Robinson Chirinos Delivers Win For Rangers Over Astros; Starling Marte 5-for-5 As Pirates Down Marlins

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 15, 2018

Chirinos: HR, 2B, 3RBI

American League

With five games cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, there were just three AL games played on Sunday.

The nationally-televised meeting between Houston and the Texas Rangers in Arlington, provided a suitable stage for the Rangers and Robinson Chirinos as they took their second straight from the reigning world champions with a 10-inning, 3-1 triumph.

Perhaps the baseball gods were looking in as every player in the majors was wearing number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, Chirinos offering a meaningful message as he drove in all of the Rangers' runs, including the game-winning double in the 10th, which supplied two runs.

Chirinos belted a solo homer in the third inning, and starting pitcher, Bartolo Colon, made it stand up until the Astros finally broke through with a run in the eighth. Both relief staffs kept the game tied until Chirinos unknotted it with his mighty rip to dead center.

The Rangers have already played the Astros seven times this season, and they've held their own, winning three of the contests. However, Texas has won only three other games and is dead last in the AL West, with a 6-11 mark. Houston is in second place behind the Angels, three back, at 10-6.

Both teams travel and play on Monday, with the Rangers landing in Tampa Bay, while the Astros open a series in Seattle.

Marte: 5-for-5, HR, 4R

National League

At 11-4, the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to alarm opponents throughout the National League. A young team with loads of potential, the surprising Pirates hit he ground running this season and lead the Cardinals by 2 1/2 games in the wide-open NL Central following their 7-3 win at Miami.

The Marlins took a 1-0 lead in the first, but they failed to hold it, mostly because every time Starling Marte stepped up to the plate, he found a way to get on base, going 5-for-5, scoring four times driving in one.

Singling and scoring in the third, fifth, and seventh inning, Marte finished off a perfect day at the plate with a solo home run in the ninth, completing the scoring for the Pirates.

One of the few Pittsburgh players that didn't get off to a blazing hot start, Marte raised his batting average from .241 entering the game, to .305 at its conclusion. He has three home runs and six RBI on the year.

Pittsburgh returns home to host the Colorado Rockies. Game one of the series begins Monday at 7:05 pm EDT.