Dodgers avoid a sweep, beating the Giants, 2-1.

'Jays Kawasaki heads back to minors

CLEVELAND, Ohio, April 19 Kyodo

The Toronto Blue Jays said Friday that they will send down Munenori Kawasaki with the activation of shortstop Jose Reyes from the disabled list.

Kawasaki hit a game-tying single in the seventh inning of Toronto's 3-2 win against the Cleveland Indians on Friday. The 32-year-old utility infielder was 3-for-12 in three games since being called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.


The way he's going up and down they're going to change his nickname from "Mooney" to "Yo-Yo".

Dodgers beat the D-backs again, 4-1.

Tanaka runs his record to 3-0, goes 7 1/3, 2 earned runs, no walks, strikes out 7, Yankees pummel the Red Sox 9-3.

Ichiro went 2-for-4. Now hitting .371.

gaijinmark wrote:

Ichiro went 2-for-4. Now hitting .371.

Nice!

Dice-K the closer?

Dice-K picks up first save in Mets win

NEW YORK, April 24 (08:44) Kyodo

Daisuke Matsuzaka worked a perfect ninth inning for his first major league save on Thursday as the New York Mets topped the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1.

Matsuzaka, who had made three appearances in middle relief since the Mets called him up on April 16, took his first shot as closer after Bartolo Colon's seven-inning, one-run gem of a start and a scoreless eighth pitched by Carlos Torres and Scott Rice.

The 33-year-old right-hander retired the side in order, beginning with Cardinals outfielder Allen Craig, who lined out to right field. Daniel Descalso struck out chasing a full-count outside fastball, and pinch hitter Peter Bourjos popped out to the catcher in foul territory to end the game.

"I feel more relieved than happy (about getting my first save)," Matsuzaka said. "I thought it would be (Mets closer Kyle) Farnsworth pitching in the ninth.

"Since I came in with a lead, I knew that even if I gave up a run or two we could still win. I took the mound knowing I could be aggressive."

After the Mets' top choice at closer, Bobby Parnell, was sidelined in early April with a ligament tear requiring Tommy John surgery, Farnsworth won the job over Jose Valverde. Mets manager Terry Collins said that Farnsworth will remain the club's closer, with Matsuzaka available as a backup.

"I wanted to have Dice close today," Collins said. "I wanted to put him in that situation to get him used to it. It was a good opportunity to see how Dice handles it, and he did well.

"We have to realize there's going to be nights that someone else is going to have to close besides Farnsworth. The more guys you get accustomed to pitching in the ninth inning, the better chance you'll have.

"I think the more (Matsuzaka) is out there, the more confident he's going to become," Collins said.

Matsuzaka's only regular-season save in Japan came on May 9, 2000, during the second of his eight years with the Seibu Lions.

Must be something in the sake. Both Japanese starters pitch bad and get wins.

Tanaka goes 7 innings, gives up 8 hits (2 home runs) but the Yankees score 9 and beat Tampa Bay 9-3. (Ichiro went 2-for-4 with a double, now hitting .375)

Hisashi Iwakuma gets his first start of the year for Seattle goes 6 2/3, gives up 6 hits and 4 runs but his teammates were pummeling the Astros for 9 runs and Seattle held on to win 9-8.

I guess they got out the good sake.

On Thursday Iwakuma had his second start of the season went 8 innings gave up 4 hits struck out 7 as the M's beat Kansas City 1-0.

Friday night Tanaka had the average sake going 6 1/3 gave up 2 runs struck out 7 the Yankees beat Milwaukee 5-3. Tanaka is still undefeated now at 5-0.

Darvish had the ichiban sake. For the second time in his major league career he gets to two out in the 9th with a no hitter before giving up a hit.

Still struck out 12 as the Rnagers beat the Red Sox 8-0.

Dice-K picks up first win of season

NEW YORK, May 14 (16:10) Kyodo

Daisuke Matsuzaka won his first game of the season after pitching 3-2/3 innings of relief in the New York Mets' 12-7 victory over the Yankees on Tuesday.

It was Matsuzaka's longest outing of the year. In the second game of the Subway Series, he held the Yankees to one earned run on just one hit -- a solo shot to Yangervis Solarte.

Matsuzaka came on with one out in the fifth in place of an erratic Zack Wheeler, who departed after giving up five earned runs on seven hits and six walks.

"I didn't think I'd get in at that point in the game," said Matsuzaka, who struck out four and walked two. "We had a big lead so I expected to have a long outing."

"I was just trying to get outs, one by one. I need to produce right now, regardless of when I go out there."

In Seattle, the Mariners wasted a stellar outing from Hisashi Iwakuma, who allowed just four hits over eight scoreless innings in a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Closer Fernando Rodney blew it in the ninth with the Mariners up 1-0 as Iwakuma, who also threw eight shutout innings in his previous start, failed to pick up his third win of the season.

Iwakuma said he asked manager Lloyd McClendon to take him out of the game after the eighth.

"The manager asked me how I felt so I told him I had had enough," Iwakuma said. "My legs were stating to tire, and my season's only just begun."

Masahiro Tanaka gets his first complete game, goes the distance against the Mets giving up just four hits while striking out 8 as the Yankees win 4-0.

Maybe he really IS that good.

So what's this about Japanese coaches abusing their kids:

Dylan Fosnacht throws 194 pitches in 14 inning outing

A high school baseball player in Washington State threw 194 pitches over 14 innings Tuesday before being removed in the 15th inning of his team's eventual 1-0 victory in its district tournament.

Rochester High School starting pitcher Dylan Fosnacht struck out 17 and was pulled in the top of the 15th after the first two batters reached base. Dustin Wilson, who had been playing catcher, finished the 17-inning win over La Center High School and then pitched all seven innings of Rochester's second game that day, a 5-3 victory over Elma High School.

Fosnacht posted a picture of himself and Wilson on his Twitter account.

"I have never seen two guys take the mound and dominate like that for that long," assistant coach Kyle Sprague told MaxPreps.com. "I have both of those guys in class, and they both said that their arms were fine today."

Many states impose innings or pitch limits on high school athletes. However, an official with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association told ESPN.com that the only rule her organization has is that pitchers who throw four or more innings in a day must be given two days off before pitching again.

Former major leaguer pitcher Tommy John, who underwent the pioneering elbow ligament transplant procedure now known as Tommy John surgery, saw no reason for a prep player to throw that many pitches.

"The guy should lose his job. He should be fired right now," John told the AP. "He would be collecting his last paycheck if I were the athletic director, unless he was tenured."

gaijinmark wrote:

So what's this about Japanese coaches abusing their kids: Dylan Fosnacht throws 194 pitches in 14 inning outing A high school baseball player in Washington State threw 194 pitches over 14 innings Tuesday before being removed in the 15th inning of his team's eventual 1-0 victory in its district tournament. Rochester High School starting pitcher Dylan Fosnacht struck out 17 and was pulled in the top of the 15th after the first two batters reached base. Dustin Wilson, who had been playing catcher, finished the 17-inning win over La Center High School and then pitched all seven innings of Rochester's second game that day, a 5-3 victory over Elma High School. Fosnacht posted a picture of himself and Wilson on his Twitter account. "I have never seen two guys take the mound and dominate like that for that long," assistant coach Kyle Sprague told MaxPreps.com. "I have both of those guys in class, and they both said that their arms were fine today." Many states impose innings or pitch limits on high school athletes. However, an official with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association told ESPN.com that the only rule her organization has is that pitchers who throw four or more innings in a day must be given two days off before pitching again. Former major leaguer pitcher Tommy John, who underwent the pioneering elbow ligament transplant procedure now known as Tommy John surgery, saw no reason for a prep player to throw that many pitches. "The guy should lose his job. He should be fired right now," John told the AP. "He would be collecting his last paycheck if I were the athletic director, unless he was tenured."

The coach should be fired and never coach again.

The Good:

Hisashi Iwakuma goes to 3-0 pitches 8 innings as Seattle beats Texas 6-2. Lowers his already miniscule ERA to 1.76.

The Bad:

Masahiro Tanaka loses for the first time since August of 2012 giving up 4 runs in 6 innings as the Cubs beat the Yankees 6-1.

The Ugly:

At the Dodgers Triple-A team in Albuquerque Miguel Olivo bites off part of teammate Alex Guerrero's ear: http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/10961284/alex-guerrero-los-angeles-dodgers-involved-altercation-triple-teammate-miguel-olivo

Ichiro the pitcher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvp-kuAX5Bg#t=22

The good: Because they had to play a double header, Dice-K gets the start in game two goes 6 innings gives up just 3 hits gets the win as the Mets beat Arizona 4-2.

The better: Tanaka back on track, goes 6 2/3 strikes out 6, runs his record to 7-1 and the Yankees beat the White Sox 7-1.

The best: Josh Beckett pitches the first no-hitter of the season, Dodgers beat the Phillies 6-0.

gaijinmark wrote:

The best: Josh Beckett pitches the first no-hitter of the season, Dodgers beat the Phillies 6-0.

Too bad I couldn't watch it, 'cause it's exclusively on Time Warner Cable.

In the old days, Dodger away games were almost always on broadcast TV.

bmwracer wrote:

Too bad I couldn't watch it, 'cause it's exclusively on Time Warner Cable.

I read that with this current cable deal the Dodgers have fixed it so about 70% of the people in Los Angeles county can't watch Dodger games. There's a lot of finger pointing going back and forth.

Whoever came up with this idea should be or or

gaijinmark wrote:

I read that with this current cable deal the Dodgers have fixed it so about 70% of the people in Los Angeles county can't watch Dodger games. There's a lot of finger pointing going back and forth. Whoever came up with this idea should be or or

Absolutely.

Tanaka AL Pitcher of the Month

NEW YORK, June 4 (17:28) Kyodo

New York Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka has earned American League pitcher of the month honors for May, Major League Baseball said Tuesday.

In six starts, the 25-year-old righty went 5-1 with an ERA of 1.88 over 43 innings. He racked up 42 strikeouts against six walks, with opponents batting just .229 off him during the month. He is the first Japanese major league rookie to win the award since Hideo Nomo did so with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June 1995.

"I am happy. There are a lot of other pitchers so I didn't think that I would be chosen," said Tanaka. "When I found out, I was like, "'Wow I got it?' It's not an easy award to win, but I would like to do my best to win as many as possible."

Tanaka blanked the New York Mets for his first complete-game shutout in the majors on May 14. The Japanese ace closed the month with another commanding performance, limiting the Minnesota Twins to four hits and one unearned run over eight innings in a 3-1 win on May 31.

Among the league's starters who had pitched a minimum of 27 innings during the month, Tanaka tied for first in wins, came in second in ERA and third in strikeouts. He is the first Yankee pitcher to win the award as a rookie.

Former Dodger and Cy Young winner Bob Welch passes away at 57

ANAHEIM -- Former A�fs pitcher Bob Welch, who won 27 games in a Cy Young season with Oakland in 1990, died Monday night at age 57.

Welch passed away in Seal Beach, where he lived, and cause of death was not available according to the A�fs.

The news jolted many throughout the major leagues and especially hit home inside the A�fs organization.

"This is a sad day for the entire A's organization,�h said A�fs general manager Billy Beane, a teammate of Welch�fs in 1989. �gThose of us who knew Bob as a teammate and a friend will miss him greatly. My condolences go out to his family.�h

Welch, who went 211-146 in 17 major league seasons, spent his first 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers but joined the A�fs in 1988 and became a key figure in one of the greatest runs in franchise history.

Along with Dave Stewart and Mike Moore, he anchored a rotation that helped spur the A�fs to three consecutive American League pennants from 1988-90. He went 17-8 with a 3.00 ERA in 1989 and beat Toronto in Game 4 of the ALCS that season, as the A�fs went on to sweep the Giants in the World Series.

The next season, Welch dominated with a 27-6 record and 2.95 ERA that won him the Cy Young Award. The 27 victories are still an Oakland single-season record, and no major league pitcher since has broken the 25-win mark.

�gWe are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Bob Welch,�h A�fs president Michael Crowley said. �gHe was a legendary pitcher who enjoyed many of his best seasons with the Oakland A�fs. He will always be a significant part of our franchise�fs history, and we mourn his loss. We send our greatest sympathies to his family and friends.�h

Welch made an impact with the current A�fs squad as well. As recently as this spring, he served as a special instructor in Oakland�fs camp.