Pittsburgh Downs Mets on Elias Diaz 6 RBI; Danny Valencia Lifts Mariners With HR, 5 RBI

Players of the Day for Friday, June 2, 2017

American League

Valencia: HR 5 RBI

In seven years in the majors, Danny Valencia has been around, playing for seven different teams in the American League. His latest stop is Seattle, where he's become the regular first baseman for the Mariners.

In Seattle's 12-2 pounding of Tampa Bay at Safeco Field in Seattle, Valencia uncorked his fifth home run of the season along with a single and double in three at-bats, driving in a total of five runs, scoring three times.

The runs delivered gave Valencia 25 on the year, on base to surpass his best RBI season, 72 in 2011.

Both Tampa Bay and Seattle are mired deep in their respective divisions, with small chance - right now - of winning their division or making the playoffs as a wild card.

Despite the loss, the Rays are in a better position. Their 29-28 record is just 4 1/2 games off the pace currently being set by the Yankees. In the AL West, Seattle trails runaway Houston by 13 1/2 games. The Astros are 12 1/2 ahead of the second place Angels.

The Rays and M's play the second of their three game series Saturday at 7:10 pm PT.

Diaz: HR, 6 RBI

National League

At 25-30, the Pittsburgh Pirates haven't been generating much excitement. However, being in the NL Central does have an advantage. Despite bing five games under .500, the Pirates are a mere four games off the pace being set by the Milwaukee Brewers (29-26), the only team in the division with a winning record (second place st. Louis - 1 1/2 back - is 26-26).

With the Brewers losing to the Dodgers, 2-1, Friday, Pittsburgh inched a little closer in a winning, 12-7 hit-fest over the Mets at Citi Field in New York.

Getting key hits at opportune times was lightly-played catcher Elias Diaz, whose major league career, including Friday's game, consists of 10 games and 23 at-bats.

Diaz went 2-for-5 and drove in his first six major league runs with a bases-clearing double in the second inning that tied the game at 4-4, and his first home run, a three-run shot that put the Pirates up for good at 8-7 in the sixth, as the Pirates scored seven runs in the frame.

The victory came in the opener of a three-game series, with game two scheduled for Saturday night. First pitch is slated for 7:15 pm ET.