Mike Trout's 4-for-4, Grand Slam Lifts Angels; Carlos Gonzalez Smacks Two Homers, Drives in Six for Rockies

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 26, 2015

American League

Trout: 4-4, Grand Slam

Regaining the major league home run lead from teammate Albert Pujols, Mike Trout helped the Angels salvage a win in their three-game series with Texas, going 4-for-4 with a pair of singles and two homers (#s 30, 31), one of which was a grand slam.

After dropping the first two games of the series, 4-2, and, 7-6, the Angels roared back on Sunday with a 13-7 rout.

Combined with Houston's 5-1 loss at Kansas City, the win pushed the Angels back into sole possession of first place in the AL West with a one-game lead over the Astros.

Trout socked a solo homer in the first inning, then followed up with the grand slam in the sixth, blowing open a game that the Angels led by only a run - 3-2 - entering the inning.

By the time the Rangers got to bat again in the top of the seventh, it was 8-2, and the outcome largely determined.

Gonzalez: 2HR, 6RBI

Trout's 4-for-4 effort boosted his batting average to .315, among the league leaders, and his five RBI gave him 64 on the season, fifth-best in the American League.


National League

After singling home the first run in Colorado's half of the third inning, Carlos Gonzalez capped a 10-run outburst by the Rockies with a two-run homer, giving Colorado a 12-4 lead over the visiting Reds.

Gonzalez smashed another homer - this time a three-run shot - in the fifth inning, tallying six RBI on the day and helping the Rockies to a 15-hit, 17-7 victory, taking two out of three from the visiting Reds.

The homers were Gonzalez's 17th and 18th of the season, his 3-for-4 effort giving him a .270 batting average with 47 RBI.

The win didn't help Colorado much, as they still are last in the NL West, 12 games behind the LA Dodgers, who hold a one-game edge over he Giants.

One of the more prolific hitters in the National League, 29-year-old Gonzalez has 154 homers and 504 RBI with a .291 average in eight major league seasons.