Pierzynski Sends Tigers to 0-4 Start; Hall, Owings Share NL Limelight

Friday's Players of the Day American League In the off-season, the Detroit Tigers opened their checkbook and signed 3rd baseman Miguel Cabrera. Now that the Tigers are 0-4, fans are thinking they should have picked up some pitching or maybe a veteran catcher like A.J. Pierzynski, who stroked a two-run double in the third and broke a 5-5 tie with a three-run homer in the 7th as the Chicago White Sox caged the Tigers, 8-5. A.J. also doubled in the second inning, scoring on Carlos Quentin's home run. After his 3-5 evening, A.J. is batting a solid .529. National League The game was essentially over after Bill Hall socked a two-run homer in the first and then pounded another 3-run shot to left in the 5th inning as the Milwaukee Brewers routed the visiting San Francisco Giants, 13-4. Hall, however, wasn't finished, stroking a single to right in a 5-run Milwaukee 6th, for his 6th RBI of the game. Hall finished with a pretty good stat line: 3 hits in 5 at-bats, including the pair of dingers, 6 RBI and 2 runs. Not to be outdone, Arizona's Micah Owings worked over the Colorado Rockies for 6 2/3 innings, fanning 9 while allowing just 2 hits and 1 earned run (a Todd Helton solo homer) as the visiting Diamondbacks downed the Rockies, 8-1. Allowing just two walks, Owings recorded a WHIP of 0.60. He's off to a great start in just his second year in the majors. The only thing missing from Owings' performance was a contribution from the plate. Probably the best hitting pitcher in baseball, Owings went 1-4 at the plate. Owings is a career .328 hitter, with 4 homers and 15 RBI in just 64 at-bats.