Dexter Fowler Leads Cardinals Win Over Reds; Austin Jackson 4-for-5, Indians Drop Angels, 6-3

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 19, 2017

American League

Jackson: 4-for-5

Not only have the Cleveland Indians set an American League record with 22 straight wins and captured the AL Central, now they appear comfortable to play spoiler, as they topped the LA Angels, 6-3, in the opener of a three-game series on the coast.

The Angels have been tailing the Twins for the better part of the last four weeks for the second wild card spot. With Minnesota losing to the Yankees, 5-2, the Angels could have gotten to within 1/2 game of the cherished spot, but Cleveland and Austin Jackson had other ideas.

Jackson singled four times in five at-bats, drove in a run and scored another, helping the Indians to their third straight win after Kansas City ended their record win streak this past Friday. In a season shorted by injury, Jackson, when healthy, has been top-notch, batting .316, with 79 hits in 250 at-bats.

The fleet outfielder who broke in with the Tigers, is in his eighth season, and may be reaching his full potential. With the Indians heading to the playoffs, his timing could not be better.

LA's loss left them 1 1/2 games behind the Twins in the wild card race. The Yankees hold the #1 position, six games to the good over Minnesota.

Game two of the series is Wednesday, 7:00 pm PT.

Fowler: 3-4, HR, 2 RBI

National League

It's not often that a player homers to tie a game, drives in the go-ahead run and then scores what turns out to be the winning run, but that's exactly what Dexter Fowler did to keep the St. Louis hopes alive in an 8-7, 10-inning win over Cincinnati.

Fowler socked his 17 home run of the season in the eighth inning. The solo shot tied the game at six apiece. After a scoreless ninth, Fowler came to the plate again in the 10th with Kolton Wong on base, delivering a double that plated the go-ahead run. Two batters later, Paul DeJong singled Fowler home, putting the Cards by by a 8-6 score.

In the bottom of the 10th, the Reds got closer on a scooter Gennett solo home run, but that was all they could muster, the Cardinals taking the first of three in Cincinnati.

Fowler, taken from the Cubs in the off-season, went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs. He has been a welcome addition to the Cardinals this season, batting .266 with 57 RBI in 109 games.

While the Cardinals were successful in staying alive, they remain six games behind the Cubs in the NL Central and trail second place Milwaukee by 2 1/2 games. Both the Cubs and Brewers were winners on Tuesday. Colorado, holding the second wild card, fell to San Francisco, 4-3, leaving them just a game up on Milwaukee with the Cardinals 3 1/2 back.

St. Louis will have opportunity down the stretch as they host Chicago for four games and then Milwaukee for three to close out the regular season, but they have to keep pace in order to have a chance.

Game two of the Cards' series with the Reds is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:10 pm ET in Cincinnati.

Austin Jackson Delivers as Cubs Sweep Reds; Manny Machado Homers Twice in Orioles' Win over Blue Jays

Machado: 2HR, 3RBI

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 1, 2015

American League


It's a little late in the season (and too late to make the playoffs), but the Baltimore Orioles took their second straight from the Blue Jays, Thursday's 6-4 win coming courtesy of Manny Machado, who parked a couple of belts into the deepest parts of Camden Yards (left-center and center field) - his 32nd and 33rd homers - and also singled and scored, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs.

The Orioles lost the opener of a twin bill on Wednesday which clinched the AL East for the Blue Jays, but topped them in the nightcap, 8-1. Thursday's defeat left Toronto tied with Kansas City for the best record in the league (which would mean home field advantage in the championship round of the playoffs) with just three games to go.

In New York, the Yankees clinched a playoff spot with a 4-1 win over the Red Sox and can wrap up home field for the wild card game with one win in their final series of the season, at Baltimore, beginning Friday night at 7:05 pm EDT.

Jackson: 3R HR

The Rangers also clinched a playoff spot, topping the Angels, 5-3. Texas has a three-game edge on Houston in the AL West and can clinch the division with a in in any off their three remaining games, all at Texas, against the Angels, who are four games out and trail Hosuton by one in the wild card race along with Minnesota.

National League

Austin Jackson clubbed a three-run homer in the first inning and later walked and scored the final run for the Cubs in the fifth inning as Chicago completed its sweep of the Reds, taking the third game by a 5-3 score.

Jackson, a speedy outfielder, was acquired by the Cubs from Seattle prior to the July 31 trading deadline and has played in 26 games for Chicago. His homer was his first in a Cubs' uniform.

The win was the fifth straight for the Cubs, leaving them two behind Pittsburgh in the wild card race. Both the Pirates and Cubs have clinched playoff spots but where the game will be played is yet to be determined. Chicago heads to Milwauke for a three-game series starting Friday, while the Pirates host the Reds, losers of 12 straight, over the weekend.

Pittsburgh can get the game at home by any combination of two wins or Cubs losses, so, if the Cubs lose Friday and the Pirates win, the game will be at Pittsburgh. Chicago is hoping to overtake the Pirates, something they've been unable to do thus far, though that scenario - among others, such as a tie for the wild card - seems unlikely.

In any case, here are the MLB rules for tie-breakers.

Tigers Tie ALCS as Austin Jackson, Miguel Cabrera Power Detroit; Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers Force Game Six with 6-4 Win

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 16, 2013

American League

Austin Jackson

Miguel Cabrera

Detroit tied Boston at two games apiece with a 7-3 win in game four of the ALCS.

Getting to Boston starter, Jake Peavy, early, the Tigers scored five runs in the second inning, and two more in the fourth, all runs charged to Peavy, who did not get an out in the fourth, officially logging just three innings, allowing five hits and three walks.

Center fielder, Austin Jackson, demoted from his usual leadoff spot to the eight-hole in the order, spent most of the night on the base paths, going 2-for-2 with a pair of singles, a stolen base, a run and two RBI. Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-4, drove in a pair of runs and also stole a base.

Game five is 8:07 pm EDT at Comerica Park in Detroit.

National League

Adrian Gonzalez sparked the Dodgers to a 6-4 win over St. Louis in game five of the NL championship series with a 3-for-4 performance, socking a pair of homers, driving in two runs and scoring three times.

Adrian Gonzalez

A.J. Ellis and Carl Crawford also homered for the Dodgers. All of the long balls were solo shots.

Gonzalez got things started for the Dodgers in the bottom of the second when he singled and scored on Juan Uribe's single. The Dodgers scored twice in the frame, but were quickly tied when St. Louis plated two in the top of the third. The first of Gonzalez's two homers gave LA the lead in the bottom of the third, and they continued to add to the lead with single runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth.

St. Louis rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth and brought the winning run to the plate with two outs, but Kenley Jansen got pinch-hitter Adron Chambers looking on a called third strike with two runners aboard to end the threat and the game.

LA's win staved off elimination, forcing a game six in St. Louis, Friday, at 8:37 pm EDT. St. Louis leads the series, three games to two.

Today's Trivia: Who had more World series wins, Whitey Ford or Bob Gibson?

Yesterday's Answer: Lou Brock holds the record for stolen bases in a single World Series, swiping seven in both the 1967 and 1968 series.

Tigers Win at Toronto On Austin Jackson's 4-for-5 Effort; Wilson Ramos Powers Nats over Brewers, 8-5

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 4, 2013

American League

Austin Jackson

Miguel Cabrera was out of Detroit's lineup with a sore back for the finale of their four-game series in Toronto. For some teams, having the best hitter on the planet on the bench might be a problem. The Tigers, however, are not just some team.

Detroit hitters banged out 16 hits and Justin Verlander allowed just one run over seven innings for an 11-1 rout, taking three of four from the Blue Jays, who are once again watching their season slip away, 11 games out and in last place in the AL East.

Austin Jackson led the Detroit charge from the leadoff spot, going 4-for-5 with a two run homer, three singles, three RBI and four runs. Jackson, normally prone to a lot of whiffs, has been squaring up the ball better of late, raising his batting average to .296, after hitting an even .300 last season.

The Tigers moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Indians in the Central division, as Kansas City knocked off Cleveland, 10-7.

Cleveland will be hosting the Tigers in a four-game showdown series beginning Friday night at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Wilson Ramos

Picking up a game on NL East rival Atlanta, the Washington Nationals ripped Milwaukee, 8-5, splitting the four-game series, two games apiece while the Braves fell to the Marlins, 4-3.

Catcher Wilson Ramos provided a huge does of hitting, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh which broke a five-all tie and provided the winning Margin for Washington.

Previously, Ramos had singled home a pair of runs in the sixth, putting the Nationals up by a 5-2 score, but the Brewers rallied with three of their own in the top of the seventh.

The win left Washington six games out of first place, still chasing the Braves in the division.

The Nats close out a seven-game home stand with three games against the Padres, beginning Friday night at 7:05 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Ichiro broke the long-standing, single-season hits record that was held by a National Leaguer and is still tops in the senior circuit. Who holds the NL record for hits in a season?

Yesterday's Answer: Ichiro Suzuki holds the single-season record for hits, knocking out 262 in 2004.

Austin Jackson Leads Tigers Past A's; Paul Maholm Blanks Nats as Braves Complete Sweep

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 14, 2013

American League

On Saturday, the Tigers snapped Oakland's nine-game winning streak with a 7-2 victory On Sunday afternoon, they made sure the A's knew the 2012 AL champion was still the boss, hammering Oakland, 10-1, taking the series by the bay two games to one.

Austin Jackson

Detroit knocked around five Oakland pitchers for 14 hits, four of them off the bat of leadoff hitter, Austin Jackson, who got things started with a single to open the game, scoring on Torii Hunter's double. In the second, Jackson cracked his first home run of the season, a two-run blow that put the Tigers comfortably into a 4-0 lead.

In the fourth, Jackson singled and scored again, and singled home his third RBI of the game in the seventh, finishing up 4-for-6 at the plate, raising his batting average to .386; his 17 runs leads the AL.

Detroit gets a travel day Monday, heading to Seattle for a three-game series, starting Tuesday.

National League

Paul Maholm

Batting from the leadoff spot, B.J. Upton singled and doubled twice in five at-bats, scoring twice and brother Justin cracked his seventh home run of the season as the Braves completed their three-game sweep of the Nationals with a 9-0 pasting.

The Braves pounded out 12 hits while starter Paul Maholm was shredding the Washington order, allowing just four hits and one walk over 7 2/3 innings for his third win of the season without a loss. Maholm fanned seven, giving him 20 on the season, extending his scoreless string to 20 2/3 innings to start the year.

Maholm joins the Giants' Madison Bumgarner and the Mets' Matt Harvey as three-game winners. He is tied with San Fran's Barry Zito with a 0.00 ERA.

Atlanta improved to 11-1 and holds a 3 1/2 game lead over the Mets in the NL East. The Nationals are four games out.

Jason Kubel Homers Three Times for Arizona; Austin Jackson Delivers First Place for Tigers

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 21, 2012

American League

Austin Jackson

By winning their fourth straight - 7-1 victory over the White Sox - the Detroit Tigers have emerged with a 1/2 game lead over Chicago in the AL Central.

With 11-2 Chris Sale taking the mound for the Sox in the second game of their three game series in Detroit, Chicago hoped to expand their slim lead in the division, but leadoff hitter Austin Jackson was having none of it, doubling home a pair of runs in the fifth and, after Brennan Boesch delivered a three-run shot in the sixth, Jackson followed up with a bases-loaded single, plating two more runs.

Sale took the loss, making him 11-3, while Detroit starter Rick Porcello improved to 7-5.

The Tigers will try for the sweep Sunday afternoon, which would give them another game expansion on their lead. A loss would return division leadership to the White Sox.


National League

Jason Kubel: 3 HR

Catching the San Francisco and Los Angeles - the top two teams in the NL West - is proving to be difficult for the Arizona Diamondbacks, even as they took their second straight from the Astros, 12-3, after taking game one of the series by a 13-8 score.

The D'Backs are getting plenty of offense, especially from their best off-season pick-up, left fielder Jason Kubel, who belted a trio of homers and drove in six runs as the Diamondbacks established an early lead and never looked back.

Kubel socked a two-run shot in the first inning, then added a three-run job in the fourth as Arizona plated five. His bases-empty delivery in the sixth inning gave him 20 home runs (3rd in the NL) and 70 RBI on the season, which currently leads the league.

Nonetheless, the Diamondbacks can't seem to make any headway into the upper echelon of the division, remaining seven games out as LA and San Fran both won on Saturday.

Arizona will look for the series sweep on Sunday and hope that they can make up some ground on their current 10-game home stand, which proceeds with three against Colorado beginning Monday and concludes with four games against the Mets.

Austin Jackson Getting into the Swing; Miguel Cairo Drops Cubs with Slam

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 7, 2011

American League

Austin Jackson

As a rookie last season, Austin Jackson was the toast of the town, batting .293 with 103 runs and 27 steals, batting in the leadoff spot and playing center field for the Detroit Tigers. He finished 24 points behind Texas closer Neftali Feliz in the AL Rookie of the Year voting and looked forward to his second season with Detroit.

The months of April and May were a cruel reminder to Jackson that he still needed to work and improve. He entered June batting a sloppy .225, but so far, the warmer weather seems to have heated up his bat as well. Riding a five-game hitting streak Jackson has gone 11-for-26 (.423) through the first week of June, and had his third three-hit night in his last four games Tuesday in an 8-1 thrashing of the Rangers, in which Detroit banged out 20 hits.

Jackson, who is usually scoring runs, was driving them in on this night. With three singles in six at-bats, Jackson drove in two runs in the 4th inning and scored and plated another in the 9th.

The Tigers took their second straight from the Rangers and will be looking to sweep the Rangers in Texas Wednesday night. They trail the Indians by 1 1/2 games in the AL Central. The Rangers, despite losing two straight, are still 2 1/2 better than second place Seattle, which has also lost two straight. The division as a whole is slumping. The Angels have dropped four straight and the A's are riding an eight-game skein.

National League

Miguel Cairo

Edinson Volquez improved to 4-2 and Miguel Cairo ended all speculation as to the outcome of the game with a grand slam homer in the 7th inning as the Reds dropped the Cubs by an 8-2 score for the second consecutive night.

Playing third base for a dinged-up Scott Rolen, who's been out three games with strep throat, Cairo doubled the Reds' 4-1 lead with just his second home run of the season. He's also filled in at other infield positions and has performed admirably in his part-time role, putting up a .290 batting average.

It was Cairo's second career grand slam. The win kept the Reds 5 games behind St. Louis in the NL Central. They are separated by the Brewers, 2 1/2 out.

Jeter 3000 Watch: Derek Jeter got to within a dozen hits of becoming the first NY Yankee to garner 3000 hits in a career, singling twice in five at-bats in a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox.

Jeter, who will turn 37 on June 26 should be celebrating in style by then. At his current pace of 62 hits in 56 games, he figures to achieve the magic mark either at home against the Rangers on June 14-16, or during interleague play at Chicago, June 17-19.

The grand slam,

Austin Jackson Leads Tigers Into First Place; Bourn Homers, Leads NL in Steals

Players of the Day for Monday, June 28, 2010 American League For the majority of the season, rookie Austin Jackson has been at the top of the Tiger lineup, and, from the looks of it, that's where he's going to stay. The fleet-footed center fielder is a leading candidate - along with teammate Brennan Boesch - for AL Rookie of the Year honors and there's a very good possibility that he'll be named an alternate to this year's All Star team (currently 12th among OFs, though three spots ahead of him are held by NY Yankees - Gardner, Granderson and Swisher - in an obvious vote-stuffing ploy by NY fans). Jackson's leadoff prowess was on display as the Tigers took the opener of a critical three-game series with the Minnesota Twins, 7-5, taking over first place in the Central division by 1/2 game. Jackson led off the game by being hit by a pitch from Twins' starter Francisco Liriano, and scored the first of a four-run, first inning barrage on Miguel Cabrera's double to the left center gap. He scored again in the 2nd inning when he singled, stole second, advanced to third on another single and scored on a fielder's choice. After striking out in the 4th, Jackson reached on a bunt single and scored what proved to be the winning run in the 7th inning. Jackson finished 2-for-4, with 3 runs and a stolen base. He's hitting a crisp .310, with 13 stolen bases and 44 runs, and his play in center field has been compared to Ken Griffey Jr.'s. Jackson's smooth gait and incredible speed make difficult plays appear routine. National League The Houston Astros have not been having a very good time of it this season, but occasionally a player will step up and do something special, like leadoff batter and center fielder Michael Bourn, who hit his first home run of the year in the Astros' 9-5 win over Milwaukee. Bourn homered to lead off the 3rd inning, though at the time the blast didn't seem to matter much, as the Brewers had already scored four times. The Astros added another run in the third, then scored 3 n the 6th and two runs in each of the 7th and 8th innings to complete the comeback. Bourn was on the basepaths seemingly all night, putting together a 4-for-6 effort, scoring twice, driving in a pair and stealing his league-leading 23rd base. Bourn led the NL in steals in '09 with 61 swipes. Streak Snapped: Jose Guillen's 21-game hitting streak - the longest in the majors this year, along with Josh Hamilton's current streak of the same length - came to an end in KC's 3-1 win over the White Sox Monday night. Guillen went 0-for-3. Hamilton will try to make it 22 straight when he and his Texas Rangers travel to play the LA Angels on Tuesday.