Starting this week, I'm debuting a new aspect to the blog, something I'll call simply "Around the League(s)." Every day, I'll go "Around the League" of any leagues in season - I'll recap scores and make a note about the game if anything remarkable happened. Every week, I'll go "Around the Leagues" - recapping the daily action like usual, but also touching base on any leagues not in season to keep you up-to-date on any draft, free agent, lockout or other off-season news.
Kershaw and Weaver duel it out in the Battle for Los Angeles.
I've been meaning to indulge more in MLB's lovely free telecast per day. It's a good way to broaden my baseball knowledge, after all, and besides that, I must say - MLB.TV is a rather solid service. I'm quite impressed and may yet subscribe this year. If not, I think I'm almost sure to next year. I can only hope the NHL online service is as good when I have need of it this fall. NFL - take note; it's a shame you don't offer similar, although I'm sure those fat TV contracts are a big part of why not.
Anyway, yesterday's televised game was an absolute pitching showcase as the Angels and Dodgers went at it in their interleague finale. The Angels had Jered Weaver on the mount and the Dodgers had a pitcher that this blog has talked about before on - Clayton Kershaw. Weaver is sparkling this year so far, with a 9-4 record and a 1.97 ERA. Kershaw remains impressive as well, his record increasing to 8-3 after last night and his ERA at 2.93.
The game was a 0-0 tie going into the seventh when the Angels took the lead on an RBI single. The Dodgers responded immediately in the bottom of the inning after Kershaw got on base (with his 11th hit of the season) and Tony Gwynn Jr. sent an RBI triple to center field that went careening off Vernon Wells' glove at the wall. Wells made up for his fielding in the top of the ninth when, still tied, he blasted a 2-out home run to the left field seats. The Dodgers, known for their ineffective ninth inning play of late, rallied this time, capitalizing on two walks, a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt to get baserunners on and moving. With two outs and runners at 2nd and 3rd, Aaron Miles hit a sacrifice fly that sent pinch-runner Dee Gordon flying towards home. A solid throw to the plate from the center fielder appeared to get to Angels catcher, Jeff Mathis, who was blocking the plate, in time, but Gordon was called safe. A tough call; it would have been the third out and the game. The next batter up - Tony Gwynn Jr. - lined a full-count pitch to right field to end the game in favor of the Dodgers.
Kershaw pitched a complete game - his second in a row and third this season - while striking out 11, walking 2, and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits. Kershaw also had the hit I mentioned above, raising his batting average to .297. Jered Weaver pitched seven innings, striking out 4 and walking 1. He allowed 1 run on 7 hits. Jordan Walden took the loss in the ninth inning for the Angels, giving up his fifth blown save of the year. With this game, Kershaw reclaimed the league lead in strikeouts, his tally moving up to 128. With the Dodgers and Angels playing another series next weekend, it's possible that the rotations might align these two stars again, most likely on Saturday, July 2nd - if so, it's well worth watching.
Around the Leagues - MLB:
Scores from last night include:
Detroit 8, Arizona 3 - Detroit takes the series on a 7-run eighth inning.
Philadelphia 3, Oakland 1 - Roy Halladay gets his 10th win and fifth complete game.
Boston 4, Pittsburgh 2 - Boston avoids a series sweep at Pittsburgh.
Baltimore 7, Cincinnati 5 - Baltimore takes the series on a day that saw 5 HRs hit.
Tampa Bay 14, Houston 10 - Longoria hits 2 HRs to help the Rays sweep the Astros.
NY Yankees 6, Colorado 4 - The Yanks win late on Old Timer's Day.
Milwaukee 6, Minnesota 2 - The Brewers sweep their once-again hapless AL rival.
Kansas City 6, Chi. Cubs 3 - The Royals take the series after a 4-run first inning.
Toronto 5, St. Louis 0 - Ricky Romero stellar in shutout to help the Jays sweep the Cards.
Washington 2, Chi. White Sox 1 - Espinosa's 2-run HR in the seventh gives the Nats the series win.
LA Dodgers 3, LA Angels 2 - Excellent pitcher's duel results in ninth-inning nail-biter, per above.
NY Mets 8, Texas 5 - Mets take series on strong outing by the 8-1 Dillon Gee.
San Francisco 3, Cleveland 1 - Baumgarner rebounds from his last performance to shutdown the Indians.
Seattle 2, Florida 1 - Dustin Ackley went 3/5 and scored the winning run in the 10th inning on a wild pitch.
San Diego 4, Atlanta 1 - Jonny Venters allows 4 in the eighth to sink the Braves.
Around the Leagues - NBA:
The NBA's collective bargaining agreement expires on June 30th and it appears that the players and the owners are headed towards a lockout. While there seems to be less vitriol being passed around than there was immediately before the NFL lockout began, I believe the NBA has a greater number of significant issues at hand and would not be surprised to see their lockout threaten the 2011-12 season.
Around the Leagues - NFL:
Lockout is still on, with no relief in sight yet. We've got about two more weeks for something to happen before the 2011 season starts to lose games.
Around the Leagues - NHL:
With the NHL Draft behind us, we look towards free agency, which begins on July 1st. Some of the most notable free agents are as follows:
Brad Richards (C) - the best player currently on the Stars roster, they clearly mean to let him go. He's 31 and would be a major boost to any Cup contender or mid-tier team that can afford him. He is the biggest prize of the crop.
Andrew Brunette (LW) - he may be 37, but he played all 82 games of the past two seasons and continues to produce, with 107 points in those two seasons. His talent and dedication is lost on a team like the Wild, but he might be invaluable to a Cup contender looking for a productive, reliable 2nd (or even 3rd) line wing.
Ville Leino (LW) - I loved watching Leino's rise in Detroit, mostly during the 2008-09 playoffs, where it was evident that he had some good hockey IQ. While not the most productive player (only 53 points last season), he tends to make his presence felt and always be near the puck. He's only 27 and still improving. He'll make whatever team signs him the better for it.
Kevin Bieksa (D) - Might be the best overall defenseman in free agency. He looked great for the Canucks and posted a +32 rating on the season. And how can you not like a guy who has a Gordie Howe hat trick in the Conference Finals?
Christian Ehrhoff (D) - Another Canucks defenseman, Ehrhoff is 28 and coming off the best season of his career, with 50 points and a +19 rating. He posted a +32 rating last season, evidence of his growing stability and maturity on the blue line.
Ed Jovanovski (D) - At 35, Jovanovski still proves to be as gritty as he ever was. Although he's seen less game-time over the last two years due to injury, he will likely be in demand due to his experience. Jovanovski would fit best on a Cup contender where he can bolster their second D-line pairing. A veteran of the game, I have no doubt he itches for a better shot at the Cup than Phoenix has given him.
Roman Hamrlik (D) - At 37, Hamrlik appears to be continuing the trend of ironman defensemen, as he's played over 70 games in each of the past five seasons and averages 30 points. He's as reliable as they come and has been a positive impact on every team he's played for. If the Canadiens don't re-sign him, he would be of value to any team looking to shore up their blue line for a year or two while younger players develop.
Dwayne Roloson (G) - The 41-year old Roloson had a surprise stand-out year for the Lightning, guiding them deeper into the playoffs than anyone expected. I'd be surprised if GM Steve Yzerman lets him go, but we'll see.
Tomas Vokoun (G) - Vokoun was an All-Star in Nashville and still maintained a high save percentage in Florida. At 34, there's no reason Vokoun can't still contribute at a high level to a team with goal-tending needs.
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