The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers in Round One by a series total of 4-1. This was a revenge series for the Penguins, as they now knock out early the same team that has knocked them out the prior two years. Two years ago, it was a 4-3 victory for the Rangers in the Second Round after getting down 3-1. Last year, it was the Rangers against the Penguins who snuck in as the Second Wild Card. It went exactly the same that this series went, except for the fact that both teams are switched around. The Rangers won game one at home, the Penguins took game two at the Garden, and then the Rangers won the following three games.
I wasn't easy for the Penguins. Marc-Andre Fluery, their regular goalie, had been out for a couple of weeks with his second sustained concussion of the year. Their backup, Matthew Murray, suffered a concussion in the final game at the Flyers, so the Penguins were left with their third goaltender, Jeff Zatkoff.
Zatkoff would start the first two games, the first Stanley Cup playoff games he has ever started, and was good in the first but the magic ran out. Luckily, Murray was cleared for game three, and in his postseason debut, he allowed only one goal in a 3-1 Pens victory, as well as a 5-0 shutout in game four, and a 6-3 win in Game 5.
Murray outplayed King Henrik Lunqvist, considered to be possibly the best goalie in the game. Lundqvist got poked in the eye by a teammate's stick, and got taken out of game one, but was fine the rest of the series. He got lit up in games 4 and 5, and got benched. All ten that he allowed in the two games were not all his fault as his defense was terrible against the speedy Penguins skaters.
Rookies played a big part in the Pens success in this series. Murray, Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, and Tom Kuhnhackl all were key in this series win. The most impressive was Sheary, who has moved into the first line with Sidney Crosby has been impressive, and his chemistry with Sid the Kid. This, along with Evgeni Malkin coming back and Phil Kessel heating up, this Pens team is dangerous, and Fluery might be on his way back.
The Penguins are put into a showdown with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Captials, who have never gotten past the second round in the Ovechkin era. Crosby and Ovechkin have only met once in the Playoffs in a 4-3 Pens victory, the same year they won the Stanley Cup. The President Cup trophy winners in the Caps against the second-best team makes no sense, and I might rant about the playoff system, like the New York Islanders tanking to avoid the Metro side. But, the Caps should be a good Conference Semifinal, but it's a shame it's not a Eastern Conference final. The action will start this week.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Jake Arrieta Throws No-Hitter
Jake Arrieta has done it again. For the second time since August, Arrieta has thrown a no-hitter. Last year, it was at the Los Angeles Dodgers, and this year, it was at the Cincinnati Reds on Thrusday night. This game was over from the start, as the Cubs offense was pouring it on against the Reds struggling pitching staff. By the end of it, the Cubs offense put up 16 runs. So as well as having the pressure of trying to throw a no-hitter, Arrieta was getting cold with all of these innings where the offense was tearing the cover off of the ball.
Through six innings, Arrieta had around 85 pitches, and it looked like he might not have enough left in the tank to finish off the game for the Cubs. But, manager Joe Maddon thinks that the pitcher should get a chance at making some history, so it wouldn't have mattered if his pitch count got really high. But, he had two very quick innings, and was set up well with the chance to pitch his way to history. But, after a walk and two outs, the last batter, Zack Cosart stepped up to the plate. After taking two borderline pitches for balls outside, it was a 2-2 count. But, the next pitch he popped up to shallow right field. Jason Heyward called for it, and secured it, making Arrieta one of the very few to pitch multiple no-hitters in their career.
Just three years ago, he had a 6+ ERA for the Baltimore Orioles, and was traded that July 2nd to the Cubs. For who? Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger, as well as the Cubs getting Pedro Strop. Looking back, is that a big steal or what?
How about that offense? 16-0 is the second biggest margin of victory in a no-hitter since a 18-0 no-hitter in 1884. That's like less than twenty years after the Civil War and President Lincoln getting killed, as well as over twenty years before the Cubs won their first World Series title in 1907. Kris Bryant led the charge with two home runs and six RBI's, including a grand slam.
Another interesting note. The last two times the Cubs started 13-4? 1907 and 1908, the two years they won the World Series. Hopefully, that is foreshadowing a World Series title.
The Cubs took 3 of 4 from the Reds, are standing at 14-5, 3.5 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the Central. Arrieta will go next on Wednesday night vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, a series that starts on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
Through six innings, Arrieta had around 85 pitches, and it looked like he might not have enough left in the tank to finish off the game for the Cubs. But, manager Joe Maddon thinks that the pitcher should get a chance at making some history, so it wouldn't have mattered if his pitch count got really high. But, he had two very quick innings, and was set up well with the chance to pitch his way to history. But, after a walk and two outs, the last batter, Zack Cosart stepped up to the plate. After taking two borderline pitches for balls outside, it was a 2-2 count. But, the next pitch he popped up to shallow right field. Jason Heyward called for it, and secured it, making Arrieta one of the very few to pitch multiple no-hitters in their career.
Just three years ago, he had a 6+ ERA for the Baltimore Orioles, and was traded that July 2nd to the Cubs. For who? Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger, as well as the Cubs getting Pedro Strop. Looking back, is that a big steal or what?
How about that offense? 16-0 is the second biggest margin of victory in a no-hitter since a 18-0 no-hitter in 1884. That's like less than twenty years after the Civil War and President Lincoln getting killed, as well as over twenty years before the Cubs won their first World Series title in 1907. Kris Bryant led the charge with two home runs and six RBI's, including a grand slam.
Another interesting note. The last two times the Cubs started 13-4? 1907 and 1908, the two years they won the World Series. Hopefully, that is foreshadowing a World Series title.
The Cubs took 3 of 4 from the Reds, are standing at 14-5, 3.5 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the Central. Arrieta will go next on Wednesday night vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, a series that starts on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
Eagles Trade for Second Pick
Well, another big shake-up has taken place in the 2016 NFL Draft. About a week after the L.A. Rams for the first pick. It was rumored that the Browns were trying to trade their second overall pick, and that turned out to be true. It turned out the team they traded it to was the Philadelphia Eagles.
This is an interesting move for the Eagles, as they signed Sam Bradford to an expensive contract extension this offseason. There was still a good chance that they would draft a quarterback, perhaps a developmental prospect such as Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. But, by trading up to number two, this means that they are looking to get a quarterback to be face of the franchise. They will get to choose either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz, based off of who the Los Angeles Rams, who hold the number one pick, take.
Here is what each team gets in the deal
Cleveland Browns get: Eighth pick in First Round, third round pick (77th), fourth round pick (100th), a 2017 first rounder, and a 2018 second round pick.
Philadelphia Eagles get: Second Pick in First Round and a 2017 fourth round pick
For the Browns, this very well may mean that Robert Griffin III is their guy. After Goff and Wentz, the next best quarterback is Lynch, who would be a huge reach at pick number eight. I think that they will take a quarterback somewhere in the Draft. They have twelve picks, so they can build around RGIII, and if he doesn't work out, they can draft a QB next year. Or, with all of those 12 picks, they could trade down in the first round, acquire even more picks and take Lynch in the twenties, as I think that he will fall all the way to the Broncos at 31. But now they might draft Ezekiel Elliot out of Ohio State as the first running back in the Draft, but we will see.
This is an interesting move for the Eagles, as they signed Sam Bradford to an expensive contract extension this offseason. There was still a good chance that they would draft a quarterback, perhaps a developmental prospect such as Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. But, by trading up to number two, this means that they are looking to get a quarterback to be face of the franchise. They will get to choose either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz, based off of who the Los Angeles Rams, who hold the number one pick, take.
Here is what each team gets in the deal
Cleveland Browns get: Eighth pick in First Round, third round pick (77th), fourth round pick (100th), a 2017 first rounder, and a 2018 second round pick.
Philadelphia Eagles get: Second Pick in First Round and a 2017 fourth round pick
For the Browns, this very well may mean that Robert Griffin III is their guy. After Goff and Wentz, the next best quarterback is Lynch, who would be a huge reach at pick number eight. I think that they will take a quarterback somewhere in the Draft. They have twelve picks, so they can build around RGIII, and if he doesn't work out, they can draft a QB next year. Or, with all of those 12 picks, they could trade down in the first round, acquire even more picks and take Lynch in the twenties, as I think that he will fall all the way to the Broncos at 31. But now they might draft Ezekiel Elliot out of Ohio State as the first running back in the Draft, but we will see.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Jake Arrieta Continues Tear, but cubs Lose Series
On Saturday, Jake Arrieta took to the mound at Wrigley for the first time this season. When Arrieta takes to the mound, it always feels like a for sure victory for the Chicago Cubs. Again, this start was the same. He went for eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts, and he made his 23rd quality start in a row. This moved the Beast to 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three starts.
Arrieta has shown here early that last year's historic season was not a fluke. He has looked like the best pitcher in baseball, and that is not all that he has done. He hit a 442 foot home run in Arizona, and has showed just how good of an athlete that he is.
The offense took care of business on Saturday as well. Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler went back-to-back on consecutive pitches in the bottom of the 4th. Dexter Fowler then hit a three run home run in the bottom of the seventh and then the Cubs added one more in the bottom of the eighth, and the Cubs won 6-2.
The rest of the series didn't go as well for the Cubs. On Friday, they lost by a score of 6 to 1. It was a very bad day for the bullpen, defense, and offense. They could only muster one run in the later parts of the game, and the defense was terrible. They committed four errors that afternoon, in which was one of the worst defensive games that you will see the whole rest of the year.
Sunday was a terrible day for the Cubs offense as well. They only got three hits in the entire game, and they couldn't push in a run. On the bright side for the Cubs, Jon Lester kept up his great season. In 7.1 innings, he gave up only one run. That was off of a home run in the basket for Nolan Arenado. It stayed 1-0 the whole rest of the way, until Arenado came up to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. With a full count against Justin Grimm, Arenado went yard again, giving the Rockies a 2-0 victory and a series win against the Cubs in Wrigley.
The Cubs are back at it tomorrow the 18th on the road against the Cardinals. It is the return to Busch Stadium for former Cardinals John Lackey and Jason Heyward. It is John Lackey (2-0, 5.68 ERA) against Mike Leake (0-1, 6.97 ERA) at 7:00 CST.
Arrieta has shown here early that last year's historic season was not a fluke. He has looked like the best pitcher in baseball, and that is not all that he has done. He hit a 442 foot home run in Arizona, and has showed just how good of an athlete that he is.
The offense took care of business on Saturday as well. Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler went back-to-back on consecutive pitches in the bottom of the 4th. Dexter Fowler then hit a three run home run in the bottom of the seventh and then the Cubs added one more in the bottom of the eighth, and the Cubs won 6-2.
The rest of the series didn't go as well for the Cubs. On Friday, they lost by a score of 6 to 1. It was a very bad day for the bullpen, defense, and offense. They could only muster one run in the later parts of the game, and the defense was terrible. They committed four errors that afternoon, in which was one of the worst defensive games that you will see the whole rest of the year.
Sunday was a terrible day for the Cubs offense as well. They only got three hits in the entire game, and they couldn't push in a run. On the bright side for the Cubs, Jon Lester kept up his great season. In 7.1 innings, he gave up only one run. That was off of a home run in the basket for Nolan Arenado. It stayed 1-0 the whole rest of the way, until Arenado came up to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. With a full count against Justin Grimm, Arenado went yard again, giving the Rockies a 2-0 victory and a series win against the Cubs in Wrigley.
The Cubs are back at it tomorrow the 18th on the road against the Cardinals. It is the return to Busch Stadium for former Cardinals John Lackey and Jason Heyward. It is John Lackey (2-0, 5.68 ERA) against Mike Leake (0-1, 6.97 ERA) at 7:00 CST.
Josh Gordon Fails Another Drug Test
Earlier this week, we again heard news from troubled suspended NFL wide receiver Josh Gordon. Gordon was suspended for the full year last year, and was in the process of getting reinstated. We finally heard some news on him this week, but it wasn't what Gordon wanted to hear. It was leaked out that he had failed yet another NFL drug test, which means that he is still not ready to be reinstated by the NFL.
This begs the question: Is Gordon ever going to get back into the League? If he does ever get back, I don't think that he would have any trouble getting action. Because first, the team that he played for, the Cleveland Browns, are a big joke. The most games they have won in a season since 1999 was ten, and they still failed the make the Postseason. They are always picking early in the Draft, and this year isn't any different. They have the second pick, and they are set to ruin yet another quarterback's career, this time it is most likely Carson Wentz's career.
Secondly, he is a good player. The last year he played a full season, he went for over 1,000 yards and was one of the elite pass catchers in the NFL. With all of that talent, you would think that he would concentrate on football and get off of drugs, right? Well, I guess not. He keeps doing drugs and is missing out on millions of dollars and perhaps getting out of Cleveland to get a chance to win a Super Bowl. But, I guess bongs mean more to him.
This isn't the only receiver in the NFL to have problems with drugs. Martavis Bryant of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the latest to experience this problem. After missing four games to start the season, Bryant failed yet another drug test this offseason and is suspended for the season. He will have to find a way to improve and then get reinstated, and get back in the flow of the Steeler offense.
The other case was Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon. After being taken as a top five pick, Blackmon showed the off the field issues he had during college that scared off teams. He had numerous DUI's and failed drug tests, and is out of the League. Gordon and Bryant will have to turn it around before it gets Blackmon bad. I don't think that Gordon has a chance to have a place in the League, and it isn't getting better.
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This begs the question: Is Gordon ever going to get back into the League? If he does ever get back, I don't think that he would have any trouble getting action. Because first, the team that he played for, the Cleveland Browns, are a big joke. The most games they have won in a season since 1999 was ten, and they still failed the make the Postseason. They are always picking early in the Draft, and this year isn't any different. They have the second pick, and they are set to ruin yet another quarterback's career, this time it is most likely Carson Wentz's career.
Secondly, he is a good player. The last year he played a full season, he went for over 1,000 yards and was one of the elite pass catchers in the NFL. With all of that talent, you would think that he would concentrate on football and get off of drugs, right? Well, I guess not. He keeps doing drugs and is missing out on millions of dollars and perhaps getting out of Cleveland to get a chance to win a Super Bowl. But, I guess bongs mean more to him.
This isn't the only receiver in the NFL to have problems with drugs. Martavis Bryant of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the latest to experience this problem. After missing four games to start the season, Bryant failed yet another drug test this offseason and is suspended for the season. He will have to find a way to improve and then get reinstated, and get back in the flow of the Steeler offense.
The other case was Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon. After being taken as a top five pick, Blackmon showed the off the field issues he had during college that scared off teams. He had numerous DUI's and failed drug tests, and is out of the League. Gordon and Bryant will have to turn it around before it gets Blackmon bad. I don't think that Gordon has a chance to have a place in the League, and it isn't getting better.
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Los Angeles Rams trade for First Pick
The Tennessee Titans held the first pick after the 2015-16 NFL season, and it was known that they were going to actively shop it for a king's ransom. It didn't look like they were going to get a deal done, until early today. In a surprise blockbuster trade, the Los Angeles Rams traded for the first overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. In order to do this, they gave up a ton.
The Rams Get: The No.1 Pick, fourth round pick (113), and a sixth-round pick (177)
The Titans Get: Picks 15, 43, 45, and 76. They get the Rams first and third round pick in 2017.
This looks like a deal that will be of great benefit for both teams. The Rams will get a chance to draft a franchise quarterback. The Titans have stockpiled picks. They now have six of the first 76 picks in this year's draft, as well as two first round picks in next year's draft.
There is no question at what position the Rams are going to draft first. You don't give up all of those picks to trade up and draft an offensive tackle. They are going after a franchise quarterback. The decision comes between California's Jared Goff and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz. Whomever they choose better work out. If they don't, this will end up being a terrible trade for the Rams. They have no pick after the first until the fourth round, which means they won't be able to pick up many pieces. As well as next year, they have already given up their first and third round picks. If it turns out to be RG III like, the Rams will be in a sticky situation for a while.
The Titans could be set up well for a while. With 6 of the first 76 picks in the Draft, the Titans can stock up on prospects and fill up on needs. With a franchise quarterback already in place, the Titans can take over a very weak AFC South for years to come. We will see what positions they address to surround Marcus Mariota with some more talent.
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The Rams Get: The No.1 Pick, fourth round pick (113), and a sixth-round pick (177)
The Titans Get: Picks 15, 43, 45, and 76. They get the Rams first and third round pick in 2017.
This looks like a deal that will be of great benefit for both teams. The Rams will get a chance to draft a franchise quarterback. The Titans have stockpiled picks. They now have six of the first 76 picks in this year's draft, as well as two first round picks in next year's draft.
There is no question at what position the Rams are going to draft first. You don't give up all of those picks to trade up and draft an offensive tackle. They are going after a franchise quarterback. The decision comes between California's Jared Goff and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz. Whomever they choose better work out. If they don't, this will end up being a terrible trade for the Rams. They have no pick after the first until the fourth round, which means they won't be able to pick up many pieces. As well as next year, they have already given up their first and third round picks. If it turns out to be RG III like, the Rams will be in a sticky situation for a while.
The Titans could be set up well for a while. With 6 of the first 76 picks in the Draft, the Titans can stock up on prospects and fill up on needs. With a franchise quarterback already in place, the Titans can take over a very weak AFC South for years to come. We will see what positions they address to surround Marcus Mariota with some more talent.
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Sunday, April 10, 2016
Willett Wins Masters After Spieth Collapse
Going into the back nine, Jordan Spieth had just made four birdies in a row to get to seven under par. He had a five stroke lead over Danny Willett, and it looked like Spieth would cruise to his second straight Green Jacket. But, he went the Greg Norman route and it all fell apart on ten. He bogeyed ten and eleven, and walked to the Par-3 12th Hole. The first shot hits and rolls back into the water. Then, from the drop zone, he chunked his wedge like I do and it went into the water. Then, he overcompensated and hit his fifth shot into the greenside bunker. From there, he got up-and-down for a quadruple bogey. Spieth fell to fourth and Willett took the lead at -4, later extending that score to -5, where he would finish. Spieth made birdies at 13 and 15 to get him to three under, but missed a short birdie putt on sixteen. He then bogeyed 17, and needing a hole-in-one on the par-4 18th hole, Willett was guaranteed the Green Jacket. He becomes only the second Englishman to ever win a Green Jacket, joining Sir Nick Faldo, who won it three times. Willett almost didn't play, because his wife Nicole was due to have a baby. But, that baby was born about 11 days early, and Willett was the last to arrive late Monday night, and the rest is now history.
For Spieth, this 80th playing of the Masters will haunt him. He had a chance to become one of the few elite names to win the Masters in back-to-back. But, he ties for second with Englishman Lee Westwood. We will see how he recovers from this, and if he will be able to defend his U.S Open title and perhaps add a British Open and PGA Championship to his resume.
Cedar Rapids native and Elmcrest member Zach Johnson missed the cut by two strokes, after he hit the water on his backswing on the thirteenth hole on Friday, tough luck for the 2007 Masters winner.
For Spieth, this 80th playing of the Masters will haunt him. He had a chance to become one of the few elite names to win the Masters in back-to-back. But, he ties for second with Englishman Lee Westwood. We will see how he recovers from this, and if he will be able to defend his U.S Open title and perhaps add a British Open and PGA Championship to his resume.
Cedar Rapids native and Elmcrest member Zach Johnson missed the cut by two strokes, after he hit the water on his backswing on the thirteenth hole on Friday, tough luck for the 2007 Masters winner.
Cubs get Devastating News
Coming into Thrusday's game, things were looking good for the Chicago Cubs. They were 2-0 after a sweep in Anaheim, and they put up fifteen runs in those two games. But, the wind got taken a little bit out of the sails in the bottom of the second against the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the Cubs trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the second, Diamondbacks second baseman Jean Segura hit a bomb to left-center. Kyle Schwarber and Dexter Fowler both went full-speed at the ball, and neither one of them called for it. They collided, and Schwarber was laying down on the ground in obvious pain. Segura got home for the inside the park home run, but, for the Cubs, that was the least of their problems. Schwarber was surrounded by teammates and trainers, and he was down for a couple of minutes. Then, he got up, and put a little weight on his leg, but couldn't move. They called for a cart and an x-ray. He was diagnosed with a severely sprained ankle, and had an MRI the next day.
It turns out it was much worse than an ankle sprain. He also tore his ACL and LCL. That means he is done for the year. Three games in, and the Cubs were already down their second year slugger three games into the year.
This is a big loss for the Cubs. Last year he hit .246 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI in just 69 games with the Cubs last year. He was big last year. Without him, the Cubs only scored about three runs a game last year. He was supposed to play left field against right handers and catch Jason Hammel. Now, Jorge Soler will be thrust back into a starting spot in the outfield this year, and Hammel will have to pitch to either Miguel Montero or David Ross. Soler has had some problems at the plate dealing with breaking balls, and now he will have to learn as the starting right fielder.
Another thing to worry about with his injury is for his future. Will he be able to play the outfield now? How much power will he lose with this happening to his plant foot? We won't find out those answers until next year, and it is very concerning.
The Cubs took care of the Diamondbacks today 7-3 in Arizona. The Cubs took three out of four in a place where they usually struggle, and are 5-1. Tomorrow, the Cubs play their home opener against the surprising Reds who are 5-1 for a battle for first place early in the NL Central. It will be the Reds' Brandon Finnegan (0-0, 3.00 ERA) against the Cubs' Jon Lester (1-0, 1.38 ERA) at 7:05 CT.
It turns out it was much worse than an ankle sprain. He also tore his ACL and LCL. That means he is done for the year. Three games in, and the Cubs were already down their second year slugger three games into the year.
This is a big loss for the Cubs. Last year he hit .246 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI in just 69 games with the Cubs last year. He was big last year. Without him, the Cubs only scored about three runs a game last year. He was supposed to play left field against right handers and catch Jason Hammel. Now, Jorge Soler will be thrust back into a starting spot in the outfield this year, and Hammel will have to pitch to either Miguel Montero or David Ross. Soler has had some problems at the plate dealing with breaking balls, and now he will have to learn as the starting right fielder.
Another thing to worry about with his injury is for his future. Will he be able to play the outfield now? How much power will he lose with this happening to his plant foot? We won't find out those answers until next year, and it is very concerning.
The Cubs took care of the Diamondbacks today 7-3 in Arizona. The Cubs took three out of four in a place where they usually struggle, and are 5-1. Tomorrow, the Cubs play their home opener against the surprising Reds who are 5-1 for a battle for first place early in the NL Central. It will be the Reds' Brandon Finnegan (0-0, 3.00 ERA) against the Cubs' Jon Lester (1-0, 1.38 ERA) at 7:05 CT.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Cubs Sweep Angels to Start Season
On Monday night, the wait for one of the most anticipated seasons of Chicago Cubs baseball got underway. This year they started off with a two game series against American League foe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
They got off to a fast start. To lead-off the game for the Cubs, Dexter Fowler pulled a grounder down the line for a double. After outs made by newcomers Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo came up to the plate with Fowler on third. He beat the shift and hit an RBI single up the middle for the early 1-0 lead. Then, the reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta took the mound and was right where he left off last year. He was masterful all day, going seven innings, giving up two hits, one walk, and struck out seven. He could've finished off the game, but with the Cubs having a comfortable lead and it being the first game of the season, they took him out.
The next runs came in a fourth inning outburst. After Rizzo and Kris Bryant both walked to start the inning, second year player Jorge Soler singled home Rizzo and advanced Bryant to third. Then, catcher Miguel Montero reach on an infield single that scored Bryant. In the top of the sixth, Montero hit a home run that scored Soler, making it a 6-0 lead. Then, in the top of the ninth, pinch-hitter Matt Szuzur hit a two-out bases loaded triple to end the scoring at 9-0, and giving the Cubs an Opening Day victory.
The next game was very similar to the first. Just like Garrett Richards the night before, the Cubs got to lefthander Andrew Heaney early. To lead off the top of the third after two quick scoreless innings, Szczur lead off the top of the third with a bomb to left to go up 1-0. Then, catcher David Ross, in his first at-bat of his last season, doubled. Then, Fowler reach on an infield single, and Heyward grounded into a fielder's choice giving him his first RBI as a Cub and driving in Ross. After Bryant flied out to left and Heyward tagged up, Rizzo hit a home run to straight away center field for his first and gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead. The Cubs extended that to 6-0 after a Fowler home run that scored Szczur. Jon Lester looked good, with a lot more junk on his pitches than last year. He went seven strong, giving up only a Craig Gentry RBI single to left.
This series couldn't have gone better. Mike Trout and Albert Pujols combined to go 0 for 15 with five strikeouts. That was against the best player in baseball and someone who was a Cub killer when he was in St.Louis. With that and the offense going off for 15 runs without Kris Bryant going hitless and Jason Heyward only collecting one is a good sign for the offense. The best start probably belongs to Fowler, who is hitting .625(five for eight) with one homerun and two RBI's. The biggest surprise goes to Matt Szczur, who is up for Javier Baez. Szczur is right up there with Fowler, perhaps even having a better start than Fowler. He is hitting .600 with one homerun and four RBIs.
The Cubs send out John Lackey against Rubby De La Rosa and the 1-2 Diamondbacks in Arizona tonight at 8:40 CST.
They got off to a fast start. To lead-off the game for the Cubs, Dexter Fowler pulled a grounder down the line for a double. After outs made by newcomers Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo came up to the plate with Fowler on third. He beat the shift and hit an RBI single up the middle for the early 1-0 lead. Then, the reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta took the mound and was right where he left off last year. He was masterful all day, going seven innings, giving up two hits, one walk, and struck out seven. He could've finished off the game, but with the Cubs having a comfortable lead and it being the first game of the season, they took him out.
The next runs came in a fourth inning outburst. After Rizzo and Kris Bryant both walked to start the inning, second year player Jorge Soler singled home Rizzo and advanced Bryant to third. Then, catcher Miguel Montero reach on an infield single that scored Bryant. In the top of the sixth, Montero hit a home run that scored Soler, making it a 6-0 lead. Then, in the top of the ninth, pinch-hitter Matt Szuzur hit a two-out bases loaded triple to end the scoring at 9-0, and giving the Cubs an Opening Day victory.
The next game was very similar to the first. Just like Garrett Richards the night before, the Cubs got to lefthander Andrew Heaney early. To lead off the top of the third after two quick scoreless innings, Szczur lead off the top of the third with a bomb to left to go up 1-0. Then, catcher David Ross, in his first at-bat of his last season, doubled. Then, Fowler reach on an infield single, and Heyward grounded into a fielder's choice giving him his first RBI as a Cub and driving in Ross. After Bryant flied out to left and Heyward tagged up, Rizzo hit a home run to straight away center field for his first and gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead. The Cubs extended that to 6-0 after a Fowler home run that scored Szczur. Jon Lester looked good, with a lot more junk on his pitches than last year. He went seven strong, giving up only a Craig Gentry RBI single to left.
This series couldn't have gone better. Mike Trout and Albert Pujols combined to go 0 for 15 with five strikeouts. That was against the best player in baseball and someone who was a Cub killer when he was in St.Louis. With that and the offense going off for 15 runs without Kris Bryant going hitless and Jason Heyward only collecting one is a good sign for the offense. The best start probably belongs to Fowler, who is hitting .625(five for eight) with one homerun and two RBI's. The biggest surprise goes to Matt Szczur, who is up for Javier Baez. Szczur is right up there with Fowler, perhaps even having a better start than Fowler. He is hitting .600 with one homerun and four RBIs.
The Cubs send out John Lackey against Rubby De La Rosa and the 1-2 Diamondbacks in Arizona tonight at 8:40 CST.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
MLB Opening Day
As the calendar flips from March to April, it's that time of year again, and it's one of the best times of year. It is Major League Baseball's Opening Day. Usually, there was one Sunday night game, and then the rest would play the next day. But, this year we got treated to three games on the first Sunday of the baseball season. So, we had to wait seven hours less than we did last year. Not much difference, but any cut into the wait is a good thing for baseball fans.
The three match-ups that we did get were pretty good ones. The first one was a divisional rivalry in the NL Central between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals in Pittsburgh. The offenses were almost shut down in this one. The scoring got started when the Pirate pitcher Francisco Liriano had a single, which is one more run than he actually gave up to the Cardinals. Adam Wainwright gave up three runs in six innings if work, so he was good, not great. Liriano had the same amount of innings but gave up zero wins and got the win.
Then, the game that was kind of forgotten about was the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays in Tampa Bay. Toronto got off to a hot start against Chris Archer off of a Edwin Encarnacion two run single. Marcus Stroman made the start for the Blue Jays, pitching eight innings and only allowing three runs off of six hits. The Rays got Hank Conger on third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth down 5-3, but they couldn't drive him home and get the tying run on base. 5-3 was the final score.
The big one was the Kansas City Royals against the New York Mets. The schedule came out in August, so this was a great coincidence. This was a rematch of the 2105 World Series, which the Royals won 4-1. It was Matt Harvey against Edinson Volquez, who pitched a great game in Game One after his father died,. Harvey also pitched Games 1 and 5 last year like Volquez did, and had a blod clot in his bladder and almost didn't pitch. At 4-3 with one out in the top of the ninth, runners were on the corners with one out. Closer Greg Holland struck out both David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes to get the tough save.
Twelve games tomorrow, including the Chicago Cubs (Arrieta) at Los Angeles Angels (Richards)
The three match-ups that we did get were pretty good ones. The first one was a divisional rivalry in the NL Central between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals in Pittsburgh. The offenses were almost shut down in this one. The scoring got started when the Pirate pitcher Francisco Liriano had a single, which is one more run than he actually gave up to the Cardinals. Adam Wainwright gave up three runs in six innings if work, so he was good, not great. Liriano had the same amount of innings but gave up zero wins and got the win.
Then, the game that was kind of forgotten about was the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays in Tampa Bay. Toronto got off to a hot start against Chris Archer off of a Edwin Encarnacion two run single. Marcus Stroman made the start for the Blue Jays, pitching eight innings and only allowing three runs off of six hits. The Rays got Hank Conger on third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth down 5-3, but they couldn't drive him home and get the tying run on base. 5-3 was the final score.
The big one was the Kansas City Royals against the New York Mets. The schedule came out in August, so this was a great coincidence. This was a rematch of the 2105 World Series, which the Royals won 4-1. It was Matt Harvey against Edinson Volquez, who pitched a great game in Game One after his father died,. Harvey also pitched Games 1 and 5 last year like Volquez did, and had a blod clot in his bladder and almost didn't pitch. At 4-3 with one out in the top of the ninth, runners were on the corners with one out. Closer Greg Holland struck out both David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes to get the tough save.
Twelve games tomorrow, including the Chicago Cubs (Arrieta) at Los Angeles Angels (Richards)
Penguins Stay Scorching Hot
I know so far that I have failed to blog about hockey this whole year that I have had this blog, but I'm doing it now. I don't have the best hockey knowledge, but I'm still going to talk about it.
The Pittsburgh Penguins had a great weekend, beating two Metropolitan Division rivals. First, on Saturday night, the Penguins beat the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center 6-0. Then, this afternoon they beat at home the rival Philadelphia Flyers 6-2. Combined, the Penguins beat two playoff contenders 12-2 in the same weekend. Both of these games came without starting goalie Marc-Andre Fluery, who missed both games with a concussion.
It has been an up-and-down year for the Penguins, who got off to a terrible start. They started off 0-3, recovered, but were under five hundred for a while in December and January. During that time, Mike Johnston was fired and got replaced by Mike Sullivan, which has turned into a great move.
On Tuesday, March 8th, the Penguins lost at the Islanders 2-1. They were 34-24-8 after that game, with 76 points, and were in a Wild Card spot. It didn't look like they were going to do much in the Playoffs, if they even made it. But, they ripped off six wins in a row against Metro opponents. This includes learning of Evgeni Malkin being called out for 6-8 weeks on March 12th. After losing those six, they lost a home dud against the New Jersey Devils 3-0. But, they continued to win, and have now won six in a row. This means they have won 12 of 13, and have picked up 24 points in that span. They now sit five points ahead for second place in the Metro over the Rangers, who the Penguins took two road games against during this 12-1 stretch. They are also seven points ahead of the Islanders, who still have five games left compared to the Penguins' three.
A big reason is Sidney Crosby. After a slow start, he is a big reason for the Penguins success. He has a point in 17 of 18 games, which is not a coincidence. He now has 82 points, including 33 goals and 49 assists. They are peaking at the right time, but injuries are a big problem. What will happen to Fluery? When will Malkin return? We will see as they gear up for the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Penguins had a great weekend, beating two Metropolitan Division rivals. First, on Saturday night, the Penguins beat the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center 6-0. Then, this afternoon they beat at home the rival Philadelphia Flyers 6-2. Combined, the Penguins beat two playoff contenders 12-2 in the same weekend. Both of these games came without starting goalie Marc-Andre Fluery, who missed both games with a concussion.
It has been an up-and-down year for the Penguins, who got off to a terrible start. They started off 0-3, recovered, but were under five hundred for a while in December and January. During that time, Mike Johnston was fired and got replaced by Mike Sullivan, which has turned into a great move.
On Tuesday, March 8th, the Penguins lost at the Islanders 2-1. They were 34-24-8 after that game, with 76 points, and were in a Wild Card spot. It didn't look like they were going to do much in the Playoffs, if they even made it. But, they ripped off six wins in a row against Metro opponents. This includes learning of Evgeni Malkin being called out for 6-8 weeks on March 12th. After losing those six, they lost a home dud against the New Jersey Devils 3-0. But, they continued to win, and have now won six in a row. This means they have won 12 of 13, and have picked up 24 points in that span. They now sit five points ahead for second place in the Metro over the Rangers, who the Penguins took two road games against during this 12-1 stretch. They are also seven points ahead of the Islanders, who still have five games left compared to the Penguins' three.
A big reason is Sidney Crosby. After a slow start, he is a big reason for the Penguins success. He has a point in 17 of 18 games, which is not a coincidence. He now has 82 points, including 33 goals and 49 assists. They are peaking at the right time, but injuries are a big problem. What will happen to Fluery? When will Malkin return? We will see as they gear up for the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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