A.J. Griffin Shuts Out Padres In 11-0 Texas Rout; Mark Reynolds Keeps Rockies In 1st, Beating Cubs

Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 9, 2017

American League

The Texas Rangers haven't been doing anything exceptionally well, but they may have gotten an emotional boost after Tuesday's 11-0 demolition of the Padres in San Diego.

Griffin: CG, 4-Hit Shutout

Ranger hitters scored 11 runs on just nine hits, thanks to seven walks by Padre pitchers. While the regulars in the lineup were scoring at will, starting pitcher, A.J. Griffin, improved to 4-0 with a complete game four-hit shutout, the first of each for the 29-year-old righty this season and his second (his first shutout was in 2013 with Oakland).

Griffin was on the mark throughout, throwing 71 of 104 pitches for strikes and getting first strikes on 23 of the 30 batters he faced. After getting out of the sixth inning with a double play, Griffin mowed down the final nine batters in order, finishing with four strikeouts while allowing one base on balls.

Griffin has been solid this season, with a 2.45 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP, fanning 27 while walking just six. Opposing hitter are batting a mere .183 against him in 29 1/3 innings.

The win marks the end of a nine-game road trip for the Rangers, in which they went 3-6. They remain in last place in the AL West, 8 1/2 games behind Houston, but return home Wednesday for two games against the Padres at 8:05 pm ET, starting an eight-game home stand.

National League

Reynolds: 12HR, 30RBI

After Monday's opener was rained out in Colorado, the Rockies took the first of a twi-night doubleheader over the troubled Cubs, 10-4, before dropping the nightcap, 8-1. In the first game, Mark Reynolds showed why Colorado is a team to watch in the NL West, which they lead by 1 1/2 over the LA Dodgers.

Reynolds completed the scoring for Colorado when he stroked his 12th home run of the season in the sixth inning after singling home runs in the third and fourth, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs. In the late game, Cubs' pitchers worked around Reynolds, walking him three times. Reynolds was 0-for-1.

A veteran of 11 seasons, Reynolds, 33, has found new life in the high air of Denver. Always a slugger, but generally with a low average, Reynolds hit a career-best .282 with Colorado last season and is belting at a .333 pace this season (39-for-117). He's tied for seventh in batting and is third in both homers (12) and RBI (30).

At 21-13, the Rockies have been steady, winning five of their last seven after the completion of Tuesday's doubleheader. The Cubs have not been sharp. Their win snapped a four-game losing streak and they are just 5-8 over their last 13 games.

With the series tied 1-1, the Cubs and Rockies will play the rubber game Wednesday at 3:10 pm ET at Coors Field in Denver.

A.J. Griffin, R.A. Dickey Toss 2-Hitters for A's, Blue Jays; Neil Walker Homer Helps Pirates Tie Cardinals for NL Central Lead

Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 26, 2013

American League

R.A. Dickey

Toronto's R.A. Dickey and Oakland's A.J. Griffin matched each other Wednesday afternoon, each throwing two-hit shutouts for their respective wins.

A. J. Griffin

In Tampa, Dickey (7-8) used a fluttering knuckleball to baffle would-be Rays hitters, walking one and striking out six in a 3-0 whitewash, Toronto's 12th win in their last 14 outings.

Putting away the first 13 batters he faced, Dickey surrendered a one-out single to James Loney in the fifth, but snuffed him out on a force play. In the sixth, Yunel Escobar singled and was doubled up to end the inning. Desmond Jennings led of the seventh with a walk and stole second (the only Ray to advance past first base) but that was all, as Dickey set down the final nine batters in order.

Toronto avoided being swept in the three-game series with the win.

While Dickey was blanking the Rays, A. J. Griffin was doing the same to the Reds, striking out seven and walking two for a two-hit, 5-0, shutout, the first of his short career.

Walking two of the first three batters he faced, Griffin was off to a rocky start, but settled in, giving up hits in the fifth and seventh, and getting the final seven outs in order, evening his record at 6-6.

Griffin threw 73 of 108 pitches for strikes and fanned Reds' right fielder, Jay Bruce, four times.

The win kept the A's tied with Texas for first place in the AL West.

National League

Neil Walker

Pittsburgh won its sixth straight with a 4-2 win at Seattle, catching the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the NL Central in the process.

The Bucs improved to 48-30 on the season, tying St. Louis with the best record n the majors, atop the division. Pittsburgh has not been this many games over .500 since 1992, their last winning season.

To get to where they are, the Pirates had to overthrow a king, that being "King" Felix Hernandez, the ace of the Seattle staff and the 2011 AL Cy Young Award recipient, who fanned 11 over seven inning and did not figure in the decision. Neil Walker's fourth-inning, two-run homer gave the Pirates the lead, but Seattle scored single runs in the bottom of the fourth and seventh to tie the game at 2-all. Pittsburgh rallied for a pair of runs in the ninth off Seattle relievers, the final run coming on a wild pitch by Yoervis Medina.

Walker added a single to go 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Pittsburgh took both games in Seattle, finishing off their nine-game road trip with a 7-2 mark. After a day off Thursday, they open a home stand with three games against the last place Milwaukee Brewers.

Today's Trivia: Only once has a player from the Toronto Blue Jays won the AL MVP award. Who was it and in what year did he win it? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Pete Rose took home his only NL MVP Award in 1973.

A.J. Griffin Slams Door on Angels in 4-1 Win; Cliff Lee Leads Phillies to 7th Straight Win, Tightens Wild Card Race

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 12, 2012

American League

Divisional and wild card races are heating up in both leagues, but, in the AL, no teams have been more pleasant surprises this season than Baltimore and Oakland.

On Wednesday, both the A's and O's were winners, the Orioles taking their second straight from Tampa Bay, when Nate McLouth drove in rookie Manny Machado with the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win.

Baltimore remained tied with the Yankees for the AL East lead and in line for the second wild card spot, dropping the Rays down to three games out.

A.J. Griffin

The A's have severely dimmed the fading post-season hopes of the LA Angels, whipping them for the third straight time after getting eight innings of shutout ball from rookie starter A.J. Griffin (6-0), in a 4-1 victory.

Griffin has been solid since being called up in June, posting a 1.984 ERA in 11 starts. Over his last three games, he's allowed just two earned runs in a span of 20 1/3 innings. His win over the Angels was his best start of the year, allowing six hits while fanning six with no walks issued.

The A's remained three games behind Texas in the West and are in line for the first wild card while sending the Angles 8 1/2 back and virtually out of both the wild card and division races.. In the Central, Detroit has pulled to within one game of division-leading Chicago, taking two straight from the White Sox.

The A's and Angels tangle again in Anaheim on Thursday afternoon, with Oakland seeking the series sweep. Likewise, the Orioles will be looking for their third straight win over the Rays in their series finale, an afternoon contest.

National League

Cliff Lee

With their seventh straight victory, the Philadelphia Phillies have officially risen from the dead, winning for the 15th time in their last 19 games as teams ahead of them stumble in September.

Cliff Lee (5-7) delivered seven solid innings from the mound, allowing four hits and no earned runs as Philadelphia completed their sweep of the Marlins with a 4-1 win.

Jimmy Rollins provided all the support Lee would need, stroking a two-run homer, his 19th bomb of the season. Lee fanned six and walked one as the Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers and Pirates all lost. For Pittsburgh, their losing streak has now run to six games.

Milwaukee and Arizona also won, so the race for the second wild card has St. Louis a game better than LA, the Pirates 2 1/2 back, Philly and Milwaukee closing fast, just three out, and Arizona, waiting in the wings nearly all season long, just four games out.