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

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.