Streaking Cubs Win 6th Straight Behind Anthony Rizzo; Astros Top A's, 11-4, As Alex Bregman Goes 4-for-5

Players of the Day for Monday, August 27, 2018

Bregman: 4-5, HR, 4RBI

American League

Opening a huge series at home against the Oakland A's, the Houston Astros were looking for their sixth straight win.

Thanks to a big game from Alex Bregman, they stopped the A's, 11-4, taking a 2 1/2 game lead over Oakland in the division race. Bregman went 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and his 25th home run, a three-run eighth inning swat that extended what was a 5-4 Houston lead.

Houston scored all of its runs in the third, plating five, and the eighth, scoring six times as they batted around. Bregman doubled and scored in the third inning.

Bregman extended his hitting streak to eight games. He's batting .321 with three homers and 12 RBI in August.

Game two of the crucial AL West series is 8:10 pm EDT on Tuesday.

National League

Rizzo: 2 2B, HR, 2RBI

Heading into a three game series with the visiting New York Mets, the Cubs are beginning to look like they will return as champs of the NL Central for a third straight season.

While pursuers St. Louis and Milwaukee had Monday off, the Cubs took advantage of the situation by topping the Mets, 7-4.

Anthony Rizzo led a 14-hit Chicago attack with three of his own - two doubles and his 22nd home run - en route to the Cubs' sixth win in a row.

Rizzo got the Cubs on the board in the first with an RBI double, then doubled and scored in the seventh inning, breaking a 4-4 tie. The Chicago first baseman closed out the scoring with a solo smash in the ninth.

As the Cubs have taken control of the division, Rizzo has heated up considerably. He has 10 multiple hit games in the month of August, in which he's batting .341 with seven homers and 17 RBI.

With the victory, the Cubs enhanced their lead to 4 1/2 games over St. Louis and five over the Brewers. They will be looking to extend their winning streak when they meet the Mets at Wrigley Field, Tuesday, 8:05 pm EDT.