Mike Clevinger, Indians Blank Angels, 6-0; Bryce Harper Homers, Walks 4 Times As Nats Romp Braves

Players of the Day for Monday, April 2, 2018

American League

Clevinger: 5 1/3 scoreless

Edwin Encarnacion clubbed an inside-the-park home run in the second inning and it was all Mike Clevinger and four Cleveland relievers needed to down the home-standing Angels, 6-0, in the opener of a three-game series.

Clevinger worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits, walking two, and fanning five for his first win of the season.

Last year, Clevinger proved a stable starter in the Indian rotation, goin 12-6 with a 3.11 ERA in 27 appearances, 21 of them starts. He struck out 137 batters in 121 1/3 innings in 2017.

The Indians evened their record at 2-2, trailing the White Sox in the AL Central by 1/2 game. Game two of the series is scheduled for Tuesday night, at 7:00 pm PDT.

National League

Harper: HR, 4BB, 3R, 3RBI

It's well-known that Washington's Bryce Harper is a dangerous hitter, but what many pitchers around the majors are learning is that pitching around him isn't a very good option.

Harper walked four times in the Nationals' 8-1 rout at Atlanta, scoring three times, including one saunter to the plate after hitting a second-inning three-run homer, his third home run of the new season.

Harper walked and scored in the first and fifth innings as the Nationals built a huge lead for starting pitcher, Tanner Roark, who earned the win by allowing four hits and one earned run over seven innings. The National League MVP in 2015, Harper is batting a very solid .417 through four games.

The Nationals have gotten off to a fast start, winning their first four games. They lead the Mets by 1 1/2 games in the NL East and will be looking for their fifth straight when they take on the Braves on Tuesday. Game time is 7:35 pm EDT.