Drew Stubbs' 9th Inning Homer Gives Reds 6th Straight Win; Adam Dunn Blasts 30th HR in White Sox Romp; A's Streak into Second Place

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 24, 2012

American League

It's all tied up atop the AL Central, after Detroit lost to Cleveland, 3-2, and Adam Dunn cranked out his 30th home run of the season - he leads the majors - in an 11-4 romp over the last-place Twins.

Dunn: 30 HR leads
majors

The White Sox and Tigers are knotted at 52-45, with the Indians three games back. Each of the trio has been in first place for some part of the 2012 season.

Dunn went 3-for-5 on the night, busting a two-run bomb in the seventh, getting the Sox even at 4-4 after the Twins put up three runs in the sixth. Chicago scored two more in the inning, then tacked on a five-spot in the eighth. Dunn drove in a pair with a double and scored on a single by Alex Rios. Alexei Ramirez finished the scoring with a two-run shot of his own, his third.

Dunn's resurgence is one of the main reasons the White Sox are in the hunt for the playoffs. After hitting a career low 11 homers in 2011, Dunn's hard work in the off-season has produced positive results. His 71 RBI is fourth-best in the AL.

The White Sox will go for the sweep of Minnesota on Wednesday, while the Tigers and Indians sort things out in the second game of their three-game series in Cleveland.

National League

Drew Stubbs

In Houston, the Astros appeared to have the game under control entering the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead over NL East-leader, Cincinnati, looking to even their series at a game apiece and snap their seven-game losing streak.

That was until Drew Stubbs stepped to the plate with one out and one aboard and took an offering from closer Francisco Cordero into the left field seats, turning the game on its head, propelling the Reds to their sixth straight victory, 4-2.

Cincinnati added an insurance run in the frame, then Aroldis Chapman picked up his 16th save, fanning three straight after a leadoff single in the ninth.

Stubbs went 3-for-4, though, besides his game-winning homer, his pair of singles didn't yield any more runs.

The Reds improved their lead in the Central division to 2 1/2 games over the resolute Pirates, who lost their second straight in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Cubs.

STREAKING: Right out of the "Nobody Saw This Coming" Department, the Oakland A's have won six straight - including a four-game sweep of the Yankees - tying the Angels for second place in the AL West, five games back of the Rangers. The A's have actually played two fewer games than LA and have a one-game edge in the loss column, having won 10 of their last 11, including nine of 10 since the all star break. Their record of 15-2 in July is the best in the majors.