Box Score Tonight: May 21

Doesn't the summer just bring a smile to your face =)

• A Blanton/Owings matchup screams offense and thats exactly what we had. J-Rol with a 4 hit game back in the leadoff spot. Utley and Ibanez continue to rake. Victoriano 'the flying hawaiin' has one of the worse UZRs in center field to find a flaw in the phils.
  
• Edwin Jackson is a converted position player, so it took him longer to learn how to pitch, and it appears he's figured it out. 3.24 FIP thanks to a walk rate half his career low. He threw 132 pitches tonight and was throwing 99 in the 8th. Granderson leads the tigers with 11 homers from the leadoff spot.
  
• Maybe the White Sox were just heart broken from being rejected by Jake Peavy, but they suffered the worst loss in franchise history losing by 19 to the Twins. Mauer hit grand slam and is hitting a homer every 9AB. The fantasy goat was Nick Punto despite 2 runs and an RBI.
• Grady Sizemore has gone from an MVP candidate to a number 2 hitter who sac bunts twice in the same game! I know they're facing Greinke, but as the Great Run Expectancy chart to the right states, it's never a good idea to give away outs. The Indians do take down the great Zack Greinke, while Victor Martinez leads all position players in VORP
• The A's took a 2 run lead into the 9th, manager chose to leave Andrew Bailey in the 9th for a second inning instead of the closer, oops! 3 run 9th wins it for the (Devil)Rays.
• Aaron Cook with a 20-4 groundball/flyball ratio in a complete game shutout. Todd Helton's grand slam provided the offense for the Rocks
• Joba can't stay healthy leaving in the 1st with a leg injury. Yanks had the pleasure of facing Adam Eaton who's era is sooo close to 9. I think a 9 era should have a special name like the mendoza line. Lets call it the "Adam Eaton" line.
• National bring up another youngster, Caig Stammen, who wasnt overly impressive in the minors nor was overly impressive in the majors. However, Z-pack and Dunn lead a 2 run comeback in the 8th and the game was closed by Joel Hanrahan. Is he finally the closer?
• The Red Sox keep rolling and are now just .5 games behind the Blue Jays. Jason Bay may end up being the far greater part of the Manny Ramirez deal. His .386 career wOBA is much lower than manny's .421, but Bay is entering the prime of his career. His defense is almost as horrible as Manny's with UZRs of -11, -18, -21 the past 3 years. Here is a really strange stat. Manny Ramirez has played 905 games in RF and 917 in LF. In right he has a UZR of 17.1, in left he has a UZR of -12. Explain that DME!
• Andrew Miller and Max Scherzer went back and forth with 9/10 K's respectively. Mark Reynolds hits the game winning 2 run homer and now has double digit homers and steals.
• Trevor Hoffman is off the charts. 11 for 11 in save opportunities and has yet to allow a run
• Cubs manage just 2 runs in a 3 game sweep to the Cardinals. Lou needs to take his old people medication and go off on this team. Baseball is not that hard. Wait until you get a pitch over the plate and put the barrel of the bat on the ball. The Cubs have been doing neither of those 2 things. God I wish I was the manager.
  
• More low scoring games on the west coast tonight. I really need to see stats that prove my theory that night games on the west coast are abnormally low scoring. Maybe it's the thick air off the pacific. Brian Wilson blows the win in the 9th and the Padres have won 6 staight. Break them up!!!
• Eric Bedard gives up 2 hits, both homers and takes the loss 3-0. Gary Matthews Jr. hits his first homer of the season. Well worth the 55 million for shizzle

Better have my donuts!