Big League Bulldogs (entering 9/21): Mitch Moreland lives up to his nickname to push Padres to playoffs
The San Diego Padres are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and as they clinched their postseason berth on Sunday with a 7-4 win over the Seattle Mariners, a former Mississippi State slugger helped the cause by simply living up to his nickname.
Mitch Moreland, affectionately known around Major League Baseball as "2-Bags" for his penchant for hitting doubles, provided a couple of them on Sunday. The second of his two-baggers actually drove in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and the Padres held on to punch their ticket to the playoffs. It wasn't hit hard by Moreland, but it was certainly effective:
Moreland ended the day 2-for-5 with his two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Of his 32 hits this season, a quarter of them have been doubles.
Elsewhere around MLB, it was a somewhat quiet day for former MSU players. Kendall Graveman did pitch a scoreless inning of relief for the Mariners against Moreland's Padres. Other than that, Johnathan Holder was roughed up for four hits and three runs over a couple of innings of relief for the New York Yankees and the Yankees lost 10-2 to the Boston Red Sox. Also, Hunter Renfroe and Nate Lowe both were in the lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday and so, too, was Adam Frazier for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However all three of those former Bulldogs went hitless and the Rays lost 2-1 to the Baltimore Orioles and the Pirates fell by the same score to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Here are all the details from Sunday, as well as season stats for all former MSU players that have seen playing time in Major League Baseball this year:
SUNDAY'S RESULTS / SEASON STATS
2B Adam Frazier (Pirates) - Lost 2-1 to Cardinals
- On Sunday: 0-for-3
- Season stats: .215 BA, .290 OBP, .605 OPS, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 18 R
RP Kendall Graveman (Mariners) - Lost 7-4 to Padres
- On Sunday: (No decision) 1.0 inning pitched, 1 hit allowed, 0 runs allowed, 0 walks allowed, 0 strikeouts
- Season stats: 0-3 record, 7.04 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 13 K, 15.1 IP
RP Jonathan Holder (Yankees) - Lost 10-2 to Red Sox
- On Sunday: (No decision) 2.0 innings pitched, 4 hits allowed, 3 runs allowed (3 earned runs allowed), 1 walk allowed, 0 strikeouts, 1 home run allowed
- Season stats: 3-0 record, 5.03 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 14 K, 19.2 IP
1B Nate Lowe (Rays) - Lost 2-1 to Orioles
- On Sunday: 0-for-4
- Season stats: .255 BA, .364 OBP, .853 OPS, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R
1B Mitch Moreland (Padres) - Won 7-4 over Mariners
- On Sunday: 2-for-5 with 2 doubles, an RBI and 2 runs scored
- Season stats: .264 BA, .346 OBP, .899 OPS, 9 HR, 26 RBI, 21 R
RF Hunter Renfroe (Rays) - Lost 2-1 to Orioles
- On Sunday: 0-for-3
- Season stats: .155 BA, .254 OBP, .672 OPS, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 17 R
DID NOT PLAY SUNDAY / SEASON STATS
SP Dakota Hudson (Cardinals) - Won 2-1 over Pirates
- Season stats: 3-2 record, 2.77 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 31 K, 39.0 IP
RF Brent Rooker (Twins) - Won 4-0 over Cubs
- Out for season (broken forearm)
- Season stats: .316 BA, .381 OBP, .960 OPS, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R
RP Chris Stratton (Pirates) - Lost 2-1 to Cardinals
- Season stats: 2-0 record, 3.04 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 35 K, 26.2 IP
SP Brandon Woodruff (Brewers) - Won 5-3 over Royals
- Season stats: 2-4 record, 3.45 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 72 K, 60.0 IP
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