MLB
Wednesday, September 29
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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking
Joe Blanton (8-6, 4.94 ERA), Philadelphia Phillies
Blanton has done his part by pulling his weight for Philadelphia’s stellar starting rotation. He hasn’t lost a start since July 21 and Philadelphia has won 10 of his last trips to the hill. Blanton threw seven innings of two-run ball against the New York Mets in his last outing striking out six while walking one. He has had some problems with the long ball lately, allowing seven homers over his last five outings.
Justin Verlander (18-8, 3.31 ERA), Detroit Tigers
Verlander has thrown to consecutive complete games and has won four straight outings. He gave up a single unearned run against the Twins the last time he took the ball, giving up four hits while striking out 11. He has 37 strikeouts over his last four and is 5-0 in his last seven starts.
Slumping
Jason Vargas (9-12, 3.91 ERA), Seattle Mariners
Vargas needs a break in a bad, bad way. He was looking good with a 9-5 record midway through August, but the wheels have fallen off since then with the lefty losing seven straight starts heading into Wednesday’s matchup with the Texas Rangers. Vargas has allowed five runs in three of his last four starts including a 4 1/3-inning effort in 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays the last time he took the hill.
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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Arizona at San Francisco (-150, 7.5)
The San Francisco Giants are getting their ducks in a row in case they need to play a tiebreaking game on Monday to get into the playoffs. That means they’ll move Tim Lincecum ahead a day in the rotation so that he’ll face Arizona on Wednesday and then be able to go on full rest if they need him again on Monday.
The Giants have a crucial three-game series against the San Diego Padres after their series against the Diamondbacks. The playoff possibilities are pretty complex, but basically, there are two postseason spots up for grabs with the Giants, Padres and Braves battling it out.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see it go down to the last game, and not just with our club," Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters. "With the others involved, too."
Pick: Giants
Philadelphia at Washington (-120, 9)
Now that the Philadelphia Phillies have clinched a playoff spot, they’ll use the next few days to give some of their regulars a rest. That won’t be the case with Jimmy Rollins though, who’s finally ready to get back in the lineup after missing the last 15 games with a hamstring strain. Rollins was ready to go Monday, but Phillies manager Charlie Manuel thought better of putting him in with wet field conditions.
Manuel told reporters that Rollins will play as much as possible over the next five games to try to get him comfortable before the postseason, but he may not start in the leadoff spot right away. Placido Polanco is suffering from bone spurs in his left elbow and will be a prime candidate for some bench time.
Pick: Phillies
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This Day in Baseball
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On September 29 in Baseball History...
1913 - Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators finished the season with 36 victories after a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia A's.
1914 - The Boston Braves, who were in last place in mid-July, clinch the pennant after a sensational second-half drive.
1915 - The Philadelphia Phillies clinched their first National League pennant, beating the Boston Braves 5-0 behind Grover Alexander's one-hitter.
1920 - Babe Ruth hits his 54th homer in Philadelphia as the Yankees win, 7-2. That is more than any other team except the Phils. He is responsible for 241 of his team's 838 runs, even though he misses twelve games.
1945 - The Cubs clinch the National League flag on Hank Borowy's 4-3 win over Pittsburgh in the first game of a doubleheader.
1953 - A Baltimore syndicate headed by Baltimore Mayor Tom D'Alesandro buys Bill Veeck's interest in the Browns for $2.475 million. The American League approves the shift of the Browns to Baltimore without Bill Veeck.
1954 - Willie Mays made an over-the-shoulder catch of Vic Wertz's long drive to center field, and pinch-hitter Dusty Rhodes homered off Bob Lemon in the 10th inning to lead the New York Giants to a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the World Series.
1957 - With 1895 manager Jack Doyle among the 11,606 looking on, the Giants lose their last game at the Polo Grounds 9-1. Bucs rookie John Powers hits a home run in the top of the ninth, the last homer and RBI at the Polo Grounds. This game is played on the 77th anniversary of the first Polo Grounds baseball game.
1959 - The Dodgers win Game Two of the playoff, 6-5, and take the National League pennant. Los Angeles overcomes a 5-2, ninth-inning deficit to tie the game they win it in the 12th inning when Gil Hodges scores from second on Felix Mantilla's off-balance heave past first base after a difficult chance on Carl Furillo's grounder.
1963 - Playing in his one and ONLY Major League game, Houston Colt 45 outfielder John Paciorek, brother of Jim and Tom, went three for three (all singles), walked twice, had three runs batted in and scored four times.
1963 - Stan Musial ended his career by going 2-for-3 as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2 at Busch Stadium.
1968 - Carl Yastrzemski maintains a .3005 batting average to win his second straight batting crown with the lowest championship average ever. Yaz is the American League's only .300 hitter; Oakland's Danny Cater is second with .290.
1971 - In the sixth inning of the Expos' 6-5 win over the Cubs, Ron Hunt is hit by a Milt Pappas pitch. It is the 50th time Hunt is hit in 1971, setting a Major League record.
1976 - Walter Alston, after 23 years and 2,040 victories with the Dodgers, steps down as manager. Third base coach Tom Lasorda is promoted to the post.
1979 - J.R. Richard of the Astros shuts out the Dodgers 3-0 and fans eleven batters to break his own modern National League record for strikeouts by a right-hander. Richard finishes with 313 K's, ten more than in 1978. One of five Dodgers hits is a single by Manny Mota, his 146th pinch hit, breaking the mark of 145 formerly held by Smoky Burgess.
1986 - Minnesota's Bert Blyleven broke Robin Roberts' 1956 record of 46 home run pitches in a season, when he gave up a two-out, third-inning homer to Cleveland rookie Jay Bell. Despite giving up two more homers, Bert Blyleven was the winner when the Twins rallied in the eighth for a 6-5 victory.
1986 - Chicago Cubs rookie Greg Maddux defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3. The losing pitcher was his brother, Mike, also a rookie. It was the first time brothers faced each other as rookies.
1987 - Don Mattingly Major League record sixth grand slam of the season backed the four-hit pitching of Charlie Hudson to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
1990 - The Reds clinch the National League West title during a rain delay of their 3-1 loss to the Padres when the second-place Dodgers lose 4-3 to San Francisco. The Reds, never out of first place, are the first National League team ever to lead from wire to wire in a 162-game schedule.
1996 - Brady Anderson of the Baltimore Orioles became the 14th player to reach the 50-homer mark in a 4-1 loss at Toronto. Anderson's previous season high was 21.
1996 - Vinny Castilla of the Colorado Rockies hit his 40th homer in a 12-3 victory at San Francisco. He combined with teammates Andres Galarraga (47 homers) and Ellis Burks (40) to form the first 40-homer trio on one team since the 1973 Atlanta Braves: Davey Johnson (43), Darrell Evans (41), Hank Aaron (40).
1998 - Mo Vaughn homered twice and tied a record with seven RBIs as Boston ended a 13-game postseason skid, beating Cleveland 11-3 in their American League divisional playoff series opener.
