Max Scherzer, Tigers Top Angels; Matt Holliday Leads NL in RBI as Cardinals Down Reds, 8-2

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 26, 2012

American League

Scherzer's 195 Ks
Lead AL

Prince Fielder and Delmon Young each homered in the sixth inning, providing more than enough offense in support of Max Scherzer, who improved to 14-6, holding the visiting Angels to a solitary, first-inning run in Detroit's 5-2 victory.

Scherzer gave up four hits and walked two, getting out of a three-hit first inning with a double play that plated Mike Trout, and a strikeout of Mark Trumbo to end the inning.

After Howie Kendrick singled to open the second inning, Scherzer did not allow another base hit, setting down 14 in a row before walking Trumbo to open the seventh. Setting down the Angels in order after that, his seven innings of work included nine strikeouts, giving him 195, tops in the major leagues and three better than teammate Justin Verlander.

Taking two of three from the Angels, the Tigers remain 2 1/2 back in the AL Central, following the White Sox, and they are in the thick of a four-team scramble for the two wild card spots, trailing Tampa Bay by a full game. Baltimore and Oakland are tied in the #2 slot, 1/2 game behind the Rays. The Angels are 4 1/2 back in the wild card and stuck in third place in the West, trailing the Rangers by 9 1/2 games.


National League

Holliday's 89 RBI
Leads NL

Taking two of three from the Central division-leading Reds, St. Louis crept to within six games of first place, winning the rubber game of the series by an 8-2 score.

Matt Holliday had a sensational afternoon at the plate, going 4-for-5, with two singles a double, triple and four RBI. Holliday scored twice, in the sixth and seventh innings, as the Cards banged out 17 hits off four Cincinnati hurlers.

Holliday leads the league in RBI with 89, four better than teammate Carlos Beltran and the Brewers' Ryan Braun.

Allen Craig cracked his 20th homer off Reds' starter Homer Bailey in the sixth and drove in three runs. He has 71 RBI, but has played in 30 to 40 fewer games than most other players.

St. Louis continues to cling to the second wild card, 2 1/2 behind Atlanta, but 1 1/2 better than the Dodgers and up two on division foe, Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals open a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Monday.