Mark Reynolds' 2HRs, 10 RBI Power Nationals Over Miami, 18-4; Alex Bregman Leads Houston to 5th Straight Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 7, 2018

Bregman: 12-game streak

American League

With their 12-6 win over the White Sox, Houston has won five straight, increasing their lead over Seattle to 3 1/2 games in the AL West.

Alex Bregman extended his hitting streak to 12 games, going 3-for-5 with a single, double and his 17th home run of the season, scoring three times and driving in a pair.

As a result of going 21-for-49 (.429), Bregam's batting average has improved from .259 to .284 over the course of his streak, which includes six homers and 12 RBI.

The Astros are 8-4 during Bregman's hitting spree, which began on June 25.

Houston will be looking for a sweep of the visiting White Sox when their four-game series concludes, Sunday at 2:10 pm EDT.

National League

Reynolds: 5-5, 2HR 10RBI

In what could turn out to be the best single-game performance of the season, Washington infielder Mark Reynolds went 5-for-5 with two singles, a double and two home runs, driving in a whopping 10 runs and scoring three times as the Nationals buried the Marlins, 18-4.

Reynolds, who ended Friday's 3-2 win over Miami with a pinch-hit, walk-off homer in the ninth, began his assault with a two-run homer in the second inning and followed with an RBI double in the second, a two-run single in the fifth, a three-run homer in the sixth, and a single in the seventh inning which plated two more runs.

Max Scherzer got his first win since June 5th with an arguably poor performance, allowing four runs on seven hits over seven innings. Scherzer walked two and struck out just three, a season low. He also gave up three home runs.

Playing both first and third base during the rout, Reynolds has played in just 37 games this season, spending 10 games with Syracuse in the International League. He was signed as a free agent in April and called up mid-May. He has been used sparingly at first and third and as a pinch-hitter.

Despite having just 106 at-bats, Reynolds has socked 10 home runs. Saturday's effort nearly doubled his RBI total, to 24.

The Nationals remained five games behind co-NL East leaders, Philadelphia and Atlanta, both winners on Saturday.

Washington has won three straight over the visiting Marlins and will be looking to sweep the series and take their 15th straight over Miami when the teams assemble at Nationals Park, Sunday at 1:35 pm EDT.