Archives › Matthew Pouliot
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As everyone knows, the Cubs have been plagued by the “Curse of the Billy Goat” since 1945. Well, that and a lot of bad management and not all that much incentive to win since fans keep packing Wrigley Field regardless. But someone is taking this goat thing rather seriously, it seems. Dropped off at Gate…
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Including last year’s postseason, the Giants are riding a streak of 16 straight victories with Barry Zito on the mound. The left-hander pitched seven scoreless innings and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored Wednesday in a 10-0 drubbing of the Rockies. Zito posted a 1.69 ERA in his three postseason starts last year, and he’s…
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Cardinals sinkerballer Jake Westbrook recorded just the second complete game of the 2013 season Wednesday in a 10-0 rout of the Reds. It was his fourth career shutout. Westbrook pitched a five-hitter for his first shutout since 2006. He had two that year while pitching for the Indians: one against the Royals, the other against…
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Yeah, but new walls or not, it’s hard to slow down offensive juggernauts like the Astros and Mariners possess. In the second game in Safeco since the walls were brought in, those two teams combined for eight homers in a 16-9 Houston victory. Here’s the list: Houston Chris Carter x2 Jose Altuve J.D. Martinez Marwin…
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Finally getting to take out some frustration, the Astros racked up six runs and seven hits in the first Tuesday against Mariners starter Brandon Maurer, sending him to the showers after 36 pitches. It was a second straight rough outing for Maurer, who climbed over several pitchers this spring to win a spot in the…
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The Phillies crowd wasn’t happy to see Cliff Lee pulled one out away from his first complete game since 2011, but it was job well done for the left-hander, who moved to 2-0 after holding the Mets to three runs — two earned — in 8 2/3 innings. Lee last year didn’t get his first…
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UPDATE: X-rays came back negative on the wrist, leaving Quentin day-to-day. /// Ball-magnet Carlos Quentin was forced from Tuesday’s game between the Dodgers and Padres in the seventh inning after being hit in the right wrist by a Ronald Belisario sinker. Quentin started towards first base after the plunking, but he made it only a…
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Carlos Carrasco opened the 2013 season serving a six-game suspension he received for intentionally drilling Kansas City’s Billy Butler in 2011. Now he could well be looking at another one after seemingly intentionally drilling Kevin Youkilis following a Robinson Cano homer in the fourth inning Tuesday. Immediately after Cano drove a ball out to left…
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When Cardinals closer Jason Motte went down late last month after a poor spring, the team termed his injury a “mild strain” in his right elbow. Following a followup MRI on Tuesday, things sound much more ominous: #cardinals closer Jason Motte has been prescribed rest. Deadline of May 1. If he cannot advance he’ll have…
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Here we go again: the Tim Lincecum-Buster Posey pairing the Giants did their best to avoid throughout the second half of last season was supposed to be back on this year. Manager Bruce Bochy was very clear on that both over the winter and this spring. And, yet, Hector Sanchez will catch Lincecum for the…
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If the Angels had felt better about their bullpen, Garrett Richards likely would have opened the season in Triple-A as the team’s sixth starter. Since they didn’t, he was quickly emerging as a major league setup man. However, Jered Weaver‘s left elbow injury has changed all that, and the Angels announced that Richards would move…
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You’re not going to believe the call that ended the Rays-Rangers game
Apr 9, 2013, 12:40 AM EDT
Rangers closer Joe Nathan picked up his 300th career save Monday on a pitch that not even he fathomed was a strike. Rays manager Joe Maddon tweeted immediately afterwards: “That can’t happen in a major league game.” But it can and did in the Rangers’ 5-4 win over the Rays. In truth, it wasn’t nearly…
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Justin Upton, Paul Maholm an unbeatable combination for Braves
Apr 8, 2013, 11:54 PM EDT
Justin Upton went 4-for-4 and homered yet again while Paul Maholm pitched one-hit ball for seven innings in the Braves’ 2-0 defeat of the Marlins on Monday. Upton leads the majors six homers, one more than Seattle’s Mike Morse, and he also chipped in with his second double tonight. He scored both runs for the…
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Robinson Cano hit a pair of homers, doubled, walked and scored four runs Monday in the Yankees’ 11-6 win over the Indians. The game featured Travis Hafner hitting a three-run homer in his return to Cleveland. Hiroki Kuroda, who left his last start with bruised fingers after getting hit in the hand by a comebacker,…
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The joke was on Shin-Soo Choo for most of Monday’s Reds-Cardinals game, as the newly converted center fielder dropped a pair of Yadier Molina flyballs to give St. Louis three of its four runs. Then came the top of the ninth inning. With Cardinals closer Mitchell Boggs in a 4-4 game, the Reds exploded —…
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Daniel Nava was the unlikeliest major leaguer in any starting lineup today. And it’s safe to say a lot of Red Sox fans were disappointed to see him starting over Jackie Bradley Jr. in left field in the Fenway Park season opener. Nava, though, rewarded manager John Farrell’s show of faith with a homer over…
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Even though Josh Hamilton finished his return to Texas by going 3-for-5, the Rangers claimed the series Sunday night, beating the Angels 7-3. Unfortunately, Hamilton failed to come through when it would have made the biggest difference. After Yu Darvish opened the top of the first with a walk, a hit by pitch and another…
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Forced to dodge a Mitch Moreland liner back through the box, Jered Weaver twisted oddly and fell on his left (non-pitching) arm in Sunday’s game against the Rangers. The Angels are calling the injury a strained left elbow. X-rays were negative. They won’t know about his availability for his next start for a couple of…
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It’s safe to say that part of the reason Yu Darvish didn’t threaten another perfect game on Sunday night is because he wasn’t facing the Astros. The other reason is that the finger blister, that developed during Tuesday’s masterpiece, continued to bother him tonight and forced him from the game after five innings, Darvish opened…
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UPDATE: Rockies first-rounder David Dahl gets stripped of roster spot
Apr 7, 2013, 8:28 PM EDT
Update: Dahl explained the reasons for his getting bumped in a couple of tweets Sunday: In response to questions, I was sent to extended for missing a flight and for questions about attitude. I respect the Rockies decision and — David Dahl (@ddahl21) April 7, 2013 And will continue to improve as a player, teammate,…
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A’s dodge bullets after injuries to Josh Reddick, Brett Anderson
Apr 7, 2013, 7:25 PM EDT
X-rays were negative for both outfielder Josh Reddick and starter Brett Anderson after the A’s duo suffered injuries in Sunday’s win over the Astros, CSNBayArea.com’s Casey Pratt reports. Reddick was hurt when his right wrist slammed into the wall in foul territory as he went after a ball in the fifth inning. He immediately departed,…
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First of all, the Brewers are carrying 13 pitches, even though Ryan Braun can’t play because of a neck injury. That leaves them with a three-man bench that just doesn’t work in National League games. Second of all, the Brewers are carrying 13 pitchers. Why on earth is John Axford pitching a second inning in…
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Billy Butler had a grand slam, a two-run single and an RBI groundout to drive in a career-high seven runs as the Royals topped the Phillies 9-8 on Sunday. Butler’s slam off Cole Hamels was originally ruled a double, but it was correctly overturned on replay. The Royals won today despite going down 4-0 in…
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Will Middlebrooks hits three homers as Red Sox crush Blue Jays 13-0
Apr 7, 2013, 4:04 PM EDT
Third baseman Will Middlebrooks hit three homers and doubled Sunday in Boston’s 13-0 rout in Toronto. The 24-year-old Middlebrooks became the first player to hit three homers in a game this year, and he’s the youngest player to accomplish the feat since the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen on Aug. 1, 2009. He was the first member of the…
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A week after the Marlins shocked everyone by announcing his callup, 20-year-old Jose Fernandez allowed one run in five innings and struck out eight Mets in his major league debut Sunday. Fernandez, regarded as one of the game’s top five pitching prospects, was expected to spend the bulk of the season in the minors. In…
