Carlos Peguero's Two Homers Sink Rays; Three Huff Homers Lead Giants Back to First Place

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 2, 2011

American League

Carlos Peguero

Tampa Bay's James Shields had no luck keeping Seattle hitters in the park, as the Mariners rocked him for four home runs over four innings en route to an 8-2 pasting of the NL East contenders.

Jack Cust and Justin Smoak each had solo jobs, but down at the very bottom of the order, rookie left fielder Carlos Peguero tagged Shields for a pair of homers, the second of which ended the starter's shortest stint of the season.

After a mammoth three-run homer to center field in the second inning, Peguero again went straight-away in the fourth with a solo shot. In just 20 games, Peguero has four homers and Thursday's four RBI gave him 12 for the year.

Peguero, a rookie who played last season in the Southern League, is batting just .190 and still feeling his way around American League pitchers, though he's getting steady playing time as the Mariners are not rich in outfielders. Seattle remained 1 1/2 games behind the Texas Rangers in the A West, but increased their advantage over the third place Angels to one game. The win was the first of an important four-game series with the Rays in Seattle.

National League

Aubrey Huff

Tha reigning world champion Giants proved that they still have plenty of offense, even without their star catcher, Buster Posey.

In taking the fourth and final game of their series in St. Louis by a 12-7 score, the Giants took three of four from the NL Central-leading Cardinals and took back first place in the NL West with a 1/2 game lead over Arizona.

Much-maligned Aubrey Huff, who got off to a poor start, partially due to having to begin the season unaccustomed in right field, blasted three homers for the Giants, driving in six runs to lead the rout.

The trio of long balls were Huff's 6th, 7th and 8th home runs of the season, but, more importantly, helped produce a win in the first series on the road for the Giants since Posey was lost for the season following a collision at home plate on May 25.

Bumgarner Ties Rangers in Knots; Giants Lead Series, 3-1

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 31, 2010

World Series Game Four: Giants 4, Rangers 0

Unable to solve the left-handed wizardry of rookie Madison Bumgarner (left), the Texas Rangers find themselves on the brink of elimination as the San Francisco Giants took a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series with a 4-0 win Sunday night.

Bumgarner, throwing a dizzying array of fastballs, sliders and curves, kept the Rangers so off-balance they didn't get a runner to second base until there were two outs in the 7th inning. even at that juncture, Bumgarner was cool, casually putting down Ian Kinsler with runners on first and second to end the inning.

As has been the case this season, with their starting pitcher throwing up goose-eggs for the opposition, the Giants managed to forge a lead and add to it late. Aubrey Huff's (right) crushing blow to the right field corner put the Giants up 2-0 in the 3rd inning, and they added a run in the 7th and another in the 8th, when Buster Posey lifted one out to center field.

In total control all night, Bumgarner allowed just three hits (all singles) and a pair of walks over eight innings, throwing 106 pitches, 69 for strikes. Closer Brian Wilson worked a perfect 9th inning, getting Josh Hamilton on strikes to end the game.

The Giants can wrap up their first World Series win since 1954 with a win in Game Five, slated to start at 7:57 pm Monday night in Arlington. Game one starters Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee have been named starters. Lincecum took the win in Game One, handing Lee the first post-season loss of his career. He had won seven straight prior to that.

Young Powers Twins to 9-Game Lead in AL Central; Giants Take First in NL West, Huff Shines

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 17, 2010 American League For all intents and purposes, the Minnesota Twins wrapped up the Central division title this week, taking three straight from their closest pursuer, the Chicago White Sox. After blasting them by identical 9-3 scores in the first two games of the series, the Twins let them get a little closer, but still managed the sweep with an 8-5 win Thursday in Chicago. Delmon Young was the slugging hero for the Twins, going 3-for-5 with a couple of singles, a two-run homer and two runs. Young's 5th inning shot put the Twins up, 6-2, but the Sox made a game of it scoring three runs before the Twins answered with two more in the top of the 9th. Carl Pavano worked five innings to record his 17th win against 11 losses, and the Twins stretched their divisional lead to nine games while shrinking their magic number down to eight. Young's homer was his 18th, and the two RBI gave him 102 on the year. National League Aubrey Huff went 2-for-4, belted a three-run homer, scored twice and led the San Francisco Giants to a 10-2 win over the LA Dodgers. The fifteen-hit assault vaulted the Giants into first place in the NL West, 1/2 game better than the Padres, who were shut out at St. Louis, 4-0. Huff got the Giants on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first, after the Dodgers had taken a 1-0 lead, when he scored on Buster Posey's double. In the 3rd inning, Huff found the stands with his 25th home run, followed by Posey's 15th. The back-to-back wall-clearings staked the Giants to a 5-1 lead. Starter Jeffrey Sanchez went seven innings for his 11th win against 8 losses. He fanned 13, allowing just four hits and one earned run. San Francisco will try to retain their hold on first place when they host Milwaukee for three games over the weekend. After that they head to Chicago for three with the Cubs, then three at Colorado, who are just 2 1/2 back and in position to vie for either the division or the wild card. The Giants have the good fortune to finish with six games at home, three each against the Diamondbacks and Padres, playing the latter the final three games of the season. PENNANT NOTES: The Yankees, Rays, Braves and Phillies were all idle Thursday night, so no changes occured in either of the East divisions. The Rays lead the Yankees by 1/2 game; Atlanta trails Philadelphia by 3 games. The Cardinals won while the Reds lost, so St. Louis still clings barely to life, seven games behind the Reds. The Rangers lead the A's by 10 games in the AL West, with a magic number of eight. Texas should have things wrapped up by next weekend as they close out their season with 17 straight games against division rivals. They play three games each at Seattle and then at Anaheim, then head up the coast for four games at Oakland. After that, they close out at home. A three-game series with the Mariners is followed by four games with the Angels.

Brennan Boesch, Roaring Rookie for Tigers; Huff Helps Giants Stay in NL West Race

Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 16, 2010 American League Minnesota still sits atop the AL Central division, but their lead has been dwindling as the Detroit Tigers have won five straight, including Wednesday's 8-3 win over Washington. Detroit will remain a serious contender in the division if their pitching can remain just better than average (4.12 ERA, 6th in the AL), because they have plenty of big bats in the lineup, especially since rookie Brennan Boesch has already exceeded all expectations and has become a mainstay in right field. Boesch added to his already-impressive resume with his 9th homer of the season, an 8th-inning, three-run moon shot which some people believe landed in Canada. Boesch also singled and scored in the second and drove in a run with a single in the third inning. The Tigers only had seven hits total, but Boesch had three himself. A leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year, Boesch is hitting an impressive .343, with 9 homers and 34 RBI in just 160 at-bats. His OPS is a stunning 1.019, fifth among AL players with at least 160 at-bats. Ahead of his are some pretty good hitters: Justin Morneau, Miguel Cabrera, Kevin Youkilis and Robinson Cano. With the win, Detroit remains 2 1/2 behind the Twins, who also won, 2-1, on the strength of Scott Baker's solid 7 innings (2 hits, no earned runs, 12 Ks). The Twins' lead may be even smaller once interleague play ends and the Tigers head to Minnesota for a three-game set the 28th, 29th and 30th of June for a critical showdown. National League The NL West continues to be one of the strongest and most interesting divisions in baseball, with four teams having legitimate chances of winning the title. Currently led by the Dodgers, the Padres are just 1/2 game behind, the Giants, 1 game back and the Rockies, 5 out. San Francisco kept things interesting with a 6-3 win over Baltimore, while the Dodgers took first place by beating the Reds for the second straight game while the Padres were being beaten by Toronto. The Giants continue to stealthily stay in he race with one of the best pitching staffs in the league (3rd in ERA at 3.30, behind San Diego and St. Louis), and timely situational hitting by regulars such as Aubrey Huff. Huff accounted himself well in the win, getting a single, double and his 11th home run of the season, scoring three times and driving in a pair of runs in four at-bats. A veteran with plenty of soil beneath his cleats, Huff played six years with Tampa Bay, then wound his way through Houston, Baltimore and Detroit before ending up with the Giants, where he has proved versatile - playing left or right field and first base - and valuable, hitting .305 with 11 homers and 36 RBI.

Huff Debuts in Style with Giants; Hughes' 4 RBI Lead O's

Players of the Day for Wednesday, March 3, 2010 American League Rhyne Hughes blasted a pair of two-run homers as the Baltimore Orioles cranked six balls out of the park in the first Spring Training game, a 12-2 win over Tampa Bay. Hughes, a rookie looking to catch on with the O's at first base, got a little revenge over his former team. He spent 2008 and 2009 in the Rays' organization, but only got into 2 games and was 0-for-3 at the plate with Tampa Bay. National League Conor Gillaspie’s bases-loaded single to left drove in the winning run in the 10th as the Giants overcame a rough outing by Tim Lincecum to drop Seattle, 8-7. Aubrey Huff, who will probably be somewhere in the Giants' starting lineup when the regular season opens, smacked a home run and drove in two. Huff, a ten-year veteran with Tampa Bay and Baltimore, will try to make a go of it in the National League with the Giants. MLB Preview: Boston Red Sox As usual, the Red Sox will be geared up to beat the Yankees and capture the AL East title after finishing in second with the wild card last season. But, like last season, it's a tall order. The Yanks are loaded again and Boston is in the midst of major changes. The Sox let Jason Bay go to the Mets, after he did a swell job replacing Manny Ramirez, but Boston didn't seek out another power hitter, which could make David Ortiz a little less ferocious in his usual cleanup or #3 slot in the batting order. Instead, the Red Sox signed Adrian Beltre to take over at third base and Mike Cameron to patrol center field, shifting Jacoby Ellsbury over to left, though still in the leadoff spot. John Lackey joins a solid rotation. Boston signed him as a free agent from the Angels, and he's a good fit for Fenway. A power pitcher who seldom makes major mistakes, Lackey will give the Red Sox plenty of innings. With Josh Beckett and Jon Lester ahead of him in the rotation, he'll be in good company. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz will likely take the #4 and 5 slots. The Red Sox will not be as explosive offensively as they've been in the past and the bottom of the lineup - Beltre, Cameron and shortstop Marco Scutaro - may turn out to be their Achille's heel. Of course, they do have one of the best closers in the league, Jonathan Papelbon, who will probably see more save opportunities than he did last year. Overall, the prospects for the 2010 Red Sox are not that great. They've put together a National league-style team, relying on pitching and defense, in one of the most offensive-minded divisions in baseball. But they do have plenty of experience in players like Kevin Youkilis, Victor Martinez and Dustin Pedroia to rely on through the long season. Vegas has Boston at 5-1 or 6-1 to win the World Series, though that seems a bit short for a team without major power strokers. Red Sox nation may be longing for the days of Ramirez and Ortiz before the all-star break. Boston will be lucky to grab the wild card as Baltimore will be improved and Tampa Bay could bounce back to challenge the Yankees. A finish at third or even fourth place in the division is a possibility.

Huff Sends Tigers to Xtra Inning Win; Holliday a Cheery Cardinal

Players of the Day for Monday, September 14, 2009 American League After dropping the first two games of their series with Toronto, the Tigers came back to win the last two games, including Monday's 6-5, 10-inning triumph over the Jays. The Blue Jays pounded Tiger starter Justin Verlander for 5 runs in the 6th inning to take a 5-2 lead, but Aubrey Huff evened the score in the bottom of the 9th with a 3-run blast, and Detroit went on to win in the 10th when Marco Scutero mishandled a potential double-play ball, allowing Brandon Inge to score from second. Huff's homer was just his second as a Tiger since being acquired from Baltimore in mid-August. Used mostly as a replacement and pinch-hitter, Huff is batting just .197 in 24 games with Detroit. The Tigers shaved their magic number to capture the Central division down to 14 with the win. They lead the Twins by 5 1/2 and the White Sox by 6 1/2. National League Matt Holliday has proven to be an outstanding mid-season pick-up for the power-hungry Cardinals, providing a big bat behind superstar Albert Pujols. Hitting in the cleanup spot on Monday, Holliday singled and doubled in 5 at-bats, driving in 3 runs and scoring twice as the Cards banged out 17 hits in an 11-6 win over the fading Florida Marlins. Holliday has driven in 48 runs in 47 games with St. Louis, including 12 homers. He's batting a robust .371 as a Cardinal, with 12 home runs, 14 doubles and two triples. The win helped the Cardinals reduce their magic number to win the NL Central to 10, as they lead the Cubs by 9 1/2. The Marlins trail Philadelphia by 7 games in the East and Colorado by 5 1/2 in the wild card. With just 18 games left on the schedule, time is running out on Florida. NOTES: The Rockies aren't in the wild card sweet spot just yet. Dropping their third straight, a 9-1 loss at San Fran, Colorado's wild card edge is down to just 3 1/2 games over the Giants, who refuse to die. The two play two more games, Tuesday and Wednesday, in what could prove to be the pivotal series of the season. In the AL wild card hunt, the Red Sox, by virtue of a 5-game winning streak, have opened a 4 1/2 game edge over the Rangers. No other team is close enough for consideration.

Huff Leads O's to 6th Straight; Molina Yard Work Drops Padres in 11

Tuesday's Players of the Day American League The Baltimore Orioles extended their AL-best win streak to 6 games with an 8-1 win at Texas as Aubrey Huff went 4-for-4 (a double and three singles), driving in 4 runs to take over the AL RBI lead. Frank Thomas and Joe Crede each have 10. Notes:While the Orioles are soaring, the Detroit Tigers are souring, falling to 0-7, with a 4-0 at Boston on Tuesday. Off-season pick-ups Edgar Renteria and Miguel Cabrera are batting .200 and .100 respectively. That says something about knowing the pitchers you're facing, though Placido Polanco (.115) and Ivan Rodriguez (.148) can't use the same excuse. National League After having Barry Bonds routinely bomb homers into McCovey Cove, fans of the San Francisco Giants aren't finding much to cheer about this season. Last night, however, catcher Bengie Molina gave everyone a treat, homering twice, the last one providing the winning margin in the Giants' first home win of the season, a 3-2 win over San Diego in 11 innings.

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Molina's solo shot came with one out in the bottom of the 11th, off Padres' reliever Cla Meredith. Bengie found his groove earlier, blasting a solo shot to left in the second inning. Notes: Arizona, 5 straight wins; Milwaukee, 4 straight wins. Washington, which began the season by winning its first three, have now dropped five in a row.

Huff Hits for Cycle; Mets Sweep Phillies; Ramirez Crushes Brewers

American League LA Angels 9 Baltimore 7 - Aubrey Huff (right) hit for the cycle, scored 3 times and drove in 3 runs, but it wasn't enough to keep the Angels from beating up on Baltimore's inefficient bullpen. Trailing 7-5, the Angels scored one in the 7th, one in the 8th and two in the 9th inning on Howie Kendrick's 2-run blast. Toronto 3 Seattle 5 - Jarrod Washburn improved to 7-6 and J.J. Putz picked up his 23rd save as the Mariners won their 6th straight and trail LA by 5 games in the NL West. With their current run, the Mariners also closed to within contention for the wild card, trailing Detroit by just 2 games. Chi White Sox 1 Kansas City 8 - Brian Bannister shut down the Sox on 4 hits over 6 1/3, allowing just one earned as the Royals won their 5th straight, ensuring them of their first winning record in any month since 2003. Chicago is only one game ahead of the last place Royals. Tampa Bay 1 Cleveland 2 - Ben Francisco walloped his first major league home run - in just his 6th at-bat - in the bottom of the 9th, moving the Indians back into first place in the AL Central. Other AL Scores Minnesota 11 Detroit 1 - J. Santana, (W, 9-6) 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Oakland 1 NY Yankees 2 Texas 1 Boston 2 - Boston, 10 1/2 ahead of Toronto in AL East National League NY Mets 6 Philadelphia 5 NY Mets 5 Philadelphia 2 - The Mets sent their message loud and clear in Philly, taking both ends of a double-header to send the Phillies back to 3rd place in the NL East, 5 games back. The Mets lead Atlanta by 4. Milwaukee 5 Chi Cubs 6 - The streaking Cubs - winners of 7 straight - got a walk-off 2-run homer from Aramis Ramirez (right) to pull to within 6 1/2 of the 1st place Brewers. The two teams play two more this weekend in Chicago. Arizona 4 San Francisco 3, 10 innings - Barry Bonds tied the game in the 8th inning with his 750th career home run to pull to within 5 of Hank Aaron's all-time mark, but rookie catcher Miguel Montero stole the show with his 10th inning solo homer which won the game and kept Arizona in 2nd place, 1/2 back of San Diego. San Diego 7 LA Dodgers 6 - The Padres took over 1st place with their 3rd straight win. San Diego leads Arizona by 1/2 and the Dodgers by a game in the wild, wild NL West. Colorado 8 Houston 9 - Closer Brian Fuentes blew his 4th straight save opportunity and the Rockies lost their 8th straight when Mark Loretta ended a wild affair with a 2-run homer with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th. Other NL Scores Atlanta 12 Florida 3 - J. Francoeur, 4-5, 3 runs; C. Jones, 2-3, 4 RBI Washington 2 Pittsburgh 3 St. Louis 4 Cincinnati 2 - Reds, 30-50, worst record in majors