Edwin Encarnacion Leads Indians Over Padres, 11-2; Domingo Santana Helps Brewers Roil Cubs, 11-2

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 6, 2017

American League

Encarnacion: 4-5, 4R, 2RBI

When the Cleveland Indians acquired Edwin Encarnacion from Toronto after the 2016 season, they figured he'd supply some pop to the middle of the lineup.

Perhaps the Indians got just what they wanted, more or less. In Cleveland's 11-2 win over the visiting Padres, Encarnacion mashed his 18th home run and drove in two runs to give him 47 on the year. His 4-for-5 effort left him right at .266, his career average. He also scored four runs.

Encarnacion set career marks last year with the Blue Jays, launching 42 home runs and driving in 127, which led the league.

With Kansas City taking a day off and the Twins getting past Baltimore, 6-4, the Indians maintained their tenuous hold on first place in the AL Central, a game to the good over the Royals and 1 1/2 ahead of the Twins.

The victory enabled the Indians to avoid being swept by the lowly Padres. The Indians are 6-7 recently and are hosting the Tigers in a three-game series beginning Friday at 7:10 pm leading into the all-star break.

National League

Santana: 4-5, 3R, 2RBI

Milwaukee continues to frustrate last year's world champions, whipping the Cubs again on Thursday, 11-2, at Wrigley Field.

The game was rescheduled from a May 20 postponement. Prior to the rout, the Cubs held a 5-3 lead in the season series.

Milwaukee right fielder, Domingo Santana, was the batting star for the Brewers, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two singles, scoring three times, driving in two.

The 24-year-old got things started early for the Brewers, doubling and driving in runs in the first and third innings, his first two at-bats. After singling again in the fifth, he was part of a double steal with Jonathan Villar, who scored as Cubs' catcher Willson Contreras threw the ball into the outfield. Santana scored on a single by Jesus Aguilar. Santana collected his fourth hit in the ninth, but was left stranded.

Having already set career marks for home runs (14), RBI (47) and batting (.288), Santana is one of the reasons the Brewers - not the Cubs - are leading the NL Central. Chicago is in second place, 4 1/2 games back.

The Cubs host Pittsburgh in a weekend series beginning Friday, while the Brewers - secure in the fact they'll be atop the division at the all-star break by virtue of winning four straight and seven of their last eight - travel to the Big Apple for a three-game series with the Yankees.