team although Frank Francisco was the leading vote getter among RP's.

Quinton Lacey, is the highest vote getter among 3rd basemen. He beat out A-Rod by 50k votes. A-Rod is hitting .271 with 13 HR's and 47 RBI's as his age is catching up to him. Lacey is hitting .320 with 19 HR's and 56 RBI's.

The AL wins the All-Star game.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 14, 2014 -

Tonight, I'm starting on the road vs the White Sox. There is a 25 MPH wind blowing in from center most of the time. Adam Dunn is hitting .330 with 30 homers for them. We are now 47-43. The White Sox have 5 straight coming into this game.

Struck out Endy Chavez with a 2-2 outside fastball to start the game. Struck out Carlos Quentin looking with a high fastball just below the letters and barely across the inside corner. After walking Wigginton, I Struck out Dunn with an outside 2-2 fastball to end the inning.

Struck out Owen Budde with a 0-2 outside fastball to start the 3rd.

Trouble in the 4th as men get on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, but I get Getz to fly out to center to end the inning.

Betemit with a solo homer in the top of the 5th. 1-0 game.

Men on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs in the 5th after Carlos Quentin hits a double to left center. I walk the bases loaded (not on purpose) and end up facing Adam Dunn. Struck out Dunn with a 3-2 fastball. Big sigh of relief there.

Markakis with a solo homer in the 6th inning. That is only his 7th of the year.

Struck out Tyron Whaley (who has 22 homers) to start the 6th. 1-2-3 6th.

Lacey, Saucedo, and Betemit with RBI's in the 7th. 5-0 lead.

1-2-3 7th.

Whitesell with a RBI in the 8th. 6-0.

Carlos Quentin pops up a 3-1 fastball to Saucedo. Wigginton hits the first pitch past Lacey. No one could have made that play. Dunn hits it hard to Helm, but we just miss turning the 3-6-1 DP. 2 outs with Dunn at 1st. Whaley hits it to short and Flores ranges far to his right, gets it, and throws it away. Men on 2nd and 3rd. DARN! Mike pulls me after that.

Sarfate allows 2 of my runs to score, but Cortez pitches a perfect 9th.

We win the game 6-2. My record rises to 9-5.

7.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 15, 2014 -

The rumor around the clubhouse is that the team would like to trade to make a real playoff push. They reportedly want more veteran starting pitchers, and my agent hears that they are shopping me to the Cubs.


July 16, 2014 -

The Orioles traded another young starter, Raymond Kohler to the Royals for Ubaldo Jiminez. Ubaldo is 29 and is considered a quality starter. He is 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA this year. He is making 6.9 million this year.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 19, 2014 -

We are now 49-46 and have fallen into 4th place in the AL East behind the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sxo. Tonight, I get the start against the Red Sox in Boston.

Struck out Felix Pineda looking with a 1-2 fastball across the inside corner for the 2nd out of the 1st. Pedroia with a double off the Green Monster with 2 outs. Justin Upton grounds to Helms at 1st to end the inning.

Struck out Youkilis with an inside fastball to start the 2nd. Struck out Lowell looking with a 3-2 slider at the knees across the outside corner. Brian Roberts with a 2 out double to left field, down the line. Renteria flies out to center to end the inning.

Pedroia starts the 4th with a single to center field. Upton grounds far to Kennedy's left, but he makes the play and gets Upton at 1st. Youkilis with some good discipline, he holds up on the inside fastball and draws a walk. Lowell hits a high chopper, Flores gets it late and decides to get the leadoff runner at 3rd for the 2nd out. Roberts hits a come back to me, and I throw him out to end the inning.

Kennedy with a nice defensive play for the 1st out in the 5th. Struck out Pineda with a 2-2 slider to end the 5th.

Pedroia starts off the 6th with a hard hit past Lacey for a single. Upton hits the grounder I wanted, but it gets past Kennedy for a single. Youkilis flies out to deep right, moving the runner to 3rd. Men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out. Lowell with a hard hit down the 3rd base line for a RBI single. Men still on 1st and 3rd. Roberts hits into a 4-6-3 DP to end the inning!

Markakis with a RBI single to tie it at 1 in the top of the 7th.

I pitch a solid bottom of the 7th, but give up a hit and I'm over 100 pitches for the 3rd straight start. Mike goes to the pen.

We win it in 10 as Whitesell hits a solo homer, 2-1 win.

7 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 19, 2014 -

After the game, Rusty, the team statistician, tells me that I just went over 500 strikeouts for my career (counting minor leagues)!


July 24, 2014 -

Tonight, I get the start against the Royals who are in last place in their division with a 43-57 record. We need to make a strong move now if we are going to have any chance to get into the playoff race. We are 51-49. Time to get my 10th win of the year.

Lacey with a RBI double in the bottom of the 1st. 1-0 lead.

Struck out Tony Pena, Jr with a 2-2 slider for the 2nd out of the 3rd inning.

Whitesell with a 3 run homer in the 5th. 4-0 game.

Murphy tries to dive for a fly ball down the left field line and misses. It turns into a triple for Pena. Lacey tries the hidden ball trick (love this game) but it doesn't quite work. Crisp grounds sharply to Lacey who looks at the runner to keep him at 3rd before throwing it to 1st for the 1st out. A 2-2 fastball is in the dirt and gets passed Saucedo.. he runs back, recovers the ball, and throws it to me, I tag out Pena at the plate!

Adam Jones with a leaping catch at the center field wall to rob a homer to end the 7th inning! Still 4-0.

Back to back doubles for them as German knocks in a run in the 8th. Mike sees that my arm is done and pulls me after that. I'm glad to see Matt Albers come into the game. Come on pen..

Albers gives up the inherited run, but gets out of the inning. Cortez gives up a run in the 9th but gets the save. We win the game 4-3.

I get my 10th win of the year!

7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

July 29, 2014 -

We just swept the Red Sox to get back into 3rd place in the AL East and make a legit move towards a wildcard. Tonight, I pitch in Detroit. They are 2nd in the AL Central. We are now 55-50. They are 56-49 and are 1 game ahead of us in the Wildcard race (Yankees are 5 games ahead of us.)

Markakis and Kennedy with RBI's in the top of the 2nd. 2-0 lead.

Flores with his 2nd error of the game in the 3rd inning. His first one was with 2 outs and I got the next batter to work out of the inning. This one puts Figgins on with the heart of their lineup coming up..

I get Magglio to pop up to me on a first pitch fastball. 1 out. Miguel Cabrera with a fly to deep left that is a ground rule double. Helm with an error as he allows a grounder to go through his legs. That allows 2 runs to score. WTF? My defense is completely letting me down. Saucedo allows a routine strike to bounce off his glove, the runner who was already stealing 2nd gets to 3rd on the play. I strike out Curtis Granderson with a 2-2 outside fastball. That was my 100th K on the year. I get Polanco to fly to 1st to end the inning. 4 errors in just 3 innings.


Struck out Ryan Freel with a 2-2 slider for the 2nd out of the 4th inning.

Markakis with a 2 run homer and Jones with a RBI double in the 5th. We are up 5-2.

Figgins with a leadoff double to start the 5th. He steals 3rd and then Magglio knocks him in with a fly to left.

Curtis Granderson starts the 6th with a triple to left center. Polanco with a single to right to knock in the run. Barrett hits the first pitch to deep right.. Markakis runs back, dives for it, and has it hit off his glove. That double knocks me out of the game.

It's going to take a tremendous effort from Brad Hennessey to preserve my win chance..

Wow. He gets us out of the inning without allowing any more runs to score! Unfortunately, Kameron Micholio gives up a 3 run homer in the 8th. We lose the game 8-5.

5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

August 1, 2014 -

The Orioles end up keeping me and don't make any further trades. We are 7 games out of the Wild Card spot. A strong month has made my stats respectable:

22 GS, 10-5, 3.72 ERA, 13 QS, 1 CG, 1 SO, 140.1 IP, 151 H, 73 R, 58 ER, 12 HR, 26 BB, 101 K, 1.26 WHIP, .231 vs RH, .321 vs LH.

[Eaglesfan27]

August 2, 2014 -

Adam Jones just tore a ligament in his finger. His season might be over. Daniel or David Murphy is going to end up playing center most of the year and neither one is as quick as Jones, so I'm expecting some let down.


Aug 3, 2014 -

Tonight, I get the start in Toronto. We've lost a few and are now 57-53. We desperately need a win tonight.

Lacey and Markakis with RBI's in the top of the 1st. 2-0.

Struck out Rios with a 3-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 1st. Struck out Vernon Wells with a 2-2 fastball to end the inning.

Jacobs with a line drive to left center to start the 2nd. That is a double for him. Rolen pops up to Mathis behind the plate for the 1st out. Nunez grounds to short, Flores looks back the runner, and throws over to 1st. The next batter pops up to me to end the inning.

Struck out Gaby Sanchez with a 2-2 slider to start the 3rd inning. With a runner on 3rd, I strike out Rios with a 2-2 fastball to end the inning.

Murphy with a RBI in the 5th. 3-0 lead.

Nunez with a solo homer off me on the first pitch of the 5th. 3-1.

Struck out Rios to start the 6th. 1-2-3 6th.

Scott Rolen with a solo homer to start the 7th. 3-2. Mike pulls me after that. Hopefully, the pen can hold my lead. They get the job done! We win the game 4-3.

My record rises to 11-5.

6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 9, 2014 -

Tonight, I start at home against Texas. We are 5.5 games out of the Wildcard spot which is currently held by the Yankees. We are 61-54. The Rangers are 49-66.

Struck out Scot Olson with 3 straight fastballs to start the game. Struck out Teagarden with a 3-2 fastball.

Stanley Mudd hits a hanging curve to deep left to start the 2nd inning. 1-0. I bounce back by striking out Arias with a 1-2 inside fastball.

Struck out Jerald Kotchman with a 2-2 inside fastball to start the 3rd. Struck out Teagarden with a 1-2 slider down below the knees. Struck out Chris Davis with a 3-2 fastball to strike out the side.

Struck out Arias with a 2-2 inside fastball to get the 2nd out in the 4th. I now have 7 K's.

Cedeno with a single to start the 5th and then I get absolutely jobbed on 2 balls that leads to a 3-2 count and my fastball is a bit too high. It is driven down the left field line for a double. Men on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs..

Kotchman manages to ground a 0-2 low slider to short and drive in a run. 1 out, man on 2nd. Olson grounds to 1st for the 2nd out. A big scare as Teagarden hits a 2-2 change to deep center, but Murphy catches it at the wall.

Struck out Chris Davis with a low 2-2 fastball to start the 6th. Struck out Mudd with a 2-2 outside fastball. After a great 6th, I'm pulled. I think I was taken out too early, tonight. I could have pitched 1 more solid inning.

We get shut out 4-0 by Francisco Liriano. I drop to 11-6.

6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 14, 2014 -

We are now 65-55 and 4.5 games behind the Yankees for the Wildcard. The Red Sox are 1.5 games ahead of us. The White Sox are 4 games behind us. Tampa Bay leads the division at 73-47, but we have won the last 2 games against them at their park. Tonight, I take the mound to try to complete the sweep of the series.

Matt Joyce, their right fielder, is among the league leaders in batting average with a .327 average. Most of their top 6 hit for average and power.

Our team has scored well in the first 2 games down here and they give me a 2-0 lead before I take the mound thanks to a 2 RBI double by Betemit.

With 1 out and men on 1st and 3rd, Clint Barmes hits it just past Kennedy for a RBI single in the 2nd inning. Jason Bartlett hits into a 4-6-3 DP to end the inning.

Lacey and Markakis with RBI's in the top of the 3rd. 4-1 game.

Pie with a great running catch to prevent a bloop hit in shallow left. That is the 2nd out of the 4th.

Struck out Bartlett with a 2-2 slider in the 5th.

Jason Bay with a 10 pitch at bat, before I finally strike him out with a low inside fastball for the 1st out of the 7th. 4-1 after 7 innings.

Whitesell with a RBI in the 8th to make it 5-1. I'm a bit surprised I'm being left in but don't mind at all.

Struck out Upton with a 3-2 slider for the 2nd out of the 8th inning. Nady and Longoria with 2 out singles and I'm pulled from the game.

The bull pen does the job as Matt Albers pitches the rest of the game. We win it 5-1. I get my 12th win of the year tying a career high!

7.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

[Ironhead]

What do you think the big difference is between last year's subpar season and turning it around this year?

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Ironhead

What do you think the big difference is between last year's subpar season and turning it around this year?

I was overthrowing all of my pitches last year. I fell in love with the radar gun and always trying to get it up to 100 MPH. Now, I'm just throwing it at "normal" strength and I'm getting much better control and movement from my fastball. I'm always mixing pitches better than I have ever done (in part because my slider and changeup are now both well above average pitches.) My curve still need work, but I feel comfortable throwing any of my other 3 pitches in any count and I'm much less predictable.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oh yeah, one other reason for the bad year last year was I was stuck in a "cold streak" the entire second half of the year. I think this game does a great job of modeling when a player gets into a bad mental place from prior bad performances and makes it just a bit harder to hit your spots, make plays, etc.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 19, 2014 -

We are now 68-57 and 2.5 games out of the wild card. The Red Sox lead the Yankees by a half game for the wild card. Tonight, I'm pitcing in Minnesota. They are 60-65. It should be a tough game since they have their ace, Carlos Zambrano starting tonight. The Twins offense is 5th in batting average and 1st in stolen bases. Morneau is 2nd in the league in homers with 38.

Flores with a RBI double in the 1st to make it 1-0.

Struck out Alexi Casilla with a 2-2 fastball for the 2nd out of the 1st. Struck out Morneau looking with a 2-2 fastball just below the letters that just caught the inside corner.

I give up a walk, a stolen base, and then a 2nd walk. I get the next 2 guys to pop up, but Juan Uribe hits a ball into the gap of left center and it is just barely missed. 2 RBI double. Pie would have had it if he was out there. I get Nick Punto to ground out to Kennedy to end the inning. Down 2-1.

Flores with a 2nd RBI to tite it at 2 in the top of the 3rd.

Struck out Wiki Macias with an outside fastball to start the 4th. Struck out Chadwick Lovallo with an inside 1-2 fastball.

Lacey with a 2 run homer in the 5th. 4-2 lead.

Struck out Einar Reyes with an outside fastball to start the 5th inning. Struck out Nick Punto with an outside fastball to end the 5th.

Struck out Carlos Gomez with a 3-2 96 MPH fastball to start the 6th. Struck out Morneau with a high fastball to end the 6th. I've only given up 1 hit through 6.

WTF! Mike Smith pulls me after 6! I only threw 80 pitches and I was pitching a gem. The pen barely holds the lead and we win it 4-3. Cortez gets his 42nd save of the year and I get my 13th win, a new career high. As my agent reminded me, this is my contract year, so it is an especially good time to set some new career highs.

6 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 19, 2014 -

After the game, I meet with Mike to complain about him pulling me early. He tells me, "I stand by my decision, you better just concentrate on your next start."


Aug 24, 2014 -

We've won 4 of our last 5. We are now 72-58. We remain 2.5 games out of the Wild Card behind the Red Sox. We are a half game behind the Yankees.

Tonight, I start at home in the final game of a 4 game series against Cleveland. We've won the last 2 games against them. Jermey Sowers is starting for them. He is 7-3 with a 4.59 ERA. The Indians are 78-51 and lead their division comfortably. Grady Sizemore is their most dangerous hitter, but they have power all through the lineup. Sizemore is hitting .324 with 26 HR's and 96 RBI. I'm glad to see we are starting Pie in left tonight.


Struck out Sizemore looking with a 2-2 backdoor slider on the outside corner to end the 1st.

Whitesell with a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 2nd. 2-0 lead.

Flores with a 2 run homer in the 3rd. That was his 9th of the year. 4-0 lead.

Kennedy with bad range allows 2 singles to right to start the 4th. Sizemore up with 0 outs and men on 1st and 2nd. Sizemore hits it hard, but Markakis catches it at the wall. That moves the runner to 3rd. Donald Davilla grounds it past Kennedy for a RBI single, but Markakis throws out the runner trying to go to 3rd. Scott with a hard line drive down the left field line, not even Pie can get to that. RBI double. Huge strike out of Mark Derosa looking with a 3-2 slider to end the inning. 4-2 game.

Struck out Travis Hafner with a 1-2 slider at the knees to start the 5th inning. Struck out Bill Hall with a 0-2 fastball just outside. Much needed 1-2-3 5th.

Helms with a Grand Slam in the 5th inning!! That was his 10th homer and 36 RBI of the year. 8-2 lead.

Struck out Kelvin Dittfurth with a 2-2 slider to start the 6th. Struck out Donald Davila with a 2-2 inside high fastball to end the 6th.

Luke Scott starts the 7th with a double to left center. Jhonny Peralta hits a 2-1 changeup to deep center for a 2 run homer. That is his 200th in his career. Mike pulls me after that.

We win the game 9-4. I get my 14th win. That ties me with Sabathia for the AL lead in wins!

6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.


Edit: Darn it. For some reason, my PS3 went to the PS3 main menu right after the game, as I exited the end of game screen. I doubt it saved this latest outing..

2nd edit: Ugh. Last save was after my last game. I hope we still win most of the next 5 games.. wow, this time we end up winning every game up to my start. I don't like re-playing games I just played, so I sim my game.

We win it 8-3, although my stat line wasn't as good: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 7 BB (!), 3 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 28, 2014 -

Our team just took 2 of 3 from the Yankees while the Red Sox lost 3 straight. We are in 1st place for the Wild Card by 0.5 games over the Red Sox!

Aug 29, 2014 -

Cha Seung Baek who has pitched well for us all year, has a bad game against the last place Mariners and we lose 6-5 and drop back behind the Red Sox. I'm expected to start tomorrow against the Mariners at our place. They are expected to start Jack Cassel who is 3-14 with a 6.85 ERA!

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 30, 2014 -

A critical start against Seattle at home tonight. They are 53-81 and this should be a very winnable game. We are 76-59. I'm 12th on the season strikeout list with 129. Their most dangerous hitters are Aubrey Huff and Orlando Figueroa.

Struck out Huff with a 1-2 inside fastball for the 2nd out of the 1st.

Struck out Figueroa with a 2-2 slider on the outside corner to begin the 2nd. Struck out Jose Lopez with a 97 MPH fastball to end the 2nd inning.

Struck out Reid Brignac with a 2-2 inside fastball to end the 3rd.

Carl Crawford ends my perfect game with a solo homer in the 4th. He hit a 0-1 fastball to right field and it juset barely got over the wall.

Flores knocks in Lacey in the 4th inning. Tied at 1.

With 1 out, Lacey throws away a routine play. Man on 2nd with Adrian Beltre up at the plate. He hits it down the 3rd base line just past a diving Lacey. RBI double. With 2 outs, Brignac hits a grounder past Lacey for a RBI single. Down 3-1 after 5.

Lacey knocked Markakis in during the 6th inning. Down 3-2 after 6.

Struck out Lopez with a 2-2 inside fastball for the 2nd out of the 7th inning.

We take the lead in the bottom of the 7th on RBI's by Lacey and Flores. Mike decides to pull me for the 8th. Albers pitches a perfect 8th, but Cortez blows the save in the 9th. There goes my 15th win.

We win it in 11 innings, 5-4.

7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 4, 2014 -

Boston sweeps us in a 2 game series. That puts us 3 games behind them for the Wild Card.

Sep 5, 2014 -

WTF is management thinking. They start a kid we just pulled up from AAA against the Yankees in an important game. Not surprisingly, he gets hammered for 7 runs in 4 innings. We lose another important game.

Sep 6, 2014 -

This is a must win game for me tonight against the Yankees in NYC. They are starting Erik Bedard who has had some bad luck. He is 7-6 with a 3.14 ERA. Hopefully, this start goes much better than the last time I got hammered by them.

Reyes starts off the game with a single that drops just in front of Murphy. Adam would have had that. Mark hits a 3-2 slider to left field for a single. Men on 1st and 2nd with A-Rod up and 1 out. Struck him out with a 0-2 outside slider! Vlad grounds out to Kennedy to end the inning.

Struck out Chase Headley with a 0-2 outside fastball to start the 2nd inning. Struck out Melky Cabrera with a 1-2 low changeup to end the inning.

Mark with a leadoff single to left in the 4th. I get A-Rod to pop a 1-2 fastball up weakly to shallow right field for the 1st out. A run-and-hit with Vlad hitting it up the middle moves Mark to 3rd. Chase Headley hits a low 3-2 slider into right field for a RBI double. Cano hits it into right field, the first run scores easily, Markakis throws out Headley at the plate! Struck out Cabrera with a 1-2 outside fastball to end the inning.

Betemit knocks in Flores to score a run in the 6th. Down 2-1.

Markakis dives for a line drive and misses. Mark gets a double to start the 7th. Great recovery by Markakis. A-Rod with a deep fly to right to move him to 3rd. He manages to hit a very low fastball to 2nd that scores the run. 2 outs. 3-1 game. Struck out Cano with a low fastball to end the inning.

Mike goes to the pen for the 7th inning. We lose the game 5-1.

My record drops to 14-7.

6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 11, 2014 -

Things don't look good. After losing 3 of our last 5, we are now 5.5 games behind the Red Sox for the Wild Card. Also, we have the Yankees ahead of us by 3 games. Tonight, I pitch against the very talented Tampa Bay team that is starting their ace, Justin Duchscherer. He is 16-4 with a 2.97 ERA.

Darnell Buscher with a RBI single to right off me in the 2nd inning with 1 out. Now, they have men on 1st and 2nd. Clemente Nieves with a RBI single down the 1st base line. That was his first major league hit. Finally, I get a needed strike out, this time on Doug Mientkiewicz on an outside 2-2 fastball.

Xavier Nady with a RBI single to right with 2 outs in the 3rd. I bounce back by striking out Matt Joyce to end the inning.

Matt Joyce can't quite stop his wrists from breaking the plane on a 0-2 fastball near the dirt for the 3rd out of the 5th. Still down 3-0 after 5.

Mike pulls me after 6 innings. I wish he would have let me go 1 more inning. Not that it ends up mattering as Justin was nasty. We lose the game 5-2.

My record drops to 14-8 and our Wild Card chances continue to dim.

6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.