Mets End Skid As Todd Frazier Drives In Six; Mookie Betts Keeps Red Sox Hopes Alive

Players of the Day for Friday, August 30, 2019

American League

Betts homers twice

Mookie Betts got the Red Sox started with a leadoff home run. Five hours later, he ended Boston's 15-inning marathon with another solo shot, as Boston kept its playoff hopes alive with a 7-6 win over the Angels at Anaheim.

Betts finished the night 3-for-7 with three runs and two RBI, adding a single and scoring the third inning.

One of the few bright spots for the Red Sox this year, Betts has 23 home runs and 69 RBI. His 121 runs leads the majors.

The win kept the Red Sox 5 1/2 behind Oakland for the second wild card. Cleveland leads by a game in the #1 position, while Tampa Bay helped themselves with a 4-0 win over the Indians on Friday. Boston is 4 1/2 behind the Rays.

Boston has won three straight and five of their last six games, and will look to make it two straight over the Angels when they meet on Saturday, at 6:07 pm PT.

National League

Frazier: 2HR, 6 RBI

Losers of six straight, the New York Mets needed a spark - and a win - lest they fall completely out of contention in the wild card race. Entering the first of a three-game series at the Phillies, they found themselves five games behind the Cubs for the second wild card, with the Phillies, Brewers and Diamondbacks (winners of five straight) in between.

Through seven innings, there seemed to be little hope, as the Mets and Phillies remained tied at 1-1. All of that changed in the final two innings, as the teams combined for 14 runs.

After Amed Rosario singled in two runs, Todd Frazier broke out with his 17th home run, a three-run blast that gave the Mets a solid lead at 6-1. In the ninth, he did it again, driving in six runs with his two dingers, as the Mets exploded to an 11-5 victory.

The win kept the Mets on pace with the Cubs and Diamondbacks, both winners Friday, and improved their position versus the Phillies and Brewers. Milwaukee has lost four of its last five games.

The Mets and Phillies meet again on Saturday and Sunday.

Victor Caratini's 2 HRs Lift Cubs Over Mets; Mike Clevinger 10-2 After 2-0 Win at Detroit

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 29, 2019

American League

Clevinger: 8 scoreless

If good starting pitching is essential down the stretch and into the playoffs, then the Cleveland Indians appear to be in great shape. The Indians' staff is so deep they had the luxury of letting Trevor Bauer go to Cincinnati at the trade deadline.

One reason for such confidence is hard-throwing right-hander, Mike Clevinger, who busted the Tigers Thursday with eight scoreless innings in a 2-0 Cleveland win.

Francisco Lindor accounted for all of Cleveland's runs with a third inning solo homer and a seventh-inning sacrifice fly while Clevinger shut down the Tigers on four hits, striking out 10 with no walks.

Brad Hand worked a hitless ninth for his 33rd save of the season, second best in the AL. Yankee Aroldis Chapman leads the league with 36 saves.

Clevinger improved to 10-2 on the year, with a stellar 2.72 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 86 innings. Due to various aliments, Clevinger had only four starts through June, and a 1-2 record. Since then, he's 9-0 in 11 starts.

The win left the Indians 3 1/2 back of Minnesota in the Central division, but 1 1/2 ahead of Oakland and 2 1/2 up on Tampa Bay in the wild card race. Winners of five of their last six the Indians swept Detroit and head to Tampa Bay Friday for a three-game series with the Rays.

National League

Caratini's 2HRs sink Mets

What you don't know can hurt you.

Just ask Jacob deGrom, who knows most - if not all - of the Cubs' hitters tendencies pretty well. What they like, what they don't, what to throw in certain counts are all part of DeGrom's masterful repertoire.

What he didn't know was how exactly to pitch to Cubs' catcher, Victor Caratini. Though, on the other hand, maybe Caratini figured out how to hit off deGrom.

The two last met on June 23rd, a 5-3 Chicago win, and the result was pretty much a draw. deGrom stuck out Caratini in his first at-bat, but surrendered a single the second time around. So much for a short learning curve.

In Thursday's 4-1 Chicago victory, it was Caratini who had the upper hand, driving in all of the Cubs' runs with a pair of home runs off the Mets' starter.

Caratini launched a solo shot in the second inning, tying the game at 1-1. In the top of the seventh, after Chicago starter, Jon Lester, had held the Mets to one run over six frames, Caratini removed all doubt with a three-run blast. That sent deGrom to the showers and the Mets to their sixth straight loss and a three-game sweep by the visiting Cubs. Three Chicago relievers held the Mets hitless over the final three innings. Caratini was 7-for-12 (.583) in the Cubs' three wins over the Mets.

The result sent the Mets to the back of the wild card pack, five games behind Chicago, as the Cubs have wrested control of the second wild card position and find themselves a mere 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the Central division race.

On Friday, the Mets head off on a dangerous road trip, with three games each in Philadelphia and Washington. Both teams are ahead of them in the division and wild card. The Cubs return home for a three-game series with central division rival, Milwaukee.

Kurt Suzuki Drives Nationals Over Orioles; Jonathan Schoop's 2 HR Lead Twins Past White Sox

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Schoop: 2 HR, 4 RBI

American League

With Cleveland posting a 4-2 win at Detroit Wednesday night, the Minnesota Twins kept their AL Central rivals at arms length with an 8-2 win in Chicago over the White Sox.

Wins by the top teams in the division kept the Twins 3 1/2 games up on the Indians as the clock ticks down on the regular season. Minnesota has 30 games left to play, Cleveland, 29.

Minnesota's win was fueled by a pair of home runs off the bat of second baseman, Jonathan Schoop. Putting the Twins up, 3-1, with a three-run blast in the first, Schoop socked a solo shot in the eighth.

In his last seven games, Schoop is batting .318 with five homers and nine RBI.

The Twins meet the White Sox again on Thursday, looking for a sweep of their three-game series and their fifth straight win. Game time is 1:10 pm CT.

National League

Suzuki: 2B, HR, 4 RBI

It may be too late for the Washington Nationals to run down the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, but, for what it's worth, the Nats are putting in one heck of a run, winning for the 13th time in their last 16 games with an 8-4 win over the visiting Orioles Wednesday.

Veteran Kurt Suzuki led the Nationals with four RBI on his 14th home run and a two-run double. Suzuki capped a five-run first inning for the Nats with a two-run belt, then doubled in a pair of runs in the fifth, putting the game out of reach at 8-2.

An accomplished catcher, Suzuki, 35, is on his second tour with Washington. He played for the Nationals at the end of the 2012 season and 79 games in 2013.

While the Nationals have been on fire, Atlanta has not flinched. The Braves recently won eight straight and have won 12 of their last 16, including Wednesday's 9-4 win at Toronto. Washington's win kept them within 5 1/2 of the division leader and three games up on the Cubs, in the top wild card position.

Washington and Atlanta still have seven games against each other remaining. The Nationals host the Marlins and Mets for three games each before heading to Atlanta for four games with the Braves next week, September 5-8.

Yadier Molina Homers Twice, Cardinals Whip Brewers Again; Yordan Alvarez Powers Astros Past Rays

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 27, 2019

American League

Alvarez: 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Houston continued to roll towards a third straight AL West championship, taking the first game of their series with Tampa Bay with a resounding, 15-1, conquest, on Tuesday.

Justin Verlander won his 16th game of the season against five losses, working 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball. Yordan Alvarez banged a pair of home runs, doubled, scored three times and drove in four runs.

Alvarez is Houston's rising-star rookie who has provided quite a boost to their already-loaded lineup. in 60 games, Alvarez is batting .329 with 21 home runs and 62 RBI.

After dropping five straight mid-month, the Astros have regained their winning edge, taking eight of their last nine games. They lead the division by nine games over the Athletics. Tampa Bay fell a game behind the A's in the wild card race. Cleveland leads, holding a 1/2-game advantage over Oakland.

Game two of the series is slated for an 8:10 pm start, Wednesday night in Houston.

National League

Molina: 3-3, 2HR, 3RBI

St. Louis won its sixth straight game Tuesday, taking another from the fading Milwaukee Brewers, 6-3.

Instrumental to their victory was catcher, Yadier Molina, with a pair of home runs and a double in three at-bats.

Molina, a nine-time all-star, ripped a solo homer in the fifth, smacked a two-run shot in the seventh, and doubled and scored in the ninth.

Missing from action most of July and half of August due to injury, Molina's return has coincided with the Cardinals' winning ways. Returning to the lineup on August 13, Molina is batting .308 since. The Cardinals have won 15 of 18 since August 9 and have surged to the lead in the NL Central, currently holding a three game advantage over the Cubs.

Milwaukee's season has suddenly gone south. The Brewers are 5-9 since August 11 and are 6 1/2 out in the division. Their chances of making the playoffs via the wild card are also in jeopardy. They are 3 1/2 behind the Cubs, who hold the second wild card, but the Phillies and Mets are ahead of them.

The Cardinals will be seeking to sweep the Brewers when they take the field for game three of the series, Wednesday, 2:10 pm ET.

Marcus Semien Drives in 7, A's Rout Royals; Cardinals Rip Brewers, 12-2, Marcell Ozuna Has 3 RBI

Players of the Day for Monday, August 26, 2019

Semien: 3B, HR, 7 RBI

American League

Embroiled in a heated wild card race with Cleveland and Tampa Bay, the Oakland A's tore up the lower-tier Kansas City Royals, banging out 22 hits in a 19-4 romp.

Shortstop and leadoff hitter, Marcus Semien, was outstanding at the plate, racking his a three-run homer in the fourth inning after clearing the bases in the second with a triple. For good measure, Semien grounded into a force play, driving in his seventh run of the game in the eighth inning.

The 28-year-old is having an exceptional season, averaging .273 while smacking 23 home runs with 69 RBI and 93 runs scored. He's on pace for career marks in all of those categories.

With the win, Oakland is one game behind Tampa Bay for the #1 wild card with Cleveland sandwiched in between, 1/2-game behind the Rays. The A's also trail Houston in the AL West by nine games, but, with 32 games remaining, there's scant hope of catching the defending division champs.

The Athletics should be able to rack up some wins this week, as they have three more games in Kansas City before heading to New York for a return engagement with the Yankees. The A's recently swept three games from the Yanks in Oakland.

National League

Ozuna's hot bat helps Cards

With a 12-2 win at NL Central rival Milwaukee, the St. Louis Cardinals won their fifth straight and eighth of their last nine.

St. Louis has gotten hot at the optimum point of the season and has wedged out a 2 1/2-game lead over the Cubs in the division. Their win over the Brewers sent Milwaukee back to five games off the pace and in danger of losing touch in not just the division, but the wild card as well. The Brewers trail the Cubs by 2 1/2 games for the second wild card.

The Cardinals' rise in the standings has coincided roughly with the return of Marcell Ozuna, who spent the entire month of July on the IL. After five losses from August 3rd through 7th, St. Louis has been binging on wins, going 14-3 through Monday's contest.

From the ninth through Mondays game, Ozuna has gone 22-for-61 (.360) with three homers and 14 RBI, including a 2-for-5 effort Monday, highlighted by a three-run double in the second inning which put the Cards up, 6-0.

Milwaukee has dropped three of its last four games against St. Louis, and the two match up again Tuesday at 7:40 pm ET in game two of the series in Milwaukee.

Domingo Herman Nothes 17th Win As Yanks Down Dodgers; Dallas Keuchel, Josh Donaldson Lead Braves to 8th Straight

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 25, 2019

Herman: 17 Ws tops MLB

American League

Domingo Herman out dueled the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw en route to a 5-1 win in Los Angeles as the Yankees took the series, two games to one.

After giving up a leadoff home run on the first pitch in the first inning to Joc Pederson, Herman settled in, giving up just four more hits over six innings to earn his 17th win against a mere three loses.

Herman's 17 wins are two more than any other major league hurler. At 4.03, Herman's ERA is a little on the high side, but the results speak for themselves. He's been very efficient at keeping runs from scoring in key situations. He's fanned 136 batters in 127 1/3 innings, walking 30. While hitters are averaging .233 against him, he keeps chalking up wins. In his last 10 starts, Herman is 8-1 as the Yankees have maintained a huge lead in the AL East.

D.J. LeMahieu, Mike Ford and Aaron Judge each socked solo homers off Kershaw.

With the Rays losing, the Yankees improved to a nine-game bulge in the division. On Monday, they head to Seattle for a three-game series, wrapping up a nine-game road trip.

Keuchel: 7 scoreless

National League

Winning their eighth straight, the Atlanta Braves rode the arm of Dallas Keuchel to a 2-1 win over the Mets, completing a three-game series sweep of their NL East opponents.

Donaldson: 2 solo HRs

Keuchel (5-5, 3.78) blanked the Mets for seven innings, allowing four hits while fanning seven. Sean Newcomb worked a scoreless eighth and Mark Melancon gave up a run in the ninth but still managed the save, his sixth of the season.

Josh Donaldson's two solo homers provided the winning edge. Donaldson has 32 homers on the season.

The win left Atlanta six up on the Nationals in the NL East. The Mets are in fourth place, 12 games out, 1/2-game behind the Phillies, both struggling to keep up in the wild card race. The Nationals have won five straight and hold a four-game lead over the Cubs for the top wild card. Chicago is 1 1/2 ahead of the Phillies for the second spot.

The Braves head to Colorado on Monday for a make-up game before two in Toronto, Tuesday and Wednesday, wrapping up their road trip.

Twins Win, Max Kepler Homers, Drives in 2; Corey Dickerson's 5 RBI Leads Phillies over Marlins

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 24, 2019

Kepler socks 35th HR

American League

Resisting the challenge from Cleveland, the Twin keep on winning, evening their series with the Tigers Saturday with a 9-5 victory.

Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Jake Cave all homered, with Kepler added a single and a double, driving in a pair of runs and scoring twice.

The win was Minnesota's sixth in their last nine games. The Indians, 4-2 winners over Kansas City, kept pace, 2 1/2 games back in the AL Central.

Kepler, who seems to be always on base, is batting just .256, but he's having an all-star season, smacking 35 home runs, driving in 86, and scoring 89 runs. He's tied for second in homers, eighth in runs, and tied for eighth in RBI. Not bad for a leadoff hitter.

Tied a game apiece, Minnesota and Detroit conclude their series in Minneapolis Sunday at 2:10 pm ET.

National League

Dickerson: 4-for-5, 5 RBI

With a 9-3 win at Miami, the Philadelphia Phillies moved past the Mets into third place in the NL East, and are 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the second wild card.

Leading the effort was Corey Dickerson, picked up from the Pirates at the trade deadline to provide some extra offense, which is exactly what he did Saturday, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and two singles, driving in five runs.

A lifetime .285 hitter, Dickerson is batting .292 with five doubles, three homers and 19 RBI in 17 games with the Phillies. That's a recipe for success with Andrew McCutchen on the 60-day IL, and Bryce Harper on three days of paternity leave.

Embroiled in a heated wild card race - they're 10 1/2 out in the division - the Phillies have won seven of their last 10 and will look to take two of three in Miami when they take the field Sunday at 1:10 pm ET.

Anibal Sanchez Sharp in Nationals' 9-3 Win over Cubs; J.D. Martinez' 2 HRs, 7 RBI Lead Boston Rout of Padres

Players of the Day for Friday, August 23, 2019

Martinez: 2 HR, 7 RBI

American League

Boston, in defense of their 2018 championship, hasn't fared well and probably won't make the playoffs.

That doesn't mean they're going to go down without a fight, however, as they trail the Indians and A's by 6 1/2 games after blistering the Padres, 11-0, Friday night.

While Eduardo Rodriguez was holding San Diego scoreless on five hits over seven innings, J.D. Martinez was blasting away at the plate, socking a pair of three-run homers and driving in a run with a sac fly. Martinez totaled seven RBI, going 3-for-4 at the plate.

The dingers were numbers 29 and 30 for Martinez, and his RBI total for the season measured 82 after the game. While Martinez's .312 batting average is solid, it and his power numbers are down from last season, when he batted .330 with 43 homers and 130 RBI.

Boston continues its three-game series in San Diego Saturday. Game time is 8:40 pm ET.

National League

Sanchez: 8 1/3 IP, 1H, 1ER

Continuing their pursuit of the Braves in the NL East, the Washington Nationals have carved out the top spot in the wild card standings, cementing that with a 9-3 win in Chicago over the Cubs on Friday.

With his longest mound outing since 2015, Anibal Sanchez showed the way to an easy win, allowing one hit and one earned run over 8 1/3 innings.

Sanchez threw 76 of 112 pitches for strikes, fanning six and walking two, the last of which led to the first of three runs the Cubs would score in the ninth. After Nick Castellanos singled in the fourth, Sanchez set down 14 straight before walking Tony Kemp, who eventually scored on a throwing error.

Sanchez finished for the night, Matt Grace mopped up what remained of the Cubs' mini-rally.

Opening their three game series in Chicago with a win left the Nationals six games behind the Braves in the division and two games up on Cubs, the loss sending them to second place in the Central, 1/2 game behind the Cardinals, who topped Colorado, 8-3, and took over the division lead.

Game two of the Chicago-Washington series is Saturday, 2:20 pm ET.

Gerrit Cole Fans 12 As Houston Tames Tigers; Noah Syndergaard 2-Hits Indians for Mets' Sweep

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 22, 2019

American League

Cole: 15-5, 3.20, 238 Ks

While the Oakland A's were busy wrapping up a three-game sweep of the Yankees with 5-3 win, Gerrit Cole and the Houston Astros were doing their best to remain atop the AL West with a 6-3 win over Detroit.

The win wrapped up the series with the visiting Tigers, with Houston taking three of four.

A leading Cy Young candidate, Cole worked seven innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs. He fanned 12 Tigers, marking the fifth time this season he's struck out at least 12 in a game.

Cole was serving up the whiffs right from the start, fanning two in each of the first and second innings before striking out the side in the third. He gave up one walk and finished with 238 strikeouts, one behind teammate Justin Verlander, who leads the majors.

Cole is 15-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 26 starts and he's won 11 straight, his last loss coming on May 22, a 9-4 loss to the White Sox.

Houston's win kept them seven up on the Athletics in the division. With the Yankees losing four straight, Houston has crept to within one game for the overall best record in the league, which would ensure home field throughout the playoffs.

The Astros host the Angels for three over the weekend with game one starting at 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Syndergaard Stops Tribe

Completing a three-game sweep of Cleveland, the New York Mets continue to amaze the baseball world, winning their fifth straight with a 2-0, rain-shortened win over the Indians.

Noah Syndergaard took a no-hitter into the sixth, gave up a pair of singles, but closed out the inning without allowing Cleveland a run.

Jeurys Familia and Paul Sewald set down the Indians in the seventh and eighth. The game was called with the Mets batting, two on base and no outs in the eighth.

Syndergaard improved to 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA and his best performance since one-hitting the Rockies over seven innings on June 9th.

The Mets have earned their way into the playoff race. They are 27-10 since the all-star break and are 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card slot. Washington leads the wild card, 1 1/2 ahead of the Cardinals.

NL East's first place team, the Atlanta Braves, visit Citi Field and the Mets this weekend for a three-game series. Game one is Friday at 7:10 pm ET.

Lucas Giolito Tosses 3-0 Shutout for White Sox; Nick Castellanos 4-5 in Cubs' 12-11 Win over Giants

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 21, 2019

American League

Giolito: 3-hit shutout

An up-and-coming star for the White Sox, Lucas Giolito improved to 14-6 with a complete-game, 3-0, three-hit shutout of the Minnesota Twins Wednesday.

Giolito threw 82 of 114 pitches for strikes, fanning 12 without any walks. He allowed a bunt single by Jorge Polanco in the first inning, a single by Nelson Cruz in the fourth and a Jonathan Schoop double in the eighth. Finishing strong, Giolito struck out four of the last five batters he faced, all swinging.

In 25 starts this season, the 6'6", 25-year-old has a 3.20 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP, and 194 strikeouts in 151 2/3 innings. He ranks sixth in the AL in ERA, is tied for third in wins, and seventh in strikeouts.

The Sox are 57-69, out of the playoff picture, trailing the Twins by 19 1/2 games in the AL Central. Minnesota is clinging to a three game lead over Cleveland. Minnesota got some help from the Mets, who've defeated the Indians two straight, including Wednesday's 4-3 win in 10 innings.

The Indians wrap up their series with the Mets on Thursday. The Twins dropped two of three to the White Sox, have Thursday off, and open a three-game series Friday at home against the Tigers, who have the worst record in baseball, 38-86.

Castellanos: 4-5, HR, 3RBI

National League

Kris Bryant socked a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 12-11 victory over the visiting Giants. Nick Castellanos was occupying second base when Bryant lifted his drive to left, scoring the game-tying run.

Castellanos went 4-for-5 on the night, with three singles, a home run, his 19th of the season, and three RBI. Picked up at the trade deadline from the Tigers, Castellanos has been a catalyst for the Cubs, batting .392 with eight homers and 12 RBI in 19 games.

The win moved the Cubs back into first place in the frenetic NL Central, taking a 1/2-game lead on the Cardinals, 5-3 losers to Milwaukee Wednesday. The Cubs, Cardinals and Brewers have taken turns at first place all season long, though none of them have proven able to hold it for long.

The Brewers are now 3 1/2 out and they have four more losses than the Cards and Cubs, but they still have 35 games left to play and plenty of time to make up ground.

Chicago has won four straight and can wrap up a three-game sweep of the Giants with a win Thursday. Game time is 2:20 pm ET. After that, the Cubs have a hellacious schedule, beginning with three games against the Nationals at Wrigley Field. They fly to New York for three with the Mets after that. They have seven games with the Brewers over consecutive weekends, sandwiched around two games in Chicago with the Seattle Mariners.

The Cubs also have to deal with the Cardinals in the final two weeks of the season, playing them seven times.

Braves Top Marlins, 5-1, As Freddie Freeman Homers Twice; Nelson Cruz Powers Twins Over White Sox, 14-4

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Cruz: 4-5, HR, 3 2B, 3 RBI

American League

After a brief stint on the injured list, Nelson Cruz returned to action on Monday, knocking out a pair of singles in five at-bats in a 6-4 loss to the White Sox.

On Tuesday, Cruz demonstrated that he was truly ready for full-time play, mashing three doubles and a solo home run in five at-bats. Cruz drove in three runs and scored three runs as the Twins evened their home series with the Sox with a 14-4 rout.

Cruz has 33 home runs on the year with 80 RBI.

With the Mets handing Cleveland a 9-2 defeat, the Twins opened up another game of breathing room in the division race, leading the AL Central by three games over the Indians.

Game three of the Twins' series with Chicago starts at 1:10 pm ET Wednesday.

Freeman: 102 RBI leads MLB

National League

Winners of three straight and six of their last eight, the Atlanta Braves are cruising toward their second straight NL East pennant.

On Tuesday, the Braves rode the arm of Dallas Keuchel and the bat of Freddie Freeman to a 5-1 win in the opener of a three-game series with the Marlins in Atlanta.

Keuchel (4-5, 4.15) tossed six innings, allowing one run on six hits, fanning seven and walking two. Meanwhile, Freeman was providing plenty of offense, socking a solo homer in the fourth inning and another in the fifth. His two-run single in the seventh broke the game open, allowing a trio of Atlanta relievers to shut down the Marlins for the duration.

Freeman is having his usual outstanding season, stroking 33 home runs with 102 RBI, which leads the majors. Atlanta improved its advantage in the NL East to six games of the Nationals, as Washington dropped a 4-1 decision in Pittsburgh.

Atlanta hosts the Marlins Wednesday at 7:20 pm ET for game two of the three-game set.

Cardinals' Dakota Hudson Sharp in Win Over Brewers; Tom Murphy Leads Seattle Past Rays, 9-3

Players of the Day for Monday, August 19, 2019

American League

Murphy: 3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI

In their desperate chase of a wild card slot, the Tampa Bay Rays ran into a speed bump on Monday, as catcher Tom Murphy whacked a pair of home runs, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 9-3 romp.

Murphy socked his first homer in the opening frame, a three-run blast that set the tone for the night. He homered again in the fifth inning, this time with nobody on base, and singled to complete a 3-for-4 night with four RBI.

The Mariners are hopelessly out of the playoff race, but the loss was damaging to the Rays, who fell 1 1/2 behind Cleveland, currently in the #1 spot. The Rays are just one game to the good over the Oakland A's, so the pressure is on, since it's doubtful Tampa will catch the Yankees, who hold a 10-game edge in the East division.

Also looming dangerously is Boston, six games behind the Rays in both the division and wild card. Tampa has played well of late, winning 14 of their last 19.

Game two of the Rays' home series with Seattle is Tuesday, 7:10 pm ET.

National League

Hudson: No-hitter for 6 2/3

Dakota Hudson must have been gassed.

After throwing 114 pitches, he left the mound in St. Louis' 3-0 win over visiting Milwaukee without allowing a hit over 6 2/3 innings.

Giovanny Gallegos closed out the top of the seventh by inducing a ground ball to second by Ben Gamal. In the eighth, Gallegos gave up the only Brewer hit of the game. After Orlando Arcia walked to lead off the inning, Yasmani Grandal stroked a ground-rule double to right with two down.

Andrew Miller came to the rescue, getting Mike Moustakas to gourd out to second after intentionally walking Christian Yelich (good move).

Miller closed out the ninth, getting the Milwaukee batters in order.

Hudson (12-6, 3.63) walked four (Yelich twice) and didn't allow a runner past first. The 24-year-old has been vital to the Cardinals' keeping pace in the NL Central, chalking up six wins against two losses in his last nine starts. He's still a rookie, having gone 4-1 in 2018 in 27 1/3 innings. This year he's put in 134 innings and has struck out 104 batters.

The Cardinals - winners of eight of their last 10 - took sole possession of first place in the division, 1/2-game beyond the idle Cubs. Milwaukee has lost two straight and five of their last seven. They fell to three games back.

Game two of the series begins Tuesday, at 7:45 pm ET, in St. Louis.

Rafael Devers First to 100 RBI as Boston Rips O's; Mets Win, Pete Alonso Sets NL Rookie HR Record

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 18, 2019

Devers first to 100 RBI

American League

Rafael Devers became the first player in the majors to knock in 100 runs this season, going 4-for-5 with four RBI in Boston's 13-7 romp over the Orioles.

Devers has been "el Fuego" of late, riding an eight-game hitting streak in which he's batting a robust .540 (20-for-37) with four home runs and 14 RBI. That streak includes an August 13, 6-for-6 effort in a 7-6 win at Cleveland which started Boston's current five-game winning streak.

Devers singled, doubled twice, and socked his 27th home run as the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Orioles. He has 101 RBI and is third in the batting stats, at .332.

Boston remained 6 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for the second wild card spot, as the Rays defeated Detroit, 5-4. While the odds that the Red Sox will reach the playoffs are slim, they do play at Tampa Bay four more times and have a favorable schedule coming up. After hosting two games against the contending Phillies Tuesday and Wednesday, they embark on an eight-game road trip, with three in San Diego, two at Colorado, and three in Anaheim against the Angels. All of those teams have sub-.500 records.

National League

Alonso sets rookie mark

There's little doubt who the NL rookie of the year is going to be. The Mets' Pete Alonso has been having an incredible first year, providing a power punch in the middle of New York's lineup.

On Sunday, Alonso watched a milestone, setting a new National League record for home runs by a rookie with his 40th dinger as the Mets punched out the Royals, 11-5, tying Philadelphia and Milwaukee in the wild card standings.

Alonso, home run was an add-on solo shot in the ninth, but he contributed earlier, walking and scoring in the first inning on Michal Conforto's three=run homer, singling in the sixth, doubling in a run and scoring in the Mets' six=-run seventh.

His two RBI have Alonso at 95, closing in on the leaders, three of which are tied at 98 (Freddie Freeman, Eduardo Escobar, and Josh Bell). He's batting .271.

The previous rookie HR record was held by Cody Bellinger, who socked 39 for the Dodgers in 2017 and was named rookie of the year. Alonso is just one homer short of the Mets' franchise record, held jointly by Carolos Beltran and Todd Hundley. Mark McGuire's MLB record of 49, set with the Oakland Athletics in 1987, may be too much to ask of the 24-year-old slugger.

24-10 since the all-star break, the Mets are the success story of the second half. They've gotten themselves into the wild card hunt, just two games behind the Cubs and/or Cardinals, who are the holders of the second spot but are tied for the lead in the NL Central.

Their work cut out for them with a brutal schedule ahead - a nine-game home stand with three games each against the Indians, Braves, and Cubs - the Mets open on Tuesday with a 7:10 pm ET game against Cleveland.

Brewers Top Nats in 14, Christian Yelich Homers Twice; Rays Win In 13 Thanks to Ryan Yarbrough, Michael Brosseau

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 17, 2019

American League

Yarbrough: 6 1/3 scoreless

With fewer than 40 games left to play, Tampa Bay probably isn't going to catch the Yankees in the AL East, but they they do have their sights set on a wild card spot. The Rays are in the #2 spot, one game behind Cleveland, after their 1-0, 13-inning win over Detroit and some help from the Yankees, who dropped the Indians, 6-5, on Saturday.

Brosseau: game-winner

In a game which yielded fewer hits than innings, Ryan Yarbrough fanned 10 and allowed three hits over 6 1/3 innings, followed by a parade of five Tampa hurlers who didn't allow the Tigers another his for the next 6 2/3 innings.

Tiger starter, Jordan Zinmmerman, gave up just one hit in five innings, but his effort went for naught. In the bottom of the 13th, Michael Brosseau laced a drive to the warning track in the right-center gap that plated Eric Sogard with the game-winner.

Tampa Bay took the win after dropping a 2-0 decision in the series opener with the visiting Tigers. The teams will play the rubber game at 1:10 pm ET Sunday.

The Rays have won 13 of their last 17, and have just a 1/2-game advantage over the Oakland A's, who have taken down the Astros three straight, including Saturday's 8-4 victory. Oakland has drawn within 6 1/2 of the Astros in the West. Boston remains alive in the wild card, but are 6 1/2 games behind the Rays.

National League

Yelich: 5-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Locked into the fierce National League wild card struggle, the Brewers and Nationals played the second of a three-game series Saturday in Washington.

Following a relatively mundane, 2-1, win by the Nationals on Friday, game two was a baseball extravaganza, featuring 19 pitchers, 11 home runs, and 38 hits in a 14-inning, 14-13 Milwaukee win.

Eric Thames provided the winning blow, with a two-run homer in the top of the 14th inning. His only hit of the day was enough to hold off the Nationals in the final frame, in which Adam Eaton scored an unearned run, but that was all they would get off Brewer reliever, Junior Guerra, who picked up the win (7-4).

Ironically, the loss was saddled by Washington's Javy Guerra (1-1), who fanned five over three innings of work, but surrendered four hits and three earned runs. The two Guerra's are unrelated. Junior hails originally from Venezuela while Javy is Mexican.

While Thames' blast proved decisive, it was Christian Yelich who provided much of the opportunity. Yelich went 5-fot-6 with a pair of home runs, three singles, four RBI and three runs. He singled in two runs in the third and socked solo homers in the ninth and 13th innings.

His effort put him atop the NL batting leaders at .333 ad tied him with LA's Cody Bellinger with 41 home runs. His 89 RBI are close to the leaders. Currently, Freddie Freeman (Atlanta), Eduardo Escobar (Arizona) and Josh Bell (Pittsburgh) are tied for the lead at 98.

The game's result left the Nationals clinging to a 1 1/2-game edge in the wild card with the Cubs holding the second spot. Philadelphia and Milwaukee are a game behind Chicago, the Mets two back, the Giants 2 1/2 out.

With the series tied at a game apiece the Nat and Brewers will wrap it up Sunday at 1:35 pm ET.

NOTES: YES, HE DID IT AGAIN. Aristides Aquino homered again, his 11th in his first 17 games. Oddly enough, Aquino stuck out in his one 2018 at-bat, but has been sensational this season, batting .345 with 22 RBI.

Mike Yastrzemski's 3 HR Lead Giants Over Arizona; James McCann Slams, White Sox Top Angels

Players of the Day for Friday, August 16, 2019

American League

McCann Slams Again

Lately, James McCann is having quite a bit of success with the bases loaded. For the second time in three games, McCann uncorked a grand slam, breaking open a one-run game with his seventh-inning round-tripper in Chicago's 7-2 victory over the Angels at Anaheim.

Just two days ago, on the 14th, McCann buried the Astros with an eighth-inning slam, leading the White Sox to a 13-9 win.

McCann, who has five career grand slams, has 14 home runs this season. The win put the White Sox into third place in the AL Central, though neither they nor the Angels have any hop of making the post-season this year.

In more meaningful games on Friday, the Yankees recovered from Thursday's 19-5 drubbing to take game two of their four-game series with the Indians, 3-2. The Yanks upped their lead in the East to 10 1/2 games, as Tampa Bay dropped a 2-0 decision to the Tigers. Cleveland's loss left them 1 1/2 out in the AL Central. Minnesota slipped by Texas, 4-3.

In Oakland, the Athletics won their second straight over the Astros, with a 3-2, walk-off win in 13 innings when Robbie Grossman singled home Corban Joseph with the game winner. That left the A's 7 1/2 games behind Houston in the division, but just 1/2-game behind Tampa Bay for the second wild card.

National League

In San Francisco's 10-9, 11-inning win at Arizona, the two teams combined for 12 home runs, six by each team, four of them smacked in extra innings. After Kevin Pillar had put the Giants ahead, 9-7, with a two-run homer in the top of the 10th, the Diamondbacks responded with solo shots from Wilmer Flores and Nick Ahmed.

Yastrzemski: 3HR, 4RBI

Leading off the 11th against Arizona reliever Yoan Lopez, Mike Yastrzemski sent a towering fly out to center field, eventually landing over the wall, 438 feet away, his third home run of the game. Giants' relievers, Burch Smith and Trevor Gott combined to close out the Diamondbacks in the final frame.

Yastrzemski's two other homers came in the third and seventh innings, a solo shot and two-run rake, in the desert air.

The grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, the rookie is having a solid season, socking 16 homers with 45 RBI with a .272 batting average in 239 at-bats. His three-homer game matched his grandpa, who did it once in his 23-year career with the Boston Red Sox. The elder Yaz is 79 and was entered into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

The win put the Giants into second place in the NL West, though they trail the Dodgers by a seemingly-insurmountable 19 1/2 games. They are, however, just 2 1/2 back of the Cubs and Phillies for the second wild card spot. Washington continues to hold the top wild card, with a 2 1/2-game lead.

The 12 home runs were the second most by two teams in major league history. The Diamondbacks and Phillies hold the record of 13, set on June 10 this season at Citizens Bank Park.

San Fran has taken the first two of the four-game series in Arizona. Games three and four are Saturday and Sunday.

Elsewhere, St. Louis ripped the Reds, 13-4, taking sole possession of first place in the NL Central. The Cardinals lead the Cubs - losers of four straight - by one game and Milwaukee by two.

In that game, rookie slugger, Aristides Aquino, became the first player in major league history to hit 10 home runs in his first 16 games. Aquino socked a two-run shot in the sixth inning.

Cleveland Rips Yankees, 19-5, as Jose Ramirez, Greg Allen Star; Mets Pound Braves Behind Amed Rosario, Pete Alonso

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 15, 2019

American League

Greg Allen

Jose Ramirez uncorked a first-inning grand slam, added a two run blast in the second, and Greg Allen went 4-for-5, scored four times and drove in four as the Indians pummeled the Yankees, 19-5, in New York.

Jose Ramirez

The two Ramirez homers gave him 19 on the year, 11 of which he's hit in his last 30 games. Allen singled twice, doubled and socked his fourth home run of the season.

The game was the opener of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Cleveland's visit to the Big Apple also include a trio of game against the Mets, next Tuesday through Thursday.

Putting the game away in the opening frame, the Indians scored seven runs in the first inning and added more as the hit parade carried forward. Cleveland eventually rocked five Yankee pitchers for 24 hits.

Cleveland remained 1/2-game behind Minnesota in the Central division, as the Twins punched out a win at Texas, 13-6. The Yankees dropped a half game on second place Tampa Bay, idle on Thursday.

Game two is Friday, 7:05 pm ET.

National League

Amed Rosario

Staying alive in the wild card race - and on the fringes in the division - the NY Mets managed to avoid being swept by the East-leading Braves, knocking around Atlanta ace, Julio Teheran for six runs in the first two innings en route to a 10-8 road win.

Pete Alonso

The Mets banged out 23 hits, five each by Amed Rosario and rookie phenom Pete Alonso.

Batting in the leadoff spot, Rosario went 5-for-6, with three singles, a double and a triple, scoring four times, driving in one. Alonso was an unstoppable 5-for-5, with four singles, a first-inning, three-run homer, and six RBI.

Alonso's home run was his 39th, which tied him with Milwaukee's Chistian Yelich, one behind NL leader, Cody Bellinger, who smoked #40 in the Dodgers' 13-7 loss at Miami. Alonso is also in the league's top ten in RBI, with 91. Rosario has been recently getting it done as the Met spark plug. In his last 30 games, Rosario is batting .366 (45-for-123) with three homers and 21 runs.

The Mets are in fourth place, nine games behind the Braves in the AL East, but are just two games out of the second wild card spot, currently claimed by the Cubs. Washington holds the top wild card, 1 1/2 ahead of Chicago.

The Mets will complete a six-game road trip with three in Kansas City over the weekend. Friday's game is 8:15 pm ET.

Clayton Kershaw Near Perfect in 9-1 Dodger Win; James McCann Slam Lifts White Sox Over Astros

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 14, 2019

American League

McCann: Grand Slam

Along the way to what should be their fourth straight NL West title, the Houston Astros are likely to find a few bumps in the road, such as what happened late in the game on Thursday in a 13-9 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

With the score knotted at nine and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, James McCann launched a drive off an 0-2 pitch that rose and carried out over the fence and into the bullpen in left field.

McCann's grand slam was more than enough to secure the win for the home-standing Sox. Alex Colome slammed the door shut on the Astros in the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning.

McCann also singled and scored in the third inning, going 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI.

The White Sox took two of three in the series against Houston, who lost a game on their lead over Oakland in the division. The Astros lead the West by 9 1/2, and open a four-game series in Oakland on Thursday.

The road to the playoffs may just get a little bumpier.

National League

Kershaw: 7IP, 2H, 0ER, 10K

For the rest of the National League and teams looking forward to the playoffs, the good news is that Dodgers' ace, Clayton Kershaw, doesn't pitch every day.

The bad news is that when he does, he's sharp as a razor and nearly impossible to defeat.

In Wednesday's 9-1 win at Miami, Kershaw shut down the Marlins on two hits over seven innings without allowing a run.

That wasn't the half of it. Kershaw fanned the first seven batters he faced, didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, issued no walks and no Marlin made it safely past first base. He finished with 10 strikeouts. It was total domination, start to finish, by the 31-year-old, three-time Cy Young award winner (2011, 2013, 2014).

Kershaw (12-2, 2,41) hasn't lost a decision since June 29. In seven starts since then, he's 5-0, with a 1.40 ERA and 59 strikeouts over 45 innings.

LA has won four straight and nine of their last ten games. They lead the NL West division by a stunning 19 1/2 games. Ostensibly, Kershaw will be watching from the bullpen on Thursday when they wrap up their three-game series in Miami. Game time is 3:05 pm ET.

Jack Flaherty Throws 7 Scoreless as Cards Stop Royals; Kyle Seager Rips 3 HRs, Mariners Whip Tigers

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 13, 2019

American League

Seager: 3 HRs, 6 RBI

Kyle Seager crashed three home runs in Seattle's 11-6 Tuesday win at Detroit.

Seager connected with a solo shot in the fourth inning, a three-run rip in the sixth and a two-run dinger in the ninth, tally six RBI on the night.

Missing nearly all of the first two months of the season due to injury, Seager has 14 homers and 34 RBI in 64 games. The Mariners could have used his bat earlier, as they fell out of contention early, and are currently last in the AL West, a full 29 games out. Seattle is, at least, better than the Orioles and Tigers, the other two division trailers in the AL. Baltimore is 39-81, 40 1/2 off the East division pace. The Tigers, with the worst record in the majors, at 35-81, trail the Twins by 35 1/2 games in the Central.

The Twins lead the division by 1/2-game over Cleveland. The Twins were 7-5 winners at Milwaukee on Tuesday, while the Indians lost at home, 7-6, to the Red Sox.

The Mariners had lost eight of their last nine prior to Seager's performance. They continue their three-game series in Detroit on Wednesday, 7:10 pm ET.

National League

Flaherty: 7 scoreless

Nearly playing themselves out of contention last week with five straight losses, the Cardinals are back in the proper swing of things, winning their fourth straight with a 2-0 victory in Kansas City Tuesday.

Jack Flaherty was on the mound for St. Louis, tossing seven scoreless win for his second straight win and his third consecutive start without allowing a run, a scoreless streak that has now reached 23 innings, dating back to July 26, when the Cardinals topped Houston, 5-3, though Flaherty received no decision, allowing just three hits and two earned runs over six innings.

To say that Flaherty has been the best pitcher in the majors this month would bear some credence. He's given up a mere eight hits and four walks in 21 innings, with 26 strikeouts and a 0.57 WHIP. Opposing batters are operating at a .116 level against him.

St. Louis' win put them only a game back of the Cubs in the NL Central, as Chicago lost at Philadelphia, 4-2. They remained one game behind Washington in the wild card race. The Nationals have won three straight.

Looking to extend their winning ways, the Cardinals are at Kansas City again on Wednesday. Game time is 8:15 pm ET.

Nationals Top Reds, Trea Turner Drives In 4; Yankees' Gleyber Torres Bombs Orioles

Players of the Day for Monday, August 12, 2019

American League

Torres: 13 HR vs. Orioles

The Yankees routinely spank the Orioles, especially at Camden Yards in Baltimore, where they've won all ten games this season.

Opening a four-game series with a day-night double-header Monday, the Yankees took two more from the moribund O's, 8-5 in the opener and 11-6 in the night game.

The player who's been particularly damaging to the Orioles all season is Yankee shortstop, Gleyber Torres, who homered once in the opener and twice in the nightcap, reaching 13 home runs against the Orioles this season.

Torres' 13 homers against Baltimore tied Roger Maris' number in 1961 against Cleveland for the second-most against one team in a season for the Yankees, behind Lou Gehrig's record total of 14 in 1936, also against the Indians.

With a solo homer in the opener, Torres followed up with an evening encore, mashing a pair of three-run shots, one each in the fifth and sixth innings. He also singled in the first, scoring on Brett Gardner's bases-loaded triple.

Torres is batting .283, with 26 homers and 69 RBI.

The Yankees are 15-2 against Baltimore this season. They haven't lost against them since March 31. The season series concludes with games Tuesday and Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. For the Orioles, those games cannot come soon enough.

National League

Turner leads Nationals

Surging through the second half of the season, the Washington Nationals have themselves in position to challenge for the NL East title or the wild card. Presumably, the Nat would rather overtake the Braves in the division than face a one-game elimination in the wold card.

Opening a three-game series with the visiting Reds with a 7-6 win, the Nationals find themselves six games off the pace in the division race and with a one game edge on St. Louis in the wild card.

Trea Turner provided important offense for Washington, socking a three-run homer in the fourth inning and adding a run with an RBI single in the seventh.

Up 7-2 entering the eighth, Washington's bullpen barely held the lead, giving up two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Part of the Reds' late rally was a two-run blast by rookie Arisides Aquino, setting an MLB record with his eighth home run in his first 12 games.

Game two of the series between the wild card contenders - the Reds are 6 1/2 games back - is slated to start at 7:05 pm ET.

Grand Slam Heroes: Carlos Santana Drives Indians Past Twins; Lane Thomas Delivers for Cardinals

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 11, 2019

American League

Santana: Slam in 10th

Posting a 21-9 mark since the all star break, the Cleveland Indians tied the Minnesota Twins for first place in the AL Central with a 10-inning, 7-3 win in the conclusion of their series in Minneapolis.

Thanks to a Carlos Santana grand slam in the top of the 10th, the Indians took three of four from the Twins. Minnesota has been the division's top team since late April, but their advantage has steadily dwindled in the second half.

Santana's game-winning slam was his 25th home run of the year. Earlier, he had walked and scored in the first inning and singled in another run in the third.

The Indians head home to start a three-game series with Boston on Monday, while the Twins have Monday off, traveling to Milwaukee for two games with the Brewers, Tuesday and Wednesday.

National League

Thomas' Slam Lifts Cards

Getting some much needed help from rookie call-up, Lane Thomas, St. Louis completed a sweep of the Pirates, rallying to take their third straight with an 11-9 win Sunday at Busch Stadium.

Lane Thomas, who has spent most of the season at AAA Memphis, socked a bases-loaded homer in the seventh, giving the Cardinals a 9-8 lead. Dexter Fowler added a two-run shot in the eighth, padding the Cardinals' lead.

Earlier, Thomas had tripled in the fourth, plating Paul DeJong. His five RBI gave him 10 total, in just 22 major league at-bats. The rookie center fielder is batting .364.

The win boosted the Cardinals into second place in the Central division, as Milwaukee dropped a 1-0 decision to Texas. St. Louis is two games behind the Cubs in the division, with Milwaukee another 1/2-game back.

The Cardinals start a six-game road trip on Tuesday, playing two at Kansas City, prior to a four game set in Cincinnati.