Pierre Leads White Sox over Orioles; Pujols Powers Cards Past Brewers with 28th Homer

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 11, 2011

American League

Pierre: Speedy

It was an odd game at Camden Yards, in which all of the runs were scored in the first three innings.

The Chicago White Sox will take it, though, beating the Orioles, 6-3, to remain four back of Detroit in the AL Central, while inching closer to second place, just a game behind the Indians, as Detroit avoided the sweep in Cleveland with a 4-3 win.

Juan Pierre got the White Sox going in the first inning, leading off the game with a scratch single into shallow center, then coming around to score on a home run by Alexei Ramirez. The Sox would add two more in the inning for a quick, 4-0, lead.

After doubling and being stranded in the second, Pierre completed the scoring for the White Sox in the third inning, singling in a pair of runs with his third hit in as many innings. He stole second after that, but was again stranded as Chicago built a 6-0 lead.

The O's countered with three runs off Mark Beuhrle in the bottom of the 3rd, but that was all they'd get. Pierre finished with a 3-for-5 night at the plate, two RBI, a run and his 19th stolen base. He needs 11 more swipes to have 30 or more steals in 11 consecutive seasons. Pierre stole 68 bases last year.

National League

Pujols: 28 HR

Across the country, Arizona scored seven of their eight runs in the 8th, 9th and 10th innings, rallying from a 5-1, 7th-inning deficit to defeat the Houston Astros, 8-5 in 10, hanging onto first place in the NL West and increasing their lead to a full game over the idle Giants, but it was the Albert show in St. Louis that grabbed the headlines.

In danger of being swept by the Brewers and falling six games behind Milwaukee in the Central division, Albert Pujols got his best lick in early of Brewers' starter Yovani Gallardo, socking his 28th home run of the season in the first inning, a solo shot that tied him for the HR lead in the National League with teammate Lance Berkman.

Pujols singled home a run in the 5th and later scored, putting the Cardinals ahead for good in their 5-2 win over the first place Brewers. Going 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, Pujols was all business, helping the Cards cut Milwaukee's lead to four games in the division race.

Chris Carpenter gave up two runs in the 1st, but scattered 10 hits over eight innings to even his record at 8-8.