Players of the Day for Saturday, July 27, 2017
American League
Oscar Mercado went 4-for-5, Jose Ramirez socked his 100th career home run, Jason Kipnis whacked a first-inning grand slam and Mike Clevinger (5-2) scattered eight hits over seven innings as the Indians routed the Royals, 9-1, in Kansas City Saturday.
The Kipnis slam off Royals' starter, Glenn Sparkman, ignited Cleveland's offense. Following the four runs in the first and one in the second, Ramirez sent Sparkman to the showers in the fifth with a three-run blast.
Cleveland's steady second baseman, Kipnis is batting .248 with eight home runs and 42 RBI in 83 game.
Coupled with Minnesota's 5-1 loss to the White Sox in Chicago, the Indians closed to within one game of the Twins, who hold a tenuous lead in the AL Central.
The Indians have been red hot since the all-star break. They dropped a pair of home games to Minnesota on July 12 and 13, but have gone 12-2 since, currently riding a four-game winning streak.
Cleveland will be looking to sweep the Royals in game four of their series, Sunday, at 2:15 pm ET. An Indians win and a Minnesota loss would produce a tie atop the Central division.
National League
With a double-digit lead in the NL West, the Dodgers appear to be on cruise control for their seventh straight divisional title. LA has taken the conference crown every year since 2013. The last time the Dodgers missed the playoffs was 2012, when they finished with a record of 86-76, eight games behind the Giants.
So, what exactly do the Dodgers need, given the best record in the majors (69-37) their 15 1/2-game bulge over Arizona and San Francisco?
Another slugger might fill the bill, particularly a raw rookie like Will Smith, who drove in six runs in Saturday's 9-3 beatdown of the Washington Nationals with a home run, single, double and a sac fly.
Smith, who was called up from Oklahoma City for brief stints in May and June, has only 29 at-bats with the Dodgers, but, he's made the most of them, batting .345 with four homers and 12 RBI.
Those impressive numbers should not come as a surprise. The 24-year-old has been tearing up the Pacific Coast League this season, with 20 home runs and 54 RBI in 61 games.
In the win at Washington, Smith socked a solo shot in the third, drove in another run with a sac fly in the fourth, doubled in another run in the sixth, and put the game out of reach with a three-run double in the seventh.
A catcher by trade, Smith may be seeing more playing time as the Dodgers adjust their roster for the post-season.
Sunday will conclude the three-game series in the nation's capitol, with LA sending out Walker Buehler (9-1, 3.23) against Stephen Strasburg (13-4, 3.37) at 1:35 pm ET. The Dodgers are seeking the sweep.
NOTES: Paul Goldschmidt tied the franchise record by homering in his sixth straight game, though it was not nearly enough, as St. Louis fell to Houston, 8-2. He shares the mark with Mark McGuire and Matt Carpenter.
American League
 |
| Kipnis: Grand Slam |
The Kipnis slam off Royals' starter, Glenn Sparkman, ignited Cleveland's offense. Following the four runs in the first and one in the second, Ramirez sent Sparkman to the showers in the fifth with a three-run blast.
Cleveland's steady second baseman, Kipnis is batting .248 with eight home runs and 42 RBI in 83 game.
Coupled with Minnesota's 5-1 loss to the White Sox in Chicago, the Indians closed to within one game of the Twins, who hold a tenuous lead in the AL Central.
The Indians have been red hot since the all-star break. They dropped a pair of home games to Minnesota on July 12 and 13, but have gone 12-2 since, currently riding a four-game winning streak.
Cleveland will be looking to sweep the Royals in game four of their series, Sunday, at 2:15 pm ET. An Indians win and a Minnesota loss would produce a tie atop the Central division.
National League
 |
| Smith: 6 RBI Rookie |
So, what exactly do the Dodgers need, given the best record in the majors (69-37) their 15 1/2-game bulge over Arizona and San Francisco?
Another slugger might fill the bill, particularly a raw rookie like Will Smith, who drove in six runs in Saturday's 9-3 beatdown of the Washington Nationals with a home run, single, double and a sac fly.
Smith, who was called up from Oklahoma City for brief stints in May and June, has only 29 at-bats with the Dodgers, but, he's made the most of them, batting .345 with four homers and 12 RBI.
Those impressive numbers should not come as a surprise. The 24-year-old has been tearing up the Pacific Coast League this season, with 20 home runs and 54 RBI in 61 games.
In the win at Washington, Smith socked a solo shot in the third, drove in another run with a sac fly in the fourth, doubled in another run in the sixth, and put the game out of reach with a three-run double in the seventh.
A catcher by trade, Smith may be seeing more playing time as the Dodgers adjust their roster for the post-season.
Sunday will conclude the three-game series in the nation's capitol, with LA sending out Walker Buehler (9-1, 3.23) against Stephen Strasburg (13-4, 3.37) at 1:35 pm ET. The Dodgers are seeking the sweep.
NOTES: Paul Goldschmidt tied the franchise record by homering in his sixth straight game, though it was not nearly enough, as St. Louis fell to Houston, 8-2. He shares the mark with Mark McGuire and Matt Carpenter.
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