Tommy Medica Goes 5-for-5 in Padres Win; David Murphy Leads Cleveland Past Rangers, 12-2

Players of the Day for Friday, August 1, 2014

American League

Murphy: 4-for-4

With two months left in the regular season, all six of the divisional races are still up for grabs, but the one in which the team on top has the biggest lead - the AL Central - could become the most interesting of all.

The Tigers still command a four-game edge over the Royals, who have won three straight, but the Indians and White Sox, 6 1/2 and seven games back, respectively, have not gone away.

All four Central contenders won on Friday, the Indians taking the first of their three-game series in Cleveland with a 12-2 pounding of the Rangers.

Batting out of the eighth spot, David Murphy provided some bottom-of-the-order offense with a 4-for-4 performance, banging two doubles, a pair of singles, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Murphy also had an eventful night in right field, throwing out Adrian Beltre at the plate to preserve a slender, 1-0, lead in the second inning, followed by an error on a bobble in the third, which did not result in any unearned runs.

Some may call it payback, but Murphy's big night came against the team for which he played six seasons, and which traded him to the Indians following 2013.

The series resumes Saturday, at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Medica: 5-for-5

Trailing the Nationals by 1 1/2 in the East, one would think the Braves would relish a three-game series at San Diego, but the Braves went down in flames for the fourth straight time in the opener of their series at Petco Park, hammered by the Padres, 10-1.

San Diego banged out 20 hits, five of them by rookie first baseman, Tommy Medica, in five at-bats.

Medica, a UC-Santa Clara graduate, banged a pair of two-run homers (#s 5 and 6), three singles, drove in four runs, stole a base ad scored four times, certainly his best game as a major leaguer. with just 150 at-bats this season, Medica's batting average went from .248 to .273 in just one game.

San Diego still has a bit of hope in the West, trailing the Dodgers by 12 1/2, but time is running out on them.

Game two of the series is slated for an 8:40 pm EDT start on Saturday.