Sunday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
Zach Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
The ace pitcher should start clearing a spot on his mantle for the AL Cy Young.
Greinke (15-8, 2.08 ERA) has been nothing short of dominant in his past six starts. Over that span, he has allowed just six earned runs over 43 innings. In his most recent start, a 5-1 win over Boston, he gave up only two hits over six innings. Opponents are batting just .228 against Greinke this season, who leads the AL in ERA and has pitched six complete games.
"I am biased," Trey Hillman, the Royals manager told the Associated Press. "Part of that bias is I've seen all his starts. I have a very difficult time believing there is anybody better in the major leagues, that's as good a pitcher as Zack Greinke is in the year 2009."
David Price (Tampa Bay Rays)
The Rays may finally have found their ace of the future.
Bearing with an up-and-down season, Price (9-7, 4.41 ERA) has won his past two decisions and finally is pitching like the star the team believed he was at the beginning of the year. In his past three outings – all quality starts – he has allowed just six earned runs in his past 19 2-3 innings. And Price says his best is yet to come.
"I did what I had to do," Price told the Associated Press. "I didn't have my good stuff and I was able to go out there and compete with what I did have and that's good."
Slumping
Matt Cain (San Francisco Giants)
It’s no surprise that the Giants have fallen off the pace for the NL Wild Card at the same time Cain has begun to struggle.
Cain (13-7, 2.99 ERA) has lost each of his past three starts and has given up at least four runs in three of his past four outings, seeing his ERA balloon by more than half a run. In his most recent outing, Cain was tagged for seven earned runs on eight hits in just 2 1-3 innings against the Rockies.
"It's been bad. All of us have not done what we wanted to do," Cain told the Associated Press. "It's very disappointing. I feel like I let a lot of guys down."
Patrick Misch (New York Mets)
The 28 year old has provided little more than batting practice for opposing lineups this year.
Misch (1-4, 5.59 ERA) was called up on August 25, but has failed to make an impact in the Big Apple. The left-hander has allowed at least four earned runs in each of his past three starts and has struggled to get past the sixth inning. In his most recent start, he gave up eight earned runs on seven hits, including three home runs, in just 1 1-3 innings against the Braves.
"I really threw bad pitches," Misch told the Associated Press. "I Just elevated, too much plate. The last two starts I haven't pitched down low."
Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Sunday, September 27
St. Louis at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EDT). The Cardinals face the Rockies in the finale of a weekend series and possible playoff preview. Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa (15-9, 4.42 ERA) is scheduled to face Kyle Lohse (6-8, 4.81).
STARS
Saturday
-CC Sabathia, Yankees, allowed one hit in seven innings to become the major leagues' first 19-game winner, and New York closed in on the AL East title with a 3-0 victory over Boston.
-Adam Wainwright, Cardinals, struck out 11 in eight innings to earn his 19th win and St. Louis clinched the NL Central crown with a 6-3 victory at Colorado, becoming the first big league team to win its division.
-Denard Span, Twins, had four hits and a career-high six RBIs to lead Minnesota past Kansas City 11-6 for its 11th victory in 12 games.
-Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, got four hits and drove in four runs, giving him at least 100 RBIs for the sixth consecutive season, and Detroit rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Chicago White Sox 12-5.
-Ryan Braun, Brewers, hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to give Milwaukee a 7-5 win over Philadelphia. It was Braun's 30th home run of the season and second career game-ending shot.
-Marlon Byrd, Rangers, homered twice, including a grand slam during an 11-run fifth inning that carried Texas to a 15-3 rout of Tampa Bay.
-Adam Lind, Blue Jays, homered twice, including a game-ending solo shot in the 10th inning that gave Toronto a 5-4 victory over Seattle.
-Chad Tracy, Diamondbacks, snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning that rallied Arizona to an 8-5 victory over San Diego.
SEE YOU IN OCTOBER AGAIN
The Dodgers locked up their fourth playoff appearance in six years, getting a two-run single from pinch-hitter Jim Thome during a four-run eighth inning that sent them to an 8-4 victory at Pittsburgh. Los Angeles manager Joe Torre is headed to the postseason for a record-tying 14th straight time - only Atlanta's Bobby Cox has accomplished the feat - after the NL West leaders assured themselves of at least the wild card.
ICHIRO IRRITATED
Seattle star Ichiro Suzuki was ejected for the first time in his career during a 5-4, 10-inning loss at Toronto. Suzuki was tossed for arguing a called third strike in the fifth inning. It was the first ejection this season for the Mariners and the first of Suzuki's career, including his years in Japan. Suzuki used his bat to draw a line on the outer edge of the plate, indicating that he thought strike three from David Purcey was outside. Plate umpire Brian Runge immediately ejected Suzuki, who argued briefly before being escorted off the field by manager Don Wakamatsu. Suzuki went 0 for 3, dropping his average to .353. He's second to Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer in the AL batting race.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Roger Clemens was back on a big league field before Houston hosted the Cincinnati Reds. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner looked like any proud father, setting up the video camera to record a big moment for his son. Koby Clemens received an award for being selected the Most Valuable Player of one of Houston's minor league teams. The elder Clemens had a small camera mounted on a mono-pod and spent much of his time taping the proceedings. Koby Clemens earned MVP honors for the Class-A Lancaster Jethawks. His .345 batting average and 121 RBIs topped all Astros minor leaguers this season.
COMING OFF THE BENCH
Sonia Sotomayor was right down the middle with her ceremonial pitch at Yankee Stadium. The newest Supreme Court Justice, a Yankees fan from the Bronx, threw out the first pitch before New York beat Boston 3-0. "She walked off, and I said, 'We'll be calling you next week with a contract,''' Yankees manager Joe Girardi recalled. "And she said she'd stick to her day job.'' Wearing a Yankees jersey, she was accompanied to the field by catcher Jorge Posada. Standing a bit in front of the mound, the right-hander took the stretch position, exhaled and threw on the fly to catcher Jose Molina.
GIANT COMPANY
The San Francisco Giants honored Jonathan Sanchez for his no-hitter against San Diego on July 10, hanging a plaque outside their ballpark next to similar tributes to departed home run king Barry Bonds, ex-closer Robb Nen and former ace Jason Schmidt. "Having this out there is amazing,'' Sanchez said before the ceremony. "Not everybody gets that. This is pretty special. I'm going to be there my whole life.'' Sanchez's gem was the first no-hitter by a Giants pitcher since John Montefusco accomplished the feat Sept. 29, 1976, at Atlanta.
A CRACK IN THE ARMOR
The AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels squandered a seven-run cushion and lost their fourth straight game with a 15-10 defeat against Oakland. The Angels were the only team in the majors that hadn't lost more than three in a row this season.
FOR THE BIRDS
Jhonny Peralta hit a game-ending single to give Cleveland a 9-8 win over Baltimore, extending the Orioles' losing streak to nine games. The Orioles, mired in their longest skid since dropping 10 straight Sept. 17-26, 2008, fell to 6-16 in September. Cleveland earned consecutive victories for the first time since Aug. 26-27. The Indians beat the Orioles 4-2 on Friday night to avoid tying the franchise record for consecutive losses at 12. Peralta got three hits after going 1 for 31 in his previous eight games.
FIGHT CLUB
Jorge Posada missed the New York Yankees' 3-0 win over Boston because of muscle spasms near his neck, an injury manager Joe Girardi said stemmed from knocks the catcher sustained during a brawl with Toronto on Sept. 15. Girardi said Posada's trapezius muscle had tightened up, preventing the switch hitter from swinging freely from the left side. ... New York also said A.J. Burnett will be pushed back one day in the starting rotation to Tuesday. That allows him to be with his father, who is scheduled for triple-bypass surgery Monday.
SPEAKING
"You don't want to mess with a team that's out of it like they are. A lot of guys over there are fighting for positions next year, and they come hungry. I'm not saying we don't, but they're starving. They're like hyenas right now. They're playing great baseball.'' - Angels center fielder Torii Hunter after the last-place Oakland Athletics rallied from a seven-run deficit to beat first-place Los Angeles 15-10 for their 11th win in 13 games.