Hiroki Kuroda Hurls Four Scoreless as Yankees Top Cardinals; Giants Previal, 2-1, over Rangers, Madison Bumgarner Earns Win

Players of the Day for Monday, March 11, 2013

Grapefruit League

Hiroki Kuroda

Some much needed good news for Yankee fans came in the form of four solid innings from the mound by Hiroki Kuroda (1-1), who will likely fall into the role of #2 starter behind C.C. Sabathia once the regular season gets underway.

With sluggers Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez nursing injuries, the Yanks will need good starting pitching and Kuroda delivered on Monday, blanking the Cardinals for four innings on three hits, fanning six without allowing a walk. New York went onto the 4-0 victory, a string of four relievers finishing what Kuroda started.

After four years with the Dodgers, Kuroda spent 2012 with the Yankees, posting a record of 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA.

Even with the win, the Yankees remain at the bottom of the Grapefruit League standings with a troublesome 5-11 record.

Madison Bumgarner

Cactus League

10,025 fans set out to Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona but had a surprise of a different kind as Madison Bumgarner and four relievers shut down the Rangers on six hits in a 2-1 victory for the Giants, their sixth win against seven losses.

Texas fell to 7-8 as Bumgarner delivered four strong innings, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out four.

Notching his first win of the Spring without a loss, Bumgarner is looking to fill his role on one of baseball's best starting staffs. Last season, he went 16-11 with a 3.37 ERA for the world champion Giants, but was 1-2 in the post-season.