Scooter Gennett Leads Reds To Second Straight Win; Angels Take Game Two From Astros On Andrelton Simmons' 2 HRs

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 24, 2018

American League

Simmons: 3-4, 2HR, 5RBI

The two top teams in the West played game two of their series in Houston on Tuesday, as the Angels took their second straight over the Astros in an 8-7 victory, taking over first place in the division by 1/2-game.

After being blanked, 2-0, in game one, Houston found themselves in an immediate 2-0 hole after solo home runs by Mike Trout in the first and Andrelton Simmons in the second inning.

When Simmons legged out an infield single in the third, plating Martin Maldonado, LA led, 4-1, but the Astros came back in the fifth and sixth to forge a 5-4 advantage.

The Reds responded in the seventh. After Albert Pujols singled in a run to tie the game, Simmons mashed his second homer of the game, a three-run kill shot to left. Houston did managed to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but LA's bullpen held together for the slim win.

Simmons had a game to remember, going 3-for-5 with two homers, five RBI and two runs.

The Astros will be looking to avoid an embarrassing home sweep Wednesday when the two teams meet for game three, 2:10 pm EDT.

National League

Gennett: 3-5, 2HR, 4RBI

Cincinnati got off to an increbilry bad start to the 2018 season, going 3-18, but their bats have suddenly found new life against the Atlanta pitching staff, and they've won two straight, including Tuesday's 9-7, 12-inning epic.

The Braves sent seven different pitchers to the mound, but could not keep Reds' hitters at bay. Cincinnati banged out 12 hits, three of them coming off the bat of Scooter Gennett, who singled and homered twice, the second of which ended the game in the bottom of the 12th.

Doing his best impression of a one-man wrecking crew, Gennett singled and scored on a Freddie Freeman throwing error in the second, launched his first home run of the game in the fifth, drove in another run with a squeeze bunt in the seventh, and with teammate Joey Votto on first with no outs in the 12th inning, treated fans to the walk-off win with his second home run.

After playing four seasons in Milwaukee, Gennett really hit his stride in his first season with the Reds, batting .295 with 27 home runs and 97 RBI in 2017.

This season has been a slow start for him and the Reds. The two Tuesday homers were his first of the season, and he's driven in just 13 runs, despite a solid .287 batting average.

Cincy will be looking to make it three straight over the Braves when the two teams take the field Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. Game time is 6:40 pm EDT.