Home Run Heroes: Glaus, Cabrera Double Their Fun

Players of the Day from Saturday, August 9, 2008 American League Miguel Cabrera is doing all he can to keep Detroit from falling completely out of the AL Central race, but time is running out on the Tigers. While Cabrera was launching a pair of homers and driving in four runs in Detroit's 10-2 dismantling of Oakland, Francisco Liriano was pitching the Twins to a 7-3 win over the Royals and into first place, a mere 1/2 game ahead of the White Sox, who dropped a 6-2 decision to Boston. The Tigers now trail the Twins by 8 games, and are likely going to have to win the division or go home when the calendar turns to October. Cabrera, in his first season in the AL, leads the Tigers with 23 homers and 89 RBI. Notes: The Rays continued their winning ways with an 11-inning, 8-7 win at Seattle and remain 3 1/2 ahead of the Red Sox. The Angels put another nail into the Yankees' postseason coffin with an 11-4 thumping, sending the Bombers 7 1/2 back. The Angels have a 14 game lead over Texas in the West. National League 6 games behind the Cubs in the Central and 2 behind Milwaukee in the wild card race, the St. Louis Cardinals are still in the hunt for October glory. On Saturday, Troy Glaus blasted a pair of homers and drove in five runs, as the Cardinals blasted Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs, 12-3. Glaus is having a banner year for St. Louis, having already played in one more game than he did last season for Toronto, he's also hit one more homer (21) and driven in 17 more runs (79). While the Cards gained on the Cubs, they couldn't pick up any ground on Milwaukee, as Ben Sheets tossed a complete game 5-hitter at Washington. The Nats haven't scored so far in two games in their current series with the Brewers, having faced C. C. Sabathia and Sheets in succession. Notes: Arizona lost its 4th straight and may have lost 2nd baseman Orlando Husdson for the season with a broken left wrist. According to the Arizona Daily Star, Hudson broke it attempting to tag out the Braves' Brian McCann at second. The Braves won, 11-4 and stayed in first place by just 1/2 game because the Dodgers threw away a 2-1, 10th inning lead, losing to the Giants, 3-2. Jonathan Broxton, who is filling in as the closer for injured Takashi Saito, recorded his 6th blown save. In the East, the Phillies beat the Pirates, 4-2, while the Mets landed the Marlins, 8-6, to stay 1 back of Philly with Florida 2 1/2 behind.