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Seattle Mariners Make History as 6 Pitchers Combine for No-Hitter vs. LA Dodgers

The Seattle Mariners made history Friday night as six pitchers combined on a 1-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It was just the 10th combined no-hit game in Major League Baseball history and was the fourth no-hitter already of this still young 2012 season.

Veteran right-hander Kevin Millwood started for the M’s and pitched six no-hit innings at Safeco Field before leaving the game with a right groin injury.

Millwood was followed up by Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and, finally, Tom Wilhelmsen, who finished off the Dodgers in the ninth.

Still scoreless after six innings, Millwood had struck out six and given up just a single walk. “But while warming up for the seventh,” according to the Associated Press, “he felt a twinge in his groin and was pulled from the game.”

Furbush came on to record the first two outs in the top of the seventh for Seattle before he was relieved by eventual winner Pryor, who struck out Juan Rivera to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, third baseman Kyle Seager knocked in Ichiro Suzuki with a and the Mariners took a lead they would never relinquish. 

Pryor was yanked after allowing two walks in the top of the eighth, but Luetge and League combined to retire the side.

In the ninth, Wilhelmsen came on and though Dee Gordon nearly beat out a slow grounder to short in a bang-bang play at first, the 6’6” righty took down the Dodgers in order.

The struggling Andre Ethier made the final out on a grounder to second as Wilhelmsen secured his third save of the season.

After the final out, catcher Jesus Montero jogged out to the mound and shared an awkward embrace with Wilhelmsen, who appeared not to know quite how to celebrate a no-hitter he shared with five other teammates.

“That was unbelievable,” Seager told the AP after the game. “I’ve never been a part of anything like that with that many guys coming in and keeping the no-hitter intact.”

It was the third no-no in Mariners history, following Randy Johnson in 1990 and Chris Bosio in 1993.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Brad Penny and Marina Smirnoff: The Pitcher’s Bevy of Beautiful Former Babes

Brad Penny, a veteran right-handed pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010, is engaged to the stunning Karina Smirnoff, a professional dancer on Dancing With the Stars.

According to People Magazine, the two have been engaged since Oct. 4, the day after the end of baseball’s regular season.

Smirnoff, 32, who has gained popularity on the hit ABC show, is a native of Ukraine. This season, she was paired with Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore fame, and the duo was recently eliminated from the competition.

Penny, also 32, went 3-4 with a 3.23 ERA for the Cardinals this past season—after also having spent time with the Marlins, Dodgers, Red Sox and Giants over the course of his 11 years in the bigs—and struggled with an injury to his back. He is a free agent this winter.

But given Smirnoff’s beauty—not to mention her moves on the dance floor—Penny probably isn’t minding spending a little extra time off the field.

In fact, Smirnoff is just one of the beauties the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Penny has been lucky enough to shack up with.

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Brian Wilson on Jay Leno: San Francisco Giants Closer, ‘Machine’ on Late Night TV

San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday. And, as usual, the man with the mohawk did not disappoint.

Following hilarious postgame interviews with Fox’s Chris Rose, an impressive performance during Wednesday’s victory parade in San Francisco and a great speech in front of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, the black-bearded reliever with an attitude took to the late-night talk-show circuit on Thursday.

He did not disappoint.

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Report: San Francisco Giants Outfielder Jose Guillen Linked To PED Investigation

Jose Guillen, a midseason pickup by the National League champion San Francisco Giants, has been linked to a federal performance-enhancing drug investigation, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

According to the Times, federal investigators informed Major League Baseball just prior to the start of the playoffs that they were looking into shipments of performance-enhancing drugs—including human growth hormone (HGH)—to Guillen’s wife at their Bay Area home.

Guillen, who came to the Giants from the Kansas City Royals in a trade for cash and a player to be named later on Aug. 13, hit .266 with three home runs and 15 RBI in 42 games.

Despite his relative lack of production, he was still expected to be named to San Francisco’s postseason roster. Surprisingly, fellow outfielder Aaron Rowand, who had struggled all season long, was named instead.

This could be why.

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World Series Game 1 Result: SF Giants Take Opener 11-7 Over Texas Rangers

Ramon Ramirez allowed a hit and a walk to open the frame, but the hard-throwing righty finally gets the first out of the ninth on a pop to right.

Jeremy Affeldt comes in, tosses a 55-foot fastball to the backstop on pitch No. 1, then walks Josh Hamilton to load the bases.

In comes dynamic Giants closer Brian Wilson. No word on whether or not “The Machine” is watching.

Vlad Guerrero greets Wilson with a liner to right, caught by Nate Schierholtz, that scores Julio Borbon on a sac fly.

The Giants bullpen had tossed 10 straight innings of scoreless ball this postseason before that Rangers run.

Nelson Cruz then rips a ball into the gap in right-center, scoring two more Rangers, making the score 11-7 with two outs.

Finally, Wilson and his jet-black beard retire Ian Kinsler on a fly to short right to end the game.

The Giants claim Game 1 11-7 and take a 1-0 World Series lead. Cliff Lee gets the first postseason loss of his career.

Take a look at the previous updates or Bleacher Report’s live blog of Game 1 for more specific info on how it all happened.


World Series Game 1 Updates: Giants Add to Lead With Two More in Eighth

Following a single to right by Edgar Renteria—and a horrible error by the geriatric Vlad Guerrero that allows Renteria to coast into third—the Giants get their sixth double of the night and their seventh extra-base hit courtesy of Travis Ishikawa, and they up their lead to 9-4.

Two batters later, Freddy Sanchez rips his fourth hit of the night down the right line, scoring Ishikawa, as Guerrero misplays another ball near the Texas bullpen for his second error of the inning. Giants lead 10-4.

Pinch-hitter Nate Schierholtz then greets new Rangers pitcher Michael Kirkman with another bonk up the middle to score a sliding Sanchez. 11-4, G-Men.

We head to the ninth with the home side well in control… of the game, at least. They’re clearly not in control of their facial hair.


World Series Game 1: Texas Rangers Vs. San Francisco Giants

World Series. Game 1.

Texas Rangers. San Francisco Giants.

Cliff Lee. Tim Lincecum.

Tonight.

You can’t wait. Neither can I.

We’ll come at you with lineups, game-day quotes, information and other updates throughout the afternoon and evening.

Want to know how many episodes of SportsCenter Josh Hamilton watched this morning? We’ll tell you.

Curious what Buster Posey had for lunch today? We’ll find out.

We, at Bleacher Report, will have wall-to-wall coverage of Game 1—and the rest of the series—so stick with us for everything you could possibly want to know about the game and this year’s largely improbable World Series.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


NLCS Game 6 Live Updates: Giants Beat Phillies 3-2 to Reach World Series

Wow, in a style befitting their tortuous nature, Brian Wilson pitches the San Francisco Giants into the World Series!

After getting Ross Gload to ground out to open the inning, Wilson allows a 3-2 walk to Jimmy Rollins. He gets Placido Polanco to ground into a fielder’s choice, as Juan Uribe makes a solid throw on the run to get Rollins at second.

Then it got rough.

Chase Utley squeaked out a walk to put the tying run on second.

Then Wilson, facing Phillies clean-up man Ryan Howard, got him looking on a nasty 3-2 curveball to end the game, end the Phils’ season and send the Giants to the World Series.


NLCS Game 6 Live Updates: Phillies’ Brad Lidge Holds Giants in Top of 9th

Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge comes in to pitch the top of the ninth. The veteran righty K’s Nate Schierholtz to lead things off, then allows a bunt single to Andres Torres and another single to left to Freddy Sanchez.

Lidge then gives a free pass to Buster Posey, forcing Giants closer Brian Wilson to come to the plate.

It looked like the Giants were considering pinch-hitting Pablo Sandoval, but it seems to be just a ruse.

Wilson pops out of the dugout, looking about as comfortable as a prostitute in church, and proceeds to ground out to Ryan Howard at first to end the inning.

We’re headed to the bottom of the ninth, with three outs separating the Giants from their first World Series berth in eight years.


NLCS Game 6 Live Updates: Tim Lincecum Gets Giants Into Trouble in 8th

And you’ll never guess who just strolled into Game 6 for the visiting San Francisco Giants: two-time Cy Young Award-winning starter Tim Lincecum, who started and went seven strong innings in a Game 5 loss on Thursday.

Lincecum strikes out Jayson Werth to begin the inning, but then allows consecutive singles to right to Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez.

Manager Bruce Bochy comes to get Lincecum, opting instead for the more late-game-seasoned Brian Wilson. Not sure what the thinking was initially in bringing in Lincecum.

And Wilson comes through… though a bit frighteningly.

Carlos Ruiz lines to Aubrey Huff at first, who tosses to second to double off Victorino! Wow, what a letdown for the Phillies and their passionate fans.

We’re headed to the ninth.


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