Seth Smith Leads A's over Tigers; Chase Utley, Ryan Howard Help Phils Pound Mets, 16-1

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 20, 2012

American League

Seth Smith

If the Oakland A's make it to the playoffs (and it looks like they will), there will be plenty of players to thank, including Seth Smith, who helped the A's tie the idle Orioles for the top wild card Thursday night with a 12-4 win over Detroit.

Smith tied the game at 2-2 with his 14th homer of the season, singled and scored in the A's four-run sixth, then cleared the bases with a double in the ninth, putting his signature on the victory, going 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI.

National League

While the Nationals and Reds each clinched playoff spots, the Phillies continue clinging to slim hopes of reaching the post-season, helping themselves with a 21-hit bombing of the Mets Thursday at Citi Field in a 16-1 rout.

Chase Utley

Ryan Howard

Having fallen well off the pace early in the year due to the absence of two of their star players, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the Phillies have been one of the better teams in the second half, getting both off the DH and into a regular playing regimen.

Utley rapped out four hits in five at-bats (a double and three singles), and drove in four runs while Howard singled in a run as the Phills put up eight in the first inning, then polished off the Mets with his 14th homer of the year, a ninth-inning grand slam as the Phils added seven more runs.

Philadelphia has won three straight, leaving them four games behind St. Louis, winners of four in a row, for the second wild card. Also chasing the Cardinals are LA, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.