Red Sox Even Up With Yankees On Andrew Benintendi's 2 HR; Giancarlo Stanton Homers Again For Miami; St. Louis Streak at 8

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 12, 2017

American League

After blowing a 3-0 lead Friday night and eventually losing, 5-4, to the Yankees in the opener of their three-game series in New York, the Boston Red Sox came back to even things up with a 10-5 shellacking of the Yankees on Saturday.

Benintendi: 2 HR, 6 RBI

Boston scored all of its runs in the third and fifth innings, scoring five times in each. Both bursts were highlighted by three-run homers from Andrew Benintendi, both home runs and all six RBI credited against Yankee starter (and supposed new "ace" according to radio announcer John Sterling) Luis Severino.

In what was likely his worst outing of the season, Severino lasted only 4 1/3 innings, allowing all 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits and two walks. Benintendi's homers were his 15th and 16th of the season, to go with 65 RBI and a .280 batting average.

Thus, the Red Sox recovered their 4 1/2 game lead in the AL East with the rubber game in New York Sunday at 8:00 pm ET, broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The Yankees still appear to be Boston's only challenger, but they are also holding a slim, 2 1/2 game lead in the wild card race over the Angles, but the Rays, Royals, Mariners, Twins, and Orioles are all within 4 1/2 of the Yanks, making for what looks to be a spirited run to the playoffs the remainder of the season.

National League

Stanton: 41 HR leads MLB

Giancarlo Stanton is having an August that may end up in the record books.

In Miami's 4-3 win over the Rockies at Marlins Park, Stanton, singled, doubled, scored his major league-leading 41st home run and drove in three of the Marlins four runs. It was Stanton's third straight game with a home run and eight time he's homered in his last nine.

The slugger's August stats are already imposing: a .366 batting average (15-for-41), eight homers, and 16 RBI. With August not even half done, Stanton could be challenging the record for most home runs in any month (Sammy Sosa, Chicago, 20, June, 1998) or most home runs in August (also held by Sammy Sosa, 17, 2001, with Willie Mays, 1965).

Miami continues to make progress tow being competitive in the wild card race though they are still 9 1/2 back, but beating the Rockies two straight has produced a tie between Colorado and Arizona for the top wild card slot.

The Marlins will be looking for a sweep of the series Sunday afternoon. Game time is 1:10 pm in Miami.

Streaking: Suddenly becoming the hottest team in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals won their eighth straight on Saturday, besting the Braves, 6-5, in St. Louis.

Coupled with Chicago's 6-2 loss at Arizona, St. Louis is now tied for first place in the NL Central with the Cubs, though they are by no means clear of the rest of the division. Milwaukee is a mere two games out; Pittsburgh, three back. Only the Reds are out of it, 12 games behind.