ALDS: Verlander Leads Astros, LeMahieu Powers Yanks; NLDS: Foltynewicz Hurls Braves to Win, Strasberg Solid for Dodgers

Players of the Day for Friday, October 4, 2019

American League

LeMaheiu powers Yanks

The New York Yankees opened their best-of-five divisional series against Minnesota at home with a bang, most of the noise provided by leadoff hitter DJ LeMahieu, who was 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBI in the Yankees' 10-4 triumph.

With his team down 2-0 in the third, LeMahieu, who was second in batting in the AL regular season with a .327 average, singled, and scored on Edwin Encarnacion's double. The Yankees would tally twice more in the frame and never look back. LeMahieu socked a solo home run in the sixth inning and ripped a bases-loaded double in the seventh, plating all three and completing the Yankees' scoring.

Game two of the series is Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Verlander wins Game 1

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Justin Verlander got the ball for game one of the Astros' divisional series against the Rays and he did with it what he's been known for throughout his career, blanking Tampa Bay on one hit over seven innings in a dominant performance, fueling a 6-2 Houston win.

Verlander didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, and struck out the side in the seventh to complete his day's work. He fanned eight and walked three. Verlander led the majors with a 21-6 record over the regular season. He and teammate Gerrit Cole are leading candidates for the AL Cy Young award.

The series picks up with game two in Houston on Saturday.

Foltynewicz leads Braves

National League

Atlanta tied its division series with St. Louis via a strong pitching performance from Mike Foltynewicz in a 3-0 game two victory.

The Braves scored a run in the bottom of the first and added two more on Adam Duvall's two-run pinch hit homer in the seventh.

Tied 1-1, the best-of-five series resumes Sunday in St. Louis.

Strasburg fans 10

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Evening their series in Los Angeles at a game apiece, Stephen Strasburg out-pitched LA starter, Clayton Kershaw, hurling the Washington Nationals to a 4-2 win over the Dodgers.

Strasberg allowed just one earned run on three hits over six innings, fanning 10. The Nationals scratched out a run in the first inning and two in the second off Kershaw, who was lifted in the sixth inning.

The Dodgers and Nationals resume their series in Washington on Sunday.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Powers Braves to NL East Title; Carlos Correa Belts a Pair in Houston Win

Players of the Day for Friday, September 20, 2019

Correa: 2 HR, 3 RBI

American League

Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Carlos Correa each socked fist inning home runs and the Braves inched closer to their third straight AL West pennant with a 6-4 win over the LA Angels.

After his two-run shot in the first, Correa connected again in the third inning with a solo shot to left center. The pair of homers give him 21 on the year, along with 59 RBI in a season in which he's been out of action due to injuries twice for extended periods.

Correa missed all of June and most of July and has just returned - this was his second game back - from another month off due to a sore back. In all, he's missed nearly half the season, sitting out 80 games.

Key to Houston's success in winning the World Series in 2017, the 24-year-old shortstop and 2015 AL Rookie of the Year provides slick fielding and a potent bat to the middle of the Astros' lineup.

With their magic number at one, all Houston needs to do to clinch the division is win Saturday against the visiting Angels or have Oakland lose Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers. Houston has won six straight.

The Astros cracked 100 wins for the third straight year. In 2017, they won 101 games, and 103 in 2018. This year's squad appears to be the most potent of recent vintages. The are 101-53 and are 1 1/2 games up on the Yankees for the best AL record.

Oakland is eight game behind the Astros in the West, but holds a two-game edge on both Tampa Bay and Cleveland in the wild card race. All three have eight games left to play.

National League

Acuna Jr.: 2-2, 3 R, 2 RBI

Mike Foltynewicz threw eight innings of shutout ball and Ronald Acuna Jr. stroked his 41st home run of the year, leading the Braves to a 6-0 win over San Francisco and their second straight NL East pennant.

Fans and players alike exploded exuberantly when Acuna made the final out on a short fly ball to center. The second-year player was on base all night, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, a double and his home run. Acuna, who scored three times, surpassed the 100-RBI threshold with his two-run poke in the fifth inning. He has 101 on the year.

Voted NL Rookie of the Year in 2018 when he batted .293, hit 26 homers, drove in 64 runs, scored 78 times, and swiped 16 bases in 111 games, Acuna verified the voters' choice this season, batting .281, with 41 homers, 101 RBI, 126 runs and 37 steals. He can still add to his totals, as the Braves still have seven games left in the regular season.

Winning the NL East with a 92-70 mark in 2018, eight games better than the Washington Nationals, the Braves are even more potent this season with a 95-60 mark and a 9 1/2 game edge on the Nats. Already assured of the second-best record in the league, they have an outside chance of catching the Dodgers for the best record should they stumble in the final week. LA has a 4 1/2 game lead, at 99-55 and clinched the West division on September 9.

Atlanta has two more home games with San Francisco, Saturday and Sunday, before finishing up the regular season on the road with two in Kansas City and three in New York against the Mets.

In the wild card race, St. Louis defeated the Cubs in Chicago for the second straight day, winning, 2-1, while Milwaukee won for the 13th time in their last 15 tries, whipping the Pirates, 10-1. With Washington taking down Miami 6-4, the Brewers have taken over the second wild card, a game behind the Nationals, with the Cubs now trailing the Brewers by two games.

St. Louis continues to lead the NL Central by three games over Milwaukee. Chicago has fallen to five back.

Freddie Freeman's 2 HR Leads Braves to 4th Straight; Justin Verlander Tosses No-Hitter In 2-0 Win

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 1, 2019

Verlander: 3rd no-hitter

American League

It was only a matter of time before Justin Verlander would throw another no-hitter. On Sunday, time was up.

Verlander blanked the Blue Jays at the Rogers Center in Toronto, fanning 14 for the third no-hitter of his impressive in a 2-0 Houston victory.

After walking Cavan Biggio with one out in the first inning, Verlander set down the next 26 Blue Jays in order, getting the win when third baseman Abraham Toro scorched a two-out, two-run homer in the visitor's half of the ninth. Verlander calmly set down the final three Toronto batters before the Astros broke out in celebration.

Throwing a season-high 120 pitches, Verlander joined the Yankees' Domingo Herman with 17 wins, tops in the majors. He also leads the majors in strikeouts (257) and innings (193). His 2.56 ERA leads the AL.

Verlander joins an elite group with at least three no-hitters, including Nolan Ryan (7) and Sandy Koufax (4). Cy Young, Bob Feller and 1880s-era Larry Corcoran threw three each.

Having already won an MVP and Cy Young award in 2011 as a member of the Detroit Tigers, Verlander is the favorite for this season's Cy Young.

Houston won for the 11th time in its last 14 games, taking a 10-game lead over Oakland in the AL West, as the A's have dropped two straight to the Yankees.

The Astros head to Milwaukee on Monday, opening a two-game series with the Brewers at 4:00 pm ET.

National League

Freeman tearing up NL

Freddie Freeman cracked a pair of home runs and drove in all of Atlanta's runs as the Braves took another step toward their second straight NL East pennant with a 5-3 win over the White Sox.

Backing six innings of mound work by Julio Teheran (9-8, 3.38), Freeman socked a two-run homer in the opening inning, then broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth with another two-run jack. In the eighth, the league's leading RBI guy drove in another with a single.

Freeman leads the majors in RBI with 114. His 38 home runs and a .301 batting average are also among the league's best. With Freeman having what looks like an MVP season, the Braves continue winning, taking their fourth straight while sweeping three from the visiting White Sox. Atlanta has held off a surge by the Washington Nationals by winning 12 of its last 14 games.

The Braves will spend Labor Day hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. Game one of their two-game series starts at 1:20 pm ET.

Domingo Herman Nothes 17th Win As Yanks Down Dodgers; Dallas Keuchel, Josh Donaldson Lead Braves to 8th Straight

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 25, 2019

Herman: 17 Ws tops MLB

American League

Domingo Herman out dueled the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw en route to a 5-1 win in Los Angeles as the Yankees took the series, two games to one.

After giving up a leadoff home run on the first pitch in the first inning to Joc Pederson, Herman settled in, giving up just four more hits over six innings to earn his 17th win against a mere three loses.

Herman's 17 wins are two more than any other major league hurler. At 4.03, Herman's ERA is a little on the high side, but the results speak for themselves. He's been very efficient at keeping runs from scoring in key situations. He's fanned 136 batters in 127 1/3 innings, walking 30. While hitters are averaging .233 against him, he keeps chalking up wins. In his last 10 starts, Herman is 8-1 as the Yankees have maintained a huge lead in the AL East.

D.J. LeMahieu, Mike Ford and Aaron Judge each socked solo homers off Kershaw.

With the Rays losing, the Yankees improved to a nine-game bulge in the division. On Monday, they head to Seattle for a three-game series, wrapping up a nine-game road trip.

Keuchel: 7 scoreless

National League

Winning their eighth straight, the Atlanta Braves rode the arm of Dallas Keuchel to a 2-1 win over the Mets, completing a three-game series sweep of their NL East opponents.

Donaldson: 2 solo HRs

Keuchel (5-5, 3.78) blanked the Mets for seven innings, allowing four hits while fanning seven. Sean Newcomb worked a scoreless eighth and Mark Melancon gave up a run in the ninth but still managed the save, his sixth of the season.

Josh Donaldson's two solo homers provided the winning edge. Donaldson has 32 homers on the season.

The win left Atlanta six up on the Nationals in the NL East. The Mets are in fourth place, 12 games out, 1/2-game behind the Phillies, both struggling to keep up in the wild card race. The Nationals have won five straight and hold a four-game lead over the Cubs for the top wild card. Chicago is 1 1/2 ahead of the Phillies for the second spot.

The Braves head to Colorado on Monday for a make-up game before two in Toronto, Tuesday and Wednesday, wrapping up their road trip.

Braves Top Marlins, 5-1, As Freddie Freeman Homers Twice; Nelson Cruz Powers Twins Over White Sox, 14-4

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Cruz: 4-5, HR, 3 2B, 3 RBI

American League

After a brief stint on the injured list, Nelson Cruz returned to action on Monday, knocking out a pair of singles in five at-bats in a 6-4 loss to the White Sox.

On Tuesday, Cruz demonstrated that he was truly ready for full-time play, mashing three doubles and a solo home run in five at-bats. Cruz drove in three runs and scored three runs as the Twins evened their home series with the Sox with a 14-4 rout.

Cruz has 33 home runs on the year with 80 RBI.

With the Mets handing Cleveland a 9-2 defeat, the Twins opened up another game of breathing room in the division race, leading the AL Central by three games over the Indians.

Game three of the Twins' series with Chicago starts at 1:10 pm ET Wednesday.

Freeman: 102 RBI leads MLB

National League

Winners of three straight and six of their last eight, the Atlanta Braves are cruising toward their second straight NL East pennant.

On Tuesday, the Braves rode the arm of Dallas Keuchel and the bat of Freddie Freeman to a 5-1 win in the opener of a three-game series with the Marlins in Atlanta.

Keuchel (4-5, 4.15) tossed six innings, allowing one run on six hits, fanning seven and walking two. Meanwhile, Freeman was providing plenty of offense, socking a solo homer in the fourth inning and another in the fifth. His two-run single in the seventh broke the game open, allowing a trio of Atlanta relievers to shut down the Marlins for the duration.

Freeman is having his usual outstanding season, stroking 33 home runs with 102 RBI, which leads the majors. Atlanta improved its advantage in the NL East to six games of the Nationals, as Washington dropped a 4-1 decision in Pittsburgh.

Atlanta hosts the Marlins Wednesday at 7:20 pm ET for game two of the three-game set.

Yuli Gurriel's 8 RBI Powers Astros Past Rockies; Ozzie Albies Homers Twice as Braves Top Twins

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Gurriel: HR, 8 RBI

American League

Yuli Gurriel drove in eight runs as the Astros bowled along with a 14-3 win over the visiting Colorado Rockies.

Gurriel used his bat in diverse ways. In the first, he belted a three-run homer. A third inning sac fly brought home another run, his fourth-inning double cleared the bases for three more runs, and a sixth-inning ground-out bright home his final RBI.

By game's end, Gurriel had 23 home runs, 80 RBI and a .298 batting average.

Houston has won six straight and nine of their last ten and continue to lead Oakland by 10 games in the West division. They took both games from the Rockies, outscoring them 25-9, and head to Baltimore Friday for three games with the hapless Orioles.

National League

Atlanta continues to hold sway in the NL East. On Wednesday, the Braves raced off to a 7-0 lead by the third inning, outpacing the Twins, 11-7, to keep holding a six game lead on Washington in the division.

Albies 4-5, 2 HR

Ozzie Albies spearheaded Atlanta's assault with a pair of solo homers and two singles in five at-bats.

In the first inning, Albies homered, getting Atlanta on the board and swatted his second in the sixth. In between, he singled and scored another run in the third.

Atlanta's second baseman has 17 home runs, 63 RBI and a .296 batting average.

Freddie Freeman also socked a solo shot in the first, his 29th, boosting his RBI total to 92, one behind league-leader, Arizona's Eduardo Escobar.

Minnesota's loss narrowed their lead over Cleveland to two games in the LA Central. The Indians slipped by Texas, 2-0. The Braves took two of three in Minneapolis and head to Miami Thursday, starting a four-game series with the Marlins at 7:10 pm ET.

Josh Donaldson Saves Braves With 10th-Inning Homer; Cleveland Downs Houston, 10-4, on Roberto Perez HRs

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 31, 2019

American League

Perez: 2 HR, 4 RBI

After dropping the series opener, 2-0, to Justin Verlander, Cleveland roughed up AL West leader, Houston, with a 10-4 win on Thursday.

Catcher Roberto Perez socked a pair of home runs to lead the Indians. He touched off a three-run bomb in the second inning to get Cleveland on the board and followed up with a solo shot in the sixth.

Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis each added three-run homers as Cleveland pulled away for their 13th win in their last 17 games.

Perez is having a breakout year with the Tribe, batting .242 with 18 home runs and 44 RBI.

With Minnesota winning, the Indians remained three games behind the Twins in the AL Central. Houston continues to lead Oakland by eight games in the West. The A's lost, 4-2 to Milwaukee.

Tied at a game apiece, Cleveland hosts the series finale Thursday, 7:10 pm ET.

NOTES: Houston may have lost a game, but they won in free agency. With the trade deadline hours away, the Astros picked up starting pitcher, Zack Greinke from Arizona. In the most stunning trade of the mid-season, the Astros got Greinke for four minor league players. Houston also grabbed starter Aaron Sanchez and reliever Joe Biagini from Toronto and snagged catcher, Martin Maldonado, from the Cubs.

The 2009 AL Cy Young award winner, Greinke was 10-4, with a 2.90 ERA in 23 starts with Arizona this season.

Donaldson's HR wins game

National League

Josh Donaldson belted a 10th-inning solo home run to dead center, boosting the Atlanta Braves to a 5-4 win at Washington, taking two of three from the Nationals.

Poor relief pitching was once again at issue for Atlanta Wednesday afternoon, as the Braves' bullpen blew a 4-1 lead, allowing Washington to tie things up at 4-4 with a run in the eighth and two in the ninth.

Atlanta was bailed out by a bases-loaded double play with none out in the bottom of the ninth that scored the game-tying run, but also set up reliever Sean Newcomb to strike out Brian Dozier, ending the threat.

Donaldson was 0-for-4 prior to his heroic smash. Josh Tomlin worked into and out of trouble in the bottom of the 10th, allowing a one out single and walk before retiring the final two batters.

Donaldson, acquired from Cleveland in the off-season, has been a steady performer for the Braves, batting .259 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI in 62 games.

The result left Atlanta with a 6 1/2 game lead over the Nationals and a seven game bulge on the Phillies in the NL East.

The Braves return home Thursday to open a four-game series with the Reds. Game one is slated for a 7:20 pm ET start.

Braves Top Nat, 11-8, Behind Adam Duvall HRs; Justin Verlander Blanks Indians in 2-0 Houston Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 30, 2019

American League

Verlander's 14 wins leads AL

Whenever Justin Verlander goes to the mound, the Houston Astros expect to win.

That's been the case in most of Verlander's 23 starts this season. With a seven-inning, two-hit effort Tuesday at Cleveland, Verlander out-dueled Cleveland's Shane Bieber for a 2-0 victory and his 14th win against four losses.

Dominating the Indians from the very start, Verlander struck out 13 and did not issue any walks. He leads the AL in wins and ERA (2.73). His 196 strikeouts are second league-wide to teammate Gerritt Cole (212).

The win was Verlander's fourth straight. Last outing, he held the A's to two hits and one run over six innings.

Houston's win kept them eight up on Oakland in the AL West and dropped the Indians to three behind Minnesota in the Central division. The Twins took a 2-1 decision at Miami.

Game two of Houston's three-game series at Cleveland gets underway at 7:10 pm ET Wednesday.

National League

Duvall: 4-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI

Atlanta continues to hold onto first place in the NL East, but both the Nationals and Phillies have been bearing down on the division leaders of late.

The Braves won for just the fifth time in their last 13 games, topping Washington, 11-8 in game two of their three-game series. That left the Nationals 5 1/2 back, while Philadelphia, 4-2 winners over the Giants, remained six games out.

Developing an impressive lead by scoring nine runs in the first four innings, the Braves got home runs from Josh Donaldson (3-run homer in the fourth) and Adam Duvall, who cranked out a pair of solo shots, in the fourth and seventh innings. Duvall also singled twice, going 4-for-5, and scored a run in the third.

Acquired from Cincinnati near the end of last season, Duvall has played in just four games this year, but he's already added some pop, going 9-for-17 (.529) with three homers and five RBI.

What's plagued the Braves most of the season has been a lack of quality relief pitching and that was evident in Tuesday's win. Leading 11-1 after starter Julio Teheran (6 2/3, 7H, 2ER, 6K, 6-7) departed, the Nationals scored seven runs, one in the seventh and two each in the eighth and ninth.

Having split the first two games, the teams meet at 12:05 pm ET Wednesday for the rubber game.

Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman Lead Braves Past Dodgers; Jesus Aguilar Helps Brewers Eliminate Rockies

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 7, 2018

National League

Milwaukee 6  Colorado 0

Jesus Aguilar

Milwaukee eliminated the Rockies with a shutout victory Sunday, as Wade Miley and five relief pitchers combined to blank the Rockies on four hits. Miley worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, and the Brewer bullpen took care of the rest.

Jesus Aguilar socked a fourth-inning solo home run to give he Brewers a 2-0 lead. Orlando Arcia and Keon Broxton belted back-to-back solo shots in the ninth inning to seal the deal.

Acuna Jr.: Grand Slam

Red hot late season, the Brewers won eight straight to close out the regular season, capturing the Central division and achieving the best record in the National League. Their sweep of the Rockies left their winning streak at 11. They will host the winner of the Dodgers-Braves series in the NL Championship.

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Freddie Freeman

Atlanta 6  LA Dodgers 5

Staving off elimination, the Atlanta Braves won a close one at home, as Ronald Acuna Jr. smacked a second inning grand slam and Freddie Freeman unknotted a 5-5 tie in the sixth with a solo shot.

Atlanta's win left the Dodgers up two games to one, with game four scheduled for Monday in Atlanta. First pitch is slated for 4:30 pm ET.


American League

There were no games in the American League on Sunday.

Houston will be looking to eliminate the Indians in game three of their best-of-five divisional series, Monday, 1:30 pm, in Cleveland.

With the series tied, 1-1, Boston is at New York for game three between the Red Sox and Yankees, Monday at 7:40 pm ET.

Braves Clinch NL East On Mike Foltynewicz Gem; Jose Altuve's HR Caps 9-Run Inning For Astros

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 22, 2018

American League

Altuve's HR caps rally

Houston topped the Angels for the second straight time, pounding out a 10-5 win after whipping LA 11-3 on Friday.

Three time batting champion and 2017 AL MVP, Jose Altuve, socked his 13th home run and singled twice in four at-bats, to lead the Astros in their pursuit of another AL West pennant.

Altuve's 8th inning home run came as part of a nine-run inning, which turned a 5-1 Angel lead into a 10-5 Houston advantage. Altuve's blast provided the final two runs.

The win kept Houston's lead over the A's at 3 1/2 games as Oakland topped Minnesota, 3-2. Houston has eight games left in the regular season, Oakland, seven, so the magic number for the Astros to clinch their second straight division crown is five.

Houston closes out the weekend with game three against the Angels. If they are to capture he division flag, Houston will need to do it on the road. They travel first to Toronto next week for three games, followed by a final four-game series in Baltimore.

National League

Foltynewicz hurls clincher

Atlanta's Mike Foltynewicz hurled a no-hitter through six innings en route to the Braves' 5-3 win over the visiting Phillies and the NL East pennant.

The Braves backed their starter by building a 4-0 lead heading into the seventh when the Phillies finally broke through. Odubel Herrera led off with a single, but he was erased on a fielder's choice and Atlanta converted a double play to end the inning. In the eighth, however, Foltynewicz ran out of gas, surrendering a second hit and a walk - his third - before being lifted. Jesse Biddle walked Jose Bautista to load the bases, and Cesar Hernandez came through with a single, plating two runs. Rhys singled in another run, cutting the Braves' lead down to 4-3.

After Kurt Suzuki drove in Ender Inciarte for a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth, Arodys Vizcainoclosed out the game with a hitless ninth, prompting an on-field celebration in Atlanta followed by the requisite locker room mayhem.

Foltynewicz was tagged with two earned runs, but still took the win, the 12th for Foltynewicz, against 10 lesses, though the record doesn't aptly indicate the 26-year-old's importance to Atlanta's rise to division winner this season nor his emergence as a top line starter. His 2.88 ERA is fourth in the NL; he's struck out 193, walking 68 in 30 starts comprising 178 innings. He's recorded two complete games this season, one a shutout.

The division crown in hand, Atlanta's ongoing task is to keep winning, in hopes of catching the Cubs for the best record in the league, which would ensure home field through the playoffs. Chicago leads the Central at 90-64. Atlanta is at 87-68, and the Dodgers top the West with a record of 86-69.

Winners of four straight, the Braves wrap up their series against the Phillies on Sunday, looking for the sweep. They close out the season next week with three games in New York with the Mets and three at Philadelphia.

Francisco Lindor 4-for-5 As Indians Whip Blue Jays; Nick Markakis Helps Atlanta Overcome Arizona

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 6, 2018

American League

Lindor: 4-5, 2HR, 4RBI

The only game in the American League was Cleveland's 9-4 win at Toronto.

Francisco Lindor set the tone early, leading off the game with his 32nd home run of the season. In the third, he stroked another solo shot for a 2-0 Cleveland lead. The Blue Jays eventually took the lead, 4-3, but Lindor's two-run single in the fifth had the Indians back on top.

In the ninth, Lindor singled again - his fourth hit of the game - and scored on Jason Kipnis' three-run homer.

Lindor, 24, is already in his fourth full season in the majors and is about to set new career marks. In 2017 he batted .273 with 33 homers and 89 RBI. This year he's at .289 with 33 HRs and 84 RBI. In 2016 and again in 2017, Lindor scored 99 runs. He already has crossed home plate 117 times this season, tops in the majors.

The Indians extended their major-league-best lead in the AL Central to 16 1/2 games over the Twins. Their magic number to clinch the division is 8.

Game two of the four-game series in Toronto is scheduled for Friday at 7:00 pm EDT.

National League

Markakis: 4-5, 2 RBI

There were only three games played in the National League Thursday. The Cubs outlasted the Nationals, 6-4, in 10 innings, the Padres downed the Reds, 6-2, and the Braves blew a 4-0 lead only to come back for the win in 10 innings, defeating the Diamondbacks, 7-6, on a wild pitch by Yoshihisa Hirano.

Dansby Swanson scampered home with the winning run in the top of the 10th. Reliever Brad Brach worked a hitless bottom of the frame, earning his first save for Atlanta.

Nick Markakis earns the star for Player of the Day, going 4-for-5 with two RBI, boosting his batting average to .309. He is tied for fourth in batting in the NL with Milwaukee's Lorenzo Cain.

Atlanta's win snapped a three-game skid, keeping them in first place in the NL East by 3 1/2 over the Phillies.

The Braves and Diamondbacks resume the four-game series with game two in Phoenix, Friday, 9:40 pm EDT.

Kevin Gausman, Dansby Swanson Lead Braves Over Pirates; Brett Anderson 1-Hits Rangers As A's Remain Hot

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Anderson: 1 Hit over 7 IP

American League

Brett Anderson allowed just one hit over seven scoreless innings as the Oakland A's blanked the Rangers for the second straight game, notching a 6-0 victory after a 9-0 whitewash Monday.

After Shin Shoo Choo led off the third inning with a double, Anderson retired the next twelve Rangers in order. He threw 63 of 93 pitches for strikes, fanning six and allowing just one walk. Anderson has pitched exclusively as a starter in limited time with the A's. He's 3-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 12 starts.

The win kept pressure on Houston as the A's are tied with the Astros for first place in the AL West. Houston topped Seattle, 3-0, on Tuesday. The Mariners are 4 1/2 back in the division.

Oakland will be seeking a sweep of their three-game series against the Rangers when they wrap up a nine game home stand Wednesday, 3:35 pm EDT. The A's are 6-2 in their most recent eight home games.

National League

Gausman: 8 scoreless

Swanson: 2 HR, 4  RBI

After dropping four straight at home to the Rockies, the Atlanta Braves have bounced back with two wins at Pittsburgh, winning 1-0 on Monday and 6-1 Tuesday night.

Dansby Swanson swatted a pair of homers and drove in four runs in support of Kevin Gausman's eight scoreless innings, putting the Braves two games up on the Phillies in the NL East. Philadelphia has lost three straight.

Gausman, acquired by the Braves from Baltimore prior to the trading deadline, allowed four hits and two walks, fanning five. He is 3-1 in four starts with Atlanta, posting a 2.00 ERA and 17 strikeouts.

Swanson broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a two-run shot, adding another two-run homer in the seventh. He has 12 home runs and 52 RBI on the season.

The Braves will be looking for the series sweep when they take the field Wednesday, 7:05 pm EDT.

J.A. Happ's 1-Hit Outing Lifts Yankees Over Rays; Ronald Acuna Jr. Leads Braves To 4th Straight

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Happ: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

American League

The New York Yankees have been holding onto the top wild card spot since early May, but they haven't lost sight of the fact that Oakland and Seattle have made up ground over the long haul. They're still 3 1/2 up on Oakland and seven to the good over Seattle.

Nearing the end of July, prior to the trade deadline, the Yankees bolstered their pitching staff by picking up Lance Lynn from the Twins and J.A. Happ from the Blue Jays. The two pitchers have been lights out since putting on the pinstripes.

On Tuesday, Happ won his third straight as a Yankees, blanking the Rays on one hit over seven innings in New York's 4-1 home victory. The 35-year-old lefty threw 106 pitches, walked four, fanned four and lowered his Yankee ERA to 1.89. On the season, he's 13-6 with a 3.86 ERA.

Lynn has done his part as a reliever and starter. In three appearances (two starts) for the Yanks, he's allowed one run on 12 hits over 16 2/3 innings with 22 strikeouts, for an ERA of 0.54. Lynn - who is 1-0 as a Yankee - is scheduled for a start Friday against the Blue Jays.

The Yankees have won seven of their last nine after being swept four straight by the Red Sox. On Wednesday, they face the Rays in game two of their three game series, 7:05 pm EDT.

Acuna Jr. is on fire

National League

Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. isn't just hot, he's sizzling

On Monday, Acuna, the Braves' leadoff hitter, hit home runs in his first at-bat in both games of a doubleheader sweep of the Miami Marlins. On Tuesday, Acuna belted a leadoff homer on the first pitch, to become the youngest player in major league history to homer in five straight games.

Helping the Braves down the Marlins, 10-6, Acuna ripped a three-run shot in the seventh inning after Dansby Swanson put Atlanta up, 7-6. Acuna went 3-for-5, his two dingers driving in four runs.

Acuna has hit safely in his last eight games, batting at a .471 pace (16-for-24) with eight home runs, 15 RBI and 13 runs. His hot streak has vaulted the Braves into first place in the NL East by two games over the Phillies, 2-1 losers Tuesday night in Boston.

Atlanta has won four straight and 13 of their last 17. They will be seeking a four-game sweep of the Marlins when they take the field at home, Wednesday, 7:35 pm EDT.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Ties Unique Record As Braves Sweep Marlins; Matt Chapman, Jed Lowrie Power A's Over Mariners

Players of the Day for Monday, August 13, 2018

American League

Chapman: 3 2B, 3 R

Matt Chapman and Jed Lowrie led an 11-hit attack with five doubles between them and the Oakland A's hung on for a 7-6 win over Seattle in the first of three games in Oakland.

Chapman went 3-for-5, each of his hits a two-bagger, drove in a run and scored three times. Lowrie drove in four runs - two of them scored by Champman - with a 3-for-5 effort, two doubles, a single and four RBI.

Lowrie: 2 2B, 4 RBI

The A's took a 7-1 lead into the eighth inning, but the resolute Mariners, fresh off sweeping four games in Houston from the Astros, nearly made the comeback, scoring two in the eighth and three in the ninth. The game finally ended when Blake Treinen struck out Nelson Cruz with runners on first and second.

With Houston idle, the result left the Athletics two games behind the Astros in the NL West. Seattle is 4 1/2 back.

Winners of 10 of their last 12, the A's host Seattle in game two on Tuesday, 10:05 pm EDT.

National League

It's been a summer-long grind, but the Atlanta Braves have finally wrested control of the NL East from the upstart Philadelphia Phillies. While the Phillies took a day off, the Braves swept a doubleheader from the last-place Marlins, 9-1, and 6-1, taking a one-game lead in the division.

Acuna Jr. ties rare record

Rookie leadoff hitter Ronald Acuna, Jr. tied a rare record by homering to lead off both ends of a double-header.

In the first game, Acuna led off with a home run, added a two-run double in the sixth, stole a base, walked twice and scored three times, going 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI. In game two, Acuna again started the Braves' first inning with a homer, his 17th, and singled in another run in the sixth. Acuna went 3-for-5 in the second half of the double header with two RBI and two runs.

The 20-year-old Venezuelan is batting .282 with 17 home runs and 39 RBI in 259 at-bats.

According to ESPN via the Elias Sports Bureau, Baltimore's Brady Anderson was the last to hit a pair of leadoff homers in one day against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 21, 1999.

Before that, the feat was accomplished Oakland's Ricky Henderson against the Cleveland Indians on July 5, 1993. Harry Hooper did it for the Boston Red in a pair of games at the Washington Senators on May 20, 1913.

Atlanta plays two more against visiting Miami, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Braves don't face the Phillies until late September, when they play four at home, September 20-23, and then close out the regular season with three games in Philadelphia.

Sean Newcomb Just Misses No-Hitter In Atlanta Win; Baltimore Sweeps White Sox As Chris Davis Homers Twice

Davis: 2 HR, 4 RBI

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 29, 2018

American League

Baltimore completed their sweep of the White Sox at Camden Yards with an 11-5 victory Sunday.

Chris Davis got the rout started with a two-run homer in the first inning and capped off Baltimore's scoring with another two-run belt in the eighth.

Davis, like many of the Oriole position players, has struggled this season. His two homers were just numbers 12 and 13. Davis, who mashed 47 home runs in 2015, has struck out 120 times in 325 at-bats and is batting .159.

The Orioles have Monday off and start a series with the Yankees in New York on Tuesday.

National League

Newcomb just misses
no-hitter

Atlanta's Sean Newcomb had a no-hit bid foiled with two outs in the ninth inning by Chris Taylor, who stroked a clean single to left off a 2-2 count, Newcomb's 134th pitch.

With the score 4-0 in favor of the Braves, Newcomb was relieved by Dan Winkler, who promptly gave up a single to Manny Machado, scoring Taylor, who had reached second on defensive indifference. Winkler did get Matt Kemp for the final out, and even though Newcomb did not reach the record books, his effort was spectacular, resulting in a 4-1 Atlanta victory.

The Atlanta lefty was perfect though five innings, allowing just one walk, that to Yasiel Puig, leading off the sixth. Although he only had first-pitch strikes on nine of the 28 batters he faced, Puig's walk was the only one, and Newcomb fanned eight, improving to 10-5 on the season, with a 3.23 ERA.

In his first full season as a starter, Newcomb has improved vastly from the 4-9, 4.32 ERA he posted in 100 innings in 2017.

Atlanta's win pushed them to within 1 1/2 games of the lead in the NL East, as Philadelphia dropped a 4-0 decision at Cincinnati. The Dodgers had taken the first three of the four-game series in Atlanta, and still leads the NL West by 1/2 game over Arizona.

Atlanta opens a three-game series with the Marlins on Monday, while the Dodgers return home to face the Brewers.

Braves Shuffle Cards, 11-4, On Nick Markakis Slam, 5 RBI; Red Sox Hammer Yankees, 11-0, as Chris Sale, Rafael Devers Dominate

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 30, 2018

American League

Sale: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

The biggest series of the weekend has to be the one at Yankee Stadium in New York, where the Red Sox and Yankees are battling for first place in the AL East.

The first two games, however, have hardly lived up to the hype for what's supposed to be a fierce rivalry. On Friday, the Yankees dominated, getting the offense started quickly in an 8-1 win.

Devers: 5-5, GS, 4RBI, 3R

Saturday's game was equally lopsided, though this time it was Boston doing all the scoring. Rafael Devers' grand slam in the opening frame was more than enough run support for Red Sox ace, Chris Sale, who allowed just one hit over seven innings, fanning 11 flailing New York batters.

Devers finished 5-for-5 and scored three runs in the 11-0 rout. In addition to the slam, the Red Sox third baseman doubled, singled three times and scored three runs.

Sale improved to 8-4 on the year, dominating by throwing 72 of 101 pitches for strikes. Sale's 164 Ks are tops in the AL. Washington's Max Scherzer leads the National League with 165.

Yankee starter, Sonny Gray, acquired for Oakland last season just before the trade deadline, allowed six runs on seven hits over just 2 1/3 innings and looks to be expendable for the Yankees. Since joining the franchise, he's 9-13. This season's ERA has ballooned to 5.44.

The rubber game of the series is scheduled for 8:00 pm EDT Sunday as the nationally televised ESPN game.

National League

Markakis: Slam, 5 RBI

While the Phillies were taking one from Washington, 3-2, the Atlanta Braves held their three-game lead in the NL East, shuffling the Cards by an 11-4 score.

It was the second game of a three-game series in St. Louis. The Braves won, 5-1 on Friday and will be looking for a sweep when the teams meet on Sunday, at 2:15 pm EDT.

Doing the most damage for Atlanta was right fielder, Nick Markakis, who is having an outstanding season and looks to be a starter for the NL in the all star game, July 17. Markakis leads all NL outfielders with nearly two million votes as of the latest release.

After doubling and scoring the Braves' first run in the second inning, Markakis blew open a 3-0 game in the fifth inning with a grand slam and for good measure hit a sixth inning sac fly to send Ozzie Albies to the plate for a 10-0 advantage. The veteran outfielder tallied five RBI for the game.

Markakis played nine years for the orioles before switching to Atlanta and the National League in 2015. Along with his .326 batting average, Markakis has nine homers and 56 RBI, fifth in the league.

Tampa Bay Routs Nats on Blake Snell's 1-Hit Effort; Ozzie Albies Leads ATL over Reds in 11

Players of the Day for Monday, June 25, 2018

American League

Snell, 7IP, 1H, 0ER, 10K

Following a rough start to the season, the Tampa Bay Rays may be one of the better teams in the second half.

Winners of four straight, including a weekend sweep of the Yankees and Monday's 11-0 whipping of Washington, the Rays are just under .500 at 38-40.

In the rout of the Nationals, a couple of notable developments included a second-inning grand slam by Kevin Kiermayer, who remains mired in a slump (.147) after coming off the disabled list last week. Catcher Wilson Ramos had additional motivation for a pair of homers against the team that traded him over the off-season, but the show was stolen by starter, Blake Snell, who twirled a one-hitter over seven innings for his 10th win against four losses, the performance all but assuring him a spot on the AL all star team.

Snell, who walked the first two batters he faced - Trey Turner and Bryce Harper - settled in to retire the next 18 straight, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The bid was ended on Anthony Rendon's double to left. Snell walked two more batters in the inning, but a double play helped him out of the jam and kept Washington off the scoreboard. He fanned 10, including five straight at one point, striking out the side in the fourth.

A third year starter for Tampa Bay, Snell has lifetime marks of 21-19 with a 3.14 ERA, but this season he's blossomed, dropping the ERA to 2.31 in 17 starts, with 113 strikeouts and a 1.04 WHIP. He's tied for third in the league with Toronto's J.A. Happ at 10 wins, is fourth in ERA and is tied with Cleveland's Cory Kluber for 7th overall in strikeouts.

The Rays host the Nationals in game two of the series, Tuesday, at 12:10 pm EDT.


National League

Albies: 3-6, 2 2B, HR

Opening their three-game home series with the Reds in winning style, Ozzie Albies launched a game-winning homer in the bottom of the 11th off Cincinnati reliever, Dylan Floro, for a 5-4 win.

The smash was not the only contribution Albies made in the game. He started the Braves' scoring in the first with an RBI double, bringing home Ender Inciarte. He scored later in the frame, putting the Braves up by a 2-0 score.

A fifth-inning double helped the Braves load the bases and score another run, though the bullpen would eventually allow the Reds to tie the game and send it to extra innings. The two teams went through a total of 11 relievers before Albies ended the affair with his shot to right, his 17th.

The leading vote-gatherer for second basemen in NL all star balloting, Albies is batting .269 with 46 RBI on the year. A second-year player, Albies batted .286 in 57 games with the Braves n 2017.

Game two of the series is slated for a 7:35 pm EDT start Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Goes Yard In Atlanta Win; Matt Davidson Socks A Pair of HRs For White Sox

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 26, 2018

Davidson: 2HR, 3RBI

American League

At 6-16, the White Sox aren't likely to make much of an impact this season, but they have a keeper in Matt Davidson, who cranked out a pair of homers in Chicago's 6-3 win at Kansas City.

Davidson ripped a solo shot in the fourth inning and sent Royals' starter Jacob Junis to the showers with his second blast, a two-run rip that traveled some 450 feet. The first home run was a line shot to the left field corner off a fastball, but Junis didn't fool Davidson with a hanging slider in the sixth. Davidson got full extension and parked it.

The two long balls gave Davidson seven on the season, with 15 RBI. In 2017, his first season in the majors, Davidson had 26 home runs and 68 RBI in 118 games.

The win kept the White Sox out of last place, dropping the Royals 1 1/2 games behind them. The game was just the first of a five-game series in Kansas City, with game two slated for a first pitch at 8:15 pm EDT.

National League

Freddie Freeman laced three doubles in four at-bats, Ozzie Albies socked his eighth home run of the season, and highly-touted rookie, Ronald Acuna Jr., unleashed an upper-deck blast to center and doubled home the go-ahead run as the Atlanta Braves scalped the Cincinnati Reds, 7-4.

Acuna Jr.: 3-4, HR, 2B, 3RBI

Freeman and Albies have been instrumental to Atlanta's success this season. Albies is tied for the league lead in hone runs, and is second - with 10 - in doubles to Freeman's 11. Freeman's .326 batting average is tied for fifth in the NL.

Adding Acuna to the mix is only going to inflict more pain on opposing hitters. With just two games under his belt, Acuna is unproven, but his abilities are hard to deny. Moving from A to AAA last season, the 20-year-old phenom batted a combined .325, socked 21 homers, 31 doubles, drove in 82 runs and swiped 44 bases.

Since his call-up, Acuna is 4-for-9 (.444), including Thursday's 3-for-4, 2RBI effort.

The win gave the Braves a 2-2 split in Cincinnati. At 7:05 pm EDT Friday, the Braves open a series in Philadelphia. The Phillies trail the Mets in the NL East by 1/2-game. Atlanta is 1 1/2 back, so this weekend should lead to some changes in the division standings.

Leonys Martin's Grand Slam Helps Tigers Bash Orioles; Kurt Suzuki, Preston Tucker Lead Braves Over Mets

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 19, 2018

American League

Martin: 3-for-5, GS, 4RBI

Detroit finished off a sweep of the visiting Baltimore Orioles with a 13-8 win, as both teams took some batting practice, banging out 32 hits between them.

Leonys Martin, Detroit's leadoff hitter, made sure to get his licks in, singling and scoring in the first inning and scoring after blistering a triple in the fourth prior to smacking a grand slam in the fifth. Martin finished 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBI.

The result left the Orioles in last place in the AL East, 11 1/2 games off the pace and the Tigers just a shade under .500, at 7-9, but just 2 1/2 games behind front-running Minnesota in the Central.

Baltimore heads home to open a series with Cleveland on Friday while the Tigers stay home. The host Kansas City at 1:10 pm EDT on Friday.

National League

Suzuki: 3-4, HR, 3R 3RBI

The NL East's first place Mets arrived in Atlanta for the opener of a four game series with Matt Harvey taking the mound to face the second place Braves, who had Matt Wisler on the bump.

As it turned out, Wisler, who was making just his second start since 2016, had the better stuff, holding the Mets to one earned run on three hits over seven innings.

Tucker: 2-for-5, 5 RBI

Meanwhile Kurt Suzuki and Preston Tucker were making life miserable for Harvey. Suzuki socked a two-run, first inning homer off Harvey, then proceeded to double twice, going 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI.

Batting right behind Suzuki, Tucker victimized Harvey with a two-run, third inning double and came up again with the bases loaded in the seventh, delivering his second double of the game, racking up a total of five RBI.

Suddenly, first place wasn't looking so secure as the Braves slugged their way to a 12-4 win, reducing the Mets' lead to just two games over themselves and the Phillies, 7-0 winners over the Pirates.

Game two of the series is 7:35 pm EDT, Friday night.

Anibal Sanchez Goes Six Scoreless As Braves Humble Cubs; Ian Kinsler Leads Angels To Top Spot In AL West

Players of the Day for Friday, April 13, 2018

American League

Kinsler: 3-for-4, 2R, RBI

After winning the World Series in 2017, Houston is expected to take the AL West once again, but the other teams in the division have fortified their lineups and are certain to make the Astros earn heavy win.

Among the contenders in the West is the LA Angels, winners of six straight, their most recent conquest a 5-4 win in the second of four at Kansas City.

Picked up in the off-season from Detroit, Ian Kinsler was back in the leadoff spot for the Angels in Friday's game, after coming off the 10-day disabled list. The veteran second baseman went 3-for-4, stole two bases, scored twice and drove in the game-winning run with a sac fly in the eighth inning.

Kinsler's .367 batting average is positive sign that he's ready to go the distance atop the LA lineup.

The Angels improved to a stunning 12-3, their sixth straight win vaulting them past the Astros into a 1/2-game lead in the division. They'll be looking for their seventh straight win when they take the field at KC on Saturday. Game time is 7:15 pm EDT.

National League

Sanchez: 6 scoreless, 6K

The last time the Braves made the playoffs was 2013, when they ran away in the AL East, posting a mark of 96-66 to win the division by 10 games. Since that time, they've spent four years finishing under .500, but with an 8-5 start to the season, 2018 could be a year of change.

Opening a three-game series in Chicago, Atlanta posted a 4-0 win over the Cubs. Dominating from the mound with six innings of scoreless, three-hit ball was starter Anibal Sanchez, who struck out six and walked one as his teammates built a lead, Preston Tucker's three-run homer in the fifth off You Darvish providing most of the cushion.

The veteran right-hander threw 63 of 94 pitches for strikes, earning his first win of the year in three appearances. Now in his 13th season, Sanchez gives the Braves some depth in their starting rotation.

It was the second straight win for Atlanta, moving them into second place, 3 1/2 games behind the streaking Mets, who lead the division with a 11-1 mark, including nine straight wins.

Game two of the series at Wrigley Field is slated for a 2:20 pm EDT start on Saturday.