Alex Bregman Provides All RBI In Houston Win; Trevor Story Powers Colorado Over Dodgers

Players of the Day for Friday, September 29, 2017

American League

Bregman: HR, 3 RBI

With the regular season coming to a close on Sunday, the Astros and Indians know they must keep winning if they hope to have the best record in the American League.

Entering Friday's games, the Indians had a one-game edge in that department and took care of business by swatting the White Sox, 10-1. Houston faced a more arduous task, playing at Boston, where the Red Sox are still embroiled in a pennant race with the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Houston, thanks to third baseman, Alex Bregman, was up to it, topping the Red Sox 3-2 at Fenway Park, as Bregman drove in all three Houston runs.

While a parade of five Houston hurlers were limiting the Red Sox to five hits and two earned runs, Bregman was going 3-for-4, with a single, double, home run, and, as mentioned, all three RBI.

Bregman got the Astros on the board in the third inning, singling home the first run of the game.He put the Astros up, 3-0, with a two-run homer over the Green Monster in the fifth inning and the Houston bullpen managed to hold on for the win, leaving the Astros exactly where they were a day before, one game behind the Indians in the overall AL standings.

Bregman has had an excellent season, batting .287, with 19 homers and 71 RBI.

Houston will go for their third straight win over the Red Sox on Saturday, in game three of their four-game series, starting at 1:05 pm ET.

National League

Story: 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI

The Colorado Rockies reduced their magic number for clinching the second wild card to one with a 9-1 romp over the visiting Dodgers, highlighted by four homers at high-altitude Coors Field.

Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon got things going early for the Rockies, each swatting their 37th home run of the year. Arenado's came in the first with the bases empty. Blackmon's was a second-inning, two-run variety as the Rockies built a 5-0 lead in the first two innings of Dodger starter, Hyun Jin Ryu.

The hitting star was Trevor Story, who went 3-for-4, with a single, triple, and a two-run, fourth inning home run that essentially put the game away. Story has 24 home runs and 82 RBI on the year.

With Milwaukee dogging the Rockies the past month, Colorado has done just enough to stay ahead of the Brewers down the stretch. Since September 7, they are 12-8, while the Brewers have gone 12-7, keeping on the pressure.

Colorado has to win just one more game or Milwaukee lose one to clinch the wild card spot and play the single elimination game at Arizona on Wednesday, October 4. They host the Dodgers Saturday at 8:10 pm ET and Sunday at 3:10 pm ET. Milwaukee plays Saturday and Sunday in St. Louis.