Padres Blast Cardinals, 12-4, on Yangervis Solarte's 6 RBI; Doug Fister Fires 1-Hitter As Boston Downs Cleveland

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 22, 2017

American League

After Boston scored a run in the top of the first inning, Cleveland leadoff hitter, Francisco Lindor, responded with a home run off Red Sox starter, Doug Fister.

While the run may have given the Indians cause for early confidence, as it turns out, Lindor's homer would be the only hit Cleveland would muster against the Boston as the Red Sox wrecked the Indians, 9-1.

Fister: 1-hitter

As the Sox piled up the runs, Fister tossed a one-hitter, allowing a couple of walks, issuing a free pass in the first to Edwin Encarnacion and another to Brandon Guyer, leading off the fifth. In the second, Fister hit Bradley Zimmer with a pitch, but in that case and in the fifth, he was bailed out by a double play.

Having sufficiently settled in, Fister didn't allow a baserunner after the fifth, setting down the last 13 Cleveland batters in order. The 6'8" right-hander needed 114 pitches for his eighth career complete game and the first this season, fanning six and facing two over the minimum. After such a solid performance, one can only question why the 33-year-old is only 3-6 with a 4.78 ERA.

Fister started the 2017 season with the Angels. The Red Sox acquired him off waivers in June to replace David Price in the rotation. He's started eight games for the Sox, with three appearances out of the bullpen. Recently, however, he has come around, winning three of his last four starts. He's 2-1 against the Indians over that span.

In his ninth season, Foster is 80-82 with a 3.64 ERA.

Boston's win evened the series between the division leaders, both up by 4 1/2 games, Cleveland over Minnesota and Boston ahead of the NY Yankees. Game three of the four-game set is Wednesday night at 7:10 pm ET at Cleveland's Progressive Field.

Solarte: 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI

National League

The St Louis Cardinals were dealt a blow to their playoff hopes by visiting San Diego as Yangervis Solarte led the Padres to a 12-4 rout at Busch Stadium.

In five at-bats, Solarte doubled twice and busted his 14th home run of the season, driving in six runs, more than enough for the five Padres pitchers used in the rout. Oddly enough, starter Clayton Richard worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs, but Craig Stammen, who retired just one batter in the bottom of the sixth, received the win after the Padres exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh.

Prior to that, Solarte had provided all the San Diego runs, knocking in three in the third with a bases-loaded double and driving in another in the fourth, with his second two-bagger. His two-run home run in the eighth capped off his night and completed San Diego's scoring.

The Padres, completely out of it, 33 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West (it could be worse, the Giants are 40 1/2 back), pushed third place St. Louis to 4 1/2 behind the Cubs in the NL Central. Milwaukee is second in the division, 2 1/2 off the pace. The loss was the Cardinals' third straight, leaving them five games behind the Rockies for the second wild card, but only 1/2 ahead of the surging Miami Marlins.

St. Louis will attempt to stop the bleeding when they host the Padres in game two of the three-game series, Wednesday at 8:15 pm ET.