Frogs in the MLB: Holaday saves the Fish, and Carpenter has an injury scare

Jake Arrieta (P/Philadelphia Phillies) -

Arrieta had a difficult outing on August 12 in San Diego. He allowed 5 runs on 8 hits, including 1 home run, over 5 innings. He walked 2 and struck out 4. The Phillies lost 9-3.

The Phillies returned home on August 18 to face the Mets. He had a better outing, lasting 6 innings and allowing just 1 run on 4 hits. He struck out 6 and didn’t walk a single batter. Unfortunately, the Phillies still lost 3-1.

The Phillies are currently 3 games out of 1st place in the NL East, behind the Braves.

Arrieta has an ERA of 3.25 with a WHIP of 1.21. You can see Arrieta’s full stats here. He’ll pitch tonight in Toronto.

Matt Carpenter (1B/St. Louis Cardinals) -

On August 10, the Cardinals were in Kansas City. Carpenter hit a home run to help the Cards with a 7-0 win.

On August 11, the Cardinals saw Game 2 against the Royals. Carpenter didn’t see much luck at the plate, but the Cardinals pulled off an 8-3 win.

On August 12, the Cards saw Game 3 and Carpenter with another home run and a run off Marcell Ozuna’s double in the top of the 9th. The Cardinals won 8-2.

The Cardinals were back home in St. Louis to face the Nationals, beginning August 13. Carpenter reached on a bunt single to third in the bottom of the 1st and was driven in by Ozuna. He also had a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 8th to put the Cards up 6-4. The would go on to win 7-6.

August 14 didn’t see much action for Carpenter, as the series against Washington continued. They managed a 6-4 win.

The following day saw Carpenter get hit by a pitch and leave the game with an injured hand. Cardinals fans held their breath until news came down that Carpenter’s hand wasn’t broken. And he proved it in a very Carpenter way. The Cardinals won 4-2.

To finish off the series, Carpenter just couldn’t get the ball to go where he wanted, and the Cardinals lost 5-4.

August 17 saw a new series at home against Milwaukee. Carpenter had a walk and a strikeout in Game 1. Game 2 on August 18 saw him with a grounder into a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the 3rd. That got him on base and O’Neill drove him in. The Cardinals won 7-2.

August 19 brought Game 3. Carpenter reached on a bunt single to the pitcher but was out at second when O’Neill hit a fielder’s choice to second. The Cardinals lost in a close 2-1 game.

On August 20, the Cardinals were in Los Angeles, facing the Dodgers. Carpenter had a big day, with a single in the top of the 3rd, a double in the top of the 5th, and a home run in the top of the 9th. He also had 2 runs and an RBI. The Cardinals won 5-3.

On August 21 and 22, Carpenter hit a bit of a rough patch (not enough salsa, maybe??), and couldn’t much going at the plate. But the Cardinals were able to win 5-2 on August 21 and 3-1 August 22.

The Cardinals currently 3 games behind the Cubs for the NL Central, which is an improvement over previous weeks.

Also, here’s a great piece on Carp and Schloss.

Carpenter currently has a .270 ERA, with 85 runs and 120 hits. He has 34 home runs and 69 RBI. You can see his full stats here. The Cardinals will be in Colorado tonight.

Andrew Cashner (P/Baltimore Orioles) -

Cashner and the Orioles faced the Mets on August 14 in Baltimore. Cashner had a strong outing over 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits. He struck out 3 and walked 3. The Orioles won 6-3 and Cashner earned a win on his record, putting him at 4-10 on the season.

On August 20, Cashner was in Toronto. He lasted 6 innings, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits, including 2 home runs. He walked 3 and struck out 2. The Orioles lost 5-3, giving Cashner a 4-11 record.

The Orioles remain in last place in the AL East.

Cashner lowered his ERA to 4.83, with a 1.51 WHIP. He’s expected to pitch in one of two games the Orioles will play against the Yankees on Saturday (quite possibly the evening game as it currently stands).

You can see his full stats here.

Bryan Holaday (C/Miami Marlins) -

Holaday has had a pretty good couple of weeks, starting with a series against the Mets on August 11. He came in as a pinch hitter in the 11th, with the game tied at 3. Miguel Rojas was on second base when Holaday hit a double to left field that brought him in for the run. That walk-off double gave the Marlins the 4-3 win. And it gave Holaday the MVP chain. Again.

On August 12, Holaday started against the Mets and had two more RBI. His single in the bottom of the 4th brought in Derek Dietrich to make it 3-2 Mets.

Then a single in the bottom of the 6th brought in Martin Prada to make it 4-3 Mets. The Marlins didn’t manage the win that night, but it was still a strong performance for Holaday.

The Marlins were in Atlanta for a double-header on August 13. Holaday was a pinch hitter in the first game. The Marlins lost 9-1. Holaday started the second game, and managed a single in the top of the 2nd, but he didn’t get any further than that. The Marlins lost 6-1.

The Marlins faced the Nationals on August 18. Holaday was a pinch hitter in the 10th and hit a single to right. He was eventually driven in by Isaac Galloway, and the Marlins pulled off a 7-5 win.

On August 19, Holaday hit a double in the top of the 4th against the Nationals. Then he was intentionally walked in the top of the 5th, which backfired when Realmuto batted him in to put the Marlins up 8-1. They went on to win 12-1.

Holaday had one more appearance at home against Atlanta on August 23 as a pinch hitter. It was a 5-0 loss for the Marlins that night, as the Braves continue to lead the NL East and are looking for a postseason run. The Marlins currently sit in last place in the Division. They’ll face the Braves through the weekend.

Holaday currently has 7 runs and 26 hits, with 15 RBI and 1 home run. You can see his full stats here.