Game 159: 1-for-4 in 9-6 Win at Toronto

Chris Young / AP Photo, The Canadian Press

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/175
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 2
Average: .285
Box
Notes: Batted second, played right… Single, groundout, lineout, RBI sac fly, flyout… Collided with the wall after a long running catch (above).
Next: Game 160 vs. Boston, 4:05 Monday.

Game 158: 3-for-5 in 3-2 Loss at Toronto

Chris Young / AP Photo, The Canadian Press

At Bats: 5
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 3/174
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 2
Average: .285
Box
Notes: Played left and right, batted second… Single, popout, grounded into force, single, single… Caught stealing.
Next: Game 159 at Toronto, 10:07 a.m. Sunday.

Game 157: 2-for-5 in 11-4 Win at Toronto

Chris Young / AP Photo, The Canadian Press

At Bats: 5
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 2/171
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .282
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Groundout, groundout, groundout, RBI single, double… 27th double, 28th stolen base, 52nd RBI.
Next: Game 158 at Toronto, 10:07 a.m. Saturday.

Game 156: 0-for-4 in 6-0 Loss at Toronto

Abelimages / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/169
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .281
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Groundout, groundout, flyout, groundout.
Next: Game 157 at Toronto, 4:07 Friday.

Game 155: 2-for-5 in 8-2 Win at Minnesota

Jim Mone / AP Photo

At Bats: 5
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 2/169
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 2
Average: .283
Box
Notes: Played right, batted leadoff… Strikeout, single, groundout, single, groundout.
Next: Game 156 at Toronto, 4:07 Thursday.

Player of the Week!

Link.

Ichiro’s Bats

Cool story about Ichiro and his Mizono bats in today’s New York Times — link — and here’s a better look at that bat case, before it was photoshopped into the batter’s box…

Game 154: 1-for-4 in 5-4 Loss at Minnesota

Jim Mone / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/167
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .282
Box
Notes: Batted second, played right… Popout, single, groundout, groundout… Caught stealing.
Next: Game 155 at Minnesota, 10:10 a.m. Wednesday.

Game 153: 1-for-5 in 6-3 Win at Minnesota

Hannah Foslien / Getty Images

At Bats: 5
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 1/166
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 3
Average: .282
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Double, lineout, lineout, flyout, reached on fielder’s choice.
Next: Game 154 at Minnesota, 5:10 Tuesday.

Game 152: 1-for-5 in 5-4 Loss vs. Oakland

Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

At Bats: 5
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/165
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 4
Average: .283
Box
Notes: Popout, lineout, single (above), grounded into force out, flyout… 27th stolen base.
Next: Game 153 at Minnesota, 5:10 Monday.

Game 151: 3-for-5 in 10-9 Win vs. Oakland

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

At Bats: 5
Runs: 3
Hits, Game/Season: 3/164
Runs Batted In: 3
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 0
Average: .284
Box
Notes: Played center and left, batted second… Home run, single, walk, out on sac bunt (above), ground out, strikeout, single, intentional walk… Scored game-winning run in the 14th.
Next: Game 152 vs. Oakland, 10:05 a.m. Sunday.

Game 150: 2-for-3 in 2-1 Win vs. Oakland

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

At Bats: 3
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 2/161
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .281
Box
Notes: Batted eighth, played left and right… Single, single, flyout… 26th stolen base of the season (above)… .281 batting average the highest it’s been since May 26.
Next: Game 151 vs. Oakland, 10:05 a.m. Saturday.

Game 149: 2-for-4 in 10-7 Win vs. Toronto

Kathy Willens / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 2
Hits, Game/Season: 2/159
Runs Batted In: 3
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 1
Average: .279
Box
Notes: Batted eighth, played left and right… Home run (above), two-RBI double, groundout, strikeout… The hot streak continues.
Next: Game 150 vs. Oakland, 7:05 Friday.

Game 148: 4-for-4 in 2-1 Win vs. Toronto

Al Bello / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 4/157
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .277
Box
Notes: Played left and right, batted eighth… Single, double, single, RBI single… Stole second twice, stole third twice… A huge double-header day, going 7-for-8 (raising his batting average by eight points), with two doubles, two runs, four stolen bases, and he drove in the nightcap’s game-winning run… “When you’re in a pennant race, you don’t really have to focus,” he said afterwards. “This whole atmosphere makes you focus. That’s kind of the difference that I’ve felt. This atmosphere creates this natural way of making you focus more. That’s what I’ve felt.”
Next: Game 149 vs. Toronto, 4:05 Thursday.

Game 147: 3-for-4 in 4-2 Win vs. Toronto

Jason Szenes / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 2
Hits, Game/Season: 3/153
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 0
Average: .272
Box
Notes: Played left and right, batted leadoff… Single, single, strikeout, ground-rule double.
Next: Game 148 vs. Toronto, 4:05 today.

Game 147: Rained Out

To be made up in a doubleheader vs. Toronto on Wednesday, beginning at 10:05 a.m.

Game 146: 0-for-0 in 6-4 Win vs. Tampa Bay

At Bats: 0
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/150
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .269
Box
Notes: Seventh-inning defensive substitution in right, batted eighth, moved to right in the eighth… Thrown out on sac bunt.
Next: Game 147 at Toronto, 4:05 Tuesday.

eBay Alert: Authentic Game-Worn Ichiro Wristbands

Link.

Game 145: 1-for-4 in 5-3 Win vs. Tampa Bay

Alex Trautwig / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 1/150
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 1
Average: .269
Box
Notes: Batted leadoff, played left and right… Strikeout, groundout, single, flyout… Stole 21st base of the season.
Next: Game 146 vs. Tampa Bay, 10:05 a.m. Sunday.

eBay Alert: Authentic Game-Worn Ichiro Toe Socks

Link.