Xander Bogaerts Slams Royals In Boston Win; Brian Anderson Leads Marlins Past Phillies

Players of the Day for Monday, April 30, 2018

American League

Returning to the friendly confines of Fenway Park on Monday, the Red Sox opened their three-game series against the Royals in typical Boston fashion, banging out 13 hits in a 10-6 victory, highlighted by Xander Bogaerts' third inning grand slam.

Bogaerts: Grand Slam

The Royals thought they were looking good after scoring three runs in the first inning, but the Sox took little time getting to starter Jason Hammels. After Mitch Moreland socked a solo homer in the second inning and walked with the bases-loaded in the third, Bogaerts unloaded, with a tape-measure, 430-foot blast over the Green Monster in left field.

That put the Red Sox up 6-3, and, for all intents and purposes, sealed the victory early in the affair.

Bogaerts added a couple of singles, finishing 3-for-5 with four RBI. He's batting a brisk .412 in 51 at-bats, his playing time limited to just 12 games this season due to an early injury that set him down for three weeks.

In his third game back from the DL, Bogaerts is 7-for-13 (.518) and the Red Sox have won their last two games, leaving them three in front of the Yankees in the LA East, after Houston downed the Bombers, who had won nine straight, 2-1, Monday night.

Game two of the series starts Tuesday at 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Anderson: 3-4, HR, 4 RBI

Off to their best start in many years, the high-flying Phillies would have figured to do well on a trip to Miami, engaging the lowly Marlins in a three-game series which began on Monday.

The Phillies had taken two of three from the Marlins in Philadelphia earlier in the season, one of them a humiliating 20-1 rout, but Monday's outcome would be different, as Brian Anderson led the Marlins to an 8-4 decision.

A rookie right fielder, Anderson singled, doubled and homered in four at-bats, driving in four runs and scoring twice.

In the third inning, Anderson laced a double to right center, breaking a 2-2 tie by driving in a pair of runners. He would score later in the inning on a ground out by Miguel Rojas.

By the end of the fourth inning, the Phillies had closed to gap to 6-4, but Anderson's wo-run homer in the seventh put the game out of reach as relievers Tayron Guerrero and Brad Ziegler held the Phillies hitless and scoreless over the final two innings.

The win was the 10th of the season for Miami, the Phillies loss dropping them two games behind the Mets, who are leading the NL East. The Braves hold second place, 1 1/2 out.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Tuesday, 7:10 pm EDT.

Yasmani Grandal's Grand Slam Boosts Dodgers; Brian Anderson Leads Marlins to 7-5 Win Over Yankees

Players of the Day for Sunday, March 11, 2018

Grapefruit League

Anderson: 2-2, 3R-HR, 3R

Giancarlo Stanton may have been sitting in the other dugout, but the Miami Marlins certainly didn't miss him as they belted the first-place Yankees in a 7-5 win.

Stanton, who was traded from Miami to the Yanks after socking 49 home runs for the Marlins in 2017, remained on the bench for the duration, never getting to the plate against his old mates.

With the slugger sidelined (manager's decision) rookie prospect Brian Anderson made his presence known, walking and scoring in the second inning as the Marlins took a 2-0 lead, then belting a three-run homer in the third to put Miami up 5-0.

Anderson added a double in the fifth and scored again, on Cameron Maybin's home run, completing the scoring for the Marlins, finishing a fine day with a 2-for-2 effort with three runs and three RBI. The Yankees tried to keep pace with homers by Didi Gregorious and Aaron Judge, but could not complete the comeback as Maimi reliever, Sandy Alcantara, shut them down in the eighth and ninth.

New York fell off the lead in the Grapefruit League as Houston took over first place by 1/2 game. Miami is an additional 1/2 game back, in third, with a 10-5 mark.

Cactus League

Grandal: 3-for-3, GS, 5 RBI

At Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, a pair of NL West foes squared off on Sunday at the Spring home of the Colorado Rockies, with the Dodgers visiting and looking to move up in the Cactus League standings.

It didn't take long for LA to establish its dominance, scoring five runs in the second inning, three in the third and completing the scoring with five more in the fourth, when catcher Yasmani Grandal belted a grand slam, leading to a 13-7 Dodger victory.

Grandal, who has been the regular Dodger backstop since 2015 and has proven to possess considerable power, socking 27 homers in 2016 and 22 last season.

Grandal added a pair of singles in three at-bats and scored three runs. His second-inning RBI single, in addition to his third homer of the Spring, gave him five on the day. It was Grandal's best showing thus far. He's batting a mere .222, with eight RBI in 27 at-bats.

The Dodgers improved to 10-7, tied with Cleveland for third place, two games behind the Cubs. Milwaukee is 1 1/2 games back with a 10-6 record. The Rockies haven't had much luck thus far, the loss dropping them to 6-10, ahead of just Cincinnati and Texas.

KC's Anderson Goes for Cycle; Mora Adds Value to Rockies

Players of the Day for Friday, March 19, 2010 American League Brian Anderson will probably never forget the first four innings of Friday's exhibition game against Arizona. Diamondbacks pitchers are already trying to forget it. Anderson, a right fielder who spent the last four seasons with the White Sox, went to the plate in each of the first four innings and by the end of the 4th, he had hit for the cycle. The Royals led 17-0 after 4 and won the game by the footballish score of 24-9. Anderson drove in two runs with a triple in his first at-bat, then added another RBI with a double in the second. His single in the third inning, he singled home two more and then belted a two-run homer in the 4th, completing the cycle in his first four at-bats. Anderson singled once more, finishing 5-for-5, with 7 RBI and 3 runs. A few of his teammates also had banner days. Mike Aviles went 4-for-5 and scored 4 times. 3rd baseman Josh Fields doubled and singled twice, driving in five runs. The Royals banged out 27 hits against Arizona, which used 7 pitchers to little avail. National League At 38, Melvin Mora still has value, especially as a utility infielder with a potent bat. In Friday's 10-4 win over the A's, Mora was manning second base, a position to which he'll become well-acquainted in his new Colorado home, driving in two runs and scoring twice with a double and single in 3 at-bats. Mora will be a backup to multiple players in the Rockies' system, but his versatility and experience add some nice dimensions to a team seeking to win the NL West. After ten years with the Orioles, Mora came over to the Rockies as a free agent. MLB Preview: Florida Marlins In 2009, the Marlins chased the Phillies almost all the way to the wire, but, finishing with a record of 87-75, they, like the Rangers in the AL with the same record, were the best team in the league that didn't make the playoffs, finishing 6 games behind the Phillies and 5 behind Colorado in the wild card race. Florida comes back in 2010 prepared to do battle in the rough NL East, with the Phillies once again the favorite to capture the division flag, counting on youth, pitching and Hanley Ramirez to get them into the post-season. Shortstop Ramirez, easily the best player on the Marlins lineup, had an excellent year at the plate in 2009, batting .342 with 24 homers and 106 RBi. Though his home run total was down a bit, the RBI and average wer both career highs. Ramirez also swiped 27 bases, though he's running far less-often than he did in his first few seasons. Joining him in the infield are Dan Uggla at second, who's been steady and solid at the plate, averaging 30 homers and 90 RBI in four seasons with Florida. Jorge Cantu and Emilio Bonifacio are at the corners. Bonifacio had a fair season as a rookie in 2009, and has earned the starting job. Chris Coughlan, Cameron Maybin and Cody Ross will be the likely starting outfielders. None of them has significant upside, but all can cover ground and occasionally be productive at the plate. The lack of a power hitter in the outfield may be a bit of an issue for the Marlins, though, with their power coming from short and second, they are built a little differently than most major league clubs. The pitching staff of Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sánchez, Chris Volstad and Rick VandenHurk has plenty of potential and could be the surprise of the National League. Nolasco, who spent years between starting and relieving, came on late in 2009, posted a 15-9 record and struck out 195 batters. Johnson, considered by many to be among the best young arms in the business, went 15-5 with a 3.23 ERA and 191 Ks. If Johnson and Nolasco prove to be true horses, the rest of the rotation has to be just a little better than average for the Marlins to flourish. Leo Nunez took over the closer job in 2009, and will probably open as the Florida closer, though he blew 7 saves in 33 chances last season. The middle relievers are nothing special, but may be able to work with plenty of rest if the starters stay healthy. Florida doesn't overwhelm with power hitters or all-star pitching, but they manage to be in contention just about every year and 2010 will be no different. with solid pitching and strong seasons from Ramirez and Uggla, they could unseat the Phillies in the division. At 30-1 odds to win the World Series, the Marlins may be worth the wager.