Fantasy Baseball makes it to MASN & a reminder for the weekend
It's part of the nature of a sports fan. Every fan, no matter how loyal or faithful, has his or her own ideas about what might work better than what's already been tried.
So if you think you could GM better than the rest of 'em, the job offer has arrived at MASNsports.com.
MASN announced its first Fantasy Baseball contest today, challenging fans to put together their own Major League Baseball roster and compete with other fans for weekly prizes throughout the second half of the baseball...
Number nine hitter Reid Brignac led the way as Tampa Bay broke out of its hitting slump and beat the Orioles Monday 8-4 to end an 11-game losing streak.
That was the longest losing streak in the Majors this year.
The Rays had scored just eight runs over their past seven games and 23 runs during the losing skid.
Brignac went 4 for 4 with a homer, two doubles and 3 RBI as Tampa overcame a 4-1 first-inning deficit behind a 15-hit attack. His two-run homer in the second was the first of his...
Long time coming - Tampa Bay snapped an 11-game losing streak with Monday's 8-4 win. During the streak, the Rays were out-scored 61-23. Tampa was 0-7 on its current road trip, losing four at New York and three in Boston.
A loss would have extended Tampa's losing skid to 12 games, which would have been its longest since September of 2004.
The Tampa club record is 15 losses in a row in 2002. This was the Rays first win since September 2nd vs. Boston.
Tampa offense:
During losing streak:...
Game Preview
Tampa (73-71) at Orioles (58-85)
The Tampa Bay Rays seemed due, maybe overdue, for an offensive breakout. After starting a road trip 0-7 by scoring eight total runs, the Rays matched that in one night, taking the first game of a series Monday at Camden Yards.
Tonight, the O's host Tampa in game two of this series and seven-game homestand.
Jason Berken (4-11, 6.02) pitches for the Orioles vs. Jeff Niemann (12-5, 3.57).
With Monday's 8-4 win, Tampa snapped an 11-game losing...
RHP Jason Berken (4-11, 6.02) tonight will make his 21st start of the year, his 12th at home and the 2nd of his career vs. Tampa.
Over his last four starts, Berken is 2-0, 3.38 which has lowered his ERA for the year from 6.72 to 6.02.
Berken has struggled in the first inning this year, giving up 21 of his 66 runs and a batting average of .352 in the first frame.
Berken, 2009 season:
Home: 2-6, 4.95, 11 starts
Road: 2-5, 7.35, 9 starts
The Orioles are 5-15 when Berken starts, losing the...
When Pat Burrell followed a first-inning, three-run homer with an RBI single in the third, Tampa had an early 5-0 lead on the Orioles.
Jason Berken appeared headed for his 12th loss. But, as Berken settled down, the O's bats, especially that of Matt Wieters, came alive and the Birds rallied to beat Tampa 10-5 Tuesday. Each team has one win in this four-game series.
After scoring twice in the 3rd and once in the 4th, the O's scored three in the 5th to take the lead.
Luke Scott's RBI...
Comeback win - The O's trailed tonight's game 5-0 after 2 ½ innings. The O's then scored 10 unanswered runs over the next six frames to post a 10-5 win.
The O's had 16 hits in the game, five for extra-bases with three doubles and two homers.
Rookie Matt Wieters went 3 for 4 with a double, two-run single and three-run homer. Wieters, who entered tonight with just one RBI in his last 13 games, tonight produced a season-best 5 RBI.
His previous season high was 4 RBI...
Game Preview
Tampa (73-72) at Orioles (59-85)
Following a pleasing comeback victory, the Orioles host Tampa tonight in game three of a four-game series at Camden Yards.
The Birds were behind 5-0 after Tampa batted in the top of the third Tuesday night. But then the comeback was on and 10 unanswered runs later, the O's had a 10-5 win.
Tonight at 7:05 p.m. Chris Tillman (2-3, 4.91) pitches for the Orioles vs. Andy Sonnanstine (6-9, 7.15).
In two starts against the O's this year,...
RHP Chris Tillman (2-3, 4.91) tonight will make his 10th Major League start of the year, his 5th at home and his 2nd career start vs. Tampa Bay.
The 21-year-old Tillman got the victory Friday at New York. Over five innings, he allowed nine hits and four runs and fanned a season-high eight batters.
Tillman has recorded three quality starts and has allowed 3ER or less in six of his nine starts.
Tillman, 2009:
Vs. right-handed hitters: .374 average, 8 homers
Vs. left-handed hitters: .223...
When you watch Matt Wieters drive in five runs one night and easily throw Carl Crawford out trying to steal the next, you can see his massive potential. That's with the glove and bat.
Wieters threw Crawford out at second base tonight. He got a guy who currently has 56 steals, has five career 50-steal seasons and is the AL stolen base leader in four of the last five years.
The stats say Wieters is only about average compared to others in the AL in caught stealing. But after a real slow...
Minutes after seeing the O's lose a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth inning, Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer to left in the last of the 9th to give the O's a 4-2 walk-off win over Tampa.
Luke Scott led off the 9th and drew a walk. Wieters then hit his two-run shot out to left off Russ Springer. It was his second homer in two nights and 7th on the year.
In the three games in this series, Wieters is 5 for 10 with two homers and 9 RBI. Also tonight he threw out Carl Crawford twice on...