Chris Davis Does It Again, Grand Slam Leads Oriole Victory; Todd Frazier, Zack Cozart Lead 15-0 Reds' Rout of Nats

Players of the Day for Friday, April 5, 2013

American League

Davis leads majors
in BA, HR, RBI

Welcoming in the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series, the Baltimore Orioles weren't exactly the most hospitable hosts, hammering five Twins' pitchers for 14 hits and nine earned runs in a 9-5, home-opening victory.

Five of those runs were delivered off the bat of Chris Davis, who singled and was stranded in the fourth inning, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and socked a grand slam home run in the bottom of the eighth, unknotting a 5-5 tie in a big way.

With the slam, Davis has homered in all four Baltimore games this season, tying him for the major league lead with Seattle's Michael Morse. His 2-for-5 night actually lowered his MLB-leading batting average from .636 to .600, and the five RBI gave him 16 on the season in just four games. The next-closest to him is Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist, with seven.

The Orioles won their second straight to remain tied with Boston atop the AL East at 3-1.

NOTABLE: Detroit's Prince Fielder belted his first two home runs of the season in the Tigers' 8-3 win over the Yankees, driving in five with a three-run and a two-run shot.

National League

Todd Frazier

Fresh off a sweep of the Miami Marlins, the Washington Nationals hit the road for Cincinnati, but after being whipped 15-0 by the Reds, probably feel like they should have stayed home.

Zack Cozart

Cincinnati roughed up starter, Dan Haren, for nine hits and six earned runs over four innings, and didn't let up on the parade of three Washington relievers, amassing 19 hits.

The two main catalysts came out of the six and seven spots in the order. Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart each went yard twice; Frazier was 4-for-5 with a pair of singles, a solo shot and a two-run bomb, driving in four runs and scoring three times. Cozart went 2-for-5 with a solo belt and a three-run donk and drove in another run with a sac fly for five RBI in the game.

Washington mustered only two hits in six innings off Reds' starter Homer Bailey, and had just five over nine long innings.

The win was the Reds' third straight after losing on opening day. They are a game up on the Cubs in the NL Central. Washington dropped into a 3-1 tie with the Braves for the NL East lead.