Take 2 Roundup: Games of Wed, 4/23/08

[Proverbial Psalms]

[size=24:29ee4c9f1d][b:29ee4c9f1d]METS WIN, CLOSE IN ON CARDINALS[/b:29ee4c9f1d][/size:29ee4c9f1d]
[size=18:29ee4c9f1d]Strawberry's 39th Home Run Helps Mets Defeat Cubs[/size:29ee4c9f1d]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/darryl_strawberry_3_150x214.jpg" align="left" border="1" width="150" height="214" style="margin: 0px 10px;" /> Outfielder Darryl Strawberry blasted his 39th home run on the season to help the New York Mets [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1969][u:29ee4c9f1d]defeat the Chicago Cubs 8-2[/u:29ee4c9f1d][/url].

Utility infielder Tim Teufel, starting at second base filling in for the injured Wally Backman, made the most of a rare starting opportunity.

Despite entering the game with just 6 RBI's on the season, Teufel drove in 4 runs in the game on 2 doubles. With the offensive outburst, Teufel raised his batting average all the way up to an overly impressive .177 for the season.

New York's victory, combined with the [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1970][u:29ee4c9f1d]Cardinals 5-3 loss to the Phillies[/u:29ee4c9f1d][/url], moved the Mets back to within one game of St. Louis in the NL East.

[b:29ee4c9f1d]AL EAST UPDATE...[/b:29ee4c9f1d] The Detroit Tigers [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1975][u:29ee4c9f1d]lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 16-13[/u:29ee4c9f1d][/url] after squandering a 12-4 lead. Toronto rallied with 7 runs in the 9th inning, then scored 4 more in the 10th for the big victory. The New York Yankees wasted Don Mattingly's 40th home run on the season, [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1974][u:29ee4c9f1d]losing to Baltimore 4-3[/u:29ee4c9f1d][/url]. With 10 games left in the [i:29ee4c9f1d]1986: Take Two[/i:29ee4c9f1d] season... the Yankees are ahead by 1 game over Detroit, 3 games over Toronto, and 6 games over the Red Sox.

[b:29ee4c9f1d]NL WEST UPDATE...[/b:29ee4c9f1d] The Padres closed to within a single game of the Astros for the division lead. San Diego [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1973][u:29ee4c9f1d]defeated the Dodgers 5-4[/u:29ee4c9f1d][/url] in 10 innings on Tony Gwynn's RBI groundout. Meanwhile the Astros [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=1972][u:29ee4c9f1d]lost to San Francisco 3-1[/u:29ee4c9f1d][/url], failing to put up enough offense to win another close, late season contest... the Astros have scored just three runs in total over the past three games.

[i:29ee4c9f1d]photo: SN Archives[/i:29ee4c9f1d]