Patterson Stays Hot as Jays win 3rd Straight; Kershaw Blanks Marlins

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 29, 2011

American League

There are hot streaks, and then there's Corey Patterson.

Corey Patterson

Following his five-hit game on Saturday, Patterson went out Sunday and made it a weekend to remember, going 4-for-5 with three RBI in Toronto's 13-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Patterson picked up where he left off, singling and scoring in the first inning, popping his 4th home run of the season - with one aboard - in the 4th, driving home another run in the 5th with a single and singling one more time in the 7th.

Over the past two games, Patterson has nine hits in 12 at-bats (.750) and has raised his batting average from a pedestrian .268 to all-star level .301. The Blue Jays, after dropping the opening game of their home series, took three straight from the Sox, and trail Boston in the AL East by three games, though they remain in fourth place. The Yankees are one game back of the Red Sox and the Rays 1 1/2 out.

National League

Most National League teams have been trying to figure out ways to cool off the Florida Marlins. The LA Dodgers seem to have at least part of the solution as they took the rubber game of their three-game series from the Marlins, by an 8-0 score, Sunday.

Clayton Kershaw

Rafael Furcal's first home run of the season - a two-run shot in the 3rd - was more than enough cushion for Clayton Kershaw, who went the distance, allowing just two hits while fanning 10 for his first shutout of the year.

In complete command, Kershaw struck out four of the first six batters he faced, gave up a leadoff single to Omar Infante in the 3rd and then allowed just a 4th inning walk and a 7th inning double the rest of the way.

While the Dodgers are 5 1/2 out in the NL West and six games under .500 (24-30), Kershaw is putting together a fine season. He's 6-3, with a 2.62 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. He needed just 116 pitches to notch his second career shutout. His 87 strikeouts leads the NL, one better than the Phillies' pair of Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, who each have 86 punch-outs.