Today In The National League West

Today in the NL West, the San Francisco Giants are in St. Louis to begin a four game series against the Cardinals. The Los Angeles Dodgers are home against the Pittsburgh Pirates while the Arizona Diamondbacks host the Cincinnati Reds. The Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres have the day off to lick their wounds after suffering terrible losses on the road.

San Francisco Giants (34-19, 1st NL West)

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St. Louis Cardinals (29-24, 2nd NL Central)

Today’s First Pitch: 6:15 PM CDT

Location: Busch Stadium

Pitchers: RHP Ryan Vogelsong (3-2, 3.20) - LHP Jaime Garcia (1-0, 4.26)

Yesterday’s Game: The Giants took two out of three from the Chicago Cubs with a 5-0 win, their second straight shutout victory. The Giants pitching was the story in the game. Despite a 32 pitch first inning, Tim Lincecum was able to hold the Cubs hitless through five innings. He was effectively wild, issuing four walks, and was pulled after the fifth inning with a pitch count of 96 and a blister on his finger. Reliever George Kontos kept the no-hitter going through the sixth inning. In the seventh, the Cubs broke up the no-hitter against Jeremy Affeldt when John Baker singled to right. The game was scoreless until the sixth when Pablo Sandoval (2-3, 1 RBI) hit a RBI single and Tyler Colvin (1-2, 1 RBI) doubled in a run. In the seventh Gregor Blanco (1-2) scored on a fielder's choice and Hector Sanchez (1-4, 2 RBI's) hit a two-run double to make it a 5-0 game.

Today’s Game Notes: The Giants begin a four game series at Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants are winners of six out of their last seven games. Ryan Vogelsong has struggled against the Cardinals, going 1-5 with a 7.08 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis. In one start last season against the Cardinals, Vogelsong went 5 1/3 innings and gave up five runs. He has pitched better as of late at Busch Stadium. In two starts in St Louis he has posted a record of 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA. Buster Posey is second in NL All-Star voting for catcher (Yadier Molina, Cardinals: 640,464) with 421,100 votes and Brandon Crawford is second in NL voting for shortstop (Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies: 745,823) with 218,123 votes.

Pittsburgh Pirates (23-29, 4th in NL Central)

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Los Angeles Dodgers (29-24, 2nd in NL West)

Today’s First Pitch: 7:10 PM PDT

Location: Dodgers Stadium

Pitchers: RHP Gerrit Cole (4-3, 3.76) - RHP Dan Haren (5-3, 3.16)

Yesterday: The Dodgers lost the final game of their three game series with the Reds, 3-2. Clayton Kershaw (3-2,3.57) pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out nine. Yasiel Puig (1-4, 1 hr, 1 RBI), who has reached base safely in 29 straight games, led off the sixth with a homer that pulled the Dodgers to within 3-2. The loss snaps the Dodgers' five game win streak against the Reds at Dodgers Stadium.

Today’s Game Notes: The Dodgers begin a four game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodgers Stadium. Dan Haren is 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA in eight career starts against the Pirates. He last faced the Pirates in 2010 as a Washington National and had one start against them that season. He went five innings, giving up five runs on five hits in the Nationals 6-5 loss. Haren has pitched into the sixth inning in all of his starts this season. Haren has an ERA of 2.39 in four starts this year at Dodgers Stadium. Adrian Gonzalez leads the National League All-Star voting at first base with 349,762.

Colorado Rockies (28-25, 3rd NL West)

OFF DAY

Yesterday: The Rockies blew a one run lead in the ninth to lose 6-3 and drop two out of three to the Philadelphia Phillies. A comedy of errors in the ninth cost the Rockies the series win as DJ LeMahieu and Troy Tulowitzki committed errors in the final inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, manager Walt Weiss lifted closer LaTroy Hawkins from the game in favor of Boone Logan pitching against Chase Utley. Logan gave up an RBI single to Utley to tie the game. Logan then gave up the game winning, three run homer to Ryan Howard. Jordan Lyles was once again effective as he pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits. Justin Morneau (2-4, 1 RBI) hit his 10th homer of the season and Wilin Rosario (1-4, 1 RBI) hit a run scoring double in the third inning. Carlos Gonzalez sat out the game with the bruised calf he suffered on Tuesday night when he was hit by a pitch.

Today’s Game Notes: The Colorado Rockies have an off day in Cleveland today before starting a three game series against the Indians on Friday. Troy Tulowitzki leads the NL in All-Star voting with 745,823. Charlie Blackmon (549,394) leads in the outfield and the injured Nolan Arenado (318,111) leads at third base.

San Diego Padres (24-30, 4th in NL West)

OFF DAY

Yesterday: The San Diego Padres lost big and dropped two out of three in their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, 12-6. Tim Stauffer had a disastrous first inning that ended his night early. After only a 1/3 of an inning Stauffer was gone and the Diamondbacks were leading 8-0 on eight hits. Tommy Medica (3-5, 1 hr, 3 RBI) fell a single shy of becoming the first Padres to hit for the cycle.

Today’s Game Notes: The Padres have an off day today in Chicago before beginning a three game interleague series against the White Sox. The Padres announced that RHP Ronald Herrera is the player to be named in the Kyle Banks trade to Oakland.

Cincinnati Reds (23-28, 3rd in NL Central)

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Arizona Diamondbacks (22-33, Last in NL West)

Today’s First Pitch: 7:10 PM PDT

Location: Dodgers Stadium

Pitchers: LHP Tony Cingrani (2-4, 4.06) - RHP Josh Collmenter (3-2, 3.91)

Yesterday: The Arizona Diamondbacks had a big night offensively as they beat the San Diego Padres 12-6 to take two out of three games in the series. The Diamondbacks exploded for eight runs in the first off of Padres starter Eric Stults and chased him after only a 1/3 of an inning. AJ Pollock (3-4, 2 RBI) doubled twice in the game. Martin Prado (2-5, 3 RBI's) homered in the second and Paul Goldschmidt (3-5, 3 RBI's) homered in the seventh. Chase Anderson (3-0, 4.02) went five innings, giving up just a run on eight hits. Anderson became the first Diamondback rookie to win his first three career starts.

Today's Game Notes: Collmenter has given up one earned run in 6 2/3 innings against the Reds in three career relief appearances. He has given up three or fewer runs in four of his last six starts. Paul Goldschmidt is fifth in the NL All-Star voting at first base with 227,854 votes (1st place, Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers: 349,762). The Diamondbacks sent down outfielder Alfredo Marte to Triple-A Reno and brought up first baseman Nick Evans. The Diamondbacks have won three straight series and seven out of their last nine.

Pitching