Josh Reddick, Jed Lowrie Help A's Blast Jays, 14-6; Braves Streak at 14 After Brandon Beachy Fires 8 Shutout Innings

Players of the Day for Friday, August 9, 2013

American League

Josh Reddick

Opening a four-game series in Toronto with a 14-6 mashing of the Blue Jays, the Oakland A's remained tied for first place in the AL West with the Rangers, 9-5 winners over Houston.

Jed Lowrie

Josh Reddick, who entered the game on an 0-for-13 slide, belted three homers for the A's, driving in five runs to power the offense. Shortstop, Jed Lowrie, went 4-for-4 - two singles, a double and a three-run, first-inning home run - with four RBI, as the A's rapped out 17 hits and scored in six of the nine available innings.

Reddick, who had 32 home runs last season, has just eight this year, while Lowrie, a career .262 hitter, has his average at a healthy .295.

The A's and Rangers are embroiled in the closest race in the majors. Okland will try to make it two straight in Toronto when they meet the Blue Jays in game two, Saturday afternoon at 1:07 pm EDT.

National League

Beachy: 8IP, 0ER

Atlanta's incredible season just keeps getting better.

Brandon Beachy, in his third start back from Tommy John surgery, fired eight innings of shutout ball in a 5-0 win over the Miami Marlins.

Beachy was roughed up in his previous two outings, allowing seven earned runs to the Rockies in 3 2/3 innings on July 29 and giving up three runs in 6 1/3 at Philadelphia, August 3rd. Despite the poor outings, Beachy did not receive a decision in either of those starts. On Friday, however, the 6'3" righty had command and control, giving up just three hits, walking one, while fanning six.

After yielding a leadoff single to Christian Yelich to open the contest, Beachy retired the next 11 batters he faced, capped off by striking out the side in the fourth inning. Beachy (1-0) threw 67 of 99 pitches for strikes.

The win was the 14th straight for the Braves, leaving them one game short of their longest winning streak since relocating to Atlanta in 1966. The Braves won 15 straight in the 2000 season.

Atlanta will have the opportunity to tie that mark Saturday, at 7:10 pm EDT, when they host the Marlins in game two of their three-game series.

Today's Trivia: Alex Rodriguez needs one RBI to tie whom for sixth all-time in career RBI? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The 1953 AL MVP award went to Cleveland's Al Rosen, who batted .336 and led the league with 43 home runs, 145 RBI and 115 runs.