Harper Homers Twice But is Ejected in Nationals Win

Nationals young phenom Bryce Harper had his first multi-homer game of his career, but was also ejected in the ninth inning. (Marc Serota) 

The NL East-leading Washington Nationals had been in a bit of a slide going into tonight's series finale at the Miami Marlins.They had lost five in a row and saw their lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East shrink to four games. Before tonight's game, Nationals manager Davey Johnson decided to give his players a pep talk. They had only totaled six runs during the five-game losing streak. This is not the time of year for the lineup to start going cold.

The Nationals responded to Johnson's message in a big way. They went off on the Marlins pitching to the tune of 8 runs on 14 hits. Their young hitting phenom, Bryce Harper, led the way offensively with two homers, making the game his first multi-home run game of his career. The accomplishment was great, but things went south in the ninth inning. Harper ended up hitting a ground ball that turned into a double-play. After he was called out at first base, he spiked his helmet and nearly hit first base umpire C.B. Bucknor. Bucknor rightfully ejected Harper immediately. After the game, Johnson told reporters that Harper lost his temper and was verbally reprimanded for his behavior.

The Nationals listened to Johnson's advice about hitting. Now, it is time for Harper to listen to what Johnson has to say to Harper about his temper tantrums. They are immature, embarrassing, and have no place in the game of baseball. Harper must learn to mature and to control his feelings. The Nationals need Harper in their lineup. There's no question about that. But if he is subjecting his place in the lineup to injury, ejection, and suspension, he is not doing what is best for his ballclub. Harper needs to mature and grow up. He needs to realize that when he does, he will become a more complete and better player.

2012 MLB Trade Deadline Winners and Losers

The Philadelphia Phillies are one of my losers after treading away both Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino. (Brian Garfinkel and Kirby Lee)

The Major League Baseball trade deadline can have so much of an impact on a franchise. For a team looking to make it into the postseason, it could be adding that missing piece. On the other hand, a team looking to trade away some of their best players, might be looking for the perfect package of prospects in return. Passivity at the trade deadline is an option that can be perfectly fine or quite detrimental. I have sifted through all the trades that occurred before today's trade deadline to determine my three overall winners and losers.

Trade Deadline Winners


Los Angeles Dodgers
I don't think any team was as active at the trade deadline as the Dodgers were. The pitching has been solid all season, so the main focus was on bulking up the offense. Besides Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, the Dodgers offense had struggled to do much this season. When rumors began to swirl that the Miami Marlins were frustrated with former star infielder Hanley Ramirez, the Dodgers got on the phone. The two sides finally worked out a deal. You can check out my full take on that trade here. Today, the Dodgers managed to acquire another quality veteran bat in center fielder Shane Victorino from the Philadelphia Phillies. While improving their lineup even more, they didn't have to give up much in return. Finally, they bolstered their bullpen with the addition of former Seattle Mariners closer Brandon League. The Los Angles Dodgers made three great moves without giving up either of their top two prospects, Zach Lee and Allen Webster.

Los Angeles Angels
The Dodgers weren't the only ones busy making phone calls in Los Angeles. The Angels were exploring options as well. Their lineup has already been thrust into full throttle by young star Mike Trout. It was the back of the rotation that had to concern the Angels front office. Starting pitching options are always fairly bleak at the trade deadline. Plus, teams are usually looking for an arm and a leg in return. Once Cole Hamels signed a long-term extension with the Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers ace Zack Greinke became the top arm available. The Angels paid the steep price, but got a very good pitcher in return. While I do have some concerns about him pitching in a big market with his anxiety issues, this was the right move for the Angels to make, especially when you consider that their divisional rival Texas Rangers were pushing to get him as well.

Pittsburgh Pirates
I believe the Pirates could be the sneaky big winner here at the trade deadline. The Pirates' first move was to bolster their already solid starting staff. They acquired a familiar opponent in Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros. The move was good because they added a very good pitcher without overpaying. You can read my full analysis of that trade here. The Pirates wanted to add a big bat next. GM Neal Huntington looked to add many different options, but once again didn't want to overpay. Instead, he settled for two smaller hitting additions. The Pirates acquired first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Miami Marlins. When Sanchez struggled early this year, they designated him for assignment in the minors. He does hit for power though. Each of the past two seasons, Sanchez has hit 19 home runs. He was also an All-Star last season. The Pirates also traded for outfielder Travis Snider from the Toronto Blue Jays. Snider offers similar hitting potential to Sanchez. Finally, the Pirates added reliever Chad Qualls from the New York Yankees to help fill out their bullpen. All in all, the Pirates made a number of great moves, without taking away too much from their bright future in their farm system.

Trade Deadline Losers


Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins spent tons of money this past offseason. They opened a new stadium with a new team name. The Marlins pledged to their fans that they were going to be contenders and big spenders. They did acquire veteran Carlos Lee from the Astros, but even a third grader could probably tell you that Lee has been in full decline as a hitter. Then, the Marlins let their impatience and frustration with Hanley Ramirez get the better of them. They traded him to the Dodgers when his value was much lower than it should be. As if that weren't enough, the Marlins also dealt Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to the Detroit Tigers. So much for being contenders. This team is now somewhere muddled between being contenders and rebuilders.

Philadelphia Phillies
Which of the following is most surprising? A: The Phillies are 11 games under .500 under in August. B: The Phillies are in last place in the NL East. C: The Phillies are 15 1/2 games out of first place. D: The Phillies were big time sellers at the trade deadline. It has to be all of the above. It is hard to believe that the Phillies are having this terrible of a season. When they were first rumored to be sellers at the trade deadline, I couldn't believe it. This team isn't that far removed from being in the World Series. I was even more surprised when they decided to trade both outfielders Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, two of the team's best hitters. The Phillies are definitely not going to get any better the rest of this season. If they don't make any moves in the offseason, they could be one of the worst teams in baseball next season. I don't really see how what the Phillies did at the trade deadline helped their situation at all.

St. Louis Cardinals
I was looking at the top contenders for the postseason, and most every team made at least one considerably key move, except for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals have been stuck in third place in the NL Central for awhile now. The first place Cincinnati Reds are playing great baseball and look like they are going to be difficult to catch. As I already mentioned, the second place Pirates made several key moves. The only move the Cardinals made was to add reliever Edward Mujica from the Marlins. Mujica tends to give up the home run ball and hasn't been at his best this year. The Cardinals weren't good enough to catch the Reds and Pirates before and little has happened to change that now. Unless something unexpected happens, I believe the reigning World Series champion Cardinals are going to miss the playoffs.

Marlins Trade Disappointing Hanley Ramirez to Dodgers

Infielder Hanley Ramirez had two key hits in his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Dilip Vishwanat)

When Hanley Ramirez came up with the Miami Marlins, many thought the uber-talented shortstop would be baseball's next premier superstar. From 2006-2010, it appeared that would be the case. Over that span of time, Ramirez led major league shortstops with 124 home runs and a .521 slugging percentage. He is a former NL Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star, and NL batting champion. All signs seemed to point to a prosperous and promising career.

Unfortunately, last season turned out to be a lost cause for Ramirez. Battling injuries and struggles at the plate, he saw major regression. In the offseason, the Marlins signed star shortstop Jose Reyes to a big contract. Ramirez agreed to move to third base to make room for Reyes. The Marlins hoped Ramirez and Reyes would add the one-two punch they needed to lead their offense. However, Ramirez's struggles continued this season. The Marlins tried everything they could, but finally their patience with Ramirez ran out.

They began to quietly shop Ramirez to see what they could get in return. The Los Angeles Dodgers have had an up-and-down season. They got off to a blistering start, before struggling through some injuries and cold hitting. With players getting healthier, the Dodgers are in a battle with the San Francisco Giants for first place in the NL West. Looking for a spark for their lineup, the Dodgers decided to inquire about Ramirez. The two sides talked through some options and worked out a deal.

The Marlins traded Ramirez and left-handed reliever Randy Choate for young starting pitcher Nate Eovaldi and minor-league right-hander Scott McGough. Eovaldi made his major league debut last season. He hasn't looked particularly dominant, but he is still only 22 years old. Choate will help bolster the Dodgers bullpen. He is a lefty specialist who is capable of getting outs when needed.

In his debut with the Dodgers tonight, Ramirez had a great game. In the first inning, he tripled off the wall for his first hit as a Dodger. He later came home to score. During the sixth inning, the Dodgers called on Ramirez for a clutch hit. He delivered with a RBI single to tie the game. It was a solid debut for Ramirez, who will play shortstop for the time being. When former Dodgers starting shortstop Dee Gordon returns from injury, it is expected that he will shift back to third base.

There is no doubt that the Dodgers took a chance by making the deal for Ramirez. There's certainly a chance that his struggles will continue. What they hope is that a chance of scenery could make a difference. If Ramirez is able to regain his All-Star form, this trade is an absolute steal for the Dodgers. Ramirez will join Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier in the heart of the Dodgers offense. If Ramirez returns to top form, the trio could be very formidable. It will be interesting to see how Hanley Ramirez does with the Dodgers.

Marlins Park Sparkles, But Night Belongs to Kyle Lohse and the Cardinals

Opening Night featured the brand new Marlins Park. A soldout crowd cheered on their freshly named Miami Marlins as they came on the field. Unfortunately, for the home team, there was little to cheer for after that. The St. Louis Cardinals' offense got after Marlins starting pitcher Josh Johnson right from the get go. Over six innings, Johnson gave up three runs on 10 hits. Some of those were bloopers and defensive errors, but he left quite a few directly over the plate. Meanwhile, the Cardinals' starting pitcher, Kyle Lohse, kept hitters off balance all night. He carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning. The game ended with the Cardinals adding an insurance run, the Marlins getting on the board with one run, and a dominant ninth from Cardinals closer Jason Motte.

The Marlins have to be disappointed with how they played in their home opener. They have to be wondering which Josh Johnson they will get. He has been their ace they can count on in the past, but he also has struggled with significant health issues. Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes had a misunderstanding on a ground ball. They will have to get use to playing together. Left fielder Logan Morrison's arm looked weak as he gave up several doubles that shouldn't have been. The Marlins are going to have to get used to playing together and in their new home environment.

For the reigning World Series champions, everything seemed to go as well as they could hope. Lohse looked excellent in the win. He is coming off what was likely his best season of his career, so he will try to build upon that. Offensively, the Cardinals just strung together a bunch of hits, especially against Johnson. Of their 13 hits, only three were for extra bases (all doubles), which meant they needed consecutive ones to score, which they did. Jason Motte came in to close out the game. He fired in some 99 mph fastballs as he secured the Cardinals' first win. All in all, a very good win for the boys from St. Louis.