Showing posts with label Alex Rodriguez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Rodriguez. Show all posts
Friday, May 10, 2019
Albert Pujols Notches Career 2000 RBI In Style
According to most reports you'll read, on Thursday afternoon, Los Angeles Angels star Albert Pujols became the third player in MLB history to record 2,000 career RBI.
With a third inning, no-doubter solo homer off a 2-0 pitch from Tigers' lefty Ryan Carpenter, Pujols reached the meritorious figure. The blast came in the top of the inning of Thursday's game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The Angels won the game in a 13-0 romp. Pujols finished 1-for-4.
But, is Pujols just the third player to reach the heralded 2,000 mark in RBI? Or is he the fifth?
According to the very reliable stats at baseball-reference, he's numero cinco (five, for English speakers). The all-time leader is the venerable Hank Aaron, with 2297. The Sultan of Swat, the Bambino, Babe Ruth comes in at number two, with 2214, the numbers compiled by a number of researchers including baseball writer Ernie Lanigan. Runs Batted In (RBI) wasn't made an official statistic until 1920.
It's odd that Ruth isn't considered among the leaders, especially since the bulk of his 22 playing years (1914-1935) were after the stat became official. Incidentally, all of the years from 1920 forward were with the Yankees. The prior six seasons with the Red Sox, Ruth was just getting warmed up. He knocked in 224 runs with the Sox, 113 in his final season in Boston, 2019.
At number three is another player who did a ton of work at Yankee Stadium, Alex Rodriguez, who ended his 22-year career with 2086 RBI.
Number four is credited to the great Cap Anson, who played 27 years in the National Association and National League with the Rockford Forest Citys (NA, 1871), Philadelphia Athletics (NA, 1872-1875) and 22 seasons with the Chicago Cubs of the National League (1876-1897).
This is where it gets a little sketchy, since record-keeping just a decade or three after the Civil War were not quite what they are in the modern age.
The controversy over who has how many RBI is likely to never end, particularly since Ruth and Anson are both members of the Hall of Fame. That puts their reputations in lofty, revered spaces that purists will defend with honor and determination. According to this article on Yahoo Sports, the official MLB stats are now property of Elias Sports Bureau, and they list Babe Ruth at 1,992 RBI, significantly lower than the 2214 he's credited with on baseball-reference.com.
Alex Rodriguez is a solid lock on gaining entry to the Hall when he becomes eligible in 2021, and Pujols will be a first-ballot lock five years after he finishes his career, whenever that is.
Pujols is in his 19th season, having spent the first 11 with the St. Louis Cardinals and the past eight with his current team the LA Angels.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Cole Hamels Tosses No-Hitter for Phillies; A-Rod Goes Yard Three Times as Yanks Down Twins
Players of the Day for Saturday, July 25, 2015
American League
Trailing the home-standing Twins, 5-0, with two down and nobody aboard in the top of the fourth inning, Alex Rodriguez launched the first of what would be three home runs, helping the Yankees erase the five-run deficit and proceed to an 8-5 victory, evening their three-game series with Minnesota at one game apiece.
A-Rod went yard again in the seventh inning, this time belting a two-run shot off starter Tommy Milone, as the Yankees scored three times in the inning.
In the top of the ninth, Rodriguez tied the game with his third homer of the game, a solo shot to center field off would-be closer, Glen Perkins. Later in the frame, John Ryan Murphy completed the comeback with a three-run shot off Perkins. The Twins failed to score in the ninth as Andrew Miller set them down in order for his 23rd save of the season.
A-Rod's homers were numbers 21, 22, and 23 on the year. It was the fifth time Rodriguez - who turns 40 on Monday - has hit three homers in a game. That's one short of the major league record, held jointly by Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Twins and Yanks play the rubber game Sunday at 2:10 pm ET. New York leads the AL East by 5 1/2 games over Toronto; the Twins trail the Royals by 6 1/2 in the Central division.
National League
Cole Hamels set down 27 of the 29 Cubs' batters he faced, walking two while throwing a no-hitter in a 5-0 Philadelphia win.
Ryan Howard's third-inning, three-run homer provided more than enough offense for the 31-year-old Hamels, one of the game's premier pitching stars and currently the subject of a slew of trade rumors.
Hamels fanned 13 Cubbies, getting the top five in the order a total of nine times. Chicago's cleanup hitter, Jorge Soler, went down three times on strikes.
Camels threw 83 of 129 pitches for strikes, improving his record to 6-7. the tall lefty was involved in another Philadelphia no-hitter, teaming with three relievers for a September 1 win over Atlanta last season.
The gem by Hamels was the first no-hitter against the Cubs since Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game at Dodger Stadium in 1965.
Philly has taken two straight from the home-standing Cubs and will look to sweep the series when the two teams take to Wrigley Field at 2:20 pm ET Sunday afternoon.
American League
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| A-Rod: Three Bombs |
A-Rod went yard again in the seventh inning, this time belting a two-run shot off starter Tommy Milone, as the Yankees scored three times in the inning.
In the top of the ninth, Rodriguez tied the game with his third homer of the game, a solo shot to center field off would-be closer, Glen Perkins. Later in the frame, John Ryan Murphy completed the comeback with a three-run shot off Perkins. The Twins failed to score in the ninth as Andrew Miller set them down in order for his 23rd save of the season.
A-Rod's homers were numbers 21, 22, and 23 on the year. It was the fifth time Rodriguez - who turns 40 on Monday - has hit three homers in a game. That's one short of the major league record, held jointly by Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Twins and Yanks play the rubber game Sunday at 2:10 pm ET. New York leads the AL East by 5 1/2 games over Toronto; the Twins trail the Royals by 6 1/2 in the Central division.
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| Hamels tosses No-Hitter |
Cole Hamels set down 27 of the 29 Cubs' batters he faced, walking two while throwing a no-hitter in a 5-0 Philadelphia win.
Ryan Howard's third-inning, three-run homer provided more than enough offense for the 31-year-old Hamels, one of the game's premier pitching stars and currently the subject of a slew of trade rumors.
Hamels fanned 13 Cubbies, getting the top five in the order a total of nine times. Chicago's cleanup hitter, Jorge Soler, went down three times on strikes.
Camels threw 83 of 129 pitches for strikes, improving his record to 6-7. the tall lefty was involved in another Philadelphia no-hitter, teaming with three relievers for a September 1 win over Atlanta last season.
The gem by Hamels was the first no-hitter against the Cubs since Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game at Dodger Stadium in 1965.
Philly has taken two straight from the home-standing Cubs and will look to sweep the series when the two teams take to Wrigley Field at 2:20 pm ET Sunday afternoon.
Monday, April 20, 2015
A-Rod, Nelson Cruz, Jeurys Familia, Matt Carpenter Highlight POTW through April 19
Players of the Week for w/e April 19, 2015
American League
Infielder of the Week - While he certainly has his hare of detractors, NY's Alex Rodriguez spent the week hammering out hits to the tune of a .333 average (6-for-18) with three HRs, a double and five RBI. A-Rod also worked out five walks and scored seven times as the Yankees went 4-2.
Outfielder of the Week - Even though the Seattle Mariners went just 2-4 during the week, that didn't stop right fielder, Nelson Cruz, from doing some serious mashing.
Cruz belted six homers in the week, starting with a pair in a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers, and finishing with a two-homer game in an 11-10 victory over Texas on Sunday.
Cruz extended his hitting streak to eight games. During the week's six games, he went 12-for-24, an even .500. The six homers and other hits yielded 10 RBI for Cruz, who leads the majors in home runs, with eight, and has 14 RBI, two behind Baltimore's Adam Jones in the AL.
Starting Pitcher of the Week - Detroit's Shane Greene improved to 3-0 with a pair of victories on the week. On April 14, Greene went eight innings in a 2-0 win at Pittsburgh, allowing just three hits. In his next start, on April 19, Greene got more support, going seven solid innings in a 9-1 win over the White Sox. Greene allowed one earned on five hits, fanning three.
Relief Pitcher of the Week - The Yankees' Andrew Miller has settled into the closer role nicely, picking up three saves in the most recent week to give him four on the season. Miller had a five-out save in a 6-5 win over the Orioles, followed by a four-out save against the Rays and a regular ninth-inning variety again against the Rays, as the Yanks swept Tampa Bay.
National League
Infielder of the Week - St. Louis has surged to the top of the NL Central on the strength of second baseman, Matt Carpenter's torrid hitting streak.
Riding a seven-game hitting streak (two hits in each game) Carpenter ended the week batting an even .400. Nine of his 12 hits went for extra bases - seven doubles and two home runs, including a leadoff blast in Sunday night's 2-1 win over the Reds.
Outfielder of the Week - The Mets have won seven straight and are atop the NL East, and that's the same number of games comprising left fielder Michael Cuddyer's hitting streak.
Cuddyer went 10 for 21 (.476) on the week, driving in our runs with three doubles and a triple in his arsenal.
Starting Pitcher of the Week - Scary as it may be to think about, Matt Harvey is 3-0 and still hasn't displayed his best stuff. Harvey, who picked up two wins on the week, gave up five hits and three earned in the Mets' 6-5 win over Philly on the 14th, striking out eight, then, on the 18th Harvey allowed four earned runs while fanning seven in the Mets' 7-6 win over the Marlins. Harvey worked six innings in each of his starts.
Relief Pitcher of the Week - Jeurys Familia pitched five innings in relief for the Mets and picked up five saves, tying him with Atlanta's Jason Grilli for the major league lead with six. Familia allowed just two hits and one earned run over the five games, striking out five and issuing two walks. All of his saves occurred at the Mets' home field, Citi.
American League
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| A-Rod |
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| Cruz |
Cruz belted six homers in the week, starting with a pair in a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers, and finishing with a two-homer game in an 11-10 victory over Texas on Sunday.
Cruz extended his hitting streak to eight games. During the week's six games, he went 12-for-24, an even .500. The six homers and other hits yielded 10 RBI for Cruz, who leads the majors in home runs, with eight, and has 14 RBI, two behind Baltimore's Adam Jones in the AL.
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| Greene |
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| Miller |
Relief Pitcher of the Week - The Yankees' Andrew Miller has settled into the closer role nicely, picking up three saves in the most recent week to give him four on the season. Miller had a five-out save in a 6-5 win over the Orioles, followed by a four-out save against the Rays and a regular ninth-inning variety again against the Rays, as the Yanks swept Tampa Bay.
National League
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| Carpenter |
Riding a seven-game hitting streak (two hits in each game) Carpenter ended the week batting an even .400. Nine of his 12 hits went for extra bases - seven doubles and two home runs, including a leadoff blast in Sunday night's 2-1 win over the Reds.
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| Harvey |
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| Cuddyer |
Starting Pitcher of the Week - Scary as it may be to think about, Matt Harvey is 3-0 and still hasn't displayed his best stuff. Harvey, who picked up two wins on the week, gave up five hits and three earned in the Mets' 6-5 win over Philly on the 14th, striking out eight, then, on the 18th Harvey allowed four earned runs while fanning seven in the Mets' 7-6 win over the Marlins. Harvey worked six innings in each of his starts.
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| Familia |
Relief Pitcher of the Week - Jeurys Familia pitched five innings in relief for the Mets and picked up five saves, tying him with Atlanta's Jason Grilli for the major league lead with six. Familia allowed just two hits and one earned run over the five games, striking out five and issuing two walks. All of his saves occurred at the Mets' home field, Citi.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Alex Rodriguez Sets Grand Slam Record, Yankees Win; Boston Clinches AL East; Jordan Zimmermann's 2-Hit Shutout Leads Nationals
Players of the Day for Friday, September 20, 2013
American League
Alex Rodriguez stroked a seventh-inning grand slam to right field, leading the Yankees to a 5-1 win in the opener of their three-game home series with the San Francisco Giants.
It was the 24th grand slam for Rodriguez, breaking a tie with Lou Gehrig for the all-time career lead. Rodriguez had tied Gehrig last season, and had been on the disabled list most of this year but took the opportunity to break a 1-1 tie off reliever George Kontos to set the new record.
With the win, the Yankees kept pace with the Rays and Indians the two leaders for the AL wild card spots. Tampa Bay, currently in the #1 position, topped Baltimore, 6-5, in 18 innings, while the Indians jumped past San Francisco into the #2 spot with a 2-1 win in a rain-shortened, seven-inning game in Houston. Texas lost to Kansas City, 2-1.
Boston Clinched the AL East with a 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.
AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/20)
National League
Jordan Zimmerman became the National League's first 19-game winner, hurling a 2-hit shutout over the visiting Miami Marlins, as the Nationals cruised to an 8-0 victory.
Zimmerman improved to 19-8, holding the Marlins hitless over the first 6 2/3 innings. A single by Donovan Solano in the sixth and a two-out single in the ninth by Chris Coughlan were the only base hits off the 6'6" righty, who fanned five straight near the beginning of the game, getting the final two batters in the second and striking out the side in the third inning.
It was Zimmermann's second shutout of the season, fourth complete game, and fourth straight win. He has not lost a start in the month of September and will likely be going for his 20th win the middle of next week.
In the wild card card race, the Reds beat the Pirates, 6-5 in ten innings, tying Pittsburgh for the wold card lead and for second place in the NL Central, two games behind the Cardinals. The Reds and Pirates, regardless of the outcome of games in their head-to-head series this weekend, will likely be the two wild card teams in the playoffs. They currently hold a five-game lead over the Nationals, with eight games left in the regular season.
Today's Trivia: The lowest batting average to ever lead the AL in average was .301. Who did it and why was winning it vitally important? (answer tomorrow)
Yesterday's Answer: the two players with the lowest batting averages to win the AL batting title since 1990 were Boston's Bill Mueller, who hit .326 in 2003 and Minnesota's Joe Mauer, who led the AL with a .328 average in 2008.
American League
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| A-Rod: Slam King |
It was the 24th grand slam for Rodriguez, breaking a tie with Lou Gehrig for the all-time career lead. Rodriguez had tied Gehrig last season, and had been on the disabled list most of this year but took the opportunity to break a 1-1 tie off reliever George Kontos to set the new record.
With the win, the Yankees kept pace with the Rays and Indians the two leaders for the AL wild card spots. Tampa Bay, currently in the #1 position, topped Baltimore, 6-5, in 18 innings, while the Indians jumped past San Francisco into the #2 spot with a 2-1 win in a rain-shortened, seven-inning game in Houston. Texas lost to Kansas City, 2-1.
Boston Clinched the AL East with a 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.
AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/20)
| Team | GB |
| Tampa Bay | +1/2 |
| Cleveland | -- |
| Texas | -1/2 |
| Baltimore | -2 1/2 |
| Kansas City | -2 1/2 |
| NY Yankees | -3 |
National League
Jordan Zimmerman became the National League's first 19-game winner, hurling a 2-hit shutout over the visiting Miami Marlins, as the Nationals cruised to an 8-0 victory.
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| Jordan Zimmermann |
It was Zimmermann's second shutout of the season, fourth complete game, and fourth straight win. He has not lost a start in the month of September and will likely be going for his 20th win the middle of next week.
In the wild card card race, the Reds beat the Pirates, 6-5 in ten innings, tying Pittsburgh for the wold card lead and for second place in the NL Central, two games behind the Cardinals. The Reds and Pirates, regardless of the outcome of games in their head-to-head series this weekend, will likely be the two wild card teams in the playoffs. They currently hold a five-game lead over the Nationals, with eight games left in the regular season.
Today's Trivia: The lowest batting average to ever lead the AL in average was .301. Who did it and why was winning it vitally important? (answer tomorrow)
Yesterday's Answer: the two players with the lowest batting averages to win the AL batting title since 1990 were Boston's Bill Mueller, who hit .326 in 2003 and Minnesota's Joe Mauer, who led the AL with a .328 average in 2008.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Alex Rodriguez Ties Lou Gehrig with 23rd Grand Slam; Johnny Cueto's Complete Game Puts Reds Back on Top
Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 12, 2012
American League
Even though the warning has been issued countless times to managers around the both leagues, some continue to test the theory that it is not a good idea to load the bases by walking Mark Teixeira, putting Alex Rodriguez at the plate.
Leading 4-0 into the eighth inning, the Braves seemed to be well on their way to evening their series with the Yankees, when things began to unravel.
With one out in the eighth, Derek Jeter singled, prompting Braves' manager, Fredi Gonzalez, to pull starter Mike Minor in favor of reliable reliever Jonny Venters, but Venters allowed a single to Curtis Granderson and then, not intentionally, but pitching judiciously, walked Teixeira.
Rodriguez and Venters dueled to a 3-2 count before Rodriguez tied the game with his historic grand slam, tying another Yankee great, Lou Gehrig, with a major league record 23. It was A-Rod's tenth homer of the season
Two batters later, Nick Swisher untied the game with a two-run blast, also his tenth, as the Yankees came back to win, 6-4, their fifth straight win moving them to the top of the AL East standings, one game better than the Orioles and Rays.
National League
Johnny Cueto gave up a run in the opening inning, but that was all, throwing a six-hit complete game for his seventh win of the season against three losses as the Reds took a 7-1 decision over the visiting Cleveland Indians.
After Jason Kipnis singled home Shin-Soo Choo, who had doubled to lead off the game, Cueto scattered another four hits over the remaining innings for the win. Displaying pinpoint control, Cueto struck out seven and issued no walks, throwing 81 of 122 pitches for strikes.
It was Cueto's second complete game of the season and sixth in his five-year major league career.
With the win and Pittsburgh's 8-6 loss at Baltimore, the Reds regained sole possession of first place in the NL Central.
A win in the opener of their series with in-state rival Cleveland in hand, the Reds and Indians play the remainder of their three-game series Wednesday and Thursday at Great American Ball Park.
American League
Even though the warning has been issued countless times to managers around the both leagues, some continue to test the theory that it is not a good idea to load the bases by walking Mark Teixeira, putting Alex Rodriguez at the plate.
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| Alex Rodriguez ties Lou Gehrig with 23rd Grand Slam |
With one out in the eighth, Derek Jeter singled, prompting Braves' manager, Fredi Gonzalez, to pull starter Mike Minor in favor of reliable reliever Jonny Venters, but Venters allowed a single to Curtis Granderson and then, not intentionally, but pitching judiciously, walked Teixeira.
Rodriguez and Venters dueled to a 3-2 count before Rodriguez tied the game with his historic grand slam, tying another Yankee great, Lou Gehrig, with a major league record 23. It was A-Rod's tenth homer of the season
Two batters later, Nick Swisher untied the game with a two-run blast, also his tenth, as the Yankees came back to win, 6-4, their fifth straight win moving them to the top of the AL East standings, one game better than the Orioles and Rays.
National League
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| Cueto: (7-3), 6H CG |
Johnny Cueto gave up a run in the opening inning, but that was all, throwing a six-hit complete game for his seventh win of the season against three losses as the Reds took a 7-1 decision over the visiting Cleveland Indians.
After Jason Kipnis singled home Shin-Soo Choo, who had doubled to lead off the game, Cueto scattered another four hits over the remaining innings for the win. Displaying pinpoint control, Cueto struck out seven and issued no walks, throwing 81 of 122 pitches for strikes.
It was Cueto's second complete game of the season and sixth in his five-year major league career.
With the win and Pittsburgh's 8-6 loss at Baltimore, the Reds regained sole possession of first place in the NL Central.
A win in the opener of their series with in-state rival Cleveland in hand, the Reds and Indians play the remainder of their three-game series Wednesday and Thursday at Great American Ball Park.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Alex Rodriguez Chasing History with Two HRs in Yankees Win; Troy Tulowitzki Leads Rockies Past Marlins
Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 23, 2012
American League
The race in the AL East continues to be the one to watch, with all five teams playing at least .500 baseball and the last place Red Sox only 5 1/2 out after beating front-running Baltimore, 6-5, Wednesday.
In New York, the Yankees also picked up a game on the Orioles with an 8-3 win over Kansas City, taking two of three from the visiting Royals. The Yanks are 4 1/2 back, in fourth place.
Andy Pettitte improved to 2-1 off of seven solid innings, allowing two earned while striking out eight, while Alex Rodriguez produced his first multiple home run game of the season by belting a pair, helping stake Pettitte to a 5-0 lead after three innings.
A-Rod launched his sixth of the season with a man aboard in the bottom of the first inning, following up with a solo shot in the third, his seventh homer. He was 2-for-4 with three RBI, giving him 18 ribbies thus far into the season.
Though Rodriguez's seasonal numbers aren't all that dramatic, he is chasing a few historic marks. He stands at 636 homers, 24 shy of tying Willie Mays for fourth all-time. Now 10th all-time in RBI with 1911, he will soon surpass some of baseball's great run producers. Just ahead are Eddie Murray (1917), Jimmie Foxx (1922), Ty Cobb (1938), Stan Musial (1951), Lou Gehrig (1995) and Barry Bonds (1996). Rodriguez would have to tally 107 RBI this season to become only the fourth player in baseball history to drive in 2000 runs, joining Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Cap Anson, some pretty elite company.
National League
After downing the Marlins, 8-4, the Colorado Rockies are still only 16-27 and 13 1/2 games out in the NL West, but that doesn't mean they're not hitting. On the contrary, their pitching staff is last in the league with a horrific 5.12 ERA, a number which does not imply a lot of wins.
In Wednesday's win the Rockies were a marvel of efficiency, scoring eight runs on the same number of hits, staving off a sweep in Miami. Troy Tulowitzki doubled and cracked a three-run homer off Marlin starter Carlos Zambrano in four at-bats, to help power the Rockies.
Colorado, as a team, is batting .250, which is right in the middle of the NL team stats, but they are above average in most of the other offensive categories. Their 209 runs is third-best in the league and they are also third in home runs (46) and RBI (202), with a .419 team slugging percentage, second, behind St. Louis, which leads the league at .457.
A little pitching and the Rockies could become dangerous.
American League
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| Alex Rodriguez |
In New York, the Yankees also picked up a game on the Orioles with an 8-3 win over Kansas City, taking two of three from the visiting Royals. The Yanks are 4 1/2 back, in fourth place.
Andy Pettitte improved to 2-1 off of seven solid innings, allowing two earned while striking out eight, while Alex Rodriguez produced his first multiple home run game of the season by belting a pair, helping stake Pettitte to a 5-0 lead after three innings.
A-Rod launched his sixth of the season with a man aboard in the bottom of the first inning, following up with a solo shot in the third, his seventh homer. He was 2-for-4 with three RBI, giving him 18 ribbies thus far into the season.
Though Rodriguez's seasonal numbers aren't all that dramatic, he is chasing a few historic marks. He stands at 636 homers, 24 shy of tying Willie Mays for fourth all-time. Now 10th all-time in RBI with 1911, he will soon surpass some of baseball's great run producers. Just ahead are Eddie Murray (1917), Jimmie Foxx (1922), Ty Cobb (1938), Stan Musial (1951), Lou Gehrig (1995) and Barry Bonds (1996). Rodriguez would have to tally 107 RBI this season to become only the fourth player in baseball history to drive in 2000 runs, joining Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Cap Anson, some pretty elite company.
National League
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| Troy Tulowitzki |
In Wednesday's win the Rockies were a marvel of efficiency, scoring eight runs on the same number of hits, staving off a sweep in Miami. Troy Tulowitzki doubled and cracked a three-run homer off Marlin starter Carlos Zambrano in four at-bats, to help power the Rockies.
Colorado, as a team, is batting .250, which is right in the middle of the NL team stats, but they are above average in most of the other offensive categories. Their 209 runs is third-best in the league and they are also third in home runs (46) and RBI (202), with a .419 team slugging percentage, second, behind St. Louis, which leads the league at .457.
A little pitching and the Rockies could become dangerous.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
A-Rod Slam, 6 RBI Grounds Orioles; Castro Goes 4-for-5, Ups Average to .393
Players of the Day for Saturday, April 23, 2011
American League
Managers and pitchers around the American League know there's one rule when playing the Yankees that must be heeded: Don't walk Mark Teixeira! And especially don't walk him to load the bases.
This simple rule prevents one from having to pitch to Alex Rodriguez, which is generally not a good thing.
Well, the Orioles broke the rule and the result was as expected. Reliever Jason Berken had already given up back-to-back homers to Jorge Posada and Rod Martin (his second of the game) and the Yankees were killing the Orioles at Camden Yards, 9-3, so in came Clay Rapada, who issued a walk to Derek Jeter, a single to Curtis Granderson and then - oh, no! - walked Mark Teixeira to load the bases.
Manager Buck Schowalter, sensing what was coming, replaced Rapada on the mound with Josh Rupe, who offered to A-Rod a fat meatball of a pitch in the form of a high fastball. The result was a deposit of one baseball into the left field stands, four runs and A-Rod's 22nd career grand slam, breaking a tie with the now-retired Manny Ramirez and one behind the late, great Lou Gehrig, the all-time grand master of the grand slam.
Rodriguez had already driven in two runs with a double in the first inning, so the slam gave him six RBI on the night, pushing him past Carl Yastrzemski into #12 all-time, with 1847. The rest of the club chimed in, hitting five homers total, for a 15-3 spanking of the fast fading (8-11) O's.
National League
The Cubs really have something in their second-year shortstop, Starlin Castro.
That he would become a regular - and a good one - was apparent after his rookie season, in which he batted .300, stole 10 bases and scored 53 runs in 125 games.
So far this year, Castro's making 2010 look like a warm-up to the real deal.
In Chicago's 10-8 home win over the Dodgers, Castro collected four more hits - three singles and a double - drove in three runs, scored twice and swiped his third base of the season.
Going 4-for-5 boosted his batting average to .393, amazingly good for only third in the National League. Matt Holliday leads the league at .412 and the Dodgers' Matt Kemp is second at .402, but Castro's hit a cool .422 over the last 10 games with his second 4-hit game in a week. He's had three hits in a game five times already.
His hot play has helped the Cubs back to a 10-10 record, just 1/2 game behind the Cardinals and Reds in the NL Central.
American League
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| Alex Rodriguez |
This simple rule prevents one from having to pitch to Alex Rodriguez, which is generally not a good thing.
Well, the Orioles broke the rule and the result was as expected. Reliever Jason Berken had already given up back-to-back homers to Jorge Posada and Rod Martin (his second of the game) and the Yankees were killing the Orioles at Camden Yards, 9-3, so in came Clay Rapada, who issued a walk to Derek Jeter, a single to Curtis Granderson and then - oh, no! - walked Mark Teixeira to load the bases.
Manager Buck Schowalter, sensing what was coming, replaced Rapada on the mound with Josh Rupe, who offered to A-Rod a fat meatball of a pitch in the form of a high fastball. The result was a deposit of one baseball into the left field stands, four runs and A-Rod's 22nd career grand slam, breaking a tie with the now-retired Manny Ramirez and one behind the late, great Lou Gehrig, the all-time grand master of the grand slam.
Rodriguez had already driven in two runs with a double in the first inning, so the slam gave him six RBI on the night, pushing him past Carl Yastrzemski into #12 all-time, with 1847. The rest of the club chimed in, hitting five homers total, for a 15-3 spanking of the fast fading (8-11) O's.
National League
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| Starlin Castro |
That he would become a regular - and a good one - was apparent after his rookie season, in which he batted .300, stole 10 bases and scored 53 runs in 125 games.
So far this year, Castro's making 2010 look like a warm-up to the real deal.
In Chicago's 10-8 home win over the Dodgers, Castro collected four more hits - three singles and a double - drove in three runs, scored twice and swiped his third base of the season.
Going 4-for-5 boosted his batting average to .393, amazingly good for only third in the National League. Matt Holliday leads the league at .412 and the Dodgers' Matt Kemp is second at .402, but Castro's hit a cool .422 over the last 10 games with his second 4-hit game in a week. He's had three hits in a game five times already.
His hot play has helped the Cubs back to a 10-10 record, just 1/2 game behind the Cardinals and Reds in the NL Central.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Berkman Slam Dumps D-Backs, 15-5; Rodriguez, Rivera Key Yankee Surge to 1st
Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 13, 2011
American League
It didn't take long for the Yankees to figure out that they needed to do something about the upstart Orioles, which took off with an early lead in the AL East.
With a 7-4 win at Yankee Stadium, the Yanks have caught the O's in the standings, with both teams holding a 6-4 record, tied for first place in the division.
After the Orioles failed to score in the first, despite getting Brian Roberts over to third base with one out, the Bombers responded with a three-run blast off the bat of Alex Rodriguez, building the lead after that until they led 7-0, before Baltimore finally got to starter A.J. Burnett for four run in the 7th. Rodriguez added a single later to complete a 2-for-3 night.
A-Rod's homer was his fourth of the season, Burnett won his third game without a loss and Mariano Rivera picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning. The Yankee closer has allowed just 2 hits in 5 1/3 innings, and has not allowed a run.
National League
The St. Louis Cardinals scored in each of the first five innings, cruising to a 15-5 slaughter at Arizona.
After Colby Rasmus scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch, Lance Berkman grounded out, but brought home Albert Pujols with the second run.
In the next inning, Berkman would have a better at-bat, smacking a grand slam homer to key a six-run inning. The shot was Berkman's only hit in five at-bats, but he did drive in five runs, increasing his total to 11 on the year.
By the time Arizona got on the board with a pair of runs in the 4th inning, the Cardinals had already plated a dozen and the contest was essentially no contest.
St. Louis has gotten off to a slow start, at 5-7, and their star, Pujols, who scored three times and drove in a pair of runs, has hit just one home run thus far, though nobody believes the Cardinal slugger will struggle for long.
American League
 |
| Alex Rodriguez |
With a 7-4 win at Yankee Stadium, the Yanks have caught the O's in the standings, with both teams holding a 6-4 record, tied for first place in the division.
 |
| Mariano Rivera |
A-Rod's homer was his fourth of the season, Burnett won his third game without a loss and Mariano Rivera picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning. The Yankee closer has allowed just 2 hits in 5 1/3 innings, and has not allowed a run.
National League
The St. Louis Cardinals scored in each of the first five innings, cruising to a 15-5 slaughter at Arizona.
 |
| Lance Berkman |
In the next inning, Berkman would have a better at-bat, smacking a grand slam homer to key a six-run inning. The shot was Berkman's only hit in five at-bats, but he did drive in five runs, increasing his total to 11 on the year.
By the time Arizona got on the board with a pair of runs in the 4th inning, the Cardinals had already plated a dozen and the contest was essentially no contest.
St. Louis has gotten off to a slow start, at 5-7, and their star, Pujols, who scored three times and drove in a pair of runs, has hit just one home run thus far, though nobody believes the Cardinal slugger will struggle for long.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Rodriguez Lifts Off; Cueto Sharpens Up for Reds
Players of the Day for Sunday, March 6, 2010
American League
Alex Rodriguez hit his first home run of the Spring, and the NY Yankees punished seven Houston pitchers for 21 hits in a 10-8 Yankee win. The Houston hurlers must have been getting the ball over the plate, because, despite recording seven strikeouts, they did not walk a single batter.
A-Rod returns for his 8th season in pinstripes, surpassing the seven years he spent with Seattle, where he began his MLB career. Rodriguez spent three seasons as a Texas Ranger before joining the Yankees.
Rodriguez returns off a pair of 30-home run seasons, and has lost time to injuries in each of the past three campaigns. He played in 137 games last year. Turning 36 this year, Rodriguez is the leading active player in home runs and RBI, with 613 and 1831, respectively.
Currently 6th on the all-time career home run list, he should top recently-retired Ken Griffey Jr.'s 630 homers and is 47 behind Willie Mays, at 660. Rodriguez finished 1 RBI better than Manny Ramirez in RBIs all-time and should surpass many great ones this season, including Griffey, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Dave Winfield and Mel Ott. Willie Mays is 1oth on the list at 1903. Rodriguez is currently #17.
National League
Johnny Cueto gave up just one hit and a walk over three innings and the next five Cincinnati pitchers - all working an inning each - no-hit the Cubs in a 10-0 Reds' whitewash.
Donnie Joseph, the final Reds pitcher, allowed a hit and a walk in the 9th, but fanned two batters to preserve the shutout.
Cueto, who was 12-7 with a 3.64 ERA last season, was one of the reasons the Reds captured the Central Division and is expected to remain a solid force in the Cincinnati rotation this season.
The latest work was an improvement for Cueto. In his first start, over three innings he only allowed two hits, but both of them were home runs.
American League
 |
| Alex Rodriguez |
A-Rod returns for his 8th season in pinstripes, surpassing the seven years he spent with Seattle, where he began his MLB career. Rodriguez spent three seasons as a Texas Ranger before joining the Yankees.
Rodriguez returns off a pair of 30-home run seasons, and has lost time to injuries in each of the past three campaigns. He played in 137 games last year. Turning 36 this year, Rodriguez is the leading active player in home runs and RBI, with 613 and 1831, respectively.
Currently 6th on the all-time career home run list, he should top recently-retired Ken Griffey Jr.'s 630 homers and is 47 behind Willie Mays, at 660. Rodriguez finished 1 RBI better than Manny Ramirez in RBIs all-time and should surpass many great ones this season, including Griffey, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Dave Winfield and Mel Ott. Willie Mays is 1oth on the list at 1903. Rodriguez is currently #17.
National League
 |
| Johnny Cueto |
Donnie Joseph, the final Reds pitcher, allowed a hit and a walk in the 9th, but fanned two batters to preserve the shutout.
Cueto, who was 12-7 with a 3.64 ERA last season, was one of the reasons the Reds captured the Central Division and is expected to remain a solid force in the Cincinnati rotation this season.
The latest work was an improvement for Cueto. In his first start, over three innings he only allowed two hits, but both of them were home runs.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
A-Rod Gets His 30; Lincecum Brilliant as Giants Approach Pennant
Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 29, 2010
American League
The Yankees lost, 8-4, at Toronto, and Alex Rodriguez only had one hit in five at-bats, but it was the accomplishment that mattered. The lone hit by A-Rod happened to be his 30th home run of the season, a 6th-inning solo blast to left, making him the only player ever to hit at least 30 homers and drive in at least 100 runs for 13 consecutive seasons.
He also tied Barry Bonds for the most seasons with 30 homers at 14. The pair are right behind Hammerin' Hank Aaron, who holds the all-time record with 15 seasons with 30 or more dingers.
The accomplishment was somewhat in doubt just a week ago, when Rodriguez was stock on 25, but he smacked five in his last six games to reach the historic milestone. His 123 RBI are second-most in the American League, behind Detroit's Miguel Cabrera's 126.
The Yankees' loss was somewhat inconsequential, as they remained 1/2 game behind the Rays, 2-0 losers to Baltimore, though the Yankees would certainly like to take the division, ensuring home field for at least the first playoff round.
Both the Yankees and Rays have already qualified for the playoffs. The only thing left to determine is which team takes the division and which will be the wild card. They are currently locked in a battle for the best record in the league with Minnesota. The Rays are 94-64; the Yankees, 94-65; Minnesota's record is 93-65. One game separates all three.
National League
Tim Lincecum struck out 11 Diamondback batters, crafting a 3-1 win for the Giants as he improved to 16-10 on the season. The win kept the Giants two games in front of the Padres, 3-0 winners over the Cubs.
After giving up a first-inning run on steven Drew's leadoff homer, Lincecum kept Arizona off the scoreboard the rest of the night, allowing six hits and four walks in seven innings. Brian Wilson worked the 9th, giving up one hit, for his 47th save, tops in the majors. San Diego's Heath Bell is second with 45.
With just four games left to be played, the Giants are in the driver's seat for the NL West crown. San Diego trails Atlanta in the wild card by 1 1/2 games. Atlanta, winners of three straight, has only three games left, but they are all with the Phillies, who have already clinched the East.
Should the Padres miss the playoffs, it will be a monumental collapse for the team that led the NL west for most of the season, but fell apart in late August, embarking on a ten-game losing streak that extended into the first week of September and allowed the Giants to gain.
The Padres and Giants exchanged the lead a number of times down the stretch, but the Giants have wrested control with outstanding pitching and timely hitting.
The Giants play Arizona again on Thursday while the Padres host the Cubs in their series finale. The two teams will decide the NL West in a 3-game series beginning Friday in San Francisco.
American League
The Yankees lost, 8-4, at Toronto, and Alex Rodriguez only had one hit in five at-bats, but it was the accomplishment that mattered. The lone hit by A-Rod happened to be his 30th home run of the season, a 6th-inning solo blast to left, making him the only player ever to hit at least 30 homers and drive in at least 100 runs for 13 consecutive seasons.He also tied Barry Bonds for the most seasons with 30 homers at 14. The pair are right behind Hammerin' Hank Aaron, who holds the all-time record with 15 seasons with 30 or more dingers.
The accomplishment was somewhat in doubt just a week ago, when Rodriguez was stock on 25, but he smacked five in his last six games to reach the historic milestone. His 123 RBI are second-most in the American League, behind Detroit's Miguel Cabrera's 126.
The Yankees' loss was somewhat inconsequential, as they remained 1/2 game behind the Rays, 2-0 losers to Baltimore, though the Yankees would certainly like to take the division, ensuring home field for at least the first playoff round.
Both the Yankees and Rays have already qualified for the playoffs. The only thing left to determine is which team takes the division and which will be the wild card. They are currently locked in a battle for the best record in the league with Minnesota. The Rays are 94-64; the Yankees, 94-65; Minnesota's record is 93-65. One game separates all three.
National League
Tim Lincecum struck out 11 Diamondback batters, crafting a 3-1 win for the Giants as he improved to 16-10 on the season. The win kept the Giants two games in front of the Padres, 3-0 winners over the Cubs.After giving up a first-inning run on steven Drew's leadoff homer, Lincecum kept Arizona off the scoreboard the rest of the night, allowing six hits and four walks in seven innings. Brian Wilson worked the 9th, giving up one hit, for his 47th save, tops in the majors. San Diego's Heath Bell is second with 45.
With just four games left to be played, the Giants are in the driver's seat for the NL West crown. San Diego trails Atlanta in the wild card by 1 1/2 games. Atlanta, winners of three straight, has only three games left, but they are all with the Phillies, who have already clinched the East.
Should the Padres miss the playoffs, it will be a monumental collapse for the team that led the NL west for most of the season, but fell apart in late August, embarking on a ten-game losing streak that extended into the first week of September and allowed the Giants to gain.
The Padres and Giants exchanged the lead a number of times down the stretch, but the Giants have wrested control with outstanding pitching and timely hitting.
The Giants play Arizona again on Thursday while the Padres host the Cubs in their series finale. The two teams will decide the NL West in a 3-game series beginning Friday in San Francisco.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Rodriguez Powers Yanks Past O's; Yadier Molina Paces Cardinals Slaughter of Padres
Players of the Day for Friday, September 17, 2010
American League
Even though his team has been in front or close to the top of the AL East all season, the name of Alex Rodriguez hasn't been seen here too often; surprising, since A-Rod is having a very productive season. In the Yankees' 4-3 win at Baltimore Friday, Rodriguez provided all of the offense, with a solo homer in the second inning and a dramatic, two-out, three-run home run in the top of the 9th which erased a 3-1 Oriole lead.
With that, and Tampa Bay's 4-3 loss to the Angels, the Yankees resumed control of first place, though only by 1/2 game over the Rays. The home runs were Rodriguez' 24th and 25th of the season, leaving him five short of becoming the first player in major league history to hit 30 or more and drive in 100 or more run in 13 straight seasons. Last year, he had exactly 30 and 100, hitting two home runs and driving in seven runs in one inning of the final game of the season.
He'll need another dose of drama to get the five more long balls needed, having just 15 games remaining in the regular season.
National League
Teams vying for the NL West crown may have to rethink their strategies. The two top teams, San Francisco and San Diego, both took losses on Friday, while the Rockies continued to close in from third place. The Giants were shut out by Milwaukee's Randy Wolf, 3-0, while Yadier Molina and the St. Louis Cardinals pounded the Padres, 14-4.
Molina delivered four hits in four at-bats, two singles and two doubles, and drove in five runs in the Cardinal rout. It was an explosive offensive performance for a player normally notable for his defense behind the plate.
While the two teams ahead of them were stumbling, the Rockies were going about the business of rallying late in the season, getting a 7-5 win over the Dodgers to pull to within 1 1/2 game of the first place Giants. It's the closest the Rockies have been all season. San Diego is in second place, 1/2 game out.
Colorado's surge has been sensational. Since August 22nd, they've gone 18-6, but since September 2nd, their record is 12-2.
PENNANT NOTES: The Twins and White Sox both lost, so Minnesota remains 9 games in front in the AL Central. Texas lost and the A's beat the Twins, so Texas is back to a 9-game lead in the West.
The Phillies and Braves both won, keeping Philadelphia's lead at three games in the NL East. In the Central, the Cardinals still appear to have something left, but despite winning and the Reds losing, still trail Cincy by six. The Cardinals will have to get help from other teams if they hope to catch the Reds, however, as they don't face them head-to-head. Of the 14 games Cincinnati has left to play, only three - against the Padres - are with teams with winning records. The remaining games are against Houston (5) and Milwaukee (6).
Even though his team has been in front or close to the top of the AL East all season, the name of Alex Rodriguez hasn't been seen here too often; surprising, since A-Rod is having a very productive season. In the Yankees' 4-3 win at Baltimore Friday, Rodriguez provided all of the offense, with a solo homer in the second inning and a dramatic, two-out, three-run home run in the top of the 9th which erased a 3-1 Oriole lead.
With that, and Tampa Bay's 4-3 loss to the Angels, the Yankees resumed control of first place, though only by 1/2 game over the Rays. The home runs were Rodriguez' 24th and 25th of the season, leaving him five short of becoming the first player in major league history to hit 30 or more and drive in 100 or more run in 13 straight seasons. Last year, he had exactly 30 and 100, hitting two home runs and driving in seven runs in one inning of the final game of the season.
He'll need another dose of drama to get the five more long balls needed, having just 15 games remaining in the regular season.
National League
Teams vying for the NL West crown may have to rethink their strategies. The two top teams, San Francisco and San Diego, both took losses on Friday, while the Rockies continued to close in from third place. The Giants were shut out by Milwaukee's Randy Wolf, 3-0, while Yadier Molina and the St. Louis Cardinals pounded the Padres, 14-4.
Molina delivered four hits in four at-bats, two singles and two doubles, and drove in five runs in the Cardinal rout. It was an explosive offensive performance for a player normally notable for his defense behind the plate.
While the two teams ahead of them were stumbling, the Rockies were going about the business of rallying late in the season, getting a 7-5 win over the Dodgers to pull to within 1 1/2 game of the first place Giants. It's the closest the Rockies have been all season. San Diego is in second place, 1/2 game out.
Colorado's surge has been sensational. Since August 22nd, they've gone 18-6, but since September 2nd, their record is 12-2.
PENNANT NOTES: The Twins and White Sox both lost, so Minnesota remains 9 games in front in the AL Central. Texas lost and the A's beat the Twins, so Texas is back to a 9-game lead in the West.
The Phillies and Braves both won, keeping Philadelphia's lead at three games in the NL East. In the Central, the Cardinals still appear to have something left, but despite winning and the Reds losing, still trail Cincy by six. The Cardinals will have to get help from other teams if they hope to catch the Reds, however, as they don't face them head-to-head. Of the 14 games Cincinnati has left to play, only three - against the Padres - are with teams with winning records. The remaining games are against Houston (5) and Milwaukee (6).
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Rodriguez Blasts Three Homers in KC; Halladay Blanks Mets
Players of the Day for Saturday, August 14, 2010
American League
With the pressure off Alex Rodriguez since cracking his 600th career home run back on August 4, the Yankees' slugger has been more fluid and relaxed at the plate, able to concentrate on winning games rather than reaching milestones.
The Yankee third baseman was in all star form on Saturday, smacking three homers and driving in five runs in an 8-3 win at Kansas City.
Rodriguez singled in the second inning, but really didn't get going until the 6th, when he launched a leadoff homer to dead center field. He followed that up with a pair of two-run shots, one in the 7th and another in the 9th, going 4-for-5 for the game and raising his RBI total to 97, which was enough to skip past Miguel Cabrera (94) and into the AL lead.
A-Rod needs 9 more home runs and just 3 RBI to have 30 homers and 100 RBI in 13 straight seasons. The Yankees maintained their two game lead over Tampa Bay in the division with the win.
National League
Frustrated at Citi Field, where they've been shut out four straight times, the Phillies finally turned the tables on the NY Mets by bringing their their very own shutout master, Roy Halladay.
Halladay even helped out in the hitting department, going 1-for-3 and scoring the Phillies' first run. He was his usual magnificent self on the mound, blanking the Mets over 8 innings while his teammates scored three more times for a 4-1 win, breaking the schneid while picking up a game on the NL East leaders, Atlanta, 2-1 losers to the Dodgers.
The Phillies trial Atlanta by two games.
Halladay allowed just 4 hits while striking out 7 in his 8 innings of work, improving to 15-8 on the year.
With the pressure off Alex Rodriguez since cracking his 600th career home run back on August 4, the Yankees' slugger has been more fluid and relaxed at the plate, able to concentrate on winning games rather than reaching milestones.
The Yankee third baseman was in all star form on Saturday, smacking three homers and driving in five runs in an 8-3 win at Kansas City.
Rodriguez singled in the second inning, but really didn't get going until the 6th, when he launched a leadoff homer to dead center field. He followed that up with a pair of two-run shots, one in the 7th and another in the 9th, going 4-for-5 for the game and raising his RBI total to 97, which was enough to skip past Miguel Cabrera (94) and into the AL lead.
A-Rod needs 9 more home runs and just 3 RBI to have 30 homers and 100 RBI in 13 straight seasons. The Yankees maintained their two game lead over Tampa Bay in the division with the win.
National League
Frustrated at Citi Field, where they've been shut out four straight times, the Phillies finally turned the tables on the NY Mets by bringing their their very own shutout master, Roy Halladay.
Halladay even helped out in the hitting department, going 1-for-3 and scoring the Phillies' first run. He was his usual magnificent self on the mound, blanking the Mets over 8 innings while his teammates scored three more times for a 4-1 win, breaking the schneid while picking up a game on the NL East leaders, Atlanta, 2-1 losers to the Dodgers.
The Phillies trial Atlanta by two games.
Halladay allowed just 4 hits while striking out 7 in his 8 innings of work, improving to 15-8 on the year.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Alex Rodriguez Hits 600th Career Homer; Padilla Shuts out Padres
Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 4, 2010
American League
Alex Rodriguez had only one hit in the Yankees' 5-1 victory over Toronto, but it was a momentous one.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Rodriguez lifted a Shawn Marcum fast ball high to dead center field, over the wall and into Monument Park, his 17th home run of the season and 600th of his career, making him the youngest player to ever hit 600 homers, joining six others who have reached the milestone.
A-Rod had struggled after hitting number 599. He went two weeks and 46 at-bats before belting another big one, but it came three years to the day that he hit #500, also in the first inning, and also in Yankee Stadium, but in the old stadium, which was replaced following the 2008 season.
Rodriguez joins the illustrious group of Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffy Jr. and Sammy Sosa as the only players in major league history to have hit 600 home runs. Next up for A-Rod will be passing Sosa (609) and Griffey (630) on his way to Mays (660) and the 700-club, of Ruth (714), Aaron (755) and Bonds (762).
Leading all active players, Rodriguez need not worry about being passed along the way. Jim Thome is next with 577, but he is 39 years old and may have only another year left to play. Manny Ramirez, 38, follows him with 554, but then the list becomes very slim. Chipper Jones has 435 and may retire after this season. Vladimir Guerrero should continue to be productive for the next three to four years, as he is just 35, and has 428.
The most feared hitter in the group has got to be 30-year-old Albert Pujols, In his 10th major league season, Pujols has 27 on the year and 393 lifetime, producing at a rate of roughly 40 per year, a pace that would put him at 600 at the age of 35, some time around 2015. By then, Rodriguez would be 40 and likely over the 700 mark.
National League
The LA Dodgers are clinging to 4th place in the NL West, 7 games behind the division leading-padres, but they've been getting exceptional pitching over the past two weeks. Their staff has held the opposition to two runs or less in 9 of their last 14 games, winning 7 of those contests.
The most recent stellar performance was recorded by Vicente Padilla, who carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning and eventually finished with a complete game, 9-0, whitewash of San Diego.
Padilla allowed back-to-back singles with one out in the 7th frame, to Ryan Ludwick and Chase Headley, but got out of the inning by inducing a ground ball double play from catcher Yorvit Torrealba.
Padilla walked two but fanned nine, throwing 77 of 105 pitches for strikes, improving his record to 5-3 on the year.
The LA win was the second straight over San Diego after losing the opener of their four-game set. San Francisco remained within one game of the Padres, losing 6-1 at Colorado.
American League
Alex Rodriguez had only one hit in the Yankees' 5-1 victory over Toronto, but it was a momentous one.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Rodriguez lifted a Shawn Marcum fast ball high to dead center field, over the wall and into Monument Park, his 17th home run of the season and 600th of his career, making him the youngest player to ever hit 600 homers, joining six others who have reached the milestone.
A-Rod had struggled after hitting number 599. He went two weeks and 46 at-bats before belting another big one, but it came three years to the day that he hit #500, also in the first inning, and also in Yankee Stadium, but in the old stadium, which was replaced following the 2008 season.
Rodriguez joins the illustrious group of Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffy Jr. and Sammy Sosa as the only players in major league history to have hit 600 home runs. Next up for A-Rod will be passing Sosa (609) and Griffey (630) on his way to Mays (660) and the 700-club, of Ruth (714), Aaron (755) and Bonds (762).
Leading all active players, Rodriguez need not worry about being passed along the way. Jim Thome is next with 577, but he is 39 years old and may have only another year left to play. Manny Ramirez, 38, follows him with 554, but then the list becomes very slim. Chipper Jones has 435 and may retire after this season. Vladimir Guerrero should continue to be productive for the next three to four years, as he is just 35, and has 428.
The most feared hitter in the group has got to be 30-year-old Albert Pujols, In his 10th major league season, Pujols has 27 on the year and 393 lifetime, producing at a rate of roughly 40 per year, a pace that would put him at 600 at the age of 35, some time around 2015. By then, Rodriguez would be 40 and likely over the 700 mark.
National League
The LA Dodgers are clinging to 4th place in the NL West, 7 games behind the division leading-padres, but they've been getting exceptional pitching over the past two weeks. Their staff has held the opposition to two runs or less in 9 of their last 14 games, winning 7 of those contests.
The most recent stellar performance was recorded by Vicente Padilla, who carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning and eventually finished with a complete game, 9-0, whitewash of San Diego.
Padilla allowed back-to-back singles with one out in the 7th frame, to Ryan Ludwick and Chase Headley, but got out of the inning by inducing a ground ball double play from catcher Yorvit Torrealba.
Padilla walked two but fanned nine, throwing 77 of 105 pitches for strikes, improving his record to 5-3 on the year.
The LA win was the second straight over San Diego after losing the opener of their four-game set. San Francisco remained within one game of the Padres, losing 6-1 at Colorado.
Friday, July 23, 2010
A-Rod Swats 599th; Hamels 1-Hits Cards as Phils Win in 11
Players of the Day for Thursday, July 22, 2010
American League
Looking to open up some breathing room in the AL East, the Yankees opened a four game series in New York against the Kansas City Royals. By the end of the game, the Bombers had accomplished their aim, adding a 1/2 game to their lead over the Rays (now 3 games back) with a 10-4 win over their powerless AL Central opponent.
Additionally, starter C.C. Sabathia, who struggled through 6 1/3 innings (11 hits, 3 ER), became the top winner in the AL, posting this 13th W of the season against just 3 losses.
But it was Alex Rodriguez stealing the spotlight, belting his 599th career home run with none aboard in the 7th inning, putting him on the cusp of an historic mark and upping the Yankee lead to 6-4. Rodriguez had already knocked in a pair of runs with a ground rule double in the 2nd inning prior to his homer, and added another RBI in the bottom of the 8th with a double to the right-center gap as the Yankees tacked on four more runs.
It was the 16th homer of the season for A-Rod, who went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI on the night. His four ribbies put him in second place in the AL RBI race, seven behind leader Miguel Cabrera of Detroit. Rodriguez, seeking to become only the 7th player all-time to reach the 600-homer plateau, will have ample opportunity to do it in front of the NY fans with three more games against the Royals this weekend.
National League
The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to hold onto first place in the NL Central. The Philadelphia Phillies are just trying to remain relevant in the NL East.
Matching up Cole Hamels against St. Louis' Adam Wainwright Thursday night, neither team could find a way to the scoreboard while the two starters battled. Wainwright lasted just six innings, though he didn't allow a run while giving up six hits without a walk, fanning six.
Hamels, however, twirled a gem over 8 solid innings, allowing only Matt Holliday's leadoff single in the 4th and a walk to Yadier Molina in the 8th before being lifted for reliever Ryan Madsen to start the 9th. Hamels struck out 8, including the first five batters he faced, set down the first 12 in order, but despite his awesome performance, did not receive a decision.
Scoreless into the 11th, the Phillies finally broke through when Placido Polanco led off the inning with a solo homer. Jayson Werth drove in Raul Ibanez with an insurance run later in the frame.
The 2-0 win kept the Phillies seven games behind the Atlanta Braves, 8-0 winners over San Diego. St. Louis maintained their 1 1/2 game lead over the Reds, who were outclassed by Washington, 7-1.
Notes: The AL Central got a little bit tighter as both the Tigers and Twins won while the White Sox took a day off. Carl Pavano pitched a 5-hit complete game shutout for Minnesota's 5-0 win over the Orioles. Detroit stopped Toronto, 5-2. Both trail the White Sox by 2 games.
Looking to open up some breathing room in the AL East, the Yankees opened a four game series in New York against the Kansas City Royals. By the end of the game, the Bombers had accomplished their aim, adding a 1/2 game to their lead over the Rays (now 3 games back) with a 10-4 win over their powerless AL Central opponent.
Additionally, starter C.C. Sabathia, who struggled through 6 1/3 innings (11 hits, 3 ER), became the top winner in the AL, posting this 13th W of the season against just 3 losses.
But it was Alex Rodriguez stealing the spotlight, belting his 599th career home run with none aboard in the 7th inning, putting him on the cusp of an historic mark and upping the Yankee lead to 6-4. Rodriguez had already knocked in a pair of runs with a ground rule double in the 2nd inning prior to his homer, and added another RBI in the bottom of the 8th with a double to the right-center gap as the Yankees tacked on four more runs.
It was the 16th homer of the season for A-Rod, who went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI on the night. His four ribbies put him in second place in the AL RBI race, seven behind leader Miguel Cabrera of Detroit. Rodriguez, seeking to become only the 7th player all-time to reach the 600-homer plateau, will have ample opportunity to do it in front of the NY fans with three more games against the Royals this weekend.
National League
The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to hold onto first place in the NL Central. The Philadelphia Phillies are just trying to remain relevant in the NL East.
Matching up Cole Hamels against St. Louis' Adam Wainwright Thursday night, neither team could find a way to the scoreboard while the two starters battled. Wainwright lasted just six innings, though he didn't allow a run while giving up six hits without a walk, fanning six.
Hamels, however, twirled a gem over 8 solid innings, allowing only Matt Holliday's leadoff single in the 4th and a walk to Yadier Molina in the 8th before being lifted for reliever Ryan Madsen to start the 9th. Hamels struck out 8, including the first five batters he faced, set down the first 12 in order, but despite his awesome performance, did not receive a decision.
Scoreless into the 11th, the Phillies finally broke through when Placido Polanco led off the inning with a solo homer. Jayson Werth drove in Raul Ibanez with an insurance run later in the frame.
The 2-0 win kept the Phillies seven games behind the Atlanta Braves, 8-0 winners over San Diego. St. Louis maintained their 1 1/2 game lead over the Reds, who were outclassed by Washington, 7-1.
Notes: The AL Central got a little bit tighter as both the Tigers and Twins won while the White Sox took a day off. Carl Pavano pitched a 5-hit complete game shutout for Minnesota's 5-0 win over the Orioles. Detroit stopped Toronto, 5-2. Both trail the White Sox by 2 games.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Sabathia, A-Rod Lead Yanks to 4th Straight; Colorado Score Nine in 9th to Cut Cards, Gonzalez Stars
Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 6, 2010
American League
Tuesday night in Oakland, the Yankees showed once again why they are the world champs. They have players who, like horses with back class, can rise up on occasion with big games.
Two such players on the Yankee roster are C.C. Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez.
After giving up a run in the first inning, C.C. Sabathia (left) allowed no more as the Yankees rode his 7 2/3 strong innings and two homers by Alex Rodriguez (right) to a 6-1 win over the Oakland A's, keeping their tight grip on first place in the AL East.
Sabathia scattered 7 hits, striking out 10 and issuing 3 walks. It wasn't his best outing of the season, but he worked out of trouble almost every inning, earning his 11th win against 3 losses. It was his 7th straight win.
As for A-Rod, he belted his third grand slam of the season after the bases were inadvertently loaded in the 3rd inning when Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch and awarded first base. Rodriguez also knocked a solo shot to center in the 6th inning to give him 15 homers on the year.
A-Rod's slam tied him for 2nd all-time with Manny Ramirez at 21, two behind another special Yankee player, Lou Gehrig. Rodriguez has 597 homers total, and may be at 600 before the All Star break, where he will again appear, this time as a reserve.
Winning their fourth straight, the Yankees lead Tampa Bay (also on a 4-game win streak) by two games in the division. Slumping Boston is 3 1/2 back.
National League
It was quite the comeback in Colorado, as the Rockies rallied for nine runs in their final at-bat to stun the St. Louis Cardinals, 12-9.
Chris Ianetta, who came on to pinch hit in the 7th inning, driving in a run on a fielder's choice, got the 9th off to a big start with a 3-run homer, clearing the bases. The game ended when Seth Smith cleared the fences with two aboard off reliever Ryan Franklin, who gave up both homers, only recording one out in the worst appearance of his career.
In the middle of it all was left fielder Carlos Gonzalez, kind of the Alex Rios of the Rockies, having a quietly sensational season, with a .303 batting average, 15 homers and 55 RBI. Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the 3rd inning to get the Rockies on the board, and added a double and two singles in six at-bats. His final hit of the night was a single to right, plating Dexter Fowler with Rockies' run number eight.
Gonzalez came around to score the tying run on Jason Giambi's single and watched from the dug out as Smith homered to complete the most unlikely comeback of the season.
Interestingly, neither Gonzalez nor Rios (.299, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 22 SB) were named to the NL All Star team as reserves by manager Charlie Manuel.
Tuesday night in Oakland, the Yankees showed once again why they are the world champs. They have players who, like horses with back class, can rise up on occasion with big games.
Two such players on the Yankee roster are C.C. Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez.
After giving up a run in the first inning, C.C. Sabathia (left) allowed no more as the Yankees rode his 7 2/3 strong innings and two homers by Alex Rodriguez (right) to a 6-1 win over the Oakland A's, keeping their tight grip on first place in the AL East.
Sabathia scattered 7 hits, striking out 10 and issuing 3 walks. It wasn't his best outing of the season, but he worked out of trouble almost every inning, earning his 11th win against 3 losses. It was his 7th straight win.
As for A-Rod, he belted his third grand slam of the season after the bases were inadvertently loaded in the 3rd inning when Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch and awarded first base. Rodriguez also knocked a solo shot to center in the 6th inning to give him 15 homers on the year.
A-Rod's slam tied him for 2nd all-time with Manny Ramirez at 21, two behind another special Yankee player, Lou Gehrig. Rodriguez has 597 homers total, and may be at 600 before the All Star break, where he will again appear, this time as a reserve.
Winning their fourth straight, the Yankees lead Tampa Bay (also on a 4-game win streak) by two games in the division. Slumping Boston is 3 1/2 back.
National League
It was quite the comeback in Colorado, as the Rockies rallied for nine runs in their final at-bat to stun the St. Louis Cardinals, 12-9.
Chris Ianetta, who came on to pinch hit in the 7th inning, driving in a run on a fielder's choice, got the 9th off to a big start with a 3-run homer, clearing the bases. The game ended when Seth Smith cleared the fences with two aboard off reliever Ryan Franklin, who gave up both homers, only recording one out in the worst appearance of his career.
In the middle of it all was left fielder Carlos Gonzalez, kind of the Alex Rios of the Rockies, having a quietly sensational season, with a .303 batting average, 15 homers and 55 RBI. Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the 3rd inning to get the Rockies on the board, and added a double and two singles in six at-bats. His final hit of the night was a single to right, plating Dexter Fowler with Rockies' run number eight.
Gonzalez came around to score the tying run on Jason Giambi's single and watched from the dug out as Smith homered to complete the most unlikely comeback of the season.
Interestingly, neither Gonzalez nor Rios (.299, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 22 SB) were named to the NL All Star team as reserves by manager Charlie Manuel.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Jimenez Blanks Giants, Goes to 10-1; Alex Rodriguez Slams, Sparks Yanks
Players of the Day for Monday, May 31, 2010
American League
There are good baseball players; there are great baseball players; then there's Alex Rodriguez.
A-Rod continues his assault on the record books with every at-bat. In Monday's 11-2 win over the Indians, Rodriguez took another chuck of history with him, blasting his second grand slam in a little more than two weeks after Indians manager Manny Acta made the cardinal blunder of intentionally walking Mark Teixeira to load the bases and put A=Rod at the plate.
Minnesota manager Rod Gardenhire made the same bone-headed mistake on May 14 with the same result: a Rodriguez slam and a Yankee win. Message to managers: Don't walk Big Tex to get to A-Rod.
Rodriguez also singled in a run in the first inning and doubled home another in the 8th, going 3-for-4 at the plate with his 7th home run of the season (590th of his career) and 6 RBI, upping his RBI total to 41, good for a tie for 4th among league leaders with Jose Bautista.
The Yankees win, coupled with Tampa Bay's loss to Toronto, tightened the AL East race to 2 1/2 games, with the Blue Jays a close third, just a game behind the Bombers.
National League
Giants' fans heading to the stadium Monday were anticipating quite a pitcher's duel, as Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez was slated to go to the mound against San Fran's two-time Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum.
The duel lasted just about one inning. The Rockies jumped on Linceum in the second inning, striking for a pair of runs. Jimenez, relaxed and in control, kept throwing peas at the Giant hitters, fanning six in the first three innings. Colorado scored another run in the 5th, and with Ian Stewart on third base with two outs in the 6th, Lincecum was lifted. Pitcher's duel officially over.
Jimenez continued to dominate, completing what he started, for a 4-0 Colorado win, his 10th win of the season, and second complete game shutout of the season. Colorado's win got them to within 1/2 game of the Giants, who are in third place in the NL West, 3 1/2 behind the Padres and 1 1/2 behind the second place Dodgers.
As for Jimenez, not only is his 10-1 record the best in the majors, but his other key stats border on the absurd. In 80 1/3 innings, he's allowed just seven earned runs, resulting in an ERA of 0.78 and a WHIP of 0.91. He has 70 Ks and batters are getting to him at just a .172 clip. What Giants' fans may have seen was the NL Cy Young winner from the past two seasons being beaten by this year's vintage.
There are good baseball players; there are great baseball players; then there's Alex Rodriguez.
A-Rod continues his assault on the record books with every at-bat. In Monday's 11-2 win over the Indians, Rodriguez took another chuck of history with him, blasting his second grand slam in a little more than two weeks after Indians manager Manny Acta made the cardinal blunder of intentionally walking Mark Teixeira to load the bases and put A=Rod at the plate.
Minnesota manager Rod Gardenhire made the same bone-headed mistake on May 14 with the same result: a Rodriguez slam and a Yankee win. Message to managers: Don't walk Big Tex to get to A-Rod.
Rodriguez also singled in a run in the first inning and doubled home another in the 8th, going 3-for-4 at the plate with his 7th home run of the season (590th of his career) and 6 RBI, upping his RBI total to 41, good for a tie for 4th among league leaders with Jose Bautista.
The Yankees win, coupled with Tampa Bay's loss to Toronto, tightened the AL East race to 2 1/2 games, with the Blue Jays a close third, just a game behind the Bombers.
National League
Giants' fans heading to the stadium Monday were anticipating quite a pitcher's duel, as Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez was slated to go to the mound against San Fran's two-time Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum.
The duel lasted just about one inning. The Rockies jumped on Linceum in the second inning, striking for a pair of runs. Jimenez, relaxed and in control, kept throwing peas at the Giant hitters, fanning six in the first three innings. Colorado scored another run in the 5th, and with Ian Stewart on third base with two outs in the 6th, Lincecum was lifted. Pitcher's duel officially over.
Jimenez continued to dominate, completing what he started, for a 4-0 Colorado win, his 10th win of the season, and second complete game shutout of the season. Colorado's win got them to within 1/2 game of the Giants, who are in third place in the NL West, 3 1/2 behind the Padres and 1 1/2 behind the second place Dodgers.
As for Jimenez, not only is his 10-1 record the best in the majors, but his other key stats border on the absurd. In 80 1/3 innings, he's allowed just seven earned runs, resulting in an ERA of 0.78 and a WHIP of 0.91. He has 70 Ks and batters are getting to him at just a .172 clip. What Giants' fans may have seen was the NL Cy Young winner from the past two seasons being beaten by this year's vintage.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
A-Rod, Thames Crush Red Sox in 9th; Ryan Howard Getting Into the Swing
Players of the Day for Monday, May 17, 2010
American League
When the Yankees and Red Sox get together, fans normally expect something of a wild time, so the opening of a two-game series at New York - a highly-anticipated event - did not disappoint as the hitters had their way with starting pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and New York's Phil Hughes. Matsuzaka lasted only 4 2/3 innings, while Hughes managed to get through five, with neither earning a decision.
The Red Sox forged an early 6-1 lead and eventually knocked out 5 homers against Yankee pitching, but it was the home team's two home runs - both coming in the 9th inning off closer Jonathan Papelbon - which carried the day and extended the Yankee home winning streak over the Sox to eight straight with an 11-9 victory.
With Boston clinging to a 9-7 lead, Alex Rodriguez (left), who had singled in a pair of runs earlier, tied the game with his 5th home run of the season, a 2-run shot to the deepest part of the park. Papelbon managed to get Robbie Cano, but plunked Fancisco Cervelli, setting the stage for Marcus Thames (right), who did what he does best, hammering a Pepelbon offering into the left field stands for a 2-run, walk-off homer. The blast was Thames' second of the season, in limited playing time. Both Thames and Rodriguez collected 4 RBI on the night.
The Yanks kept pace with Tampa Bay, who also won, maintaining their 2-game lead on New York. Boston dropped 8 1/2 off the pace, mired in 4th place in the division.
National League
Ryan Howard hasn't been lighting up opposing pitchers too often this season, though he'd been having a decent year heading into the opener of a quick, two-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Monday, Howard broke out the good wood, singling twice - one driving in a pair of runs - before putting the game on ice with his 7th bomb of the year, a grand slam that completed the final score of 12-2, and another Philadelphia win, their 4th straight and 8th of their last 10.
Howard, the 2006 NL MVP and a candidate for the award every year, is beginning to pick up the leaders in the power categories, with little doubt that he'll be among the top three or four in RBI and home runs by season's end. He's four behind Andre Ethier and Kelly Johnson in the HR race, and his 29 RBI have him tied with another power player, St. Louis' Albert Pujols. Both are chasing Ethier, who has amassed 38 in an early display of West coast domination. Ethier and the Dodgers have won 8 straight and are within 2 games of division-leading San Diego, with the Giants sandwiched in between, 1 1/2 out.
The Phillies, meanwhile, are threatening to turn the NL East into their own private show, leading the rest of the division by 5 games. They've won the division three straight years.
When the Yankees and Red Sox get together, fans normally expect something of a wild time, so the opening of a two-game series at New York - a highly-anticipated event - did not disappoint as the hitters had their way with starting pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and New York's Phil Hughes. Matsuzaka lasted only 4 2/3 innings, while Hughes managed to get through five, with neither earning a decision.
The Red Sox forged an early 6-1 lead and eventually knocked out 5 homers against Yankee pitching, but it was the home team's two home runs - both coming in the 9th inning off closer Jonathan Papelbon - which carried the day and extended the Yankee home winning streak over the Sox to eight straight with an 11-9 victory.
With Boston clinging to a 9-7 lead, Alex Rodriguez (left), who had singled in a pair of runs earlier, tied the game with his 5th home run of the season, a 2-run shot to the deepest part of the park. Papelbon managed to get Robbie Cano, but plunked Fancisco Cervelli, setting the stage for Marcus Thames (right), who did what he does best, hammering a Pepelbon offering into the left field stands for a 2-run, walk-off homer. The blast was Thames' second of the season, in limited playing time. Both Thames and Rodriguez collected 4 RBI on the night.
The Yanks kept pace with Tampa Bay, who also won, maintaining their 2-game lead on New York. Boston dropped 8 1/2 off the pace, mired in 4th place in the division.
National League
Ryan Howard hasn't been lighting up opposing pitchers too often this season, though he'd been having a decent year heading into the opener of a quick, two-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Monday, Howard broke out the good wood, singling twice - one driving in a pair of runs - before putting the game on ice with his 7th bomb of the year, a grand slam that completed the final score of 12-2, and another Philadelphia win, their 4th straight and 8th of their last 10.
Howard, the 2006 NL MVP and a candidate for the award every year, is beginning to pick up the leaders in the power categories, with little doubt that he'll be among the top three or four in RBI and home runs by season's end. He's four behind Andre Ethier and Kelly Johnson in the HR race, and his 29 RBI have him tied with another power player, St. Louis' Albert Pujols. Both are chasing Ethier, who has amassed 38 in an early display of West coast domination. Ethier and the Dodgers have won 8 straight and are within 2 games of division-leading San Diego, with the Giants sandwiched in between, 1 1/2 out.
The Phillies, meanwhile, are threatening to turn the NL East into their own private show, leading the rest of the division by 5 games. They've won the division three straight years.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A-Rod Passes Frank Robinson with Grand Slam; Uggla Gets Marlins to .500
Players of the Day for Friday, May 14, 2010
American League
Here's an idea for American League managers. You should avoid pitching to Alex Rodriguez with either the game on the line or the bases loaded. If faced with a situation in which both conditions exist, walking him might be your best course of action. Praying for a sudden thunderstorm might also apply.
A-Rod sent his own form of instant message to all managers last night as the Yankees downed the Twins, 8-4, extending New York's dominance over the Central division leaders. The Twins scored a pair of runs in the top of the 7th inning to forge a 4-3 lead, but in the bottom frame, the Yankees mounted a rally on a single by Francisco Cervelli and a Derek Jeter double. After getting Brett Gardner to fly out, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire made a manager's decision, to intentionally walk Mark Teixeira and pitch to A-Rod with the bases chucked. Bad move.
Gardenhire must not have checked his stats, because he brought in righty Matt Guerrier to pitch to Rodriguez, who had lifetime stats of 4-for-6 with 3 homers against him. Rodriguez launched his 4th home run of the season and 587th of his career - moving him past Frank Robinson and into 7th place, all time - over the left field wall, putting the Yanks up, 7-4, and eventually extending their home win streak against the Twinkies to 9 straight and 24 of the last 27. Ouch!
The slam was the 19th of Rodriguez' career, tying him with Eddie Murray and trailing only Manny Ramirez (21) and Lou Gehrig (23). Checking A-Rod's numbers, he's averaged 41 homers and 1.36 grand slams over 14 full seasons. Turning 35 this August, he's probably got at least 4 more good years left in that magnificent body, so he'll probably pass the 600 mark and catch Sammy Sosa (609) this year, slide past Ken Griffery Jr. (630) in 2011 and then launch an assault on 700 and the rarified air of Ruth, Aaron and the steroid-induced 762 of the delusional Barry Bonds, who, fittingly, eventually will end up in second place, many hope. He'll pass Gehrig for carrer slams somewhere along the line, especially if managers keep walking people to get to him.
National League
There hasn't been a lot of noise coming from South Florida this season, but everybody knows that it's just a matter of time before the Florida Marlins make their presence known in the NL East race.
On Friday, the Marlins took a big step forward, tying the Mets at 18-18 for third place in the division, four games behind the Phillies, with the surprising Nationals holding second, 1 1/2 back.
The Marlins took their second straight home game from the Mets, 7-2, having already won the 4-game series opener by a 2-1 score on Thursday. Florida did their damage early, scoring four runs in the 2nd inning and 3 more in the 3rd. Dan Uggla keyed both rallies, starting the scoring with a 3-run homer in the 3rd, and finishing it with a solo shot in the 4th.
Uggla's homers were his 7th and 8th of the season. The 4 RBI gave him 23 on the year. Uggla's averaged 30 homers and 90 RBI in his 4 seasons in the majors, all with the Marlins. He's on pace for nearly 40 and 100 this time around and if the Marlins make their usual mid-season surge, he's sure to be right in the middle of the action.
Here's an idea for American League managers. You should avoid pitching to Alex Rodriguez with either the game on the line or the bases loaded. If faced with a situation in which both conditions exist, walking him might be your best course of action. Praying for a sudden thunderstorm might also apply.
A-Rod sent his own form of instant message to all managers last night as the Yankees downed the Twins, 8-4, extending New York's dominance over the Central division leaders. The Twins scored a pair of runs in the top of the 7th inning to forge a 4-3 lead, but in the bottom frame, the Yankees mounted a rally on a single by Francisco Cervelli and a Derek Jeter double. After getting Brett Gardner to fly out, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire made a manager's decision, to intentionally walk Mark Teixeira and pitch to A-Rod with the bases chucked. Bad move.
Gardenhire must not have checked his stats, because he brought in righty Matt Guerrier to pitch to Rodriguez, who had lifetime stats of 4-for-6 with 3 homers against him. Rodriguez launched his 4th home run of the season and 587th of his career - moving him past Frank Robinson and into 7th place, all time - over the left field wall, putting the Yanks up, 7-4, and eventually extending their home win streak against the Twinkies to 9 straight and 24 of the last 27. Ouch!
The slam was the 19th of Rodriguez' career, tying him with Eddie Murray and trailing only Manny Ramirez (21) and Lou Gehrig (23). Checking A-Rod's numbers, he's averaged 41 homers and 1.36 grand slams over 14 full seasons. Turning 35 this August, he's probably got at least 4 more good years left in that magnificent body, so he'll probably pass the 600 mark and catch Sammy Sosa (609) this year, slide past Ken Griffery Jr. (630) in 2011 and then launch an assault on 700 and the rarified air of Ruth, Aaron and the steroid-induced 762 of the delusional Barry Bonds, who, fittingly, eventually will end up in second place, many hope. He'll pass Gehrig for carrer slams somewhere along the line, especially if managers keep walking people to get to him.
National League
There hasn't been a lot of noise coming from South Florida this season, but everybody knows that it's just a matter of time before the Florida Marlins make their presence known in the NL East race.
On Friday, the Marlins took a big step forward, tying the Mets at 18-18 for third place in the division, four games behind the Phillies, with the surprising Nationals holding second, 1 1/2 back.
The Marlins took their second straight home game from the Mets, 7-2, having already won the 4-game series opener by a 2-1 score on Thursday. Florida did their damage early, scoring four runs in the 2nd inning and 3 more in the 3rd. Dan Uggla keyed both rallies, starting the scoring with a 3-run homer in the 3rd, and finishing it with a solo shot in the 4th.
Uggla's homers were his 7th and 8th of the season. The 4 RBI gave him 23 on the year. Uggla's averaged 30 homers and 90 RBI in his 4 seasons in the majors, all with the Marlins. He's on pace for nearly 40 and 100 this time around and if the Marlins make their usual mid-season surge, he's sure to be right in the middle of the action.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Rodriguez Goes Long; Pelfrey Is Mets Savior
Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 20, 2010
American League
It's been a quiet Spring for Alex Rodriguez, but he's still putting up pretty good numbers, despite opposing hurlers pitching around him. In Tuesday's 7-3 Yankee win at Oakland, A-Rod probably only saw two or three hittable pitches, as A's throwers issued him three free passes to first. Reliever Craig Breslow could not work around Rodriguez when he came in with one out and two aboard in the 5th and A-Rod at the plate.
The Mets are still in last place in the AL East, but it's surely not the fault of Mike Pelfrey, who improved to 3-0 (he owns half of the Mets' wins) with 7-innings of shutout ball over the struggling Cubs in a 4-0 New York win.
Pelfrey threw 102 pitches, allowed only 3 hits, struck out 6 and walked three, lowering his already impressive ERA down to a microscopic 0.86. One can only guess what the media would be saying about the 6-8 Mets without Pelfrey in the rotation. Thanks to some degree of balance in the division, the Mets are just 2 games behind Atlanta and Philly, though they are the only team in the NL East with a losing record.
The Cubs may be in worse shape at 5-9 in the Central, 4 games back of the Cardinals and just 1/2 game out of last place, currently occupied by the Astros. The lovable losers have dropped their last four straight, scoring a whopping 6 runs overall.
It's been a quiet Spring for Alex Rodriguez, but he's still putting up pretty good numbers, despite opposing hurlers pitching around him. In Tuesday's 7-3 Yankee win at Oakland, A-Rod probably only saw two or three hittable pitches, as A's throwers issued him three free passes to first. Reliever Craig Breslow could not work around Rodriguez when he came in with one out and two aboard in the 5th and A-Rod at the plate.
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Rodriguez delivered his only hit of the game, but it was a three-run homer, his second of the season, increasing the Yankee lead from 3-0 to 6-0 with one mighty swing. The three RBI gave Rodriguez 10 on the year, so, despite not hearing the usual oohs and aahs, he's actually on pace for his usual dose of 100+ RBI. That's pretty much assured, as A-Rod has topped the 100 mark in ribbies 12 straight years and 13 of the last 14. The Yankee slugger may also receive more walks than in any of his previous seasons. He's on pace for about 150 bases on balls, far beyond his average and many more than his highest total, in 2000, when he walked 100 times.
National League
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The Mets are still in last place in the AL East, but it's surely not the fault of Mike Pelfrey, who improved to 3-0 (he owns half of the Mets' wins) with 7-innings of shutout ball over the struggling Cubs in a 4-0 New York win.
Pelfrey threw 102 pitches, allowed only 3 hits, struck out 6 and walked three, lowering his already impressive ERA down to a microscopic 0.86. One can only guess what the media would be saying about the 6-8 Mets without Pelfrey in the rotation. Thanks to some degree of balance in the division, the Mets are just 2 games behind Atlanta and Philly, though they are the only team in the NL East with a losing record.
The Cubs may be in worse shape at 5-9 in the Central, 4 games back of the Cardinals and just 1/2 game out of last place, currently occupied by the Astros. The lovable losers have dropped their last four straight, scoring a whopping 6 runs overall.
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Monday, November 2, 2009
Yankees Rally in 9th, Put Series on Brink
Players of the Day for Sunday, November 1, 2009
NY Yankees 7, Philadelphia Phillies 4
With one more win, the NY Yankees will become the 2009 World Champions, their first claim to such a title since 2000, when they beat the Mets, 4 games to 1. The Yanks could produce a similar result when they take the field in Game 5, Monday night in Philly.
The critical moment in Game 4 came in the top of the 9th inning, with the score tied at 4-4. Solo homer by Chase Utley in the 7th and Pedro Feliz in the 8th set the stage as the Phillies rallied from a 4-2 deficit.
With Brad Lidge on the mound for the Phillies, seemingly in control after getting Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter for the first two outs, Johnny Damon (left) stroked a clean single to left field. Damon's hit was no big deal by itself, but it brought Mark Teixeira to the plate. A dead pull hitter, the Phillies swung their infielders around toward first base, with second baseman Utley playing a rover-like position in short right field and all but third baseman Feliz on the 1st base side of second.
With Teixeira taking all the way, Damon broke for second and easily swiped the bag on a one-hop throw from catcher Carlos Ruiz. He popped right up and took off for third, which, due to the shift, was unattended, allowing Damon to take the base uncontested. Feliz had actually collected the throw from Ruiz and chased Damon for a few steps before giving up.
Lidge, clearly rattled, hit Teixeira with his next pitch, and then gave up the biggest hit of the series, when Alex Rodriguez lashed a double down the left field line, scoring Damon and leaving Teixeira on third and A-Rod on 2nd base. Jorge Posada stroked a single to left center, plating both of his teammates before being thrown out trying to advance to 2nd.
The rest of the script is easy. The Yankees brought in Mariano Rivera to pitch the 9th inning, and the Sandman retired the deflated Phillies in order for the 7-4 win and his 2nd save of the series. He also set a record with his 23rd appearance, passing another Yankee, Whitey Ford.
Game 5 is on for Monday night at Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia. Yankee A.J. Burnett will start against the Phillies' Game 1 hero, Cliff Lee. Lee pitched a complete-game, 6-hitter for a 6-1 Philly win. Since then, they've lost three straight. One more and it's over. Only 6 teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit. The last time it happened was in 1985, when the KC Royals took the final three games from the St. Louis Cardinals. Of the 42 teams which have had 3-1 leads in the world Series, 36 have gone on to capture the title.
With Brad Lidge on the mound for the Phillies, seemingly in control after getting Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter for the first two outs, Johnny Damon (left) stroked a clean single to left field. Damon's hit was no big deal by itself, but it brought Mark Teixeira to the plate. A dead pull hitter, the Phillies swung their infielders around toward first base, with second baseman Utley playing a rover-like position in short right field and all but third baseman Feliz on the 1st base side of second.
With Teixeira taking all the way, Damon broke for second and easily swiped the bag on a one-hop throw from catcher Carlos Ruiz. He popped right up and took off for third, which, due to the shift, was unattended, allowing Damon to take the base uncontested. Feliz had actually collected the throw from Ruiz and chased Damon for a few steps before giving up.
Lidge, clearly rattled, hit Teixeira with his next pitch, and then gave up the biggest hit of the series, when Alex Rodriguez lashed a double down the left field line, scoring Damon and leaving Teixeira on third and A-Rod on 2nd base. Jorge Posada stroked a single to left center, plating both of his teammates before being thrown out trying to advance to 2nd.
The rest of the script is easy. The Yankees brought in Mariano Rivera to pitch the 9th inning, and the Sandman retired the deflated Phillies in order for the 7-4 win and his 2nd save of the series. He also set a record with his 23rd appearance, passing another Yankee, Whitey Ford.
Game 5 is on for Monday night at Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia. Yankee A.J. Burnett will start against the Phillies' Game 1 hero, Cliff Lee. Lee pitched a complete-game, 6-hitter for a 6-1 Philly win. Since then, they've lost three straight. One more and it's over. Only 6 teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit. The last time it happened was in 1985, when the KC Royals took the final three games from the St. Louis Cardinals. Of the 42 teams which have had 3-1 leads in the world Series, 36 have gone on to capture the title.
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