Ness Notes (August 10)

MLB’s longest active winning streak came to an end last night, as the Rockies’ two-run ninth inning was enough to edge the Dodgers 3-1. LA had won 11 straight games, its longest streak in 13 years, and avoided the team’s first 12-game winning streak since 1976.

I’m going to play a free play for Thursday, but I have an NFLX doubleheader for tonight’s play. Get BOTH of tonight’s 15* preseason games in one report. In MLB, it’s my 15* AL Blowout of the Month.

The A’s and Angels owned the second and third longest winning streaks behind the Dodgers and both teams not only lost, they were shut out! The A’s were on a six-game winning streak going into Wednesday’s game and lost 14-0 to the Rangers in an afternoon game. It was the worst shutout loss the A’s have suffered in Oakland. The Angels carried a four-game winning streak into their afternoon game in Cleveland and lost 4-0.

Cleveland’s Jake Westbrook scattered nine hits in the Indians’ shutout to the Angels, six days after allowing 15 hits in a win over the Red Sox. Only two other pitchers in the last 50 years have pitched a complete game after giving up as many as 15 hits in their previous appearance: Roger Clemens in 1988 and Jack Billingham in 1977.

The Rangers and Indians had entered Wednesday’s games on four-game losing streaks, the longest active losing streaks in MLB. Yesterday’s results leave the Mets’ modest four-game winning streak as the longest active losing streak in the majors and Boston and Pittsburgh’s four-game losing streaks as the longest active losing streaks.

More highlights from Wednesday include the Twins beating the Tigers for the second night in a row, 4-3. Johan Santana got the win and is now almost unbelievable 34-3 over the second half of the season since the 2003 All-Star break. Justin Morneau’s home run in the eighth inning, the game-winning hit in the Twins’ win 4-3 over the Tigers, it was his 30th home run of the season.

Morneau is the first Twins player to reach that level since Kent Hrbek, Tom Brunansky and Gary Gaetti did it in 1987. Minnesota’s streak of 18 seasons without a 30-homer player was the longest since the White Sox put end a 69-year drought. — longest in Major League history — when Bill Melton hit 33 home runs in 1970

Speaking of the White Sox, the Yankees’ Randy Johnson gave them almost no hits, but then they almost pulled off an incredible comeback in a 7-6 loss. Johnson’s bid for his third no-hitter was thwarted by Tadahito Iguchi’s single on an 0-2 pitch leading off the seventh inning. The White Sox scored two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth.

Johnson has two career no-hitters, including the last MLB perfect game (against the Braves on May 18, 2004). He has played 5,990 games since May 19, 2004, by far the longest stretch of games without a no-hitter in Major League history. It was the 12th time Johnson had held his opponent hitless for six innings, the most among active pitchers. El Cohete has done it seven times and Pedro six.

While many may not like the idea of ​​the wild card, it sure does keep things interesting. A great three-team race is brewing in the American League, as the Twins 67-46 lead the White Sox 66-46 and the Red Sox 65-47. The Reds 59-55 lead the way in the National League, closely followed by the D’backs and Dodgers 58-56. Just 3 1/2 games back at 55-58 there are three more teams; the Astros, Phillies and Rockies. Stay tuned.

Thursday’s 11-game schedule features three afternoon games, two of which start at press time (but are worth mentioning). The Padres are in New York to take on the Mets (12:10 ET) and the Cardinals are in Cincinnati to take on the Reds (12:35 ET). Chris Young starts for San Diego and the 6-10 third-year player is an incredible 5-0 (2.42) on the road in 10 starts this year with the Padres winning nine of 10 games.

Bronson Arroyo starts for the Reds and will make his 10th try for his 10th win. That’s how it is. Arroyo went to 9-3 in the 2006 season with a 4-2 victory on June 19 against the Mets. However, he has made nine prior attempts to win his 10th game of the year, going 0-4 with a 5.31 ERA (the team is 3-6 in his nine starts)!

NFL ratings

Week 1 of the NFL preseason begins tonight with the Browns at the Eagles (7:30 ET) and the Colts at the Rams (8:00 ET on FOX). Two interesting streaks are in play tonight as the Browns are riding a seven-game ATS preseason winning streak in their game with the Eagles. Romeo Crennel in his rookie year as Cleveland head coach led the Browns to a 3-1 (4-0 ATS) record last year, plus the Browns had also ‘covered’ their last three games of the 2004 preseason.

When the Colts take on the Rams tonight, in Scott Linehan’s NFL coaching debut, they will try to snap a six-game losing streak (1-5 ATS) in the preseason. The Colts went 0-5 SU and ATS in the preseason last year and also lost (but covered) in their last game of the 2004 preseason. Just a word to the wise, the Colts were so devastated by the poor record last year’s preseason team who opened the 2005 regular season by winning their first 13 games.

The Chiefs, who visit the Texans on Saturday night (8:00 ET on CBS), are also riding a six-game losing streak in the preseason and the Chiefs have outscored the Colts, going 0-6 ATS in those six losses. The Broncos, who went 4-0 in the preseason last year (3-1 ATS), have the longest active preseason winning streak.

Tomorrow’s highlights will focus on some of the best and worst recent preseason records, as well as provide some insight into various NFL coaches and how they’ve fared over the years in these “scrimmages.”

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