It Can't Rain All the Time

- lots of rain delays, and postponements, due to inclement weather today. But really, I'm just using the rain as an excuse to bust out that song title and bitch about Bradley Cooper being cast as the lead in the Crow remake. I mean, that's pretty much the worst casting decision in history. Were I looking for someone to play a brooding, undead, proto-emo rock star, Cooper would be about 812th on the list. I mean how does it feel to be Jared Leto right now? He's essentially been rehearsing for the role ever since he formed 30 Seconds To Mars, and the producers go with Bradley Cooper instead? Just inexplicably awful news.
- for the record, the two games lost in the deluge were Brewers-Nationals, which will get made up tomorrow in a double-header, and Marlins-Phillies which got bumped until June.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Nightcap already in progress.

Indians 8, Orioles 3

- Jeremy Guthrie clearly didn't enjoy the two-hour-plus rain delay before the game, getting blasted for 10 hits and six runs in five innings.
- Josh Tomlin wasn't phased though, allowing two runs over six innings (both on solo home runs) with a nifty 4:0 K:BB ratio to run his record to 3-0.
- Orlando Cabrera wielded the big stick for the Tribe, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBI, including a two-run home run off poor Mike Gonzalez, who now has a 10.38 ERA through his first five appearances.
- in fact, the whole bottom of the Cleveland order was on fire. Travis Hafner went 3-for-4 from the five hole and scored two runs, but had no one on base ahead of him drive in. Travis Buck (hitting seventh behind Cabrera) went 3-for-4, while Matt LaPorta (hitting eighth) went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
- Jake Fox got the start behind the plate for the O's and went 2-for-4 with one of those aforementioned solo shots, but also allowed two passed balls. That doesn't seem like the kind of thing that's going to earn him more starts back there from Buck Showalter.
W: Tomlin (3-0) HR: Fox (1), Luke Scott (1), Shin-Soo Choo (2), Cabrera (2)

Yankees 5, Rangers 2

- this one wasn't delayed, but the weather played a role in the result anyway. Adrian Beltre just missed a three-run home run down the right field line with the score 3-2 in the top of the eighth when a gust of wind blew it just foul. In the bottom of the inning, Robinson Cano hooked one down the same line that avoided any such gusts and caught the foul pole for a couple of insurance runs.
- with Mark Teixeira (you know, the guy who always has a poor April) also launching his fifth of the season, the Yankees tied their franchise record with 24 jacks through their first 13 games.
- Derek Holland was the victim of that power, giving up five runs over 7.2 innings, with a 5:2 K:BB ratio. Those were the first two long balls he's given up in three starts, and he's still looking very good as a post-hype sleeper this year with a 16:5 ratio through his first 19.2 innings on the year.
- Freddy Garcia's first start as a Yankee went pretty darn well, as he tossed six shutout innings (two hits, one walk, one K) for the win.
- New York's opponents continue to get their money's worth out of Rafael Soriano, who gave up three hits and two runs in an inning of work to boost his ERA to 9.53 "setting up" Mariano Rivera. He may swap places with Joba Chamberlain (who struck out two in a scoreles seventh) any day now.
W: Garcia (1-0) SV: Rivera (6) HR: Teixeira (5), Cano (3) CS: Brett Gardner (2)

Reds 11, Pirates 2

- it was one of the those days for the Cinci offense. Jonny Gomes went deep twice. Drew Stubbs cranked one. Ramon Hernandez crushed a grand slam. Joey Votto didn't go yard, but instead flashed his wheels by going 3-for-4 with a triple and a steal. Even Juan Francisco, getting the start at third base, went 2-for-4.
- there's always one poindexter standing on the wall failing to bust a move in these offensive explosions, and that guy for the Reds was Miguel Cairo who went 0-for-5 out of the two hole. He did manage to score a run though.
- James McDonald took the bulk of the damage for the Pirates, getting tagged for seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and two home runs in just 4.1 frames.
- Pedro Alvarez went 0-for-2 with two walks, but also committed his fourth error of the year. The move across the diamond to first base may come sooner rather than later at this rate.
- Andrew McCutchen got on base three times (one hit, two walks) and stole his first base of the season hitting leadoff for Pittsburgh.
W: Mike Leake (2-0) HR: Gomes 2 (5), Hernandez (2), Drew Stubbs (3) SB: McCutchen (1), Votto (3)

Royals 7, Mariners 0

- the Mariners vaunted offense, shut out? Who managed such an incredible feat? Why, none other than fungible Quad-A swing man Sean O'Sullivan and three rookie relievers. Seriously, if you aren't streaming every single pitcher who gets to face Seattle, you simply aren't trying to win your league.
- Alex Gordon ran his hitting streak to 10 games by going 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and two RBI. His slash line is now .373/.403/.559. Redemption is the sweetest fruit.
- Jarrod Dyson is becoming the destitute man's Sam Fuld, going 0-for-3 with a walk in his first start of the season but stealing his fourth base.
- poor Felix Hernandez. A Chone Figgins error led to three earned runs, and he was done after five innings despite a 6:2 K:BB ratio. If he's going to repeat as AL Cy Young he may have to do it with a single digit win total.
W: O'Sullivan (1-0) SB: Dyson (4) CS: Luis Rodriguez (1)

Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 1

- Josh Beckett continued his nasty ways, giving up just one run over seven innings while striking out nine. It's been a miserable April so far for Boston, but Beckett's resurgence bodes well for when the bats wake up.
- Jo-Jo Reyes was just plain nasty though, needing 94 pitches to get through just three innings. The carnage included seven hits, five walks and four runs. It's really nice of him to think of his fellow rotation-mates like this and volunteer to be the guy dropped when Brandon Morrow returns.
- Jed Lowrie had another big game, going 3-for-5 with a home run out of the leadoff spot. Terry Francona's going to have more and more trouble keeping him on the bench.
- Carlos Villanueva continues to quietly be the unsung hero of the Jays bullpen so far, tossing three no-hit innings in relief of Reyes. His control is still an issue (six walks in 11 innings) but when you've only allowed one hit in in 9.2 innings with 11 K's you can get away with it.
- last year the Jays went nuts with the lumber. This year they're going nuts on the basepaths, as Aaron Hill and Travis Snider, not exactly noted speedsters, each stole their fifth bases of the year. This could just be them taking advantage of a schedule that served them up noodle arms like Jason Varitek's in the early going, but there are plenty of noodle arms behind the plate these days. You could get some surprising value in SB out of your Toronto sluggers this season.
W: Beckett (2-1) SV: Jonathan Papelbon (2) HR: Lowrie (1) SB: Hill (5), Snider 2 (5), Jacoby Ellsbury (3) CS: John McDonald (2), Lowrie (1)

Rays 4, Twins 3

- Scott Baker was outstanding, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out six, but it all went for naught when the Rays rallied late off the Minnesota bullpen.
- Joe Nathan was the goat, allowing a game-tying solo shot to the struggling Ben Zobrist in the ninth and then walking BJ Upton and Casey Kotchman to set up Johnny Damon's game-winning hit off Jose Mijares. Nathan is still only sitting 90-92 mph with his fastball (as opposed to his pre-surgery 93-96), giving him basically no separation between that and his high 80s slider. If I were the Twins, or a Nathan owner, I'd be getting a bit worried.
- Jeff Niemann was just OK, which is still a huge improvement over his first couple of starts, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk with six K's over seven innings.
- Tampa native Denard Span has a great game for Minny, going 3-for-5 with a triple, RBI and stolen base.
W: Juan Cruz (1-0) HR: Jason Kubel (1), Zobrist (2) SB: Kubel (1), Delmon Young (1), Span (1), Upton (2)

Angels 7, White Sox 2

- Tyler Chatwood shrugged off a two-hour-plus rain delay and wet, barely-above-freezing conditions to toss seven innings of one-run ball. His 6:6 K:BB ratio throug his first 12 big league innings is an indication of how much the LAAofA have rushed the 21-year-old, but he did make Adam Dunn look silly a couple of times with high heat. There's a lot of potential here if he stays healthy, doesn't have his confidence shattered by the nearly inevitable struggles that are coming, and avoids all the other horrible things that can derail a young pitcher.
- Gavin Floyd did not shrug off the weather, getting roughed up for six runs through six innings, including home runs to Howie Kendrick and a monster blast to Hank Conger that pretty much ended his night.
- Kendrick's home run was his fifth. He's halfway to his previous career high in just 14 games. To put the absurdity of this another way, his current ISO of 322 is almost 200 points higher than last year's 128, and more than double his previous best of 153 in 2009.
- Juan Pierre went 2-for-3 with a walk, but another caught stealing leaves him just 4-for-9 on the year. He'll still supply a nice batting average and score some runs atop the White Sox batting order, but at 33 he may have lost a step or two. His streak of 30+ steals in 10 straight seasons probably isn't in jeopardy though.
W: Chatwood (1-1) HR: Kendrick (5), Conger (2), Carlos Quentin (3), Paul Konerko (4) CS: Pierre (5)

Braves 4, Mets 2
Braves 4, Mets 0

- the Braves took full advantage of the Mets' patchwork pitching staff in the opener, as D.J. Carrasco got tagged for three home runs, including two by Alex Gonzalez, in just 3.2 innings.
- Derek Lowe coasted through six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four, to see his ERA rise to 1.82.
- Craig Kimbrel might be the most unsubtle pitcher in the majors. He threw 21 pitches to get the save in Game 1, 20 of which were in your face mid-90s fastballs. He tossed in an 0-1 slider in the dirt to Nate McLouth, the last batter he faced, likely on a dare from someone in the dugout. The only hit he allowed was an infield single up the middle to Jose Reyes that Dan Uggla couldn't flag down cleanly. Let's hope his career doesn't go the way of the last Braves closer who had this kind of debut -- Kenny Powers in 2002.
- Jair Jurrjens needed little bullpen help in the back half of the doubleheader, throwing seven shutout innings in his return from the DL, giving up just two hits and a walk while striking out four. George Sherrill and Scott Linebrink closed out the shutout with two perfect innings, with five K's between them.
- Mike Pelfrey's awful April continued, as he gave up four runs on 11 hits in five innings.
- Eric Hinske, getting a start at first base due to his great track record against Pelfrey, made it count by going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Game 1 - W: Lowe (2-2) SV: Kimbrel (4) HR: Chipper Jones (2), Gonzalez 2 (3), Freddie Freeman (1) SB: Reyes (5), McLouth (1) CS: McLouth (2)
Game 2 - W: Jurrjens (1-0) SB: Martin Prado (1) CS: Willie Harris (2), Daniel Murphy (1)

Astros 5, Padres 3

- Mat Latos struggled through 6.1 innings, gettingcharged with five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six. Both walks came in the seventh and came around after he was relieved by Chad Qualls, so the start wasn't nearly as bad as it looks at first glance.
- Nelson Figueroa finally found an offense he could keep relatively in check, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks over 6.2 innings, striking out five. Seriously, if you aren't streaming every single pitcher who gets to face San Diego, you simply aren't trying to win your league.
- Chase Headley was the only batter in this game who managed more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. That he even had two runners to drive in is something of a minor miracle.
- with Wilton Lopez on the shelf Mark Melancon came on in the seventh to relieve Figueroa with two on and two out in a tie game, and escaped the jam when Carlos Lee made a diving catch on a sinking liner off the bat of Orlando Hudson. Jeff Fulchino then struck out one in a perfect eighth. Either Melancon is seen by Astros manager Brad Mills as his best non-closer and go-to guy in a tough spot, or he wants to keep the kid as far from the ninth inning as possible. Either way, Brandon Lyon will need a few more implosions for the pecking order to become a moot point.
W: Melancon (1-0) SV: Lyon (3) HR: Chris Johnson (1) SB: Will Venable (2), Michael Bourn (7)

Giants 5, Diamondbacks 3

- potentially big news here is Barry Zito leaving the game early with an injury while trying to field a popped-up bunt. It's reportedly a sprain to his right foot (i.e. the plant foot on his delivery), so even if he isn't out of action long his mechanics could get out of whack if the foot's not 100|PERCENT|.
- Guillermo Mota was absolutely heroic relieving Zito, throwing 4.1 innings - the longest outing of his career - and giving up just one run on three hits while striking out four.
- Aaron Rowand went 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored as San Fran's leadoff hitter. He's now hitting .359. That is not a typo. Neither was the fact thaat he took a walk.
- Joe Saunders was, well, not good, getting roughed up for five runs on 12 hits and two walks in 6.2 innings. The damage could have been much, much worse, but the Arizona infield turned five double plays, all of the 6-4-3 or 4-6-3 variety. Fine work, Messrs. Drew and Roberts.
W: Mota (1-0) SV: Brian Wilson (4) HR: Buster Posey (2) CS: Darren Ford (1), Ryan Roberts (1)

Cubs 8, Rockies 3

- Starlin Castro boosted his batting average to .397 with a 4-for-5 effort that included a double, his first home run of the season and three RBI. Incidentally, that's already the fourth four-hit game of his extremely young career. I demand that from this day forward, he only be referred to as Startlin' Starlin Castro.
- Chris Liss' unholy pact with some ancient evil continues to pay its dark dividends as Alfonso Soriano went 3-for-5 with his fifth bomb of the season.
- Casey Coleman lasted just long enough to get the win, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks over 5.2 innings while striking out three.
- Jason Hammel did the bare minimum to qualify for a "quality" start: three runs in six innings on seven hits and a walk, striking out five.
- other than Felipe Paulino, the Rockies bullpen pitched pretty well. Paulino faced six batters. Five of them got hits, including Castro's three-run shot, and all of them scored. Ouch. That's going to leave a mark on your fantasy squad's ERA.
W: Coleman (1-0) HR: Soriano (5), Castro (1)

A's 6, Tigers 2

- Dallas Braden left the game due to shoulder discomfort after 67 pitches having allowed just one unearned run in five innings with a 5:2 K:BB ratio.
- he got the better of Justin Verlander, who gave up four runs (three earned) in six innings on eight hits with a 6:3 K:BB ratio. The Tigers ace also had a bizarre brain spasm in the fifth inning, hopping off the rubber and firing the ball in the general direction of David DeJesus in the batter's box with Daric Barton on first base. The eventual call by the umpires was a balk, but what Verlander was actually trying to do is anybody's guess.
- Barton did not have a good day, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and committing his fifth error of the season. He committed 10 in 157 games last year. I have no idea what the issue is here, but an error every third game would be unacceptable for an A-ball shortstop prospect, much less a big league first baseman.
- Magglio Ordonez returned to action after his ankle injury, DHing and going 1-for-4.
W: Braden (1-1) CS: Brennan Boesch (1)

Cardinals 9, Dodgers 2

- Clayton Kershaw's Cy Young campaign hit an early snag, as his control deserted him and he got touched for five runs on six hits and five walks, with five k's, over just 4.2 innings.
- Kyle McClellan was as good as Kershaw was bad, turning in a Dave Duncan special with one run on six hits over seven innings with two strikeouts.
- Allen Craig had a huge game, going 3-for-4 with his first home run of the season, two runs scored, three RBI and a steal. The Cards' middle infield was also productive: Tyler Greene got a start at second base and went 1-for-3 with a run, RBI and two steals, while Ryan Theriot went 3-for-5 with a double, run and RBI from the leadoff spot.
- James Loney booked another ohfer, dropping his average to .158 and nudging Jerry Sands' major league ETA up by another couple of days.
- really though, Andre Ethier (3-for-4 with two doubles and a run) and Matt Kemp (2-for-4 with an RBI) were about the only Dodgers to do anything useful.
W: McClellan (2-0) HR: Craig (1) SB: Craig (3), Greene 2 (3)