Ryan Rayburn Goes Deep Twice as Indians Pound Phillies; Rickie Weeks Drives in Five as Brewers Blast Pirates

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 30, 2013

American League

Double-digits were the order of the day on Tuesday. Across the major leagues, five different teams scored at least 10 runs, but the Cleveland Indians topped them all, smashing seven homers in a 14-2 squashing of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ryan Raburn

Cleveland hitters made a mockery of Roy Halladay (2-3), knocking him out in 3 2/3 innings with eight runs off nine hits, three of them home runs.

Cleveland right fielder Ryan Raburn wasn't among Hallady's victimizers; he waited until the relievers came on, belting a two-run long ball in the fifth and a solo blast in the seventh. Earlier, Raburn singled and scored as the Indians plated four runs in the fourth inning.

After a slow start, Raburn's caught fire, racking four home runs in his past two games. In the series finale with Kansas City on Sunday, he went deep twice with four RBI. All of his homers and seven of his eight RBI have come in the past two games.

The Indians host the Phillies for game two of the interleague series Wednesday at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Rickie Weeks

Milwaukee took itssecond straight from the Pirates in a 12-8 slug-fest, sending St. Louis - a 2-1 winner over the Reds - into first place in the stifling NL Central. The Cards lead Pittsburgh and Milwaukee by 1/2 game; Cincinnati is a mere one game out.

The two teams combined for 29 hits against a total of 11 pitchers. Rickie Weeks drove in five runs, going 3-for-5 with a single, double and his second home run of the season, a three-run, eighth inning belt that advanced the Brewers' 9-8 lead to the final tally.

Earlier, Weeks walked and scored in the second inning, doubled and scored in the third and singled home a pair of runs in the fourth.

Entering the game batting an anemic .167, Weeks batted from the five hole in the order, responding with his best game of the season, his average magically levitating to a nearly-reasonable .191.

The Brewers will be seeking the home sweep and a possible look at first place in the division Wednesday afternoon at 1:10 pm EDT.