World Series Game Four: Alex Bregman's Grand Slam Evens Series for Astros

Player of the Day for Saturday, October 26, 2019

World Series, Game Four

Bregman: Grand Slam, 5RBI

Houston Astros 8 Washington Nationals 1

Already up by a 4-1 score, Houston's Alex Bregman removed all doubt with his seventh-inning grand slam, sending Houston to an 8-1 win in game four of the 2019 World Series.

Bregman, who was 1-for-13 in the previous three games, took a low inside fastball from Washington reliever, Fernando Rodney, and deposited it in the left field stands, just inside the foul pole. Coming on in relief of starter Patrick Corbin, Washington hurler, Tanner Rainey, had put two aboard in the inning on back-to-back walks to Kyle Tucker and George Springer. After getting Jose Altuve to fly out, on came Rodney, who immediately loaded the bases by giving up a single to red-hot Michael Brantley.

Bregman took a called first strike from Rodney on his first pitch, an inside changeup, but didn't miss the second offering. In the first inning, Bregman knocked in Houston's first run, sending Altuve home with a single to left center. He finished 3-for-5, with five RBI, knocking a two out single in the eighth, but was left stranded.

Houston benefitted from a strong pitching performance from starter, Jose Urquidy, who threw five shutout innings, allowing two hits, no walks, fanning four. After a Yan Gomes double to lead off the third inning, Urquidy put down the next nine batters in order. He was relieved to open the sixth and picked up the win.

The five hurlers who followed Urquidy breezed through the Nationals over the final four frames.

With the victory, Houston has tied the series at two games apiece. Neither team has been able to assert home field advantage. Visitors have won all four games.

Game five is Sunday, 8:07 pm ET at Washington's Nationals Park. After a day off Monday, the series returns to Houston for game six, and, if necessary, game seven.

Streaking Cubs Win 6th Straight Behind Anthony Rizzo; Astros Top A's, 11-4, As Alex Bregman Goes 4-for-5

Players of the Day for Monday, August 27, 2018

Bregman: 4-5, HR, 4RBI

American League

Opening a huge series at home against the Oakland A's, the Houston Astros were looking for their sixth straight win.

Thanks to a big game from Alex Bregman, they stopped the A's, 11-4, taking a 2 1/2 game lead over Oakland in the division race. Bregman went 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and his 25th home run, a three-run eighth inning swat that extended what was a 5-4 Houston lead.

Houston scored all of its runs in the third, plating five, and the eighth, scoring six times as they batted around. Bregman doubled and scored in the third inning.

Bregman extended his hitting streak to eight games. He's batting .321 with three homers and 12 RBI in August.

Game two of the crucial AL West series is 8:10 pm EDT on Tuesday.

National League

Rizzo: 2 2B, HR, 2RBI

Heading into a three game series with the visiting New York Mets, the Cubs are beginning to look like they will return as champs of the NL Central for a third straight season.

While pursuers St. Louis and Milwaukee had Monday off, the Cubs took advantage of the situation by topping the Mets, 7-4.

Anthony Rizzo led a 14-hit Chicago attack with three of his own - two doubles and his 22nd home run - en route to the Cubs' sixth win in a row.

Rizzo got the Cubs on the board in the first with an RBI double, then doubled and scored in the seventh inning, breaking a 4-4 tie. The Chicago first baseman closed out the scoring with a solo smash in the ninth.

As the Cubs have taken control of the division, Rizzo has heated up considerably. He has 10 multiple hit games in the month of August, in which he's batting .341 with seven homers and 17 RBI.

With the victory, the Cubs enhanced their lead to 4 1/2 games over St. Louis and five over the Brewers. They will be looking to extend their winning streak when they meet the Mets at Wrigley Field, Tuesday, 8:05 pm EDT.

Cubs Stay Hot through Break, Shuffle Cards, 9-6, Behind Jason Heyward

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 19, 2018

National League

Heyward: 3-5, 2RBI, SB

Leading into the all star break, the Milwaukee Brewers lost six straight while the Cubs won four of six - including their last three straight - and took over the lead in the NL Central.

As play resumed following the mid-summer classic, the Cubs continued their surge with a 9-6 victory over the visiting Cardinals in the first of a five-game series.

Jason Heyward stroked three singles in five at-bats, drove in a pair of runs, stole a base and scored twice, helping the Cubs out-slug the struggling Cardinals, losers of four of their last five.

St. Louis is just a game over .500 (48-47) and has fallen 8 1/2 games off the pace being set by Chicago in the division. Manager Mike Matheny was fired last week, replaced by bench coach, Mike Shildt, who will run the team on an interim basis.

The Cards and Cubs renew their rivalry in game two, Friday, 2:20 pm EDT.


American League

There were no American League games Thursday. A full slate of games is scheduled for Friday, following the AL's 8-6, 10-inning victory over the National League in Tuesday's all star game.

It was the sixth straight win for the American League, the game featuring all but one run delivered by home runs, 10 in all, including solo shots by Houston teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer in the top of the 10th inning.

Mark Reynolds' 2HRs, 10 RBI Power Nationals Over Miami, 18-4; Alex Bregman Leads Houston to 5th Straight Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 7, 2018

Bregman: 12-game streak

American League

With their 12-6 win over the White Sox, Houston has won five straight, increasing their lead over Seattle to 3 1/2 games in the AL West.

Alex Bregman extended his hitting streak to 12 games, going 3-for-5 with a single, double and his 17th home run of the season, scoring three times and driving in a pair.

As a result of going 21-for-49 (.429), Bregam's batting average has improved from .259 to .284 over the course of his streak, which includes six homers and 12 RBI.

The Astros are 8-4 during Bregman's hitting spree, which began on June 25.

Houston will be looking for a sweep of the visiting White Sox when their four-game series concludes, Sunday at 2:10 pm EDT.

National League

Reynolds: 5-5, 2HR 10RBI

In what could turn out to be the best single-game performance of the season, Washington infielder Mark Reynolds went 5-for-5 with two singles, a double and two home runs, driving in a whopping 10 runs and scoring three times as the Nationals buried the Marlins, 18-4.

Reynolds, who ended Friday's 3-2 win over Miami with a pinch-hit, walk-off homer in the ninth, began his assault with a two-run homer in the second inning and followed with an RBI double in the second, a two-run single in the fifth, a three-run homer in the sixth, and a single in the seventh inning which plated two more runs.

Max Scherzer got his first win since June 5th with an arguably poor performance, allowing four runs on seven hits over seven innings. Scherzer walked two and struck out just three, a season low. He also gave up three home runs.

Playing both first and third base during the rout, Reynolds has played in just 37 games this season, spending 10 games with Syracuse in the International League. He was signed as a free agent in April and called up mid-May. He has been used sparingly at first and third and as a pinch-hitter.

Despite having just 106 at-bats, Reynolds has socked 10 home runs. Saturday's effort nearly doubled his RBI total, to 24.

The Nationals remained five games behind co-NL East leaders, Philadelphia and Atlanta, both winners on Saturday.

Washington has won three straight over the visiting Marlins and will be looking to sweep the series and take their 15th straight over Miami when the teams assemble at Nationals Park, Sunday at 1:35 pm EDT.

Phillies' Zach Eflin Blanks Yanks in 3-0 Win; Alex Bregman Walks Off Jays As Houston Wins

Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 27, 2018

American League

Alex Bregman socked a two-run, walk off homer in the bottom of the ninth as the Houston Astros recovered from a 5-0 deficit to defeat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, 7-6.

Bregman: Walk-off 2R HR

After a disastrous first inning by starter Dallas Keuchel, in which the Houston ace allowed five runs, the Astros went on the offensive immediately, scoring three in the bottom of the frame. Keuchel lasted 5 1/3, allowing another run in the sixth, but Houston kept chipping away, though they still trailed, 6-5 entering the ninth.

Matt Kemp singled to open the ninth, but George Springer pooped out for the first out. Bregman, who had stroked a pair of doubles prior to his final at-bat, smacked an 0-2 pitch from Ryan Tepera deep into the left field stands for the win.

Bregman is batting .277 with 14 homers and 49 RBI.

The Astros took two of three from the Blue Jays and head to Tampa Bay Thursday for a four-game series with the Rays. Game one is scheduled for a 7:10 pm EDT first pitch.

National League

Eflin: 7IP, 4H, 0ER, W

Monday and Tuesday, the Yankees took two straight in Philadelphia, but Wednesday belonged to the Phillies, who avoided being swept on a brilliant pitching performance by Zach Eflin a three-run homer by Rhys Hoskins and a two-inning save from Seranthony Dominguez in the 3-0 whitewash.

Eflin (6-2) pitched his best game of the season, allowing four hits over seven innings, getting first strikes on 22 of the 26 batters he faced, striking out six and walking a pair. Only one Yankee - Miguel Andujar, in the second inning - reached second base as Eflin stymied the Bombers before Dominguez came in to slam the door shut with two perfect innings in relief, striking out three in the process.

Hoskins' homer - his 12th - came in the second off Yankee starter Luis Cessa (0-1), who lasted just three innings.

Eflin, who threw 67 of 92 pitches for strikes, completed his 10th start of the year, one less than in both all of 2016 and 2017, but the results are encouraging for Phillies' fans. In 2016, he was 3-5 with a 5.54 ERA. 2017 was a step back, as the 6'6", 24-year-old hurler went 1-5 with a 6.16 ERA. This season, the 6-2 record comes with a 3.02 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and a 4-1 K-BB ratio.

The Phillies picked up a game on the Braves, as Atlanta lost, 6-5, to the Reds. They are three games back in second place. Philly hosts the Nationals for four games starting Thursday at 7:05 pm EDT. The Yankees get a day off before opening a three-game set with Boston at Yankee Stadium.

Alex Bregman's Walk-Off Single Delivers 13-12 Houston 10th-Inning Win, 3-2 Edge For Astros

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 29, 2017

World Series

Bregman: Game-winner

With two out in the bottom of the 10th inning, Alex Bregman drove in the winning run with a sharp single to left center, sending the Houston Astros to a 13-12 victory over the LA Dodgers, putting Houston up three games to two and one win away from a franchise-first world championship.

A second-year third baseman, Bregman's heroic stroke was deep enough to send pinch-runner Derek Fisher from second base to the plate with the game-winner. Fisher had been inserted for Brian McCann, who had reached base after being hit by a pitch from LA reliever Kenley Jansen and moved to second on George Springer's walk.

Jansen, the Dodger closer, threw 33 pitches and was laboring in the 10th, bringing into focus manager Dave Roberts decision to pitch him in the ninth inning of Saturday's 6-2 Dodger victory.

Jansen is normally called upon in save situations, when the lead is three runs or fewer. In Saturday's win, the lead was five runs (6-1). Jansen threw 14 pitches in the inning, one of them planted in the stands by Bregman, so it was not surprising that Bregman would respond favorably facing a tiring Jansen on Sunday night (actually Monday morning.

The game itself was nothing short of a classic, as both ace starters - LA's Clayton Kershaw and Houston's Dallas Keuchel - were routed by the opposing batters. Keuchel was the first to go, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. The Dodgers got to him for three runs in the first. Kershaw worked into the fifth, squandering almost all of the Dodger lead by allowing six earned runs over 4 2/3 innings.

Houston and LA batters were persistent, the teams scoring runs in 11 of the 20 half innings, including scoring in six of the last eight. Houston socked five home runs to LA's two, and erased of four and three runs, in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. The Dodgers were equal to the challenge, tying the game with three runs in the top of the ninth to produce the extra frame which eventually was their undoing.

AL MVP candidate, Jose Altuve, had a sensational game, going 3-for-5 with a single, double and game-tying three run homer, scoring three times and driving in four. His infield mate, shortstop Alex Correa, was also 3-for-5, singling, doubling, homering and driving in three runs.

The series now shifts back to Los Angeles on Tuesday for game six, going live at 8:09 pm ET at Dodger Stadium. Justin Verlander goes to the mound for Houston against Dodger hurler, Rich Hill. The Dodgers need a win to force a game seven while the Astros seek to end the baseball season with a victory.

Alex Bregman Provides All RBI In Houston Win; Trevor Story Powers Colorado Over Dodgers

Players of the Day for Friday, September 29, 2017

American League

Bregman: HR, 3 RBI

With the regular season coming to a close on Sunday, the Astros and Indians know they must keep winning if they hope to have the best record in the American League.

Entering Friday's games, the Indians had a one-game edge in that department and took care of business by swatting the White Sox, 10-1. Houston faced a more arduous task, playing at Boston, where the Red Sox are still embroiled in a pennant race with the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Houston, thanks to third baseman, Alex Bregman, was up to it, topping the Red Sox 3-2 at Fenway Park, as Bregman drove in all three Houston runs.

While a parade of five Houston hurlers were limiting the Red Sox to five hits and two earned runs, Bregman was going 3-for-4, with a single, double, home run, and, as mentioned, all three RBI.

Bregman got the Astros on the board in the third inning, singling home the first run of the game.He put the Astros up, 3-0, with a two-run homer over the Green Monster in the fifth inning and the Houston bullpen managed to hold on for the win, leaving the Astros exactly where they were a day before, one game behind the Indians in the overall AL standings.

Bregman has had an excellent season, batting .287, with 19 homers and 71 RBI.

Houston will go for their third straight win over the Red Sox on Saturday, in game three of their four-game series, starting at 1:05 pm ET.

National League

Story: 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI

The Colorado Rockies reduced their magic number for clinching the second wild card to one with a 9-1 romp over the visiting Dodgers, highlighted by four homers at high-altitude Coors Field.

Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon got things going early for the Rockies, each swatting their 37th home run of the year. Arenado's came in the first with the bases empty. Blackmon's was a second-inning, two-run variety as the Rockies built a 5-0 lead in the first two innings of Dodger starter, Hyun Jin Ryu.

The hitting star was Trevor Story, who went 3-for-4, with a single, triple, and a two-run, fourth inning home run that essentially put the game away. Story has 24 home runs and 82 RBI on the year.

With Milwaukee dogging the Rockies the past month, Colorado has done just enough to stay ahead of the Brewers down the stretch. Since September 7, they are 12-8, while the Brewers have gone 12-7, keeping on the pressure.

Colorado has to win just one more game or Milwaukee lose one to clinch the wild card spot and play the single elimination game at Arizona on Wednesday, October 4. They host the Dodgers Saturday at 8:10 pm ET and Sunday at 3:10 pm ET. Milwaukee plays Saturday and Sunday in St. Louis.