Adam Jones Powers Orioles to 15-5 Win Over Rays; Max Scherzer Overpowers Marlins in 9-1 Washington Victory

Players of the Day for Friday, July 27, 2018

American League

Adam Jones

As the July 31 trade deadline approaches, there are still plenty of rumors afoot concerning players who may or may not be on the move.

One whom has stoked a significant amount of speculation is Baltimore's Adam Jones, especially since teammate Manny Machado was sent to the Dodgers a week ago, prompting the idea that the Orioles could be in the midst of a major restructuring.

Making sure that scouts and general managers fully appreciate his value, Jones sent a message in Baltimore's 15-5 romp over the visiting Rays on Friday, going 3-for-5 with two singles, a three-run home run and four RBI.

Jones, 32, has 11 homers and 42 RBI this season. Though the numbers are not impressive in and of themselves, they are fair, considering Baltimore's MLB-worst record of 30-74. Jones is currently on a seven-game hitting streak in which he has driven in nine runs, although the Orioles have not benefitted much in the way of wins during the stretch.

The Rays will try to even the series when the two tangle again at Camden Yards, Saturday, at 7:05 pm EDT.

Max Scherzer

National League

If the Washington Nationals are going to make a second-half run at the NL East pennant, they'll need starting pitcher, Max Scherzer, to be on his best game.

The two-time Cy Young award winner (2016, 2017) gave every indication that he'll be solid down the stretch as he notched his league-leading 14th win with a stellar performance in a 9-1 Washington win at Miami.

Scherzer went eight innings, allowing three hits and one walk while fanning 11. The sole run scored by Miami was unearned, in the seventh inning.

Not only is Scherzer leading the NL in wins, he's leading the NL with 200 strikeouts and is second in ERA, at 2.30.

Barring injury, Max is almost certainly going to lead the National League in strikeouts. Jacob DeGrom has the second-most, with 159.

The Nationals ended the evening six games out of first place in the division as the Phillies and Braves (2 1/2 off the pace) both lost.

Washington will be looking for their fourth straight win when they take the field against the Marlins, Saturday, at 7:05 pm EDT.

Curtis Granderson, Yasiel Puig Power Dodgers Past Pirates; Adam Jones 2 HRs Lead Orioles

Players of the Day for Monday, August 21, 2017

Jones: 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI

American League

Adam Jones lifted a pair of home runs out of Camden Yards as the Orioles got back on the winning track with a 7-3 victory over the Oakland A's in the first of three.

Jones added two singles, going 4-for-4 on the night. His first homer was a solo blast in the fourth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie. The second came back-to-back with Jonathan Schoop's three-run belt, another solo shot in the fifth as the Orioles scored four runs.

Jones' homers were his 23rd and 24th of the year. He has 63 RBI and is batting .281. The Orioles are 3 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the second wild card spot, but the field is loaded, with eight teams vying for that single spot. The Yankees continue to hold the first wild card by 2 1/2 games.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Tuesday at 7:05 pm ET.

Granderson: Grand Slam

National League

The Dodgers picked up Curtis Granderson from the Mets last week, and the veteran outfielder is apparently enjoying the cross-county move, socking a pair of home runs in his first three games in Dodger blue, the latest a grand slam in LA's 12-inning, 6-5 win at Pittsburgh.

Granderson's fifth inning slam put the Dodgers up, 5-3, but the Pirates - still fighting for contention in either the NL Central or the wild card race - came back to tie the game with two runs in the eighth.

Puig's HR won game

Neither team could come up with a run until the 12th inning, when Yasiel Puig launched his 22nd home run of the season, a solo shot that proved to be the game-winner. Ross Stripling, the eighth Dodger pitcher, gave up a hit and a walk in the bottom of the inning, but managed to keep the Pirates off the scoreboard, earning his second save.

The win left the Dodgers 20 1/2 games up on Colorado in the NL West with the best record in the majors, an amazing 88-35 (.715). At their current pace, the Dodgers would end the season at 116-46 and would clinch the division sometime around September 10.

Pittsburgh fell seven games behind Chicago in the NL Central and 8 games out of the second wild card.

The four-game series resumes Tuesday at 7:05 pm ET with game two.

Adam Jones Drives In 5 As O's Top Yanks, 10-4; Max Scherzer Tosses Complete Game in 3-1 Nats' Win Over SF

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 31, 2017

American League

Returning to action after nursing a sore hip that sidelined him for four games, Adam Jones drove in five runs with a single, double, and three-run homer, helping the Orioles get back on the winning track, topping the Yankees, 10-4.

Jones: HR, 5 RBI

Jones got the Orioles on the board in the third inning, touching off a double against Yankee starter, Masahiro Tanaka, plating J.J. Hardy for a 1-0 lead. Mark Trumbo followed, driving in Jones and Seth Smith, who was held up at third on Jones' double.

An inning later, Jones broke the game wide open, blasting a three-run shot to right center. The Orioles didn't go easy on the Yankee ace. Tanaka was pounded, allowing nine hits and seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Finishing 3-for-5 with five RBI, Jones topped off the O's scoring in the eighth, beating out an infield single to drive in another run. Apparently, his hip was felling OK.

The win gave the Orioles the series win, two games to one, and may have quelled some of Baltimore's recent woes. Prior to the series with New York, the O's were 3-13 since May 10 and had lost seven straight. Wednesday's result left them 3 1/2 behind the Yankees, leaders of the AL East. The division has recently tightened substantially. Last place Toronto is just 5 12 out and the Yankees open a four game series there on Thursday, while the Orioles head to Boston for a four-game series with the Red Sox.

National League

Scherzer: CG, 11 Ks

Max Scherzer reared back and uncorked his 100th pitch, whizzing it by a flailing Buster Posey to complete Washington's 3-1 win at San Francisco. Posey had earlier doubled in the only run for the Giants in the third, but Scherzer (6-3, 2.56) was unfazed, allowing five hits, striking out 11 for his first complete game of the season and Washington's third straight victory over the Giants, sweeping the series.

The Nationals got three runs off Matt Cain in the bottom of the first on Ryan Zimmerman's 15th home run of the season, and with Scherzer on the mound, it proved too much to overcome. The Giants dropped to 22-33, tied with San Diego for last place in the NL West, 11 1/2 games behind the Dodgers.

Meanwhile, Scherzer and Washington have surged to a 9 1/2 game bulge in the East division with a 33-19 record.

Scherzer leads the league in strikeouts with 100. Over 77 1/3 innings, he's walked 18 and opposing batters are hitting just .186.

The Nationals are fourth in team ERA at 4.00, and lead the league in batting with a combined .275 average. They also lead in runs (286), hits (501, tied with Arizona), home runs (77) and RBI (279).

Washington remains on the West coast for the next six games, playing three with the A's in Oakland over the weekend, then heading down the pike to LA for a three-game series with the Dodgers, Monday through Wednesday.

Adam Jones, Manny Machado Star as Orioles Outlast A's; Jaime Garcia Pitches Gem for Cardinals

Machado: Walk-Off HR

Jones: HR, 4RBI

Players of the Day for Friday, August 14, 2015

American League

While the Yankees were coming from behind to win at Toronto, 4-3, taking back first place in the AL East from the Jays by 1/2 game and ending an 11-game Toronto win streak, the Orioles were in Baltimore, going into extra innings against the Athletics, eventually coming away with an 8-6 victory in 13 innings.

Manny Machado provided the fireworks in walk-off fashion, socking his 25th home run of the season with one out and one aboard, leaving the Orioles in third place, five games behind the interim leader of the division.

Helping the Baltimore cause in the regular course of the game was Adam Jones, who singled twice, whacked a fifth-inning, three-run homer (his 20th), and drove in four runs. Jones has 60 RBI on the year. Chris Davis also belted his 32nd home run of the year and drove in two runs, tying him with Toronto's Josh Donaldson at 85 RBI.

Garcia: 8 1/3 IP, 0 ER, W

The Yankees and Blue Jays continue their series in Toronto on Saturday while the O's and A's take the field at 7:05 pm EDT at Camden Yards for the second of their four-game series.

National League

While other teams seem to have their winning and losing streaks and various ups-and-downs, the St.Louis Cardinals simply continue to plow ahead like an old mule, leading the NL Central, as they have since nearly the start of the season, by a solid six games.

After taking two of three from the Pirates during the week, the Cardinals entertained the Miami Marlins in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium, though the result may have not been exactly what the guests were seeking nor expecting.

Jaime Garcia turned in an outstanding start, nearly going the distance. Working into the ninth, Garcia finally turned the ball over to Trevor Rosental after the Marlins got on the board with an unearned run. Garcia had held Miami to six hits, but with two aboard and only one out, Rosenthal came in to do his job for the 35th time this season, allowing one hit, but getting the final two outs to secure the 3-1 St. Louis victory.

Garcia (5-4) had everything working, fanning six and walking only one batter. He threw 96 pitches, 69 of them for strikes. Having missed almost all of July due to injury, Garcia is back on his best game, lowering his ERA to a ridiculous 1.57.

Earning wins in his last two starts, Garcia has not allowed an earned run over the past 15 1/3 innings.

Chris Coghlan, Cubs Drop Dodgers, 8-7; Baltimore Beats Boston, 7-2, as Adam Jones Belts a Pair of Homers

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 20, 2014

American League

Adam Jones

Increasingly, it appears that the Baltimore Orioles will finish with the second-best record in the American League and wind up hosting a first-round playoff series with the winner of the Central division, presumably the Detroit Tigers.

This is all falling into place as the Angels continue to hold a 2 1/2 game edge on the O's for the league's best record. Even after dropping a few games to the Mariners and the first game of their weekend series with the Rangers, the Angels rebounded with an 8-5 win over Texas on Saturday, while the Orioles punished the Red Sox, 7-2.

Adam Jones socked a pair of two run homers - one in the third and another in the fifth inning - for the win, with just eight games left on the regular season schedule.

Elsewhere, the Tigers extended their lead in the Central division with a 3-2 win over Kansas City, their second straight in the three-game series, giving Detroit a 2 1/2 game edge. All three of the main contenders for the two wild card spots lost, as the A's and Mariners also were losers on Saturday, giving Cleveland a boost with a 7-3 win over the Twins. The Indians trail Kansas City by 3 1/2 games.

Chris Coghlan

National League

In the first two games of the four-game series between the Dodgers and Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the two teams combined to score 29 runs in a pair of Dodger wins. On Saturday, they added 15 more, as the Cubs took the win, 8-7, as Chris Coghlan went 4-for-4 with a pair of homers, a single, double, three RBI and three runs, topping the two-homer, five RBI output of LA's Adrian Gonzalez.

The Dodger loss had little affect on the NL West race, as the Giants were downed by San Diego, 3-2, keeping LA's lead in the division at 3 1/2 games.

The Cubs and Dodgers wrap up the series Sunday afternoon at Wrigley. Game time is 2:20 pm EDT.

In the Central, the Pirates were cooled off by the Brewers, 1-0, while the Cardinals took an 8-4 decision from the Reds and lead the division by 3 1/2 games with eight left to play.

Adam Jones Buries Angels in O's Win; Ian Desmond 5-for-5 for Nationals

Players of the Day for Monday, July 21, 2014

American League

Jones: 2HR, 4RBI

Adam Jones is having a solid season, belting two more homers on Monday to give the Orioles' center fielder 19 on the year, accounting for all of Baltimore's runs in their 4-2 victory over the Angels.

Jones cracked a two-run shot in the opening frame and broke a 2-2 tie with another two-run bomb in the sixth, chasing Angels' starter Matt Shoemaker, who took the loss.

The win boosted the Orioles lead to four games in the East, as the Yankees and Blue Jays each lost and remained tied for second.

Batting .300 with 19 homers and 63 RBI, Jones is among AL leaders and makes the O's a threat for October baseball.

Game two of the three-game series commences Tuesday at 10:05 pm PDT.

National League

Desmond: 5-for-5

With Atlanta losing 3-1 in 10 innings to Miami, Washington took a tenuous one-game lead in the NL East Monday with a 7-3 win at Colorado, losers of six striaght and dead last, 15 games out in the NL West.

While the Nats cranked out a cumulative 13 hits, much of the damage at the plate was done by Ian Desmond, who went 5-for-5 with four singles and a two-run homer, giving him 62 RBI on the season.

Desmond also scored three times in his five at-bats.

The Nationals will try to send the Rockies to their seventh straight defeat when game two of the three-game series begins Tuesday at 8:40 pm EDT.

Paul Goldschmidt, Adam Jones Homers Lead D'Backs, Orioles to Victories

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 19, 2014

American League

Jones 2-5, 5 RBI

Oakland took the first game of their three-game set in Baltimore by a 5-4 tally Friday night, but it didn't take long for the Orioles to impress upon the AL West leaders that they weren't going to take it lying down.

Adam Jones cracked a three-run homer off A's starter, Jason Hammel, and J.J. Hardy followed with a solo shot for a 4-0 lead in an eventual, 8-4, Baltimore victory.

Jones added a two run single in the fourth, driving home Nick Markakis and Steve Pearce. Markakis had four hits on the night, Pearce went 3-for-4, while Jones was 2-for-5 with five RBI, two stolen bases and two runs. His homer was his 17th of the season.

The rubber game of the series is scheduled for 4:05 pm ET Sunday at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

After winning the series opener, 5-4, on Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks out-slugged the visiting Chicago Cubs, 9-3, Saturday, led by all-star first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt.

Chicago had a 3-1 lead after four innings, but from the fifth on, it was literally, all Arizona. Miguel Montero doubled in three runs in the fifth and then Goldschmidt took over, doubling in a run in the sixth and belting his 18th homer in the eight to drive in another pair of runs.

Goldschmidt finished 3-for-3, with three runs and three RBI. His 65 RBI on the season have him tied with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the RBI lead in the NL.

Arizona will be looking for the sweep on Sunday. Game time is 4:10 pm ET.

Adam Jones Powers Orioles to 8-5 Win over Blue Jays; Giants Top Padres on Buster Posey's Five RBI

Players of the Day for Friday, July 12, 2013

American League

Adam Jones

Chris Davis crashed his 35th home run and Adam Jones went 3-for-4 as the Orioles topped the Blue Jays, 8-5, to open the final three-game series before the All Star break.

Davis' home run came in the second inning - a two-run belt that drove in Jones, who had doubled to lead off the inning - tying the game at two and giving Davis a five-homer lead over Miguel Cabrera for the MLB lead.

Jones continued to assault Blue Jay pitching, driving in three runs in the third inning with a three-run shot that put the O's up by a 5-3 score after Edwin Encarnacion had given Toronto a 3-2 lead with a homer of his own in the top of the frame.

Baltimore finished its scoring in the sixth when J.J. Hardy drove in both Jones and Davis with a three-run homer after both base runners had singled to open the inning.

The Orioles kept pace with the Red Sox, who lead the AL East by 4 1/2 over Tampa Bay and have a 5 1/2 game edge on the O's. Toronto fell to 12 1/2 behind with the loss. Game two of the series is slated for 4:05 pm EDT, Saturday in Baltimore

National League

Buster Posey

The Giants beat San Diego for the second straight time, but the 10-1 mashing was only their third win in the month of July, against eight losses.

Buster Posey was 2-for-5 to lead the Giants while collecting five RBI to give him 56 on the season.

Posey got things started for San Francisco with a sac fly in the third, tying the contest at 1-1, singled in a pair of runs in the sixth and completed the Giants' output with a two-run double in the seventh inning.

His .320 batting average has Posey tied for fifth in the NL with St. Louis' Matt Carpenter and he is 10th in the league in RBI as the season continues to be one in which pitchers are being belted around in both leagues.

The reigning world champions have fallen on hard times of late, however, dropping 6 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Arizona with a 42-50 mark.

The Padres have fallen to last place in the division, 8 1/2 back, and will host the Giants in the third of the four-game set on Saturday at 7:10 pm PDT.

Today's Trivia: Who was the last player to lead the American League in RBI three straight seasons? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The only players with 2000 or more RBI are Hank Aaron (2297), Babe Ruth (2220) and Cap Anson (2075).

Chris Dickerson, Adam Jones Power O's to Comeback Win over Tigers; Jonathan Lucroy Helps Snap Brewers' Skid with 5-for-5 Effort

Players of the Day for Friday, May 31, 2013

American League

Adam Jones

As the Yankees snapped out of a five-game losing streak - their longest of the season - with a 4-1 win over the first place Red Sox, right behind them, the AL East was getting even tighter.

Chris Dickerson

New York's victory in the first of a three-game, weekend series at Yankee Stadium, moved them to within one game of the Sox, but Tampa Bay and Baltimore also won - the Rays, 9-2 over Cleveland, Baltimore a 7-5 victor over Detroit, moving the Orioles to 1 1/2 back with the Rays another 1/2 game behind them.

While the Rays sixth straight win was assured early on, Baltimore's had all the appearances of a defeat before the O's rallied for four runs in the ninth, overcoming a 5-3 Detroit lead, as they wrecked closer Jose Valverde with four hits in 2/3rds of an inning, two of them homers, one of them a walk-off, three-run shot by DH Chris Dickerson.

The finishing blast was Dickerson's only hit of the night, in four at-bats, after Nick Markakis led off the inning with a solo homer - his seventh - and Adam Jones and Chris Davis each singled. Jones was instrumental in keeping the Orioles in the game, socking his 11th of the season in the third inning with a man aboard, after getting the Orioles on the board in the second, singling and scoring on Matt Weiters' sac fly. Jones finished 3-for-4 with three runs and a apir of RBI, giving him 37 on the year.

Boston meets New York in the second game of their series, Saturday at 7:15 pm, but before that, the Rays play at Cleveland at 1:05 pm and the O's host the Tigers with a 4:05 pm start, all games EDT.

If the Yankees, Orioles and Rays all win, there would be four teams within a game of each other in the division.

National League

Jonathan Lucroy drove in four runs with a pair of homers, a double and two singles in a perfect, 5-for-5 night, helping the Milwaukee Brewers end a six-game losing streak that sent them to the basement of the NL Central division.

Lucroy: 5-5, 2HR, 4RBI

Opening a three-game series in Philadelphia with an 8-5 victory, the Brewers remain in last place, as the Cubs remained three games better with their fifth straight win, topping the Diamondbacks by a 7-2 score.

Lucroy entered the game in a .229 season-long funk, but emerged with a .253 average after hitting safely in his sixth straight game, the swing evidently coming around, as the Milwaukee catcher has batted a rocking .424 (14-for-33) over his last nine games.

Philly hosts the Brewers in game two of the series, Saturday at 4:05 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who holds the dubious distinction of holding the career mark for losses by a pitcher? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Then with the Boston Red Sox, Roger Clemens tossed eight shutouts in 1988.

Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann Lead Nats; Adam Jones Goes 4-for-4 for Baltimore, J.P. Arencibia's Grand Slam Spoils Nightcap for O's

Players of the Day for Monday, September 24, 2011

American League

Adam Jones

Splitting a double header with the Blue Jays at Camden Yards, Baltimore lost a little ground on the Yankees in the AL East race, but actually picked up 1/2 game over the A's, as Oakland lost to Texas, 5-4.

Arencibia: GS 5RBI

Adam Jones was 4-for-4 in the opener, won by Baltimore, 4-1, socking his 32nd home run, a furth-inning, two-run blast that gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Jones' three other hits were all singles. In the sixth inning he singled and scored Baltimore's final run of the game.

In the nightcap, Jones went 2-for-5, but failed to drive in any runs or score. He is enjoying his finest season as a pro, batting .292 with 81 RBI. Jones finished 2011 with 25 homers and 83 RBI.

Toronto's 9-5 win in the second game was courtesy of J.P. Arencibia, going 3-for-3 with five RBI on a pair of singles, a sac fly and a seventh inning grand slam that increased Toronto's 5-4 lead to 9-4.

The Yankees topped Minnesota, 6-3, increasing their lead in the division to 1 1/2 games over the O's.

Baltimore and Toronto meet again on Tuesday night with the Yanks playing at Minnesota.

National League

Washington has already qualified for the playoffs, but needs any combination of five wins or five Atlanta losses to secure the NL East, which they currently lead by five games.

Jordan Zimmermann

Ryan Zimmerman

In the meantime, they are seeking home field advantage with the best record in baseball, a game better than the Reds, and playing wild card spoiler with a 12-2 win over Milwaukee.

Ryan Zimmerman provided enough offense - going 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs - for starter Jordan Zimmermann, who improved to 12-8, allowing one run on four hits, two walks and seven Ks over 6 2/3 innings. The pitcher went 2-for-3 at the dish, driving in a run and scoring once in support of his cause. Ryan Zimmerman belted a three-run homer in the fourth inning as the Nationals put up a six-spot.

Milwaukee's loss dropped the Brewers into a tie with Los Angeles, 3 1/2 games behind the Cardinals for the second wild card. St. Louis bettered Houston, 6-1, behind Lance Lynn's seven innings on the mound. Lynn gave up one run on five hits and two walks, fanning nine as he improved to 17-7.

The Cardinals have eight games left on their regular season schedule. Their closest pursuers, LA and Milwaukee, each have nine remaining.

Adam Jones Homers in 11th for Orioles; Pablo Sandoval Leads Giants Closer to NL West Pennant

Players of the Day for Wednesday. September 18, 2012

American League

Adam Jones came through with a two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning, leading Baltimore to a 3-1 victory over Seattle.

Jones, who had earlier singled, drove his 30th home run of the season beyond left field, scoring Nate McLouth ahead of him.

Adam Jones

Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Baltimore's Joe Saunders locked into a pitcher's duel, both starters going eight innings, allowing one run apiece. Hernandez struck out eight, raising his total for theyear to 207, third best in the AL.

Baltimore's win left them 1/2 game behind the Yankees, who took both ends of a double-header over the Blue Jays.

In the wild card, the Orioles passed Oakland by 1/2 game as Detroit topped the A's, 6-2. Detroit is five back of the A's for the second wild card, slipping past Tampa Bay, another 1/2 game back, but the Tigers moved a game closer to Central division-leading Chicago. The White Sox were shut out in Kansas City, 3-0, their lead down to two games over the Tigers.

National League

San Francisco moved closer to wrapping up the NL West, banging out 14 hits in a 7-1 win over the Rockies.

Pablo Sandoval

Pablo Sandoval got the Giants off to a quick start with a three-run, first-inning homer, his ninth of the season. In the fifth, Sandoval singles, stole second and took third on the errant throw, scoring on Brandon Belt's double to right. It was his first steal of the season. Sandoval finished 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.

The Giants kept their lead over the Dodgers in the division at nine games, with 13 left to play for both teams, dropping their magic number to clinch at least a tie for the division to four.

San Francisco could clinch as early as this weekend.

Kevin Correia Shuts Down Cubs; Adam Jones, Matt Wieters Power Orioles to 10-4 Win

Players of the Day for Monday, September 17, 2012

American League

Back in July, when the Yankees had opened a sizable lead on the rest of the division, conventional thinking was that the Baltimore Orioles had begun their annual ritual of fading into the the depths and out of contention.

That thinking was incorrect, as August saw a revival of the "birds" and September brought forth the call, "they're not going away."

On Monday, the Orioles got even with the front-running Yankees in the win column and a game worse in the loss column to trail by just 1/2 games, beating the Mariners in Seattle by a 10-4 score.

Matt Wieters

Adam Jones

Beyond the steady managerial hand of Buck Schowalter, the Orioles have been led throughout the season by two of their bright, young stars, 26-year-old Matt Wieters and Adam Jones, 27.

In their win over Seattle, Wieters continued his hot streak with a pair of singles and his 22nd homer - a two-run, fourth-inning blast - three RBI and a couple of runs in five at-bats. Jones went 3-for-4, with a double and two singles, a lone RBI and four runs.

In his last ten games, Wieters has hit safely in seven, with multi-hit games in five, socking four homers with 12 RBI. Over the same span, Jones has batted at a steady .293 clip (12-for-41) and scored ten runs.

The series continues Tuesday in Seattle, where an Oriole win could land them in sole possession of first place, should the Yankees lose their series opener at Toronto.

National League

Having hit a bit of a speed bump in September, the Pittsburgh Pirates remain in the hunt for the wild card after splitting their series in Chicago, 2-2, topping the Cubs in the finale, 3-0.

Correia: 7IP 2H 0ER

Kevin Correia twirled two-hit ball over seven innings for his 11th victory against nine losses, giving way to relievers Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan, who each worked an inning of hitless, scoreless relief, Hanrahan picking up his 36th save, one behind Atlanta's Criag Kimbrel, who leads the league.

Striking out the first four batters he faced, Correia fanned six total, walking only one. Darwin Barney was the only Chicago batter to hit safely, getting two singles off Correia, but erased by double plays both times he reached.

The win left the Pirates still very much alive in the wild card race, tied with Milwaukee, 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card.

Pittsburgh, 4-11 in September, hosts a three game series with the Brewers beginning on Tuesday.

Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Mark Reynolds Bomb Yanks, Baltimore Ties for AL East Lead; Kurt Suzuki Leads Nats to 5th Straight Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 6, 2012

American League

The Yankees are stumbling. The Orioles are soaring.

Since August 24, the O's have put together a 10-4 record. The Yankees have been not so hot, going 5-8 over the same period, right after being swept by the White Sox in a three-game series at Chicago.

Beginning a four-game series in Baltimore with a slim, one game lead in the AL East, the Yankees were trying desperately to hold off the charging Orioles and retain their edge, which back on July 18 was a ten game bulge.

It didn't happen. Before a sellout crowd at Camden Yards, on a night honoring hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr., the Orioles smashed six homers in a 10-6 win to tie the Yankees for first place in the division.

Adam Jones

Adam Jones, Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds, who has been on a breathtaking tear of late, were the chief antagonists. Weiters got the Orioles on the board quickly, socking a three-run blast in the first inning as Baltimore put up a four-spot after Jones had singled home J.J. Hardy.

Mark Reynolds

In the sixth, Reynolds hit the first of two homers, putting the O's up, 6-1, but the Yanks rallied to tie the game with five runs in the top of the eighth.

Responding in the bottom of the frame, Jones belted a solo shot, Wieters singled and came home on Reynolds' two-run blast and Chris Davis completed the scoring with a solo bomb to right.

Reynolds has hit eight homers in his last seven games and driven in 16 runs as the O's have run down the Yanks.

Matt Wieters

Baltimore has taken three of the last four head-to-head with the Yankees, taking two of three last weekend in New York and there are three games at Camden Yards yet to play this weekend.

The Yankees are walking wounded. Mark Teixeira has been out of the lineup since August 27, nursing a sore left calf, though not on the disabled list. He could return this weekend. Starting pitchers Ivan Nova and Andy Pettitte are also currently out with injuries. Regular outfielder Brett Gardner was lost for the season since April, as was closer Mariano Rivera.

Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup September 3rd after missing 45 games with a broken wrist. He's gone 4-for-16, but has only driven in one run.

Age and injuries are catching up to the Yankees, and the youthful Orioles - and Tampa Bay, just two games back - are taking full advantage.


National League

On Thursday, Atlanta took its second straight 1-0 game from Colorado, winning three of four in the series, but they can't make up any ground on the Nationals, as Washington took four straight from the Cubs, completing the series sweep with a 9-2 victory that left them up 7 1/2 up on the Braves in the NL East.

Kurt Suzuki

The Nats outscored the Cubs, 31-9, over the four games, getting a boost from catcher Kurt Suzuki in the finale. Suzuki went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer, two singles and scored twice.

It was the fifth straight win for Washington, which continues with the best record in the majors, at 85-52, 2 1/2 games better than Central division leader, Cincinnati. If the Nats and Reds finish in that order, the result could mean home field advantage should the top two teams meet in the NL Championship series.

The Nationals open a three-game series with the Marlins on Friday. 15-6 Stephen Strasburg has been penciled in as the starter for Washington, in what could be his final start of the season. The controversial plan to sit the young ace after 160 to 170 innings is on the cusp of completion. Strasburg enters Friday's contest having thrown 156 1/3 innings.

Nationals' management has maintained all along that Strasburg would be shut down for the season at some point whether the team was in a pennant race or not, but has not disclosed exactly when the star would see the mound for the last time.

There is speculation that the Nationals, with their commanding lead in the division, might hedge their position a bit, having Strasburg skip a start or two down the stretch, saving him for the post-season. Players, fans, broadcasters and other managers have been critical of the innings limit, but the Washington front office has been steadfast in their commitment to shut the hurler down at some point.

The situation could become a lot more interesting Friday night, especially if Strasburg goes six innings or more.

Brett Lawrie, Adam Jones Star as Jays Down O's; Homer Bailey Shuts Down Pirates as Reds Cruise

Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 29, 2012

American League

As May slowly turns to June and a long hot summer of baseball commences, it's getting a bit streaky in the American League.

Brett Lawrie

In the West division, the Angels took a 5-1 win over the Yankees to extend the longest current winning streak in the majors to eight games. The Angels now trail Texas by 5 1/2 and are 3 1/2 clear of third place Oakland, losers of seven in a row.

Winners of seven straight, the White Sox have assumed command by 1/2 game over Cleveland in the Central division. In the East, first place Baltimore has lost four straight and are tied with Tampa Bay, though the Rays haven't taken advantage of the Orioles' losses, as they've lost two in a row, but are tied for the top spot. The Yankees have also lost two consecutive games - to the Angels - but, Toronto and Boston have each won their last two, making the Al East baseball's most competitive division, with all teams over .500 and within 3 1/2 games of each other.

Adam Jones

The latest of those two straight Toronto wins came last night, as the Blue Jays held on for an 8-6 win over Baltimore and will look for the sweep Wednesday at the Rogers Centre. Brett Lawrie, recently returned from a suspension, got his bat working with a 3-for-4 effort (two singles and a double). Lawrie, who played in 46 games for the Blue jays last season, so is still technically a rookie, drove in three runs and scored three times, personally accounting for six of Toronto's eight runs.

Toronto scored all of its runs by the fifth inning and had an 8-1 lead, but the O's battled back gamely, getting three in the sixth and two more in the ninth, on Adam Jones' 2-run shot in the ninth, his 16th homer of the year. Jones had a solo homer in the first, but his teammates didn't provide enough extra offense, falling short as Jones went 3-for-3, drove in three and scored three times.


National League

Homer Bailey

Having won nine of their last 11, including Tuesday's 8-1 rout of Pittsburgh, the Reds have taken command in the Central division of the NL, 1 1/2 games up on St. Louis.

The Reds' recent surge has been fueled mostly by exceptional pitching. Reds' hurlers have allowed opponents three or fewer runs in seven of their last nine wins, including a four-game sweep of the Braves in which Atlanta scored just eight runs.

Homer Bailey has picked up three wins during the current hot streak, and was on the bump Tuesday, throwing a complete game - the second of his career - at the Pirates, allowing just four hits and one earned run. Bailey needed only 103 pitches to keep Pittsburgh batters in check, as he fanned five and issued only one walk.

After a rough start to the season, Bailey's three straight wins have him above water, at 4-3. During his personal win streak, Bailey has allowed just six earned runs, over a span of 21 1/3 innings.

Cincinnati will be looking to complete the sweep when they conclude their series in Pittsburgh Wednesday night.

David Wright Leads Mets, NL with .402 Average: Adam Jones Helps Orioles Forge 2-Game AL East Lead

Players of the Day for Saturday, May 12, 2012

American League

While shocking to some, Buck Schowalter's Orioles are two games ahead in the AL East, the division normally dominated by the Yankees and Red Sox, but the youthful Baltimore team has put together good pitching, timely hitting and opponent's miscues to forge to the front with a 22-12 record, tied with Texas as the best in the league.

Adam Jones

The O's took their second straight from Tampa Bay, winning, 5-3, after taking the opener at Camden Yards, 4-3, Friday night.

The Rays committed five errors in the game and Adam Jones singled twice in four at-bats, including a bases-loaded hit in the fifth inning that plated two teammates and put the Orioles up 4-1. The Rays struck back for two runs in the sixth, but the 4-3 deficit was the closest they would get. Bill Hall added an insurance run in the eighth with a solo home run, his first homer of the season.

The Rays are in danger of being swept and dropping out of second place on Sunday when the two teams finish up their three-game series. The Yankees are 2 1/2 out, with Toronto another 1/2 game behind.


National League

The tightest race in the National League is in the East, where Washington leads Atlanta by 1/2 game. Lurking just two games out are the Mets, who separated themselves from fourth-place Miami with a 9-3 road win over the Marlins.

David Wright

RA Dickey's knuckleball was effective enough to get him out of jams, surrendering two runs on nine hits over six innings without striking out anyone and David Wright took his league-leading batting average up to .402 with a 4-for-6 effort, including a solo homer, three RBI and two runs.

The win evened the tree-game series at a game apiece as Dickey improved to 5-1 and Wright hit safely in his sixth straight game. With 45 hits, Wright is tied for third in that category with San Francisco's Melky Cabrera. St. Louis' Rafael Furcal has 48 hits, one behind Atlanta's Michael Bourne.

The Mets and Marlins conclude the series Sunday afternoon.

Jones Homers as Orioles Lead AL East; Valdez Goes 4-for-4 as Phillies Crush Mets, 11-0

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 7, 2011

American League

Adam Jones

Anybody thinking that Buck Showalter's Baltimore Orioles have been just lucky to start their season off with a 5-1 record, maybe better take a good look up and down their lineup.

During the off-season, the O's made a couple of valuable additions, in the form of Vladimir Guerrero from Texas and Mark Reynolds, who came over from Arizona. These quality players make up part of what's quickly becoming a modern day Murderer's Row.

Face it. Any team that has an Adam Jones batting sixth (followed by Reynolds and then, Matt Weiters) has to be pretty good, and Jones made his case for moving up a spot or two perfectly well with a 2-for-3 effort, which included a two-run homer off Detroit starter Brad Penny, that chased him from the mound and jump-started a 9-5 Baltimore win.

Jones' first homer of the season broke open a 2-2 tie, and the O's piled on Tiger relievers in the next frame, scoring 5 runs in the 7th inning. Jones contributed a sac fly, giving him three RBI for the game.

The Orioles sit comfortably in first place in the AL East, with the Yankees and Blue Jays a game back. Tampa Bay, last season's division champion, and Boston, are both 0-6.

National League

Wilson Valdez

No Chase Utley? No problem for the Phillies. Just put Roy Halladay on the mound and Wilson Valdez at second base.

Halladay tossed seven scoreless innings and Valdez pounded Mets' pitching as the Phillies romped, 11-0.

Normally a shortstop, Valdez has been filling in nicely in the field for the injured Utley, but let his bat do the talking on Thursday, going 4-for-4 with a pair of singles and a pair of doubles, three RBI and three runs. Every hitter in the Phillies' starting lineup - including Halladay - had at least one hit, as the Phils improved their lead in the NL East to 2 games over the Marlins and Mets.

Valdez has been tearing it up for Philly, knocking the rawhide around at a .429 clip after six games.

Adam Jones Leads O's Past Twins; Danny Espinosa a Find for Nats

Players of the Day for Wednesday, March 9, 2011

American League

Adam Jones

Baltimore's Adam Jones singled, doubled and homered in four at-bats, carrying the Orioles to an 11-2 pounding of Minnesota.

Jones also scored three times and drive in three runs, raising his Spring batting average to a reasonably solid .350 and helping get the O's back to .500 in the Grapefruit League with a 5-5 record.

Jones, of whom much is expected, comes off a somewhat disappointing season in which he slugged 19 homers and drove in 69 runs. A center fielder, Jones is a five-tool guy who some figure to be a league MVP some day. The O's have made some serious off-season moves to improve their offensive production and Jones will be a key to that effort in 2011. Just finishing anywhere other than last place in the rugged AL East will be considered a victory in Charm City.

National League

Danny Espinosa

Rookie second baseman Danny Espinosa is off to a hot start with the Washington Nationals, batting .455 with two home runs and 10 RBI in seven exhibition games.

In Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Marlins, Espinosa powered up with a single, double, his second home run of the season - a two-run seventh inning blast - and four RBI.

After a short stint with the Nationals in 2010 in which he hit six home runs in 28 games (103 at-bats), Espinosa has already secured the starting job at second and he appears to be relishing the appointment.

The Nats finished last in the NL East last year but are expected to be more competitive in 2011.