Oakland Secures Cactus League Crown Behind Scott Kasmir and Billy Butler; Ervin Santana Sharp as Twins Fall to Boston

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 2, 2015

Grapefruit League

Ervin Santana

Ervin Santana must have figured he'd given his team a reasonable shot at winning their game with the Boston Red Sox. After all, he'd held Boston scoreless over the first five innings on one hit, walked just one batter and struck out a pair while his Twins' teammates had put two runs on the scoreboard.

All of that changed as soon as his replacement hit the mound, the Red Sox exploding for seven runs in the sixth inning, getting six of them off J. R. Graham, who allowed six hits in 1/3 of an inning, and the other off Nick Burdi, who got the last two outs of the inning, but not before giving up a two-run homer to Mike Napoli.

Thus, Santana, who has had a solid Spring, was denied his fourth win against one loss. Santana got no decision, but, he appears ready for the regular season. In five starts, he's tossed 19 innings, allowing just four runs, for an ERA of 1.89.

His teammates seem to need a bit more seasoning. After the 8-5 defeat by Boston the Twins are 12-15, while the Red Sox have improved to 16-11 and are just 1/2 game behind the Blue Jays and Mets, both 18-12.

Santana spent the first eight years of his major league career with the Angels, then went to Kansas City in 2013, before heading to Atlanta, where he was 14-10 last year. The Twins acquired the 6'2" right-hander in the off-season.

Cactus League

Butler: New A.

Kazmir: Sharp.

The Oakland A's claimed the Cactus League crown with an 8-2 win over the Giants on Thursday, but, instead of doing so amidst the desert breezes of Arizona, the finalized the deal at the Giants' home field, at AT&T Stadium in San Francisco, where an estimated 41,581 watched the A's capture the first of what they hope will be many flags this year.

Scott Kazmir looked good in his final tune-up prior to the regular season, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. He did not issue any walks, nor did his strike out any of the opposition.

Billy Butler went 3-for-5, including his fifth homer of the exhibition season, and drove in a pair of runs, giving him 15 RBI this Spring.

Kazmir is starting his second season with the A's. Last year he was 15-9 with a 3.44 ERA. Butler figures to be the primary DH for the Athletics. He was snatched away from Kansas City this off-season, after having spent his entire, eight-year career with the Royals.

The win was the ninth straight for the A's, who hold a 2 1/2 game edge on Kansas City with just two games left to play.

* * * *

With the start of the regular season, significant changes are coming to Baseball On Deck.

Instead of daily posts featuring players of the day, the format will change to a main, once-weekly post, on Mondays, in which various players of the week will be presented. Each league will feature an infielder and outfielder of the week, along with starting pitcher of the week and reliever of the week for both the American and National leagues. A special category for DH of the Week will also be part of the new mix.

Interim posts - between Mondays - will appear on an ad hoc basis, along with presentation of streaks, notable stats and other stories of note. These changes will allow Baseball on Deck to become more focused on the larger scope of the season while also providing a more literate interpretation of events.

During the season special attention will be given to the standings and schedules of contending teams, as well as expanded coverage during the pennant races in September and the playoffs and World Series in October.

These changes will begin shortly. Saturday and Sunday will be the final posts in the current Players of the Day format, but opening week of the regular season will feature daily, or nearly daily, posts. The first major post in the new, expanded format will be Monday, April 13.

Royals Pound D'Backs, 12-2, Billy Butler Goes 4-for-5; Juan Uribe Delivers in Dodgers' 5-4 Win over Angels

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 5, 2014

American League

Billy Butler

Opening a three-game interleague series at Arizona, the Kansas City Royals mashed out 15 hits over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday in a 12-2 win over the Diamondbacks, keeping pace in the Central division with the Tigers.

Billy Butler unleashed a barrage of four hits in five at-bats, getting a pair of singles, a double and his sixth home run of the season, driving in three runs and scoring twice.

Arizona had no answers, getting just five hits over the course of the game.

The win kept Kansas City 4 1/2 behind Detroit - 4-3 winners in 12 innings over the Yankees - and right in the middle of the race for the second wild card spot, 1 1/2 behind the Blue Jays and 1/2 game behind the Yankees.

Batting just .276, Butler is having a down year at the plate, but may be picking it up as the pennant races proceed. He has seven hits in his last nine at-bats covering the past two games, both KC wins.

The Royals will try for their third straight win Wednesday night when they meet the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix. Game time is 9:40 pm EDT.

Juan Uribe

National League

With all the star power stacked up on the Dodger roster, third baseman Juan Uribe doesn't get much notice, but he was key to victory in the Dodgers' 5-4 win over the Angels Tuesday night.

Uribe socked a three-run homer in the second inning, erasing a 2-0 Angels lead and scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Going 3-for-4 with three RBI, Uribe singled with one out in the ninth and went first to third on A.J. Ellis' single. He came home on Andre Ethier's ground ball to third, sliding in safely on David Freese's errant throw.

The win put the Dodgers up by 2 1/2 in the NL West as the Giants opened a three-game series in Milwaukee with a 4-3 loss.

The Dodgers-Angels series is tied at a game apiece and shifts to Anaheim for the next two games. Game time Wednesday is 7:05 pm PDT.

Billy Butler Leads Royals in 11-1 Rout of Rays; Allen Craig's Grand Slam Lifts Cardinals over Reds, 8-6

Players of the Day for Monday, August 26, 2013

American League

On what would have normally been a day off, the Tampa Bay Rays instead flew out to Kansas City to make up a May snow-out on Monday.

Billy Butler

Following the resulting 11-1 rout by the Royals, and, dropping 1 1/2 behind the idle Red Sox, the Rays probably wish it had snowed in August as well.

The Royals pounded Tampa starter, Jeremy Hellickson, for seven hits and five earned runs in just 2 2/3rd innings, then scored six more runs off a pair of Tampa bay relievers.

Leading the 13-hit assault was Billy Butler, who singled twice and homered in three at-bats, driving in three runs and scoring three times.

The game left the Royals 10 1/2 games behind the Tigers, in third place in the Central division. At 66-64, the Royals are having their best year in a long time, but still are looking up at five teams ahead of them in the hunt for two wild card positions with the number of games remaining dwindling quickly.

With the make-up game out of the way, the Royals head to Minnesota for a three-game series with the Twins. At the top of the wild card heap, the Rays return to Tropicana Field for three games with the Angels. Both series start Tuesday night.

National League

Allen Craig

Allen Craig's first career grand slam capped a five-run seventh inning that propelled the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series in St. Louis.

Trailing 5-3 entering the frame, the Cardinals put runners on second and third with one out off Reds' starter, Mike Leake and then loaded the bases when reliever Manny Parra walked Matt Carpenter. Jon Jay grounded out to first, pushing across the first run of the inning. J.J. Hoover relieved Parra, walking Matt Holliday to re-load the bases, setting up Craig's opposite-field blast into the right field seats.

The Reds retaliated with a solo shot by Jay Bruce in the eighth, but could get no closer. Edward Mujica slammed the door shut, setting the Reds down in order in the ninth for his 35th save.

Craig also had a single and double in his for at-bats, his four RBI giving him 95 on the year, tying him with Brandon Phillips for second place in that department. Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt leads the league with 103.

The win gave St. Louis sole possession of first place in the NL Central, 1/2 game better than the idle Pirates. Game two of the series with the Reds begins at 8:15 pm EDT on Tuesday.

Today's Trivia: Who were the four Baltimore pitchers who each won 20 games in the 1971 season? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The pitcher who went 26-9 with 30 complete games (no, that's not a typo) was Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants. Despite his stellar season, Marichal did not receive the NL Cy Young award. That went to St; Louis hurler, Bob Gibson, who, like Denny McLain in the AL, was also the league's MVP.

Justin Upton Crunches 13th Homer as Braves Win; Billy Butler Leads Royals with 5-for-5 Effort

Players of the Day for Monday, May 13, 2013

American League

Butler: 5-for-5

With six full seasons already under his belt, Kansas City's Billy Butler may finally be reaching the potential everybody associated with him always knew existed.

In Monday's 11-4 win over the slumping Angels, Butler went to the plate five times, and five times he arrived on base. With three singles, two doubles and five RBI, Butler was a one-man wrecking crew of the Angels' pitching staff. His fellow Royals added 14 more hits, helping KC keep pace in the contentious AL Central, where they trail the Tigers by 1 1/2 games (Cleveland is in second place, 1/2 game out).

Butler hasn't been exactly tearing the leather off the ball this season, but his 5-for-5 effort improved his batting average to a respectable .261 and he's tallied 25 RBI, 12th-best in the league and on pace for another 100+ RBI season, something Butler accomplished for the first time last season.

A .299 career hitter, Butler is becoming a force which should help keep the Royals in the pennant and wild card hurt deep into the season.

The Angels will try to even up the three-game series in game two, at 10:05 EDT, Tuesday in LA.

National League

Upton's 13 HRs
lead MLB

Atlanta continues to cling to a slim lead in the NL East, with Monday's 10-1 win over Arizona keeping them a game clear of the Washington Nationals in the division race.

The Braves got 6 2/3 innings out of Mike Minor, who held the Diamondbacks to a single run, but it took Atlanta until the fifth inning to break through and take the lead, but, after scoring three times in the frame, they poured it on, turning the game into a rout.

Justin Upton provided his fair share of fireworks, going 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and his 13th home run of the season (which leads the majors) - a two-run shot in the Braves' four-run sixth.

While Upton's home run numbers are impressive, what is troubling the Braves is the RBI total, just 23, suggesting that the top of the Atlanta order is not getting on base in sufficient numbers with Upton having a big season at the plate. Andrelton Simmons, who usually leads off, is batting just .243, while brother B.J. Upton - who was in the two-hole Monday - is staggering along with a .151 mark.

Game two of the three-game set in Arizona goes off at 9:40 pm EDT, Tuesday.

Today's Trivia: Two of the top four career lifetime strikeout leaders are left-handers. Who are they? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Phil Neikro is one of 19 pitchers with more Ks than Cy Young (2803). Neikro fanned 3342 in his 24-year career, while Bob Feller had 2581, Warren Spahn, 2583, and David Cone struck out 2668.

Billy Butler Leads KC Slug-fest over Angels; Chone Figgins 4-for-4 in Marlins' Victory

Players of the Day for Sunday, March 10, 2013

Grapefruit League

Chone Figgins

Breaking out the good wood with 15 hits, the Miami Marlins improved to 6-7 in Grapefruit League play with a 10-2 victory over NL East rival, Atlanta.

Leading the Marlins charge was transplanted infielder, Chone Figgins, a long-time fixture in the AL West, first with the Angels and most recently (2010-2012) with the Mariners, with a 4-for-4 effort - all singles - a pair of runs and two RBI.

Figgins, traded to the Marlins in the off-season, appears to be a solid candidate for the starting spot at second base, though he's also played third in the past. The hot corner will likely fall to either Kevin Kouzmanoff or Placido Polanco, players with a bit more pop than the singles-hitting Figgins.

Figgins is batting .333 thus far in the exhibition season.

Cactus League

Billy Butler

Like a 70s radio show, the hits just keep on coming for the amazing Kansas City Royals, this time belting out 18 hits in a 17-11 win over the power-packed Angels, who socked four homers but committed six errors - three by catcher Hank Conger - in defeat.

Billy Butler, the regular DH for the Royals, rapped out a pair of singles and a double in four at-bats, scoring three times and driving in four runs.

The 7,417 fans in attendance were treated to an offensive fireworks show which included a combined 33 hits and at least one run scored in each inning, though the Royals had theirs in bunches, scoring five in the fourth and piling on seven in the sixth.

Butler is batting .387 with 11 RBI. The Royals have lost just once in 14 games and have a three-game lead over 11-5 Seattle in the Cactus league standings.

Jordan Zimmermann Fans 11 in Nats' Win; Billy Butler Leads KC Past Baltimore

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 8, 2011

American League

Billy Butler

Kansas City finds itself in its usual late-season position: last place in the AL Central, even after their 8-2 win at Baltimore.

Despite their 48-63 record - the worst in the American League - a few players are having solid seasons, like Billy Butler, who went 3-for-4 with a single, double and his 23rd home run in Thursday's victory, the third straight for the Royals.

Butler crossed home plate three times and drove in three runs for the Royals, giving him 72 on the season. The first baseman/DH is knocking in runs at a pace that should surpass his career high of 95 from last season.

The KC win was the first of a four game series at Camden Yards, the O's loss dropping them 5 1/2 games behind the Yankees and just 1/2 game ahead of third place Tampa Bay.


National League

Jordan Zimmermann

Part of one of baseball's best starting rotations, Jordan Zimmermann seldom gets the attention or respect he deserves.

In Washington's 5-0 blanking of Houston, Zimmermann worked six innings, gave up three hits, didn't issue any walks and fanned 11, giving him 110 strikeouts on the year.

It was his sixth win in his last nine starts and the eighth time he's allowed one or fewer runs in his last nine turns on the mound, each of them at least six innings.

Zimmermann's 2.35 ERA is second in the NL among starters behind San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong's 2.27.

The Nationals' win was their sixth straight, completing a four game sweep of Houston, leaving them 4 1/2 in front of Atlanta, who had the night off.

Washington has played the Astros eight times, coming away with wins in seven of those games. The Nationals take to the road for their next six games, starting with three in Arizona followed by a three game series with NL West leader, San Francisco.

Royals Snap 12-Game Losing Streak as Billy Butler, Alex Gordon Star; Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel Hurl Braves Past Dodgers

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 25, 2012

American League

Kansas City is still in last place in the AL Central, but at least they've stopped losing, for now.

Billy Butler

The Royals - which started the season 3-2 - snapped a 12-game losing streak with a convincing 8-2 win over Cleveland, avoiding being swept for a fourth straight series.

Kansas City's losing streak took no particular form. When they scored a lot of runs, the pitching didn't hold up, and when the pitching was solid, the hitters had an off day.

Alex Gordon

On Wednesday, the Royals put together timely hitting - getting eight runs from 11 hits - as Billy Butler led the charge with a pair of homers, his third and fourth of the season, socking a two run shot in the first inning to start the scoring and smacking a solo blast in the ninth to complete it.

Alex Gordon also played a key role, going 3-for-5 with a couple of singles and a three-run, ninth-inning home run that put the game on ice. Gordon had three RBI and scored twice.

The Royals finish their series in Cleveland on Thursday before heading to Minnesota for a three game weekend set.


National League

Atlanta scored three runs in the top of the ninth to upend the LA Dodgers for the second straight time, winning by a 4-2 score and taking the final two games of their three-game series.

Criag Kimbrel

Jonny Venters

The Braves didn't have much luck against Ted Lilly, the Dodger starter who went seven innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run, but the Atlanta bullpen did their job. Jonny Venters (2-0) got the win after striking out the side in the eighth and Craig Kimbrel picked up his seventh save - tying him for the NL lead with LA's Javy Guerra, who was victimized by the Braves, allowing five hits and three runs in just a third of an inning - his second blown save opportunity of the season.

After the Braves took the lead, Kimbrel struck out the first two batters in the ninth, then got Dee Gordon to ground to third for the game-ending out. Kimbrel has appeared in eight games, allowing only one earned run on six hits overall, striking out 14 in eight full innings. Venters has been even better in the set-up role, fanning 15 batters in 7 2/3 innings without surrendering a run.

The Braves have won seven of their last nine, but continue to chase the Nationals in the NL East. They remained 2 1/2 back, as Washington won their fourth straight, beating San Diego, 7-2.

Beltran Blasts Three Homers at Colorado; Royals Swamp Yanks as Butler Goes 4-for-6

Players of the Day for Thursday, May 12, 2011

American League

Billy Butler

Young Ivan Nova had a nice start to his season with the Yankees, going 3-2, but the second inning of his start against Kansas City was one he would rather forget.

The Royals roughed up Nova for five hits and six runs in the inning, aided by a pair of Yankee errors and a passed ball, leading to an 11-5 Royal flush of the Bombers, guided by Billy Butler's four hits in six at-bats.

Butler singled three times and added a double, drove in a pair of runs and scored on Eric Hosmer's double in the 6th inning.

Batting .298 with 16 RBI, Butler has been a key element in the Royals' rise from the dregs of the AL Central to second place in the division, 3 1/2 games behind the high-flying Cleveland Indians.

After dropping the opener in NY on Tuesday, the Royals won, 4-3, in 11 innings on Wednesday and completed their series win Thursday night.

National League

Carlos Beltran

Any number of people had written Carlos Beltran off prior to the beginning of the 2011 season, but the Mets stuck with their franchise player, despite frequent trips to the DL over the past two seasons.

Beltran played in just 81 games in 2009 and only 64 in 2010. so far this season, despite many thinking he'd need time off, Beltran has played in 36 of the Mets' 37 games and on Thursday in Colorado, he lifted three balls into the stands, for the first three-homer game of the season for any player.

Beltran blasted two-run homers in the 1st, 7th and 9th innings, plating willie Harris in front of him each time, accounting for six RBI as the Mets dumped the Rockies, 9-5.

With 8 home runs, 24 RBI and a .295 batting average, Carlos Beltran looks like the 30-homer, 100 RBI guy from 1999 through 2008 and even though the Mets are in the NL East basement, it's not because he's missed time or isn't playing well.

Greinke, Butler Lead Royals; Volquez Paces NL Whitewash Trio

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 29, 2009 American League There haven't been many household names coming out of Kansas City lately, but here are a couple you may want to put on a short list. Zack Greinke (left) earned his major league best 5th win - without a loss - going 7 strong innings in KC's 11-3 win over Toronto. First baseman Billy Butler (right) did a good deal of the damage at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a single, double and pair of homers, 4 RBI and 4 runs scored. Greinke allowed 5 hits and two earned run in his outing, fanning 8. He leads the majors in ERA (0.50), wins (5) and is tied with Mets' starter Johan Santana in strikeouts with 44. The Royals remain tied for first place in the AL Central with Detroit and the White Sox at 11-10. National League Three teams were held scoreless in the NL on Wednesday, the result of some exceptional mound work around the league. In Cincinnati, Edinson Volquez (right) allowed just one hit and one walk over 8 innings, striking out 6, as the Reds topped Houston, 3-0. Volquez improved to 3-2. The Cubs clobbered Arizona, 10-0, as Doug Davis (2-3) allowed 2 hits and 3 walks over 7 innings, and Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo (3-1) allowed two hits and a walk while striking out 11 in Milwaukee's 1-0 win over Pittsburgh.