Archives › Matthew Pouliot
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It’s case closed for the Jorge Posada drama, as the Yankees said Sunday that there would be no discipline for the five-time All-Star after he asked out of Saturday’s lineup for the game against the Red Sox. Posada had face-to-face conversations with both GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi on Sunday, apologizing to each.…
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It’s just not happening for Javier Vazquez. In allowing six runs over four innings Sunday in a loss to the Nationals, his ERA jumped to 7.55. Even when Vazquez has struggled in the past, it’s usually come with a respectable or better WHIP. This year, he’s at 1.91. He’s struck out just 20 batters and…
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As suspected, the Yankees are holding Jorge Posada out of Sunday’s lineup after the drama that ensued last night. Posada probably would have been on the bench regardless. He’s been sitting against a lot of left-handers, and he’s just 4-for-21 with no extra-base hits lifetime against Red Sox starter Jon Lester. Posada talked to the…
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4:30 p.m. EDT: Jose Batista grounded out to shortstop with a man on and two outs in the eighth. Unless the Blue Jays can send nine men to the plate in the ninth (or the Twins score eight runs to tie the game at 11), he’s done for the day at three homers. /// Jose…
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This might be even less likely than Ned Yost becoming an astronaut. As the keynote speaker Saturday at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center Gala (trust us, if you have a chance to go once in your life, do so), Pete Rose said he still hopes to manage a major league team. The 70-year-old Rose,…
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Josh Beckett entered Saturday’s game with a fine 11-7 career record against the Bombers, but it certainly hasn’t been easy. His ERA stood at 5.90, and he had given up 24 homers in 23 starts. That’s why the Red Sox have to be thrilled about just how outstanding Beckett has been in two starts versus…
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Unfortunately, none of us 20- and 30-something bloggers at HardballTalk ever got to see Harmon Killebrew play. I just remember his all-time name near the top of the all-time home run leaderboard. Killebrew. As an avid collector as a youngster in the late-80s, I recall being excited to get his 1975 Topps card. That colorful set…
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Former major leaguer Michael Aubrey hit four homers and drove in seven runs in four at-bats for Triple-A Syracuse in an 11-0 win over Durham on Saturday. It was a pretty stunning outburst for the 29-year-old Aubrey, who entered with no homers and just one double in 59 at-bats this season. He was hitting .203/.319/.288…
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Brandon League still Seattle’s closer after four straight losses
May 14, 2011, 5:44 PM EDT
After going 9-for-9 saving games to begin the season, Brandon League just turned in maybe the worst week a closer has ever had, taking losses in four straight appearances and blown saves in each of the last three. Overall, he gave up 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings over four appearances. He became the first…
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Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino exited Saturday’s game in the eighth inning with hamstring soreness and said afterwards that he doesn’t expect to play Sunday. According to Todd Zolecki on Twitter, Victorino said he didn’t think a DL stint would be necessary. However, he is likely to miss a couple of days due to the…
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Jorge Posada asks out of lineup after Yankees drop him to ninth
May 14, 2011, 4:17 PM EDT
9:20 p.m. EDT: Sources told FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal that Posada asked out of the lineup due to back stiffness, contradicting pretty much everything that’s come out over the last hour and a half. Maybe there’s some truth to it, but it sounds like spin. In speaking with reporters just before 8 p.m., GM Brian Cashman…
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Mike Leake will make his minor league debut within the next few days after the Reds chose to demote him, rather than Edinson Volquez, to open up a spot on the roster for Jose Arredondo on Saturday. Leake, the eighth overall pick in 2009, became the first draftee to skip the minors and go straight…
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Taking the rivalry a bit too seriously perhaps, the low Single-A Greenville Drive and Charleston River Dogs had it out Friday night, brawling after the second pitch of the game. Baseball America’s Ben Badler said there was some lingering bad blood from a series between the teams three weeks ago, so when Red Sox prospect…
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Cameron Maybin isn’t exactly taking to San Diego just yet, but he does appear to be fulfilling his potential with the Padres after coming from the Marlins for a pair of relievers over the winter. Maybin went 4-for-4 with two homers Friday against the Rockies at Coors Field, giving him five homers and a .273/.348/.453…
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The Red Sox moved to 3-1 against the Yankees this year behind a strong effort from Clay Buchholz and homers from Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis in a 5-4 win. Buchholz, who carried in a 6.25 ERA in six career starts against the Bombers and who took the loss in Boston’s lone defeat at Fenway…
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Justin Verlander loses bid to match Vander Meer in the sixth
May 13, 2011, 8:24 PM EDT
8:32 p.m. EDT: Melky Cabrera broke up the bid with two outs in the sixth. After Alcides Escobar walked with one out, Chris Getz hit a grounder that likely would have been an inning-ending double-play ball, except for that Escobar was off with the pitch. Verlander then left a changeup up to Cabrera, who pounded into the…
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May 13, 1911 After future Hall of Famer Christy Matthewson pitched a scoreless top of the first against the Cardinals, the New York Giants lineup came out and scored 10 times before making an out on the way to a 19-5 victory. The Giants started the game with a two singles, a two-run triple and…
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Rockies send Ian Stewart back down to make room for Ty Wigginton
May 13, 2011, 6:44 PM EDT
Six at-bats later, he’s gone. Ian Stewart was demoted back to Triple-A Colorado Springs for the second time this year Friday, opening up a spot for the returning Ty Wigginton. Manager Jim Tracy said after last Sunday’s game that Stewart was “either going to play his way in or play his way off the team.”…
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Participating in batting practice for the first time since suffering a broken humerus, Josh Hamilton took 40-50 swings without incident Friday, the Dallas Morning News reports. Hamilton said he “let it go pretty good” during the sesson in Arlington. He’s expected to take batting practice again tomorrow. The plan is for Hamilton to have another…
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Ryan Dempster has to be feeling pretty good about himself at this point. He struck out 11 Friday in beating the Giants. It was his third straight quality start, as he allowed a total of two runs in six innings. And lowered his ERA to 6.71. That’s how bad Dempster’s April was. He gave up…
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25 years ago today: Angels rookie Wally Joyner hits 11th, 12th homers
May 12, 2011, 6:45 PM EDT
A brief trip back to “Wally World.” 23-year-old first baseman Wally Joyner was probably the biggest story of the early part of the 1986 season, hitting homer after homer on his way to becoming the first rookie voted into the All-Star Game. And it was a big surprise. Joyner was well regarded as a prospect…
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Jason Heyward may get the weekend off, but he’s not expected to go on the disabled list after an MRI Thursday showed only inflammation and no structural damage in his right shoulder. Heyward received a cortisone shot and is expected to take at least two days off. He could be used as a pinch-hitter tonight…
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I was wrong a year ago: I thought the Cubs made a mistake by keeping Tyler Colvin based on his strong spring. Given his lack of plate discipline, I figured he’d be back in the minors by May 1 and I had serious doubts that he’d ever make much of a contribution to the cause.…
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Six weeks in, Reid Brignac finally collects an extra-base hit
May 12, 2011, 3:15 PM EDT
Rays shortstop Reid Brignac is on the board. In the team’s 37th game of the season, he hit a two-run double off the Indians’ Justin Masterson on Thursday, giving him his first extra-base hit in 83 at-bats this season. The 25-year-old Brignac entered the game hitting — and slugging — .183. Brignac’s first extra-base hit…
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Eric Hosmer homers, knocks in go-ahead run as Royals top Yankees
May 12, 2011, 12:25 AM EDT
Batting third in just his fifth major league game, Eric Hosmer played the hero for the Royals on Wednesday, hitting his first major league homer and delivering a sac fly in the top of the 11th as part of a 4-3 win over the Yankees. Hosmer’s fourth-inning homer gave the Royals their only run in…
