Matt Kemp, Ted Lilly Lead Dodgers to 8-1; David Ortiz Breaks Out for Red Sox

Players of the Day for Saturday, April 14, 2012

American League

David Ortiz

Last place in the AL East is not where Boston wants to be, but they won't be there for long if they continue hitting the way they did against Tampa Bay on Saturday, banging out 15 hits with five home runs in a 13-5 rout of the Rays at Fenway Park.

Playboy magazines
3 for $10 SALE!

---

Sports Illustrated
4 for $9 SALE!

One of those hitters, the perennially-slow-starting David Ortiz, led the charge of the Red Sox, going 4-for-5 with a pair of singles, a double and his first homer of the year, driving in five runs and twice touching home plate.

Ortiz upped his batting average to .406, fourth-best in the league, and upped his RBI total to nine, which is tied for tops in the AL with four other players.

The 3-5 Red Sox trail the Yankees, Rays and Blue Jays by a game. All are chasing the 5-3 Orioles, who, over the past two seasons, have developed the nasty habit of leading the division in April before fading in May.


National League

Matt Kemp

Matt Kemp is going to make another run at the triple crown which barely eluded him last season and the Dodger outfielder sent a couple of loud messages in LA's fifth straight win, a 6-1 rip over San Diego.

Ted Lilly

Kemp homered in his first two at-bats, launching a pair of two-run shots, to stake started Ted Lilly to an early lead. The Padres got an unearned run off Lilly in the first inning, but the Dodgers responded with four in the first and two more in the second, and Lilly shut the door, allowing just two hits over seven innings. Lilly struck out four and issued one walk for his first win of the season.

With a .457 batting average, five homers and 15 RBI, Kemp is currently leading all three triple crown categories and has the Dodgers at 8-1, in first place by 2 1/2 games over Arizona in the NL West.