Players of the Day for Friday, August 16, 2019
American League
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.
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.
American League
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| McCann Slams Again |
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.
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| Yastrzemski: 3HR, 4RBI |
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.
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