Salvadore Perez, Mike Moustakas Star For KC In 9-6 Win; Alex Wood 10-0 After 1-0 Win Over Arizona

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 5, 2017

American League

Perez: 11th-inning HR

Winning for the fourth straight time with a 9-6 win at Seattle in 11 innings, the Kansas City Royals have come all the way from last place in May to a half game out of first in the AL Central five days into July.

Salvadore Perez socked a two-run homer and Alex Gordon knocked in Mike Moustakas with the final run in the top of the 11th.

The Mariners couldn't muster a hit off Kelvin Herrera in the bottom of the frame, the KC closer picking up his 19th save.

Moustakas: 25 HR

Perez's home run was his 17th, the two RBI giving him 55, Moustakas had homered in the first inning with one aboard. He also singled twice, including his key hit in the 11th, going 3-for-5 for the game. His homer was his 25th, tying him with Houston's George Springer for second in the long ball category. He has 54 RBI.

San Diego dumped Cleveland, 6-2. The Indians lead the division by 1/2 game over Kansas City. Minnesota is just 1 1/2 back.

Following the three-game sweep of the Mariners, the Royals head south for a tough three-game meeting with the Dodgers, heading into the all-star break. Game one of the series is Friday at 7:10 pm PT.

National League

LA's Alex Wood continues to amaze, winning his 10th straight game without a loss this season in a 1-0 Dodger triumph over Arizona.

Alex Wood is 10-0

Wood worked seven complete innings, allowing three hits and a pair of walks, striking out 10. He threw just 85 pitches, 61 for strikes.

The Diamondbacks and Dodgers each totaled just four hits each, but LA managed to put two of those together for the game's only run when Chris Taylor singled and Yasmani Grandal doubled him home in the second inning.

Wood's first half odyssey began in the Dodger bullpen, when he threw two hitless innings against San Diego April 5th, but received no decision. His first win came in relief on April 15, when he held Arizona hitless for 3 1/3 innings.

After that, he was inserted into the rotation, but didn't get another win until May 2nd, in a 13-5 win over the Giants. That began a string of nine wins in his next ten starts, including Wednesday's seven inning gem which dropped his ERA to a stunning 1.67. Wood has only tossed 80 2/3 innings, but he's allowed a mere 50 hits, walking 22 while fanning 97.

LA's win was the second straight in the three-game series with visiting Arizona, boosting the Dodger lead in the NL West to 4 1/2 games over the Diamondbacks. LA will be looking for the sweep when the teams take the field at Dodger Stadium Thursday at 7:10 pm PT.