Baseball On Deck

We've got it!

2012-01-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

Contributed by Maria Ruiz

Well, we've done it. We moved our whole family from our starter house to the new giant house we built on the outside of town. I can't wait to get everything decorated and set up exactly how I like it but for now I'm just happy that everyone has their own room and my husband and I finally have a bathtub. I know that sounds silly, but I really love baths and I've missed taking them the last few years since we only had a shower stall. There are still a lot of things to do what unpacking all boxes and contacting directv to get service set up but I think we are more or less ahead of the game by just moving in before the contractor even told us we could. I think it was a really great idea for us to build instead of buying an existing house because we got to choose all the finishes and everything else exactly the way we wanted them to be. This is totally my dream house!

Playing Golf Won't Ruin Your Baseball Swing

2011-12-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

During the baseball off-season, many players and fans undergo a variety of workout regimens designed to keep the body in shape prior to the rigors of Spring, Summer and Fall ball.

With snow on the ground and temperatures not conducive to most outdoors activities, heading down to the the Southern states is probably the best way to avoid winter blues and get some low-stress exercise while enjoying a warmer climate.

There's a contention that swinging a golf club will damage one's baseball swing, but there's no scientific evidence to back up the claim, and, in fact, hitting a stationary golf ball off a tee is the perfect alternative to keep hand-eye coordination at a maximum level.

For the sheer enjoyment of the game (why not have some fun while staying in shape?) try some premium golf balls that will play better than what most of us usually use, and maybe, for the home-run hitter in all of us, pick up some specialty distance golf balls and get some real bang out of that driver.

There's no need to be concerned about your baseball swing. A few rounds - or even a couple dozen - isn't going to affect your plate approach, any more than playing squash or racquetball in the off-season would impair a tennis swing.

Be sure not to go by cart unless it's mandated by the course. Walking 18 holes is good low-impact exercise in its own right and the contemplative nature of wandering down a lush fairway is also good for clearing the mind.

Stylish Scrubs a Change for Better

2011-12-14T11:13:00.001-05:00

Hospital and medical workers seeking a change from the dull, drab blues that dominate the wearables in their field might do well to point their browsers at the scrubs store operated by fashion-forward Blue Sky Scrubs, the company that is transforming everyday hospital wear into a trendy, stylish fashion segment with work clothes that are attention-getting, comfortable and functional.

Some of the company's latest offerings include scrub hats in a wide variety of custom patterns including florals, polka dots, and geometrical designs and urban cell scrubs in a choice of colors with shirt pockets designed to keep cell phones handy and available for immediate use.

The company offers - on it's easily-navigable, eye-catching website, a complete line of scrubs in a wide variety of styles which can be accessed by following the link below:

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/

Blue Sky Scrubs offerings of shirts, pants, lab coats, hats and accessories - for both men and women - are not only transforming the look of hospital and medical workers, but are also adding an element of individualism and an escape from the ordinary that is both a fashion statement and morale booster.

Workers feel better when they are comfortable in what they wear, and diversity in the normally sterile, drab hospital environment should be of benefit to patients used to seeing their nurses, doctors and orderlies in the same clothing day in and day out. The time has come for the addition of color, fashion and individuality to the medical scene. It is an improvement sure to evolve into a better workplace.

histories mysteries

2011-12-12T14:25:00.001-05:00

This guest post from Lewis Beck

I was watching the History Channel on direct TV today. I love to watch shows about Egypt and Egyptology. I don’t actually like to watch shows about aliens though. The show today basically mixed Egyptology and aliens. I have always heard that a lot of people believed that extraterrestrials built and designed the pyramids. For some reason, I just have a really hard time believing that aliens came to earth that long ago and built these giant tombs. What was interesting to me though that I learned that the largest pyramid in Egypt actually lies on the direct center point of the land mass on earth. It lies on top of the intersection of the lines of longitude and latitude. Also, all four sides of the pyramid lines up with the compass- North, South, East, and West. Historians insist that there is no way that ancient Egyptians knew anything about the compass then. History’s mysteries I guess, we will never actually know how ancient people built such wonders. I just hope that it wasn’t aliens!

When Will St. Louis be Competitive Again?

2011-12-12T14:22:00.002-05:00

As a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals (as a kid my favorite player was the unstoppable base-stealer, Lou Brock), I was thrilled to see the Cardinals win the World Series.

It was vintage Tony LaRussa managemant, pulling all the right moves at just the right times, and, of course, David Freese had a once-in-a-lifetime Fall Classic, but, now hat LaRussa has gone to retirement and Albert Pujols is headed to the LA Angels, one wonders just how long it will be until the Cards are actually competitive again.

With LaRussa running the show, Cardinals' fans were treated to the very best in on-field management. Tony got the best out of his players and knew how to motivate even marginal guys to heights of greatness. Filling those shoes will be a difficult task for recently-named manager Mike Matheny, currently the youngest manager in the majors.

By hiring the inexperienced Matheny, St. Louis brass is signaling that the Cardinals will be in rebuilding mode, top to bottom, from the scouting staff to the minor leagues. The hiring of Matheny was a dead giveaway that the Cardinals were not serious about paying Pujols $25 million a year.

As it was, winning the 2011 World Series was a season-long struggle and a testament to LaRussa and some of the grittier guys on the team, like Chris Carpenter, Lance Berkman and Yadier Molina. Getting into the playoffs is not going to be easy for the next three t four years, and that's a hopeful prognosis.

The Cards have to find a first baseman, a shortstop and will probably be looking for another catcher to give Molina some rest. Matt Holliday and Berkman may not be around much longer, especially if the team struggles. It goes even deeper: talent-wise, outside of the pitching staff (which will welcome back Adam Wainwright with open arms), the only solid position is third base, where Freese has the look of a perennial top 30 player.

Beyond that, the Cardinals will have to build from the bottom up, make smart trades and hopefully give Matheny some leeway in his managerial style, allowing him to grow into the position.

It looks like the Cardinals won't really be competitive for a few seasons, though at least they play in one of the weaker divisions - the NL Central - and can probably be better than the Cubs and Astros in 2012. Beyond that, it will take exceptional trades, coaching and a large dose of good fortune to get back to the playoffs any time before say, 2015.

Online Learning Perfect for the Off-Season

2011-11-18T19:17:00.001-05:00

With a few months before Spring Training, resting baseball players - and even fantasy players - have plenty of spare time to indulge in a wide variety of pursuits. While many surely will opt for vacations and exercise (not a bad idea for 2012), others may prefer a more practical approach to the off-season, pursuing other interests such as business ventures or getting a college degree.

There are plenty of choices for everyone in the US educational system, including online programs like those offered at WaldenU.edu which offers Bachelor's Master,s Doctoral and Certificate Programs as well as individual courses in a wide variety of disciplines.

Anyone with internet access can earn a degree through Walden University's online degree programs including areas of pursuit in Education, Health, Management, Psychology, Public Policy and Administration, Counseling and Social Services and Nursing.

A couple of mouse clicks and a few keystrokes are all that's between off-season boredom and the opportunity to learn about Walden and pave the way toward a brighter future.

NFL Sportswear for Baseball Players and Fans

2011-11-10T18:57:00.001-05:00

One thing about baseball season, it's long. If you're lucky enough to play all the way through the World Series, the season beings in March, either in Florida or Arizona for Spring training, and ends in the last days of October.

While it's probably a longer season than almost all other professional sports, there are advantages, one being the short off-season, which is great if you've got real passion for the game. There's plenty to do in the off-season, one of the tasks of every serious ball player is to stay in some kind of decent shape, so spending time at a local gym or working out at home is constructive use of those dreary winter days.

The other advantage to playing baseball is that it is, for the most part, a non-contact sport. Other than the occasional crash at home plate or accidental running into one of your own guys on a fly ball, you're not ramming your body into other players, like they do in the NFL.

Professional athletes like to keep track of how others in pro sports are faring, and many are huge fans. Golfer Phil Mickelson often sports the colors of favorite teams while on the tour and many athletes don their favorite nfl apparel for games, parties or other social gatherings.

Jerseys and hats are among the more popular clothing items that fans and athletes wear to games, outings or just around the house. NFL clothing comes in all sizes and various styles to suit every body type and personal taste. There are throwback uniforms, wildly attractive new style hats, jackets and jerseys and much more, making the baseball off-season a little easier to take, watching huge pro football players ram into each other every Sunday, while sporting the latest football fashion.

Time to Hit the Beach

2011-11-07T20:35:00.002-05:00

Now that baseball season is over, you may be thinking about a little vacation, maybe someplace warm for a few weeks away during the cold Northeast winter.

The Bahamas and most of the Virgin islands offer plenty of opportunity for warm water frolicking so be sure to pack water gear, scuba gear and wetsuits for your trip to the Caribbean. If the airlines charge an arm and a leg for transporting your gear, you might consider leaving some of it behind and renting when you arrive.

Things to pack if traveling light would include goggles, fins, snorkel, trunks and a lightweight wetsuit along with the usual toothpaste and underwear.

The islands offer plenty of relief from the rat race with a slower, casual pace that will soothe the nerves and awesome potential for windsurfing, boogie-boarding, snorkeling, scuba-diving, surf fishing and just about any other aquatic adventure you can imagine.

Prices are reasonable for cruise packages, and there are deals galore online for a winter getaway.

The Cardinals Are World Series Champions; David Freese MVP

2011-10-28T22:35:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Friday, October 28, 2011

Cardinals 6 Rangers 2

After the drama and nail-biting excitement of Thursday's game six, Friday's game seven took on a more serious tone. After all, it was do or die, with no tomorrows for either team.

The St. Louis Cardinals took game seven of the World Series over the Texas Rangers, 6-2, to claim their 11th World Series championship. Starter Chris Carpenter, who worked on three-days' rest following a travel day Tuesday and a rainout on Wednesday, got into trouble in the first inning, allowing the Rangers to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the inning, erasing the memories of Thursday's marathon 11-inning contest, putting the Rangers in an enviable position against the Cardinals' ace starter.

Whatever emotional lift Texas got from the opening inning lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the inning, with two outs and the bases empty, Albert Pujols drew a walk and Lance Berkman followed with another free pass, putting David Freese, Thursday's hero at the plate in a key situation, and once again, Freese delivered a knockout, lacing a 3-2 pitch to the left-center which, with both runners on the go, brought them both around to tie the game at 2-2. It was the first time since the Cubs and Tigers both scored in the first inning of a game seven in 1945.

Carpenter won
Game 7 and was
4-0 in the playoffs.

After his rocky beginning, Carpenter settled down and began clicking off Ranger outs one by one. With runners on first and third in the second inning, Carpenter began hitting his spots, getting Elvis Andrus to ground back to him off a low, outside fast ball, ending the threat.

From the third through the sixth innings, Carpenter was even more dialed-in, allowing only a leadoff single by Ian Kinsler in the 5th inning and hitting Adrian Beltre with an errant pitch with two outs in the third. It was in the bottom of the third that St. Louis took the lead for good. Allen Criag, who had three home runs in the series, launched a high drive to deep right that cleared the fence and landed in the St. Louis bullpen, the solo shot giving the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. The St. Louis starter was aided by left fielder Allen Criag, who robbed Nelson Cruz of a sixth-inning home run, leaping to snag the moon-shot, his glove above the wall for the inning's second out.

David Freese
World Series MVP

The bottom of the fifth was the breakthrough inning for St. Louis, as they loaded the bases off Scott Feldman, who started the inning in relief of Texas starter Matt Harrison. With one out, Criag walked and went to second when Pujols was awarded first after being grazed by an inside Feldman fast ball. After Lance Berkman's ground out to first moved the runners to second and third, Freese was issued an intentional walk, loading them up for Yadier Molina, who took an outside 3-2 pitch for ball four, forcing in the fourth Cardinal run as Craig trotted home.

C.J. Wilson took over on the mound for Feldman, and promptly plunked the first batter he faced, Rafael Furcal, bringing home Pujols with the 5-2 lead. Wilson struck out Skip Schumaker to end the inning with the bases still full, but the damage had been done and the Rangers could not generate any offense.

When Carpenter left a ball over the middle of the plate to David Murphy, leading off the Texas seventh, it was hammered down the right field line, bounding into the stands for a ground rule double, ending Carpenter's night. Arthur Rhodes came on to get Yorvit Torrealba for the first out and Octavio Dotel came on to get Ian Kinsler on strikes and elvis Andrus on a routine fly ball to center to end the inning.

St. Louis added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh. Molina punched a single through the middle scoring Berkman from second base. In the eighth and ninth, the Cardinal bullpen was at its very best. Lance Lynn got Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Beltre - the heart of the Texas lineup - in order. Jason Motte got Cruz to fly harmlessly to right to start the ninth, induced a ground out to third from Mike Napoli and when Criag clutched Murphy's high drive to left field, the field erupted as happy Cardinal players spilled from the dugout onto the field in celebration while fans began a party that would last well into the evening, the Cardinals world champions for the 11th time, most of any National League team.

The victory marked the third World Series triumph for manager Tony LaRussa, who had won previously with St. Louis in 2006, beating the Tigers, four games to one, earned his first World Series championship with the Oakland A's in 1989, sweeping the San Francisco Giants four straight. LaRussa joins Sparky Anderson, Miller Huggins and John McGraw as managers with three world championships. Only Joe Torre and Walter Alston, with four apiece, Connie Mack with five and Casey Stengel and Joe McCarthy with seven each, have won more.

Cardinal third baseman, David Freese, the homebred hero, was named World Series MVP. Freese was 7-for-23 (.304) in the seven games, all but one of his hits going for extra bases. Freese delivered four doubles, a game-tying triple in the ninth inning of game six and a the game-winning solo home run, two innings later, in the 11th. Freese had seven RBI and hit safely in six of the seven World Series games, and in 16 of 18 through the playoffs. Freese was also honored as the MVP of the NLCS, which St. Louis won, four games to two, over the Milwaukee Brewers. Freese also set a major league record with 21 post-season RBI.

Carpenter took the win in game seven, his second of the series and fourth in the post-season, without suffering a loss. He went six innings in game seven, allowing two earned runs on six hits and two walks, fanning six. An MVP case could have been made for Lance Berkman, who led all batters with a .423 average on 11 hits in 26 at-bats. Ian Kinsler led the Rangers' regulars in batting with a .360 average.

The Cardinals' meteoric run to becoming world champions of baseball began back in April, but really took shape in the latter days of August, when, on August 23rd, St. Louis found themselves hopelessly trailing the Brewers in the NL Central and 10 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the wild card race. The Cardinals finally caught and surpassed Atlanta, clinching the NL wild card on the final day of the regular season with an 8-0 win over the Houston Astros. St, Louis won the divisional series from the Phillies in five games, 3-2, and captured their 18th National League pennant when they topped the Brewers, four games to two. St. Louis trails only the Dodgers and Giants, for the most NL pennants, each with 21.

Thus concludes another spectacular season of coverage and daily players of the day from Baseball On Deck.

We'll see you again in about four months, when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. Until then, baseball remains the uniquely American game and the Cardinals are its champions.

World Series: Cardinals Win Wild Game Six over Rangers, Force Game Seven

2011-10-28T08:48:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 27, 2011

Cardinals 10 Rangers 9, 11 innings

As Game Six's go, this one was excitement to the extreme.

15 pitchers. Eight pinch-hitters. Five home runs. Five errors. Scoring in 13 of 22 half-innings. And every time the Texas Rangers forged a lead that might take them to victory and a World Series championship, the plucky St. Louis Cardinals found ways to tie the score and eventually, in the second extra inning, to win it, staving off elimination to force the first game seven since 2002, when the Angels beat the Giants.

Berkman tied the
game in the 9th.

This game six had it all. Both starters - Jaime Garcia for St. Louis and Colby Lewis for the Rangers - were dinged for first-inning runs. Texas struck first for a single run in the top of the first, but Lance Berkman's two-run homer in the bottom of the inning gave the Cardinals their only lead of the night until 10 innings later when David Freese led off the bottom of the 11th, taking a two-strike pitch from Mark Lowe to straight-away center field for a game-winning walk off home run that sent the St. Louis faithful into a fall classic frenzy.

Freese's solo homer
won it in the 11th.

Freese, who had delivered a two-out, two-strike triple in the bottom of the ninth to send Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman home with the game-tying runs, was mobbed by teammates at the plate and had his jersey ripped off and shredded by his ebullient teammates.

The game had so much drama, passion and tension, it might as well have been written by a Faulkner, Steinbeck or maybe even Hemingway. The Rangers tied the score at 2-2 in the second and took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 4th. St; Louis tied the score in the bottom of the inning.

The Rangers scored again in the top of the 5th, 4-3. St. Louis evened it at 4-all in the bottom of the 6th. That's when it really got interesting.

Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz hit back-to-back solo homers in the seventh. Kinsler drove in Derek Holland for the third run of the frame and Texas had what looked to be an insurmountable lead at 7-4. The Cardinals had only three more half-innings to make up the deficit.

In the bottom of the seventh they went quietly, but got one run back on Allen Craig's one-out, solo home run in the 8th, but left the bases loaded when Rafael Furcal grounded out to second, leaving the Cardinals still down two runs.

After Albert Pujols doubled with one out in the ninth and Berkman walked, Freese belted a line shot off the right field wall that eluded right fielder Nelson Cruz, allowing the two to score. With Freese standing less than 60 feet away from a Cardinal win, Yadier Molina lined out to Cruz in right.

In the 10th, Josh Hamilton put the Rangers up 9-7, with a one-out, two-run homer to right field, again putting the Rangers just three outs away from their first World Series title in the 50-year history of the franchise.

The Cardinals, however, weren't ready to make off-season arrangements. David Descalso led off the bottom of the 10th with a scratch single to right. Jon Jay, hitless in the series, nubbed a single to left and when Kyle Loshe, pinch-hitting for reliever Jason Motte, bunted the base runners over to second and third, the Cards were once again in business. Ryan Theriot hit a smash to Beltre at third, whose only play was across the diamond, getting Theriot, but allowing Descalso to score. After an intentional walk to Pujols put runners at first and second with two outs, Berkman, who leads all hitters in the series with a .435 batting average, singled to shallow center, bringing home Jay and tying the score at 9-apiece.

All of a sudden, the Rangers had gone from one strike away from winning the World Series to having Pujols on third, Berkman on second - after he moved up on fielder indifference - and the dangerous Allen Craig at the plate. Craig, however, failed to deliver, as the cardiac Cardinals had all night, grounding to first to end the inning, but setting up Freese's 11th-inning drama.

Freese's two hits in five at-bats boosted his series average to .333. He drove in three of the game's most important runs, including the clincher. Berkman, who has been unstoppable at the plate, was 3-for-5, with three RBI and four runs.

The two teams will regroup overnight and head back to Busch Stadium for game seven on Friday night at 8:05 pm EDT. While Texas will go with game three starter Matt Harrison, St. Louis has options. Kyle Lohse would normally get the nod, but manager Tony LaRussa has a fresh Edwin Jackson and his ace, Chris Carpenter, who, because of a travel day Tuesday and the Wednesday rainout, is available off three days' rest.

Friday night, game seven. It doesn't get much better than that, but, as a prelude, game six wasn't bad.

Rangers Take Crucial Game Five; One Win Away from Winning World Series

2011-10-25T09:39:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Monday, October 24, 2011

Rangers 4 Cardinals 2

Mike Napoli broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a bases-loaded double to right center field, scoring Michael Young and Nelson Cruz with the go-ahead and insurance runs, leaving the Rangers one game from winning the World Series and the Cardinals wondering about missed opportunities and the possibility of winning two games back in St. Louis.

Napoli: 8th-inning
double plates pair.

The Cardinals had taken an early lead with two runs in the second inning, and had their ace, Chris Carpenter working over the Ranger lineup from the mound. Carpenter had been strong through five innings, allowing only a third-inning solo homer by Mitch Moreland. With a 2-1 lead entering the bottom of the sixth, the Cards appeared to have everything under control. Carpenter was working fast, getting Josh Hamilton on a ground out to first and striking out Michael Young for the second out of the inning. But, when Adrian Beltre saw Carpenter's looping curve ball, he deposited the pitch into the stands above left-center field to tie the game.

Beltre's 6th inning
home tied the game.

Missed opportunities and mistakes doomed the Cardinals the rest of the way, After a one-out walk to Allen Craig in the top of the seventh, Albert Pujols apparently called his own hit and run, but the pitch was high, and Napoli easily gunned down Criag at second. Pujols was then walked intentionally, and Matt Holliday followed with a single to shallow center, Pujols raced around third, drawing an errant throw and Holliday advanced to second. Alexi Ogando, who had relieved Scott Feldman to open the inning, walked Lance Berkman intentionally to load the bases, and then got David Freese to fly out to center on the first pitch. Threat ended. Mistakes noted.

Carpenter cruised through the bottom of the seventh, stranding Ian Kinsler, who had worked out a one-out walk, at first. St. Louis got catcher Yadier Molina to second base on a single and a sacrifice by Ryan Theroit, but could not get to Darren Oliver, who had replaced Ogando after giving up the leadoff single. With the tie-breaking run on second, Oliver punched out Nick Punto swinging and got Rafael Furcal on a harmless ground ball to short.

In the game-changing bottom of the eighth, Octavio Dotel came on for Carpenter, a quizzical move by manager Tony LaRussa, considering how well his ace had pitched, having thrown 101 pitches through seven innings, but apparently with more gas in the tank. Michael Young led off with a double, but Dotel got Adrian Beltre on a swinging strikeout, then walked Nelson Cruz intentionally. Dotel was lifted for Mike Rzepczynski to face David Murphy, who singled up the middle, the ball glancing off Rzepczynski to second baseman Punto, who had no play at any base, negating a potential double play, leaving the bases chock-full of Rangers. Moments later Napoli ripped his double, giving the Rangers a lead they would take to the ninth.

Closer Neftali Feliz got off to a shaky start in the final frame, plunking Allen Criag to lead off the inning and bringing up Pujols again, but, just as in the seventh, Craig was running on a 3-2 count, the pitch was wide, Pujols swung and missed, but Napoli didn't miss Craig sliding into second base, thrown out for the second time. Matt Holliday worked a two-out walk, but Berkman struck out swinging to end the game and send Texas fans into delirious delight, the Rangers one game from the promised land of a franchise first World Series championship.

Game six will be played back in St. Louis on Wednesday night at 8:05 pm EDT, where the Cardinals split with the Rangers earlier in the series. Jaime Garcia, the hard-luck hurler who pitched seven innings of shutout ball on three hits, but earned no decision as the bullpen wasted a 1-0 lead in Texas' 2-1 win, will go to the mound for St. Louis. Texas sends out game two starter Colby Lewis in what could be a series clinching spot. Lewis also pitched well in his previous start, allowing just one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings.

If the Cardinals force a game seven on Thursday, the likely starters will be the same duo from game three, Matt Harrison for the Rangers facing Kyle Lohse of the Cardinals.

Napoli is having a huge series, and if the Rangers win game six, he would likely be named MVP. Even though he's had only four hits in 13 at-bats (.308), they've mostly been big ones, a two-run homer in game one, a two-run single in game three, a three run blast in game four and Monday night's game winning, two-RBI double, giving the slugging catcher nine RBI in addition to his near-flawless play behind the plate.

Texas Ties World Series at 2-2 as Mike Napoli, Derek Holland Deliver

2011-10-24T07:46:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 23, 2011

Rangers 4 Cardinals 0

Mike Napoli crushed a 6th-inning, three run homer in support of Derek Holland's two-hit pitching as the Texas Rangers evened the 2011 World Series with a game four, 4-0, victory.

Napoli: 3-run HR

Napoli's blast came with the Rangers nursing a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Josh Hamilton doubling home Elvis Andrus in the game's first inning. Cardinal starter Edwin Jackson was matching Golland nearly pitch-for-pitch, until getting into serious trouble in the bottom of the sixth, walking Nelson Cruz and David Murphy with one out in the inning. Jackson was lifted in favor of reliever Mitchell Boggs, who served up the long ball to Napoli.

Holland: 2 hits,
0 ER, 8 1/3 IP

With the lead in hand, Holland persevered, allowing only a single and double by Lance Berkman through the first five innings and setting the Cardinals down without a hit until he was relieved after walking Rafael Furcal with one out in the ninth. Neftali Feliz walked the next batter, Allen Criag, but got Albert Pujols to fly out and ended the game with a strikeout of Matt Holliday.

Holland walked two batters and struck out seven for his second playoff win of the season. His strong outing was a vast improvement over his previous two starts - both against Detroit in the ALCS - in which he lasted only 2 2/3rds allowing three runs and 4 2/3rds, giving up four runs on seven hits, though the Rangers managed to win both games without Holland getting a decision.

A crucial game five is slated for Monday night at 8:05 pm in Arlington, the last of the three home games for the Rangers before the series shifts back to St. Louis for game six on Wednesday, and, if necessary, game seven on Thursday.

Game one winner Chris Carpenter will head to the mound for St. Louis. C.J. Wilson, who took the loss in game one, walking six and allowing three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, goes up the bump for the Rangers.

Albert Pujols Socks Three Homers as Cardinals Take Game Three, 16-7, Lead World Series, Two Games to One

2011-10-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 22, 2011

Cardinals 16 Rangers 7

The promised offensive fireworks that fans were awaiting finally showed up in game three of the World Series.

Texas batters belted out 13 hits, but the more efficient Cardinals had fifteen, and scored sixteen runs as Albert Pujols had a record-setting night in St. Louis' 16-7, game three victory over the Rangers.

Pujols: 5-for-6, 3 HR,
6 RBI, 4 Runs.

On Allen Craig's first inning solo home run, the Cardinals led 1-0,, entering the fourth inning, when the hits began coming faster than a Texas tornado. Pujols led off the inning with a single, his first hit of the series, but was forced out at second on a controversial play that opened the floodgates for the Cardinals.

Matt Holliday was ruled safe at first on Ian Kinsler's errant throw that pulled Texas first baseman Mike Napoli off the bag. Replays showed that Napoli applied a deft swipe tag to Holliday before he reached the base. The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out after a single by Lance Berkman, a David Freese double that plated Holliday, and an intentional walk to Yadier Molina. Jon Jay sent a two-hopper to Napoli, who threw wide of home plate, allowing both Berkman and Freese home, and Ryan Theriot added a run when he singled to left, getting Molina easily to the plate for a 5-0 Cardinal lead.

The Rangers fought back in the bottom of the inning with three runs of their own, a solo shot by Michael Young and a two-run bomb by Nelson Cruz. St. Lous led, 5-3.

In the fifth, Pujols again led off with a single and came around to score on Freese's bases-loaded ground out. Molina drove in two more with a double down the right field line making the score 8-3, but the Rangers again scored three in their at-bat, making the score 8-6, which was as close as the Rangers would get because Pujols, with two singles already in the books, was about to set off on a record-setting night.

Pujols socked a three-run homer in the sixth, far into the left field seats, hammered a two-run homer in the seventh and added a ninth inning solo shot to complete the scoring for St. Louis, joining Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to ever hit three home runs in a single World Series game. His 14 total bases set a major league mark as the Cardinal slugger finished with five hits in six at-bats, three home runs, six RBI and four runs. His four hits over four consecutive innings - 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th - set another record. His five hits and six RBI in a single World Series game also tied records. It was an incredible display of power hitting, truly an historic event. The 16 Cardinal runs set a franchise record, no mean feat for a team which is looking to win its 11th World Series.

With a two games to one lead in hand, the Cardinals take on the Rangers again on Sunday night, with Edwin Jackson facing the Rangers' Derek Holland, who last won on October 1 when the Rangers beat Tampa Bay in the divisional series, 8-6. Since then, Holland has started three more games, but hasn't lasted longer than 4 innings and change, his playoff ERA at 5.27. Jackson also has a playoff win - October 5 - and two no decisions, he too being bounced early in his last two starts. Jackson's ERA has ballooned to 5.84 during the playoffs. Game time in Texas is 8:05 pm EDT.

Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler Help Rangers Even World Series, 1-1

2011-10-21T07:20:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 20, 2011

Rangers 2 Cardinals 1

With just three outs to go and the Cardinal closer, Jason Motte, on the mound, the Texas Rangers appeared headed to a 2-0 deficit in the World Series. St. Louis had taken a 1-0 lead to the ninth on the strength of Jaime Garcia's brilliant seven innings of shutout ball and pinch-hitter Allen Craig's magic bat, which drove in David Freese with the go-ahead run in the seventh. But that was before Ian Kinsler, one of the toughest of the Texas hitters, came to the plate and delivered his second hit of the night, a scratch single to center.

Kinsler, 2-for-3, SB
scored tying run.

Then Kinsler stole second and the Rangers suddenly had life with the tying run on second base. At the plate was Elvis Andrus, not bunting, instead stroking a clean single to right-center. Kinsler stopped at third as Jon Jay whipped the ball back to the infield, but Andrus, seeing Albert Pujols misplay the cutoff throw, headed to second, sliding headlong into the bag.

With nobody out and runners on second and third, the game had quickly changed from a likely win for the Cardinals to, at worst, for the Rangers, a tie game and maybe a lead.

Andrus scored the
game winner.

Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa went to the mound, and, after a short talk with Motte, waved Arthur Rhodes in from the bullpen. Rhodes faced Josh Hamilton, the power hitter who hadn't had a hit in the series, in obvious discomfort due to a pulled groin. Rhodes missed high with a fastball, and Hamilton drove it to deep right. Kinsler scored without a throw. Andrus took third and the game was tied.

Lance Lynn replaced Rhodes, but he too failed to keep the Rangers from scoring. Michael Young lifted a fly to right center and Andrus came home easily with the game winner. Two sac flies, two runs, game over.

After Adrian Beltre grounded out to end the top of the ninth, the Cardinals went quietly in the bottom, Neftali Feliz walking leadoff hitter Yadier Molina, but then calmly striking out Nick Punto and Skip Schumaker. Rafael Furcal flied out to right to end it and the series was tied at one game apiece, heading to Texas for three games.

Garcia's seven innings (3 hits, 1 BB, 7 K) were nearly matched by Colby Lewis of the Rangers, who didn't allow a run, but left with two aboard and two outs in the seventh inning. Reliever Alexi Ogando came in to face Criag, just as he did in game one, and just like in game one, Criag singled. The run was charged to Lewis, but that was all the Cards could get.

The series heads to Arlington, Texas, home of the Rangers, for games three, four and five. Game three is Saturday night, 8:05 pm EDT. Kyle Lohse goes for the Cardinals. Matt Harrison gets the start for Texas.

World Series: Carpenter, Criag, Motte Give Cardinals Game One, 3-2, Win Over Rangers

2011-10-20T07:53:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Cardinals 3 Rangers 2

Carpenter:
Game One Winner

St. Louis pressed their home field advantage with a 3-2 game one victory over the Texas Rangers with Cardinal starter Chris Carpenter getting the win and the managerial talents of Tony LaRussa on display for all the world to see.

Carpenter kept the Rangers off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when Mike Napoli blasted a two-run homer down the right field line to tie the game at two-all. The Cardinals had taken a 2-0 lead in the third inning, when Texas starter C.J. Wilson clipped leadoff batter Albert Pujols on the left ankle with an arrant fastball, Matt Holliday doubled down the right field line and Lance Berkman brought them both home with a solid single to right.

Craig's pinch-hit
single won the game.

With Carpenter watching from the bench, St. Louis scratched out the game winner in the bottom of the sixth. David Freese, hero and MVP of the NLCS, continued his hot hitting with a one out double and took third on a wild pitch. After Yadier Molina fanned for the second out and Nick Punto walked to put runners on first and third, LaRussa made the first of many managerial masterstrokes by lifting Carpenter for pinch-hitter Allen Craig. Ranger manager, Ron Washington countered by bringing in Alexi Ogando in relief of Willson, but Craig won the battle, sending a high liner down the right field line which eluded the glove of Nelson Cruz. Freese scored easily on the play and Punto took third, but the Cardinals could not further capitalize, though Rafael Furcal made a bid with a long fly ball to deep center that ended the inning.

Carpenter finished with six innings pitched, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk, striking out four. Fernando Salas came to the mound in the seventh and was the only Cardinal reliever to surrender either a hit or a walk, as he got one out in the frame before yielding a single to Cruz and a walk to Napoli. Mike Rzepczynski relieved Salas, promptly striking out a pair of Ranger pinch-hitters to end the threat.

Motte: a perfect
ninth for the save.

With that, the Cardinal bullpen went into high gear. Octabio Dotel got two outs in the eighth and ageless Arthur Rhodes got the third out, inducing a harless fly ball from slugger Josh Hamilton.

Jason Motte completed the victory with a flawless ninth inning, getting through the heart of the Rangers' order with ground outs by Michael Young and Adrian Beltre, and a fly ball to left off the bat of Nelson Cruz to earn the save and end the game.

The appearance was the ninth of the playoffs for Motte, who notched his fifth post-season save. In nine full innings of work during the playoffs, Motte has been tougher than nails, allowing just one hit and no walks, striking out seven. The last hit off Motte was in game four of the divisional series with the Phillies. He has been perfect ever since.

Though shaky during the regular season, when he blew four of 13 save opportunities, Motte turned it around in September as the Cardinals erased a 10 1/2 game lead by Atlanta in the wild card standings to clinch their playoff spot on the final day of the regular season. Motte had eight saves and two wins in September as the Cardinals won 18 and lost eight.

Game two is Thursday night in St. Louis at 8:05 pm EDT. The Cardinals will send Jaime Garcia to the mound to face Rangers' starter Colby Lewis. Garcia was 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA during the regular season and has two losses and a no decision in three 2011 post-season starts. Lewis was 14-10 during the regular season with a 4.40 ERA. In two playoff starts this season he's 1-1, with a 3.86 ERA.

Cardinals and Rangers Square Off in 2011 World Series

2011-10-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

2011 World Series Preview

The Texas Rangers from the American League and the St. Louis Cardinals from the National League will square off in the 2011 World Series starting Wednesday, October 19, in St. Louis. The Cardinals received home field advantage on the strength of the National League winning the All=Star game this season. Home-advantage teams hold a 20-5 edge in the fall classic since 1985.

The two teams share many similarities, with the most glaring being the number of power hitters up and down their lineups. Neither team has exceptional starting pitching, but both have sound, deep bullpens, though the Rangers are arguably the better of the two even though the St. Louis bullpen worked more innings than the starters in their six-game win over Milwaukee in the NLCS.

There are big differences in other areas, however. The Rangers, an expansion team founded in 1961 as the Washington Senators and moved to Arlington, Texas in 1972, are in their second World Series. They were there for the first time last season and are making the return trip after losing to the Giants, four games to one. The Cardinals are one of the most storied franchises in baseball, with a deep and successful history. This will be their 18th trip to the World Series, with ten wins.

Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa is one of the most successful managers in the history of the game, while Ranger manager Ron Washington is in his fifth season as manager of the Rangers.

Games one and two will be played in St. Louis, with games three through five - if necessary - in Texas. If the series goes to a game six or seven, those would be back in St. Louis. This series figures to offer plenty of hits, runs and excitement. It's a fairly even match-up on the field, though the Cardinals have a decided edge with LaRussa calling the shots.

Texas Rangers

Ian Kinsler

The Rangers took out wild card Tampa Bay in the opening playoff series and then topped Detroit, four games to two, advancing to the World Series for the second year in a row.

Pitching is not a priority for Texas, as they possess one of the most talented lineups in the game, starting with leadoff hitter and second baseman Ian Kinsler, who caught fire late in the season, ending up with the team lead - tied with Adrian Beltre - in home runs at 32. Kinsler socked 11 long balls in September, providing even more punch to a murderer's row type of lineup. Always a threat to steal, Kinsler swiped 30 bases in 2011. He also led the Rangers with 121 runs

Adrian Beltre

Michael Young, the most versatile of all the Rangers, had a banner year, leading the team with a .338 batting average - third highest in the AL - and 106 RBI. Young can play just about any position in the field, and has been used at first base, third base and at second.

Third baseman Adrian Beltre had a very productive season with a .296 batting average, 32 homers and 105 RBI. Shortstop Elvis Andrus normally bats second, hit .279 with 37 steals and 96 runs. Catching duties are handled either by Mike Napoli, who batted .320 over the course of the season, or Yorvit Torrealba, a less-potent batter.

The outfield is manned by Josh Hamilton in center, Nelson Cruz in right and David Murphy in left. All three have solid hitting credentials and can hit for power. Mitch Moreland will share first base and DH duties with Young and also has power to spare. The Rangers had 210 home runs as a team, second in the majors to the Yankees (222).

Cruz obliterated the record books in the ALCS, swatting six home runs, to go with 13 RBIs and a .364 batting average. He was the series MVP.

Josh Hamilton

Despite the lack of emphasis on pitching, the Rangers had the fifth-best ERA in the league, at 3.79. The Rangers have enough live arms in their starting rotation and come into the World Sereis well rested. C.J. Wilson (16-7, 2.94 ERA) will go in game one, Derek Holland (16-5, 3.95) in game 2, Colby Lewis (14-10, 4.40) in game 3, and game four starter will be Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39).

The Ranger's bullpen was strengthened with the addition of Mike Adams, acquired from San Diego at the trading deadline. Adams is one of the best middle men in the game. He worked 27 games for the Rangers with a 2.10 ERA and 25 Ks in 25.2 innings. Closer Neftali Feliz saved 32 games in 38 chances.

St. Louis Cardinals

Albert Pujols

Chris Carpenter

St. Louis is the National League's wild card entrant, finally getting past Atlanta on the final day of the season on the strength of Chris Carpenter's 2-hit shutout in Houston. The Cardinals ousted the heavily-favored Phillies in five games, on a three-hit shutout by Carpenter over the Phillies' Roy Halladay and took out the Brewers in six.

Carpenter will go to the mound in game one, followed in game two by Jaime Garcia (13-7, 3.56). Kyle Lohse is slated to open game three and Edwin Jackson will start game four. The Cardinal pitching staff was hampered by the season-long loss of Adam Wainwright, but persevered to finish six games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.

The middle of the Cardinal lineup is packed with power, beginning with perennial all star Albert Pujols, who had an average season - for him - socking 37 home runs and driving in 99 runs while batting .299. Surrounding Pujols are a couple of veteran sluggers, right fielder Matt Holliday(.296, 22, 75) and Lance Berkman (.301, 31, 94).

The Cards also have a number of young hitters with power, including outfielder Allen Craig, who hit .315 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 75 games, and third baseman David Freese (.297, 10, 55). Yadier Molina is probably the best defensive catcher in the game and he had an excellent season at the plate, batting .305 with 14 HR and 65 RBI. John Jay hit .295 and is the regular center fielder. Freese was the NLCS MVP, with three homers and nine RBI.

The Cardinals generally hit for a high average and have plenty of power to challenge the Rangers' pitching. If Pujols, Berkman and Holliday hold their own, the Cardinals stand a fighting chance, though late relief has been an issue all season. Fernando Salas led the team with 24 saves and Jason Motte is the regular middle-to-late reliever, though both have had their share of rough outings. Salas blew six saves, Motte, four, with nine saves, though in the playoffs, especially against Milwaukee, it was the bullpen which produced the heroes for St. Louis.

Cardinals Coast into World Series, Blast Brewers, 12-6; David Freese MVP

2011-10-16T23:11:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 16, 2011

National League

Cardinals 12 Brewers 6

Blowing away the Brewers with nine runs in the first three innings, the St. Louis Cardinals captured the 18th National League pennant for their storied franchise, and will face the Texas Rangers beginning Wednesday in St. Louis, courtesy of the National League's victory over the American League in the All Star Game, in the 2011 World Series.

Freese: Series MVP
.545, 3 HR, 9 RBI

After Lance Berkman singled home Jon Joy with the NLCS game six's first run, David Freese unloaded off Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum with a three-run homer to put the Cardinals up 4-0, a lead they would not relinquish.

It was Freese's third fence-buster of the series. The St. Louis third baseman added a single and double for a 3-for-4 effort, scoring three times and was named MVP of the series with nine RBI and a .545 batting average (12-for-22).

Once again, the Cardinal bullpen was top-shelf, allowing two earned runs over the final seven innings, after starter Edwin Jackson was lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of their third inning, manager Tony LaRussa pulling all the strings necessary to assure advancement to the fall classic. Jackson had given up four run over the first two innings; LaRussa's moved paid off when pinch-hitter Allen Craig punched out a two-run single in the Cardinals' four-run fourth.

St. Louis set a major league mark with 28 relief appearances in the series, along with another quirky stat; the Cardinal relievers worked more innings in the series than did the starters.

Rangers at Cardinals, Wednesday. Let's go.

Texas Blasts into World Series, Ousts Detroit 15-5; NLCS Moved to Night Game

2011-10-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 15, 2011

American League

Texas 15 Detroit 5

The Texas Rangers blew open game six with the Detroit Tigers, sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring nine runs in the third inning en route to a game six victory to take the AL championship series, four games to two, advancing to the World Series for the second straight year.

Young: 3-for-5,
2 2B, HR, 5 RBI

Texas erupted after Detroit had forged a 2-0 lead on solo home runs by Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta in the first and second innings. Michael Young tied the game with a double to left field and later in the inning plated two more Rangers with a double down the right field line, driving in four runs in the frame. Young added a solo homer with one out in the 7th inning.

Every position player for the Rangers had at least one hit, except for left fielder Endy Chavez, who was lifted for a pinch hitter in the third inning after only one at-bat.

Cabrera added his second solo shot in the 8th for the Tigers, but it wasn't nearly enough, as the Rangers made the most of home field advantage, winning each of their three home games and taking one in Detroit.

The Rangers banged out 17 hits in their offensive explosion. Nelson Cruz smacked his sixth home run of the series, a solo knock in the 7th.

National League

Because there will be no game seven in the ALCS, game six of the National League Championship Series was moved from the afternoon to prime time. The Cardinals and Brewers will take the field in Milwaukee at 8:05 pm EDT.

Cardinals Take Game Five, 7-1, Lead NLCS, 3-2; Rangers-Tigers Resume Saturday

2011-10-15T07:02:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Friday, October 14, 2011

National League

Cardinals 7 Brewers 1

St. Louis bounced back after Thursday's loss to forge another lead in the NLCS, taking a 3-2 series edge back to Milwaukee, where they can eliminate the Brewers with a game six victory.

Jaime Garcia

The Brewers were their own worst enemy, committing four errors in the game, though St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa and starting pitcher Jaime Garcia deserve most of the credit for the win. Garcia lasted only 4 2/3 innings, yielding one earned run off seven hits, fanning five without issuing any walks, but he was even more effective at the plate, going 0-for-2 with an RBI, though his key at-bat came in the crucial bottom of the second.

After Yadier Molina had doubled in Lance Berkman with the game's first run, Nick Punto lined out to third, leaving David Freese on thrid and Molina on second with two outs and Garcia coming to the plate. The 25-year-old lefty sent a hot smash between the legs of Milwaukee third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr., scoring both Freese and Molina, who were off on contact. The play was ruled an fielding error, though the ball never touched Hairston's glove, taking a low hop under it after skidding off the lip of the infield grass. A clean bounce would probably have resulted in Garcia being thrown out at first, ending the inning. The official scorer may have been too hard on Hairston; ruling the play a hit rather than an error would have given Garcia a couple of RBI.

In the fourth, Garcia did manage to get an RBI, on his ground out to short after LaRussa made the unorthodox move of having #8 hitter Punto sacrifice with one out and Freese on second and Molina on first. Punto laid down a perfect bunt to advance the runners to second and third, and Garcia laid the bat on the ball, plating Freese and putting the Cardinals ahead 4-0.

In the fifth, after Garcia had allowed the Brewers to score a run with two out, two aboard and Ryan Braun heading to the dish, LaRussa lifted his starter for reliever Octavio Dotel, who struck out Braun swinging on a series of low, outside sliders.

Matt Holliday

Yadier Molina

From there, the brilliant St. Louis bullpen took over, allowing just two hits the rest of the way. In the series, Cardinal relievers are 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA over 22 2/3 innings, holding Milwaukee batters to a .164 average. The only St. Louis starter to last long enough to record a win is Chris Carpenter, who worked five full innings in the Cardinals' 4-3, game three victory.

Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina each collected three hits, a double and two singles apeice. Holliday drove in a pair of runs, while Molina scored once and drove in one.

Game six is Sunday in Milwaukee, at 4:05 pm EDT. St. Louis sends Edwin Jackson to the mound to face Shaun Marcum in a rematch of game two starters.

American League

Friday was a travel day for the American Leaguers. The best-of-seven championship series resumes Saturday in Arlington, TX, at 8:05 pm EDT. with the Rangers holding a 3-2 edge over the Tigers.

Delmon Young Homers Twice in Tiger Game five Win; Brewers Tie NLCS with Cardinals as Randy Wolf Goes Seven

2011-10-14T06:05:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 13, 2011

American League

Tigers 7 Rangers 5

Young: 2 HR, 3 RBI

Delmon Young socked a pair of homers off Texas starter C.J. Wilson, to lead the Tigers to a game five victory, staving off elimination and closing the gap to a 3-2 Texas lead in the best-of-seven AL championship series.

Young stroked his first homer in the 4th inning, a two-out, solo shot that put the Tigers on top, 2-1. Catcher Alex Avila's solo homer in the 3rd had tied the game after Texas scored the opening salvo in the first inning. Texas tied the game up at 2-all in the top of the 5th, and an inning later the Tigers responded with a four-run 6th inning, punctuated by Young's second homer of the game, a two-run blast to left-center that put the Tigers ahead for good.

The Rangers made a game of it scoring two runs in the 8th and another in the 9th, but they could not break through for more runs off Tiger starter Justin Verlander, who worked 7 1/3 innings and took the win, and Phil Coke, who got the final five outs, allowing two hits and an earned run for the save.

The series takes a day's respite as the teams return to Texas for game six and a possible game seven. Max Scherzer goes to the mound for the Tigers on Saturday, facing Ranger starter Derek Holland. Game time is 8:05 pm EDT. If a game seven is necessary, Doug Fister will start for Detroit against the Rangers' Colby Lewis.

National League

Brewers 4 Cardinals 2

Wolf: 7 IP, 2 ER

The Milwaukee Brewers tied the NLCS at two games apiece as Randy Wolf stymied the St. Louis Cardinals over seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits for the win.

Wolf, 13-10, through the end of the regular season, picked up his first victory of the playoffs, fanning six and issuing only one walk. The two Cardinal runs came via the long ball. Matt Holliday and Allen Craig each took Wolf deep in the early innings. Holliday's solo homer came in the second inning, and Craig followed with a bases-empty job in the third, but the Brewers quickly responded with two runs in the 4th and single runs in the 5th and 6th innings to complete the scoring.

The series stays in St. Louis for game five, matching game one starters, Zack Greinke and Jaime García on Friday, at 8:05 pm EDT.

Cruz, Napoli Give Rangers 3-1 Lead over Tigers; Cardinals Take 2-1 Edge in NLCS

2011-10-13T06:19:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 12, 2011

American League

Rangers 7 Tigers 3, 11 innings

Mike Napoli

After winning game three and waiting out a rain delay that turned an afternoon affair into an evening interlude, the Detroit Tigers fell behind three games to one in the ALCS, as Mike Napoli and Nelson Cruz provided the winning margin in the top of the 11th inning.

Nelson Cruz

Napoli's single to center scored Josh Hamilton from second base to put the Rangers up 4-3, and Cruz followed with his 4th home run of the series, a three-run shot that pretty much put the game away. All four 11th inning runs came off reliever Jose Valverde, who was used in hope to keep the score tied. Valverde's streak of consecutive saves - 49 in the regular season and three more in the playoffs - remains intact as the inning was not a save situation.

Both Napoli and Cruz made plays in the field that helped keep the game tied. After Brandon Inge tied the game at 3-3 with a solo homer in the 7th, Cruz threw Miguel Cabrera out at the plate in the bottom of the 8th. Napoli's strong arm got Austin Jackson trying to steal second base in the bottom of the 10th, keeping Detroit's speediest runner out of scoring position.

With a 3-1 lead in the series, the Rangers will try to end it Thursday afternoon in Detroit, though they'll have to beat the best in the American League to do so. Justin Verlander, who notched the pitching triple crown with 24 wins, a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts, takes the ball for the start of game five. Verlander is 1-1 in two post-season starts and will be opposed by Ranger starter C.J. Wilson, who was 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA during the regular season. First pitch is slated for 4:19 pm EDT.

National League

Cardinals 4 Brewers 3

Pujols: 636 AVG.

The St. Louis Cardinals took a two games to one lead in the National League Championship Series, scoring all of their runs in the first inning off Milwaukee starter, Yovani Galardo.

David Freese

Albert Pujols set a major league mark with his fifth consecutive extra-base hit on his ground rule double in the first inning, scoring Jon Jay with the Cardinals' second run. Pujols scored on Yadier Molina's ground out into a double play, but David Freese, who went 3-for-4, followed with a double to right field, sending home Matt Holliday with what would prove to be the game-winner. Pujols would single later and draw two walks, going 2-for-2, to improve his series average to a stunning .636 with four doubles a home run and six RBI.

Milwaukee battled back against St. Louis ace, Chris Carpenter, with two runs in the 2nd inning and another in the 3rd, but that was all they could muster of Carpenter - who lasted five inning for the win - and four Cardinal relievers, who put together a string of zeroes in the final four innings, blanking the Brewers without giving up a hit nor walking a batter.

Game four is Thursday night in St. Louis, with Randy Wolf on the mound for the Brewers against the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse. Game time is 8:05 pm EDT.

Tigers Take Game Three of ALCS, 5-2; Texas Leads, Two Games to One

2011-10-12T07:50:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 11, 2011

American League

Tigers 5 Rangers 2

Miguel Cabrera homered, doubled and drove in two runs to back the pitching of Doug Fister and get Detroit their first win in the ALCS over the Texas Rangers.

Doug Fister

Miguel Cabrera

With the series in Detroit for games three, four and five, the Tigers have the opportunity to not only even the series but also to eliminate the Rangers' home field advantage, if they sweep the home games. They got off to a good start on Tuesday with a needed win. A loss would have put them down three games to none and essentially guaranteed the series to the Rangers.

Fister, who gave up hits to the first three Texas batters he faced, worked out of a jam in the first inning, getting a double play off the bat of Michael Young, then striking out Adrian Beltre to end the inning with only one run allowed. Victor Martinez evened things up at 1-all with a leadoff homer in the Tigers' 4th. Cabrera doubled home a run in the 5th inning, and, after the Tigers scored two more in the 6th, adding the finishing touch with a leadoff homer in the 7th.

Meanwhile, Fister was mowing down Rangers with inside pitches and jam shots. The 6'8" right-hander struck out three, didn't issue a walk and allowed just two runs on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings. Fister, acquired before the trade deadline from Seattle - where he was 3-12 - went 8-1 swn the stretch for Detroit and has two post-season wins to boot.

The series resumes on Wednesday afternoon, at 4:19 in Detroit. Matt Harrison faces the Tigers' Rick Porcello. Both starters were 14-9 during the regular season.

National League

The Brewers and Cardinals took Tuesday off as the NLCS heads to St. Louis for games three, four and five. Start time for game three is 8:05 pm EDT. A pair of aces - Yovani Gallardo for the Brewers and Chris Carpenter for the Cardinals - face off in a crucial test as the series is tied at a game apiece.

Nelson Cruz Walks Off Tigers with Grand Slam; Albert Pujols Sets Extra Base Mark in 12-3 Cardinal Win

2011-10-11T08:54:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Monday, October 10, 2011

American League

Rangers 7 Tigers 3, 11 innings

After a day of rain and 11 innings of game two in the AL Championship Series, Nelson Cruz left no doubt, snapping a 3-3 tie with his second home run of the game and third of the series, a no-out grand slam into the left field seats off Detroit reliever, Ryan Perry.

Nelson Cruz

Cruz's home run was the fourth straight hit off Perry, who failed to retire a batter as he started the 11th frame. Leading off the 7th inning, Cruz went deep to tie the game, sending Tiger starter Max Scherzer to the showers and setting the stage for the dramatic finish four innings later.

Texas now has a commanding, 2-0, lead in the series which heads to Detroit on Tuesday. Due to the washout Sunday, the normal travel day has become a game day, with Colby Lewis going to the mound for the Rangers to face Tiger hurler, Doug Fister. Game three's first pitch is scheduled for 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Cardinals 12 Brewers 3

Albert Pujols wasted little time showing the Milwaukee Brewers that the Cardinals were not going to go down easy. Albert the Great, baseball's most prolific power hitter, sent a first inning offering from Brewer starter Shaun Marcum into the left field stands for a 2-0 Cardinal lead that would not be relinquished.

"King" Albert

With the lead in hand and the Cardinals intent on tying the series at one game apiece, Pujols let his bat do all the talking, collecting, in 5 at-bats, three doubles to go with his homer, five RBI and the pleasure of setting his foot on home plate three times. His four extra-base hits set an MLB playoff record.

In the third inning, Pujols slammed a double over the head of Milwaukee center fielder Nyjer Morgan, who had earlier tweeted about the Cardinal strong man, calling him "Alberta." Morgan crashed into the wall as Edwin Jackson and Jon Jay scored on Pujols' smash hit.

The Cardinals greeted Brewer reliever Maroo Estrada with a pair of doubles, one by Jay to lead off the 5th inning, followed immediately by Pujols' second double of the game.

Pujols finished his extra-base barrage with one out in the 7th, lashing a ground rule double to right field and scoring on Matt Holiday's single. The rest of the Cardinals joined in the assault, scoring four runs in the inning. David Freese knocked a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning to complete the Cardinal scoring and send the series back to St. Louis on Wednesday, tied 1-1.

Game three's pitching match-up has the two staff aces going up the mound. Yovani Gallardo gets the start for Milwaukee, while Chris Carpenter will open the game for St. Louis at 8:05 pm EDT.

Brewers Take ALCS Game One, 9-6; Rangers-Tigers Rained Out

2011-10-10T07:37:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 9, 2011

American League

Game two of the ALCS between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers was cancelled due to - of all things - rain. Texas has been devastated by drought all summer, the irony is that the much-needed rain in the Lone Star state forces the cancellation of Rangers' games at such a crucial time.

Texas leads the series, one game to none, with game two rescheduled for Monday, October 10 at 4:19 pm EDT. The same two pitchers who were slated to start on Sunday will go on Monday - Max Scherzer for the Tigers and Derek Holland for the Rangers.

National League

Braun: homer,
double, 4 RBI

Brewers 9 Cardinals 6

The Milwaukee Brewers started off the NLCS with a bang - more like a couple of bangs - from their top hitting duo, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.

Braun smashed a two-run, first-inning home run in the Brewers' half of the frame, giving Milwaukee a 2-1 lead that would not last. St. Louis scored three runs in the 4th inning on a David Freese home run and added another in the top of the 5th for a 5-2 lead.

Fielder: 2-run HR

The Brewers struck back quickly in the bottom of the 5th, Braun drove in two runs with a ground rule double and the next batter, Fielder, walloped a blast to deep right that plated both of the Milwaukee sluggers, putting the Brewers up by a 6-5 score. Moments later, Yuniesky Betancourt drilled another home run - this one to left-center - bringing himself around behind Rickie Weeks, who had reached on Cardinal reliever Octavio Dotel's throwing error. Milwaukee's five runs in the 5th all came with nobody out.

Both teams scored an additional run in the 7th inning to complete the scoring.

Despite not pitching well, Zack Greinke took the win, extending his perfect record at home. In 17 home starts this season - two of them in the playoffs - Greinke has 12 wins without suffering a loss. Greinke pitched into the 7th, but was lifted when Rafael Furcal led off the inning with a single. Furcal would eventually score, the run charged to Greinke.

Jaime Garcia was saddled with the loss. He was relieved after Fielder's home run in the 5th.

Game two is scheduled for 8:05 pm EDT Monday night, in Milwaukee. Cardinal starter Edwin Jackson faces the Brewers' Shaun Marcum.

250 Free Business Cards

2011-10-09T10:27:00.001-05:00

If you're in business for yourself (if you're not, you should be), you're going to need business cards and the very best place to get them is online, through VistaPrint, where you can get 250 free business cards and pay only for shipping.

These are not cheap black and white cards, they're full color and VistaPrint offers a variety of designs and themes from which to choose and you simply input the information you desire on your cards through their online interface, pay, wait about a week (rush shipping is offered) and you're in business. The deal they offer is among the best on the web.

Murphy, Cruz, Rain Beat Verlander; Rangers Lead 1-0

2011-10-09T09:01:00.004-05:00

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 8, 2011

American League

David Murphy

Nelson Cruz

Rangers 3 Tigers 2

David Murphy tripled home Mike Napoli and scored on Ian Kinsler's single in the second inning and Nelson Cruz connected for a solo homer off Justin Verlander before the second rain delay in the 5th inning sent Verlander to the bench for the night.

The Rangers' bullpen shut down Detroit on one hit over the final 4 1/3 innings after the Tigers scored two runs off Texas starter CJ. Wilson in the fifth.

The series resumes Sunday in Arlington, Texas at 7:45 pm EDT. Max Scherzer goes up the bump for the Tigers, facing the Rangers' Derek Holland

National League

The NL Championship Series between the Brewers and Cardinals begins Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee at 4:05 pm EDT. Zach Greinke (16-6), who has not lost at home all season, will start for the Brewers, while the Cardinals send Jaime Garcia (13-7) to the mound. In seven career starts against the Brewers, Gacia is 3-2 with one shutout and a 3.27 ERA.

Brewers Advance on Morgan Single in 10th; Carpenter, Furcal Make Cardinals Winners

2011-10-07T23:10:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Friday, October 7, 2011

National League

Brewers 3 Diamondbacks 2, 10 innings

Morgan: walk-off
single nips D'Backs

Nyjer Morgan's ground single up the middle off closer John Axford brought home pinch-runner Carlos Gomez from second base with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to advance the Milwaukee Brewers to the NL championship series.

The Brewers were pushed to a game five when the dropped both games at Arizona and the Diamondbacks evened the series at two games apiece, forcing the game five finale at Milwaukee. The home team won every game in the series, though hame five was the only close one, as the average winning margin through the first four games was 4.75 runs.

Milwaukee, winners of the Central Division, host the wild card Cardinals - also from the Central division - at 4:05 pm EDT, Sunday.

Furdal: leadoff triple

Cardinals 1 Phillies 0

Carpenter: 3-Hit
Shutout

Rafael Furcal socked a leadoff triple off Phillies' starter Roy Halladay, and Skip Schumaker's follow-up double quickly turned it into the only run scored in the game as Chris Carpenter delivered a virtuoso mound performance, blanking the Phillies on three hits to allow the Cardinals to advance to the NL championship series against Milwaukee.

Furcal and the rest of the Cardinals were tight in the field behind Carpenter's grinding work from the mound. The lanky St. Louis ace worked over the potent Philly lineup, fanning three without walking a batter, throwing 70 of 110 pitches to send the Phillies home for a winter of regret as the Cardinals take a flight to Milwaukee to carry on in the post-season.

American League

There were no AL games on Friday. The Rangers host the Tigers in game one of the league championship series Saturday at Arlington, Texas at 8:05 pm EDT.

Rookie Doug Fister Wins Game Five, Sends Tigers to ALCS; NL in Dual Game Five Showdown Friday

2011-10-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 6, 2011

American League

Tigers 3 Yankees 2

Detroit's Doug Fister shut down the vaunted Yankee offensive machine over the first five innings of their game five showdown, limiting the Bombers to one earned run on five hits, walking two and striking out four.

Doug Fister: Rookie
Game Five Winner

First inning, back-to-back home runs by Don Kelly and Delmon Young off Yankee starter Ivan Nova gave Fister a working margin of two runs before he even set foot on the mound, and the rookie hurler responded with a solid, pressure-packed performance.

The Yankees loaded the bases with one out in the 4th inning, but Fister responded, getting Russell Martin and Brett Gardner to pop out on successive at-bats.

When the Tigers scored another run in the top of the 5th, the Yankee response was a solo homer off the bat of Robinson Cano. Max Scherzer replaced Fister on the mound to open the 6th inning, got through that, but was lifted for Joaquin Benoit after Derek Jeter's one out single in the 7th.

After allowing consecutive singles to Curtis Granderson and Cano, Benoit struck out Alex Rodriguez with the bases loaded, but forced in a run, walking Mark Teixeira to cut Detroit's lead to a single run. Benoit reared back and got Nick Swisher to strike out, ending the threat.

In the 8th, all the Yankees could muster was a two-out single from Brett Gardner, and Jose Valverde came on for a perfect 9th inning, sending the Yankees home and the Tigers to the AL Championship Series with the Texas Rangers. The game ended when Valverde struck out Alex Rodriguez. It was A-Rod's third whiff of the game and sixth of the series, in which the slugger went 2-for-18 (.111) with no homers and three RBI.

Mark Teixeira, the slugger batting behind Rodriguez, had an equally-non-productive series, going 3-for-18 (.167) with no home runs and just one RBI.

Standouts for the Yankees were Brett Gardner (.418), who drove in a team-high six runs but did not steal a base. Gardner tied the A's Coco Crisp for the league lead in steals with 49 during the regular season. Jorge Posada had the highest average (.429) for the Yankees, but failed to drive in a single run.

The Tigers were led by Delmon Young, who socked three solo homers, and the unassuming Don Kelly, who had a hit in each of the final four games, going 4-for11 (.364) with two RBI and three runs.

Magglio Ordonez was the best hitter in the series, going 5-for-11 for a .455 batting average.

The seven game series to determine the AL entrant to the World Series between the Tigers and Rangers begins Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

National League

There were no National League games as the four playoff participants prepared for critical game five match-ups on a winner-take-all Friday.

Arizona is at Milwaukee for a 5:07 pm EDT start, while the Phillies host the Cardinals at 8:37 pm EDT.

Shopping for Proper Sports Equipment a Good Start to a Healthy Lifestyle

2011-10-06T12:57:00.001-05:00

Athlete or not, everybody owes it to themselves and their family to eat heathy, get plenty of sleep and undergo a regular exercise regimen.

These three small tasks, performed dutifully over a lifetime can add many years and provide for a fit and fun lifestyle, free of many common maladies which plague vast numbers.

The eating and sleeping parts are fairly easy, though there are more then enough stories about the poor dieting habits of Americans, obesity and what mental and physical damage can be done by not getting at least a solid seven hours of sleep per night.

Exercise as an essential element for a fit, happy lifestyle begins and ends with commitment, but also involves seeking out and purchasing the right equipment for one's particular health and fitness goals.

While most exercise programs stress aerobic activity, strength training can help replace lazy, fat cells with more productive, lean-mass muscle cells, so it's wise to find the right olympic weight set for one's individual needs. These sets range anywhere from 100 pounds to well over 500, and there's one suitable for every type of participant: man, woman, small, large, distance runner, casual player or body-builder.

Shoes are also an important element in the proper training outfit, and while many of us ignore foot care (maybe because they're so far away from our brains), nothing can be more aggravating or do more damage to an athlete's ability to perform than foot injuries. That's why shoes like nike air flight are a solid, reasonably-priced choice, providing lightweight comfort and support.

And while we're down there at our base, check out the following link for baseball cleats on sale. It may be October and the MLB playoffs will take most of our passion and attention away from playing time, but there's no reason anybody in a tepid Southern climate can't keep training for Spring all through the Winter.

NL Playoffs: David Freese Powers Cardinals Past Phillies; Ryan Roberts (Tat Man) Slams for Diamondbacks; Game Fives Friday; Tigers at Yankees Thursday Night

2011-10-06T07:55:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 5, 2011

American League

There were no AL games on Wednesday. The Texas Rangers eliminated the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday and await the winner of Thursday's game five of the Yankees - Detroit series. Game time is 8:07 pm EDT at Yankee Stadium in New York.

National League

Cardinals 5 Phillies 3

David Freese

St. Louis forced a decisive game five with the Phillies, as third baseman David Freese drove in four of the Cardinals' five runs with a 4th inning, two-run double and a monster two-run smash far over the center field wall in the 6th.

Freese hit 10 homers in 97 games with the Cardinals during the regular season. His 6th-inning shot was his first post-season homer. The Cards generated only six hits, all of them off Philly starter Roy Oswalt, who worked six full innings. Edwin Jackson, the St. Louis starter, surrendered two first inning runs, but then settled down and blanked the Phillies over the next five frames.

The series tied at two games apiece, a monumental pitching math-up looms for Friday's series finale, matching former Toronto teammates Roy Halladay for the Phillies against Cardinal ace, Chris Carpenter. Game time in Philadephia is set for 8:37 pm EDT.

Diamondbacks 10 Brewers 6

Arizona bludgeoned their way to a game four victory, setting up a game five showdown in Milwaukee on Friday. The Diamondbacks turned back a 1-0 Brewer lead in the first inning with five runs in the bottom half of the inning, four of the runs scoring on Ryan (Tat Man) Roberts grand slam off Milwaukee starter Randy Wolf, who was slammed for seven hits and eight earned runs over three innings of work.

Ryan Roberts (Tat Man)

Roberts, his arms festooned with colorful tattoos - thus, the "Tat Man" nickname - drove a two-out Wolf offering down the left field line and into the bullpen after Paul Goldschmidt, who socked a grand slam of his own in game three - struck out looking with the bases loaded.

The smash was Roberts' only hit of the game, but it propelled the Brewers to victory and a chance to win a game in Milwaukee, where they lost the first two games of the series.

Starters for the Friday game five are the same pair who started game one: Yovani Gallardo for Milwaukee and 21-game winner, Ian Kennedy for the Diamondbacks. Scheduled game time is 5:07 pm EDT.

Moving Out Here

2011-10-05T13:30:00.001-05:00

Content by Donny Vinson

When my husband and I moved out here to Michigan I was worried about how far away we were from my family. I’m really close to them all and it was going to be tough for me to be a plane ride away from everyone but as it turned out I didn’t need to really worry anyway. We’ve made a ton of friends and the thing that ties all of us together is our mutual love for football! I love that all we have to do is turn on theDirect TVon Saturday and we’ve got 10 or 20 people we just met in our living room hanging out – people here are really warm and it’s nice to know we’ve got a good support system outside of our families in this new place. I was worried about moving here and losing all of that but I guess it’s a testament of how great people are all across this country when you need something. Even my daughter is making new friends left and right!

Rangers Oust Rays; Yankees Survive; Goldschmidt Slam Leads Arizona; Ben Francisco Homer Stops Cards

2011-10-05T08:55:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 4, 2011

American League

Rangers 4 Rays 3

Adrian Beltre

Texas became the first team to win a divisional series and await the winner of the Yankees-Tigers series in the next round of the MLB playoffs. Adrian Beltre socked three solo home runs to lead the Rangers to a 4-3 win over the Rays, taking the series, three games to one. The only run Beltre was not responsible for in the victory was Ian Kinsler's first inning solo home run.

The Rangers only had six hits in the game, but four of them were homers, enough to spoil the mood of the crowd at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida.

Yankees 10 Tigers 1

Getting an unusually strong pitching performance from A.J. Burnett, the Yankees piled on Rick Porcello and defeated the Tigers in Detroit to send the series back to New York for a conclusive game five on Thursday.

AJ Burnett

Burnett, 11-11 on the season with an ERA over five, worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and four walks, striking out three, The only run off Burnett was a 4th inning solo homer by Victor Martinez. Burnett left the game as the Tigers batted in the bottom of the 6th inning, comfortably ahead, 4-1. The Yankees broke the game wide open in the 8th when they batted around, scoring six runs in the frame.

Game time Thursday for game five is 8:07 pm EDT. Detroit's Doug Fister will face the Yankees' Ivan Nova.

National League

Phillies 3 Cardinals 2

Ben Francisco

Ben Francisco broke a 0-0 tie with a three-run bomb in the seventh inning to put the Phillies out in front of the Cardinals en route to a game three victory, puttng the Phillies ahead, two games to one, in the divisional playoff series.

Francisco was inserted as a pinch hitter for starter Cole Hamels, who hurled six scoreless innings on five hits, but had thrown 117 pitches. Hamels walked three and struck out eight.

The Cards and Phils get right back to action on Wednesday when game five begins in St. Louis at 6:07 pm EDT.

Diamondbacks 8 Brewers 1

Josh Collmenter

Grand Slam
Goldschmidt

Arizona staved off elimination from the playoffs with an offensive outburst against four Milwaukee pitchers, but it was rookie Paul Goldschmidt's grand slam in the 5th inning off Milwaukee starter Shawn Marcum that really broke the game wide open.

Goldschmidt singled home Miguel Montero in the first inning. He went 2-for-4 with five RBI.

Another Arizona rookie, starting pitcher Josh Collmenter, held the Brewers in check over seven innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits. Collmenter walked a pair and struck out six, earning his first career playoff win.

The Diamondbacks were down two games to one when the series shifted to Arizona for game three. Their victory kept them in the playoffs, forcing game four in Phoenix on Wednesday at 9:37 pm EDT. Randy Wolf goes for Milwaukee against Joe Saunders for the Diamondbacks.

Verlander, Young Give Tigers Game Three Win; Mike Napoli Homers for Rangers, Lead Rays, 2-1

2011-10-04T09:02:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Monday, October 3, 2011

American League

Rangers 4 Rays 3

Mike Napoli

Mike Napoli's two-run, 7th-inning home run erased a 1-0 Tampa Bay lead and helped chase Rays' starter, David Price, from the mound. After Craig Gentry singled off Price with two runs already in, he was lifted for Brandon Gomes, who promptly issued a walk to Ian Kinsler. After Gentry and Kinsler moved to second and third on a double steal, Elvis Andrus also walked. J.P. Howell came on for the Rays with the bases loaded, and Josh Hamilton delivered a two-run single, putting the Rangers up, 4-0.

After the Rays scored a run in the bottom of the 7th, Desmond Jennings hit his second solo homer of the game in the 8th, cutting the Texas lead to one run. B.J. Upton walked with nobody out but was gunned down on an attempted steal on a pitchout by Napoli. Texas reliever Mike Adams, who had come on to start the 8th, couldn't get the ball over the plate, walking Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce, giving the Rays hope, but Michael Gonzalez got Johnny Damon to fan on three pitches and closer Neftali Felix struck out Ben Zobrist after Longoria and Joyce had moved to second and third on a wild pitch.

Feliz surrendered a one out single to Sean Rodriguez, but induced a double play from Kelly Shoppach to end the game.

Texas leads the series, two games to one, and can eliminate the Rays in game four at Tropicana Field on Tuesday. Game time is 2:07 pm EDT. Texas sends Matt Harrison to the mound, while the Rays counter with rookie Jeremy Hellickson.

Tigers 5 Yankees 4

Justin Verlander

In the rematch of aces following the game one washout on Friday, both C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander were not as sharp as usual, but Verlander managed the best, getting the win that put Detroit up two games to one, putting the Yankees into an elimination situation on Tuesday in the five-game series.

Sabathia lasted only 5 1/3 innings, surrendering seven hits and four runs before being pulled by manager Joe Girardi. Sabathia clearly did not have his best stuff, walking six batters with only three strikeouts. Verlander continued through the eighth, giving up four runs on six hits and three walks, but struck out 11 Yankees on his way to the win. The Yankees tied the game with two runs in the top of the 7th on Brett Gardner's two-RBI double, but Verlander stranded him at second when he struck out Derek Jeter to end the inning.

Delmon Young

In the bottom of the frame, Delmon Young socked a solo homer to give the Rangers the lead again, 5-4, and Verlander got through the 8th unscathed, setting the stage for closer Jose Valverde, who hadn't blown a save opportunity all season.

Valverde made matters interesting, issuing a pair of walks in the final inning, but again it was Jeter who struck out to end the game, putting the Tigers in a position to close out the series on Tuesday in game four.

The Yankees are in a precarious position because they have to go to A.J. Burnett in game four. Burnett won two of his final three starts of the regular season, but has been shaky all year, going 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA. Rick Porcello goes up the bump for the Tigers. Porcello was 14-9 with a 4.79 ERA during the regular season. Game time is slated for 8:37 pm EDT.

National League

The National Leaguers had the day off for travel, but both divisional series resume Tuesday.

The Phillies face the Cardinals in St. Louis with the series tied at a game apiece, while the Brewers head to Arizona to try to eliminate the Diamondbacks. Milwaukee has a 2-0 lead in their series, and will send Shaun Marcum to the mound against Arizona's Josh Collmenter. Game time is 9:37 pm EDT.

The Phillies and Cards square off at 5:07 pm EDT. The Phillies' Cole Hamels faces the Cardinals' Jaime Garcia.

Cabrera Evens Series for Tigers; Ryan Braun Gives Brewers 2-0 Edge; Theriot, Cards Get Even with Phillies

2011-10-03T09:19:00.003-05:00

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 2, 2011

American League Divisional Series

Tigers 5 Yankees 3

Miguel Cabrera's two-run, first inning homer backed the pitching of Max Scherzer, who blanked the Yankees on four hits over six innings as the Tigers evened the five-game series at a game apiece.

Miguel Cabrera

Carbrera singled in the sixth, driving in Austin Jackson, who had reached on a Derek Jeter throwing error to lead off the inning. The Detroit slugged singled again in the eight and stole second, but did not score. Cabrera, Detroit's most productive hitter during the regular season, proved his playoff value by going 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Scherzer: 6 socreless

Detroit's relievers nearly gave the game away. Joaquin Benoit allowed a run in the 8th and closer Jose Valverde, who came on in anon-save situation in the 9th, gave up a leadoff home run to Nick Swisher, a triple to Jorge Posada and a walk to Russell Martin before retiring Andruw Jones on a sac fly that plated Posada with the third Yankee score. Valverde struck out Jeter, walked Curtis Granderson and got Robinson Cano, Saturday's hero, to ground meekly to second to end the threat and the game.

Game three is slated for Monday at 8:37 pm EDT in Detroit. Game one starters, Justin Verlander and C.C. Sabathia, will be on the mound after rain limited them to few pitches on Friday. Verlander worked only one inning, Sabathia, two, so both aces should be fresh.

National League Divisional Series

Brewers 9 Diamondbacks 4

Ryan Braun

Milwaukee's bats proved better than Arizona's pitching as the Brewers took their second straight at home, establishing a 2-0 lead in the series.

Ryan Braun singled, doubled and socked a first-inning, two-run homer, driving in three runs and scoring twice. In the 3rd, he doubled and scored as the Brewers began piling on the runs.

The game was tied 4-4 in the 6th, but Milwaukee batted around in the inning, scoring five runs, finalized by Braun's third hit of the night, a run-scoring single.

Game three will be played in Arizona on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 9:37 pm EDT.

Cardinals 5 Phillies 4

After getting beaten up in game one, the Cardinals sent their ace, Chris Carpenter to the mound in an attempt to cool off the hot Philly bats.

Ryan Theriot

It didn't seem to be going so well after the Phillies scored three runs in the first and added another in the second. Carpenter lasted only three innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out only two batters.

But that was it for the Phillies, as a parade of six Cardinal relievers blanked them over the next six innings. Meanwhile, St. Louis was able to generate some offense of their own off Philly starter Cliff Lee, dinging him for three runs in the 4th, another in the 6th and finally knocking him out with no outs in the top of the 7th.

It was one of Lee's worst post-season starts ever. He gave up 12 hits and allowed five runs over six innings, walking two while striking out nine.

Second baseman Ryan Theriot, batting seventh in the lineup, was the game's hitting hero. Theriot got the Cards on the board with a double in the 4th inning and later scored the Cards' third run. In the 6th, Theriot's two-out double turned into a run when he scored on Jon Jay's single to left.

Albert Pujols provided the game's winning run in the next inning, driving in Allen Craig with a single after Craig led off the inning with a triple. When Lance Berkman singled and Pujols took third, that was all for Lee, though the Philly relief staff held the Cardinals scoreless after that.

Game three is Tuesday in St. Louis at 5:07 pm EDT.

Yankees Win, Rangers Ties Series with Rays; Phillies, Brewers Open Playoffs with Wins

2011-10-02T13:30:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for October 1, 2011

American League Divisional Series

Yankees 9, Tigers 3

Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano went 3-for-5 and drove in six runs as the Yankees took the completion of the suspended game from Friday night. Cano doubled in a run to break a 1-1 tie in the 5th inning, then socked a grand slam in the 6th and added another RBI double in the 8th to complete the Yankees' scoring. The Yankees lead the best-of-five series, 1-0.

Mike Napoli

Rangers 8, Rays 6

Mike Napoli keyed a five-run 4th inning for the Rangers with a bases loaded single, driving in two runs and scoring later in the inning. The Rangers' catcher also singled in the 6th and scored on Ian Kinsler's 2 RBI double, providing Texas with a cushion to tie the divisional series at 1-1.

Prince Fielder

National League Divisional Series

Brewers 4, Diamondbacks 1

Yovani Gallardo

The Milwaukee Brewers took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series with Arizona as Prince Fielder belted a two-run, 7th-inning homer to break the game open. Brewer starter Yovani Gallardo was the master of the mound, stopping Arizona on four hits and a walk over eight innings, yielding only one run while fanning nine.

Phillies 11, Cardinals 4

Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay was roughed up early, on Lance Berkman's three-run home run in the first inning, but maintained his composure to set down 21 batters in a row after Skip Shumacker led off the second inning with a single. Halladay left the game after working eight innings and picked up the win.

Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard belted a three-run homer in the 6th to put the Phillies ahead for good after the Cardinals had built an early 3-1 lead.

The Phillies lead the best-of-five series, 1-0.

Rays Rout Rangers, 9-0; Hamilton Spoils No-Hit Bid

2011-09-30T19:42:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Friday, September 30, 2011

AL Playoffs, game one: Rays 9, Rangers 0

Kelly Shoppach

Tampa Bay's Matt Moore caught an early taste of October magic, shutting out the Texas Rangers over seven innings on two hits in the opening game of the AL five-game series. The only hits by Texas were collected by Josh Hamilton, who singled in the first inning and doubled in the fourth.

It was only the third time all season that the Rangers had been shut out at home.

Johnny Damon got the Rays going with a two-run homer in the second. Kelly Shoppach singled and scored in the inning, then delivered a three-run blast in the third, followed by a two-run homer in the fifth inning that put the Rays up, 8-0. Shoppach's two-homer, five RBI, three run game matched Moore's brilliance on the mound.

Moore walked two and struck out six, getting the Game One win in just his second major league start. Brandon Gomes and Wade Davis worked perfect eighth and ninth innings to secure the victory.

Game Two is Saturday in Arlington.

NL Playoff Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers

2011-09-30T18:00:00.001-05:00

Arizona and Milwaukee: Outside Chances

Even though they were easy division winners, neither the Brewers nor Diamondbacks are being given much chance of advancing to the World Series, though both teams have elements of championship style.

Fielder: Awesome
Power to all fields.

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun of the Brewers combined for 71 homers and 231 RBI. Braun has been mentioned as an MVP candidate, and deservedly so, with a .332 batting average, 33 bombs, 111 RBI and 33 steals. Fielder, possessive of tremendous power, is a threat to go long whenever he's at the plate.

For the Diamondbacks, outfielder Justin Upton, brother of Tampa Bay's B.J., is the only player with superstar appeal, hitting .289, with 32 homers and 88 RBI in a breakout year.

Kennedy: 21 wins

Both teams have solid starting pitching and good bullpens, so this series could be the most exciting from a fan's standpoint.

Milwaukee will go with Yovani Gallardo in game one, while the D'Backs start 21-game winner Ian Kennedy. Gallardo was 17-10 with a 3.52 ERA and 207 strikeouts, while Kennedy matched triple crown winner Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers to lead the league in wins, and was one of the league's best starters with a 2.88 ERA and 198 Ks.

Milwaukee has home field advantage in the 2-2-1 format for the short series in which anything could, and probably will, happen.

Baseball fanatics would be well advised to pay close attention to this series, which opens on Saturday, as the Brewers and Diamondbacks may have the most complete teams in what is essentially a team sport.

NL Playoff Preview: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies

2011-09-30T17:37:00.005-05:00

Phillies: Pitching and Power

The Philadelphia Phillies won 102 games, capturing the NL East by 13 games over the Braves, assisting in Atlanta's late-season collapse by sweeping them in the final three-game series of the season, allowing the Cardinals to clinch the wild card spot on the last day of the season.

Cliff Lee

Philly's pitching staff is the stuff of dreams, with multiple Cy Young award winners, starting with Roy Halladay, who went 19-6 with a 2.35 ERA and 220 strikeouts. Halladay will start game one, followed by Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40, 238Ks, 6 complete game shutouts), Cole Hamels (14-9, 2.79, 194 Ks) and Roy Oswalt, should game four be necessary.

Ryan Howard

With a staff like that, the Phillies hardly need any hitting, though they have plenty, starting with first baseman Ryan Howard, who stuck 33 homers and drove in 116 runs, among the league leaders in both categories. At the top of the order is veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who hit .268. scored 86 runs and stole 30 bases in 142 games. Center field is patrolled by Shane Victorino, the spunky Hawaiian who led the team in runs, with 95, triples (16) and socked 17 home runs along the way. Right field belongs to Hunter Pence, acquired from the Astros mid-season, and left fielder Raul Ibanez resurrected his career with 20 home runs and 84 RBI.

The third spot in the order usually is assigned to second baseman Chase Utley, who had an off year due to injury, but is still a dangerous hitter every time he enters the batter's box.

Middle and late relief is not strong for the Phillies, though it's not a concern as their starters are usually good for at least seven innings. The closing role will likely be the province of Ryan Madsen, who held down 32 of 34 leads.

The Phillies allowed the Cardinals into the playoffs and now must eliminate them.

Cardinals: Hitters and Youth

Albert Pujols

Chris Carpenter

St. Louis is the National League's wild card entrant, finally getting past Atlanta on the final day of the season on the strength of Chris Carpenter's 2-hit shutout in Houston. Because Carpenter pitched on Wednesday, he will not be available until game two on Sunday. Kyle Lohse (14-8, 3.39) will start game one aftr a solid year.

Game three starter will be Jaime Garcia (13-7, 3.56). Edwin Jackson will start game four, if necessary. The Cardinal pitching staff was hampered by the season-long loss of Adam Wainwright, but persevered to finish six games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.

The middle of the Cardinal lineup is packed with power, beginning with perennial all star Albert Pujols, who had an average season - for him - socking 37 home runs and driving in 99 runs while batting .299. Surrounding Pujols are a couple of veteran sluggers, right fielder Matt Holliday(.296, 22, 75) and Lance Berkman (.301, 31, 94).

The Cards also have a number of young hitters with power, including outfielder Allen Craig, who hit .315 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 75 games, and third baseman David Freese (.297, 10, 55). Yadier Molina is probably the best defensive catcher in the game and he had an excellent season at the plate, batting .305 with 14 HR and 65 RBI. John Jay hit .295 and is the regular center fielder.

The Cardinals generally hit for a high average and have plenty of power to challenge the Phillies' pitching. If Pujols, Berkman and Holliday hold their own against the Philly starters, the Cardinals stand a fighting chance, though late relief has been an issue all season. Fernando Salas led the team with 24 saves and Jason Motte is the regular middle-to-late reliever, though both have had their share of rough outings. Salas blew six saves, Motte, four, with nine saves.

AL Playoff Preview: NY Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers

2011-09-30T12:10:00.000-05:00

Yankees: Booming Bats

The Yankees lived up to their nickname as the Bombers by leading the majors in home runs, with 222, while finishing second in the AL in RBI (836). Their .444 slugging percentage was third in the majors, behind Boston and Texas. The Yanks were the second team to clinch a division in the league, after Detroit, winning the AL East by a comfortable six games over wild card entrant, Tampa Bay.

The Yanks are led on offense by the top of their often-changing order. Center fielder Curtis Granderson, who normally bats second behind either SS Derek Jeter (.297, 6 HR, 61 RBI) or left fielder Brett Gardner (.259, 7, 87 runs) - who tied Oakland's Coco Crisp for the AL stolen base lead with 39 - had an extraordinary season worthy of MVP status, leading the league with 119 RBI and finishing second in homers with 41. Granderson only generated a .262 batting average, but got the key hits in the clutch, also stealing 25 bases and leading the league with 136 runs.

Right behind him in the order, Robinson Cano quietly put together an awesome season, batting .302, with 28 home runs and 118 RBI. Going down the order, third baseman Alex Rodriguez was hampered by injuries through much of the season, but still managed to hit .276, with 16 HR and 60 RBI. First baseman Mark Teixeira (.248, 39, 111) is probably the most dangerous power hitter in the Yankee arsenal, with power from both sides of the plate.

Curtis Granderson

Nick Swisher had a fine season in right field, batting .260 with 23 home runs, driving in 85 runs. The catching duites will be handled either by Russell Martin or Fancisco Cervelli. Jorge Posada and Andruw Jones will alternate at DH, along with Eric Chavez, who put in yeoman's work at third base, filling in for the oft-injured Rodriguez. Manager Joe Girardi tinkered with the lineup all season and will likely fine-tune it for the playoffs depending on opposing pitching.

C.C. Sabathia

The Yankees' weakness is in their starting pitching. After C.C. Sabathia and rookie Ivan Nova, there isn't much there. Sabathia led the team in wins (19-8), strikeouts (230) and had the best ERA of all starters at an even 3.00. Nova had a record run of 11 straight wins, finishing 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA.

Girardi has chosen to go with a three-man rotation, giving Sabathia the nod in game 1 against Detroit's Justin Verlander. Nova goes in game two and veteran Freddie Garcia (12-8, 3.62) will start game three. Middle relief was a Yankee strength, especially David Robertson, who appeared in 70 games, compiling a 4-0 record and a 1.08 ERA, striking out 100 batters in 66.2 innings. Set-up man Rafael Soriano normally works the ninth, leading to save opportunities for the best in the business, Mariano Rivera, who finished second in the league in saves, converting 44 of 49 chances with a 1.91 ERA.

The Yankees will try to bludgeon the opposition to death with their big bats and shorten games to seven innings, with their excellent back end relief.

Tigers: Verlander, and then What?

The Detroit Tigers won their first division title since 1987, prior to expansion, when they won the AL East. Their 15-game margin over Cleveland was their first Central division title in franchise history. Having clinched the division so early, the Tigers were more concerned with keeping players fresh rather than rested. and they enter the first round of the playoffs in good health and with their starting rotation intact.

Miguel Cabrera

Offensively, the Tigers are led by first baseman Miguel Carbrera, who led the league with a .344 batting average. Cabrera was the team leader in home runs, swatting 30, to go with 105 RBI. The big surprise at the plate for the Tigers was catcher Alex Avila, who hit .295 with 19 home runs and 82 RBI. Third baseman/shortstop Jhonny Peralta (.299, 21, 86) also adds pop. The middle infield positions of shortstop and second base are handled by Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn, respectively, who field well but don't offer much at the plate.

Center fielder Austin Jackson leads off, but struck out 181 times, second most in the league and far too many for a batter at the top of the order. Jackson hit just .249, stole 22 bases and scored 90 runs, though his defense kept him in the lineup. Magglio Ordonez is the regular right fielder, while left is still up for grabs. Brennan Boesch gets most of the starts, but shares time with Rayburn and Delmon Young. Victor Martinez is the regular DH. He quietly put together another fine year, hitting .330, with 12 homers and 103 RBI. Brandon Inge can play third base as can Wilson Betemit, who will probably be the regular in the series, with Peralta moving to short and Santiago to second, putting Rayburn either on the bench or in left field.

The Tigers' lineup and positioning is a real carousel with talent at multiple positions.

Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander will get the start in game one and is the likely choice for the Cy Young award, if not MVP. Verlander completed the pitching triple crown, going 24-5, with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts, all tops in the league. Doug Fister (8-1, 1.79) will start game two, followed by Max Scherzer (15-9, 4,43) and Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.75), if there's a game four.

Jose Valverde led the league with 49 saves, converting every opportunity.

Conclusion: Both teams have great game one starters in Verlander and Sabathia, and the Tigers could use Verlander in game four if the're facing elimination in the five-game series. The Tigers are a bit deeper in their rotation, but not by much. New York has the bats, which, if somebody gets hot, could make this a three, or four game set and because of that, deserve a slight edge. Games one and two are in New York, followed by one or two in Detroit. If a fifth game is needed, it will be at Yankee Stadium.

AL Playoff Preview: Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays

2011-09-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

Rangers: Power-Packed

Ian Kinsler

Texas clinched a few days before the end of the season, so they are rested and have their starting rotation in order. Pitching is not a priority for Texas, as they possess one of the most talented lineups in the game, starting with leadoff hitter and second baseman Ian Kinsler, who caught fire late in the season, ending up with the team lead - tied with Adrian Beltre - in home runs at 32. Kinsler socked 11 long balls in September, providing even more punch to a murderer's row type of lineup. Always a threat to steal, Kinsler swiped 30 bases in 2011. He also led the Rangers with 121 runs

Adrian Beltre

Michael Young, the most versatile of all the Rangers, had a banner year, leading the team with a .338 batting average - third highest in the AL - and 106 RBI. Young can play just about any position in the field, and has been used at first base, third base and in the outfield.

Third baseman Adrian Beltre had a very productive season with a .296 batting average, 32 homers and 105 RBI. Shortstop Elvis Andrus normally bats second, hit .279 with 37 steals and 96 runs. Catching duties are handled either by Mike Napoli, who batted .320 over the course of the season, or Yorvit Torrealba, a less-potent batter.

The outfield is manned by Josh Hamilton in center, Nelson Cruz in right and David Murphy in left. All three have solid hitting credentials and can hit for power. Mitch Moreland will share first base and DH duties with Young and also has power to spare. The Rangers had 210 home runs as a team, second in the majors to the Yankees (222).

Josh Hamilton

Despite the lack of emphasis on pitching, the Rangers had the fifth-best ERA in the league, at 3.79. The Rangers have enough live arms in their starting rotation for the short, five-game series to announce four starters. C.J. Wilson (16-7, 2.94 ERA) will go in game one, Derek Holland (16-5, 3.95) in game 2, Colby Lewis (14-10, 4.40) in game 3, and, if a game four is needed, Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39) gets the nod.

The Ranger's bullpen was strengthened with the addition of Mike Adams, acquired from San Diego at the trading deadline. Adams is one of the best middle men in the game. He worked 27 games for the Rangers with a 2.10 ERA and 25 Ks in 25.2 innings. Closer Neftali Feliz saved 32 games in 38 chances.

Texas lost in the 2010 World Series to the Giants, 4 games to 1, and looks to repeat their initial trip to the fall classic with a better result.

Rays: Pitching and Defense

The Rays won the right to proceed into the playoffs on Evan Longoria's dramatic 12th inning home run, knocking off the Yankees, 8-7, just moments after the Red Sox lost to the Orioles, 4-3.

James Shields

Due to Tampa needing to use the best of its pitching staff in the wild card race, the Rays' starting rotation will not be as effective as it might have been in this opening-round series, but the Rays have battled adversity all season long, so they deserve a small vote of confidence for their grit and determination.

Tampa's starting pitching is their strength, but due to the schedule, Matt Moore, who started only one game for the Rays, will open in game 1. Moore was effective in his start, giving five innings of shutout ball on four hits and 11 Ks in a September 22, 15-8 win over the Yankees.

Evan Longoria

The Ray's best starter, "Big Game" James Shields, goes in Game 2. Shields had an amazing 11 complete games in 2011, and was 16-10 with a 2.82 ERA and 225 Ks in 249.1 innings. David Price (12-13, 3.49), who was a complete flop in the Rays' final regular season game, will go in game 3, and Jeff Niemann (11-7, 4.06) will start game 4, if needed.

Kyle Farnsworth is the Rays' closer, saving 25 of 31 opportunities. Middle relief falls to Joel Peralta, Juan Cruz and Alex Cobb. Long relief has been a bright spot for the Rays, effective in close, low-scoring games, of which there were plenty during the season.

Tampa Bay had the second best team ERA in the league - 3.58 - right behind the Angels' 3.57.

Around the horn, Tampa is led by Casey Kotchman at first who had significant late-season contributions, but whose numbers overall are not impressive. Kotchman batted .306 with 10 homers and 48 RBI. Versatile Sean Rodriguez should also see time at first, DH and second base.

Matt Joyce

Second base is manned by Ben Zobrist, a streaky hitter who batted .269 with 20 home runs and 91 RBI. Zobrist also swiped 19 bases and is solid in the field. Shortstop Reid Brignac is one of the smoothest of all major league shortstops, though he leaves much to be desired at the plate, Brignac finished up with a .193 batting average, but is key to the Rays' strategy as a sure-handed infielder.

The top slugger on the team is third baseman Evan Longoria, who put up outstanding numbers - .244, 31 HR, 99 RBI - despite missing nearly 30 games at the start of the season. A healthy Longoria gives the Rays a fighting chance if the Rangers don't pitch around him.

Kelly Shoppach will do most of the catching and bat either 8th or 9th. Like Brignac, he's in for defense, because his .176 batting average just doesn't cut it. Shoppach has power, however. He hit 11 home runs in 221 at-bats and provided some key hits during the stretch run.

Johnny Damon will either play right field or DH. Damon, the team elder statesman, had a decent year with a .261 batting average, 16 homers and 73 RBI. Center fielder B.J. Upton catches anything hit his way, led the team in steals with 36, hit .243 with 23 home runs and 81 RBI. Left field is a sore spot. Desmond Jennings has been in a horrible slump, Sam Fuld tailed off after a hot start, but Matt Joyce (.277, 19, 75) has been solid and will likely get most of the playing time in left.

Conclusion: If Tampa's pitching isn't already worn out, the Rays can hang in with the Rangers, but the overall power of Texas with pitching that's good enough to compete might make this short series even shorter. The first two games are in Arlington, a big edge for the Rangers. Tampa is tthe site for game three, and four, if needed. Should the series go five, it's back to Texas. Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist need to produce for the Rays to be successful.

Agony in Atlanta, Bummer in Beantown as Cardinals, Rays Win Wild Cards

2011-09-29T07:39:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 28, 2011

American League

It was only fitting that Boston's September swoon get all the way to two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth inning before finally slipping away. The Red Sox bullpen had been in a sorry state of affairs month-long, and the season ended with closer Jonathan Papelbon hunched on the mound, watching helplessly as Nolan Reimold slid into home plate with the winning run for Baltimore, sending the Red Sox to their ninth loss in its last 11 games.

Moments later, Evan Longoria snuck a line drive over the short wall just inside the left field foul pole to complete a miraculous comeback from a 7-0 deficit to defeat the New York Yankees and capture the AL Wild Card. Boston would head home to witness the playoffs as spectators after going 7-20 in September, blowing a nine-game lead in the wild card card race.

The Rays and Red Sox entered the final day of the regular season tied for the final playoff spot, and, for a while, it appeared as though the Red Sox would hang on t a 3-2 lead in Baltimore as the Yankees were putting a hurting on Tampa, leading the Rays, 7-0 through eight innings.

It was not to be. While the Rays were scoring six runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to tie the Yankees at 7-7, the Red Sox and Orioles sat through a long rain delay in Baltimore, stopping their game in the middle of the seventh inning.

Longoria: 2 HRs send
Rays into playoffs

Boston's relievers clung to the 3-2 lead until the ninth when Papelbon came on for the save. After getting two outs in order, Papelbon surrendered a two-strike double to Chris Davis, followed by a ground rule double to center by Reimold that tied the game. When Robert Andino stroked a single to left that eluded a sliding Carl Craford, Reimold circled third and headed for the plate.

It wasn't close. The collapse was complete, the drama ended, as the Orioles won, 4-3.

The crowd at Tropicana Field erupted into a loud cheer when they saw the final score go up on the scoreboard. Evan Longoria stepped to the plate with the bases empty and one out in the bottom of the 12th inning. Earlier, Longoria socked an 8th inning three-run homer to get the Rays to within a run of the Yankees, as they scored six times in the frame. Dan Johnson hooked a drive just inside the right field foul pole with two outs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

Longoria connected off the 11th Yankee pitcher of the night, Scott Proctor. His screaming line drive cleared the short wall in left field and his teammates greetd him at home plate as he rounded the bases with the walk-off, 8-7 winner, and a trip to Texas for the Rays, to face the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs.

Tampa Bay will travel to Texas to face the Rangers in the first of their five game series beginning Friday afternoon at 5:07 pm EDT. The Yankees will host Detroit on Friday to begin their five game series with the Tigers. Game time is 8:37 pm EDT.

National League

Carpenter's 2-hit
shutout wins wild card

The National League offered just a little less drama. The Cardinals and Braves entered the day tied for the wild card spot, but St. Louis jumped all over Houston early, scoring five runs in the first inning to back the two-hit shutout thrown by Chris Carpenter in their 8-0 victory, securing at least a one-game playoff with the Braves.

Carpenter (11-9) was brilliant, throwing 76 of 105 pitches for strikes, walking one and striking out 11.

For most of their game, it looked as though the Braves would survive against the Phillies and face the Cards on Thursday, but the Phillies chipped into their 3-1 lead with a run in the 7th and tied it on Chase Utley's sac fly in the 9th.

The game wore on into the 13th inning, the Phillies having used nine pitchers. The Braves' eighth pitcher, Scott Linebrink, took the mound to start the 13th, but, after getting one out, walked B. Schneider and then got Jimmy Rollins to fly out to center for the second out. Chase Utley singled, sending Schneider to third and Hunter Pence delivered a single to right, plating Schneider with the go-ahead run.

Atlanta went meekly in the bottom of the inning. Chipper Jones struck out swinging for the first out, but Dan Uggla walked to give the Braves hope. The next batter, Freddie Freeman, grounded into a game-ending 3-6-3 double play, ending the Braves' season with a 4-3 loss, sending the Cardinals into the playoffs.

Atlanta's September was nearly as ugly as that of the Red Sox. The Braves won nine games but lost 18 during the month, surrendering a September 6th, 8 1/2 game lead to the Cardinals, who closed out the season with a 16-5 run.

St. Louis will play at Philadelphia on Saturday to open their five game series. Milwaukee hosts West division champion Arizona in the other five game series, also beginning on Saturday. Game times have yet to be announced.

AL, NL Wild Card Races Tied with One Game Left

2011-09-28T07:43:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 27, 2011

American League

Undeniably, the wild card has been good for baseball, but for the Red Sox this season, it's been less fun than most pennant races.

Boston, which led the AL wild card standings by as many as nine games at the start of September, remained in a tie with Tampa Bay after both teams won Tuesday night. The Red Sox barely hung on in the late innings to shave Baltimore, 8-7, while the Rays made a triple play that turned their team around and may have saved the season.

Lavarnway: 4 RBI

Third string catcher, Ryan Lavarnway, who spent most of his season in AAA at Pawtucket, delivered a pair of home runs for the desperate Red Sox, the first a three-run shot in the 4th inning that put the Sox up 5-1, and a solo jack in the 8th that turned out to provided the margin of victory. The Orioles dinged the beleaguered Boston relief corps for two runs in the 8th and another in the bottom of the ninth, leaving the tying run on second base as Jonathan Papelbon retired Adam Jones on a ground out to third to end the game.

Boston got all of its runs via the long ball as Jacoby Ellsbury and Marco Scutaro also homered. The Red Sox staved off defeat on the strength of 3 1/3 solid innings of relief work by Alfredo Aceves, who's been their most reliable reliever. Aceves came on in the 4th in relief of Eric Bedard, who had thrown 84 pitches and given up three runs to the O's. Aceves limited the Orioles to just one run on three hits, the run coming on Jones' 6th inning homer.

With the regular season ending Wednesday, Boston sends Jon Lester (15-9) to the mound on three days rest, knowing that Aceves will be unavailable should he falter. Baltimore will start Alfredo Simon, a hard-throwing right hander who's gone 4-9 in fifteen starts this season. Simon spent part of last season as the Orioles' closer, picking up 17 saves in 21 chances.

In Tampa, the Rays survived a bases-loaded threat in the 6th inning that might have ended their post-season hopes if not for the quick hands of Tampa's infielders. Russell Martin smashed a hot grounder at third baseman Evan Longoria, who touched third and whipped a throw to Ben Zobrist for the force at second. Zobrist gunned the ball to Sean Rodriguez at first, nipping the diving Martin for a triple play. The Yankees had already taken a 3-2 lead in the inning on Nick Swisher's RBI double and loaded the bases when starter Jeremy Hellickson intentionally walked Jorge Posada.

Joyce: 3-run HR

The triple play ignited the crown and the Rays. In the bottom of the 7th, Matt Joyce turned on a Rafael Soriano fastball and deposited it in the right field stands for a three-run homer that completed the scoring in Tampa's 5-3 win, keeping the wild card knotted with one game left to play.

The Rays host the Yankees on Wednesday night, sending David Price to the mound, who will also be working on three day's rest. The Yankees have not named a starter, though manager Joe Girardi has said that he will not use any pitchers on the post-season roster, as the Yankees have already clinched the division with the best record in the league and will face either Detroit or Texas in the opening round.

Should Boston and Tampa Bay remain tied at the end of Wednesday's activities, the Rays would host a one-game playoff Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

National League

Oswalt: 6 scoreless

St Louis has been gunning for the Atlanta Braves the entire month of September, and on Tuesday, they finally caught them. Cardinal bats caught fire in the late innings and routed the Houston Astros, 13-6, after the Phillies dusted off the Braves, 7-1. Roy Oswalt pitched six innings of shutout ball for the Phillies, allowing just three hits and a walk, striking out four.

In Houston, the Cardinals battled back from a five run deficit, scoring five times in the 4th inning, then putting the game away with four runs in the 7th, three in the 8th and one more in the top of the 9th. Nick Punto went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and two RBI and rookie Allen Craig blasted a three-run bomb in the eighth inning to seal the win. Craig was 2-for-3, scored three times and drove in four runs.

Craig: 3-run HR

The Braves have struggled all through the month of September. Atlanta has gone 8-17 in the season's final month, while the Cardinals are 17-8 over the same span.

Punto: 4-for-5

For the final regular season game, the Cardinals will start their ace, Chris Carpenter (10-9) against the Astros' Brett Myers (7-13), Myers has won his last four starts and is 6-5 lifetime against St. Louis with a 4.54 ERA. Career-wise, Carpenter is 7-5, with a 2.79 ERA, but he's 0-3 with a 4.62 ERA in his last five starts at Minute Maid Field and hasn't won there since 2005.

Atlanta will throw Tim Hudson (16-10) in their season finale at home against the Phillies. Hudson has a 7-8 mark lifetime against Philadelphia with a 3.75 ERA. Joe Blanton goes up the bump for the Phillies. Blanton is 1-4 with a 5.47 ERA against the Braves lifetime and is 1-2 in ten starts this season.

The Braves' game begins at 7:10 pm EDT, while the Cardinals and Astros get underway at 8:05. If the Braves and Cardinals are tied after Wednesday, St. Louis would host a one-game playoff Thursday night.

Rays, Red Sox Tied in Wild Card; Braves Holding One Game Lead over Cardinals

2011-09-27T07:04:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Monday, September 26, 2011

American League

The AL Wild Card race is all tied up after the Orioles chunked the Red Sox, 6-3, and the Rays stung the Yankees, 5-2.

Robert Andino

In Baltimore, Robert Andino's inside-the-park home run keyed a four-run sixth inning, leading to the Oriole win. Chris Davis, a substitute corner infielder who was traded from Texas to Baltimore earlier in the year, got things started in the decisive inning with a double that drove home Vlad Guerrero, breaking a 2-2 tie before Andino laced a drive to center field that Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury could not handle and raced around the bases, with Mark Reynolds and Davis scoring ahead of him.

Andino had only the one hit in two official at-bats, but drove in three runs and sent Boston starter, Josh Beckett, to an early shower. The loss for Boston was the 8th in their last 10 games, making "collapse" sound like too mild a term for what they are going through in September, a month in which they've won only six games while losing 19. In the annals of blowing it, that's epic.

Boston has two games remaining at Baltimore, who've beaten them four of the last five. Tampa Bay faces the Yankees twice more at Tropicana Field.

National League

Shane Victorino

Shane Victorino tripled in the sixth inning and doubled in the eighth and Raul Ibanez singled him home each time, as the Phillies took a 4-2 win at Atlanta Monday night.

Raul Ibanez

Victorino's triple and the RBI single by Ibanez in the 6th broke a tie after Jimmy Rollins' solo homer in the fifth made it 2-2. The eighth inning triple by the Phillies' center fielder and subsequent single by Ibanez added insurance for Philadelphia's relievers, who came on after Cliff Lee went through six innings, allowing two runs on five hits while fanning six for his 17th win against eight losses.

The Braves have been doing their best impression of Boston in the NL, losing their third straight and sixth of their last eight, but managed to maintain their one game lead over the Cardinals in the wild card race. St. Louis dropped a 5-4 decision at Houston in 10 innings as they opened their final regular season series with the Astros.

Atlanta could clinch the wild card with a win and a St. Louis loss on Tuesday, or be tied with the Cardinals if those results are the reverse.

Ellsbury Saves Boston for Now; Cardinals Fly to Within One Game of Braves

2011-09-26T07:24:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 25, 2011

American League

For most teams, playing a double-header is a little extra work. Staying focused, trying to give 100% through a long day of baseball requires discipline, perseverance and determination. Having to play a twin bill on the road against a potential playoff opponent which just happens to have the best record in the league, with only five days left in the season, requires something more.

Jacoby Ellsbury

And when you've dropped the first game and the second game goes into extra innings with maybe your whole season on the line, it requires a conclusion, and that's exactly what Jacoby Ellsbury provided with a three-run, 14th-inning home run that secured a 7-4 victory over the Yankees to kept Tampa Bay from tying the Red Sox in the wild card standings.

Ellsbury came to the plate just 1-for-6 in the nightcap, with two men aboard and two outs, but ended up 2-for-7 with three RBI, and maybe the biggest hit of Boston's entire season.

In the first game, Ellsbury provided all of Boston's offense, going 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and two RBI, but it wasn't nearly enough, as the Yankees won, 6-2. Combined with Tampa Bay's 5-2 win over Toronto, Boston's wild card lead had shrunk to a tiny 1/2 game. A loss in the nightcap would have had the Rays and Red Sox in a flat-footed tie with just three games left. Ellsbury's late-night homer at least gave the Red Sox a one game cushion - a little breathing room - as they head to Baltimore for a three game series to close out the regular season.

Tampa Bay will have to contend with the Yankees for the final three games of the season at Tropicana Field in Tampa. The Red Sox dropped three straight to the Orioles, a team that is loose and has nothing to lose, last week in Boston. The Rays dropped three of four to the Yankees last week in New York. Whichever team emerges with the wild card will have earned it.

Edwin Jackson

There is one more team in the race, though the best the LA Angels can do now, after dropping a 6-5 decision to the A's on Sunday, is force a tie. They trail the Red Sox by three games; Tampa by two.

National League

Rafael Furcal

The Cardinals moved to within one game of Atlanta in the NL wild card race, but they're hanging on by a thread and giving their fans heart attacks. After winning Saturday's game with the Cubs with a dramatic two-run rally in the bottom of the 9th, the Cardinals only waited until the 8th to take a 3-2 win from Chicago.

Randy Wells and the Cardinals' Edwin Jackson, locked into a pretty heated pitcher's duel. The Cubs only got to Jackson for five hits while the Cardinals got six off Wells, the last one a Rafael Furcal solo home run to right in the bottom of the 8th that snapped a 2-2 tie and led to victory.

Yadier Molina

The Cardinals played from behind most of the game. Jackson, in addition to his seven innings of mound duty (five hits, two walks, two runs, six Ks) drove in the first Cardinal run with a bases loaded sac fly in the 5th that tied the game at one. Starlin Castro singled in Marlon Byrd in the 7th to put the Cubs up, 2-1, but Yadier Molina got the Cardinals back to a tie with a bases empty blast in the bottom of the frame, setting the stage for Furcal's game winner.

With Atlanta losing 3-0 at Washington, the Cardinals are just one game behind the Braves in the wild card chase with three games to play. St. Louis will finish up with three at Houston. The Braves host the Phillies, who've already clinched the NL East, for their last three games. The regular season ends on Wednesday, September 28.

Damon Homer Helps Rays in Wild Card Chase; Cardinals Win With Dramatic Ninth

2011-09-25T07:51:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 24, 2011

American League

With divisional races all decided, the focus for the remainder of the regular season will be on the wild card races, which are down to just a few teams in both leagues. In the AL, Tampa Bay improved their chances for post-season play with a 6-2 win over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, while the imploding Red Sox got the Bronx treatment, pounded by the Yankees, 9-1.

The Rays fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning as Jose Bautista socked his major league-leading 43rd home run. Rays' starter Jeff Niemann was lifted after just one inning, having given up two run on two hits and two walks. Niemann had had his start pushed back due to a sore back and clearly was not at his best.

Johnny Damon

Tampa Bay battled right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first and took the lead on a Ben Zobrist solo homer in the fourth. The Rays' bullpen set a team record, holding the Blue Jays scoreless for eight innings, and Johnny Damon sealed the win with an eighth-inning, three run home run. Gamon had doubled home Zobrist in the first inning and went 3-for-3, with four RBI.

Combined with the Red Sox loss to New York, the Rays trailed Boston by 1 1/2 at the end of the day. Tampa could tie the Red Sox for the wild card spot on Sunday if they beat Toronto and Boston drops both of their games to the Yankees. Boston plays a day-night double-dip due to a rain out of Friday's game.

The LA Angels remained relevant with a 4-2 win over the A's, 2 1/2 games behind the Red Sox. The Angels complete their series with the A's on Sunday.

National League

Blanked for eight innings, the St. Louis Cardinals kept their wild card hopes alive when they scored a pair of run in the bottom of the ninth for a 2-1 win over the Cubs.

Starter Kyle Lohse kept St. Louis in the game, allowing six hits, but only one run over seven innings, striking out eight. Lohse didn't walk anyone, nor did he receive a decision, though the end result was a positive one, as the Cardinals inched to within two games of the Braves in the NL wild card race. Atlanta was defeated 4-1 at Washington.

Kyle Lohse

Carlos Marmol was on the mound in the ninth, looking to close things out for the Cubs, though it did not go well for him. Matt Holliday got things started for the Cardinals in the ninth with a one-out single and was replaced by pinch runner Tyler Greene. Greene stole second and moved up to third as Geovany Soto's throw sailed into center field. After a David Freese strikeout, Yadier Molina walked and was pinch run for by Adron Chambers, Skip Schumaker also walked, loading the bases for Ryan Theriot, who was also issued a free pass, forcing in Greene to tie the game.

When Marmol uncorked a wild pitch to Rafael Furcal, Chambers streaked home from third with the game winner and new life in St. Louis. Marmol (2-6) took the loss. It was his 10th blown save of the season, tops in the majors.

Brewers Clinch NL Central; Diamondbacks, Rangers Take the West; Rays Lose Again

2011-09-24T10:05:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Friday, September 23, 2011

American League

If not for the Red Sox playing terrible baseball all through the month of September, nobody would be talking about the Tampa Bay Rays, who lost for the fourth time in their last five games, dropping to 2 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL wild card race.

Kelly Johnson

Toronto's Kelly Johnson drove in a run in the third inning and socked a solo home run in the 6th, leading to a 5-1 win for the Blue Jays at Tropicana Field in Tampa.

The Red Sox were rained out in New York and will play a double-header with the Yankees on Sunday. The Angels dropped a 3-1 decision to Oakland, paving the way for the Rangers to take the division.

Texas defeated Seattle, 5-3, to capture their second straight AL west division championship, completing the divisional races in both leagues.

The Angels trail Boston by 3 1/2 in the wild card.

National League

Pennant races aren't what they used to be, but it would be hard to convince the players of the Milwaukee Brewers of that.

The Brewers clinched their first division title of any kind since 1982, when they were still in the American League and captured the East division.

Ryan Braun

Ryan Braun socked a three-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning, leading to a 4-1 win over the Florida Marlins. The Brewers clubhouse erupted in celebration as players watched the conclusion of the Cardinals-Cubs game, which ended in a 5-1 win by Chicago, eliminating second place St. Louis in the division, giving the crown to Milwaukee.

Braun went 1-for-4 in the game, the clutch homer being his only hit. The Brewers's outfielder is being mentioned prominently in MVP discussions alongside Dodger star Matt Kemp. Braun has 32 home runs, 107 RBI and a .329 batting average, tied for the lead in batting with the Mets' Jose Reyes. Kemp is on the cusp of a triple crown, having hit his 37th home run in LA's 2-0 win over San Diego, tying him with St. Louis' Albert Pujols. He also leads the league with 119 RBI and is batting .326.

Atlanta stopped the Nationals, 7-4, increasing their wild card lead to three games ahead of St. Louis. San Francisco lost the first game of their three game visit to Arizona, 3-1, giving the Diamondbacks the NL West title.

BJ Upton, Rays Pound Yankees, 15-8, Trial Boston by 2; Matt Kemp Close to Triple Crown Season

2011-09-23T07:50:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 22, 2011

American League

After their near-death experience, losing the first three games of their series in New York, the Tampa Bay Rays finally put one in the win column, smashing Yankee starter Bartolo Colon for seven hits and seven runs (5 earned) in a 15-8 blowout in the Bronx.

Colon, who had a decent first half, going 8-6 through the end of July, has had no luck since, losing four of nine starts and getting no decision in the other five. In his last two, including Thursday's disaster, Colon had gone just seven innings, giving up 14 hits and 13 runs, putting the 38-year-old right-hander on the post-season roster bubble. The Yankees, who clinched the AL East on Wednesday, will go into the playoffs with an uncertain pitching staff. After C.C. Sabathia and rookie Ivan Nova, there simply isn't any quality there.

B.J. Upton

In Thursday's onslaught, the Rays followed the bat of B.J. Upton, who singled, tripled and homered in four at-bats, scoring four times and driving in three. While Upton wasn't exactly the proximate cause for Colon's pain, he was certainly a contributor to it, scoring in the first inning after being hit by a Colon pitch, then tripling in a run and scoring another in the second inning. By the time Upton reached the plate again in the 4th, Colon had departed, but Upton, for good measure, delivered a two-run homer off reliever Scott Proctor. By the end of the inning it was 12-0 Rays and the game essentially over.

The Yankees added their runs in the later innings, making the score a bit better, though the result was the Rays trailing the idle Red Sox by two games in the wild card race.

The pinstriped Yankees will be front and center for the remainder of the wild card doings. They host Boston for three games over the weekend and then travle to Tampa Bay on Monday to complete the regular season with a three game set.

In the West, both Texas and the LA Angels lost, leaving the Rangers' lead in the division unchanged at five games. LA trails Boston in the wild card by three games and is one behind Tampa Bay. While the Rays will spend the weekend at home against the Blue Jays, the Angels host Oakland and finish with a three game series against visiting Texas. That season-ending series may be immaterial to the AL West title - the Texas magic number is just two - the Angles may still be alive in the wild card.

National League

Matt Kemp and the LA Dodgers may have just ended San Francisco's hopes for a return to the post-season. The Dodgers knocked off their arch-rivals, 8-2, on Thursday, as Kemp, a leading MVP candidate went 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and his 36th home run, a two-run job off Barry Zito that completed the Dodger scoring.

Kemp: Triple Crown?

Kemp scored three times and had two RBI, upping his total for the season to 118, which leads the NL. His 36 homers are one fewer than NL leader Albert Pujols and his .326 batting average is third, behind Milwaukee's Ryan Braun (.330) and the Mets' Jose Reyes (.329). With six games left - three at San diego and then three at Arizona, games which will likely be of no consequence - Kemp is staring right at a Triple Crown, a feat which hasn't been accomplished in either league since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967. Joe Medwick was the last NL triple crown winner in 1937. A few more hits and homers down the stretch for Kemp could be epic.

As for the reigning champion Giants, their plans to return to the World Series seem to have fallen short. They trail the Diamondbacks by 5 1/2 games in the division and are four games behind Atlanta in the wild card, with just six games remaining. Arizona, idle on Thursday, has its magic number down to one.

The wild card chase will likely come down to the Braves and Cardinals, though St. Louis lost an opportunity to get to within one of Altanta, when their bullpen blew a 6-1 lead, giving up a run in the 8th and six in the ninth to the NY Mets for a heart-wrenching, 8-6 loss.

The Braves begin a three game series in Washington on Friday and return home for three with the Phillies in the final series of the season. St. Louis has three home games with the Cubs beginning on Friday and finishes the season with three at Houston, the worst team in the majors, at 54-102.

Yankees Take Two from Rays, Clinch AL East; Cardinals Creep Closer in NL Wild Card

2011-09-22T07:50:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 21, 2011

American League

Robinson Cano

Once again, the New York Yankees are heading into the playoffs as champions of the AL East.

After taking two games in a day-night double-header, coupled with a 6-4 loss by Boston to Baltimore the Yankees openly celebrated on-field, capturing their 11th divisional championship since 1996 and coming out of the double win day with the best record in the league, at 95-60, which would give them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Texas and Detroit are tied for second-best, at 90-65.

The Yanks got key contributions in the 8th innings of both games. In the opener, after Eduardo Nunez tied the game in the 8th with a solo homer, Robinson Cano followed a single by Brett Gardner and a walk to Derek Jeter with a double to center, plating both base runners and setting up Mariano Rivera with his 44th save of the season and 603rd career save. Rivera was flawless in the 9th, setting down the Rays in order for the first of two 4-2 wins on the day.

Robertson threw
one pitch for pennant

Jorge Posada

The nightcap took on a similar feel as the C.C. Sabathia and Jeremy Hellickson dueled to a 2-2 tie through seven innings. Sabathia was the first to find relief, being lifted in the top of the 8th inning with one out after loading the bases. David Robertson, the Yankees' best middle reliever in a pinch, induced a double play with one pitch, and when the Yankees scored two in the bottom of the inning on Jorge Posada's pinch-hit single, became the winning pitcher.

Robertson can someday regale folks with the tale of how he once captured the AL East pennant with one pitch while the veteran Posada should be assured of a spot on the post-season roster after his clinching single in the Yankees' second 4-3 win of the day.

With the Rays losing twice, the Red Sox dropping their 16th of 21 games thus far in September, the beneficiary was the LA Angels, who continued their recent winning ways with a 7-2 win at Toronto. The Angels are unlikely to catch the Rangers, who lead the West by five games, but they are now tied with Tampa Bay, 2 1/2 games behind Boston in the wild card. The Red Sox head to New York next for a three-game series beginning Friday.

National League

David Freese

The Cardinals just keep winning and getting closer in both the divisional and wild card races.

Their 6-5 win over the Mets was their 12th in their last 14 games, cutting the Braves lead in the wild card race to a mere 1 1/2 games after Atlanta was shut out by the Marlins, 4-0. The Cardinals also cut Milwaukee's lead in the NL Central to 4 1/2 games, with the Brewers stumbling against the Cubs. 7-1.

Cardinal third baseman David Freese got the key hits for St. Louis, doubling home Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman in the first inning with a two-out triple, and bringing around Pujols and Berkman again with a three-run homer in the seventh, bringing the Cardinals from a 4-3 deficit to a 6-4 lead.

Freese finished 2-for-4 with five RBI.

Atlanta, which has lost three of their last four, get a day off Thursday before heading to Washington for a three-game series. They finish the regular season at home with three games against the Phillies.

In the West, the Giants remained 5 1/2 behind the Diamondbacks, with an 8-5 win over the Dodgers. Arizona topped Pittsburgh by the same score. The Giants trail Atlanta by 3 1/2 games in the wild card.

Robert Andino Ruins Red Sox in 7-5 Oriole Win; Kershaw Wins 20th; Pujols, Berkman, Theriot Keep Cards Close

2011-09-21T07:40:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 20, 2011

American League

Some things just aren't meant to be. Others are. For the Boston Red Sox, reaching the playoffs by winning the AL wild card seems to be a quest doomed to failure as they lost for the sixth time in eight games, this one another late inning bullpen meltdown against the bottom-feeding Baltimore Orioles, who defeated the Red Sox, 7-5, even as Boston's closest pursuer, Tampa Bay, was losing to the Yankees, 5-0.

Robert Andino

For Baltimore's Robert Andino, until this year a part-time utility infielder since 2004, his moment to shine was Tuesday night in Boston. After singling and scoring Baltimore's first run in the third inning, Andino singled and was stranded in the 4th inning and flied out to end the 6th. But, in the 8th inning, the scrappy second baseman approached the plate with the bases full of his teammates and Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon on the mound. Andino delivered a game-changing, two-out double to right field, plating all three runs and putting the O's up by two runs. Andino promptly stole third, but was stranded there when J.J. Hardy popped out to end the inning.

Nova: 16-4

Orioles' relievers put down the Red Sox calmly in the 8th and 9th, securing the win, keeping Boston just two games ahead of Tampa Bay in the wild card race. The Orioles and Red Sox square off again on Wednesday to complete the series, then, after a day off Thursday, the Sox head down to the Bronx for a three game series with the Yankees before returning to Baltimore for the final three game series of the regular season.

Granderson: 119 RBI

The Yankee win over Tampa Bay was doubly good, as they increased their lead in the AL East to six games over Boston and eight over the Rays. Their magic number dropped to three as rookie sensation Ivan Nova improved to 16-4 with 7 2/3 innings of shutout ball, giving up six hits, walking three and striking out three. Curtis Granderson increased his major league best RBI total to 119 with four RBI, three of them coming on a bases-loaded double in the second inning. The Yankees host the Rays in a double-header Wednesday.

In the West, Texas won its third straight, 7-2, at Oakland, while the second place Angels kept pace, outslugging Toronto, 10-6. The Rangers lead the Angles by five games with eight games left for both teams, who meet in the final three game series for both teams, at Anaheim, September 26-28. The Rangers' magic number is four.

National League

Kershaw: 20 Wins

LA's Clayton Kershaw joined Arizona's Ian Kennedy as the NL's second 20 game winner with a 2-1 win over the Giants, halting San Fran's winning streak at eight and keeping the Giants 5 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks in the desperate NL West race.

Lance Berkman

Kershaw scattered six hits over 7 1/3 innings, the only run coming with one out in the 7th on a home run by the Giants' Chris Stewart. Kershaw battled Tim Lincecum, who took the loss, falling to 13-13 on the year. After allowing Stewart's home run, reliever Kenley Jansen came on and struck out the next two batters to end the 8th inning and Javy Guerra closed out the game with a perfect ninth inning.

Kershaw now is tied for the NL lead with 20 wins and also leads the league in strikeouts (242) and ERA (2.27), the same as Detroit hurler, Justin Verlander, in the AL who leads all three categories with 24 wins, 244 Ks and a 2.29 ERA. The dual pitching triple crowns would be a first if they hold up for the remainder of the season. There have been 19 pitching triple crowns in the majors and seventeen of those pitchers have reached the Hall of Fame. Grover Cleveland Alexander, Walter Johnston and Sandy Koufax each accomplished the feat three times, but never have two pitchers done it in the same season in opposing leagues.

Ryan Theriot

Albert Pujols

The loss by the Giants kept them in the chase for the NL West title, though time and games are dwindling fast. The Diamondbacks lost to Pittsburgh, 5-3, keeping the magic number at three. San Francisco plays three games at Arizona this weekend, beginning Friday.

In the wild card race, the Atlanta Braves held onto their slim 2 1/2 game lead with a 4-0 shutout over the Marlins, but the St. Louis Cardinals are not going away, as they opened a three-game home series with the Mets with an 11-6 victory. Alberrt Pujols went 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI (97) and scored the tying run in the 7th inning on Ryan Theriot's pinch-hit, bases-loaded ground rule double. Lance Berkman - 2-for-5, 1 run, 2 RBI - came home right behind Pujols, putting the Cardinals up 7-6. The Cards eventually scored six times in the frame, sealing the win.

Milwaukee kept cruising toward the NL Central crown with a 5-1 win over the Cubs. The Brewers lead St. Louis by 5 1/2 games, their magic number just three.

Mariano Rivera Sets Saves Record; Ian Kennedy Allows One Hit in 20th Win; Cardinals Within 2 1/2 of Braves in NL Wild Card

2011-09-20T08:10:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Monday, September 19, 2011

American League

Rivera: 602 Saves

It wasn't a very pretty game, but the Yankees left Toronto with a 6-4 win and save number 602 for Mariano Rivera, making the Yankee closer the all-time leader, passing Trevor Hoffman, who retired last season with 601.

Rivera came on in the ninth as the sixth Yankee pitcher of the day, but his work was, as usual, nearly flawless. Striking out Chris Parmelee to end the game, Rivera didn't allow a hit or a walk in recording his 43rd save of the season, second best in the AL behind Detroit's Jose Valverde.

Better yet for Rivera, who has been on a roll lately with 10 saves in the past three weeks, the Yankee win coincided with a Red Sox split of a double-header against Baltimore, padding the Yankees' lead to five games over Boston and seven over Tampa Bay.

The Rays did not play on Monday, but are headed to New York for a three game series starting Tuesday.

With the Central division already decided in favor of the Tigers, the LA Angels are letting their season slip away with their third loss in four games, a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Blue Jays in ten innings. The Rangers' lead in the West is now five games, and though the Angles finish the regular season with three home games against Texas, they'll have to do better in their next three games at Toronto followed by three at home with the A's.

National League

Arizona strengthened its case for winning the West with a 1-0 victory at Pittsburgh Monday, increasing their lead in the division to 5 1/2 games over the idled Giants.

Ian Kennedy: 20-5

Diamondback bats weren't exactly booming, getting just five hits off Pittsburg starter Jeff Karstens and their only run coming on a Justin Upton broken bat solo homer in the 6th, but they didn't need much, as ace Ian Kennedy racked up his 20th win, stifling Pittsburgh on one hit over eight innings, walking one and matching his career high with 12 Ks.

Kennedy, 20-4, dominated the middle of the Pirate order, striking out their 3, 4 and 5 hitters a total of seven times. He became the first 20-game winner in the National League. Justin Verlander (24-5) is the sole AL 20-game winner.

The wild card race tightened up a little more, as the Cardinals downed the Phillies, 4-3, and the Marlins topped the Braves, 6-5, when Omar Infante launched a two-run homer off Braves' closer, Craig Kimbrel.

The Braves have seen their big wild card lead dwindle to just 2 1/2 games. Atlanta has gone just 6-12 in September. Meanwhile the Cardinals have won eight of their last 10 and have nine games left - all at home - against some of the weaklings of the National League, with consecutive three game series against the Mets, Cubs and Astros.

Atlanta has two more games in Florida, three in Washington, but then return home for a season-ending, three game series with the Phillies.

Erick Aybar 4-for-4 in Angels Victory; Verlander Wins #24; Giants Win 8th Straight

2011-09-19T07:55:00.002-05:00

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 18, 2011

American League

Disco-era hit, "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees might become the theme song for the LA Angels, as long as they and the Rangers continue competing for the AL West crown. And, if Boston keeps faltering and the Yankees do the Angels a favor by beating back the Rays (they play them six times over then next ten days), they might find themselves the lucky recipient of a wild card ticket to the post-season.

Aybar: 4-for-4

Avoiding being swept by the lowly Orioles, the Angels hammered Baltimore, 11-2, mostly on the strength of leadoff hitter Erick Aybar, who went 4-for-4 and scored five times.

Aybar doubled twice and swatted a pair of home runs, driving in four runs. After walking in the first inning and scoring on Bobby Abreu's double, Aybar broke a 1-1 tie in the third with a solo home run, and added a two-run shot in the 4th as the Angels scored four times to take control of the game. Aybar doubled and scored in the sixth inning, then drove home another run in the eighth with his second double and scored for the fifth time.

Rival Texas knocked off Seattle, 3-0, keeping the Angels 4 1/2 back in the division, but Tampa Bay beat the Red Sox, 8-5, tightening that race. The Rays trail Boston by just two games in the wild card standings, with the Angels four games out.

Verlander: 24-5

The Yankees dropped a 3-0 decision to the Blue Jays, keeping the Red Sox 4 1/2 back and the Rays 6 1/2 behind.

In the already-decided Central, Justin Verlander improved to 24-5, allowing three hits over eight innings in Detroit's 3-0 victory at Oakland. Verlander walked three and struck out six. The Tigers were the first MLB team to clinch a division, but continue to play hard, hoping to hold off the Rangers for the second best record in the league and home field advantage in the opening playoff round. The Tigers, 89-64, have a one game lead over Texas and trail the Yankees by three games for the best AL record.

National League

Sandoval: 4 RBI

Pablo Sandoval has gotten hot at the right time.

Just a few days since hitting for the cycle, Sandoval had another big game, going 3-for-4 with a triple, two home runs and four RBI as the Giants continued to pressure the Diamondbacks in the NL West, winning their eighth straight, a no-doubt, 12-5 win at Colorado, sweeping the four game series with the Rockies.

Sandoval has had four multi hit games in his last seven, going 14-for-29 (.483) over that span with four homers and 11 RBI.

San Francisco still trails Arizona by five games in the division with nine left to play, three of those between the two contenders. Arizona reduced their magic number to five with a 5-1 win over the Padres.

The Giants also have hopes in the wild card race, where they are four games behind Atlanta, 7-5 losers to the Mets on Sunday. The Cardinals remained in the wild card hunt, beating Philadelphia, 5-0, to creep to within 3 1/2 games of the Braves, though still trailing the Brewers by 6 1/2 in the Central division. Milwaukee completed a sweep at Cincinnati with an 8-1 win.

Phillies Clinch 5th Straight NL East Pennant; Rivera Ties Hoffman; Hamilton Slugs for Rangers

2011-09-18T07:07:00.002-05:00

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 17, 2011

American League

Josh Hamilton went 4-for-5 with a home run, two singles and a double and drove in three runs, helping the Texas Rangers pad their lead in the AL West to 4 1/2 games over the Angels with a 7-6 win at Seattle.

Josh Hamilton

As hot as any team in the majors, the Rangers are 10-5 for the month of September and continue t keep the hungry Angels at bay in pursuit of their second straight division crown. Once they finish up in Seattle on Sunday, the Rangers face the A's in Oakland for three games, then return to Arlington for three more with the Mariners before finishing out the regular season with three games at Anahiem with the Angels.

Rivera: 601 Saves

In Toronto, the Yankees came back from a 6-1 deficit to defeat the Blue Jays, 7-6, allowing Mariano Rivera to record save #601, tying him with Trevor Hoffman as the career leader in that department. Rivera was the fifth in a parade of relievers working one inning apiece after starter Bartolo Colon lasted just four innings, allowing all six Toronto runs. Rivera didn't allow a baserunner and chalked up a strikeout for his 42nd save of the season, second best in the AL.

The Rays and Red Sox continued to contest the wild card in Boston, with the Rays coming out on top of a 4-3 score Tampa has taken two of three in Boston and play the series finale Sunday afternoon, but the battle doesn't end there. After a day off Monday, the Rays head to New York for a three game set with the Yankees, then return home for three with the Blue Jays and three more with New York to close out the season. The Red Sox have a series in New York sandwiched between a pair of home and away three game series with the Orioles, a less-daunting task.

National League

Shane Victorino

Oswalt: 7 Scoreless

The Phillies cooled off the red-hot Cardinals - winners of seven of their last eight - with a 9-2 win, clinching their fifth straight NL East title.

Shane Victorino walked with the bases loaded in the 4th inning, socked a solo homer in the 6th and singled in another run in the 8th to lead the effort. Raul Ibanez capped off the scoring with a grand slam later in the 8th inning to seal the victory. Roy Oswalt worked seven scoreless innings from the mound, allowing just five hits while fanning seven.

Ibanez: Slam Man

The win was the 98th for Philadelphia, easily the best in the majors and dropped the Cardinals 6 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the Central division. Milwaukee bombed Cincinnati, 10-1, as they cruise toward the division crown. Atlanta topped the Mets, 1-0, putting them 4 1/2 in front of St. Louis in the wild card race.

Out West, the Giants won their seventh straight, topping Colorado, 6-5, while the Diamondbacks dropped their third in a row, losing to San Diego, 3-1. Those results sliced Arizona's lead in the division to five games with 10 left to play. Arizona has one more game in San Diego before returning home for the remainder of the season. They host Pittsburgh for three games, then the Giants for a three game weekend series before closing out the season with three against the Dodgers.

Tigers Clinch Central Division with 4-1 Win; David Wright Homers Twice as Mets Bludgeon Braves, 12-2

2011-09-17T08:43:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Friday, September 16, 2011

American League

The Detroit Tigers clinched their first Central division title in franchise history, getting a superb mound performance from a key acquisition, Doug Fister, who stymied the Seattle Mariners on three hits over eight innings, for a 4-1 win.

Doug Fister

It was Detroit's first division title since taking the AL East in 1987, prior to the leagues going to a three-division set-up in 1994. MLB had been a two division format since 1969, but the Tigers when the leagues further realigned in 1994, Detroit stayed in the East. In 1998, Detroit moved into the Central as expansion provided the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays. Milwaukee moved from the AL Central to the NL Central, allowing Detroit to switch divisions.

The Tigers came from well back early this season to steamroll the rest of the Central. Their lead over second place Cleveland is 13 1/2 games, the largest in the majors. In late August, the Tigers began to heat up, winning 10 of 13 to finish the month. September began with a loss to Kansas City, but then the Tigers won 12 straight, including taking three from Cleveland and six from the White Sox during that stretch. Their loss to Oakland on Thursday was just their second during September.

Valverde: 45 Saves

During their 12-game win streak, Fister and Justin Verlander each recorded three wins. Fister, who was acquired from Seattle just prior to the July 31 trading deadline with a record of 3-12, reeled off six wins against just one loss in nine starts for the Tigers.

In Friday's clincher, after putting the Tigers in a 1-0 hole after surrendering a solo home run to Josh Willingham, Fister gave up a single to Endy Chavez, but then proceeded to set down 17 straight batters. The A's didn't get a hit until David DeJesus stroked a two-out single in the 7th. Jose Valverde allowed the only other A's hit - a leadoff single by Coco Crisp - in the ninth, but stranded him there, getting the final three outs in order for his league-leading 45th save.

Fister did not allow a walk and struck out five, registering his fifth straight victory.

In the battle for the wild card, Boston topped Tampa Bay, 4-3, to inch away to a four game lead over the Rays. The Sox and Rays play two more at Fenway Park this weekend. The Yankees lost to Toronto, 5-4, which slimmed their lead to 3 1/2 over Boston in the division.

In the West, the Angels lost to Baltimore and the Rangers fell to Seattle. keeping the Texas lead at 3 1/2 games.

National League

David Wright

In a game that may turn out to be significant in terms of standings and pennant races, the Mets - after being criticized for "mailing it in" as a six game losing streak culminated in a 10-1 loss to the Nationals Thursday night, banged out 20 hits to down the Atlanta Braves, 12-2 with David Wright continuing a strong second half, belting two home runs and driving in five runs in a 3-for-6 night at the plate.

The win has no significance for the Mets, well out of the pennant race since the All Star break, but tightened up the wild card scenario as the Braves desperately try to hold off the charging Cardinals and Giants, recently the league's two hottest teams.

While the Braves were being pummeled, the Cardinals took down the Phillies, 4-2, in 11 innings and the Giants clobbered Colorado, 9-1, shrinking Atlanta's wild card lead to 3 1/2 over St. Louis and 5 over San Francisco. The Cardinals, winners of eight of their last 10, remain mired 5 1/2 behind the Brewers in the Central division. Milwaukee won, 6-3, at Cincinnati to maintain their edge.

In the West, Arizona suffered a 2-0 setback at San Diego, which allowed the Giants to creep to within six games of the Diamondbacks. The Giants have won six straight.

Pablo Sandoval Hits for Cycle; Rays Club Red Sox, 9-2, to Open 4-Game Series

2011-09-16T07:38:00.003-05:00

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 15, 2011

American League

B.J. Upton

Tampa Bay headed into Boston for a four game series with the Red Sox on Thursday, intent on running down the wild card leaders as the weather turned autumn-like while the pennant races were becoming more heated. After one game, the Rays find themselves a little closer to their goal, having dusted the Sox, 9-2, to pull back to within three games.

B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria provided the bulk of the offensive production, each player going 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Upton's 3rd inning single plated John Jaso with the Rays' first run and Longoria upped the Tampa lead to 4-0 with his 27th home run, a three-run job that put the Rays well in front and set the tone for the series.

Evan Longoria

Following Casey Kotchman's two-run homer in the 6th, Upton responded with one of his own in the 7th and Kotchman drove in his third run with a single later in the inning to complete the Rays' scoring onslaught. Kotchman was 2-for-4.

Casey Kotchman

The Rays now trail the idle Yankees by 7 1/2, with Boston within their sights, 4 1/2 back. New York 's magic number to clinch the division is 10.

Elsewhere, the Tigers gained a tie for the Central division even though their 12-game win streak ended in Oakland with a 6-1 loss to the A's. Texas beat Cleveland, 7-4, handing the Indians their third straight loss, while the White Sox lost at Kansas City, 7-2, their fifth consecutive defeat.

The Indians would have to win all of their remaining 15 games to tie the Tigers, though the Tigers would have to lose all 12 of the games left on their schedule. The best the White Sox could do is fall a game short.

With Texas winning and the Angles having the night off, the Rangers' lead in the West expanded to 3 1/2 games, though the way Texas has been going, the Angels probably have a better shot at the wild card. They are four back of Boston and one behind the Rays in that race.

National League

Seven games back with just a dozen left to play, the Giants have little hope of catching Arizona in the NL West, but at least Pablo Sandoval gave their fans something to cheer about, hitting for the cycle as San Francisco upended the Rockies, 8-5, in Denver.

Pablo Sandoval

Sandoval homered in the first, doubled in the second, singled in the fifth and legged out a triple in the sixth to become the second player this season to accomplish the batting rarity. Milwaukee catcher George Kottaras did it against Houston less than two weeks ago, on September 3. Sandoval was issued an intentional walk in the eighth.

The Giants have won five straight and hope to catch the Diamondbacks for the division title, though time is running short and the schedule is not kind. The win in Colorado was the start of a ten-game road show for the Giants, which will culminate with a three game series at Arizona next weekend. The Giants close out the regular season with three games against the Rockies in San Francisco.

In the NL East, the Phillies took two from Florida, 3-1 and 2-1, to improve their division lead over Atlanta to 12 games and cut their magic number down to just one. There was no action in the Central, as the Cardinals and Brewers both had the day off.

Carlos Guillen Puts Tigers on the Brink with 12th Straight Win; Roy Halladay Shuts Out Astros, 1-0

2011-09-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 14, 2011

American League

Carlos Guillen has been nearly a forgotten man in Detroit, having spent much of the season on the DL or simply holding down the Tigers' bench. But in the 12th straight win for the Tigers - their longest winning streak since 1934 - Guillen was the star.

Carlos Guillen

Having played in only 26 games all season, Guillen was in the lineup for the first time in 10 days, and got the Tigers going with a solo homer in the top of the second inning. The White Sox plated four in the bottom frame and held a 5-2 lead heading into the ninth, but Tiger magic struck again as Detroit scored three runs to tie the game.

In the 10th, Guillen put the Tigers up by a run, driving home Will Rhymes with a single, his third hit in five at-bats. Jose Valverde closed it down in the bottom of the 10th, striking out the side for a 6-5 Detroit victory.

Coupled with Cleveland's 9-1 loss at Texas, the Tigers stand one game away from their first Central division title, holding a 12 1/2 game lead over both the White Sox and Indians.

National League

Halladay: 18 wins

The NL Cy Young Award is still being disputed on the field by Arizona's Ian Kennedy, LA's Clayton Kershaw and the Phillies' Roy Halladay, but the NL East is just about over as the Phillies topped the Astros 1-0, on Halladay's six-hit, complete game shutout, his 18th win of the season.

Halladay managed to help the Phillies avoid the ignominy of being swept by the Astros, by far the worst team in the majors, with a 51-98 record. He walked just one and struck out six, boosting his record to 18-5.

Halladay is third in the league in strikeouts (211), wins and ERA (2.34), though he leads Kershaw by one inning atop the NL, with 219 2/3 innings pitched.

The win clinched a playoff spot for the Phillies, which is somewhat meaningless, as they hold an 11 game lead over Atlanta in the division and surely aren't thinking about a wild card with their magic number to clinch the division down to just three.

Mariano Rivera and Time Wakefield Reach Mound Milestones; Fielder and Braun Power Brewers

2011-09-14T07:19:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 13, 2011

American League

Wakefield: 200 Ws

A couple of milestones were reached by two veterans of the Yankee-Red Sox wars on Tuesday, specifically, Boston's knuckle-balling Tim Wakefield notched his 200th win as the Red Sox trounced the Blue Jays, 18-6, and Yankee closer, Mariano Rivera, collected his 600th save in New York's 3-2 win over Seattle.

Rivera: 600 Saves

The Yankees got six good innings out of starter AJ Burnett (4 hits, 2 runs, 11 Ks) and key contributions from Robinson Cano, who had a solo homer in the 2nd inning and drove in the eventual winning run in the 6th on a fielder's choice. Cano's two RBI tied him for the AL with teammate Curtis Granderson at 111. The focus was clearly on Rivera though, who came on, as he customarily does, in the 9th inning, quieting the Mariners by sandwiching a single to Ichiro Suzuki between a pair of strikeouts, the game ending when Russell Martin gunned down Ichiro at second as he attempted to steal.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Rivera's 41st save of the season was also the 600th of his major league career, placing him just one behind the only other pitcher in the "600 save club," Trevor Hoffman. Rivera should have ample opportunity to tie and surpass Hoffman for the all-time lead in saves as the Yankees have 15 more games on the regular season slate.

Dustin Pedroia

In Boston, the Red Sox won just their second game in their last nine tries, as Wakefield lasted six innings while his teammates were collecting 18 hits. Wakefield's 200th win was nothing special other than its milestone status, as he gave up six hits and five runs before exiting. The knuckle-baller has started 461 games over 20 years, compiling 200 wins against 178 losses.

Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury each went 4-for-5 and scored four times. Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a solo homer, two singles and a double, driving in three runs. Pedroia was busy collecting total bases, homering twice and doubling twice, driving in five runs.

Verlander: 23-5

The Yankees maintained a 4-game lead over Boston in the East, and the Red Sox advanced another game over Tampa Bay in the wild card race, as the Rays fell to Baltimore, 4-2. Boston's wild card lead is back to four games.

Justin Verlander won his 23rd game of the season, hurling seven scoreless innings at the White Sox as the Tigers inched closer to the AL Central crown with a 5-0 win. Verlander allowed six hits, two walks and struck out six. Detroit's lead in the division is 12 1/2 games over the Sox and Indians; their magic number is three.

The Angels and Rangers were both winners in the West. Texas remains three games in front of LA in the division.

National League

Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder's solo home run (32) in the 6th inning tied the game at 1-1, and Ryan Braun's bases-empty blast (28) in the 10th provided all the runs needed by Zach Greinke and a parade of five relievers as the Brewers gutted out a 2-1 win over Colorado, improving on their MLB-best home record (52-22) while keeping the second place Cardinals at bay, 6 1/2 games back.

Milwaukee's magic number is reduced to eight, with just 13 games left on their schedule.

Ryan Braun

In the wild card race, both Atlanta and St. Louis were winners, so the Braves continue to lead them by four games.

Out West, both Arizona and San Francisco had to go to extra innings for wins, with the D'Backs knocking off the Dodgers, 5-4, in 10 innings on a bases loaded walk to Chris Young, while the Mark DeRosa's walk-off RBI single in the 12th provided the winning margin in the Giants' 3-2 win over the Padres.

The Giants trail the Diamondbacks by 8 1/2 games in the West.

Philadelphia lost their third straight, but still hold an 11 game lead over the Braves in the East. The Phillies' magic number is five.

Ryan Raburn Goes 4-for-5 in 14-4 Tiger Victory; Starlin Castro Leading NL in Hits

2011-09-13T08:16:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Monday, September 12, 2011

American League

The Detroit Tigers took another step - make that two steps - closer to becoming the AL Central Division champion, knocking off the second place White Sox, 14-4, Monday in Chicago.

Ryan Raburn

With a win and a loss to their closest pursuer, the Tigers reduced their magic number from seven to five and appear to be well on their way, holding an 11 1/2 game lead over both the White Sox and Indians.

Detroit knocked out 21 hits, four of them by Ryan Raburn, batting down in the #9 hole in the Tigers' power-laden lineup. Raburn began his assault on Chicago pitching with a second inning home run, a solo shot, his 13th of the year, and proceeded to go 4-for-5 with a double, two singles, scoring three times and driving in three.

Detroit has pulled away in the division, winning ten straight games, the most they've won in a row since getting 11 straight in 1968, the year they beat St. Louis in the World Series, four games to three.

In the East, the Yankees beat the Mariners, 9-3, pounding starter Felix Hernandez with nine hits and six runs in six innings. The Tampa Bay Rays remained on fire, whipping Baltimore, 5-2, to pull to within seven of the Yankees and three behind the idle second place Red Sox, who are also the AL wild card leader.

In the West, the Angels dropped a 6-3 decision to the A's, dropping them to three games behind the front-running Rangers.

National League

It's been a rough season for both the Cubs and the Reds, but Chicago shortstop Starlin Castro is making the best of it and making a name for himself in the process.

Castro's 190 hits
leads NL

Castro delivered another super game performance by going 3-for-4, with two doubles and his ninth home run of the season, knocking in three runs and scoring four times as the Cubs downed the Reds, 12-8, in Cincinnati.

Castro is batting .308, 6th in the NL, and his 190 hits leads the league. The slick-fielding middle infielder has scored 86 runs, driven in 61 and has 32 doubles, nine triples and 21 stolen bases.

Around the NL, the Braves and Cardinals were both losers, keeping Atlanta's lead in the wild card race at 4 1/2 games. The Braves have lost four straight, three of them to the Cardinals, who swept a weekend series in St. Louis.

The Phillies lost the Houston, 5-1, but Atlanta's loss knocked their magic number for clinching the East down to five. Arizona and San Francisco both won, which kept the Diamondback's lead in the West at 8 1/2 games.

Behind James Shields, Rays Sweep Red Sox as Upton Slams; Hundley, Padres Halt AZ Home Win Streak at 15

2011-09-12T08:15:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 11, 2011

American League

BJ Upton's 5th inning grand slam capped off a three-game sweep of the Red Sox by Tampa Bay, beating Boston, 9-1, in the final game of their series and putting the Red Sox hold on the wild card lead in serious jeopardy.

Shields:15-10

With the Rays already up 4-1, Upton's bases-loaded blast - his 20th homer of the season - gave starter James Shields a more comfortable working margin that helped the right-hander win his 15th game against 10 losses, scattering seven hits and three walks over eight and a third innings. Shields struck out five, making his only big mistake of the game in the third inning, when Marco Scutaro touched him up for a solo home run.

Upton: Grand Slam

Upton's slam was part of a 4-for-4 effort at the plate for the Tampa outfielder. Upton, batting a sub-par .234, singled twice, doubled and scored three times while getting all of his RBI via the home run.

With the sweep of Boston, the Rays now trail the Red Sox in the wild card by just 3 1/2 games with 17 left to play. Boston has lost five straight while the Rays have reeled off four consecutive wins. The Yankees nipped the Angels, 6-5, to increase their lead in the AL East to 3 1/2 games. Texas pounded Oakland, 8-1, improving their AL West lead to 2 1/2 games over the Angels.

In the Central, Detroit got another quality start from Doug Fister (7 innings, 3 hits, 0 ER), beating the Twins, 2-1, as Cleveland downed the White Sox, 7-3. The Tigers lead the Sox by 10 1/2 games and the Indians by 11. Their magic number is down to just seven.

National League

Despite a 7-6 loss to San Diego that ended the Arizona Diamondback's home winning streak at 15 straight, the D-Backs have little reason for concern, holding an 8 1/2 game lead over the second place Giants in the NL West.

Nick Hundley

Arizona's loss was the result of timely hitting by the Padres early in the game, especially by Nick Hundley, who went 3-for-4 and smacked a two-run homer n the 5th inning to put the Padres up 6-0. Arizona battled back with five runs in the 6th, but the Padres had already added another run in the top half of the frame and held on for the win.

The Giants took advantage of Arizona's misfortune, beating the Dodgers, 8-1, picking up a game on the D'Backs in the process, though the lead in the division seems a bit too big for the reigning world champions to overcome. Arizona has just 15 games remaining on the schedule - the Giants, 16 - and the schedule favors the Diamondbacks in a big way.

Arizona hosts a three-game set with San Fran on September 23, 24 and 25, but the rest of their games are against second tier foes. Arizona has six games on the schedule with the Dodgers, three with the Padres and three ore against Pittsburgh.

In the Central, the Milwaukee Brewers halted their five game slide with a 3-2 home win over Philadelphia, keeping St. Louis - 6-3 winners over the Braves - locked in second place, six games back. The Brewers and Cardinals do not play each other again this season.

By taking three straight from Atlanta, however, the Cardinals have gotten back into the wild card race, trailing the Braves by a 4 1/2 games. St. Louis has won five straight, while Atlanta three straight losses have made life easy for the Phillies, as they cruise toward another NL East title with a 12 game edge. The Phillies' magic number is six.

Dan Haren Blanks Yankees, 6-0; Anibel Sanchez Tosses One-Hitter; Wild Card Races Tighten

2011-09-11T07:48:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 10, 2011

American League

The Angels are putting on quite a show in the AL West, clinging to post-season hopes based on catching the Rangers in the division or the Red Sox in the wild card race. With Saturday's 6-0 win over the Yankees, September is working out quite well for them.

Haren: 4-Hit Shutout

Dan Haren turned in another clutch pitching performance, improving his record to 15-8, with a complete game, 6-0, win over the AL East-leading Yankees, denying C.C. Sabathia of his 20th win and getting the Angels one game closer to their desired outcome.

Needing 113 pitches to complete the game, Haren threw 78 strikes, gave up just four hits while fanning seven. He did not walk a batter and at one point retired 18 in a row. Haren got into a little trouble in the 8th, when the Yankees collected a pair of singles with one out, but that threat was quickly quelled wen Edgardo Nunez grounded into an inning-ending double play. It was Haren's fourth complete game and third shutout of the season.

In connection with the Rangers dropping an 8-7 decision to the A's and Boston losing, 6-5, to Tampa Bay in 11 innings, the Angels inched to within 1 1/2 games of the Rangers and are five games behind the Red Sox in the wild card chase. Tampa Bay closed to within 4 1/2 of the Red Sox and are seven back of the Yankees in the AL East.

In the Central, Alex Rios clubbed a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning for a 7-3 win over Cleveland, securing the White Sox hold on second place. Unfortunately for both the White Sox and Indians, the Tigers won again, topping Minnesota, 3-2, and have a 9 1/2 game edge over Chicago and lead Cleveland by 11 games. The magic number for the Tigers is nine.

National League

Neil Walker stroked a one-out single in the second inning, but that turned out to be the only hit the Pirates could get off Anibal Sanchez, as the Florida hurler tossed his second one-hitter of the season, beating the Pirates, 3-0, Saturday.

Sanchez: 1-Hitter

While both the Marlins and Pirates have no post-season aspirations, Sanchez, who won for just the second time in his last 16 starts, the win was important in terms of looking ahead to next year. Sanchez allowed the lone hit, walked three and struck out 11, tying his personal best for Ks in a game. He was around the plate all game long, throwing 86 of 119 pitches for strikes.

Meanwhile, the pennant races were taking some odd turns. The Phillies took their third straight from the Brewers, who have lost their last five games, with a 3-2, 10 inning victory in Milwaukee. The win, coupled with St. Louis' 4-3 win over the Braves, shrunk Milwaukee's Central division lead to just six games, while the Phillies' magic number for clinching the AL East dropped to just seven.

The Cardinals are closing fast, not only on the Brewers, but on Atlanta in the wild card race. With their second straight win over Atlanta, the Cards are just 4 1/2 games back.

In the West, Arizona won its 15th straight home game, getting back-to-back home runs from Chirs Young and Lyle Overbay to send the game into extra innings, beating the Padres, 6-5, in 10 innings. With the Giants losing, 3-0, to the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks have a commanding 9 1/2 game lead in the the division, with just 16 left to play.

Halladay Gets 17th in Win Over Brewers, Howard Homers; Wade Davis Keeps Tampa in Race, Topping Red Sox

2011-09-10T08:40:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Friday, September 9, 2011

American League

The final three weeks of the regular season are going to be exciting for the LA Angels and Tampa Bay Rays, especially if Boston - currently the wild card leader - continues to lose games and players down the stretch.

Wade Davis

In Tampa, the Rays took the first game of a critical three-game series from the Red Sox, 7-2, getting a complete game from Wade Davis (10-8), the second of his career, and the 15th complete game by Rays' starters this season, tops in either league.

Davis smoked the Sox on six hits, allowing just two runs in the top of the 6th, when Tampa already had built a 5-0 lead. The Rays got the runs back in the bottom of the frame and Davis cruised, striking out 8 Red Sox hitters without issuing any walks.

The win moved the Rays to within 5 1/2 games of Boston in the wild card race. In LA, the Angles got a walk-off sac fly from Maicer Izturis, plating pinch runner Jeremy Moore with the game winner in a 2-1 thriller to move to within five games of Boston and remain 2 1/2 back of Texas in the AL West division. With the Yankees losing, the Red Sox remained 2 1/2 behind them in the East.

Boston is hoping for the return of starters Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett, both of who are making progress with injuries. Third baseman Kevin Youkilis returned to Boston to have his sore hip examined by team doctors and undergo an MRI exam. He is listed as day-to-day, but the Red Sox hope he'll be back in the lineup soon, without having to go onto the DL.

The Rays will have every opportunity to make a late season charge. After the series with the Red Sox concludes in Tampa on Sunday, they fly to Baltimore for a three game series, then head to Boston for four games. After that, it's three games at Yankee stadium before returning home for three with the Blue Jays and three more with the Yanks to close out the regular season.

National League

The Milwaukee Brewers have the best home record in the majors - 50-21 - though the Phillies are trying to see to it that their 49-22 home mark becomes the best as the two battle in a three game series in Milwaukee.

Howard: 111 RBI

Halladay: 17 Wins

In Friday's opener, Roy Halladay stymied the Brewers for eight innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out eight for his 17th win against five losses in a 5-3 victory. Reliever Antonio Bastardo, who came on in the 9th in a non-save situation, nearly gave the game away, giving up a single and a walk before Ryan Madson came on to clean things up and record his 29th save.

Ryan Howard socked his 29th homer of the season, a three-run blast in the 1st inning, staking Halladay with an early lead. The three RBI gave Howard the lead in the NL with 111, three better than Prince Fielder, who singled and scored in the game, but did not drive in any runs.

Halladay, a Cy Young candidate in a crowded field, is third in the league in wins behind Arizona's Ian Kennedy (19) and LA's Clayton Kershaw, who won his 18th Friday night with a 2-1 win over the Giants.

The Dodger win and San Francisco loss worked out just fine for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who won their 15th straight home game and are 44-26 at home this season. They lead the Giants by a very comfortable 8 1/2 games and are cruising toward the NL West division title.

The Phillies have the smallest magic number in the majors, at nine, as they lead the Braves by 11 games in the East. Milwaukee may not want to look over its shoulder, because the Cardinals have trimmed their lead to seven games in the Central, as they downed Atlanta, 4-3, in 10 innings.

Ian Kennedy Wins NL-Best 19th; Brent Morel, Paul Konerko Bash Indians in 9-1 White Sox Win

2011-09-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 8, 2011

American League

The Chicago White Sox continue to hang tough in the AL Central, cementing their hold on second place in the division with an 8-1 win over Cleveland that knocked the Indians 10 games off the pace of Detroit and 1 1/2 games behind the Sox, who overtook the Indians earlier in the week.

Morel: 2 HR

Cleveland pitchers didn't do a bad job on most of the White Six hitters, allowing only eight hits. The trouble was three of those hits were home runs, two of them by rookie third baseman Brent Morel, who got the Sox on the board in the second inning, tying the game at 1-1 with a solo blast, then broke the deadlock in the 7th inning with a three-run bomb, putting Chicago ahead for good.

Konerko: Grand

Paul Konerko finished the job, connecting for his 29th of the season with the bases full later in the 7th. Konerko’s 10th career grand slam tied a White Sox record held by Robin Ventura.

Thanks mostly to the Tigers - who have won six straight - the Indians have dropped four in a row, three of them to Detroit, and the White Sox have made the most of it. Still 8 1/2 games behind Detroit, Chicago has little chance of catching them, though after they finish their four-game series with the Indians on Sunday, the Tigers come to town for a three game set.

The last time the Tigers and White Sox met was in the first three days of September, with the Tigers sweeping a three-game series in Detroit. Chicago hopes that a change of scenery to their home ball park will change their fortunes.

National League

Kennedy: 19 Wins

The NL Cy Young award is not going to be easy to figure out this season, but Arizona ace Ian Kennedy put his case forward on Thursday, winning his 19th game against just four losses as the Diamondbacks continue to defy the experts and lead the NL West by 7 1/2 games with a 4-1 win over San Diego.

Kennedy scattered seven hits over 7 2/3 innings, getting help from his infield in the form of two double plays, but mostly he was in command, striking out 11 batters, including a string of five straight over the 5th and 6th innings.

He gave up San Diego's only run of the game with two outs in the 8th and was pulled in favor of reliever Brad Ziegler. J.J. Putz gave up a hit, but struck out two in the 9th for his 38th save.

Kennedy has quietly been having a super season, though he may be overshadowed in the Cy Young race by other National Leaguers having banner years. Kennedy leads the league in wins with 19, followed by LA's Clayton Kershaw with 17 and a pair of Phillies - Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay - with 16. His 2.90 ERA is 9th in the league, and he has rung up 178 strikeouts, fifth best in the NL. The players ahead of him in both departments are the same three chasing after him in wins.

Bautista, Encarnacion Lead Blue Jays to Wild, 11-10, Win over Red Sox; Carpenter Blanks Brewers, 2-0, on Four Hits

2011-09-08T09:05:00.001-05:00

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 7, 2011

American League

With the Yankees losing to Baltimore, 5-4, in 11 innings during the afternoon, the Red Sox had an opportunity to pick up a game on the AL East leaders. After blanking the Blue Jays, 14-0, the day before, Boston players probably thought they had a shot at taking two straight with Tim Wakefield going to the mound.

Encarnacion: 5 RBI

Things didn't quite work out as the teams battled to an 11-10 decision in favor of Toronto, aided by Jose Bautista, who only had one hit (and it wasn't a home run) and some key contributions from streaky Edwin Encarnacion.

Bautista was such a thorn in the side of Boston pitchers that he was walked twice, but smacked a ground rule double in the third inning, but then proceeded, with two outs, to steal third base and home, boosting the Blue Jays' lead to 5-3 at the time.

Jose Bautista

The Red Sox scored four in the next half inning and another in the top of the 5th, putting themselves ahead 8-5, but Encarnacion, who drove in the first Toronto run with a sac fly in the first, struck back with an RBI single in the 7th and delivered a bases-loaded double in the 8th, plating three more to put the Jays up 11-8. Boston scored two more in the top of the 9th, falling a run short of tying the game.

Encarnacion went 2-for-4 with five RBI. Bautista was 1-for-2, with two steals, two runs and two RBI, giving him 94 on the year.

Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 12 games, going 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBI. His name being tossed around MVP discussions, Ellsbury is batting .316 (6th in the AL), with 25 home runs, 88 RBI and 36 steals (3rd in the AL). The Red Sox remained 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the division.

National League

Chris Carpenter

Time continues to work against the St. Louis Cardinals, though they're doing their best in what seems a futile effort to catch the Brewers in the NL Central.

The Cardinals took the rubber game of their three-game set with Milwaukee, winning 2-0, on the strength of Chris Carpenter's 4-hit shutout.

It was the righty's third complete game of the season and first shutout. Carpenter has thrown 14 shutouts in his 14-year major league career.

Evening his record at 9-9, Carpenter walked two and struck out five, needing only 97 pitches (64 strikes) to mow down the potent Brewer lineup. The Cardinals took the last two from Milwaukee, but still trail the Brewers by 8 1/2 games in the division. They did get some help from the Phillies in the wild card race, as they downed the Braves, 3-2, cutting their lead over St. Louis to 6 1/2 games.

Boston Hammers Toronto, 14-0; Beltran Gets Giants to Within Six of Arizona

2011-09-07T08:26:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 6, 2011

American League

Jon Lester

David Ortiz

There were three outright slaughters in the AL on Tuesday, two by division leaders. Texas got a complete game, five-hit shutout from C.J. Wilson in their 8-0 win over Tampa Bay. Combined with the Angels' 2-1 loss to Seattle, that put the Rangers up 3 1/2 games in the West.

Detroit bombed Cleveland 10-1, sending the Indians back to third place 1/2 game behind the White Sox - 3-0 winners over Minnesota - who trail the Tigers by eight games in a division that was once close and now looks like a runaway for Detroit.

But the biggest blowout was Boston's 14-0 beating of Toronto. Jon Lester limited the Bue Jays to three hits and a walk over seven innings, striking out 11 in the process for his 15th win against six losses. Lester's mound work would have been good enough, but it was overshadowed by the explosive Boston batters, who hammered out 20 hits, 11 of them for extra bases.

Marco Scutaro

Adrian Gonzalez

Adrian Gonzalez was 3-for-5 with a double, three runs and two RBI, giving him 105 on the year, good for second in the AL, tied with the Yankees' Robinson Cano and four behind another Yankee, Curtis Granderson. David Ortiz had four hits in six at-bats, two of them doubles. He also scored three runs and drove in a pair.

However, it wasn't a big guy who led the way for the Beantown Bombers. Shortstop Marco Scutaro went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a single, scored two runs and drove in four. Batting behind Ortiz, Scutaro had one of his best games as a major leaguer.

The win by Boston didn't help them catch up on the Yankees, who continued to lead the AL East by 2 1/2 games with a 5-3 win over Baltimore. Catching the Yankees may not be a top priority for the Red Sox, however. Getting ready for the post-season might be, as they lead the wild card standings by a cool 8 1/2 games over the Angels.

National League

Carlos Beltran

San Francisco's move to get Carlos Beltran at the trading deadline may prove to be one of the best deals of the season, though it might be a little too late as the Giants try to chase down NL West leader Arizona.

Beltran was an essential element in the Giants' 6-4 win over San Diego Tuesday night, bringing them to within six games of the Diamondbacks, who dropped an 8-3 decision to the Rockies when Colorado exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Beltran went 3-for-4 with three key RBI. In the third inning, he singled home a run to put the Giants up 3-2, then, after the Padres tied the score at 3-all, he doubled in another run in the 5th inning. He walked to lead off the 8th inning and scored, adding a ground-out RBI in the 9th to seal the victory.

With 20 games left in the season, time is not on the Giants' side, though they will get one more crack at the D'Backs when they face them in Arizona on September 23, 24 and 25, in the penultimate series of the season. The Giants have an equal number of home and road dates remaining, though they have to face the Rockies seven times, including in their final three game series at home.

Zach Stewart Thows 1-Hitter for White Sox; Cliff Lee Records 6th Shutout in 9-0 Win over Braves

2011-09-06T06:33:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Monday, September 5, 2011

American League

Two of the three AL division leaders improved their advantage on Labor Day, as the Yankees held on for an 11-10 win over Baltimore while the Red Sox lost an 11-inning, 1-0 squeaker in Toronto, putting Boston 2 1/2 back in the East. In the Central, the Tigers dropped second place Cleveland by a 4-2 score, upping their edge to 7 1/2 games.

The West race tightened to 2 1/2 games, with the Angles beating Seattle, 7-3, while the Rangers were losing to Tampa Bay, 5-1.

Stewart: 1-hitter

With the top teams batting for division titles, the White Sox remained relevant by taking two from the Twins, 2-1, and 4-0 in the nightcap.

Chicago got great pitching in both games. Phil Humber blanked the Twins on six hits over seven innings in the day game, but he was outdone by rookie hurler Zach Stewart, who took a no-hitter through seven innings, but yielded a leadoff double to Minnesota's Danny Valencia.

Stewart found the composure to strand Valencia, getting the next three batters in order, then proceeded to fan the first two in the 9th before getting Ben Revere to ground out to end the game, his 1-hit shutout intact. Stewart (2-3) threw 75 of 114 pitches for strikes, didn't walk a batter and struck out nine, getting his first major league complete game shutout, and helping his White Sox to creep to within eight games of the Tigers, and close the gap to 1/2 game behind Cleveland.

National League

Lee: 6 Shutouts

Division races in the NL are looking very much like they're over. In the Central, the Milwaukee Brewers are cruising with a 10 1/2 game lead - the largest in the majors - over St. Louis, while the Arizona Diamondbacks have established a seven game lead over the reigning champion Giants.

The Phillies have led the East all season and extended their advantage to 8 1/2 games with a 9-0 thumping of second place Atlanta. Cliff Lee (16-7) tossed his sixth shutout of the season, allowing just five hits, striking out six without issuing a walk and needing only 100 pitches. He's won his last seven starts, five of them shutouts and has thrown his name into the ring of possible Cy Young candidates. He's tied for third in the league - with teammate Roy Halladay - with 16 wins, is also third in ERA, at 2.47 and his 204 strikeouts are second best, behind Clayton Kershaw's 222.

Lee is the first pitcher to throw six shutouts in a season since Randy Johnson did it for the Mariners in 1998. The Phillies banged out 11 hits, including Ryan Howard's 31st home run of the season, a solo shot in the 7th inning.

Tigers Sweep White Sox with 18-2 win; Marcum, Braun Lead Brewers Past Houston

2011-09-05T08:01:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 4, 2011

American League

Miguel Cabrera

There were some big scores put up by some of the leading teams in the American League on Sunday - like Cleveland's 9-6 win at Kansas City, the Yankees' 9-3 win over Toronto, and the 11-4 beating Texas put on Boston - but none were more impressive than Detroit's 24-hit, 18-2 slaughter of the Chicago White Sox.

Alex Avila

While Matt Scherzer was picking up his 14th win against eight losses, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out six over seven innings, the Tigers were galloping around the bases, scoring multiple runs in four different innings. The big bats belonged to Miguel Cabrera, Alex Avila and rookie Andy Dirks, who only came on as a pinch-hitter in the 6th inning, smacking a two-run single, and later socked a two-run bomb in the 8th inning, going 2--for-2 with a home run and four RBI.

Cabrera went 2-for-4, with a 4th inning double that plated two runs and a 6th inning homer with Dirks aboard. The home run was Cabrera's 26th of the season. He had four RBI to up his total to 92.

Andy Dirks

Avila, who caught the whole game, was 4-for-6, with a pair of ribbies and two runs.

The Tigers swept the weekend series from the White Sox, winning the first two games, 8-1 and 9-8, sending Chicago back down to third place in the AL Central, 8 1/2 games back, while increasing their lead over second-place Cleveland to 6 1/2 games.

Milestones: Toronto's Jose Bautista hit his 40th home run of the season to lead the majors. Adrian Beltre collected his 2000th hit in the Rangers' win over Boston.

Ryan Braun

National League

It was a little different story over in the NL, where Shaun Marcum walked one and allowed just one hit over seven innings as the Brewers continued to demolish the competition with a 4-0 win over Houston.

Shaun Marcum

Marcum (12-5) struck out eight and had a no-hitter spoiled by Houston center fielder Jordan Schafer, who singled with one out in the 6th inning.

Ryan Braun provided the bulk of the offense with a solo homer in the 1st, a bases-loaded walk in the 4th and a run-scoring single in the 7th inning. He went 3-for-3 with three RBI. Braun is having an MVP-like year, batting .325 with 26 home runs and 94 RBI.

The win dropped Milwaukee's magic number for clinching the division to 13. They have a 9 1/2-game lead on St. Louis.

Brandon McCarthy Shuts Out Mariners on Three Hits; Pirates Win On Grand Slam by Derrick Lee

2011-09-04T07:33:00.000-05:00

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 3, 2011

American League

Brandon McCarthy

While the teams vying for post-season play were busy beating each other's brains out, one of the best pitching performances of the season was taking place in Oakland, where starter Brandon McCarthy pitched his fourth complete game and first shutout of the season in Oakland's 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

McCarthy, who went on the disabled list back on May 18 with a 1-4 record, has come back in the second half to win seven of ten decisions. He was re-activated on the 4th of July, losing to the Mariners, 2-1, but earned wins in his next four decisions.

This was McCarthy's third start of the season against Seattle, and this time he left nothing to chance, setting down the first 11 batters in order, finishing with a 3-hit shutout, walking none while whiffing 10. The win avenged an April 21 loss to the Mariners, where he was out-dueled by M's starter Felix Hernandez in a 1-0 loss.

McCarthy (8-7) threw 114 pitches - 78 for strikes - lowering his ERA to a respectable 3.41.

National League

The season's second half hasn't been particularly pleasant for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but for the Cubs, Saturday's 7-5 loss was a reminder of just how bad their who year has been.

Derrek Lee

Leading 5-3 heading into the 9th, the Cubs called on closer Carlos Marmol to finish things up, but Marmol proceeded to make a mess of his opportunity, getting two outs but allowing a single and two walks to load the bases for former Cub, Derrek Lee, who drove one over the ivy in left field for a game-winning grand slam.

The shot was sweet for Lee, who also singled twice in five at-bats, because it was his first game back from the DL, which was caused by being hit on the wrist by Marmol back on August 3rd. Lee drove in the Pirates' first run of the game with a single in the 1st inning. He had five RBI for the game.

The Pirates acquired Lee from the Orioles at the end of July, when they were still in the hunt in the NL Central division, but they sorely missed his bat after Lee played just five games with them.

For Marmol, it was his 9th blown save of the season, tops in the majors.