Sports World: 05/19/10

Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers Live Streaming

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers Live | Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers | Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers Streaming | Phoenix vs LA Lakers NBA Live Stream | Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers Live Webcast

9:00 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Channing Frye is just grateful an NBA playoff series doesn’t follow the Tour de France’s rules. After enduring their largest blowout loss in four months in the Western Conference finals opener, the Phoenix Suns don’t have to begin Game 2 way behind the guys in the yellow jerseys. The Suns seemed cautiously upbeat Tuesday at their Staples Center workout following Los Angeles’ 128-107 victory in the opener. Coach Alvin Gentry held court with team personnel at the scorers’ table, while Steve Nash calmly sipped a cup of tea across the way. And Amare Stoudemire was still talking tough before Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Suns forward, who promised physical play against the Lakers’ bulky frontcourt before the series, was unimpressed by Lamar Odom, who had 19 points and 19 rebounds off the Lakers’ bench in the opener.

Odom and his teammates could only chuckle at Stoudemire’s bravado after another workout at their El Segundo training complex. Odom’s versatile, aggressive effort helped Los Angeles hold off the Suns in the first half until Kobe Bryant scorched them for 21 points in the third quarter. With a little luck, the Lakers could be on a roll to their third straight NBA finals after a commanding performance in their seventh straight playoff win. Stoudemire’s teammates aren’t counting on good fortune to help them recover from their one-sided loss. They remain confident their pick-and-roll offense will create easier baskets later in the series, and they also hope to stop the Lakers from hitting 58 percent of their shots, as Bryant and Co. did in their highest-scoring playoff game in more than two years. The Suns hadn’t lost since April 24, but their playoff streak skidded to a halt in their most one-sided loss since Jan. 16, featuring the most points they’ve allowed since March 26. Phoenix hasn’t lost back-to-back games since Jan. 25-26, when the Suns began their 28-7 finish to the regular season, pushing them into third place in the conference standings.

Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Live | Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies | Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Streaming | Chi Cubs vs Philadelphia MLB Live Stream | Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Webcast

7:05 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Chase Utley’s absence certainly seems more glaring now than it did following the first game he missed this season. Utley, hampered by flu-like symptoms, may miss a third straight game as the Philadelphia Phillies host the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Philadelphia opens this two-game set after splitting a pair of games with Pittsburgh. Though Utley missed his first game of the year, the Phillies beat the Pirates 12-2 on Monday night. The following evening, though, Philadelphia appeared to miss the four-time All-Star as it lost 2-1. It was the first defeat in five games for the Phillies, who have been replacing Utley by moving Placido Polanco from third base to second and putting Jimmy Rollins in the No. 3 spot in lineup. Rollins went 0 for 4 on Tuesday after collecting two hits the previous day, his first game after missing 29 due to a right calf strain. Rollins is hitting .198 in 24 home games against Chicago. Phillies starter Jamie Moyer, who began his career with the Cubs, is 3-1 with a 4.58 ERA in seven starts against them. Moyer, set to start Wednesday, has won three straight outings, though he wasn’t sharp in his last game.

The 47-year-old left-hander surrendered five runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 9-5 victory over Milwaukee. He gave up three home runs, increasing his career total to 501. Only Hall of Famer Robin Roberts has given up more. Three Hall of Famers follow Moyer on that list: Fergie Jenkins, Phil Niekro and Don Sutton. Moyer’s .571 winning percentage is better than all of them. Chicago will counter with Tom Gorzelanny, who is 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA in his last two outings. The left-hander gave up a season-high five runs and nine hits in five innings of a 10-6 loss to Pittsburgh on Friday. In his only start against the Phillies, Gorzelanny yielded five runs and nine hits in five innings for Pittsburgh in an 11-8 loss Aug. 17, 2007. The Cubs got a strong start from Carlos Silva in a 6-2 win over Colorado on Tuesday night. It was Chicago’s third straight win, and its two-game sweep of the Rockies was its fourth series victory.

Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Indians Live Streaming

Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Indians Live | Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Indians | Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Indians Streaming | Kansas City vs Cleveland MLB Live Stream | Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Indians Live Webcast

7:05 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Returning home to face Kansas City might be what the injury-plagued Cleveland Indians need to get back on track. The Indians look to avoid a third straight loss when they open a two-game set against the Royals on Wednesday night. Cleveland concluded a 4-4 road trip with a 6-2 loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. That trip started with the Indians taking two of three from Kansas City last week. The Indians, however, had both shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and center fielder Grady Sizemore in that series against the Royals. They might not have either near the top of their order Wednesday. Cabrera will undergo surgery after suffering a broken forearm Monday. Jason Donald went 2 for 3 in his major league debut in place of Cabrera on Tuesday. Sizemore could miss a third straight game because of a bruised left knee.

The Indians could rely on Russell Branyan, who’s 1 for 15 in his last five games after going 5 for 9 with three homers against the Royals last week. Branyan, who opened the season on the disabled with a herniated disc, is 2 or 3 with a double against Kansas City’s scheduled starter Gil Meche.Meche is 0-5 with a 7.58 ERA in nine starts since beating the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 18. However, the right-hander is coming off one of his better outings after allowing one run in six innings of a 6-1 win over the White Sox on Friday. Meche is 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA in 22 starts against Cleveland, which counters with Justin Masterson. The right-hander, who’s 0-10 with a 5.38 ERA in 14 starts since beating the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 20, allowed six runs and five walks in 5 1-3 innings of an 8-1 loss at Baltimore on Friday.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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

7:05 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

A chance to face the Pittsburgh Pirates is generally an opportunity the Milwaukee Brewers relish. The last time these teams met, though, the Pirates snapped a few embarrassing streaks. Right now, the Brewers are entrenched in a humiliating streak of their own. Milwaukee tries to avoid a ninth consecutive loss Wednesday night in the opener of a two-game set at PNC Park, where it outscored the Pirates 36-1 to sweep a three-game series last month. The Brewers came into Tuesday’s game at Cincinnati having lost seven straight - their longest skid since dropping 10 in a row Aug. 25-Sept. 3, 2006 - but looked well on their way to ending the slump with a two-run, ninth-inning lead. Then, Trevor Hoffman’s nightmarish season continued. The all-time saves leader blew his fifth opportunity, failing to retire any of the five hitters he faced as the Brewers lost 5-4.

Milwaukee has been outscored 62-27 during its slide, a far cry from the dominance it displayed during its last trip to Pittsburgh. After taking the first two games by a 16-1 margin, the Brewers won 20-0 on April 22, handing the Pirates the worst loss in their history. Pittsburgh’s overall losing streak in the series reached seven four days later at Miller Park - its 22nd consecutive loss in Milwaukee - but it finally bounced back. Hoffman blew back-to-back save opportunities, with Ryan Doumit taking him deep in each game, as the Pirates left with two wins. Pittsburgh heads home with some momentum after going 3-2 on the road, its first winning trip away from PNC Park since August 2007. The victory that ended that lengthy drought was particularly impressive. Garrett Jones had three hits and Doumit two as the Pirates beat Roy Halladay and Philadelphia 2-1 on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Live | Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees | Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Streaming | Tampa Bay vs NY Yankees MLB Live Stream | Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Live Webcast

7:05 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

There’s little doubt that the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees have established themselves as the top teams in the AL East, the division New York reclaimed last year after the Rays won it in 2008. They also may be the two best clubs in baseball. Tampa Bay can bolster its early lead on the Yankees and extend its latest winning streak to five on Wednesday night, but to do so the Rays will need to end a string of six straight losses in the Bronx. New York has begun defense of its World Series title in strong fashion only to be overshadowed by the Rays, who are the only team in the majors with a better record. Tampa Bay dropped two of three to the Yankees at home from April 9-11, but manager Joe Maddon’s team - already with a three-game lead - has a chance to make a statement in New York before beginning interleague play.

Brilliant pitching has been the foundation of the majors’ best start since Boston was 28-11 in 2002. David Price and four relievers held Cleveland to six hits in a 6-2 win Tuesday, lowering Tampa Bay’s team ERA to 2.69 - the best in the AL. Wade Davis has played a role, although the rookie will be trying to avoid a third straight loss. He has held Oakland and Seattle to three runs each in his last two starts, but has gotten minimal run support in that stretch. Davis has yet to pitch at Yankee Stadium, but New York has already beaten him twice in St. Petersburg, with Davis posting a 5.73 ERA in the two outings. The Rays, however, have had major problems figuring out the Yankees’ scheduled starter. A.J. Burnett has won four straight starts against Tampa Bay and is 6-0 with a 1.76 ERA in his last seven. He held the Rays to two runs in seven innings of a 7-3 win April 11. Burnett did not factor in the decision Friday night against Minnesota, although he worked 6 2-3 innings and allowed three runs - two earned - in an 8-4 win.

New York Mets vs Washington Nationals Live Streaming

New York Mets vs Washington Nationals Live | New York Mets vs Washington Nationals | New York Mets vs Washington Nationals Streaming | NY Mets vs Washington MLB Live Stream | New York Mets vs Washington Nationals Live Webcast

7:05 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Though Livan Hernandez hasn’t needed much run support, even he wasn’t able to avoid becoming a casualty of the Washington Nationals’ recent struggles at the plate. Adam Dunn’s absence certainly isn’t helping. Losers of five straight, the Nationals hope to have Dunn back to help their faltering lineup as they send Hernandez to the mound in the opener a two-game series with the New York Mets on Wednesday night. Washington is coming off a nine-game road trip that began with two wins in three games against New York but ended with its longest skid of the season. The Nationals have scored 10 runs during their losing streak, falling 3-2 to St. Louis on Tuesday night, and have been without Dunn the past two games due to flulike symptoms. Dunn is batting .252 with a team-high nine homers and 19 RBIs. Prior to its rut, Washington had its best performance at the plate this season in beating Colorado 14-6 on Thursday night. In the Nationals’ next game, Hernandez was outdueled by Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez in a 6-2 loss in the opener of a day-night doubleheader Saturday.

Hernandez, who surrendered three runs in six innings, will pitch on three days’ rest because that doubleheader forced Washington to alter its rotation. Hernandez has gotten three runs or fewer to work with in each of his last five outings, but he’s still managed to earn two wins. The veteran right-hander, who made 23 starts for the Mets last year, is 12-13 with a 4.43 ERA in 33 starts against them. Hernandez is facing a Mets lineup that is having its own problems. New York has been held to three runs or fewer in four of its last six games. The Mets lost 3-2 on Tuesday night when Atlanta scored the winning run in the ninth inning on a throwing error by third baseman David Wright, who also struck out three times. New York is expected to give the ball to R.A. Dickey in this game. He is taking one of the two vacancies in the rotation due to Jonathon Niese’s hamstring injury and the demotion of Oliver Perez to the bullpen.

Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox Live Streaming

Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox Live | Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox | Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox Streaming | Minnesota vs Boston MLB Live Stream | Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox Live Webcast

7:10 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

A late rally helped the Boston Red Sox finish their road trip by avoiding a fourth straight loss, but their task won’t get much easier as they return home. Boston’s next three opponents are in first place in their respective divisions, and the Minnesota Twins will be motivated to snap a five-game losing streak at Fenway Park as they open a two-game set Wednesday night. After losing their last two in Detroit and falling under .500 thanks to a late meltdown in Monday’s 11-9 loss at New York, the Red Sox were in danger of another defeat Tuesday, when they trailed 5-0.But Boston tied the game with four runs in the eighth inning and went ahead on Jeremy Hermida’s two-run double off Mariano Rivera in the ninth. Jonathan Papelbon bounced back from a blown save to hold off the Yankees for a 7-6 win.

The fourth-place Red Sox’s mediocre record would be even worse if not for several big comebacks. They have five wins after trailing by at least four runs, tied for the most in the majors with Detroit. No other team has more than one such victory. Boston won’t want to spot its next few foes big leads. After hosting Minnesota for two games, the Red Sox visit Philadelphia and Tampa Bay for three each. They’ll almost certainly need to improve their pitching in order to gain ground during that stretch. Despite featuring Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Jon Lester, Boston’s rotation ranks 28th in the majors with a 5.18 ERA, and young Clay Buchholz leads the group in that category. The 25-year-old issued five walks for the second straight start Friday night at Detroit, but held the Tigers to one run and three hits in six innings of a 7-2 win.

Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves Live | Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves | Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves Streaming | Cincinnati vs Atlanta MLB Live Stream | Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves Live Webcast

7:10 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Following yet another dramatic victory, the Cincinnati Reds head out on the road with plenty of confidence and a surprising perch atop the NL Central. Given their recent results against their opponents on an upcoming five-game road trip, the Reds could remain in first place a little while longer. Cincinnati starts that trek with two games in Atlanta and will try to earn its seventh win in eight tries against the Braves on Wednesday night. For the 10th time this season, the Reds won in their final at-bat as Scott Rolen hit a tying two-run homer off Milwaukee closer Trevor Hoffman and Joey Votto followed with an RBI single. Tuesday’s 5-4 victory maintained Cincinnati’s one-half game lead over St. Louis in the Central. The Reds will try to stay there with their fifth straight win and 10th in 11 games against the Braves, a team they swept on the road Sept. 4-6.

The Reds begin their trip with one error in their last 13 games, batting .313 in their last 12 and with a 2.20 ERA over the past 10 contests. After facing Atlanta, Cincinnati finishes with three games against Cleveland, a team it has won 10 of 13 against. Aaron Harang will try to get that trip off to a strong start with his third win in five starts. A pair of two-run homers cost him a chance at a victory Friday night in a 4-3 defeat to St. Louis. While Harang has struggled with his consistency this season, he’s 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last three starts against the Braves. A rain delay last season at home potentially cost him a chance at another victory as he pitched two scoreless innings in a 7-2 home win June 16. He’ll face an Atlanta team that’s won 11 of 17 and also earned its latest victory in its last at-bat, 3-2 over the New York Mets on Tuesday night. With two runners on in the ninth, Melky Cabrera hit a high chopper that caused Mets third baseman David Wright to make a hasty throw past Ike Davis.

Baltimore Orioles vs Texas Rangers Live Streaming

Baltimore Orioles vs Texas Rangers Live | Baltimore Orioles vs Texas Rangers | Baltimore Orioles vs Texas Rangers Streaming | Baltimore vs Texas MLB Live Stream | Baltimore Orioles vs Texas Rangers Live Webcast

8:05 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Vladimir Guerrero has now homered against all 30 major league teams. Matchups with the Baltimore Orioles in recent years have been particularly beneficial for the eight-time All-Star’s power numbers. Following a key series sweep, the Texas Rangers hope Guerrero can continue his success against the Orioles in the opener of a two-game set Wednesday night in Arlington. After being swept in three games at Toronto over the weekend, Texas bounced back to win its first two games of the season against three-time defending AL West champion Los Angeles. The first-place Rangers’ 8-7 victory Tuesday night increased their lead over the Angels to 4 1/2 games. Guerrero, whom the Angels opted against re-signing in the offseason after helping them win five division titles in six years, hit his eighth homer of the season and his first against his former team, giving him homers against every major league club. Guerrero now has 415 career home runs, 21 of them against Baltimore. He’s batting .368 with six homers and 19 RBIs in his last 10 games versus the Orioles.

The right-hander allowed one run and two hits in eight innings as Baltimore beat Cleveland 8-1 on Friday night. Guthrie is 3-0 with a 3.16 ERA in five career starts versus the Rangers. Texas will give the ball to Rich Harden, who is coming off his worst start of the season, surrendering seven runs, four hits and walking six in 2 2-3 innings of a 16-10 loss to Toronto on Friday night. The right-hander had been 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in his previous three outings. Harden has not received a decision in two career starts against the Orioles despite posting a 0.69 ERA. He’ll facing a Baltimore team that totaled six runs during a three-game skid before snapping it with a 4-3, 10-inning win over Kansas City on Tuesday night. Nick Markakis singled in the winning run as the Orioles split the two-game series. Scott, though, is 1 for 16 with six strikeouts in his last five contests against Texas. Ty Wigginton, who leads the Orioles with 12 home runs and 26 RBIs, is batting .156 in his last nine contests versus the Rangers.

Colorado Rockies vs Houston Astros Live Streaming

Colorado Rockies vs Houston Astros Live | Colorado Rockies vs Houston Astros | Colorado Rockies vs Houston Astros Streaming | Colorado vs Houston MLB Live Stream | Colorado Rockies vs Houston Astros Live Webcast

8:05 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

After appearing to get back on track with a strong finish to a homestand, the Colorado Rockies couldn’t keep their momentum going on the road. A trip to face the woeful Houston Astros and a matchup with winless Felipe Paulino on Wednesday night might be what the Rockies need to get another run started. Colorado will try to avoid a season-high fourth straight road defeat as it opens a two-game set against a Houston team that’s lost five in a row. After dropping nine of 15, the Rockies won three straight to conclude their most recent homestand, but they opened a seven-game trip by losing twice to Chicago this week. Colorado fell to 8-13 on the road with a 6-2 defeat Tuesday night. The Rockies scored two runs for the third straight game, with Todd Helton driving them in with his first home run. Manager Jim Tracy is hoping that will ignite his first baseman, a career .338 hitter against Houston.

Colorado will look for better results in its first meeting with the NL-worst Astros, who have dropped 16 of 21. Paulino’s turn in the rotation wouldn’t appear to give Houston a chance to end those struggles. The Astros have lost 17 of 18 games in which the right-hander has appeared dating to last July and all seven this season. He’s 1-13 with a 6.41 ERA in 15 starts over that span. Paulino also comes off his worst outing of 2010, allowing a season-high seven runs in a season-low 4 2-3 innings in an 8-2 loss at San Francisco on Friday night. Paulino is one of two pitchers to drop his first six decisions this season, and only Pittsburgh’s Charlie Morton has more losses with seven. The Astros, owners of the majors’ worst offense, have been outscored 27-11 during their losing streak and given Paulino three runs in his last five starts. Paulino went 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA in two starts against the Rockies last season.

Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox Live Streaming

Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox Live | Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox | Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox Streaming | LA Angels vs Chi White Sox MLB Live Stream | Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox Live Webcast

8:10 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

It’s been almost a month since the Chicago White Sox last won back-to-back games.They’ll try to end that drought in the opener of a two-game home series against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night. Chicago has won eight times in 19 games since posting a three-game home sweep of Seattle from April 23-25. None of those victories, however, have come in consecutive games for a club that continues to look for something positive to help overcome a disappointing start. The White Sox hope their latest victory will help them continue to do so. Carlos Quentin and Juan Pierre each had two RBIs while Garcia threw six solid innings in Chicago’s 6-2 win at Detroit on Tuesday. Nobody has been more representative of Chicago’s slow start than Quentin. The former All-Star is batting .200, but is coming off his second three-hit game in his last four. Quentin is a lifetime .293 hitter with four homers and 12 RBIs in 13 games against the Angels. John Danks looks to follow up Garcia’s effort with a strong one of his own as he tries to avoid a third straight loss Wednesday.

The White Sox have totaled two runs while losing Danks’ last two starts. He gave up three runs in seven innings of a 3-2 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday. Though the White Sox are 9-10 at home, they’ve won five of seven over Los Angeles at U.S. Cellular Field. In order to continue that successful stretch, Chicago will likely need to get the best of scheduled starter Joe Saunders. The left-hander allowed four hits and struck out six to snap a three-game losing streak with his second career shutout in a 4-0 win over Oakland on Friday. Saunders is 3-2 with a 3.49 ERA in six starts against the White Sox, including 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA in three at U.S. Cellular Field.The Angels look to bounce back after losing two in a row at Texas. Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera each hit two-run homers in Tuesday’s 8-7 loss to the Rangers that dropped Los Angeles to 6-12 on the road.

Florida Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Streaming

Florida Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Live | Florida Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals | Florida Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Streaming | Florida vs St. Louis MLB Live Stream | Florida Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Webcast

8:15 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Hanley Ramirez wouldn’t apologize Tuesday for actions that Fredi Gonzalez deemed a lack of hustle, instead taking aim at his manager while spending another game on the bench. The Florida Marlins could certainly use all the help they can get against Jaime Garcia. It’s uncertain if Ramirez will be back in the lineup as the Marlins begin a two-game set Wednesday night in St. Louis, where the Cardinals’ surprising rookie left-hander has yet to allow a run. Ramirez fouled a ball off his left shin in the first inning of Monday’s 5-1 loss to Arizona, but stayed in the game after failing to run full speed down the line while grounding into a double play later in the at-bat. After a looper fell behind him in the top of the second, Ramirez booted it into foul territory and appeared to be jogging after the ball, which enraged Gonzalez. The manager pulled the reigning NL batting champion in the third inning. Ramirez chose not to apologize Tuesday, saying he “wasn’t trying to give up” on the ball. Then, he turned on Gonzalez.

Gonzalez said that Ramirez isn’t suspended, but wouldn’t specify if he’ll return against St. Louis. Florida looked fine without Ramirez on Tuesday, using homers from Cameron Maybin and Dan Uggla and excellent pitching from Josh Johnson to beat the Diamondbacks 8-0. That hardly took the focus off of Ramirez’s benching, however. Maybin and his teammates figure to have a more difficult time scoring Wednesday, even if Ramirez is back. Garcia hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his seven starts, and he’s yielded only five hits over 14 innings in two outings at Busch Stadium. Garcia gave up two runs over 6 1-3 innings Friday at Cincinnati, striking out six, in a 4-3 victory. It was Ludwick who made the difference for St. Louis on Tuesday against Washington. After the Nationals tied the score at 2-all in the top of the eighth, Ludwick homered in the bottom half to lift the Cardinals to a 3-2 win.

San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Streaming

San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live | San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks | San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks Streaming | San Francisco vs Arizona MLB Live Stream | San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Webcast

9:40 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Breaking a lengthy skid to one division rival has the San Francisco Giants in position to reclaim the NL West lead. A trip to face the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks might be enough to help the Giants get back into first place. Trailing by one-half game in the division, San Francisco looks for a fifth straight win against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. The Giants moved closer to first-place San Diego in the West with their first victory over the Padres in eight tries this season, 7-6 in 12 innings on Tuesday night. After Andres Torres’ tying two-run homer in the eighth inning, Matt Downs - 1 for 23 in his previous seven games - finished off a 3-for-5 performance with a two-run double in the 12th, and Eugenio Velez singled him home with what turned about to be a needed insurance run. In the opener of a two-game series, the Giants will try to return to the top of the division for the first time since May 6 by beating a team that’s dropped nine of 11.

The Diamondbacks have been outscored 81-37 while batting .208 over that span. Their bullpen has also posted a 12.15 ERA. In his first appearance with the team, reliever Saul Rivera gave up five runs in one inning Tuesday in Florida, and Arizona had two hits in an 8-0 loss. Right-hander Todd Wellemeyer will try to take advantage of the Diamondbacks’ struggles to get his third straight win. Wellemeyer, who has a 3.32 ERA in his last four appearances, has benefited from 13 runs of support in his two victories this season. He’s 1-3 with a 4.79 ERA in seven games - three starts - against Arizona, earning a win at Chase Field on April 13, 2009, for St. Louis by allowing one run over seven innings. As it tries to snap its longest skid to the Giants in nearly five years, Arizona will counter with right-hander Ian Kennedy, who is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts this month. Kennedy has never faced the Giants. San Francisco won last season’s series 13-5 and took six of nine at Chase Field. As they try to add to that success against the Diamondbacks, the Giants could get a boost with infielder Freddy Sanchez’s expected return from left shoulder surgery.

Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics Live | Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics | Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics Streaming | Detroit vs Oakland MLB Live Stream | Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics Live Webcast

10:05 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Justin Verlander has found his form after a rocky start to 2010, and the Detroit Tigers’ ace will look to win his fourth straight outing when he takes the mound in Oakland on Wednesday night. The last time Dallas Braden pitched there, he was perfect. The Athletics’ emerging left-hander returns home for the first time since pitching the 19th perfect game in major league history to form an intriguing matchup with Verlander in the opener of a two-game set. After going 1-2 with a 5.53 ERA in April, Verlander is 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA this month, holding opponents to a .151 average in that stretch. He didn’t win four straight starts at any point during his 19-win season last year. Verlander outdueled New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia on Thursday, working 6 2-3 innings in a 6-0 win over the majors’ highest-scoring team. Despite a 5.31 starter ERA that ranks 29th in the majors, Detroit trails first-place Minnesota by just two games in the AL Central. Oakland is also two games back of AL West-leading Texas, thanks in part to the boost provided by Braden.

The left-hander retired all 27 Tampa Bay Rays batters he faced in a 4-0 win on Mother’s Day May 9, a feat that had extra meaning after his mother died of skin cancer while he was in high school. His grandmother, who helped raise him, was in attendance. Braden was on the other end of a 4-0 score Friday night, pitching eight innings in a complete-game loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Braden is 2-2 with a 7.34 ERA in six career starts against the Tigers, but he held Detroit to one run in seven innings of a 5-1 home win in the most recent meeting July 1. He’s 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA in five home starts this year. Verlander has a 3.07 ERA in seven career starts against the A’s, but he’s 1-3 in Oakland. The Tigers’ series against the Chicago White Sox this week was cut to one game - a 6-2 loss Tuesday - due to rain. Detroit still finished its difficult homestand, which featured series against New York and Boston, at 5-3. Rookie Brennan Boesch went 15 for 31 with eight RBIs and six extra-base hits on the homestand. Winning has been tougher for the Tigers on the road, where they have lost four of five to fall to 8-11.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Seattle Mariners Live Streaming

Toronto Blue Jays vs Seattle Mariners Live | Toronto Blue Jays vs Seattle Mariners | Toronto Blue Jays vs Seattle Mariners Streaming | Toronto vs Seattle MLB Live Stream | Toronto Blue Jays vs Seattle Mariners Live Webcast

10:10 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Toronto’s continued ability to hit the home run has keyed its current success. However, the Blue Jays might need to find other ways to score when they visit Seattle’s spacious Safeco Field. The Blue Jays look to continue their road success in the opener of a two-game series against the Mariners on Wednesday night. Toronto leads the majors with 65 home runs. It’s hit 14 while winning five of six, including four in Tuesday’s 11-2 home rout of Minnesota. Wells hit his 11th, while Lyle Overbay added his fourth and drove in three RBIs on Tuesday as Toronto concluded a 4-1 homestand. Edwin Encarnacion came off the disabled list to add a two-run shot and Aaron Hill snapped an 0-for-13 slump with a three-run homer. Wells has gone 5 for 7 in his last two games to raise his season average to .316, but he’s batting .196 with two home runs in his last 23 games against the Mariners.

Toronto - 13-6 on the road - is tied for the major-league lead with 28 homers away from home, but Safeco continues to be one of the toughest parks in which to go deep. In 18 games this season, the Mariners’ home field is averaging an AL-low 1.0 home run. The Blue Jays have homered five times while losing seven of nine at Safeco. Though Seattle is 8-10 at home this season, Toronto could be in for a stiff challenge against scheduled starter Doug Fister, who’s allowed one home run in seven starts. One of the majors’ biggest surprises in 2010, Fister limited major league-leading Tampa Bay to one run in five innings of a 4-3 road win Friday. In his only start against Toronto on Sept. 25, the right-hander gave up four runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 5-0 road loss. The Blue Jays hope Brett Cecil can bounce back when he takes the ball after allowing eight runs in two innings of a 16-10 win over Texas on Friday. The left-hander has never faced the Mariners.

San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live | San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers | San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers Streaming | San Diego vs LA Dodgers MLB Live Stream | San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Webcast

10:10 pm EDT Wed May 19, 2010

Andre Ethier was building some convincing credentials to be named the NL player of the month, but that campaign was derailed when the outfielder landed on the disabled list. Even without Ethier, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ run as baseball’s hottest team is showing no signs of slowing down.The Dodgers, who won their major league season-high ninth in a row hours after placing Ethier on the DL, look to extend their streak and possibly pull into a first-place NL West tie with the visiting San Diego Padres on Wednesday night. Los Angeles won nine of 12 to begin May largely thanks to Ethier, who hit .490 with five homers and 19 RBIs and had his team on a five-game winning streak heading into last weekend. However, the right fielder fractured the top knuckle on his right pinkie finger in a San Diego batting cage, and on Tuesday the Dodgers decided to place him on the DL.

Los Angeles finished off a sweep of the Padres without Ethier and beat Houston 6-2 on Monday to push its winning streak to eight. Tuesday was Ethier bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium, but Casey Blake was the star with three hits in a 7-3 victory over the Astros. The Dodgers, who trail San Diego by a game in the West with San Francisco one-half game back of the Padres, now have a chance to win 10 straight for the first time since an 11-game run July 28-Aug. 8, 2006. It had been nearly as long since Ramon Ortiz had made a start prior to facing the Padres on Friday. Ortiz hadn’t started in the majors since May 26, 2007, spending 2008 in Japan and last season with San Francisco’s Triple-A affiliate. Manager Joe Torre gave him a shot in the rotation after 14 relief appearances, and Ortiz gave up three runs, six hits and three walks over four innings of Los Angeles’ 4-3 win.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Back to TOP