Sunday, April 8, 2018

Phillies Hammer Marlins, 20-1, As Maikel Franco Drives in 6; Xander Bogaerts Leads Red Sox To 7th Straight Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, April 7, 2018

American League

Bogaerts: GS, 6 RBI
After the Rays scored two runs in the top of the first, the Red Sox responded with four of their own, highlighted by Xander Bogaerts two-run double to take an early lead.

In the second, Bogaerts put another ball out of reach, mashing a grand slam to left-center, putting Boston up for good in their 10-3 rout at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox won their seventh straight after opening the regular season with a loss and lead the AL East by 2 1/2 games over the Yankees and Blue Jays.

Bogaerts tally of six RBI left him one shy of the AL lead, with 10. Toronto's Justin Smoak and the Yankees' Didi Gregorius each have driven in 11 runs.

For Tampa Bay, their losing streak equals Boston's winning skein as Tampa Bay won their home opener against Boston, but has lost every game since, including two at Yankee Stadium earlier in the week.

The Rays will try to stop the rampaging Red Sox on Sunday in the finale of their three-game series. Start time is 1:05 pm EDT.

National League
Franco: GS, 6 RBI

Vince Velazquez allowed four hits and one measly run over six innings and Jake Thompson blanked the visiting Marlins on one hit over the final three innings in Philadelphia's 20-1 smackdown of Miami.

With the Phillies' pitching more than adequate, Maikel Franco led a 20-hit assault against six Miami hurlers, socking a first-inning grand slam and a two-run double in the fourth to drive in six runs.

Philadelphia scored five runs in the first, four in the third and eight in the fourth, outdistancing their opponent early in the game.

For Franco, the home run was his second in as many games, the six RBI tying him for the league lead with Atlanta's Freddie Freeman and Pittsburgh's Gregory Polanco, each with 11.

The win was the second straight for Philly over the Marlins, and they will be looking for the series sweep Sunday afternoon, at 1:35 pm EDT.

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