Jose Ramirez Powers Cleveland Past Reds; Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies Tighten NL West With 19-2 Win Over Arizona

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Ramirez: 2 HR, 5 RBI

American League

With Cincinnati (last place in the NL Central) taking two straight in Cleveland (first place in the AL Central), the series finale proved to be more in line with the standings as the Indians pummeled the Reds, 19-4.

Cleveland, in no danger of being caught any time soon, given their 8 1/2 game bulge in the division, let their efficient hitters loose, banging out 19 hits - including four home runs - as they scored in three of the first four innings.

Jose Ramirez started the parade around the bases with a two-run homer in the first inning, and followed up with a three-run blast in his next at-bat, as the Indians piled on nine third inning runs. Six runs in the fourth inning was more than enough for Cleveland starter, Carlos Carrasco, who notched his 10th win against five losses with five innings of work, allowing one run on five hits.

Ramirez, who will be the starting AL third baseman in next week's all star game, is already approaching his career highs from 2017, when he belted 29 homers and drove in 83 runs. The two blasts in Wednesday's slaughter have him at 27 on the year, with 65 RBI. He's second in AL home runs and tied for second (with Seattle's Mitch Haniger) in RBI.

The Indians open a four game series with the incoming Yankees on Thursday. Game time is 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Gonzalez: 2 HR, 6 RBI

In his first two at-bats in Colorado's 19-2 romp over Arizona, Carlos Gonzalez grounded into fielder's choices, each time arriving at first safely and driving in a run.

Next time up, in the third inning, Gonzalez ripped a solo shot out of the park, though it hardly mattered, the Rockies already up by an 11-1 score. Adding to Arizona's pain, Gonzalez parked another in the fourth, this time with two men aboard, giving him six RBI on the night.

Gonzalez has 10 home runs, 38 RBI, and a .275 batting average.

The result tightened the already contentious NL West race, as the Dodgers, Giants and Rockies all won on Wednesday. LA trails the Diamondbacks by just 1/2 game. San Francisco is three out; Colorado 3 1/2 back.

It's going to get more interesting as the Diamondbacks wrap up their visit to Colorado, Thursday at 3:10 pm EDT.