Charlie Blackmon 4-5, 4 R, Rockies Top Nats, 10-6; Steve Pearce Slams Again For Jays; Adrian Beltre Notches #3000

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 30, 2017

American League

Pearce: Walk-off Slam

He did it again.

Just three days after slugging a 10th-inning, walk-off grand slam in Toronto's 8-4 win over the A's, Steve Pearce capped a dramatic seven-run, ninth inning rally with another bases-full round-tripper, leading the Blue Jays over the LA Angels, 11-10.

Pearce's second walk-off grand slam in four days came off Angels' reliever, Bud Norris, who surrendered three hits and a walk and was charged with all four runs off Pearce's bat. Prior to Norris' appearance, Brooks Pounders failed to record an out in the bottom of the ninth. He faced three batters, allowed two hits and a walk and was charged with three runs.

Toronto's win came as the top two teams in the AL East - New York and Boston - were losing, but the Jays still trail by eight games in the division and also have to contend with the Orioles and Rays, both winners on Sunday.

Pearce's and Toronto's flair for the dramatic may have come too late in the season for the Blue Jays, however. They got off to a poor start, had injuries to key players and have not recovered. Despite having a mostly healthy lineup, Toronto is just 8-9 since the all-star break, though they have won five of their last seven.

Toronto begins a six-game road trip Monday, opening with the White Sox, then on to Houston for three games.

Beltre: 3000 Hits

MILESTONE: Adrian Beltre recorded his 3000th major league hit Sunday with a fourth-inning double off Baltimore starter, Wade Miley. Beltre would later score on Rougned Odor's single, but the Orioles out-slugged the Rangers, 10-6. Beltre becomes the 31st player to reach the 3000-hit level, joining Roborto Clemente at the magic mark. Beltre, 38, is a 20 year veteran who has played his entire career - save 2010 in Boston - in the AL West, with the Angels, Seattle, and currently, the Rangers. He is a career .286 hitter, with 454 home runs and 1607 RBI, Hall of Fame numbers for sure.

National League

With a rainout of their scheduled Friday night opener, the three-game series between Colorado and Washington evolved into game one on Saturday and a double-header Sunday. The Rockies won Saturday, 4-2, and took the first game of the double-header, 10-6 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, thanks to another outstanding game from leadoff hitter, Charlie Blackmon, who's been tearing up opposing pitching all season long.

In five at-bats, Blackmon lashed four singles, drove in a run, stole a base and scored four times, improving his batting average to .329, fourth-best in the National League, .001 behind Washington's Bryce Harper. Blackmon leads the league in runs, with 93; Harper is second, at 86. Colorado's best hitter is also reshaping the way pitchers handle a lineup. He has 25 home runs (tied for 6th) and 70 RBI, 14th overall.

Blackmon: 4-for-5, 4 R

After singling and scoring in the first and third innings, Blackmon got his third single of the game in the fourth, driving in a run, later scoring from second on Nolan Arenado's single.

In the eighth, Blackmon singled again, stole second and scored on Arenado's triple. Arenado was 3-for-3 and his two RBI increased his league-leading total to 91.

In the nightcap, the Nationals came back with a 3-1 win, avoiding being swept and maintaining a 13 game lead over Miami in the NL East. The Rockies are 1/2 game behind Arizona for second place in the West, but 14 1/2 behind the Dodgers, winners of eight straight.

Colorado is 8-7 after the break and returns home Monday to open a six game home stand, starting on Tuesday with the Mets for three, followed by a visit from the Phillies over the weekend. Washington opens a three-game series in Miami on Monday, followed by three games in Chicago against the Cubs, opening Thursday.