Weaver Gets Angels Closer with 10th Win; Hanley Ramirez Slams Rangers; Interleague Tied Up

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 2, 2011

American League

Weaver's 1.92 ERA
leads AL starters.

The LA Angels clawed to within one game of NL West-leading Texas on the back of another strong outing by their #1 starter, Jered Weaver, who prevailed over the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw in a 7-1 Angels romp.

Weaver allowed just four hits, a pair of walks and the solitary earned run, improving to 10-4 on the year while retaining his league-leading ERA, which was lowered a notch to 1.92.

While Kershaw maintained the NL lead in strikeouts (138), fanning 10, Weaver set down eight batters on strikes and has 114, good for fifth in the AL.

The Angels and Dodgers conclude their annual cross-town, cross-league rivalry on Sunday night with the series tied at a game apiece.

National League

Hanley Ramirez

Don't look now, but there's been a Hanley Ramirez sighting, and it wasn't in one of those chic South Beach boutiques.

Ramirez exploded for a pair of home runs as the Florida Marlins came out on the winning end for a change with a 9-5 win at Texas.

Getting the Marlins off to a flying start, Ramirez hammered a grand slam over right field in the first inning, and, after making outs in his next two at-bats, followed up with a solo shot to left-center in the 7th inning. He also singled in the 9th, to complete a 3-for-5 day at the dish.

As the Marlins have stumbled this season, so too their superstar. Ramirez is batting just .230 with seven home runs and 29 RBI in 65 games.

While the Florida win did little to ease the team's pain (they're in last place, 15 1/2 games out, in the NL East), the loss by Texas reduced their lead over the Angels to one game.

STREAKS: The Yankees have won seven straight. Ryan Braun of the Brewers extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a 1-for-4 effort on Saturday.

INTERLEAGUE TALLY: With just one more day of interleague play remaining, the two league have proven nothing against each other, as each has come up with the very same number of wins and losses, 119 each, after the NL won eight games and the AL, six, on Saturday.