Rookie Phillip Ervin Stars As Reds Top Cubs, 13-10; Yankees Sweep Mets On Gary Sanchez 5 RBI

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 17, 2017

Sanchez: HR, 5 RBI

American League

The Yankees completed the four-game sweep of the Mets in their home-and-home subway series with a 7-5 victory as catcher Gary Sanchez drove in five runs with his 22nd home run and a two-run single.

Sanchez gave the Yanks an early leg up with his first inning, three-run blast, then tacked on two more in the four-run fourth inning with his two-run single.

Luis Severino improved his record to 10-5 with 6 1/3 innings of work, allowing four hits and one unearned run, striking out nine. Former Yankee Curtis Granderson belted a ninth inning grand slam off Yankee reliever Bryan Mitchell to cut into the lead late.

With the win, the Yankees are four game behind the Red Sox in the AL East and hold a 3 1/2 game lead for the wild card. They head to Boston for the start of a three-game series Friday. Game time is 7:10 pm ET.

National League

Ervin: HR, 4 RBI

To get an idea of how competitive the NL Central is, consider the four-game series just concluded in Chicago between the first place Cubs and last place Reds. Taking the first and third games by scores of 15-5 and 7-6, the Cubs had the opportunity to take the series, three games to one, as the Reds won game two by a 2-1 score.

It was not to be, however, as the Reds pummeled starter Jon Lester for nine second inning runs. Though the Cubs would actually tie the game 9-9 in the fifth, Reds rookie, Phillip Ervin, stroked his second home run in as many days in the seventh, bringing home two and a lead the Reds would not relinquish en route to the 13-10 victory.

Ervin, in his first major league start, also singled and doubled, accounting for four RBI, and scored three times, including the final Cincinnati run, in the ninth. Other than the home run, Ervin's two hits both came in the nine-run second, singling in the second run and doubling home the ninth.

Apparently having seen enough of Ervin's batting prowess, Cubs' reliever Raisel Iglesias walked him to open the ninth. After moving to second on a sac bunt, Ervin scored on Jose Peraza's infield single.

With only eight at-bats in the majors, Phillip Ervin may be on his way to better things the remainder of this season and into next. The 25-year-old is sporting a .500 batting average with two homers and five RBI.

Having played with five minor league squads since 2013, Ervin is a hitter with power, socking 50 home runs with 259 RBI since 2013. He was recently promoted to the Reds from AAA affiliate Louisville in the International League.

The result of the game left the Cubs with a one game lead over the Brewers and 1 1/2 over the Cardinals. The Reds are in last place in the division, 13 games back. The Cubs host three games with Toronto over the weekend before taking to the road on Tuesday, the first stop, Cincinnati.