Brandon Morrow, Joe Blanton Each Throw 3-Hit Shutouts as Blue Jays, Phillies Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, May 3, 2012

American League

Just a day after their ace, Jered Weaver, threw a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins, the LA Angels got a taste of the same medicine, as Toronto's Brandon Morrow shut them out on three hits in a 5-0 Blue Jay victory.

Brandon Morrow

The Angels' Mike Trout led off the first inning with a single off Morrow, and did the same in the fourth inning, but, other than that, Morrow was essentially untouchable, Mark Trumbo's ninth inning leadoff double the only hit off the 6'3" California native thereafter.

Morrow, who fanned eight and didn't issue a walk, got the last laugh, striking out Trout to end the game. He threw 75 of 102 pitches for strikes in a masterful performance.

Morrow was 11-11 for the Jays last season. This year, he's off to a solid start at 3-1, with a 2.38 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. The shutout was the second of his career.

Toronto improved to 15-11, and are three games behind the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays.


National League

Joe Blanton

After losing Wednesday's 11-inning, 15-13 slug-fest, Philadelphia's Joe Blanton quieted Atlanta's bats for a day, hurling a complete game, three-hit shutout over the Braves in a 4-0 win for the Phillies.

Blanton gave up a first inning single to Freddie Freeman, but nailed down the next fifteen batters in a row en route to his seventh complete game and third shutout.

The Braves never got a runner to second base, as Blanton completely bamboozled them, striking out six batters and getting 11 ground outs and nine through the air, mostly harmless pop-ups, evening his seasonal record at 3-3.

Philly took two of three in the series, getting their record to .500, at 13-13. They trail the Nationals in the NL East by 3 1/2 games. The Braves fell 1 1/2 off the pace in the division.