Mark Teixeira Powers Yankees with Grand Slam, 2-Run Homer; Michael Wacha Goes Seven Scoreless for St. Louis

Players of the Day for Friday, July 31, 2015

Wacha: 12-4

Teixeira: 2HR, 6RBI

American League

As Yankee radio announcer John Sterling might say, Mark Teixeira sent a "Tex-message" to the White Sox Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, belting a grand slam, a two-run homer and a double n five at bats as the Yankees hammered out 18 hits in a 13-6 victory

Making a bid for AL MVP, Teixeira collected six RBI, giving him 73 on the season, tied with Toronto's Josh Donaldson for the league lead. Teixeira also has 28 homers, tied for third with Detroit's J.D. Martinez. LA's Mike Trout leads the league with 32; teammate Albert Pujols is second, with 30 dingers.

The Yankee fist baseman connect for his slam in the second inning off White Sox starter Carlos Rodon, who was tagged for eight runs in just three innings of work. Teixeira belted the two-run blast in the fourth, off reliever Matt Albers. The Yankees scored five runs in each of the innings and were ahead 11-2 after just 3 1/2.

New York continues to lead the AL East by six games over the Orioles and Blue Jays, both winners on Friday. The Yankee win snapped a two-game losing streak suffered at Texas.

The White Sox and Yankees meet in the second of their three-game series on Saturday. Game time is 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Michael Wacha had his usual assortment of dazzling pitches, leading the Cardinals to a 7-0 win over Colorado in the second game of a four-game set in St. Louis.

Wacha allowed just four hits over seven innings, striking out seven and issuing just one walk. Improving to 12-4, Wacha threw 70 of 102 pitches for strikes before being lifted for reliever Randy Choate, who pitched a scoreless eighth, and Seth Maness, who mopped up in the ninth.

Wacha was supported with home runs by Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta, helping the Cards take a 2-0 edge in the series and maintaining a 5 1/2 game lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central.

St. Louis continues with the best record in the majors, at 66-37 (.641), and hosts the Rokies for game three at Busch Stadium at 7:15 pm EDT, Saturday.