Tag Archives: Cardinals

04 Oct

been there, done that

Lance Lynn, the former Ole Miss standout, gets the ball tonight for St. Louis with a chance to drop the hammer on the Los Angeles Dodgers. After their stunning comeback against Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium on Friday, the Cardinals are up 1-0 in the National League Division Series. If they head back to St. Louis with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5, it’s all but over. Lynn, who went 15-10, 2.74 ERA this season, faced LA twice in 2014. In a July 18 game at Busch Stadium, he beat them, allowing just four hits and two runs over six innings. In a June 28 game in Dodger Stadium, he didn’t fare so well. Lynn lasted just two innings, allowing nine hits, two walks and seven runs (six earned). Zack Greinke, who starts tonight for the Dodgers, was the winner in that 9-1 game. Lynn doesn’t lack for postseason experience; this will be his 22nd appearance over the past four years. He has both started and relieved, compiling a 5-4 record and 4.81 ERA. One of his wins came against the Dodgers, in LA, last Oct. 15 in the Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, which the Cards won in six. If there is a troubling aspect on Lynn’s ledger it might be that he failed four times to get win No. 16 down the stretch this season as the Cardinals were fighting to win the NL Central title. P.S. McComb’s Jarrod Dyson was at it again on Friday, this time using his arm to help Kansas City take a 2-0 lead in its American League Division Series against the LA Angels. Dyson, freshly inserted as a defensive replacement in center field in a 1-1 game, threw out a runner at third base in the eighth inning to complete a double play. “I assume they thought I don’t have a good arm,” the ex-Southwest Mississippi Community College star said in a TV interview. Ned Yost’s Royals won 4-1 in 11 innings, their third straight extra-inning postseason victory. Dyson, as a pinch runner, contributed a stolen base and a key run in the wild card game against Oakland on Tuesday. … Ole Miss product Aaron Barrett, a righty reliever, made Washington’s postseason roster but didn’t get into Game 1 of the NLDS on Friday as the Nationals lost at home to San Francisco.

27 Sep

central casting

Kansas City, managed by former Jackson Mets catcher Ned Yost and with Mississippi natives Jarrod Dyson and Louis Coleman on its roster, celebrated — quite exuberantly, it should be noted — its first playoff berth in 29 years on Friday after beating the White Sox 3-1 in Chicago. The Royals, currently in a wild card position, can still win the American League Central title outright, and they can give some thanks to Brian Dozier, the former Southern Miss star from Tupelo, for that. Dozier, with Minnesota, went 3-for-5 with a home run (No. 22), three RBIs and three runs to spark the visiting Twins to an 11-4 win over AL Central leader Detroit. The Tigers are 89-71, up just one game on the 88-72 Royals with two left in the regular season. … St. Louis can clinch the National League Central title today with a win at Arizona and a loss by second-place Pittsburgh at Cincinnati. Ex-Ole Miss standout Lance Lynn is on the bump for the Cardinals. He is 15-10 with a 2.73 ERA and can notch his 50th career win today. Lynn and the Cardinals could get some help from UM product Zack Cozart and Taylorsville High alumnus Billy Hamilton, who suit up for the Reds. Hamilton’s status for today is unclear; the rookie outfielder suffered a mild concussion making a sensational catch on Wednesday and has not played since. P.S. Congratulations to Steve Knight, the William Carey University basketball coach and a onetime USM baseball player, on his election to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

17 Sep

as the dust clears

Buck Showalter and his Baltimore Orioles celebrated an American League East championship after beating visiting Toronto 8-2 on Tuesday night. It’s the first division crown for the O’s since 1997. Former Mississippi State standout Showalter will make his fourth foray into the postseason as an MLB skipper looking for another elusive achievement. For all his success (.521 winning percentage) in various places, Showalter has yet to win a postseason series. … In Atlanta, former MSU star Tyler Moore and Ole Miss product Aaron Barrett got to celebrate as Washington clinched the National League East with a 3-0 win over the Braves. … In the role of spoiler, Meridian Community College alumnus Corey Dickerson went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs to lead Colorado to a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose NL West lead over San Francisco slipped to 3 games. Dickerson is batting .307 (he’d be in the top five in the batting race if he had enough plate appearances) with 23 bombs, 73 RBIs, 70 runs, 27 doubles, five triples and eight stolen bases. … Former Mississippi Braves star Charlie Morton, making his first start in a month because of injury issues, threw five shutout innings for Pittsburgh, which beat Boston 4-0 and boosted its postseason hopes. Morton is 6-12 with a 3.72 ERA for former Jackson Mets manager Clint Hurdle’s Bucs, who are just 2 1/2 games back of St. Louis in the NL Central. … Wasting a great start (one run in seven innings) by ex-Ole Miss standout Lance Lynn, the Cardinals lost to Milwaukee 3-2 in extra innings. … M-Braves alumnus Craig Kimbrel is Atlanta’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, ex-M-Brave Todd Redmond is Toronto’s and Morton is Pittsburgh’s.

12 Sep

life’s a pitch

You want good pitching … you need good pitching … especially in the heat of the playoff race. But good isn’t always rewarded; such is the fickle nature of baseball. Both Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn and ex-Picayune High standout T.J. House were good on Thursday. Only one could smile at day’s end. Firing furious fastballs at Cincinnati’s hitters, veteran right-hander Lynn went eight innings for St. Louis. He allowed just three hits (one by Billy Hamilton) and one run, struck out six and walked one. But the Cardinals, clinging to first place in the National League Central, were shut out by Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman. Lynn took the loss in the 1-0 game and is now 15-9 with a 2.73 ERA. Plying pinpoint placement against Minnesota, rookie left-hander House went seven innings for Cleveland. He allowed just four hits (one by Brian Dozier) and no runs with eight strikeouts and no walks. The Indians, trying to chase down an American League playoff berth, scored two runs and House got the victory, in Game 2 of a twinbill sweep, to improve to 3-3, 3.42. (For what it’s worth, House became the first Cleveland pitcher ever to go at least seven innings and allow one run or less with no walks in three consecutive starts.) “It’s really exciting to watch his development,” Indians manager Terry Francona told mlb.com. P.S. Former Harrison Central star Bobby Bradley was named the rookie level player of the year for 2014 by Baseball America. Bradley, an Indians farmhand, batted .361 with eight homers and 50 RBIs in the Arizona League. Also making BA’s classification all-star teams were Ole Miss product Auston Bousfield (Padres) in short-season Class A; former Mississippi State star Kendall Graveman (Blue Jays) in high Class A; and ex-Mississippi Braves closer Chasen Shreve in Double-A.

09 Sep

comes a time

October gets the hype, but heroes can be made in September, as well. There are a handful of Mississippians on teams that are still contending for MLB playoff berths. Some hold prominent positions, some just occupy supporting roles. But you never know who the moment will find or when it’ll happen. That’s what makes the playoff push so compelling. In the heated American League Central race, outfielder Jarrod Dyson (Southwest Mississippi Community College) and right-hander Louis Coleman (Pillow Academy) are trying to help Kansas City make the postseason for the first time since 1985. Among the teams trying to catch the first-place Royals is Cleveland, which has found a reliable starting pitcher in lefty T.J. House (Picayune High). Oakland, still in the hunt in the AL West as well as the wild card race, has a stable full of quality arms, including left-hander Drew Pomeranz (Ole Miss), who can start or relieve in a pinch. Toronto, still standing in the AL wild card scrap, brought up minor league sensation Kendall Graveman (Mississippi State) to help in its bullpen. Graveman (see previous post) gave up a hit and a run in his MLB debut on Sept. 5. (Incidentally, he became the 25th Mississippi-connected player to appear in the big leagues in 2014.) In the National League, Washington may just be the best team out there, and Mississippians Tyler Moore (Mississippi State) and Aaron Barrett (UM) are contributing, Moore as a right-handed slugger off the bench and Barrett as a righty out of the pen. And for St. Louis, still in a dogfight in the NL Central, Lance Lynn (Ole Miss) already has won 15 games and will get the call in several more big ones. P.S. Desmond Jennings, the Itawamba CC product, may be shut down by Tampa Bay because of a nagging knee problem. Jennings hasn’t played since Aug. 28, and the Rays are fading fast from postseason contention. … A pair of Mississippi natives are on opposing sides in the Double-A Eastern League Championship Series. Jackson native and ex-Ole Miss star Cody Satterwhite has a 2.33 ERA and 15 saves for the Binghamton Mets, while Tupelo native and former MSU standout Chris Stratton (1-1, 3.52 in five starts) got the win for Richmond (Giants) in its division series clincher. … Houston native and Ole Miss alum Justin Henry (.251 in 73 games) is playing for Triple-A Pawtucket (Red Sox), which is in the International League finals.

01 Sep

all about arms

The lights were bright, the stage was big and T.J. House, the pride of Picayune High, rose to the occasion. On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, before a sell-out crowd at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium, in a key American League Central contest, rookie left-hander House worked seven innings for Cleveland, allowing one run on five hits with no walks. He stood to get the win, which would have been his third of the year, but the Indians’ bullpen blew the save in the ninth. Cleveland scored twice in the 10th to take a 4-2 lead before the game was suspended because of weather. It’ll be resumed in Cleveland on Sept. 22. … Among the marquee games today is Pittsburgh at St. Louis, with former Ole Miss star Lance Lynn taking the mound for the Cardinals, who have caught Milwaukee in the National League Central race. Pittsburgh is hanging on in third place. Lynn is 14-8 with a 2.79 and is trying to become only the second pitcher in MLB to win at least 15 games in each of the last three seasons. … In Atlanta on Sunday, former Mississippi Braves standout Alex Wood delivered perhaps his best career outing in the Braves’ 1-0 win over Miami. Wood went eight innings, allowed five hits and no walks and fanned 12. Then ex-M-Braves closer Craig Kimbrel blew through the Marlins in the ninth for his 41st save. Former M-Braves Phil Gosselin, Freddie Freeman and Andrelton Simmons combined to go 7-for-11, but the only hit that produced a run for Atlanta was a home run (No. 21) by another ex-M-Braves star, Evan Gattis. Oh yeah, and former M-Braves right fielder Jason Heyward made yet another great catch. Doesn’t it seem like he does that everyday? … At Huntsville today, in the Double-A Southern League, the current M-Braves will pin their postseason hopes on right-hander Mitch Atkins (6-1, 3.56). The M-Braves need to beat Huntsville and get help from Mobile, which will try to halt Jacksonville’s nine-game win streak. If the Suns (a Miami affiliate) win again, they’ll also win the SL South. If the M-Braves do make the postseason, they’ll play at home on Saturday (Sept. 6) in the division series.

21 Aug

numbers to crunch

5 1/3 — Shutout innings hurled on Wednesday by former Picayune High standout T.J. House, who notched his second win for Cleveland in a victory against Minnesota and lowered his ERA to 3.80 in 13 appearances as a rookie.
6 — Current hitting streak for Ole Miss product Seth Smith, who banged out two more for San Diego against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The streaky Smith, on another roll, is batting .364 over his last 10 games and is at .297 for the season.
8 — Outfield assists for Taylorsville High alum Billy Hamilton, who got one for Cincinnati against St. Louis, completing a double play after making a diving catch in right-center. Hamilton has been involved in three DPs and has just one error.
14 — Wins for ex-UM star Lance Lynn, who went seven strong innings for St. Louis to beat Cincinnati 7-3. Lynn is 14-8 with a 2.78 ERA in 26 starts.
20 — Stolen bases for former Southern Miss standout Brian Dozier, who reached that number for Minnesota against Cleveland and matched his home run total for the year.
30 — Saves for Mississippi State product Jonathan Papelbon, the Philadelphia closer who nailed down a 4-3 win against Seattle with a scoreless ninth. Papelbon has a 1.55 ERA.
70 — Hits for former Rebels star Chris Coghlan, who got one for the Chicago Cubs against San Francisco. The oft-injured Coghlan, batting .273, has his most hits in an MLB season since 2010.

20 Aug

bigger fish

About this time in 1999, Lance Lynn was toeing the rubber in the Little League World Series. Former Ole Miss star Lynn, one of 12 players to participate in both MLB’s Fall Classic and the LLWS (Hattiesburg’s Charlie Hayes is another), has bigger things on his mind today. The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander faces Cincinnati at Busch Stadium in another in a series of crucial games for National League Central clubs. The Cardinals are 68-57 and in hot pursuit of first-place Milwaukee. The Reds, who’ll throw ace Johnny Cueto today, are trying to stay alive in the playoff race, having lost four in a row to fall to 61-65. Lynn is 13-8 with a 2.91 ERA for the year and has a 1.97 in his last eight starts. The lineups for today’s game haven’t been posted yet, but Lynn is likely to face Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton (1-for-6 vs. Lynn) and his former Rebels teammate Zack Cozart (0-for-6 this year, 6-for-23 career). Often overshadowed on the St. Louis pitching staff, Lynn is building a very nice resume. He is 47-26 for his career with a 3.57 ERA. And he has a World Series ring, the MLB variety. P.S. Former Mississippi Braves hurler J.J. Hoover might be hoping for a day off. Now a reliever for the Reds, Hoover pitched a disastrous ninth inning against the Cardinals on Tuesday and absorbed his 10th loss of the year. That ties a team record for losses by a reliever. It was also his 10 straight loss, which is a franchise record.

10 Jul

sounds like a yes

Under the category of “Duh,” we have this: When asked about whether he would welcome a trade from Philadelphia, the unabashed Jonathan Papelbon reportedly replied: “Some guys want to stay on a losing team?” Former Mississippi State star Papelbon racked up his 22nd save on Wednesday night as the Phillies (40-51, last in the National League East) beat Milwaukee 4-1. He reduced his ERA to 1.24 and has just two blown saves. Papelbon, who recently topped the 300 career save mark, is in the third year of a 4-year, $50M contract (with an option in 2016), which might make him hard to deal. Still, a quality closer is a valuable commodity in September and beyond. P.S. On the topic of trades, former MSU standout Tyler Moore might be a chip that NL East leader Washington can throw in. Moore is batting .305 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 34 games at Triple-A Syracuse; there appears to be no room for him (other than as a pinch hitter) with the Nationals. … Ole Miss product Seth Smith, who recently got a new contract from San Diego, hit his 10th home run on Wednesday; the Jackson native has reached double digits in five of his six full MLB seasons. … Ex-UM star Lance Lynn notched his 10th win as St. Louis beat Pittsburgh 5-2 in an NL Central showdown. … Ole Miss alum Chris Coghlan saw his nine-game hit streak end in the Chicago Cubs’ 4-1 loss to Cincinnati. But over his last 10 games, Coghlan is batting .400 with two homers, six RBIs and 10 runs. … Taylorsville product Billy Hamilton has seven hits, three walks, seven RBIs, three runs and two steals in the four games (all wins) of the Reds’ current five-game series with the Cubs. However, Hamilton left Wednesday’s game with a tight hamstring and could sit today’s series finale. … Meridian Community College product Corey Dickerson (hitting .327) sat out Colorado’s game on Wednesday with a sore left wrist. … If the Cardinals have to put catcher Yadier Molina (thumb) on the disabled list, former MSU star Ed Easley, now at Triple-A Memphis, might get that long-awaited first call-up. Easley, on a recent tear, is batting .259 with five homers and 20 RBIs. … The MLB DL includes Mississippians Cliff Lee, Mitch Moreland (out for the season), Drew Pomeranz and Alex Presley, and down in the minors, ex-East Central CC standout Tim Anderson is out (possibly until mid-August) with a broken right wrist. The Chicago White shortstop prospect is batting .297 with six homers, 31 RBIs and 10 steals at high Class A Winston-Salem.

05 Jul

fireworks

Mississippians do love fireworks. And Mississippians in the majors did their part to contribute to the noise on the Fourth of July, cracking out eight hits on the day, two of them bombs, and getting some sizzle from the mound, as well. Eight Magnolia State-connected position players got into games on Friday and collectively went 8-for-26 (.308) with the two home runs, three RBIs and nine runs. A pretty good day to be sure, and consider that the state’s best hitter, Meridian Community College alum Corey Dickerson (.337), did not play for Colorado, the left-handed slugger sitting against Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw. Itawamba CC’s Desmond Jennings sparkled with a three-hit game, and he also scored three times for Tampa Bay. Ole Miss product Chris Coghlan scored three for the Chicago Cubs and went 2-for-4, raising his average to .219. Ex-Southern Miss star Brian Dozier smoked a home run (No. 16) for Minnesota, and Taylorsville High product Billy Hamilton lit off one (No. 5) for Cincinnati. Former Ole Miss standout Seth Smith went 1-for-3 with a run for San Diego. UM alum Zack Cozart of the Reds had the only real dud of a day, going 0-for-4 — though his team did win its game. Former Rebels star Alex Presley was 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter for Houston, and Southwest Mississippi CC product Jarrod Dyson got in late for Kansas City, as he often does, as a defensive replacement. Ex-Ole Miss ace Lance Lynn provided the pitching sparks, throwing 6 2/3 shutout innings for St. Louis in a victory over Miami. Lynn has nine W’s on the year. For the day, this Mississippi nine helped their clubs go 6-2. Now that’s a blast.