Tag Archives: BBC

BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: Atlanta Braves v Chicago Cubs

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Mlb5XtraHlThere should be no last minute changes to this week’s scheduled game on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra.  The Test between England and Pakistan has finished and there will be no repeat of an Andy Murray final to switch to as he got knocked out of the Cincinnati Masters on Friday.

So Braves-Cubs it is scheduled to be and, subject to a rain-out, that’s what we’ll get to enjoy this evening.  Coverage starts at 19.00 with first pitch set for 19.20.  The show can be found on DAB radio and digital TV.

Nat Coombs is likely to present the show again alongside Josh Chetwynd, but Jonny Gould will no doubt be listening in and cheering on his Braves.  His favourite player, Chipper Jones, is sadly out for the season, but he does have another favourite to cheer for instead: Braves manager Bobby Cox. This is almost certainly going to be the final time Cox and Lou Pineilla manage against each other as both plan to retire at the end of the season.

The series so far

If this game, the third of a three-game series, follows the same pattern as the first two, we can expect the Cubs to take a lead and the Braves to mount an exciting late comeback.

Their comeback succeeded on Friday.  The Cubs led 3-2 heading into the top of the ninth, only for star closer Carlos Marmol to let the game slip from his grasp.  The Braves had the bases loaded, but were down to their last strike when Rick Ankiel laced a three-run triple to give his team a 5-3 lead that Billy Wagner held on to the bottom of the frame.

Cubs fans must have feared a repeat yesterday as they once again saw an early lead being whittled away.  Chicago scored five runs off the Braves’ starter Tommy Hanson and Tom Gorzelanny pitched seven innings of one-run ball to put the Cubs up 5-1 heading into the eighth inning.  Atlanta got another bases-loaded hit, this time a three-run double by Brooks Conrad, to make it 5-4.  However, Marmol quickly put his Friday failure behind him by shutting down the Braves in the ninth to level the series at 1-1 before today’s rubber game.

Today’s starting pitchers

The two starting pitchers today have had completely different journeys on their way to the Major Leagues.

The Braves selected Mike Minor with the seventh overall pick of the amateur draft last year.  He became the fourth 2009 first-round pitcher to make the Majors within less than a year of signing, joining the Reds’ Mike Leake and the Washington Nationals’ Drew Storen and Stephen Strasburg.  Minor is also the third first-rounder in a row out of Vanderbilt University to make the Majors in short measure, following in the paths of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ third baseman Pedro Alvarez (2nd overall in 2008) and the Tampa Bay Rays’ pitcher David Price (1st overall in 2007). 

Today will be Minor’s third Big League start.  The left-hander impressed in his first two appearances, going six innings each time against the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals, picking up his first Major League win last time out against the Nats.  Minor throws a low nineties fastball, a low eighties changeup and an effective curveball.

In contrast to Minor’s straight path to a Big League mound, the Cubs’ Randy Wells has taken a more unique route.

The Cubs selected Wells as a catcher in the 38th round of the 2002 draft.  He converted to being a full-time pitcher in 2004 and worked his way up to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs team, before being claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the December 2007 Rule 5 draft.  Wells pitched one Major League inning for the Blue Jays before being returned to the Cubs and having a strong debut season (12-10, 3.05 ERA) as a rotation regular at Wrigley last year.

Wells hasn’t quite lived up to that great form in 2010, coming into this game with a 5-11 record and a 4.44 ERA, but he has partly been a victim of the Cubs’ wider struggles (receiving two or less runs in support of his pitching in thirteen of his twenty-five starts).  Wells’ days of wearing the tools of ignorance look like being over and his fastball, slider, changeup combo should help him remain as a solid starter for years to come.

BBC 5 Live Sports Extra – Tonight’s game has changed

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Mlb5XtraHlAs my preview earlier today stated, 5 Live Sports Extra was scheduled to bring us the Yankees-Royals game at 19.00.  However, the channel has now changed its schedule so that they can broadcast the Rogers Cup final between Andy Murray and Roger Federer.

Instead of Yankees-Royals at 19.00, it will now be the San Diego Padres versus the San Francisco Giants at 21.00 (subject to when the tennis finishes, I guees). 

Wade LeBlanc and Tim Lincecum will be on the mound as the top two teams in the National League West go head-to-head at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Nat Coombs and Josh Chetwynd will be providing the coverage.  MLB.com’s game preview can be found here.

BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: New York Yankees v Kansas City Royals

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MLBLogoUPDATE: So much for this preview! BBC has now changed the game to Padres-Giants at 21.00

The New York Yankees make their debut on BBC radio this evening as the current leaders of the American League East division take on the Kansas City Royals.

Coverage begins at 19.00 on DAB radio and Digital TV, with first pitch at Kauffman Stadium set for 19.10.

Fans of the major east coast teams have been a little disappointed so far that their sides have not been featured much on the BBC show.  That’s been a product of the scheduled start time, as east coast day-games generally begin at just gone 18.00 and the 19.00 start therefore means that teams from the mid-west have taken precedent. 

This is the first time since BBC’s coverage began that the Yankees have been on the road at a central team on a Sunday and it’s no surprise that they have immediately been chosen as the game of the week.

The Yankees lived up to their nickname as the Bronx Bombers yesterday as they slugged five home runs off the Royals’ pitching staff in an 8-3 victory. 

Three of those bombs can courtesy of Alex Rodriguez.  He went through a high-profile home run drought after he hit his 599th career long ball against the Royals on 22 July.  Like a batsman whose fluency deserts him as he enters the 90s, A-Rod understandably let the pressure of hitting number 600 get to him a bit.  Now that he has passed that mark, such thoughts are no longer clouding his mind and the Royals paid for it yesterday.  Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson also hit back-to-back jacks as Kauffman Stadium turned into souvenir city.

While the Yankees sit at the top of the AL East, two games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Kansas City Royals are having another season of struggles in the AL Central. 

The Royals haven’t made it back to the postseason since they won their only World Series in 1985 and they have only won more games than they’ve lost in a season once in the last fifteen years (83-79 in 2003).  There is now a glimmer of light at the end of this depressingly long tunnel as the Royals’ farm system, the young players within their Minor League organizations, is rated as one of the best, if not the best, of all the MLB teams.  The Big League team has also showed signs of improvement since former Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost took over from Trey Hillman thirty-five games into the season. 

Today’s game is the fourth and final game of the series, with the Yankees leading 2-1.

Today’s starters

New York Yankees starting pitcher A.J. Burnett throws a pitch in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium in New York City on August 2, 2010. UPI/John Angelillo Photo via Newscom

The Yankees’ A.J. Burnett  has struggled to go deep into games over the last couple of months.  For a front-line starter signed on a 5 year/$82.5m contract prior to the 2009 season, that’s not good enough and no one is more aware of that, or more frustrated by it, than Burnett himself.  He had a terrible June, losing all five of his starts, and has been inconsistent since then. There’s no doubt he still has the stuff to dominate and the Yankees need him to start pitching at his best down the stretch.  Burnett has a blazing fastball and a decent change-up, but his signature pitch is a ‘snap dragon’ curveball. 

July 28, 2010: Starting pitcher Brian Bannister of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Royals’ Brian Bannister has a completely different approach to Burnett.  He’s not going to dominate many lineups and needs to use cunning and craft to get the better of his opponents. 

Bannister uses the traditional four-pitch arsenal of a fastball (in the high 80s), curve, slider and change-up and is best-known for being one of the keenest followers of advanced statistical analysis among active Major Leaguers. Bannister is 7-11 with a 5.95 ERA this season and has taken a loss in each of his last five outings.

MLB on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: Reds v Cubs

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Mlb5XtraHlToday’s MLB game on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra comes from Wrigley Field where the Chicago Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds.  Coverage is scheduled to begin at 19.00 with first pitch set for 19.20.  You can listen in either via DAB radio or digital TV.

The Reds go into the contest leading the National League Central by 1.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals.  They’ve won the first two games of the series and will be aiming for the sweep this evening. 

Meanwhile the Cubs have long since waved goodbye to hopes of a postseason charge in manager Lou Piniella’s final season.  Regardless of their position in the standings, and their reluctance to help out their bitter rivals in St. Louis, the Cubs will still be going all out to avoid a third straight loss.  Continue reading →

Web Pick of the Week: Josh Chetwynd’s ESPN America blog

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Web-PickIt’s been great to have Josh Chetwynd back on the British airwaves of late thanks to BBC 5 Live Sports Extra’s MLB coverage.

Josh had a tough act to follow on Baseball on 5 all those years ago when he took over from the popular Todd Macklin.  He successfully filled those shoes by combining the experience of his playing career with a great sense of knowing how to pass on his knowledge to a broad audience that often ranged from complete newcomers to established fans.

Digital radio isn’t the only way you can find out Josh’s views on the game.  He writes a regular blog on the ESPN America website and it’s as considered and thought-provoking as you would expect.

BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: Oakland A’s at Chicago White Sox

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Mlb5XtraHlToday’s MLB game on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra is a clash from the American League as the Oakland A’s and Chicago White Sox finish up their three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field. 

Nat Coombs will be in the presenting chair once again, while Josh Chetwynd should be back after missing last week’s show due to the birth of his second child, Becca.  First pitch is set for 19.05 and the show begins at 19.00. 

The White Sox come into today’s game with just a half-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. 

Both teams are in good form, with the Twins having won seven straight and the White Sox putting together a five-game winning streak until that was snapped yesterday by the A’s.  In fact, the A’s victory was the first time in thirteen home games that the White Sox walked off the field without celebrating a win. 

Chicago’s General Manager Kenny Williams is known for pulling off big trades and he was expected to be active prior to last night’s non-waiver trade deadline.  While they did acquire starting pitcher Edwin Jackson on Friday, the long-rumoured deal to acquire slugger Adam Dunn didn’t take place and there’s perhaps a slight feeling of disappointment among White Sox fans that they were unable to add an extra bat to their roster.

The A’s had a very quiet trade deadline and that’s indicative of their current position.  Although they are in second place in the AL West, they are 8.5 games behind the Texas Rangers and few expect them to make a serious challenge for a playoff berth. 

Oakland have been hit hard by injuries yet again, the latest example being the $10m gamble on Ben Sheets finally unravelling this week as he heads for season-ending surgery, but they have a good group of young talent and affordable Major Leaguers.  General Manager Billy Beane believes that the current A’s will only improve next year and with a few key additions over the offseason, made possible by the large salaries of Sheets and Eric Chavez coming off the books, 2011 could see the A’s back in genuine contention for the first time since reaching the American League Championship Series in 2006.

Today’s game

The series is tied 1-1 heading into today’s game.  The White Sox took the series opener 6-1 with Lucas Harrell earning a win in his Major League debut, but the A’s fought back yesterday as Dallas Braden pitched a complete game in a 6-2 victory. 

Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez are the scheduled starters and both have been in excellent form of late. 

Floyd had a 7.00 ERA after his first eight starts, but he’s allowed only eighteen earned runs in his thirteen starts since then, resulting in a 1.90 ERA over that span.  Floyd is a righty with a typical starting pitcher arsenal at his disposal: a low nineties fastball topping out at 94 MPH, an 87 MPH slider, a good curve and an occasional change-up. 

Gonzalez is one of a number of impressive young starters that the A’s have amassed in recent years, either through draft picks or while trading away their best Major League talent.  He was actually acquired from the White Sox back in January 2008 in a trade for outfielder Nick Swisher and his trade history makes for interesting reading.  He was drafted by the White Sox in 2004, traded to the Phillies in a deal to acquire potential future Hall-of-Famer Jim Thome and then reacquired by the White Sox in a trade that sent Aaron Rowand to Philadelphia.  Gonzalez was one of two pitchers that the Phillies sent the White Sox’s way in that deal.  The other? His opponent today, Gavin Floyd.

Gonzalez made his Major League debut in 2008 and was inconsistent in 2009, but this season he is showing why the White Sox clearly thought so highly of him.  He can still be inconsistent at times and needs to reduce the number of walks he dishes out (4.2 per nine innings so far this season), but everything is going in the right direction as he gains more experience and develops his craft at the Big League level.  With a low nineties fastball, a decent changeup and an excellent sweeping curveball, he has the potential to develop into a very good Major League starter.

Unfortunately we’re not able to run a live blog this week, but we’re looking at doing one next week instead.  I will definitely be tuning in though.  Tonight’s show will be a meeting of two good teams and two in-form starters, with plenty of time to discuss all of the trade deadline moves as well.  It should be a great show, available on DAB radio and via digital TV.

MLB on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: Reds at Astros

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Mlb5XtraHlWe’re off to Minute Maid Park this evening as the Houston Astros host the Cincinnati Reds on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra. 

The MLB on 5 Live show is scheduled to begin at 19.00, with first pitch set for five minutes later.  Jonny Gould should be back in the presenting chair after missing last week’s show (UPDATE: in fact, former NFL on 5 presenter Nat Coombs will be in the hot seat), Mike Carlson proving an able deputy, but Josh Chetwynd is taking a break for the delightful reason that his wife is expecting their second child any time soon.  You can listen to the game via DAB radio or Digital TV.

After a fairly uninspiring start, last week’s 5 Live game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals turned into an enthralling contest and this week’s game from the Senior circuit promises to be just as good.  Continue reading →

MLB on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: Dodgers @ Cardinals

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Mlb5XtraHlToday’s game on BBC radio is a clash from the National League, with the St. Louis Cardinals (50-41) hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers (49-42).

The BBC’s coverage begins at 19.00 and first pitch is scheduled for 19.15.  Jonny Gould is away this week, so Mike Carlson takes over in the presenting chair with Josh Chetwynd joining him from Arizona.

Today’s game is the fourth and final game of the series and the home fans will be waving brooms at Busch Stadium as they look to complete the series sweep. 

Coming out of the All-Star break, the Cardinals have been able to throw both of their aces at the Dodgers during the first three games.  Chris Carpenter dominated the Dodgers’ lineup on Thursday in a 7-1 victory, while Adam Wainwright pitched six scoreless innings yesterday as the Cards came through with a 2-0 win. 

The batters had the upper hand on Friday, but the presence of Carpenter and Wainwright still enabled St. Louis to gain an advantage.  With strong starters either side of Game Two, Tony La Russa was able to pull starter Jaime Garcia after 3.1 innings with only two runs of damage having been inflicted and turned the game over to the bullpen.  Joe Torre stuck with Chad Billingsley a little longer, the Dodgers’ bullpen having been called on early on Thursday after Clayton Kershaw lasted only 4.1 innings, and his four innings cost his team seven runs as the Cardinals went on to win 8-4.

Game Four should be an intriguing encounter because while the Cardinals have the momentum, on paper it is the Dodgers that have the better of the pitching match-up in today’s game. 

July 11, 2010 Los Angeles, CA..Vicente Padilla of the Dodgers in action during the Major League Baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Dodgers defeated the Cubs, 7-0..Josh Thompson/CSM.

Vicente Padilla is an enigmatic character, but he has the stuff to dominate when his mind is on the job and he is healthy.  His fastball sits around 93 MPH and has good movement, running into right-handed batters, and he can ramp it up to 95 MPH to get a punch out.  His signature pitch is his curveball which actually works as several different pitches because he can throw it at different speeds, with a standard one snapping over at 75 MPH and his looping, cartoon-like curve that crosses the plate anywhere between the upper 50s and mid 60s. 

It’s a fun sight to see him use it to completely baffle Major League hitters and while we won’t be able to watch it on the radio, the gasps of the crowd and the reaction of the commentators will let you know when it has floated through the strikezone.  Padilla has been in good form since coming off the DL midway through June and he was masterful a week ago in the ESPN Sunday Night game against the Cubs, pitching eight scoreless innings.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jeff Suppan delivers a pitch in the first inning of their MLB inter-league baseball game in St. Louis, Missouri, June 15, 2010. REUTERS/Sarah Conard (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

As for the Cardinals, they are living in hope that Jeff Suppan can find some semblance of form.  Suppan was released by the Milwaukee Brewers at the start of June after putting up a 7.84 ERA in fifteen games.  St. Louis decided to bring back their former player as the latest reclamation project for pitching coach Dave Duncan. 

Suppan has always been a crafty pitcher rather than being able to miss bats with a blazing fastball.   His ‘heater’ sits at 87 MPH and it’s essential that he has excellent command of the pitch, otherwise he gets into trouble.  He complements the fastball with a 79 MPH change-up and a slow breaking ball around the 70 MPH mark.  Suppan has taken the loss in his last three outings. 

Will the Cardinals complete the sweep, or will the Dodgers salvage a win from the series?  Tune into BBC 5 Live Sports Extra this evening to find out.

2010 MLB All-Star Game

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Mlb5XtraHlThe 2010 MLB All-Star Game takes place in the early hours of Wednesday morning UK time.  You can follow the game live on ESPN America or on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra from 00.30 (Update: now an 01.00 start). 

Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd will be presenting the radio coverage, bringing to mind those halcyon days of 2008 when the pair brought us that year’s All-Star Game live from the press area at the old Yankee Stadium. 

They won’t be in Anaheim, but they’ll be there in spirit and they’ll make you feel like you’re right in the thick of the action as well.

The game will also provide a semblance of normality to those who are still trying to adjust to hearing Jonny and Josh during the early evening.  After years of watching the pair in the early hours, these 7 p.m. starts on a Sunday evening take some getting used to.  Not that an earlier start is really something to complain about, although it has taken one of their catchphrases away.  Those listening in live can all join in with the inevitable “hardcore” cries once more with glee.

All-Star games are generally seen as being a spectacle rather than an immensely thrilling competitive encounter, so it will be interesting to hear how that comes across over the radio. A quick glance at the starting lineups, including starting pitchers David Price and Ubaldo Jimenez, gives every reason to believe that it’s going to be an exciting night and maybe the unique appeal of listening to rather than watching the stars will make it all the more special.

American League   National League
     
1. I. Suzuki, RF, SEA   1. H. Ramirez, SS, FLA
2. D. Jeter, SS, NYY   2. M. Prado, 2B, ATL
3. M. Cabrera, 1B, MIN   3. A. Pujols, 1B, STL
4. J. Hamilton, CF, TEX   4. R. Howard, DH, PHI 
5. V. Guerrero, DH, TEX   5. D. Wright, 3B, NYM
6. E. Longoria, 3B, TB   6. R. Braun, LF, MIL
7. J. Mauer, C, MIN   7. A. Ethier, CF, LA
8. R. Cano, 2B, NYY   8. C. Hart, RF, MIL
9. C. Crawford, LF, TB   9. Y. Molina, C, STL
SP: D. Price, LHP, TB   SP: U. Jimenez, RHP, COL

 

MLB.com’s interactive roster is a great way to fuel the excitement as, once you get past the McDonalds advert, you can take a look at the players who will be involved with video clips of some of their best moments from 2010 so far.  And you can watch all the highlights from yesterday’s Home Run Derby as well.

Enjoy the game!

BBC Five Live Sports Extra: Royals v White Sox from 19.00

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Mlb5XtraHlToday’s game on BBC Five Live Sports Extra is a match-up from the American League Central, as the Kansas City Royals (39-48) take on the Chicago White Sox (48-38) at U.S. Cellular Field.  The White Sox have won the first two games of the series and will be going for the sweep today. 

Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd will be on air from 19.00 with the game scheduled to begin five minutes later.  Coverage is available on DAB Radio and via digital TV, although the BBC’s MLB rights do not appear to stretch to online streaming for UK listeners.  We won’t be running a live blog this week, although I’ll be commenting on the game and the coverage via my Twitter feed.

The World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain kicks off at 19.30, so mute the commentary (and the vuvuzelas) and take in the two sporting events at the same time.  Continue reading →