Sports World: 04/26/10

Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins Live Streaming

Monday, April 26, 2010

Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins Live | Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins | Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins Streaming | Buffalo vs Boston NHL Live Stream | Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins Live Webcast

7:00 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

Thomas Vanek just has to tell his coach he’s ready and he’ll be back in the Buffalo Sabres lineup. Marc Savard must convince doctors and Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien that he is OK to play. At least Savard knows he’ll have another chance to get back on the ice, even if he misses Monday night’s game. Two of the top offensive players in the best-of-seven series hope to return for Game 6, when Buffalo will face elimination in Boston. The Bruins lead the series 3-2. Savard, the Bruins’ top playmaker, has been out since sustaining a Grade 2 concussion on March 7. Vanek, the Sabres’ leading goal scorer, hasn’t played since injuring his left ankle in the first period of the second game of the series. Vanek’s competitive juices might have brought him back earlier, but the left winger said Sunday his ankle is still sore. That didn’t prevent him from getting in some work on the power play.

Vanek had 28 goals and 25 assists in the regular season and kept going in the playoffs. He scored the first goal in Buffalo’s 2-1 win in the series opener and assisted on the first goal of Boston’s 5-3 win in Game 2, despite playing just 4 minutes, 22 seconds. Savard hasn’t played since absorbing a blindside hit from Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke seven weeks ago. The center skated with his teammates for the first time on Sunday and is scheduled for a neuro-psych test on Monday. One issue for Julien is Savard’s conditioning. Another is that the forwards hasn’t received medical clearance to play. The Sabres are coming off a 4-1 win at home on Friday night. If they make it two in a row, they’ll be back in Buffalo for the deciding game of the series on Wednesday night. Lose and the season is over. Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, who has had a solid series, said his approach doesn’t change.

Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Live Streaming

Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Live | Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens | Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Streaming | Washington vs Montreal NHL Live Stream | Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Live Webcast

7:00 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

The Montreal Canadiens might face more pressure at home with their season on the line than they did in staving off elimination in Washington. With two days off before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round series on Monday night, the high expectations of Canadiens’ fans were felt in the team’s dressing room. The Canadiens have already lost twice at home to the Capitals in this series, but they stayed alive with a road win in Game 5. Montreal will need to knock off the Presidents’ Trophy winners at the Bell Centre to force a deciding Game 7 back in Washington. The Capitals lead the series 3-2. Montreal is 6-13 at home in the playoffs since its current streak of sellouts began in 2003. Happiness in hockey-mad Montreal has been in short supply since the Canadiens’ last Stanley Cup parade was held in 1993. Though everyone wearing the home team’s red, white and blue was quite pleased midway through the first period of Game 3.

The Canadiens’ fans were flying high again when their team took a 2-1 lead in the second period of Game 4. Washington short-circuited the energy in the building with a short-handed goal for the second game in a row in the final seconds of the middle period. Alex Ovechkin scored the go-ahead goal in the third, sending the Capitals to a 6-3 win. Montreal’s home playoff losing streak stands at six. The Capitals practiced in Arlington, Va. for the second day in a row Sunday before they flew to Montreal. Washington is seeking a quick start that could take the revved-up fans out of the game. Capitals defenseman Tom Poti believes a strong start Monday would be a great sign.

Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators Live Streaming

Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators Live | Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators | Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators Streaming | Chicago vs Nashville NHL Live Stream | Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators Live Webcast

9:00 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

The Nashville Predators are being optimistic, just as they have all season in their improbable run to the playoffs. Yes, they blew the chance to go up 3-2 in their opening-round series with the Chicago Blackhawks along with the opportunity to return home to clinch a trip to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time in the franchise’s history. Worse, it all happened with 13.6 seconds left. Nashville blew a 4-3 lead while on the power play in the final seconds of regulation, then lost 5-4 in overtime Saturday. The Predators really have been close to this position a few times already this season. The closest to this gut-wrenching loss came March 11 in San Jose. There they blew a 4-2 lead and lost 8-5 after giving up six goals in the third period. Nashville rebounded with a 1-0 win at Anaheim the next night.Goaltender Pekka Rinne said this latest loss was almost devastating. Coaches held a quick meeting at the airport after returning to town trying to help the Predators make a clean break with that loss and start gearing up for Game 6 on Monday night.

Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa avoided a suspension from the NHL for his hit on Hamhuis and will be in the lineup for Game 6. NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell conducted a hearing with Hossa on Sunday and decided that no further penalty would be assessed. Hossa was spared, in part, because he is not a repeat offender. Hossa shoved Hamhuis from behind into the boards Saturday and drew a major penalty late in regulation that carried into overtime. Hossa returned to the ice and scored the winning goal on his first shift back, giving Chicago a 5-4 victory and a 3-2 series lead. Hamhuis said Sunday that he is sore from the hit, but expects to play in Game 6 at Nashville on Monday night. Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said earlier on Sunday that he was hopeful that the five-minute major was severe enough.

Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats Live Streaming

Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats Live | Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats | Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats Streaming | Orlando vs Charlotte NBA Live Stream | Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats Live Webcast

8:00 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

Dwight Howard was the last player off the practice court Sunday, then went straight to the locker room for a personalized film session. The featured attraction for the Orlando center: A collage of his elbows and shoves that have put him in permanent foul trouble in the Magic’s first-round playoff series against Charlotte. The good news for the four-time All-Star is the Magic have been able to overcome his long stretches strapped to the bench, and Vince Carter’s shooting slump, to be on the verge of a sweep of the Bobcats ahead of Game 4 on Monday night. No NBA team has blown a 3-0 series lead, and the Magic are a win away from the second round despite Howard playing just 82 of 144 minutes and Carter going 0 of 12 from 3-point range. Raymond Felton and the Bobcats know about that. Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson has taken over the scoring load, dominating Felton in what’s been the series’ biggest mismatch.

Nelson is averaging 25.7 points and has just three turnovers in nearly 109 minutes. He had 32 points and no turnovers on Saturday, when Orlando closed on an 11-6 run after Howard fouled out in a 90-86 victory. The finish on Saturday in the 6-year-old Bobcats’ first home playoff game had coach Larry Brown still steaming a day later. After the NBA’s premier shot blocker fouled out, four of Charlotte’s final six shots were 3-point attempts, including Stephen Jackson’s miss with Charlotte trailing 85-84 with under 30 seconds left. All-Star Gerald Wallace, the teams’ best at driving to the basket, didn’t take a shot in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks Live Streaming

Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks Live | Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks | Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks Streaming | Atlanta vs Milwaukee NBA Live Stream | Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks Live Webcast

8:30 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings doesn’t exactly lack self-confidence, so he knows cockiness when he sees it. And the rookie guard thinks the Atlanta Hawks came into Game 3 in Milwaukee expecting to blow out the Bucks. Instead, Milwaukee gave its heavily favored first-round playoff rivals something to think about: a 107-89 drubbing Saturday that cut Atlanta’s series lead to 2-1. The Bucks now have a chance to even the series at home in Monday’s Game 4 before heading back to Atlanta. Fueled by a raucous home crowd, the Bucks used hot shooting and good defense to take a commanding 36-19 lead in the first quarter. The Hawks never really recovered. Hawks players expected the Bucks to come out with extra energy at home, but only to a point.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson said his team needs to learn how to deal with adversity, especially on the road. It was a continuation of recent road woes for the Hawks, who were 19-22 on the road in the regular season and have only one road win in the playoffs going back to the 2007-08 season. From a defensive perspective, Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles said he didn’t really recognize the team that was beaten thoroughly in the first two games of the series. He saw something more familiar from his players in Game 3. The Bucks probably can’t be expected to play defense as consistently as they did in the regular season. Not with their last line of defense, center Andrew Bogut, sidelined for the rest of the season because of injuries. But after allowing the Hawks to shoot 50.6 percent from the floor through the first two games, Milwaukee held the Hawks to 39.1 percent shooting Saturday.

Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns Live Streaming

Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns Live | Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns | Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns Streaming | Portland vs Phoenix NBA Live Stream | Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns Live Webcast

10:30 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

Maybe it was all the emotion pumped into the Portland Trail Blazers by the surprise return of Brandon Roy. Perhaps it was the inexplicable failure of the Suns to stick with their highly successful aggressive style. Regardless, the Suns face a pressure-packed Game 5 at home Monday night with their best-of-seven, first-round playoff series knotted at two games apiece after the Blazers’ 96-87 victory in Portland on Saturday. Phoenix had taken a 2-1 lead with a pair of blowout, high-scoring victories. But Roy came back a week after arthroscopic knee surgery and Portland played at its preferred pace, just as it had in winning Game 1 in Phoenix.Roy wants his team to realize that the next game is just as important, perhaps even more, as the last one.

Roy said Sunday he felt no swelling or pain in the knee, but probably would come off the bench again on Monday, with Jerryd Bayless getting the start. A solemn Amare Stoudemire said after practice in Phoenix he’s been in enough playoff games to know how precarious the Suns’ position is. A Phoenix loss would give the Blazers a chance to wrap up the series at home in Game 6. With due respect to Roy, who did make a huge 3-pointer late in the game, the Suns were pointing elsewhere for reasons they lost Game 4: a slow pace, missed open shots, and Portland’s offensive rebounds. The Suns’ failure to push the tempo left coach Alvin Gentry shaking his head. The coach wouldn’t single out point guard Steve Nash to blame for the tempo breakdown.

San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins Live Streaming

San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins Live | San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins | San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins Streaming | San Diego vs Florida MLB Live Stream | San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins Live Webcast

7:10 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

The San Diego Padres’ bid to keep the longest winning streak in the majors intact came up short in their final at-bat. They’ll try to get a new streak started Monday night when they open a three-game series at the Florida Marlins. San Diego had won eight in a row before Jerry Hairston Jr. flied out to center with a runner on third, recording the final out of a 5-4 loss at Cincinnati on Sunday. The Padres remain the unlikely leaders in the NL West, holding a one-game advantage on San Francisco. Adrian Gonzalez is providing a power surge for San Diego, hitting a home run in each of the last four games to move one shy of his career-high five-game homer streak, set last May 10-15. The All-Star first baseman has six total hits and eight RBIs in his last four games. He’s been outstanding on the road, where he’s hit five of his team-high six homers while posting a .333 average. That could continue at Florida, where Gonzalez is 7 for 17 with two solo homers in his last five games.

For the series opener, San Diego will give the ball to Matt Latos, who’s coming off his first win in eight months. The 22-year-old right-hander was superb Tuesday, yielding four hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win over San Francisco. The victory ended Latos’ losing streak at five decisions over seven starts since Aug. 8.That stretch included a 6-4 loss at Florida on Aug. 30, when Latos surrendered five runs in 3 1-3 innings. The Padres won just two of six against the Marlins last season, but both victories came at Sun Life Stadium. Florida is looking to avoid a season-high three-game slide after falling 8-4 at Colorado on Sunday, and an improved performance from Josh Johnson could be just what the team needs.The right-hander is trying to recapture his success from last year when he emerged as the Marlins’ ace, posting career highs in wins, strikeouts and innings.

Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Streaming

Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Live | Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays | Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Streaming | Boston vs Toronto MLB Live Stream | Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Webcast

7:10 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

After a forgettable homestand put them in an early hole in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox may be happy to head back on the road. They’ll have Josh Beckett on the mound to begin a six-game trip Monday night with the first of three in Toronto, where Boston’s Marco Scutaro will face his former Blue Jays teammates for the first time since signing with the Red Sox in December. Boston began a string of 10 games at Fenway Park with four straight losses to Tampa Bay and finished the 4-6 homestand on a sour note with Sunday’s 7-6, 10-inning loss to lowly Baltimore.Scutaro made the final out and finished 0 for 5. The shortstop, who spent the last two seasons with the Blue Jays and had a career year in 2009, is off to a mediocre start with his new club, batting .254.

Some late heroics were the only reason Boston’s homestand wasn’t even worse. All four of the team’s wins came by one run; the Red Sox beat Texas twice in their last at-bat, then stranded the potential tying run in scoring position in the ninth inning of two wins over the Orioles. The Red Sox’s sluggish start, marked by problems at the plate and in the field, already has them six games behind the division-leading Rays and 4 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees. Their bullpen, which gave up 11 runs in 8 2-3 innings against Baltimore, cost them Sunday’s game. Boston blew a late lead and allowed three runs in the top of the 10th before a final rally fell short. Beckett hopes he can bounce back from a poor outing and give the Red Sox’s relievers a rest. The right-hander allowed seven runs and walked five in seven innings of Boston’s 8-7, 12-inning win over Texas on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets Live Streaming

Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets Live | Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets | Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets Streaming | LA Dodgers vs NY Mets MLB Live Stream | Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets Live Webcast

7:10 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

The New York Mets got a little help from the weather in order to complete their first sweep of 2010. They might need a better offensive showing if they’re going to help Oliver Perez get his first victory of the season. The Mets look to extend their season-high winning streak to five games Monday night when they open a three-game set against the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers. New York is above .500 for the first time since opening day after beating Atlanta 1-0 on Sunday as heavy rain halted the contest in the sixth inning and secured its first series sweep. The Mets are now searching for a fifth consecutive victory for the first time since July 25-30. Outstanding pitching has been key over the last four games, as the staff owns a 1.41 ERA during the stretch to compensate for an offense hitting .239 with one homer.

Perez is hoping the Mets break out offensively after providing him with five total runs of support in losing all three of his starts. The left-hander fell victim to the struggling offense again in Wednesday’s 9-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He labored through 97 pitches in five innings while allowing three runs while the bats produced one run of help. Perez is 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA in four starts against the Dodgers. He engineered the Mets’ only win in six meetings against them last year, allowing two runs and four hits with seven walks in five innings of a 5-4 victory on July 8 at Citi Field. The Mets are winning despite a slumping David Wright. They’ve won six of eight while the All-Star third baseman has hit .154 with four RBIs. A series with Los Angeles could spur Wright. He has a .425 average with four homers and 35 RBIs in 39 meetings.

Detroit Tigers vs Texas Rangers Live Streaming

Detroit Tigers vs Texas Rangers Live | Detroit Tigers vs Texas Rangers | Detroit Tigers vs Texas Rangers Streaming | Detroit vs Texas MLB Live Stream | Detroit Tigers vs Texas Rangers Live Webcast

8:05 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

Thoracic outlet syndrome shortened the 2009 season for both Detroit’s Jeremy Bonderman and Texas’ Matt Harrison, but each pitcher has been promising at times this month. The two recovering starters will square off Monday night as the Tigers try to finish their 11-game road trip by salvaging a split of a four-game set with the Rangers. Complications from thoracic outlet surgery limited Bonderman to a combined 13 starts in 2008 and 2009, while Harrison had an operation to correct a similar shoulder problem after 11 outings last year. Both were ready in time for the start of this season, and Bonderman has been solid in two of his three starts despite his poor overall ERA.

The right-hander allowed one hit and one run in five innings of a 4-2 win over Cleveland on April 10, then rebounded from an ugly outing against Seattle with six strong innings during Detroit’s 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
The Tigers could certainly use another good start after their bullpen was forced to work 10 innings in the last two games. Right-hander Rick Porcello struggled in Sunday’s 8-4 loss as Detroit’s AL-worst starting rotation ERA grew to 5.83. Detroit, which is 4-6 on its longest road trip of the season, won 8-4 on Saturday after opening the series with a 5-4 defeat Friday night. Texas third baseman Michael Young posed the biggest problem for the Tigers on Sunday, going 3 for 4 with five RBIs. The veteran could be in store for another strong game Monday, considering he is 7 for 18 with two homers against Bonderman.

Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Live Streaming

Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Live | Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs | Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Streaming | Washington vs Chi Cubs MLB Live Stream | Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Live Webcast

8:05 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

With their performances over the last five games, the Chicago Cubs have appeared to put their struggles at the plate behind them. However, a lot of teams are having trouble scoring against the Washington Nationals. The Cubs will try to keep their offense going Monday night against the surprising Nationals as the teams begin a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Chicago batted an major league-worst .197 in its first six games, then totaled six runs during four consecutive losses April 17-20. The Cubs have come on since that slide, winning four of five while outscoring opponents 36-12 and batting .340 with seven home runs. Four of those homers came in Sunday’s 12-2 rout of Milwaukee to complete a three-game road sweep. Kosuke Fukudome and Tyler Colvin both finished a triple shy of the cycle, and Ryan Theriot matched a career high with five hits.

Scoring may be easier said than done against a Nationals team that has a 2.02 ERA in its last five games and completed a 6-4 homestand with Sunday’s 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Scott Olsen earned the win, while Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps shut the Dodgers down over the final two innings. Closer Capps and setup man Clippard each have an ERA under one, heading a bullpen that’s allowed one run and eight hits over its last 15 innings. The Nationals had an NL-worst 5.00 ERA in 2009, and a 6.29 ERA through the first 14 games this season.

Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals Live Streaming

Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals Live | Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals | Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals Streaming | Seattle vs Kansas City MLB Live Stream | Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals Live Webcast

8:10 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

In need of a stopper, the Seattle Mariners are sending Felix Hernandez to the mound at an ideal time. Following a disappointing series, the Mariners hope their ace can give them yet another strong effort as they open a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. Seattle was swept for the first time this season, losing three games to Chicago over the weekend. The Mariners ran into a hot pitcher in John Danks on Sunday, falling 3-2. Seattle had won seven of eight entering that series. Hernandez was the starter in the last game the Mariners won, and it was his best performance of the season. He pitched a complete game, striking out six in a 4-1 win over Baltimore on Wednesday night. The only run he allowed was unearned.

Hernandez has won nine straight decisions and posted a franchise-record 17 straight quality starts. In 29 1-3 innings this season, he has allowed one home run while striking out 24. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five starts versus the Royals. Seattle’s lineup needs a bounce-back game as it tries to give Hernandez some support. Wakamatsu hopes to have left fielder Milton Bradley and shortstop Jack Wilson back to help. Bradley has missed four straight games with a strained calf, and Wilson has sat out the last two due to a thumb injury. One of the few bright spots at the plate for the Mariners was Franklin Gutierrez, who has homered in two straight games. The center fielder has 12 RBIs after setting a career high with 70 last season, his first with Seattle. Gutierrez is 8 for 13 against Kyle Davies, who will open this series for Kansas City. Davies is coming off the worst of his three starts this season, giving up four runs in six innings of a 4-3 loss to Toronto on Tuesday night.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers Live Streaming

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers Live | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers Streaming | Pittsburgh vs Milwaukee MLB Live Stream | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers Live Webcast

8:10 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

A poor weekend performance proved the Milwaukee Brewers can sometimes be vulnerable at the plate. The Pittsburgh Pirates, though, might not be entirely convinced. With their lineup suddenly struggling, the Brewers host the Pirates on Monday night in the teams’ first matchup since playing one of the most lopsided contests in major league history.Milwaukee opened a six-game homestand with a lackluster series against Chicago, scoring four runs while getting swept in a three-game series. In the finale Sunday, the Brewers went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position in a 12-2 defeat. The Cubs had the type of production at the plate that the Brewers were becoming accustomed to. In its previous series, Milwaukee outscored Pittsburgh 36-1, and the 35-run difference tied for the third largest in modern major league history in a three-game series.

The finale was particularly embarrassing for the Pirates. Milwaukee had 25 hits and beat Pittsburgh 20-0, dealing the Pirates the most-lopsided defeat in their 124-year history. It was the fifth-highest margin of defeat in a shutout in league history. The Brewers tied the club mark for largest victory and set a record for their biggest shutout win. Brewers slugger Ryan Braun homered, doubled, singled and drove in five runs. The two-time All-Star, though, went 1 for 11 versus the Cubs. Braun has two homers and eight RBIs in his last three games against the Pirates. He’s 5 for 12 with two homers against Zach Duke, who is opening this series for Pittsburgh. Duke struggled against the Brewers on Wednesday night, surrendering seven runs and walking four in five innings of an 8-0 loss.

Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Streaming

Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals Live | Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals | Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals Streaming | Atlanta vs St. Louis MLB Live Stream | Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Webcast

8:15 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

The St. Louis Cardinals’ starting pitching has been outstanding this season. Kyle Lohse has been the exception. With the struggling Atlanta Braves in town for four games beginning Monday, Lohse could have a good chance of earning his first victory of the season. Brad Penny’s 7 2-3 innings of eight-hit ball in Sunday’s 2-0 victory at San Francisco dropped the ERA for the Cardinals’ starters to major league-best 2.61. While Penny, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia all have ERA’s of 3.60 or lower for NL Central-leading St. Louis, Lohse is 0-1 with a 7.31 ERA. The right-hander will try to bounce back from his worst start of the season, Tuesday’s 9-7 loss at Arizona. Lohse did not receive a decision, but surrendered season highs of seven runs, eight hits and four walks while throwing 77 pitches in three-plus innings.

Lohse might not even need to make top quality pitches Monday, given the way Atlanta is struggling at the plate. The Braves are batting .218 and averaging 1.2 runs during a five-game losing streak. They have no home runs and have struck out 37 times during the skid. After hitting .298 with four homers and 16 RBIs in the first 13 games, highly-touted rookie Jason Heyward is 1 for 14 with no RBIs and six strikeouts during the slide, dropping his average to .246. Hitting hasn’t been the only problem for the Braves, who have committed eight errors in their last four games. Chipper Jones’ throwing error - his third of the weekend - led to the only run in Sunday’s 1-0, rain-shortened loss at the New York Mets.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies Live Streaming

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies Live | Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies | Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies Streaming | Arizona vs Colorado MLB Live Stream | Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies Live Webcast

8:40 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

In their first series at home following the death of Keli McGregor, the Colorado Rockies paid tribute to their late team president with a pair of wins. Still with heavy hearts following Sunday’s Coors Field memorial service for McGregor, the Rockies will try to match a season-high three-game winning streak Monday when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks. McGregor, who joined the Rockies in 1993 and was named team president in 2001, was found unconscious in a Salt Lake City hotel room Tuesday morning and later pronounced dead. Sunday’s series finale against Florida was pushed back two hours for a ceremony honoring McGregor’s life. Winning would be one way to honor the former Colorado State tight end, whose No. 88 jersey will likely remain a fixture in the Rockies’ dugout.

Led by Seth Smith’s two homers, Colorado won 8-4 on Sunday and took two of three from the Marlins. The Rockies have opened the season with three straight series wins at Coors Field for the first time since 2003, when they won their first four. Colorado, which has won four in a row at home against Arizona, gives the ball to Jason Hammel, who is off to a rough start after winning a career-high 10 games in 2009. After getting tagged for eight runs in 1 2/3 innings of a 9-5 loss at Atlanta on April 16, the right-hander did not receive a decision in Wednesday’s 6-4 loss to Washington. He went seven innings, surrendering four runs and eight hits, and opponents are batting .355 against him. The Diamondbacks counter with Dan Haren, who was more effective hitting than pitching in his last start.

Cleveland Indians vs Los Angeles Angels Live Streaming

Cleveland Indians vs Los Angeles Angels Live | Cleveland Indians vs Los Angeles Angels | Cleveland Indians vs Los Angeles Angels Streaming | Cleveland vs LA Angels MLB Live Stream | Cleveland Indians vs Los Angeles Angels Live Webcast

10:05 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

After a pair of comeback victories over the weekend, the Los Angeles Angels appear headed in the right direction. To keep that momentum going, they’ll try to take advantage of a team that’s going the wrong way. The Angels conclude their 10-game homestand with a three-game series beginning Monday night against the struggling Cleveland Indians. Los Angeles won a season-high five straight earlier this month, including the first two of this homestand. After two straight losses to Detroit, the Angels took two of three over the weekend to hand the reigning World Series champion Yankees their first series loss of 2010. The Angels trailed by two runs or more in both victories. They spotted the Yankees a 3-0 lead in the second inning Sunday, but scored five times in the next two frames and went ahead on No. 9 hitter Brandon Wood’s two-run double in the fourth.

Cleveland isn’t hitting much at all. The Indians have been shut out three times in five games, including an 11-0 loss Sunday in Oakland. Hitting a major league-worst .223 overall, Cleveland has been outscored 34-15 while losing four of six. The prospects for an offensive revival don’t seem strong Monday against Angels starter Jered Weaver, who has given up three runs or fewer in all four of his starts. The right-hander was in line for a victory Wednesday after allowing two runs over seven innings against Detroit, but the Angels’ bullpen failed to hold a one-run lead en route to a 4-3 defeat. Weaver is 2-1 with a 4.17 ERA in eight career starts against the Indians, with the most recent the most impressive. He notched his second career shutout Aug. 19 at Cleveland, scattering seven hits and one walk while striking out three.

Philadelphia Phillies vs San Francisco Giants Live Streaming

Philadelphia Phillies vs San Francisco Giants Live | Philadelphia Phillies vs San Francisco Giants | Philadelphia Phillies vs San Francisco Giants Streaming | Philadelphia vs San Francisco MLB Live Stream | Philadelphia Phillies vs San Francisco Giants Live Webcast

10:15 pm EDT Mon Apr 26, 2010

The Philadelphia Phillies knew Roy Halladay was good when they traded for him in the offseason. The former Cy Young Award winner is just proving them right. Coming off his first career NL shutout, Halladay takes the mound Monday in San Francisco, where the Phillies open a three-game set against a Giants team looking to give more support to left-hander Jonathan Sanchez. Acquired from Toronto in December in a three-team deal that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle, Halladay has been nothing short of spectacular in four starts as a Phillie, going 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA. The 32-year-old right-hander has two complete games and struck out 28 while walking just three in 33 innings. Halladay has won his first four starts for the first time in his 13-year career.

The NL East-leading Phillies could use another solid start from the six-time All-Star after dropping two of three to Arizona over the weekend. Philadelphia’s starters went 0-1 with a 7.31 ERA in the series, and the team allowed a season-high 15 hits in Sunday’s 8-6 loss. Ryan Howard posted his first two hits of the series Sunday, but the former MVP is batting .214 with no homers in the last 13 games. Howard, who had two hits in 15 at-bats as the Phillies lost three of four in San Francisco last season, is 3 for 12 with six strikeouts lifetime against Sanchez. The Giants 27-year-old left-hander has allowed just one run while striking out 21 in his last two outings combined. Opponents are batting .167 against him. Sanchez, though, is among the lowest in the NL in run support average at 2.79. Despite allowing one run and one hit over seven innings in his last outing, Sanchez suffered the loss Tuesday as the Giants fell 1-0 at San Diego. Sergio Romo pitched one inning of hitless relief for San Francisco, which lost for the first time since moving to the Bay Area in 1958 when one-hitting an opponent.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Back to TOP