Red Sox Take World Series Game One Over Dodgers; Andrew Benintendi 4-for-5

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 23, 2018

World Series Game One: Boston Red Sox 8 LA Dodgers 4

Benintendi: 4-5, RBI, 3R

With superstars like Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez surrounding him in the Boston lineup, left fielder Andrew Benintendi doesn't get much attention, but he came to play in game one of the World Series, going 4-for-5 with three runs and an RBI to help the Red Sox gain an early edge in the best-of-seven series.

Benintendi drove in the first Boston run with a single in the first inning, driving in Betts and taking second on Yasiel Puig's errant throw to the plate. He scored when Martinez lashed a single up the middle, giving Boston a quick 2-0 lead.

He singled again in the third, but was put out at second on a fielder's choice. In the fifth, Benintendi singled again, coming around to score on Rafael Devers' two out single, as Boston plated two runs to break a 3-3 tie.

After the Dodgers had cut the lead to 5-4, Benintendi smacked a ground rule double to lead off the seventh inning and was aboard when Eduardo Nunez broke the game open with a three-run homer.

Benintendi is batting .304 in the 2018 post-season, with five RBI and 12 runs.

Boston has been making a habit of winning opening games in World Series. Their game one win was the sixth straight time they've done it, dating back to 1975.

The Red Sox outhit the Dodgers, 11 to 8, and worked out five walks to three for LA. Matt Kemp's solo homer in the first inning was the Dodgers' only extra-base hit. Manny Machado drove in three of LA's four runs, with a single, a ground out and a sac fly.

Game two is scheduled for an 8:09 start Wednesday night at Fenway Park. Hyun-Jin Ryu will be on the hill for the Dodgers. David Price gets the start for Boston.

Red Sox Even Up With Yankees On Andrew Benintendi's 2 HR; Giancarlo Stanton Homers Again For Miami; St. Louis Streak at 8

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 12, 2017

American League

After blowing a 3-0 lead Friday night and eventually losing, 5-4, to the Yankees in the opener of their three-game series in New York, the Boston Red Sox came back to even things up with a 10-5 shellacking of the Yankees on Saturday.

Benintendi: 2 HR, 6 RBI

Boston scored all of its runs in the third and fifth innings, scoring five times in each. Both bursts were highlighted by three-run homers from Andrew Benintendi, both home runs and all six RBI credited against Yankee starter (and supposed new "ace" according to radio announcer John Sterling) Luis Severino.

In what was likely his worst outing of the season, Severino lasted only 4 1/3 innings, allowing all 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits and two walks. Benintendi's homers were his 15th and 16th of the season, to go with 65 RBI and a .280 batting average.

Thus, the Red Sox recovered their 4 1/2 game lead in the AL East with the rubber game in New York Sunday at 8:00 pm ET, broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The Yankees still appear to be Boston's only challenger, but they are also holding a slim, 2 1/2 game lead in the wild card race over the Angles, but the Rays, Royals, Mariners, Twins, and Orioles are all within 4 1/2 of the Yanks, making for what looks to be a spirited run to the playoffs the remainder of the season.

National League

Stanton: 41 HR leads MLB

Giancarlo Stanton is having an August that may end up in the record books.

In Miami's 4-3 win over the Rockies at Marlins Park, Stanton, singled, doubled, scored his major league-leading 41st home run and drove in three of the Marlins four runs. It was Stanton's third straight game with a home run and eight time he's homered in his last nine.

The slugger's August stats are already imposing: a .366 batting average (15-for-41), eight homers, and 16 RBI. With August not even half done, Stanton could be challenging the record for most home runs in any month (Sammy Sosa, Chicago, 20, June, 1998) or most home runs in August (also held by Sammy Sosa, 17, 2001, with Willie Mays, 1965).

Miami continues to make progress tow being competitive in the wild card race though they are still 9 1/2 back, but beating the Rockies two straight has produced a tie between Colorado and Arizona for the top wild card slot.

The Marlins will be looking for a sweep of the series Sunday afternoon. Game time is 1:10 pm in Miami.

Streaking: Suddenly becoming the hottest team in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals won their eighth straight on Saturday, besting the Braves, 6-5, in St. Louis.

Coupled with Chicago's 6-2 loss at Arizona, St. Louis is now tied for first place in the NL Central with the Cubs, though they are by no means clear of the rest of the division. Milwaukee is a mere two games out; Pittsburgh, three back. Only the Reds are out of it, 12 games behind.

Andrew Benintendi 5-for-5 As Red Sox Win 6th Straight; Clayton Kershaw 7 Scoreless, Dodgers Down Arizona

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 4, 2017

American League

Having passed the midway point of the season, the Boston Red Sox are looking like what many baseball pundits were calling them in the Spring: the team to beat in the AL East.

Benintendi: 5-5, 2HR, 6RBI

With their sixth straight victory, an 11-4 knockout at Texas the Sox handed the Rangers their third straight defeat and the second in their three-game series at Arlington's Globe Life Park.

David Price threw six scoreless innings for the Red Sox, scattering six hits and a pair of walks, striking out nine, while left fielder Andrew Benintendi was raking at the plate, going 5-for-5 with six RBI and four runs.

Socking his 11th and 12th home runs, Benintendi chased Texas starter, Yu Darvish with a three-run belt in the fifth and collected his fifth hit of the day with a solo shot in the eighth, which also accounted for his 50th RBI of the season. Benintendi is batting .288, closing in on his career mark of .290.

With the Yankees falling to Toronto, 4-1, the Red Sox have opened a four-game lead in the division and will be seeking a sweep at Texas Wednesday in game three, starting at 8:05 pm ET.

National League

Kershaw: 13-2

It's difficult to comprehend just how good Clayton Kershaw is as the Dodgers continue to pound away at the rest of the National League every time the LA ace takes the mound.

Tuesday night's 4-3 score over Arizona was a little deceptive, considering that the Diamondbacks didn't score until the final inning, as Kershaw held them scoreless, tossing a no-hitter into the seventh inning, before the Rangers broke through for their only two hits off the three-time Cy Young award winner (2011, 2013, 2014).

Kershaw (13-2) notched his sixth straight win, running his streak of not allowing an earned run to 27 innings. The last time an opponent scored against him was June 29, when the Angels plated an unearned run in the fourth inning of a 6-2 Dodger win.

The Mets are the last team to score an earned run against Kershaw, when they put up six on June 19, though the Dodgers won that game as well, 10-6.

Kershaw leads the majors in wins, added 11 strikeouts to remain second in the NL with 146 to Max Scherzer's 163 and lowered his ERA to 2.19, also second to Scherzer (1.94).

The win was the first in a three-game series with the visiting Diamondbacks, opening a 3 1/2 game lead over Arizona in the NL West. Game two gets started at 7:10 pm PT, Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.