Christian Yelich Leads Brewers In Chase of Cubs; Mike Trout 5-for-5 As Angels Whip White Sox

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 8, 2018

American League

Trout: 5-for-5, 2HR, 5RBI

Even though the Angels are out of contention for the post-season, Mike Trout is still putting up some impressive numbers.

Trout went 5-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs as the Angels defeated the White Sox, 12-3. Trout's homer was his 33rd of the season. He is batting .316 with 68 RBI. The LA outfielder is fourth in the AL in batting and tied for sixth in home runs with Giancarlo Stanton and Francisco Lindor.

Elsewhere, the west division leader, Houston, won their seventh straight, knocking off Boston at Fenway Park for the second straight game, 5-3. The Astros can't seem to shake off the A's, who have won three straight and are 3 1/2 back in the division. The Yankees were also winners on Saturday, defeating the Mariners in Seattle, 4-2. New York is 7 1/2 behind the Red Sox in the AL East and holds the top spot in the wild card race, 3 1/2 better than the A's.

Houston wraps up it's series in Boston, and the Yanks will be looking to sweep the Mariners Sunday.

National League

Yelich: .316, 28HR, 86RBI

Much like the famous line from the movie, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," the Chicago Cubs may be looking over their shoulders at the Milwaukee Brewers, asking, "who are those guys?"

After dropping two games to the Washington Nationals, the Cubs' lead in the NL Central has dwindled to 2 1/2 games after Christian Yelich and the Brewers defeated the Giants, 4-3.

Who is Christian Yelich? He's the Brewers' 26-year-old left fielder who just happens to be second in the league in batting at .316 (behind Cincinnati's Scooter Gennett, .317), with 28 homers (tied for 11th with teammate Travis Shaw) and 86 RBI (tied for 9th with Philadelphia's Ryhs Hoskins).

Yellich and Shaw both homered in the Milwaukee win, backing 5 2/3 shutout innings by starting pitcher, Gio Gonzalez (8-11). It was Gonzalez's first start for the Brewers after his separation from the Washington Nationals.

The Brewers have taken two straight at home from the Giants and will be looking for the series sweep when they take the field Sunday at