David Wright Leads Mets Over Phillies; Kendrys Morales, Mike Trout Lead Angels

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 5, 2012

American League

The Angels picked up a game on Texas in the AL West, defeating the Orioles, 9-7, while the Rangers were handled by the White Sox, 2-1.

Mike Trout

Kendrys Morales

Leading the way for LA were Kendrys Morales and leadoff hitter Mike Trout, who went 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI and three stolen bases, all of them coming in the sixth inning, when he swiped second and third, and continued home on Matt Weiters bad throw that got past third baseman Wilson Betemit.

Morales singled three times in four at-bats, getting the Angels started with an RBI in the first, then rapping a key hit that plated two runs in the fourth to give the Angels an 8-7 lead.

The Angels trail Texas by four games in the division and continue their four game home series against Baltimore, Friday through Sunday.


National League

What a night for David Wright. The Mets' all star third baseman went 3-for-5 with four RBI, including a walk-off, game-winning single with two down in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Mets past the Phillies, 6-5.

David Wright

In an action-packed game that originally was thought to be a pitching duel between two of the league's best, Cole Hamels for the Phillies and the Mets' R.A. Dickey, both pitchers struggled, but lasted seven innings, with Hamels allowing four earned runs to Dickey's five.

Wright had key hits at opportune moments. In the third inning, he singled home Dickey to tie the game at two, then belted a two-run homer in the fifth to put the Mets up, 4-3. After the Phillies added a pair in the sixth, Wright came to the plate in the ninth against closer Jonathan Papelbon, with a run already in and the bases loaded and delivered a bloop single down the right field line out of the reach of Hunter Pence.

For Wright, who was named to the NL all star team earlier in the week as a reserve (Pablo Sandoval is starting at third, but Wright has better numbers), it was a memorable evening in a season in which he's lived up to his reputation as one of the top players in either league. He has 11 home runs, is tied for second in RBI with Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and his .354 batting average is fourth in the National League.

Papelbon took the loss, allowing three hits and a walk in his second blown save of the season. The Mets took two of three from the Phillies and continue to trail the Nationals in the NL East by 4 1/2 games as they begin a three game set with the Cubs at Citi Field on Friday.