Shin-Soo Choo, Jose Lopez Lead 19-Hit Indian Win; John Santana Continues LA's Pain

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 30, 2012

American League

Jose Lopez stroked five singles and drove in three runs and Shin-Soo Choo scored four times to lead the Cleveland Indians to an 11-5 victory at Baltimore.

Lopez: 5-for-6

Choo: 4-for-5

Lopez singled home Choo with the game's first run in the first inning, then Choo, batting in his usual leadoff spot, socked his eighth home run of the year in the second inning, putting the Indians up 2-0.

The Indians scored three runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings, and the rout was on. Choo finished 4-for-5 with three RBI; Lopez went 5-for-6.

Having taken two of three from the O's, the Indians find themselves 2 1/2 games behind the White Sox in the AL Central, after the Yankees took down Chicago, 4-0, on Saturday.

Cleveland wraps up their four-game series in Baltimore Sunday afternoon.


National League

Johan Santana blanked the Dodgers on three hits over eight full innings en route to a 5-0 Mets' win as Los Angeles lost their seventh straight game and were shut out for the fifth time in the last six outings.

Santana: 8IP 3H 0ER

Santana struck out three and walked two, notching his sixth win against four losses. The Mets, winners of four straight, trail Washington in the NL East by 2 1/2 games after the Braves dumped the Nationals, 7-5. Bobby Parnell mopped up in the ninth, setting the Dodgers down in order.

While the Mets continue to contend in their division, Los Angeles players are likely happy to see the month of June come to an end. They began the month with a large lead in the NL West, and through the 17th were 10-6, but since then lost 11 of 12 and saw their lead not only evaporate, but vanish, as the Giants overtook them for a one game edge in the division.

LA has scored just two runs in their last six games and will be looking to avoid being swept four straight by the Mets when they play in a nationally-televised game (ESPN) Sunday night.