Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman spoke for a franchise when asked about the latest exam to be performed on Stephen Strasburg's valuable right arm. "I'm very anxious about that," Riggleman said. Thursday was a day of suspense at Nationals Park as the 22-year-old right-hander underwent his second MRI in less than a week. Read more..
With three straight wins in Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled themselves back into the NL wild-card race. Casey Blake hit a two-run homer and six Dodgers pitchers combined on a two-hitter as Los Angeles beat the Brewers 7-1 Thursday for a three-game sweep. "We've been saying all along, first let's try to put something together and then we'll see where we are," Dodgers... Read more..
Padres right-hander Chris Young has thrown another simulated game as he works his way back from a shoulder injury with the goal of pitching again this season. The 6-foot-10 Young threw 55 pitches in three innings Thursday before the NL West leaders hosted the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks. Young says he felt better as the simulated game progressed. Read more..
Jordan Zimmermann has been recalled by the Washington Nationals to make his first major league start of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals. Zimmermann returned to the big leagues Thursday, just more than a year after having elbow ligament replacement surgery. He last pitched for the Nationals on July 18, 2009, and had the operation on Aug. Read more..
There's something about the Phillies that brings out the best in the Houston Astros. Wandy Rodriguez pitched seven sharp innings, Carlos Lee homered and the Astros beat the Phillies 5-1 Thursday to complete their first four-game sweep in Philadelphia in 11 years. "Houston has been a team that for years has given us problems," Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. Read more..
Southpaw solid in finale, gets support from offense
TE ATATU - The Wildcats came to the final game of the regular season with questions. They left with answers.
Sunday afternoon's 7-4 win over the Angels left the Wildcats not only on top of the Auckland Premier League, but also confident in the overall stability of their team headed into the final of the Summer Series season.
A game against the fourth-placed Angels was just the tonic for the team. The lingering questions of how they would hold up in back to back double header weekends were answered in spades.
How would the bullpen, shaky of late, hold up? They threw 8 1/3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in the weekend.
How would they perform against a lesser opponent, the likes of which have given them trouble this year? A sweep of the Angels saw the visitors outscore their interclub foe, 21-8.
"If you are to be who you ought to be, you can't come into these games and beat yourself," manager Ken Sommers said. "You've just got to play good, solid baseball."
And on Sunday, the Wildcats used a familiar formula to fell the Angels -- strong starting pitching, an early lead and solid relief work, the same story in all season.
Sommers said after the game that Niemann's consistency has been important for the Wildcats recently.
"We just feel very confident when he takes the mound," Sommers said. "He's throwing strikes, velocity is good, he's mixing his pitches. He's just having a tremendous second half."
Niemann admitted that he tired late in his start. He allowed all three of his runs with two outs in the fifthth, just before leaving the game.
Niemann has, in the past, earned a reputation for performing well against good teams, but struggling at times when facing weaker competition. The recent consistency Sommers hinted at, however, is something Niemann himself said he's feeling.
"When I'm on the mound, I'm understanding more of the game," said Niemann, who boasts a 4.10 ERA in his past four starts. "Every game is very important right now. I've just got to keep focused and play baseball."
The Wildcats added two runs in the eighth against Angels closer Youya before skipping town to get to Pakuranga, where they'll play the Skyrangers in the Summer Series final.
For Sommers, however, those two runs held plenty of importance.
"We were able to add on [to a lead], which we have not been doing," Sommers said. "I think that's a good sign for us. We did a lot of good things offensively tonight. We moved runners over, got runners in, played really unselfish offensive baseball today."
Daniel Bradley summed up the win Sunday -- and perhaps the entire season -- sitting in front of his locker after the game: "Everything went our way."
There was one more positive for the Wildcats on Sunday afternoon. Owen Reid came on to throw a solid three innings, walking one batter and striking one two.
"I thought it was important that he get back out there," Sommers said. "He's a guy that needs to pitch often. He's more effective that way, so it was good to see him get back out there today."
