Alex Rios Leads Royals past Indians in 11-9 Slug-fest; Tyler Morre Impressive in Nationals' 9-8 Victory

Players of the Day for Friday, March 6, 2015

Grapefruit League

Moore: 5 RBI

The Baseball world has been buzzing about the Washington Nationals' pitching staff, widely regarded as having the best starting rotation in the league, but the Nats have some bats that opposing pitchers are going to have to get past, which is not an easy task, as the Atlanta Braves found out on Friday, dropping a 9-8 decision to Washington.

Tyler Moore, a part-time player each of the last three seasons for the Nationals, proved to be the hitter Braves' hurlers could not get past. Moore delivered a solo homer, an RBI ground out and a bases-loaded triple to tally five RBI in the win.

Rios: .714 BA

Last season, Moore only played in 42 games, drove in 14 runs with four homers, but is hoping to get more playing time with the regulars once the season starts as his minor league options have expired.

Cactus League

Ttoaling 20 runs on 27 hits the Royals and Indians put on an offensive exhibition for the fans at Goodyear Park in Arizona, as Kansas City improved to 3-0 in the Cactus League with a 11-9 victory, while sending the Indians back to .500 with a 2-2 mark.

Once again, it was Alex Rios that did much of the damage, driving in three runs with a 3-for-4 effort, delivering a single, double and his second homer of the Spring.

Rios looks like the perfect fit for the Royals who have their eyes set on the Central Division crown, after falling just a game short last year. In two games this Spring, Rios is 5-for-7 (.714) with two homers, two doubles and six RBI. Not a bad start.

Eric Hosmer, Alex Rios Star for Slugging Royals; Kirk Nieuwenhuis 4-for-4 in Mets Win

Nieuwenhuis

Players of the Day for March 4, 2015

Grapefruit League

Kirk Nieuwenhuis went 4-for-4 in the Mets' and Atlanta's 2015 debut, an 8-2 win over the Braves at Champion Stadium, the Braves' Spring training facility in Kissimmee, Florida.

Nieuwenhuis had four singles, scored a run and drove in one.

The Mets hammered out 14 hits against eight Atlanta hurlers. Matt Capps took the loss, giving up two earned runs on two hits and a walk in an inning of work,  though the brunt of the assault was sustained by Jose Veras, who worked just 2/3rds of an inning, giving up a pair of walks, three hits and five earned runs.


Cactus League

Hosmer

Rios

Kansas City hitters are picking it up right where they left off last season, banging out 15 hits against the Rangers in Wednesday's 13-2 romp.

Leading the hit parade were Eric Hosmer and Alex Rios, who each homered, doubled and drove in three runs. The game was the opener for both clubs, played at Surprise Stadium, in Surprise Arizona, the preseason home of the Rangers.

Rios had a little extra incentive in the game, having been traded from the Rangers to the Royals in the off-season. In 2014, Rios' power numbers were down, as he hit just four homres and drove in 54 runs in 131 games.

He recorded career highs in 2012, with the White Sox, when he knocked out 25 homers and 91 RBI.

Pirates and Reds Clinch Playoff Berths; Starling Marte, Shin Soo Choo Provide Heroics; Alex Rios, Derek Holland Leads Rangers' Rout

Players of the Day for Monday, September 23, 2013

American League

Alex Rios

Derek Holland pitched a six-hit shutout and Alex Rios hit for the cycle, as the Texas Rangers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 12-0 pounding of the hapless Houston Astros, losers of 10 straight.

Derek Holland

Holland walked one and struck out nine, going the distance in his second shutout of the season and seventh of his career. The win improved his record to 10-9 on the year.

Rios, acquired from the White Sox earlier this season, got the rangers on the board early, socking a double to left that knocked in a pair of runs. In third inning, Rios reached on an infield single and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to David Murphy. After hitting a solo home run - his 18th - in the fourth inning, Rios ripped a shot to the right-center field gap for a triple to complete the cycle, driving in Elvis Andrus in the process. He finished 4-for-4 with four RBI and three runs.

Rios did not get another at-bat. With the game already out of hand, manager Ron Washington made mass replacements, saving his starters for upcoming games.

It was the third cycle in the majors this year. Mike Trout of the LA Angels on May 21, and the Astros' Brandon Barnes on July 19, both turned the trick against Seattle.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/23)

Team	GB
Tampa Bay	+1
Cleveland	--
Texas	-1
Kansas City	-3
NY Yankees	-4
Baltimore	-5

National League

Shin Soo Choo

Both the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates clinched playoff spots on Monday as the Cardinals dumped Washington, 4-3, the Reds dropped the Mets, 3-2, in 10 innings and Pittsburgh took down the Cubs, 2-1.

Starling Marte

Pittsburgh's win came by virtue of a ninth-inning, pinch-hit solo homer off the bat of Starling Marte that broke a 1-1 deadlock as the Pirates opened their three-game series in Chicago with a win.

Cincinnati's victory was even more dramatic, as Sin Soo Choo singled home Devin Mesoraco in the bottom of the 10th inning, the walk-off hit Choo's third, in six at-bats. Choo's single in the second got the Reds on the board with a 1-0 lead.

The Reds and Pirates remain tied for the two wild card playoff spots, at 90-67, both two games behind St. louis in the NL Central.

Cincinnati hosts the Mets Tuesday at 7:10 pm EDT in the second game of their three-game series. Pittsburgh plays game two in Chicago at 8:05 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: What pitcher led the National League in strikeouts four straight years, from 1932 through 1935? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Five. Reggie Jackson played most of his ball for the A's, Yankees and Angels, but spent a year as a Baltimore Oriole and began his career with the Kansas City Royals.

Alex Rios Drives In Five with Grand Slam as White Sox Down Braves; Rockies Pound Cubs, Dexter Fowler Leads Victory

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 20, 2013

American League

With a 4-0 lead over the White Sox in the middle of the third inning and Paul Maholm on the hill, the Atlanta Braves appeared to be on their way to another victory, expanding their lead in the NL East.

Alex Rios

By the bottom of the frame, however, the Braves would find themselves down a run, thanks to a grand slam homer off the bat of Alex Rios, who went 3-for-5, drove in five runs and scored twice as the Sox banged out 13 hits in a 10-6 win.

The White Sox scored five in the third and tacked on four more in the fourth, a single by Rios driving in one of the fourth-inning runs. He and Alexei Ramirez later scored on a single by Jeff Keppinger. The Sox added a final run in the seventh inning.

Jake Peavy (7-4) got the win for Chicago, allowing four runs (two earned) over six innings.

While the Sox are still in last place and seemingly going nowhere in the AL Central, the Braves weren't damaged much as Chicago evened the series at a game apiece. Philadelphia and Washington, both chasing the Braves, also suffered losses on Saturday.

The rubber game of the series will be played at 2:10 pm EDT, Sunday afternoon.

National League

Dexter Fowler

Dexter Fowler's two-run triple broke a 1-1, fourth-inning tie, propelling the Colorado Rockies to a 9-3 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs.

Carlos Gonzalez continued the scoring outburst with his league-leading 26th homer in the fifth. The Rockies scored four runs in the inning, culminated by Fowler's sac fly, driving in Todd Helton. Fowler went 2-for-3 with three RBI, a stolen base and scored a run, helping the Rockies remain in the heat of the NL West race, 3 1/2 games behind Arizona, losers of three straight. The Dodgers beat Washington, 3-1, in 10 innings, to pull to within 1/2 game of the division lead.

Fowler has been very steady in the leadoff spot for the Rockies all season, batting .288 with 53 runs and 14 stolen bases.

Colorado's win evened the series at a game apiece, with game three slated for a 4:10 pm EDT start, Sunday afternoon.

Today's Trivia: In 1996, what AL record did Baltimore's Bobby Bonilla tie? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Probably better at getting out of the way of errant throws, Frank Robinson was hit by 198 pitches, while Don Baylor was plunked 267 times, fourth-most in major league history.

Alex Rios' 6 Hits, Dayan Viciedo's Two Homers Lead White Sox over Tigers; Wily Peralta Tosses 3-Hit Shutout for Brewers

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 9, 2013

American League

Rios: 6-for-6

It isn't often that a player gets six hits in a game. So rare is the feat that it's only happened 32 times in the American League, or about once every three years, on average.

It also isn't very often that the Tigers lose big with Justin Verlander on the mound, but that's exactly what happened when Alex Rios knocked out a triple and five singles, leading the White Sox to an 11-4 victory.

Dayan Viciedo

Rios' big night was part of a 23-hit attack, 12 of which came off Verlander, who yielded five runs, working into the eighth. That was when the Sox exploded a 1-1 tie, scoring seven runs in the frame and three more in the ninth.

Rios led off the eighth inning with a single, stole second and scored on Adam Dunn's two-run homer. Later in the inning he singled again, driving in a run, and singled again in the ninth, for another RBI. Riios also stole second in the fifth inning, making his line for the night, 6-for-6, a run, two RBI, two steals.

Dayan Viciedo also had a huge effort, with a single and two homers in four at-bats, four RBI and two runs.

The result left the White Sox still in last place, 13 games out, and Detroit in first, with a 2 1/2 game lead over Cleveland.

Game two of the series is 7:08 pm EDT, Wednesday night.

National League

Wily Peralta

There hasn't been a heck of a lot to cheer about in Milwaukee this season, but starting pitcher, Wily Peralta, gave the home town fans a treat with a three-hit shutout in the Brewers' 2-0 win over the Reds.

Peralta (6-9), a 24-year-old rookie out of the Dominican Republic, notched his first complete game and first shutout of his brief, but promising, major league career, fanning six and walking four.

Shin-Soo Choo led off the game with a single, but was doubled up on a liner. After that, the Reds didn't get another hit until Derrick Robinson tripled in the seventh, but was gunned down at home, trying to stretch the hit into a score.

The Brewers got their two runs on Logan Shafer's home run in the fifth inning, which proved to be all Peralta needed to get the win.

Cincinnati's loss dropped them four back of St. Louis - winners of four straight - in the Central division. The Brewers continue in last place, 17 1/2 games out.

Milwaukee will be looking for the series sweep when they host the Reds at 2:10 pm EDT on Wednesday.

Today's Trivia: Who had a higher lifetime batting average, Lou Brock or Maury Wills? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Tom (Flash) Gordon converted 54 straight save opportunities for the Boston Red Sox in 1998 and 1999. After blowing his first opportunity of the 1998 season, Gordon saved 43 straight, then added 11 in a row to start the 1999 campaign.

Gio Gonzalez Wins 19th as Nats Close in on NL East Crown; Alex Rios leads White Sox over Tigers

Players of the Day for Monday, September 10, 2012

American League

While the Orioles, Rays and Yankees took a day off from the torrid AL East race, the two leaders in the Central opened a head-to-head series in Chicago, with the White Sox taking game one of the critical four-game set by a 6-1 score.

Alex Rios

Starting pitcher Jose Quintana scattered seven hits over 7 1/3 innings, allowing the Tigers their only run of the game in the second inning and Alex Rios continued his outstanding season, driving in three runs with his 23rd homer as the White Sox exploded for four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Rios added a double and finished the game 2-for-4, upping his average to a solid .294. He's also closing in on his personal best for RBI with 85. He drove in 88 for the Sox in 2010.

The win increased Chicago's lead to three games over Detroit in the division. The Tigers are in danger of missing the playoffs completely, as they trail the A's, O's, Rays and Angels in the wild card race. They are a full seven games behind the A's, who lead all wild card hopefuls, and five behind the Orioles for the second spot.

he series resumes Tuesday night in Chicago at 8:10 pm EDT.

Gonzalez: 19-7

National League

Gio Gonzalez became the first pitcher to reach 19 wins, allowing just three hits over six innings as the Nationals defeated the Mets, 5-1, at Citi Field in New York.

Crafty as ever, Gonzalez surrendered five walks and worked out out of situations with men aboard in four of his six innings, the only Mets' run coming on a leadoff homer by Scott Hairston in the fourth, though by then, the Nats had already put five runs on the board.

Gonzalez fanned six as he improved to 19-7 with a 2.93 ERA, making a strong bid for the Cy Young award in the National League.

Coupled with Atlanta's 4-1 loss in Milwaukee, the Washington lead in the East is back to 6 1/2 games over the Braves. With 20 games left on their schedule, the Nationals' magic number is 15.

Grand Slam, 6 RBI by Alex Rios Keeps White Sox in First Place; Mike Minor Dominates Rockies in 1-0 Braves Win

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 5, 2011

American League

Rios: GS, 6 RBI

While the battle in the AL East between the Yankees, Orioles and Rays has captured baseball headlines over the past week, the AL Central fight between the White Sox and Tigers might be even more intriguing because the loser is probably not going to the post-season as a wild card.

Chicago has held the lead in the division since before the all star break, but it's been a slim one. The Tigers keep nipping at their heels and remain one game off the pace as Detroit took care of Cleveland, 7-1, while the White Sox took the rubber game of their home series with the Twins by a 6-2 score.

Jake Peavy evened his record at 10-10, but Alex Rios was the real story, driving in all six of Chicago's runs with a first inning grand slam and a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

That gave Rios 22 homers on the year and 82 RBI to go with 20 steals and a .298 batting average, well on his way to his most productive season in his eight-year major league career.

After a day off Thursday, the White Sox host Kansas City for three games before opening a critical four-game series with the Tigers in Chicago beginning Monday. Likewise, the Tigers have Thursday off, but face a more onerous task as they travel to play three against the Angels prior to the series with the Sox.


National League

Blasting six homers, the Nationals clubbed the Cubs, 9-1, and Atlanta kept pace in the NL East with a gutsy, 1-0, win over the Rockies.

Minor: 7IP 1H 0 ER

Mike Minor (8-10) earned the win, taking a no-hitter through six full innings, spoiled by Jordan Pacheco, who singled to left center leading off the seventh.

No damage was done, but Minor sat after throwing 108 pitches, walking four and fanning seven. Criag Kimbrel picked up his 33rd save, getting the final four outs, all on strikeouts.

The Braves remain the #1 wild card with a three game lead over St. Louis, but trail the Nationals by 7 1/2 in the division.

Atlanta has taken two of three from the visiting Rockies, and finish up their four-game series on Thursday afternoon. The Braves will get only one more crack at the front-running Nats, hosting a three-game series September 14-16.

Alex Rios Walks Off Angels in 8-6 Win; Buster Posey, Angel Pagan Lead Giants in 16-4 Romp

Players of the Day for Friday, August 3, 2012

American League

Alex Rios banged a pair of home runs - his 17th and 18th of the season - the second of which won the game in extra innings for the White Sox, defeating the Angels, 8-6.

Alex Rios

Rios singled home the White Sox's first run of the game in the opening inning, after the Angels had scored one in the top of the frame. He scored on A.J. Pierzynski's three-run blast later in the inning.

In the seventh, Rios connected off Zach Grienke with a solo shot, putting the Sox down by a run. Chicago tied the game on DeAza's ground rule double which plated Alexei Ramirez.

Neither team was able to score again until the tenth inning, when Rios went yard again, scoring himself and pinch runner Jordan Danks on a walk-off rip to center field.

Rios finished 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBI, the win keeping the White Sox 2 1/2 games up on the Detroit Tigers, who defeated Cleveland, 10-2.

The Angels dropped another game further off the pace being set by the Rangers in the West. Texas leads the A's by 4 1/2 and the Angels, losers of three straight, by six.


National League

Buster Posey

Angel Pagan

Leading a three-way race for the division crown in the NL West, the San Francisco Giants put on their best offensive showing of the year, blasting the Colorado Rockies, 16-4, as the trailing Dodgers and Diamondbacks each won, keeping the Giants' slim lead at 1/2 game over LA and two ahead of Arizona.

Their highest scoring output of the season was spearheaded by Buster Posey, who had four hits in five at-bats, including his 15th homer, a three-run shot to go with his three singles. Posey had four RBI in the contest.

Angel Pagan collected a single, double and triple in four at-bats, scored four times and drive in a run as the Giants opened the three game series in Colorado with a needed win.

The Rockies and Giants play again on Saturday night with a day game on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Dodgers host the Cubs while the Diamondbacks play at Philadelphia.

White Sox, Alex Rios Fall Short in 11-9 Loss to Blue Jays; Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen Keep Pirates in First Place

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 8, 2012

American League

Leading the Central division, the Chicago White Sox went looking for a sweep of their three-game series with visiting Toronto on Sunday, but, despite their best effort of Alex Rios, ended up falling short in an 11-9 loss to the Blue Jays.

Alex Rios

Rios socked a three-run homer in the first inning, but all that did was put the White Sox a run down, as Jose Bautista and Colby Rasmus has each blasted two-run shots in the top of the inning.

After the Blue Jays scored a run in the second, two in the third and another in the fourth, Rios doubled in a run and scored in the fifth, as the Sox plated four, again trailing the Jays by a run.

In the sixth, Rajai Davis walked, stole second and third (two of his three swipes in the game), and scored on a wild pitch. The Jays added two more runs in the frame, putting them up 11-7 and even though the White Sox scored a run in the sixth and Rios doubled and scored again in the seventh - capping a 3-for-5, three run, four RBI effort - it was still not enough to overcome the ten hit attack of the Blue Jays, which included four doubles and four homers.

Despite the loss, the White Sox head into the break with a three game lead in the division, as Cleveland lost but Detroit won their fifth straight, 7-1, over Kansas City, to get within 3 1/2 of Chicago.

Toronto remained in last place in the AL East, 9 1/2 behind the Yankees, but are now tied with Boston at 43-43, as the Yanks dumped the Red Sox, 7-3, taking three of their four games at Fenway Park.


National League

Walker: 5-for-5 4R

The story the Pittsburgh Pirates are writing is the best one in the National League, and, if they continue playing the way they are, it could be the best story in sports this year.

McCutchen: 2HR 4RBI

Winning for the 10th time in their last 12 games, the Pirates beat up on Tim Lincecum (3-10) and the Giants in a 13-2 blowout at home, ending their three game series with two wins as all teams head to the all star break.

Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker personally accounted for eight of the Pirates' 17 hits, getting to Lincecum early as McCutchen drove in Walker with a two run homer, his first of two fence-clearers on the day.

Walker went 5-for-5 with a double and a home run, scored four times and drove in a pair of runs, while McCutchen was 3-for-5 with two homers, three runs and four RBI. Lincecum, who lasted only 3 1/3 innings, was rocked for six earned runs on seven hits, two of them homers by McCutchen and Walker.

The four RBI gave McCutchen 60 on the year, tied for third in the NL, to go with his league -leading .362 batting average. He's also creeping up on the home run leaders. His two on Sunday gave him 18, tying him with Cincinnati's Jay Bruce for fourth in the league.

The win kept Pittsburgh's hold on first place in the NL Central intact, a game ahead of Cincinnati and St. Louis, both winners on the day. San Francisco remained 1/2 game behind the Dodgers in the West.

Nick Hundley Drives Padres Past Phillies; Alex Rios Helps ChiSox Sweep Mariners

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 22, 2012

American League

Alex Rios

After Philip Humber's perfect game on Saturday, the series finale between the White Sox and Mariners in Seattle was almost certain to be anti-climactic, but Alex Rios did his best to provide some thrills as the Sox swept the series with a 7-4 victory.

Rios went 3-for-4 with a single, double and a triple, driving in three runs. Down 4-2 in the top of the sixth, Rios tripled to center, driving in two runs to tie the game and then scooted home with the go-ahead run on a sac fly by Kosuke Fukudome.

In the eighth, Rios singled home an insurance run and the Sox added another to complete the scoring.

The sweep was helpful to the White Sox in their pursuit of Central-division-leading Detroit, which lost, 3-2, in 10 innings to Texas on a blown call, leaving the Tigers a mere 1/2 hame ahead of Chicago.


National League

The San Diego Padres got some satisfaction winning the final two games of their home series with the Phillies by taking the final two games to earn a split.

Nick Hundley

Winning 5-1 on Saturday, the Padres worked out a 6-1 win on Sunday as Nick Hundley provided almost all of the offense with a triple, home run and a sac fly to drive in four runs, going 2-for-3 for the game.

Hundley's first inning sac fly put the Padres up 2-0, which proved to be more than enough for starter Anthony Bass (1-2) and a trio of Padre relievers.

In the third, Hundley legged out a triple, driving in Chase Headley and scored on Jim Thome's throwing error. Hundley's two-run blast in the fifth inning completed the San Diego scoring. It was his second homer of the season.

Despite winning two straight, the Padres are still languishing in last place in the NL West. After their 3-12 start, winning a pair of home games has upped their record to 5-13, just a little better than the 4-12 Cubs, the 3-12 Royals and the 4-10 Red Sox.

Alex Rios Sends a Pair Over the Fence; Brandon Boggs a Player to Watch

Players of the Day for Monday, March 7, 2011

American League

Alex Rios

Alex Rios slugged two home runs and drove in five runs as the Indians and White Sox demolished each other's bullpens in a 16-16 tie.

The two teams combined for 39 hits, employing a total of 13 pitchers, who gave up 6 homers and 10 doubles.

Rios, one of last season's most under-appreciated stars, batted .284 with 21 homers, 88 RBI and 34 stolen bases in his first full season with the White Sox following a late-season trade from Toronto in 2009.

National League

Brandon Boggs

Milwaukee bats were booming as the Brewers banged out 25 hits against defending N Central division champion Cincinnati in a 15-2 plundering.

Right fielder Brandon Boggs, hoping to make the final roster, homered, tripled and singled twice in five at-bats, scoring twice and driving in four runs to spearhead the onslaught.

A graduate of Georgia Tech, Boogs has spent considerable time in the minors but played 101 games with the Rangers in 2008, knocking 8 homers and 41 RBI. His .226 batting average and 93 strikeouts in 283 at-bats earned him a return trip to the minors. Milwaukee picked up Boggs, from Texas, in the off-season following the 2010 campaign.

Rios 5-for-6 in White Sox Win; Heyward Powers Braves as Kuroda Stops Phillies

Players of the Day for Monday, August 30, 2010 American League Obtaining the rights to Manny Ramirez, the White Sox figure to put the former Indian, Red Sox and Dodger player into the DH spot, but judging by the ferocity of Chicgo's bats in their 10-6, 11-inning win over the Indians, there isn't a player who wants to be replaced by the newcomer. Paul Konerko was the DH in Monday's conquest, but there's no way Big Paul will be ousted from the day-to-day lineup. The players most affected are going to be Andruw Jones and Carlos Quentin, both of whom played a bit in right field on Monday. Jones is the odd-man out, so it seems, as Quentin carries a more productive bat. The big slugger in for the White Sox was Alex Rios, who's recently broken out of a month-long slump in which his batting average fell from .311 to .288. Rios had five hits in six at-bats, socked a solo homer (his 19th), scored three times, drove in four runs and stole his 28th base of the season. Rios may not reach the hallowed 30-30 mark for homers and steals, though he may drive in 100 runs (currently at 78). Winning over the tribe pushed the White Sox to 4 games behind idle AL Central division leader, Minnesota. The Sox face the Indians Tuesday and Wednesday while the Twins host the Tigers. National League By beating up on the struggling Mets, 9-3, the Atlanta Braves picked up another game on second-place Philadelphia as Hiroki Kuroda (left) took a no-hitter into the 8th inning in a 3-0 Dodger win. Kuroda was lifted with two outs in the 8th after allowing the only Philly hit of the night to Shane Victorino. Hong-Shih Kuo came on to record the final four outs for his 7th save of the season. The Braves got a huge night from rookie Jason Heyward (right), who went 4-for-5 with a 3-run homer, four RBI and three runs. Heyward was originally considered a shoo-in for the NL Rookie of the Year, but he's got plenty of company in the likes of Chicago's Starlin Castro, San Fran's Buster Posey and others. Heyward is batting .278 with 16 homers and 62 RBI, and is currently riding a five-game hitting streak. Atlanta leads Philadelphia by three games in the NL East.

Jackson, Rios Keep White Sox in Race; Pujols Smacks #400

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 26, 2010 American League With roughly 35 games left in the regular season, teams in chase mode know that time is not on their side and they need to start stringing together wins in a hurry. One such team in just that situation is the Chicago White Sox. Trailing the Twins by 3 1/2 games, the Sox know they need to win now and got maximum effort from starting pitcher Edwin Jackson (left) and outfielder Alex Rios (right) bouncing back from two straight defeats by the Orioles with an 8-0 triumph over the feisty birds. Jackson, acquired from Arizona prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, won for the second time in a Chicago uniform, though he has pitched well enough to win all four of his starts for the Sox. Working eight strong innings, Jackson didn't allow a run while giving up just three hits and a pair of free passes. While Jackson was piling up a 10 strikeouts (he had 11 in his previous start), Alex Rios broke out of his slump with his 18th home run and a pair of singles in four at-bats. Rios scored twice and drove in three runs, one on a single in the 4th inning, the other two on his left field blast in the 8th which completed the White Sox scoring. With the Twins beating Texas, 6-3, Chicago remained in hunt mode as they make their way to the Big Apple for a three-game set with the Yankees. National League The St. Louis Cardinals may not make it to the post-season, dropping another close one Thursday night to the Washington Nationals, 11-10, in 13 innings, but it won't be because Albert Pujols hasn't tried his best every time he's stepped onto the field. In four at-bats, Pujols doubled and hit a solo home run - the 400th of his already legendary career - but starter Chris carpenter and six Cardinal relievers could not keep the Nats off the basepaths, eventually succumbing to Ian desmaond's walk-off single in the 13th inning. Albert the Great upped his home run and RBI lead to three in each category over Joey Votto, who is having a career year for the Reds, who were idle. The St. Louis loss shuffled the Cards back to four games behind the Reds in the NL Central, where they will only have one more head-to-head meeting with Cincinnati, a three-game series in St. Louis, the first week of September.

Alex Rios, a Stats Star; Chipper Jones Certain to Reach Cooperstown

Players of the Day for Sunday, June 20, 2010 American League Two teams heading in opposite directions finished up their three-game interleague series on Sunday, as the White Sox invaded the nation's capital and swept the Nationals, finishing them off with a decisive 6-3 victory. Earning his 8th win against three losses was Freddie Garcia, looking every bit the part for comeback player of the year. Garcia went 3-4 in just nine starts for the Sox last season, but has regained much of the form that made him an All-Star in 2001 and 2002. While Garcia allowed three earned over six innings, Alex Rios was doing his best to earn some notice in the MVP conversation. Rios doubled and singled twice in five at-bats, scoring a pair of runs, driving in two and swiping his 20th base of the season. Rios' numbers from an all-around basis are phenomenal. He's batting a crisp .317, with 13 homers, 37 RBI, 42 runs and 20 steals. If he can get the RBI totals up a little, he may reach the rarified air at the .300-30-30-100-100 plateau, with a .300 batting average, 30 homers, 30 steals, 100 runs and 100 RBI. He is just about on pace to accomplish what could be one of the rarest statistical feats in baseball. The win for the Sox was their sixth straight, and it was Washington's sixth consecutive loss. Chicago is 5 1/2 behind Minnesota in the AL Central. The Tigers, who trumped the Nats three times earlier in the week, are just 1 1/2 behind the Twins. National League Rumors swirling around Chipper Jones' retirement won't go away, but the guy is a no-doubt first vote Hall of Famer no matter what he does, especially since he's contributing steadily to the resurgence of the Braves in 2010. On Sunday, the Braves increased their lead in the NL East to 2 1/2 games over the Mets with an 8-5 win at Kansas City, for a series sweep and their fifth consecutive win overall. Jones belted a pair of doubles, walked twice, scored twice, drove in three runs and stole a base. The man can still play, so retirement may or may not be in the cards at the end of this season. Besides, he's only 38, so there may be another year or two left in his body. Jones is close to a milestone, that being 1500 RBI. Jones is currently #53 on the list and has 1474, so he'll likely make that number by August, if not sooner. He would then be #51, and have dead aim at #50, the spot held by another familiar Hall of Famer, Mickey Mantle, who ended his career with 1509.

Rios, Pierzynski Key White Sox Win; Sanchez Drives in 6 for Marlins

Players of the Day for Friday, June 11, 2010 American League Maybe playing against National Leaguers will wake up the White Sox. In their first of fifteen straight interleague games, the Sox showed some sock, as Alex Rios (left) and A.J. Pierzynski (right) led a 16-hit White Sox attack against their crosstown rivals, the Cubs. The pair accounted for half of all the team's hits. Rios singeld three times, smacked a two-run homer, stole a base and scored three times, going 4-for-4, raising his batting average to .322. Rios is having possibly the best all-around season of any major leaguer with 13 homers, 31 RBI, 42 runs, 19 stolen bases and a .967 OPS. Pierzynski had a pair of singles, a double, a solo home run and three RBI for the White Sox, who beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 10-5, for their third straight win. The Sox trail the Twins by 8 1/2 games in the AL Central, and are four games behind second-place Detroit. National League The Florida Marlins may be just 1/2 game out of last place in the NL East, but they're also only 4 1/2 games out of first. With the Phillies suffering from a severe power shortage over the past three weeks, the door to the post-season has been left wide open in the division. Currently led by the Braves, all five teams in the division have aims on the top slot. The last-place Nationals and Marlins are the only teams in the division sub-.500, though just barely. At 30-31, Florida won their second straight, putting on a power display against their in-state foes at Tampa Bay, pounding out a season-high 14 runs in their first of three at Tampa, 14-9. Driving in six of those 14 runs was rookie first baseman Gaby Sanchez, with two singles, two homers and a sac fly in five at-bats. Sanchez accounted for his 6th and 7th long balls of the season, a three-run poke in the 4th inning and a two-run bomb in the 7th. Sanchez is batting .282, with 7 homers and 28 RBI. Teammate Chris Coghlan, who batted in the leadoff spot, just ahead of Sanchez, went 4-for-4, with two singles and two doubles. He crossed the plate 4 times on the day.

Wellemeyer Blanks Rockies; Rios Off to Great Start for Sox

Players of the Day for Friday, March 12, 2010 American League Alex Rios went from Toronto to the White Sox in late August of last season, but didn't really measure up to expectations as the Sox finished well behind detroit and minnesota in the Al Central division. 2010 may be a different experience for Rios, who is off to a solid start in Spring training. In Friday's 10-7 win over the Angels, Rios doubled and smacked his second home run of Spring, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice, while Jake Peavy was proving his mettle with 3 scoreless innings to start the game. Rios should provide a solid bat wherever he is placed in the lineup and his defense will be critical in center field. Not noted as a power hitter, he could blossom this season, as he's reaching the pinnacle of his career at age 29, plus, he's an imposing figure at the plate, standing 6'5". National League Since they are somewhat offensively-challenged, the San Francisco Giants will likely depend upon great starting pitching in order to stay competitive in the NL West. If the Giants can get some quality innings out of Todd Wellemeyer, that would be a huge boost, since they already have capable arms in Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Barry Zito. In Friday's 9-2 win over Colorado, Wellemeyer got his first victory of the Spring with four scoreless innings to start the game. Allowing just two hits, the 6'3" righty didn't record any strikeouts, but he also didn't walk a batter, displaying excellent control of all his pitches and good mound presence. The Giants are Wellemeyer's 5th team (Florida, Cubs, KC, St. Louis), and, with a career mark of 29-29, 2010 looks to be his break-out or break-down season. If it's the former, the Giants should remain in the divisional hunt into the final weeks. So far this Spring, the Giants have shown some grit, with a 7-1 record in the Cactus League. MLB Preview: Oakland A's Oakland faded badly in the second half of the season, ending up in last place in the AL West, 22 games behind the Angels. It's been a long time since the A's have done much of anything, and the merits of Billy-ball and Sabremetrics are under increasing scrutiny as the team has floundered and the stands have emptied. The A's like to snatch up players which other teams cast off, picking up potential stars via the waiver wire and drafting relative unknowns. It hasn't been going too well of late. They've only been to the post-season once since 2003, and even though they beat the Twins 3 games to none in the 2006 ALDS - their first series win since 1990 - 2009 marked their worst season since 1998. Some of the A's issues can be traced to the emergence of the Angels as a powerhouse franchise in the division, but mostly, it has to do with fielding a sub-par product through the long MLB season. It seems that second-rate prospects turn out to be just that and a solid team needs at least a smattering of star power to succeed. Peering up and down the A's starting lineup, there's only one recognizable name, that being Jack Cust, and he's a DH. while Cust is generally reliable for 20-30 homers in a season, his .239 career batting average dulls his star. Second baseman Mark Ellis could probably start in other cities, but after that, there's not much in the way of offensive punch. That's surely going to hurt, since the pitching staff is led by Ben Sheets and a list of no-names with a combined W-L record of 63-67, most of that belonging to #4 starter, Justin Duchscherer. Oakland will get some quality starts from their staff, but the middle relief is questionable. They may have struck gold with 2nd year closer Andrew Bailey, who converted 26 of 30 save opportunities in his rookie year. Unfortunately, he isn't likely to get the ball very often with the A's and could become serious trade bait come August. The A's don't have much of a shot of winning the division as the Angels and Rangers appear the teams to beat in the West. even Seattle has made moves that could put them in the hunt. The 125-1 odds in the future book are probably overly optimistic.