Blanton outduels Santana to help Phillies sweep Mets
Published Monday July 6th, 2009
Nothing helps a National League team rebound from a sweep than a home series against the New York Mets.
Joe Blanton tossed four-hit ball into the eighth inning and Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley each homered off Johan Santana, leading the Phillies to a 2-0 victory over the Mets on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East rival.
The Phillies had lost 12 of 15 and returned home after being swept by the Atlanta Braves, but they took advantage of the injury-ravaged Mets to earn their first sweep at Citizens Bank Park since taking three straight from the Nationals May 29-31.
"We wanted to try and take this because we know that team over there isn't at full strength," first baseman Ryan Howard said. "It's July, but we want to take as many games as possible. We didn't give extra outs. We didn't make a lot of mistakes. When you look back, it was everything you can hope and dream for a baseball game."
The defending World Series champions pushed the third-place Mets four games back in the NL East, handing them their eighth loss in 11 games. The Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates to remain a game back in the division.
Yankees 10 Blue Jays 8
At New York, Derek Jeter had four hits including the a go-ahead two-run homer, while Hideki Matsui homered and drove in four runs as the Yankees rallied from a four-run hole to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-8 on Sunday.
It was New York's fifth straight win over the Blue Jays, whose five-run fourth inning gave them an 8-4 lead that never appeared safe on a day in which balls were again flying out of Yankee Stadium. There were four homers hit - all of them to right field - to raise the total to 139 at the new ballpark midway through the season.
Jonathan Albaladejo (3-1), recalled after Chien-Ming Wang went on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, got the win in relief - even though Alfredo Aceves deserves most of the credit. He allowed only one hit while working the last four innings for his first save.
Jorge Posada had four hits and drove in three runs, including one during the Yankees' decisive three-run fifth inning.
Aaron Hill homered and drove in three runs, and Marco Scutaro and Adam Lind each had a pair of RBIs as the Blue Jays pounded out 12 hits. Jeter homered off B.J. Ryan (1-1).
Pujols leads all-star voting
NEW YORK - Albert Pujols will be in a familiar spot when St. Louis hosts the 80th all-star game. Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is headed for a brand new situation.
Pujols was the leading vote-getter in balloting for the Midsummer Classic announced Sunday by Major League Baseball, giving the Cardinals first baseman the start in his home ballpark. "It feels great to be there and represent the organization and the city you play in," Pujols said.
The NL MVP is well on his way to another amazing year, leading the majors with 31 homers and 82 RBIs. He collected 5,397,374 votes to finish with the second-highest total in major league history, trailing only Ken Griffey Jr.'s six million votes in 1994. Wakefield made his first all-star roster in his 17th season.
He's one of a major league-high six Red Sox headed to Busch Stadium for the July 14 game. The 42-year-old right-hander is tied for the big league lead with 10 wins.
Wakefield got a standing ovation when Boston's all-stars were announced at Fenway Park, and acknowledged the cheering crowd with a wave.
Teammate Dustin Pedroia, the reigning AL MVP, passed Texas' Ian Kinsler in a close vote at second base and left-fielder Jason Bay of Trail, B.C., also won a spot in the lineup.
While Pedroia rallied to get the start, Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis was caught by Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira in the final voting.
Youkilis made the team, anyway, along with Boston ace Josh Beckett and closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Representing the Blue Jays is Toronto ace Roy Halladay - making his sixth all-star appearance - and second baseman Aaron Hill, both of whom will attend the game as player's selections. Adam Lind, the Blue Jays designated hitter, is among the list of AL candidates for the last spot in Internet voting.
The injury-riddled Mets lead the NL with four selections. Centre-fielder Carlos Beltran and third baseman David Wright were both elected by the fans, but Beltran has been out with a bruised right knee and likely won't play.
New York ace Johan Santana and closer Francisco Rodriguez were selected by the players.
Starting for the NL: Pujols at first, Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez, Wright at third, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and Beltran, Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and Philadelphia's Raul Ibanez in the outfield.
Molina, who turns 27 on July 13 and is the youngest of three brothers playing catcher in the majors, becomes the first of his siblings to make the all-star game.
"It's special for me, for my family, for the people of Puerto Rico," he said. "It's a small country, and it's special for them, too."
The AL starting lineup: Teixeira at first, Pedroia at second, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria, outfielders Bay, Josh Hamilton of Texas and Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle, and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer.
Hamilton held onto his starting spot despite being on the disabled list for much of the first half with an abdominal injury.
"I don't feel I personally deserve to go but at the same time the fans voted me in so I'm more than happy about that," he said. "It's a real honour for me to go for a second time around."
Jeter was the leading vote-getter in the AL and will make his 10th appearance and sixth start in the Midsummer Classic.
Jeter and the AL beat the National League 4-3 in 15 innings at Yankee Stadium last season to improve to 11-0-1 since the NL last won in 1996 at Philadelphia's old Veterans Stadium, the longest unbeaten streak in the game's history.
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