Adeiny Hechavarria Wrecks Roy Halladay, Phillies in Miami Romp; Mark DeRosa Leads Blue Jays over Mariners

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 5, 2013

American League

Mark DeRosa

Avoiding a sweep at home, the Toronto Blue Jays pounded Seattle starter, Joe Saunders, for nine hits and seven runs over five innings, en route to a 10-2 victory in the third and final game of the series.

Despite their record of 11-21 (7-12 at home), there were a number of positives coming out of the win. Starter Brandon Morrow pitched well, allowing two earned runs on just three hits over eight innings. It was his first victory of the season, against two losses.

The Blue Jays hammered out 15 hits and swiped four bases. Third baseman Mark DeRosa went 3-for-5, on a home run and a pair of doubles, driving in three and scoring three times. DeRosa has been used as a pinch hitter and part-time player and has only 36 at-bats this season, but responded to the starting call at third with a productive outing.

With good hitters and power producers up and down their lineup, the Blue Jays need to get better pitching performances from both the starting rotation and the bullpen.

National League

Adeiny Hechavarria

As a starting pitcher, you know things are going bad for you when the Marlins knock you out of the game with nine runs in the first 2 13 innings.

Such was the case for one Roy Halladay, the supposed "ace" of the Phillies' staff, who walked four and gave up four hits before retiring with his fourth loss of the season, only two wins and an 8.65 ERA.

Victimizing Halladay was Miami's Adeiny Hechavarria, who tripled with the bases loaded in the first inning to put Miami up 5-0 and then made it 9-0 two innings later when he took Halladay deep with a grand slam, his second homer of the season.

The Marlins eventually won the game, 14-2, earning a 2-2 split in their four-game series at Philadelphia.

Hechavarria didn't get another hit the rest of the game, but the rookie shortstop did go 2-for-5 with seven RBI, making a statement that may get him more playing time.

The Marlins improved to 10-22, but are just four games behind both the Phillies and the Mets in the NL East.