Players of the Day for Friday, September 6, 2019
American League
There are no superstars on the Tampa Bay Rays. Most baseball fans would be hard-pressed to name three or four of their starting position players. As for pitchers, the Rays use them all, deploying a new approach, using an "opener" instead of a starter, who normally will pitch just one or two innings.
The strategy has worked so well for the Rays that other teams have adopted it, along with Tampa Bay's infield shifts. Most of the Rays' radical style has come from their upstart manager, Kevin Cash, who's guided the Rays since 2014 and has them in the top wild card position this season.
Tamps won for the eighth time in its last nine games, setting the tone with opening pitcher, Brendan McKay, who allow just one hit and fanned seven in 3 2/3 innings, en route to a 5-0 win over the visiting Blue Jays.
McKay has worked just 39 1/3 innings, but has struck out 48. Like most Tampa hurlers, the 23-year-old lefty is employed in a variety of situations.
Tampa Bay is a game up on Oakland in the wild card race, with Cleveland next, 1 1/2 out.
The Rays will look to take their third straight from Toronto on Saturday. The four-game series concludes Sunday.
National League
Don't go sticking a fork in the Milwaukee Brewers just yet. They're not done.
Bouncing back with a 7-1 win over the Cubs after losing the first of their four-game series, 10-5, Milwaukee remained very much alive in the wild card chase, though time is running out on all teams, with three weeks and roughly 20-23 games remaining.
Zach Davies held the Cubs to one run over five innings, and Christian Yelich ripped his 44th home run of the season to power the victory.
Yelich's three-run homer in the third off Chicago starter, Cole Hamels, put the Brewers up, 3-1. They added another run in the frame and posted single runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth.
Yelich also singled twice, remaining within striking distance of the league lead in batting. At .326 - the exact average with which he took the NL batting title in 2018 - he's fourth, toiling Washington's Anthony Rendon, who leads with a .338 average. Yelich is tied with LA's Cody Bellinger in the home run race. Both are one behind Mets' rookie Pete Alonso, who has 45 blasts.
The Brewers are four games behind the Cubs in the race for the second wild card, and are tied with the Phillies and Mets, each with identical 72-68 records. Arizona, winners of 10 of their last 11, is in the best position, trailing the Cubs by 2 1/2 games.
Game three of the Cubs-Brewers series is slated for a 7:10 pm start, Saturday in Milwaukee.
American League
 |
| McKay fanned 7 vs. Jays |
The strategy has worked so well for the Rays that other teams have adopted it, along with Tampa Bay's infield shifts. Most of the Rays' radical style has come from their upstart manager, Kevin Cash, who's guided the Rays since 2014 and has them in the top wild card position this season.
Tamps won for the eighth time in its last nine games, setting the tone with opening pitcher, Brendan McKay, who allow just one hit and fanned seven in 3 2/3 innings, en route to a 5-0 win over the visiting Blue Jays.
McKay has worked just 39 1/3 innings, but has struck out 48. Like most Tampa hurlers, the 23-year-old lefty is employed in a variety of situations.
Tampa Bay is a game up on Oakland in the wild card race, with Cleveland next, 1 1/2 out.
The Rays will look to take their third straight from Toronto on Saturday. The four-game series concludes Sunday.
National League
 |
| Yelich Socks 44th HR |
Don't go sticking a fork in the Milwaukee Brewers just yet. They're not done.
Bouncing back with a 7-1 win over the Cubs after losing the first of their four-game series, 10-5, Milwaukee remained very much alive in the wild card chase, though time is running out on all teams, with three weeks and roughly 20-23 games remaining.
Zach Davies held the Cubs to one run over five innings, and Christian Yelich ripped his 44th home run of the season to power the victory.
Yelich's three-run homer in the third off Chicago starter, Cole Hamels, put the Brewers up, 3-1. They added another run in the frame and posted single runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth.
Yelich also singled twice, remaining within striking distance of the league lead in batting. At .326 - the exact average with which he took the NL batting title in 2018 - he's fourth, toiling Washington's Anthony Rendon, who leads with a .338 average. Yelich is tied with LA's Cody Bellinger in the home run race. Both are one behind Mets' rookie Pete Alonso, who has 45 blasts.
The Brewers are four games behind the Cubs in the race for the second wild card, and are tied with the Phillies and Mets, each with identical 72-68 records. Arizona, winners of 10 of their last 11, is in the best position, trailing the Cubs by 2 1/2 games.
Game three of the Cubs-Brewers series is slated for a 7:10 pm start, Saturday in Milwaukee.
No comments:
Post a Comment