Melky Cabrera Delivers 5 RBI As White Sox Thump Blue Jays; Alex Wood Stifles Reds In 3-1 Dodger Win

Players of the Day for Friday, June 16, 2017

American League

After one of the worst starts to a season at 6-17, the Toronto Blue Jays gave gotten better, but still can't seem to find the degree of consistency necessary to put themselves into contention in the AL East.

Cabrera: 2B, HR, 5 RBI

Entering Friday night's home game against the White Sox, the 32-33 Jays had the chance to reach .500, a level they have not attained all season. They began June at 26-27, but after Friday's 11-4 drubbing by the Sox, they're 6-7 on the month.

Chicago, which was 13-10 at the end of April, is similarly under .500, at 30-36, the win was their 15th on the road against 24 road losses.

Melky Cabrera made certain of the Blue Jays demise, socking a double and a home run for five RBI, scoring three times in four at-bats. Cabrera walked and scored in the first, doubled in a pair of runs and scored again in the second, and belted a three-run homer in the fifth to complete the scoring for the White Sox. Cabrera is batting .280 with seven homers and 40 RBI.

Toronto starter, Joe Biagini, was treated with particular rudeness, allowing seven runs on eight hits, pulled when he failed to retire a batter in the second inning.

The two teams will renew rivalries in the second of the three-game series, Saturday, 1:07 pm ET at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

National League

Wood: 7-0, 1.90 ERA

A 26-year-old left-hander who played college ball at Georgia, Alex Wood isn't exactly a household name yet, but he's gaining notoriety by performing with excellence this season, racking up his seventh win without a loss in a 3-1 Dodger win at Cincinnati.

Wood worked eight innings, allowing four hits and one run, striking out five without walking a batter. The only run allowed was an eighth-inning solo homer by Reds' catcher Devin Mesoraco, coming after Wood had singled in the Dodgers' third run in the top of the frame.

Throwing 69 of 89 pitches for strikes, Wood got out of a few jams thanks to excellent play by the Dodger infield, including shortstop Corey Seager gunning down Eugenio Suarez at the plate in the second inning.

Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his 15th save.

In 12 starts this season, Wood has given up just 42 hits in 61 2/3 innings, with 72 strikeouts against 15 walks. His ERA is a phenomenal 1.90, having surrendered a mere 15 runs and only two home runs all season.

The victory left the Dodgers in second place in the NL West, tied with Arizona a game behind Colorado. The loss was Cincinnati's seventh straight. The Reds have fallen to last place in the NL Central and will try to end their slide in game two of the series, Saturday at 4:10 pm ET.