Friday, June 16, 2017

Lonnie Chisenhall's 5 RBI Lift Indians Over Dodgers; Colorado Aided By Nolan Arenado's 3 Doubles, 4 RBI

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 15, 2017

American League

An interleave match-up that featured two potential World Series participants was won by the LA Dodgers, two games to one, but the Cleveland Indians avoided being swept at home with a 12-5 victory in the series finale.

Chisenhall: HR, 5 RBI
Cleveland had an early 5-0 lead, but the Dodgers closed to within 5-4 in the fifth inning, until Lonnie Chisenhall stepped in to pinch hit for Austin Jackson with two aboard in the bottom of the frame.

The lefty swinger hooked a three-run shot to over the right field wall, and all of a sudden it was 8-4. Chisenhall was not done, however, getting to the plate again in the following inning with the bases loaded, delivering a single to right, plating two more.

Chisenhall, who finished 2-for-3 with five RBI, plays part-time, platooning in the outfield and pinch-hitting, his left-handed swing often resulting in key moments. He's batting .275 with eight homers and 29 RBI in just 109 at-bats this season.

Snapping a six-game Dodger winning streak, the win for the Indians kept them two games behind AL Central leader, Minnesota. LA's loss left them tied for second with Arizona in the contentious NL West, a game behind the Rockies.

The Dodgers head to Cincinnati on Friday for a three-game series; Cleveland travels to Minnesota for a four game series beginning Friday night, with a double-header set for Saturday.

National League

Arenado: 3 doubles, 4 RBI
Colorado blew a 9-1 lead, but got a game-winning single from Ramiel Tapia for the eventual 10-9 win over the Giants, putting the Rockies back in first place in the NL West as the Dodgers lost and Arizona was idle.

Tapia's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth wasn't the only highlight in the slug-fest which featured 32 hits and 12 pitchers. Nolan Arenado lashed three doubles in five at-bats, scored three times and drove in four runs for the hit-happy Rockies.

Arenado's 24 doubles tops the National League, and his 50 RBI has him tied for seventh in the league with Washington's Bryce Harper. The free-swinging third baseman has a .289 batting average and 14 homers, looking to make his third consecutive all-star team. He trails Chicago's Kris Bryant in balloting for third base.

Colorado's home win came in the opener of a four game series with the Giants which resumes Friday at 8:40 pm ET.

No comments: