David Lough Goes 4-for-4 as Royals Trump Twins, 9-8; Ian Desmond, Jayson Werth Power Nats to 13-2 Win over Mets

Players of the Day for Sunday, June 30, 2013

American League

While the surprise team in the NL is surely the Pirates, a case can be made that the Royals are out-doing themselves in the AL Central, where they trail Cleveland and Detroit by 4 1/2 games following Sunday's results.

David Lough

Kansas City defeated Minnesota, 9-8, getting a 4-for-4 performance from rookie right fielder, David Lough, who stroked three doubles and his second home run of the season, helping the Royals stave off the Twins.

Lough scored four times and drove in three runs, the last of which coming on his solo homer, giving the Royals an 8-7 lead in the eighth. Eric Hosmer's solo drive in the ninth provided the eventual winning margin.

With 121 at-bats in 34 games, Lough is batting a solid .314

Cleveland got a complete game, 4-0, shutout from Justin Masterson, while the Tigers were losing, 3-1 at Tampa Bay. The Indians have won four straight and are tied for the division lead with Detroit.

National League

Ian Desmond

Washington keeps chasing the Braves, runaway, 6 1/2 game leaders in the NL East, taking two of three against the Mets in New York over the weekend, culminating in a 13-2 rout of their hosts, keeping pace with the Braves, who swept the visiting Diamondbacks with a 6-2 win on Sunday.

Jayson Werth

Ian Desmond doubled and homered in four at-bats, scored a pair of runs, stole his ninth base of the season and drove in three, propelling the Nationals to the win.

Jayson Werth also homered and doubled, driving in a run and scoring four times.

Washington is just a game over .500, at 41-40, but the rest of the division seems to be losing hope of catching the Braves. Philadelphia is 9 1/2 out, the Mets 13 back and Miami 18 games behind.

The Nationals hope to gain some ground when they open a four-game series at home against Milwaukee Monday. The Braves are home to start a three-game series with Miami on Tuesday.

Streakers: Michael Cuddyer of the Colorado Rockies stroked a single in four at-bats, extending the longest winning streak in the majors this season to 27 games. Cuddyer is batting .344, just behind league-leader, Yadier Molina, at .345.

Pittsburgh has won nine straight and has the best record in the majors, at 51-30.

Today's Trivia: Baltimore's Manny Machado has 38 doubles this season, chasing the record of 67, held by whom?

Yesterday's Answwer: New York Giants‘ ace Carl Hubbell won 24 games in a row over the 1936 and 1937 season.