Pujols Brings Home Game-Winner in 13th as Angels Top O's, 1-0; Ben Revere Collects Four Hits in Phillies' Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 31, 2014

National League

Ben Revere

For a last place team, the Phillies (48-61, 11 1/2 GB) are actually pretty good on the road, where they've gone 26-28 after opening the first of a four-game series in Washington with a 10-4 win over the Nationals.

Savaging five Nats' pitchers - including starter Gio Gonzalez, who lasted just 3 2/3 - for 17 hits, the Phillies scored in chunks, plating five in the fourth, two in the sixth and three in the eighth. Leadoff batter Ben Revere led the hit parade with four singles in six at-bats, driving in one run and scoring a pair, plus stealing his 30th base of the season. He's been caught just four times.

Revere is having a solid season at the top of the order, batting .306 (5th in the NL), though he's scored just 48 runs. The Phillies haven't exactly been a model of efficiency driving in runs; they are tied for ninth in the NL, with 404.

Grady Sizemore had the Phillies' only hit for extra bases, a fourth-inning double that brought home two runs.

Game two of the series begins Friday at 7:05 pm EDT.

American League

Albert Pujols

Finishing up their three-game series, the Angels and Orioles kept the fans at Camden Yard up late, as Albert Pujols drove in Kole Calhoun in the top of the 13th for the game's only run, as the Angels salvaged a 1-0, 13-inning victory.

Baltimore took the series, two games to one, but the result of the series finale had an impact on the standings in both the AL East and West divisions. LA improved to two games behind the idle Athletics, while the O's lead shrank to 1 1/2 games as the Blue Jays won their sixth straight, a 6-5 victory in Houston.

Pujols went 2-for-6 on the night and grounded into a pair of double plays, but came up aces when the game was on the line. His RBI was his 67th of the season.

The Orioles remain home to host a three-game series with the Mariners over the weekend, while the Angels continue their road trip, heading to Tampa Bay for three games with the Rays. Both series begin on Friday.