Carlos Correa Leads Astros Over Rangers; Adam Eaton Goes 5-for-5 As Nationals Swamp Reds

Players of the Day for Saturday, March 31, 2018

American League

Correa: 4-5, 2B, HR, 2RBI

Houston cemented their reputation not only as the best team in baseball, but the best in Texas, taking down their in-state and divisional rival Texas Rangers, two games to one to start the season, capping off the series with a convincing 9-3 victory on Saturday.

As was often the case last year and through the Astros' run through the playoffs World Series, leading the Houston offense were Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, the infield combo that brought home the championship.

Both players had four hits on the day. While Altuve's were all singles, Correa supplied more power, singling twice, doubling, and homering in five at-bats. His home run came in the seventh, with Altuve on base.

Correa batted .315 and had 24 homers with 84 RBI last season for the Astros, despite playing in just 109 games.

Houston has taken two of three at Arlington, and will give the Rangers a chance to even the four-game series on Sunday, at 3:05 pm EDT. The Astros are tied with the Angels in the AL West. Both teams are 2-1.

National League

Eaton: 5-5, HR, 4 R, 3 RBI

Matt Adams socked a three-run homer in the first inning, and Brian Goodwin belted a grand slam in the ninth, but the steadiest hitter in Washington's 13-7 romp over the Reds was leadoff hitter Adam Eaton, who went 5-for-5 with two singles, two doubles, and a home run.

Reds' hurlers simply could not find a way to keep the sprightly Eaton off the base paths, a condition which resulted in the Nationals scoring runs in seven of their nine innings. Eaton scored four times, in the first, third, fifth and on his home run in the seventh. The only time he didn't score was in the eighth, when he drove in two runs with a two-out single, giving him three RBI on the day.

Now in his seventh year in the majors, Eaton was his most productive from 2013 to 2016, when he was a regular starter with the White Sox. The Nationals acquired him after the 2016 season, but he played in just 23 games last season. In two games this year, it's going to be tough to keep him and his .750 batting average out of the lineup.

The win left the Nats tied with the Mets atop the NL East, at 2-0. Washington will finish up their series in Cincinnati at 4:10 pm EDT Sunday, looking for the sweep.