Matt Adams Belts A Pair In Washington's Rout Of Pittsburgh; Dee Gordon Leading Seattle's Surge

Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 1, 2018

American League

Gordon: 5-for-5, 2 SB

Dee Gordon went 5-for-5 in Seattle's 6-3 win over Oakland, stroking four singles and a double for his customary leadoff spot.

Gordon also swiped a pair of bases and scored a run, on Nelson Cruz's decisive three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning.

With 12 steals thus far on the year, Gordon leads the league in the thefts, and his .339 batting average is third-best in the AL.

The swift center fielder has been instrumental in Seattle's surge into second place in the AL West. They've won six of their last seven and trail the Astros by two games after Houston fell to the Yankees, 4-0, on Tuesday. Gordon is 11-for-14 (.786) in his last three games.

A career .295 hitter, Gordon was acquired by the Mariners, from Miami, in the off-season and has added some needed punch to the top of the batting order.

Game two of the three-game series is scheduled to start at 7:10 pm PDT in Seattle.

National League

Adams: 3-for-3, 2HR, 3RBI

Still under .500 and 4 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East, the Washington Nationals appear to be awakening, winning their third straight with a 12-4 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.

Contributing to the Nationals' rise, first baseman Matt Adams continued his assault on major league pitchers with another big effort, going 3-for-3 with a pair of solo homers and an RBI single in the rout.

Adams scored three runs, and has been on a tear since getting more playing time. In his the last four games in which Adams has started, he's 9-for-16 (.563) with three home runs, nine RBI and six runs.

At 14-16, the Nationals are closing in on the magic break-even mark, but remain in fourth place in the division, behind the Mets, Braves and Phillies.

At 7:05 pm EDT on Wednesday, the Nationals will be looking to take their third straight from Pittsburgh. Game four of the series is Thursday.