Spring Training has been underway for a month now, and the first games in the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues were played over the weekend.
It's time for baseball to re-emerge from the cold, snow and dreariness of winter, as players twist and turn their bodies into shape for the long, demanding season ahead.
Overhanging the upcoming regular season a little more than a month away are the scandals stemming from creative sign-stealing in the 2017 regular season, playoffs and World Series and 2018 regular season by the Houston Astros. Their victory over National league rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the 2017 World Series has been tainted by what amounts to a combination of high-tech and low-tech method of informing batters of incoming fast balls, the easiest to hit for professional hitters.
The World Series title will not be vacated by MLB, but the damage has been done. Astros' general manager Jeff Luhnow and field manager A. J. Hinch have been suspended for the entire 2020 season for failing to prevent the rules violations. Boston Red Sox manager Joey Cora was released by the team in January when it was alleged that he was the mastermind behind the scheme. Recently hired by the Mets as their 2020 manager, Carlos Beltran - a player for the Astros in 2017 - was also released in January after his name came up in the MLB report.
Stealing signs is as old as the game itself. It's part of the nomenclature of the sport, as getting an edge in any sporting event, by whatever means, can often result in the difference between winning and losing, and being a superstar as opposed to an ordinary player. While cheating is universally frowned upon from a moral perspective, there's always a few rotten apples in the barrel who will go to extraordinary lengths to secure an advantage.
By the time the regular season rolls out, the sign-stealing scandal will be back page news, overtaken by the timelessness of opening day, pitchers with wild arms, rookies with big smiles, batters with adjustments to their swings, and a fresh slate of 162 games ahead for everybody.
With Spring games now underway, it's time again to pick up the bats and balls and head to the field, where the glory of America's game will add another chapter to its rich, enduring history.
Baseball on Deck will begin its usual coverage of players of the day on Tuesday, February 25 with highlights from the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues.
Showing posts with label Carlos Beltran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carlos Beltran. Show all posts
Monday, February 24, 2020
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Carlos Beltran Caps 11-Run Rally By Astros; Robert Gsellman Works Out Win For Mets Over Brewers
Players of the Day for Monday, May 29, 2017
American League
While the AL East and Central divisions are tightening and becoming more interesting every day, the Houston Astros are beginning to make a mockery of the AL West.
Winning their fifth in a row, the Astros manhandled Minnesota, the current resident of first place in the Central, by a score of 16-8. The three, four, and five hitters in the Astro lineup - Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Carlos Beltran - were a combined 10-for-15, with Beltran going 4-for-5, stroking three singles and a three-run homer, scoring three times and driving in three runs.
The amazing part of Houston's win was that they trailed the Twins, 8-2, going into the eighth inning, then erupted for 11 runs in the top half of the inning, finalized by Beltran's blast, plating himself, Altuve and Correa.
The Astros have found little in the way of competition as they've gotten off to a 36-16 mark, 11 games in front of the Angels and Rangers in the division. Though they lost three straight to Cleveland at the start of their most recent homestead, they finished up by taking three of four from Detroit and sweeping three from the Orioles. The win at Minnesota was the start of a three-game series and ten-game road trip that will take them to Texas and Kansas City.
Game two of the series at Minnesota resumes Tuesday, at 8:10 pm ET.
National League
Monday was a strange day for Mets' pitcher, Robert Gsellman.
First, he pitched seven innings in New York's 4-2 win over Milwaukee, giving up only three hits, but the Brewers scored two times against him, though only one run was earned.
At the plate, Gsellman's day was more weird. With the score tied at 1-1 in the fifth, the 6'4" right-hander lifted a sac fly to right, scoring Wilmer Flores from third. In the sixth, the Mets had forged a 3-2 lead, but loaded the bases on a walk, a single, and a hit batsman.
Up stepped Gsellman, who worked out a walk from Rob Scahill, adding an insurance run with his second RBI of the day, doing so without a hit.
After seven innings, walking two and striking out five, Gsellman left the game to the bullpen, which blanked the brewers the rest of the way.
Gsellman is 3-3 with a 5.75 ERA, batting .067, with one hit in 15 at-bats, but three RBI.
The win left New York tied for second with the Braves in the NL East, though both teams trail the Nationals by 8 1/2 games. Washington (31-19) is the only team in the division with a winning record. The Mets are 22-27. Despite the loss, Milwaukee holds first place in the Central by 1 1/2 over the Cardinals and Cubs.
Game two of the four-game series is scheduled for 7:10 pm ET at Citi Field in New York.
American League
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| Beltran keys rally |
While the AL East and Central divisions are tightening and becoming more interesting every day, the Houston Astros are beginning to make a mockery of the AL West.
Winning their fifth in a row, the Astros manhandled Minnesota, the current resident of first place in the Central, by a score of 16-8. The three, four, and five hitters in the Astro lineup - Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Carlos Beltran - were a combined 10-for-15, with Beltran going 4-for-5, stroking three singles and a three-run homer, scoring three times and driving in three runs.
The amazing part of Houston's win was that they trailed the Twins, 8-2, going into the eighth inning, then erupted for 11 runs in the top half of the inning, finalized by Beltran's blast, plating himself, Altuve and Correa.
The Astros have found little in the way of competition as they've gotten off to a 36-16 mark, 11 games in front of the Angels and Rangers in the division. Though they lost three straight to Cleveland at the start of their most recent homestead, they finished up by taking three of four from Detroit and sweeping three from the Orioles. The win at Minnesota was the start of a three-game series and ten-game road trip that will take them to Texas and Kansas City.
Game two of the series at Minnesota resumes Tuesday, at 8:10 pm ET.
 |
| Gsellman: 7IP, 1ER, W |
Monday was a strange day for Mets' pitcher, Robert Gsellman.
First, he pitched seven innings in New York's 4-2 win over Milwaukee, giving up only three hits, but the Brewers scored two times against him, though only one run was earned.
At the plate, Gsellman's day was more weird. With the score tied at 1-1 in the fifth, the 6'4" right-hander lifted a sac fly to right, scoring Wilmer Flores from third. In the sixth, the Mets had forged a 3-2 lead, but loaded the bases on a walk, a single, and a hit batsman.
Up stepped Gsellman, who worked out a walk from Rob Scahill, adding an insurance run with his second RBI of the day, doing so without a hit.
After seven innings, walking two and striking out five, Gsellman left the game to the bullpen, which blanked the brewers the rest of the way.
Gsellman is 3-3 with a 5.75 ERA, batting .067, with one hit in 15 at-bats, but three RBI.
The win left New York tied for second with the Braves in the NL East, though both teams trail the Nationals by 8 1/2 games. Washington (31-19) is the only team in the division with a winning record. The Mets are 22-27. Despite the loss, Milwaukee holds first place in the Central by 1 1/2 over the Cardinals and Cubs.
Game two of the four-game series is scheduled for 7:10 pm ET at Citi Field in New York.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Carlos Beltran Powers Yankees to 5-0 Win over Mets; Kris Bryant Leads Cubs Past Cardinals, 5-4
Players of the Day for Saturday, September 19, 2015
American League
Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann each homered and manager Joe Girardi called upon six relievers as the Yankees evened their series with the Mets at a game apiece with a 5-0 shutout.
Betran set the tone early with a three-run shot off Mets' starter, Noah Syndergaard, before many of the 43,000-plus fans had even settled into their seat. Beltran's blast came with no outs in the top of the first inning, and the Mets could not find a way to score off Yankee starter Michael Pineda (5 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 4 Ks) and a parade of bullpen help.
Beltran was also on base when McCann homered off Syndergaard in the sixth, sending him to the showers after six innings, seven hits and five earned runs.
With the win, the Yankees tightened their grip on the first wild card spot and picked up a game on ALeast leading-Toronto, defeated by the Red Sox, 7-6. The Blue Jays have a 3 1/2 game advantage on the Yankees in the division, while New York holds a four-game lead over Houston and a re 5 1/2 better than the Angels, who have moved back into contention with three straight wins, including Saturday's 4-3 victory at Minnesota.
The Twins, losers of five straight, have faded to 6 1/2 back.
The Mets-Yankees subway series concludes with the rubber game Sunday night, 8:00 pm EDT at Cit Field.
National League
Kris Bryant solidified his standing as the front-runner for NL rookie of the year by going 2-for-4 with a double, homer, two runs and two RBI in the Cubs' 5-4 win over the Cardinals, Saturday in Chicago.
Bryant doubled home the Cubs first run of the game in the first, then went back-to-back with Jorge Soler, socking his 25th homer of the season in the fifth inning.
In addition to the impressive home run total, Bryant is batting a solid .275 and has 95 RBI, tied for fourth in the league with Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen and the Nationals' Bryce Harper.
The win kept the Cubs a game behind Pittsburgh in the wild card race as the Pirates defeated the Dodgers, 3-2, later in the evening.
However, Chicago has made the NL Central race interesting as the regular season enters its final two weeks. The Cardinals' lead is down to four games over the Pirates, with the Cubs five back. Each of the three contending teams has 14 games left on the schedule.
Chicago will be looking to sweep the Cardinals on Sunday and also seek their fifth straight win. Game time at wrigley Field is 2:20 pm EDT.
American League
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| Bryant: 2B, HR, 2 RBI |
 |
| Beltran: 3-run HR |
Betran set the tone early with a three-run shot off Mets' starter, Noah Syndergaard, before many of the 43,000-plus fans had even settled into their seat. Beltran's blast came with no outs in the top of the first inning, and the Mets could not find a way to score off Yankee starter Michael Pineda (5 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 4 Ks) and a parade of bullpen help.
Beltran was also on base when McCann homered off Syndergaard in the sixth, sending him to the showers after six innings, seven hits and five earned runs.
With the win, the Yankees tightened their grip on the first wild card spot and picked up a game on ALeast leading-Toronto, defeated by the Red Sox, 7-6. The Blue Jays have a 3 1/2 game advantage on the Yankees in the division, while New York holds a four-game lead over Houston and a re 5 1/2 better than the Angels, who have moved back into contention with three straight wins, including Saturday's 4-3 victory at Minnesota.
The Twins, losers of five straight, have faded to 6 1/2 back.
The Mets-Yankees subway series concludes with the rubber game Sunday night, 8:00 pm EDT at Cit Field.
National League
Kris Bryant solidified his standing as the front-runner for NL rookie of the year by going 2-for-4 with a double, homer, two runs and two RBI in the Cubs' 5-4 win over the Cardinals, Saturday in Chicago.
Bryant doubled home the Cubs first run of the game in the first, then went back-to-back with Jorge Soler, socking his 25th homer of the season in the fifth inning.
In addition to the impressive home run total, Bryant is batting a solid .275 and has 95 RBI, tied for fourth in the league with Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen and the Nationals' Bryce Harper.
The win kept the Cubs a game behind Pittsburgh in the wild card race as the Pirates defeated the Dodgers, 3-2, later in the evening.
However, Chicago has made the NL Central race interesting as the regular season enters its final two weeks. The Cardinals' lead is down to four games over the Pirates, with the Cubs five back. Each of the three contending teams has 14 games left on the schedule.
Chicago will be looking to sweep the Cardinals on Sunday and also seek their fifth straight win. Game time at wrigley Field is 2:20 pm EDT.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Carlos Beltran Slams Tribe as Derek Jeter Ties Honus Wagner; Vance Worley Leads Pirates into Second Place
Players of the Day for Friday, August 8, 2014
American League
Playing solid baseball since the all-star break, the Yankees continue to win, but can't make up any ground on the Orioles.
In New York's 10-6 win over Cleveland, Derek Jeter tied Honus Wagner on the all-time hit list and Carlos Beltran socked a sixth inning grand slam that carried the Yankees to victory.
Beltran drove in Jeter with the game's initial score in the first inning after Jeter singled to tie Wagner with 3430 career hits. His next hit will put him in fifth place, all-time.
The slam came after the Indians had whittled into the lead, making the score 5-2, but, Beltran's 14th homer of the season - off John Axford - pretty much put the game away. Both teams made extensive use of their bullpens. The Yankees used six pitchers; Cleveland, seven.
Despite winning seven of their last ten and going 14-7 since the all-star break, Baltimore still leads the Yankees by five full games. New York took over sole control of second place, as Toronto lost to Detroit, 5-4. The Orioles hammered St. Louis, 12-2, matching the Yankees' record since the all-star break, and haven't lost two straight since dropping the final two games of a series against the Rays, June 28 and 29.
Game two of the three-game series against the Indians is Saturday, 1:05 pm EDT at Yankee Stadium.
National League
Pittsburgh's Vance Worley gave up a first-inning run to the Padres, but little more after that, leading the Pirates into second place in the NL Central with a 2-1 victory.
Worley (5-1) went seven innings, allowing five hits and a walk while fanning seven. The Pirates have won three straight and trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 1 1/2 in the hotly-contested division, taking second place away from the Cardinals, 12-2 losers at Baltimore.
The Pirates scored both of their runs in the bottom of the first off Padres' starter Ian Kennedy, who dropped to 8-10 on the season. Both starters were sharp, though Worley lasted an inning longer and got the best of it, throwing 62 of 93 pitches for strikes. Worley has notched victories in three of his last four starts, each against NL West foes, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and, Friday, San Diego.
Game two of the three-game series starts at 7:05 pm Saturday, in Pittsburgh.
American League
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| Beltran: GS, 5RBI |
Playing solid baseball since the all-star break, the Yankees continue to win, but can't make up any ground on the Orioles.
 |
| Jeter ties Wagner |
Beltran drove in Jeter with the game's initial score in the first inning after Jeter singled to tie Wagner with 3430 career hits. His next hit will put him in fifth place, all-time.
The slam came after the Indians had whittled into the lead, making the score 5-2, but, Beltran's 14th homer of the season - off John Axford - pretty much put the game away. Both teams made extensive use of their bullpens. The Yankees used six pitchers; Cleveland, seven.
Despite winning seven of their last ten and going 14-7 since the all-star break, Baltimore still leads the Yankees by five full games. New York took over sole control of second place, as Toronto lost to Detroit, 5-4. The Orioles hammered St. Louis, 12-2, matching the Yankees' record since the all-star break, and haven't lost two straight since dropping the final two games of a series against the Rays, June 28 and 29.
 |
| Worley: 5-1 |
National League
Pittsburgh's Vance Worley gave up a first-inning run to the Padres, but little more after that, leading the Pirates into second place in the NL Central with a 2-1 victory.
Worley (5-1) went seven innings, allowing five hits and a walk while fanning seven. The Pirates have won three straight and trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 1 1/2 in the hotly-contested division, taking second place away from the Cardinals, 12-2 losers at Baltimore.
The Pirates scored both of their runs in the bottom of the first off Padres' starter Ian Kennedy, who dropped to 8-10 on the season. Both starters were sharp, though Worley lasted an inning longer and got the best of it, throwing 62 of 93 pitches for strikes. Worley has notched victories in three of his last four starts, each against NL West foes, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and, Friday, San Diego.
Game two of the three-game series starts at 7:05 pm Saturday, in Pittsburgh.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Michael Wacha, Carlos Beltran Thump Dodgers, 9-0, Lead Cardinals into World Series
Players of the Day for Friday, October 18, 2013
National League
Amazing rookie, Michael Wacha, and tireless veteran, Carlos Beltran, led the charge in a 9-0 slaughter of the LA Dodgers as the St. Louis Cardinals captured the National League pennant and are headed to the fall classic.
Wacha won for the second time in the league championship, topping LA's Clayton Kershaw with seven innings of shutout ball and Beltran drove in the first and last runs for the Cardinals, in front of an over-capacity crowd of 46,899 in St. Louis.
Called up in August from the Cardinals' AAA affiliate, Memphis (Pacific Coast League), Wacha was used primarily as a reliever until September, when he joined the starting rotation, going 2-1, with a 1.78 ERA in five starts.
In the ALDS, Wacha held the Pirates to one run on one hit - an eighth-inning solo homer by Pedro Alvarez - over 7 1/3 innings for a 2-1 win. St. Louis won the divisional series in five games.
In game two of the championship series, Wacha faced off with Kershaw for the first time, shutting out the Dodgers on five hits over 6 2/3 innings in a 1-0 St. Louis victory.
In three post-season starts, Wacha is 3-0, with an 0.43 ERA, allowing one run on eight hits over 22 innings, walking four and fanning 22. In the pennant-clincher Friday, the 6'6" right-hander walked one and fanned five.
Beltran got the Cardinals on the board in the third inning with an RBI single and later scored as the Cardinals got to Kershaw early for four runs. In the fifth, St. Louis plated five more, Beltran finishing the job with another RBI single, driving in Wacha with the final run of the game.
Beltran also doubled, going 3-for-4 for the game. He drove in six runs for St. Louis in the series, the same number he had in the divisional series against Pittsburgh.
By beating the Dodgers four games to two, St. Louis heads to the World Series for the fourth time in the last 10 years. They await the winner of the ALCS which resumes Saturday night in Boston (8:37 pm EDT), the Red Sox holding a 3-2 lead in games over Detroit.
Game one of the World Series is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23. Having won the All-Star game, the American League champion will have home field advantage, hosting games one, two, six and seven, if necessary. The middle three games will be in St. Louis.
Today's Trivia: The record for RBI in a single World Series is 12. What player holds that distinction? (answer tomorrow)
Yesterday's Answer: Mickey Mantle holds the record for most World Series homers with 18. Babe Ruth is second with 15, though Ruth hit his in 167 plate appearances; Mantle had 273 World Series plate appearances.
National League
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| Carlos Beltran |
 |
| Michael Wacha |
Called up in August from the Cardinals' AAA affiliate, Memphis (Pacific Coast League), Wacha was used primarily as a reliever until September, when he joined the starting rotation, going 2-1, with a 1.78 ERA in five starts.
In the ALDS, Wacha held the Pirates to one run on one hit - an eighth-inning solo homer by Pedro Alvarez - over 7 1/3 innings for a 2-1 win. St. Louis won the divisional series in five games.
In game two of the championship series, Wacha faced off with Kershaw for the first time, shutting out the Dodgers on five hits over 6 2/3 innings in a 1-0 St. Louis victory.
In three post-season starts, Wacha is 3-0, with an 0.43 ERA, allowing one run on eight hits over 22 innings, walking four and fanning 22. In the pennant-clincher Friday, the 6'6" right-hander walked one and fanned five.
Beltran got the Cardinals on the board in the third inning with an RBI single and later scored as the Cardinals got to Kershaw early for four runs. In the fifth, St. Louis plated five more, Beltran finishing the job with another RBI single, driving in Wacha with the final run of the game.
Beltran also doubled, going 3-for-4 for the game. He drove in six runs for St. Louis in the series, the same number he had in the divisional series against Pittsburgh.
By beating the Dodgers four games to two, St. Louis heads to the World Series for the fourth time in the last 10 years. They await the winner of the ALCS which resumes Saturday night in Boston (8:37 pm EDT), the Red Sox holding a 3-2 lead in games over Detroit.
Game one of the World Series is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23. Having won the All-Star game, the American League champion will have home field advantage, hosting games one, two, six and seven, if necessary. The middle three games will be in St. Louis.
Today's Trivia: The record for RBI in a single World Series is 12. What player holds that distinction? (answer tomorrow)
Yesterday's Answer: Mickey Mantle holds the record for most World Series homers with 18. Babe Ruth is second with 15, though Ruth hit his in 167 plate appearances; Mantle had 273 World Series plate appearances.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Carlos Beltran Delivers in 13th as Cardinals Take NLCS Game One with 3-2 Win over Dodgers
Players of the Day for Friday, October 11, 2013
National League
It took 13 innings for the Dodgers and Cardinals to decide game one of their best-of-seven championship series, but the Cardinal fans who kept the faith for four hours and 47 minutes were well rewarded, when Carlos Beltran knocked in the game-winner with one out in the bottom of the 13th for the 3-2 victory.
With one out in the final frame, Daniel Descalso - pinch-hitting for Lance Lynn - singled up the middle and the next batter, Matt Carpenter, drew a walk off LA reliever Chris Winthrow. With the winning run on second base, manager Don Mattingly decided to make a move, bringing in closer Kenley Jansen to face the switch-hitting Beltran.
Beltran, who had driven in both of the Cardinal runs in the third inning with a two-out double to the right center gap, delivered with a sharp single to right, bringing around Descalso with the winning run.
After homering twice and driving in six runs in the NLDS with the Pirates, Beltran continued to provide for the Cardinals, driving in all three runs in the opener with the Dodgers. He also was a defensive star, throwing out A.J. Ellis at the plate in the 10th.
The Dodgers used six pitchers during the game; the Cardinals employed seven, including Lynn, who tossed the final two innings and may be the starter for Sy. Louis in game four.
The 13-inning marathon the longest postseason game for the Dodgers since the 1916 World Series, when Babe Ruth pitched 14 innings to lead the Boston Red Sox past Brooklyn.
Game two of the series begins at 4:37 pm EDT at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
American League
There were no AL games on Friday. Game of the the ALDS between Boston and Detroit is scheduled to start at 8:37 pm EDT at Fenway Park.
Today's Trivia: Two pitchers have won five post-season games in a single season. Who are they?
Yesterday's Answer: John Smoltz has the career post-season mark for most strikeouts, with 199 in 209 innings.
National League
It took 13 innings for the Dodgers and Cardinals to decide game one of their best-of-seven championship series, but the Cardinal fans who kept the faith for four hours and 47 minutes were well rewarded, when Carlos Beltran knocked in the game-winner with one out in the bottom of the 13th for the 3-2 victory.
 |
| Beltran: 2-6, 3 RBI |
Beltran, who had driven in both of the Cardinal runs in the third inning with a two-out double to the right center gap, delivered with a sharp single to right, bringing around Descalso with the winning run.
After homering twice and driving in six runs in the NLDS with the Pirates, Beltran continued to provide for the Cardinals, driving in all three runs in the opener with the Dodgers. He also was a defensive star, throwing out A.J. Ellis at the plate in the 10th.
The Dodgers used six pitchers during the game; the Cardinals employed seven, including Lynn, who tossed the final two innings and may be the starter for Sy. Louis in game four.
The 13-inning marathon the longest postseason game for the Dodgers since the 1916 World Series, when Babe Ruth pitched 14 innings to lead the Boston Red Sox past Brooklyn.
Game two of the series begins at 4:37 pm EDT at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
American League
There were no AL games on Friday. Game of the the ALDS between Boston and Detroit is scheduled to start at 8:37 pm EDT at Fenway Park.
Today's Trivia: Two pitchers have won five post-season games in a single season. Who are they?
Yesterday's Answer: John Smoltz has the career post-season mark for most strikeouts, with 199 in 209 innings.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Max Scherzer Throttles Mets in 3-0 Tiger Win; Carlos Beltran, Shelby Miller Lead Cardinals to 1st Place in Central with 6-2 Win over Braves
Players of the Day for Saturday, August 24, 2013
American League
If there's any debate about who should receive the AL Cy Young award this season, Max Scherzer did a pretty good job of making his case in Detroit's 3-0 victory over the Mets on Saturday.
Scherzer improved to 19-1, going six innings without surrendering a run, walking four, but fanning 11.
Having to work exceptionally hard for the win, Scherzer threw 118 pitches (76 for strikes) but also doubled in the first run for the Tigers in the second inning, his first RBI since 2009.
After Ike Davis singled to lead off the second for the Mets, Scherzer struck out the next three batters to end the inning, then fanned four of the next five, prior to walking Davis with two outs in the fourth, recording eight straight outs, seven of them via the K.
Scherzer allowed just three hits before turning the ball over to a trio of Tiger relievers, who set the Mets down in order through the final three innings.
As for the Cy Young talk, Scherzer's 19 wins are five better than any other pitcher in the league, he's struck out 198 batters, second in the league, and his 2.73 ERA is fifth-best in the AL. With the Tigers leading the AL Central by six games with just 33 games left in the regular season, Scherzer may get five, maybe six starts and is likely to be the only pitcher in the majors to win 20 games this year. Adam Wainwright and Jordan Zimmrmann - both National Leaguers - have 15.
Scherzer's last defeat was a 7-1 loss to Texas, on July 13. He's since won six of his seven starts.
The Tigers and Mets wrap up their three-game series in New York at 1:10 pm EDT Sunday. Detroit leads, two games to none.
National League
Carlos Beltran belted his 23rd home run of the season and Shelby Miller allowed just one earned run over seven innings, as the Cardinals tied the Pirates for first place in the NL Central with a 6-2 win over NL East-leading Atlanta.
Freddie Freeman touched off a long ball in the first inning off Miller, but Matt Carpenter quickly tied the game, leading off the bottom of the first with one of his own. After Freeman's bomb, Miller was virtually untouchable, the rookie allowing just two more hits before heading for the showers after seven, walking none while fanning six for his 12th win against eight losses.
Beltran's homer came in the third and gave the Cards the lead for good. The Cardinals tallied three more in the seventh and Beltran delivered another run with the second of two singles in the eighth, finishing the day 3-for-5 with a .311 average on a six-game hitting streak.
Later in the evening, Pittsburgh dropped a 6-3 decision in San Francisco, dropping them into a tie with the Cardinals, who have taken three straight from the Braves.
St. Louis will be looking for the sweep when they face the Braves on Sunday at 2:15 pm at Busch Stadium.
Today's Trivia: Since Denny McLain won 31 games in 1968, what pitcher had the most wins in a single season? (answer tomorrow)
Yesterday's Answer: Don Mattingly led the AL in total bases in 1985 with 370, and again in 1986, with 388.
American League
If there's any debate about who should receive the AL Cy Young award this season, Max Scherzer did a pretty good job of making his case in Detroit's 3-0 victory over the Mets on Saturday.
 |
| Scherzer: 19-1 |
Scherzer improved to 19-1, going six innings without surrendering a run, walking four, but fanning 11.
Having to work exceptionally hard for the win, Scherzer threw 118 pitches (76 for strikes) but also doubled in the first run for the Tigers in the second inning, his first RBI since 2009.
After Ike Davis singled to lead off the second for the Mets, Scherzer struck out the next three batters to end the inning, then fanned four of the next five, prior to walking Davis with two outs in the fourth, recording eight straight outs, seven of them via the K.
Scherzer allowed just three hits before turning the ball over to a trio of Tiger relievers, who set the Mets down in order through the final three innings.
As for the Cy Young talk, Scherzer's 19 wins are five better than any other pitcher in the league, he's struck out 198 batters, second in the league, and his 2.73 ERA is fifth-best in the AL. With the Tigers leading the AL Central by six games with just 33 games left in the regular season, Scherzer may get five, maybe six starts and is likely to be the only pitcher in the majors to win 20 games this year. Adam Wainwright and Jordan Zimmrmann - both National Leaguers - have 15.
Scherzer's last defeat was a 7-1 loss to Texas, on July 13. He's since won six of his seven starts.
The Tigers and Mets wrap up their three-game series in New York at 1:10 pm EDT Sunday. Detroit leads, two games to none.
National League
 |
| Shelby Miller |
 |
| Carlos Beltran |
Beltran's homer came in the third and gave the Cards the lead for good. The Cardinals tallied three more in the seventh and Beltran delivered another run with the second of two singles in the eighth, finishing the day 3-for-5 with a .311 average on a six-game hitting streak.
Later in the evening, Pittsburgh dropped a 6-3 decision in San Francisco, dropping them into a tie with the Cardinals, who have taken three straight from the Braves.
St. Louis will be looking for the sweep when they face the Braves on Sunday at 2:15 pm at Busch Stadium.
Today's Trivia: Since Denny McLain won 31 games in 1968, what pitcher had the most wins in a single season? (answer tomorrow)
Yesterday's Answer: Don Mattingly led the AL in total bases in 1985 with 370, and again in 1986, with 388.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Carlos Beltran, David Freese Pace Cardinals; Anibal Sanchez Hurls Tigers to 3-0 Win, 2-0 Lead over NY
Players of the Day for Sunday, October 14, 2012
American League
ALCS: Detroit 3 NY Yankees 0 - Detroit's Anibal Sanchez and the Yankees' Hiroki Kuroda locked into a lengthy pitcher's duel in game two of the ALCS, and, even though Kuroda worked longer - 7 2/3 innings compared to Sanchez's 7.0 - and struck out 11, it was Sanchez who was more masterful from the mound, allowing just three hits, walking three and striking out seven before turning the ball over to Phil Coke for two innings of scoreless relief.
Kuroda had been perfect through five, but Jhonny Peralta singled to open the sixth and the Tigers scored the game's first run when Delmon Young hit into a fielder's choice with one out, scoring Quentin Berry from third.
The Tigers tacked on two more with two out in the eighth, chasing Kuroda and working through four relievers in the frame.
The Tigers have a 2-0 lead in the series with the scene shifting to Detroit for three games, including a game five, if necessary. Game three begins at 8:07 pn EDT on Tuesday.
National League
NLCS: St. Louis 6 San Francisco 4 - St. Louis wasted little time showing the Giants that their hitters could handle anything the San Francisco pitching staff could cook up, scoring two runs in the second and four more in the fourth, all off Giants' starter Madison Bumgarner, who lasted only 3 2/3 innings, giving up all six runs on eight hits.
Cardinal starter Lance Lynn didn't fare much better, working the same 3 2/3 innings, but only allowing four runs before taking an early shower.
The St. Louis and Giant bullpens were both spot on, allowing just one hit between them - Marco Sucaro's leadoff single in the fifth - from the fifth inning onward.
David Freese and Carlos Beltran each connected for two-run homers to highlight the St. Louis attack, leading to a 1-0 lead in the series, with game two scheduled for Monday night at 8:07 pm in San Francisco.
American League
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| Sanchez: 7IP 3H 0ER |
Kuroda had been perfect through five, but Jhonny Peralta singled to open the sixth and the Tigers scored the game's first run when Delmon Young hit into a fielder's choice with one out, scoring Quentin Berry from third.
The Tigers tacked on two more with two out in the eighth, chasing Kuroda and working through four relievers in the frame.
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| David Freese |
National League
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| Carlos Beltran |
Cardinal starter Lance Lynn didn't fare much better, working the same 3 2/3 innings, but only allowing four runs before taking an early shower.
The St. Louis and Giant bullpens were both spot on, allowing just one hit between them - Marco Sucaro's leadoff single in the fifth - from the fifth inning onward.
David Freese and Carlos Beltran each connected for two-run homers to highlight the St. Louis attack, leading to a 1-0 lead in the series, with game two scheduled for Monday night at 8:07 pm in San Francisco.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Wei-Yin Chen Stymies Yanks, O's Tie Series; Cards Tie Nationals as Jon Jay, Carlos Beltran Deliver
Players of the Day for Monday, October 8, 2012
American League
ALDS: Baltimore 3 NY Yankees 2 - The Orioles evened their series with the Yankees at a game apiece with a tight victory Monday night at Camden Yards.
Rookie starter Wei-Yin Chen pitched like a weathered veteran, allowing one earned run over 6 1/3 innings to earn the win. Chris Davis drove in a pair of runs with a single in the third inning; Mark Reynolds drove in Matt Wieters with what proved to be the deciding run with a sixth-inning single.
The Yankees could only must single runs in the first and seventh innings, the first run unearned, coming after a Mark Reynolds throwing error that allowed Ichiro Suzuki to reach and later score.
Chen allowed a run and got one out in the seventh, before being replaced by reliever Darren O'Day, who struck out Alex Rodriguez with Robbie Cano standing at second. Brian Matusz closed out the inning and held the Yankees scoreless in the eighth. Closer Jim Johnson got three outs in order in the ninth to pick up the save. Chen scattered eight hits and struck out three.
The series heads to Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Game time is set for 7:37 pm EDT.
National League
NLDS: St. Louis 12 Washington 4 - Jon Jay and Carlos Beltran led a 13-hit Cardinal attack, leading St. Louis to a 1-1 tie in their best-of-five divisional series with Washington.
Beltran homered twice in four at-bats, driving in three runs. Jay went 2-for-5, singling home a run in the second innings, as the Cards plated four, and tripling home another run in the eighth. Jay also reached on an error in the fourth, allowing Pete Kozma to score from third and stole second in the same inning, but did not score. Jay finished with three RBI.
With the series tied, the scene shifts to Washington for games three and four (and five, if necessary) beginning Wednesday at 1:07 pm EDT.
American League
ALDS: Baltimore 3 NY Yankees 2 - The Orioles evened their series with the Yankees at a game apiece with a tight victory Monday night at Camden Yards.
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| Wei-Lin Chen |
The Yankees could only must single runs in the first and seventh innings, the first run unearned, coming after a Mark Reynolds throwing error that allowed Ichiro Suzuki to reach and later score.
Chen allowed a run and got one out in the seventh, before being replaced by reliever Darren O'Day, who struck out Alex Rodriguez with Robbie Cano standing at second. Brian Matusz closed out the inning and held the Yankees scoreless in the eighth. Closer Jim Johnson got three outs in order in the ninth to pick up the save. Chen scattered eight hits and struck out three.
The series heads to Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Game time is set for 7:37 pm EDT.
National League
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| Jon Jay |
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| Carlos Beltran |
Beltran homered twice in four at-bats, driving in three runs. Jay went 2-for-5, singling home a run in the second innings, as the Cards plated four, and tripling home another run in the eighth. Jay also reached on an error in the fourth, allowing Pete Kozma to score from third and stole second in the same inning, but did not score. Jay finished with three RBI.
With the series tied, the scene shifts to Washington for games three and four (and five, if necessary) beginning Wednesday at 1:07 pm EDT.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Mike Napoli Drives in Six for Rangers; Carlos Beltran Gets Cards Closer to Wild Card
Players of the Day for Sunday, September 30, 2012
American League
With only three games remaining in the regular season, it's getting down to elimination time in the AL.
At the end of the day Sunday, only three teams have qualified for the playoffs: the Yankees, Orioles and Rangers, but their actual positioning is yet to be determined.
Oakland continues to make the case for post-season play as either a wild card or West division champs, coming through with their third straight win, sweeping their series against Seattle with a 5-2 victory.
Oakland's win left them two games behind the Rangers in the division, as Texas split a double header with the Angels, winning the second game, 8-7, mostly thanks to the bat of catcher Mike Napoli, who homered twice and doubled, driving in six runs as the Rangers erased an early 4-0 lead. Napoli has 23 home runs and 55 RBI on the year.
Still in contention, though barely, are the White Sox, Angels and Rays, each of which can now only tie. Chicago trails Detroit in the Central by three, with just three games left. Tampa Bay and LA would have to win their remaining games and have the A's lose all three of their games, hosting the Rangers to finish the season.
In the final three days, the Rays host Baltimore, the Sox are at Cleveland and the Angels travel to Seattle. The Yankees host the Red Sox while Detroit plays their lest three at Kansas City.
National League
Positioning for the National League's post-season is nearly complete, with just one division (NL East) and the second wild card still to be sorted out.
Carlos Beltran homered twice and singled in the final run for St. Louis as the Cardinals edged closer to the second wild card with a 10-4 win over Washington. Beltran drove in five runs as the Cards prevented the Nats from clinching the NL East.
St. Louis needs just one more victory to capture the second wild card. Los Angeles is two game back with three to play. The magic number for the Nats is still one, as the Braves topped the Mets, 6-2, to close to three games behind Washington in the East, though the Braves are already assured of the top wild card spot.
American League
With only three games remaining in the regular season, it's getting down to elimination time in the AL.
At the end of the day Sunday, only three teams have qualified for the playoffs: the Yankees, Orioles and Rangers, but their actual positioning is yet to be determined.
Oakland continues to make the case for post-season play as either a wild card or West division champs, coming through with their third straight win, sweeping their series against Seattle with a 5-2 victory.
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| Mike Napoli |
Still in contention, though barely, are the White Sox, Angels and Rays, each of which can now only tie. Chicago trails Detroit in the Central by three, with just three games left. Tampa Bay and LA would have to win their remaining games and have the A's lose all three of their games, hosting the Rangers to finish the season.
In the final three days, the Rays host Baltimore, the Sox are at Cleveland and the Angels travel to Seattle. The Yankees host the Red Sox while Detroit plays their lest three at Kansas City.
National League
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| Carlos Beltran |
Carlos Beltran homered twice and singled in the final run for St. Louis as the Cardinals edged closer to the second wild card with a 10-4 win over Washington. Beltran drove in five runs as the Cards prevented the Nats from clinching the NL East.
St. Louis needs just one more victory to capture the second wild card. Los Angeles is two game back with three to play. The magic number for the Nats is still one, as the Braves topped the Mets, 6-2, to close to three games behind Washington in the East, though the Braves are already assured of the top wild card spot.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Jose Bautista Ties for AL HR Lead as Blue Jays Roll; Carlos Beltran Leads Cardinals over Royals
Players of the Day for Friday, June 22, 2012
American League
Jose Bautista rocked his 23rd home run as the Toronto Blue Jays - tied with Boston for last place in the AL East, 5 1/2 behind the Yankees - rolled past the Miami Marlins, 12-5 on Friday.
The Blue Jays and Boston have identical 38-34 records, but are cursed - for now, at least - with playing in the ultra-competitive AL East, the only division in the major leagues in which all five teams are over .500.
Ricky Romero picked up his eighth win against one loss, despite giving up four runs over seven innings.
Bautista, who led the AL in home runs each of the past two seasons, drove in three runs, going 3-for-4 and tied Adam Dunn of the White Sox for the league home run lead.
The win was the first of a three game series in Miami.
National League
With a pair of doubles in five at-bats, Carlos Beltran - an off-season acquisition by the world champion Cardinals - drove in four runs to lead St. Louis to an easy, 7-4 win over the Royals, in the opener of their three game series in Kansas City.
Beltran doubled home two runs in the first inning and repeated the effort in the second, as the Cardinals plated ten baserunners in the opening two innings.
St. Louis continued in hot pursuit of the Reds, who lead the NL Central by three games over St. Louis, but saw their lead over Pittsburgh reduced to one game as Cincinnati lost their fourth straight.
Beltran has 52 RBI on the season, second in the NL to Matt Kemp, who leads with 55.
American League
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| Jose Bautista |
The Blue Jays and Boston have identical 38-34 records, but are cursed - for now, at least - with playing in the ultra-competitive AL East, the only division in the major leagues in which all five teams are over .500.
Ricky Romero picked up his eighth win against one loss, despite giving up four runs over seven innings.
Bautista, who led the AL in home runs each of the past two seasons, drove in three runs, going 3-for-4 and tied Adam Dunn of the White Sox for the league home run lead.
The win was the first of a three game series in Miami.
National League
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| Carlos Beltran |
Beltran doubled home two runs in the first inning and repeated the effort in the second, as the Cardinals plated ten baserunners in the opening two innings.
St. Louis continued in hot pursuit of the Reds, who lead the NL Central by three games over St. Louis, but saw their lead over Pittsburgh reduced to one game as Cincinnati lost their fourth straight.
Beltran has 52 RBI on the season, second in the NL to Matt Kemp, who leads with 55.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Josh Hamilton Hits Historic Four Homers vs. Orioles; Jake Westbrook, Carlos Beltran Lead Cards over Arizona
Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 8, 2012
American League
Josh Hamilton belted four home runs and added a double, going 5-for-5 with eight RBI and four runs scored as the Rangers blasted the Orioles, 10-3, their second straight win at Camden Yards and 12th road win against five losses.
Hamilton's shots were all of the two-run variety; Elvis Andrus was on base for each of his towering shots. Three went to straightaway center, with one lifted over the wall in left.
It was the first time any player had hit four homers in one game since Carlos Delgado did it for Toronto on September 25, 2003, in a win over Tampa Bay. He becomes the 16th player to hit four homers in a game. With his double in the fifth inning, Hamilton's 18 total bases are a new American League record. The eight RBI are a career best for the Texas center fielder. He had never hit more than two homers in a game prior to Tuesday's prodigious, historic feat.
Hamilton homered off Jake Arrieta in the first and third innings, socked another off Zach Phillips in the seventh and finished with a blast against Darren O'Day. He now leads all of baseball with 14 dingers, four ahead of the Yankees' Curtis Granderson and two better than Dodger Matt Kemp, who leads the NL with 12.
With a .406 batting average and 36 RBI, Hamilton leads the three batting triple crown categories.
The 20-10 Rangers have the best record in the majors, leading Oakland by four games in the West. They've outscored the Orioles 23-6 in the first two games of the series and on Wednesday will go for the sweep.
Despite the loss, the Orioles remained tied for first place in the AL East with Tampa Bay, 5-3 losers to the Yankees on Tuesday.
National League
Apparently not having lost much - besides Albert Pujols and manager Tony LaRussa - St. Louis continues to run roughshod over the National League, their 19-11 record now tied with the Dodgers as the bast in the league.
The Cardinals took their second straight from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, as Jake Westbrook turned in another valuable performance from the mound and Carlos Beltran provided more than enough offense in the 6-1 victory.
Westbrook shut down the D'Backs on four hits over seven innings before turning the ball over to the relief staff with a healthy 6-0 lead. Fanning eight and walking two, Westbrook improved to 4-2, dropping his ERA to 1.76, 8th-best among NL starters.
For Beltran, both of his hits came in the first two innings and both were home runs. The Cardinal right fielder socked his 9th homer in the first inning, then smacked a grand slam in the second for his 10th, his six RBI all the Cards needed for the win. Beltran is tied for second in the league with the Reds' Jay Bruce. Matt Kemp leads with 12. Beltran's slam was the 10th of his career.
St. Louis leads the NL Central by 3 1/2 games over Cincinnati and look for the sweep in Arizona Wednesday night.
American League
Josh Hamilton belted four home runs and added a double, going 5-for-5 with eight RBI and four runs scored as the Rangers blasted the Orioles, 10-3, their second straight win at Camden Yards and 12th road win against five losses.
Hamilton's shots were all of the two-run variety; Elvis Andrus was on base for each of his towering shots. Three went to straightaway center, with one lifted over the wall in left.
It was the first time any player had hit four homers in one game since Carlos Delgado did it for Toronto on September 25, 2003, in a win over Tampa Bay. He becomes the 16th player to hit four homers in a game. With his double in the fifth inning, Hamilton's 18 total bases are a new American League record. The eight RBI are a career best for the Texas center fielder. He had never hit more than two homers in a game prior to Tuesday's prodigious, historic feat.
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| Hamilton: 4HR 8RBI |
With a .406 batting average and 36 RBI, Hamilton leads the three batting triple crown categories.
The 20-10 Rangers have the best record in the majors, leading Oakland by four games in the West. They've outscored the Orioles 23-6 in the first two games of the series and on Wednesday will go for the sweep.
Despite the loss, the Orioles remained tied for first place in the AL East with Tampa Bay, 5-3 losers to the Yankees on Tuesday.
National League
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| Beltran: 2HR GS 6RBI |
The Cardinals took their second straight from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, as Jake Westbrook turned in another valuable performance from the mound and Carlos Beltran provided more than enough offense in the 6-1 victory.
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| Jake Westbrook |
Westbrook shut down the D'Backs on four hits over seven innings before turning the ball over to the relief staff with a healthy 6-0 lead. Fanning eight and walking two, Westbrook improved to 4-2, dropping his ERA to 1.76, 8th-best among NL starters.
For Beltran, both of his hits came in the first two innings and both were home runs. The Cardinal right fielder socked his 9th homer in the first inning, then smacked a grand slam in the second for his 10th, his six RBI all the Cards needed for the win. Beltran is tied for second in the league with the Reds' Jay Bruce. Matt Kemp leads with 12. Beltran's slam was the 10th of his career.
St. Louis leads the NL Central by 3 1/2 games over Cincinnati and look for the sweep in Arizona Wednesday night.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Jered Weaver Tosses No-Hitter over Twins; Carlos Beltran Drives in 7 as Cards Rout Pirates
Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 2, 2012
American League
Since signing onto a monster contract with the Angels after the 2011 season, Albert Pujols has still not hit a home run in the American League, but the Angels still have reason to be hopeful, as ace starter Jered Weaver snuffed the Minnesota Twins with a no-hitter.
The Angels won the game, 9-0, as Weaver worked over the struggling Twins' lineup, fanning nine as he improved to 4-0 on the year. It was the first no-hitter of Weaver's seven-year career, and the second American League no-no in less than two weeks. On April 21, White Sox hurler Phil Humber threw a perfect game at Seattle.
Weaver was close to a perfect game, but a passed ball by catcher Chris Ianetta on a strikeout of Chris Parmalee in the third inning and a walk to Josh Willingham in the seventh were two-out spoilers.
Weaver threw 121 pitches, 77 for strikes, completely dominating and baffling the Minnesota batters.
Even though LA swept the three-game set, the Angels remain in last place in the AL West, however, their 10-15 record seven games off the pace being set by the Texas Rangers.
National League
Carlos Beltran - a valuable, free agent, off-season pick-up from San Francisco - began the season hitting in the #2 hole for St. Louis, but, since Lance Berkman went on the 15-day DL April 19 with a strained left calf, he's been filling in at the cleanup spot.
That lineup move paid off in spades Wednesday night as Beltran went 4-for-5 with two singles and a pair of three-run homers for seven RBI in St. Louis' 12-3 stomping of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Both of Beltran's blasts came off Pirate starter AJ Burnett, who was rocked for 12 hits and 12 earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings. The Cardinals scored four runs in the first, three in the second and five in the third inning. After bombing Burnett, St. Louis got five more hits, for a total of 17, but did not score against Pittsburgh's relievers.
Beltran
The home win was the second straight over Pittsburgh in which St. Louis scored in double figures, having beaten the Pirates, 10-7, on Tuesday. The Cardinals extended their NL Central lead to 4 1/2 games over the Reds, 3-1 losers to the Cubs Wednesday night. Houston swept three from the Mets and tied Milwaukee for third place in the division, 5 1/2 back.
NOTABLE: Phillies' catcher Carlos Ruiz drove in seven runs in a 15-13, 11-inning loss to Atlanta with a pair of doubles and his fourth home run of the season for struggling Philadelphia. The Braves trail the Nationals by 1/2 game in the NL East. Philadelphia is in fourth place, 3 1/2 out.
American League
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| Weaver: No-Hitter |
The Angels won the game, 9-0, as Weaver worked over the struggling Twins' lineup, fanning nine as he improved to 4-0 on the year. It was the first no-hitter of Weaver's seven-year career, and the second American League no-no in less than two weeks. On April 21, White Sox hurler Phil Humber threw a perfect game at Seattle.
Weaver was close to a perfect game, but a passed ball by catcher Chris Ianetta on a strikeout of Chris Parmalee in the third inning and a walk to Josh Willingham in the seventh were two-out spoilers.
Weaver threw 121 pitches, 77 for strikes, completely dominating and baffling the Minnesota batters.
Even though LA swept the three-game set, the Angels remain in last place in the AL West, however, their 10-15 record seven games off the pace being set by the Texas Rangers.
National League
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| Beltran: 2HR, 7RBI |
That lineup move paid off in spades Wednesday night as Beltran went 4-for-5 with two singles and a pair of three-run homers for seven RBI in St. Louis' 12-3 stomping of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Both of Beltran's blasts came off Pirate starter AJ Burnett, who was rocked for 12 hits and 12 earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings. The Cardinals scored four runs in the first, three in the second and five in the third inning. After bombing Burnett, St. Louis got five more hits, for a total of 17, but did not score against Pittsburgh's relievers.
Beltran
The home win was the second straight over Pittsburgh in which St. Louis scored in double figures, having beaten the Pirates, 10-7, on Tuesday. The Cardinals extended their NL Central lead to 4 1/2 games over the Reds, 3-1 losers to the Cubs Wednesday night. Houston swept three from the Mets and tied Milwaukee for third place in the division, 5 1/2 back.
NOTABLE: Phillies' catcher Carlos Ruiz drove in seven runs in a 15-13, 11-inning loss to Atlanta with a pair of doubles and his fourth home run of the season for struggling Philadelphia. The Braves trail the Nationals by 1/2 game in the NL East. Philadelphia is in fourth place, 3 1/2 out.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Carlos Beltran Homers for Cardinals; Chris Sale Throws Six Scoreless for White Sox
Players of the Day for Monday, March 19, 2012
Grapefruit League
When Albert Pujols took the free agency route out of St. Louis after winning the Wold Series last year, the Cardinals knew they needed to try to fill the offensive void created by acquiring another strong hitter, so they picked up Carlos Beltran the oft-injured slugger from the Mets.
In Monday's 4-3 win over Atlanta, the Cardinals' new right fielder belted a solo home run and singled in three at-bats, giving St. Louis fans some hope that there was life after Albert Pujols.
Even though it was Beltran's first homer and first RBI of the season, the Cardinals understood what they got when they signed Beltran: a career .283 hitter with 302 home runs and 1186 RBI in 12 major league seasons.
Cactus League
Despite losing a 1-0 decision to the Cincinnati Reds, White Sox fans and management have to be encouraged with the performance of one of their bright young hurlers. Chris Sale worked the first six innings of the game, allowing just two hits, striking out six without walking a batter. Zack Cozart was the only Red to reach base off Sale, with a single and a double. Otherwise, Sale was dominant, retiring the final eight batters he faced.
Sale worked as a reliever in his first two seasons with the Sox, appearing in 21 games and posting a 2-1 record with saves and a 1.93 ERA in 2010. Last season, he appeared in 58 games, threw 71 innings and cashed in on 8 of 10 save opportunities.
Moving from the bullpen into the starting rotation, Sale will have to continue improving and going deep into games if the White Sox plan to be competitive in the AL Central, which looks like it may be a matter of chasing the Tigers in 2012.
Grapefruit League
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| Carlos Beltran |
When Albert Pujols took the free agency route out of St. Louis after winning the Wold Series last year, the Cardinals knew they needed to try to fill the offensive void created by acquiring another strong hitter, so they picked up Carlos Beltran the oft-injured slugger from the Mets.
In Monday's 4-3 win over Atlanta, the Cardinals' new right fielder belted a solo home run and singled in three at-bats, giving St. Louis fans some hope that there was life after Albert Pujols.
Even though it was Beltran's first homer and first RBI of the season, the Cardinals understood what they got when they signed Beltran: a career .283 hitter with 302 home runs and 1186 RBI in 12 major league seasons.
Cactus League
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| Sale: 6 IP 0 ER 6 K |
Sale worked as a reliever in his first two seasons with the Sox, appearing in 21 games and posting a 2-1 record with saves and a 1.93 ERA in 2010. Last season, he appeared in 58 games, threw 71 innings and cashed in on 8 of 10 save opportunities.
Moving from the bullpen into the starting rotation, Sale will have to continue improving and going deep into games if the White Sox plan to be competitive in the AL Central, which looks like it may be a matter of chasing the Tigers in 2012.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Boston Hammers Toronto, 14-0; Beltran Gets Giants to Within Six of Arizona
Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 6, 2011
American League
There were three outright slaughters in the AL on Tuesday, two by division leaders. Texas got a complete game, five-hit shutout from C.J. Wilson in their 8-0 win over Tampa Bay. Combined with the Angels' 2-1 loss to Seattle, that put the Rangers up 3 1/2 games in the West.
Detroit bombed Cleveland 10-1, sending the Indians back to third place 1/2 game behind the White Sox - 3-0 winners over Minnesota - who trail the Tigers by eight games in a division that was once close and now looks like a runaway for Detroit.
But the biggest blowout was Boston's 14-0 beating of Toronto. Jon Lester limited the Bue Jays to three hits and a walk over seven innings, striking out 11 in the process for his 15th win against six losses. Lester's mound work would have been good enough, but it was overshadowed by the explosive Boston batters, who hammered out 20 hits, 11 of them for extra bases.
Adrian Gonzalez was 3-for-5 with a double, three runs and two RBI, giving him 105 on the year, good for second in the AL, tied with the Yankees' Robinson Cano and four behind another Yankee, Curtis Granderson. David Ortiz had four hits in six at-bats, two of them doubles. He also scored three runs and drove in a pair.
However, it wasn't a big guy who led the way for the Beantown Bombers. Shortstop Marco Scutaro went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a single, scored two runs and drove in four. Batting behind Ortiz, Scutaro had one of his best games as a major leaguer.
The win by Boston didn't help them catch up on the Yankees, who continued to lead the AL East by 2 1/2 games with a 5-3 win over Baltimore. Catching the Yankees may not be a top priority for the Red Sox, however. Getting ready for the post-season might be, as they lead the wild card standings by a cool 8 1/2 games over the Angels.
National League
San Francisco's move to get Carlos Beltran at the trading deadline may prove to be one of the best deals of the season, though it might be a little too late as the Giants try to chase down NL West leader Arizona.
Beltran was an essential element in the Giants' 6-4 win over San Diego Tuesday night, bringing them to within six games of the Diamondbacks, who dropped an 8-3 decision to the Rockies when Colorado exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.
Beltran went 3-for-4 with three key RBI. In the third inning, he singled home a run to put the Giants up 3-2, then, after the Padres tied the score at 3-all, he doubled in another run in the 5th inning. He walked to lead off the 8th inning and scored, adding a ground-out RBI in the 9th to seal the victory.
With 20 games left in the season, time is not on the Giants' side, though they will get one more crack at the D'Backs when they face them in Arizona on September 23, 24 and 25, in the penultimate series of the season. The Giants have an equal number of home and road dates remaining, though they have to face the Rockies seven times, including in their final three game series at home.
American League
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| Jon Lester |
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| David Ortiz |
Detroit bombed Cleveland 10-1, sending the Indians back to third place 1/2 game behind the White Sox - 3-0 winners over Minnesota - who trail the Tigers by eight games in a division that was once close and now looks like a runaway for Detroit.
But the biggest blowout was Boston's 14-0 beating of Toronto. Jon Lester limited the Bue Jays to three hits and a walk over seven innings, striking out 11 in the process for his 15th win against six losses. Lester's mound work would have been good enough, but it was overshadowed by the explosive Boston batters, who hammered out 20 hits, 11 of them for extra bases.
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| Marco Scutaro |
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| Adrian Gonzalez |
However, it wasn't a big guy who led the way for the Beantown Bombers. Shortstop Marco Scutaro went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a single, scored two runs and drove in four. Batting behind Ortiz, Scutaro had one of his best games as a major leaguer.
The win by Boston didn't help them catch up on the Yankees, who continued to lead the AL East by 2 1/2 games with a 5-3 win over Baltimore. Catching the Yankees may not be a top priority for the Red Sox, however. Getting ready for the post-season might be, as they lead the wild card standings by a cool 8 1/2 games over the Angels.
National League
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| Carlos Beltran |
Beltran was an essential element in the Giants' 6-4 win over San Diego Tuesday night, bringing them to within six games of the Diamondbacks, who dropped an 8-3 decision to the Rockies when Colorado exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.
Beltran went 3-for-4 with three key RBI. In the third inning, he singled home a run to put the Giants up 3-2, then, after the Padres tied the score at 3-all, he doubled in another run in the 5th inning. He walked to lead off the 8th inning and scored, adding a ground-out RBI in the 9th to seal the victory.
With 20 games left in the season, time is not on the Giants' side, though they will get one more crack at the D'Backs when they face them in Arizona on September 23, 24 and 25, in the penultimate series of the season. The Giants have an equal number of home and road dates remaining, though they have to face the Rockies seven times, including in their final three game series at home.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Derek Holland Blanks BoSox for Seven; Carlos Beltran Delivers for Giants
Players of the Day for Friday, September 2, 2011
American League
The Texas Rangers have a number of ways to win games. They can bludgeon you with bat after bat from experienced, veteran players, or they can sometimes get all of your guys out wit solid starting pitching, a competent bullpen and a complete closer.
In their 10-0 win at Boston Friday, they did both, as Derek Holland (13-5) worked over the Red Sox for seven innings, allowing just two hits, fanning six, without walking a batter before turning the ball over to the relievers.
Ian Kinsler hit his third home run in the past two games, his 24th, a two-run blast. Elvis Andrus added a two-run job of his own and scored four times. David Murphy also provided a solo shot.
The Texas win, coupled with the Angels' 13-5 drubbing by the Twins, improved the Texas lead in the AL West to 4 1/2 games and made their magic number for winning the division an even 20. Also, the Red Sox gave up first place in the AL East, as the Yankees eked out a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays to take a 1/2 game lead into the weekend.
National League
Finally, the San Francisco Giants are seeing the benefit of their acquisition of Carlos Beltran from the Mets. The Giants picked up the slugging outfielder on July 27, but have gone just 8-13 in games in which he's been in the lineup. Beltran spent two weeks in August on the DL, but on Friday he provided a boost for the Giants as they cooled off the Arizona Diamondbacks by a 6-2 score, ending Arizona's nine-game winning streak and cutting their NL West lead to five games.
Beltran went 4-for-4, with two singles, a triple and a two-run homer to spark the victory and provide some hope that his bat can deliver some runs down the stretch.
The win was the first of a three-game series at San Francisco, which is looking for a sweep which would cut the lead to three games. Saturday's game will be crucial, with aces Ian Kennedy and Tim Lincecum facing off on the mound.
American League
The Texas Rangers have a number of ways to win games. They can bludgeon you with bat after bat from experienced, veteran players, or they can sometimes get all of your guys out wit solid starting pitching, a competent bullpen and a complete closer.
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| Derek Holland |
Ian Kinsler hit his third home run in the past two games, his 24th, a two-run blast. Elvis Andrus added a two-run job of his own and scored four times. David Murphy also provided a solo shot.
The Texas win, coupled with the Angels' 13-5 drubbing by the Twins, improved the Texas lead in the AL West to 4 1/2 games and made their magic number for winning the division an even 20. Also, the Red Sox gave up first place in the AL East, as the Yankees eked out a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays to take a 1/2 game lead into the weekend.
National League
 |
| Carlos Beltran |
Finally, the San Francisco Giants are seeing the benefit of their acquisition of Carlos Beltran from the Mets. The Giants picked up the slugging outfielder on July 27, but have gone just 8-13 in games in which he's been in the lineup. Beltran spent two weeks in August on the DL, but on Friday he provided a boost for the Giants as they cooled off the Arizona Diamondbacks by a 6-2 score, ending Arizona's nine-game winning streak and cutting their NL West lead to five games.
Beltran went 4-for-4, with two singles, a triple and a two-run homer to spark the victory and provide some hope that his bat can deliver some runs down the stretch.
The win was the first of a three-game series at San Francisco, which is looking for a sweep which would cut the lead to three games. Saturday's game will be crucial, with aces Ian Kennedy and Tim Lincecum facing off on the mound.
Friday, May 13, 2011
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
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
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.
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 |
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.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Teixeira Lead Yanks to 11-inning Win; Beltran Takes NL Batting Lead
Players of the Day for Saturday, May 16, 2009
American League
The Yankees rallied for a 6-4, 11-inning win over the Twins on Alex Rodriguez's 2-run homer, but it was the man on base that kept the Yankees in the game - slugging Mark Teixeira, who went 4-for-4, cracked a 3-run homer in the 3rd inning, singled home the tying run in the 8th and scored the game-winner after walking to lead off the 11th. Along with the homer, Teixeira added a pair of singles and a double, collected 4 RBI and scored twice.
National League
Carlos Beltran singled and doubled twice in five at-bats, driving in three runs and scoring three times in the Mets' 9-6 victory at San Francisco. Beltran, hitting the quietest .379 imaginable, currently leads the NL in batting and has helped the Mets gain and maintain their 1 1/2-game lead in the NL East over the Phillies. The Mets remain red-hot on their coastal road trip, taking their third straight from the Giants on Saturday, and will be seeking the four-game sweep on Sunday.
The Yankees rallied for a 6-4, 11-inning win over the Twins on Alex Rodriguez's 2-run homer, but it was the man on base that kept the Yankees in the game - slugging Mark Teixeira, who went 4-for-4, cracked a 3-run homer in the 3rd inning, singled home the tying run in the 8th and scored the game-winner after walking to lead off the 11th. Along with the homer, Teixeira added a pair of singles and a double, collected 4 RBI and scored twice.
National League
Carlos Beltran singled and doubled twice in five at-bats, driving in three runs and scoring three times in the Mets' 9-6 victory at San Francisco. Beltran, hitting the quietest .379 imaginable, currently leads the NL in batting and has helped the Mets gain and maintain their 1 1/2-game lead in the NL East over the Phillies. The Mets remain red-hot on their coastal road trip, taking their third straight from the Giants on Saturday, and will be seeking the four-game sweep on Sunday.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Aybar, Rays Smack Red Sox; Beltran Keeps Mets in Races
Players of the Day from Wednesday, September 17, 2008
American League
Willy Aybar smacked a two run homer in the first inning, singled in another and scored in the third and went 3-for-5 with another single to push the Rays past Boston, 10-3, taking two of three from the Red Sox in their final meeting of the regular season.
Tampa Bay can now begin counting the wins and losses with a 2-game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East. Their magic number stands at 10. The Rays have 12 games left to play; Boston, 10.
Notes: In the Central, the White Sox and Twins both suffered losses, so the Sox remain 2 1/2 on top. Minnesota must either catch Chicago or go home. They are seven games behind the Red Sox in the wild card race.
National League
Well, the end of the regular season is upon us and the Mets haven't completely collapsed, so this season looks to be a little different than 2007. The Mets managed to stay 1/2 game behind the Phillies - who won, 6-1, at Atlanta - in the NL East. Carlos Beltran singled, homered, drove in 3 runs and scored twice as the Mets swatted the Nats, 9-7.
New York also remained 1/2 game ahead of the Brewers (a team that seems to be falling apart). Milwaukee snapped a five game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the Cubs. It was also the Brewers' first win over Chicago in their last six tries, but starter Ben Sheets lasted only two innings, suffering from tightness in his right forearm. The injury was not severe enough to put Sheets on the DL, and the team will evaluate his status as the days progress. It is unclear whether he will miss his next start or not.
Willy Aybar smacked a two run homer in the first inning, singled in another and scored in the third and went 3-for-5 with another single to push the Rays past Boston, 10-3, taking two of three from the Red Sox in their final meeting of the regular season.
Tampa Bay can now begin counting the wins and losses with a 2-game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East. Their magic number stands at 10. The Rays have 12 games left to play; Boston, 10.
Notes: In the Central, the White Sox and Twins both suffered losses, so the Sox remain 2 1/2 on top. Minnesota must either catch Chicago or go home. They are seven games behind the Red Sox in the wild card race.
National League
Well, the end of the regular season is upon us and the Mets haven't completely collapsed, so this season looks to be a little different than 2007. The Mets managed to stay 1/2 game behind the Phillies - who won, 6-1, at Atlanta - in the NL East. Carlos Beltran singled, homered, drove in 3 runs and scored twice as the Mets swatted the Nats, 9-7.
New York also remained 1/2 game ahead of the Brewers (a team that seems to be falling apart). Milwaukee snapped a five game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the Cubs. It was also the Brewers' first win over Chicago in their last six tries, but starter Ben Sheets lasted only two innings, suffering from tightness in his right forearm. The injury was not severe enough to put Sheets on the DL, and the team will evaluate his status as the days progress. It is unclear whether he will miss his next start or not.
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The Milwaukee win stalled Chicago's quest for the NL Central crown, at least temporarily. Their magic number remains at 4.
Notes: In the West, the Arizona Diamondbacks proved they're not dead yet, shaving a game off the Dodgers' lead, down to 3 1/2 games as Brandon Webb won his 21st game with a 7-6 win over the Giants. LA was a 15-8 loser at Pittsburgh, keeping the magic number for the Dodgers at 8.
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Monday, May 12, 2008
Bannister 2-hits Baltimore; Beltran Leads Mets Again
Players of the Day from Sunday, May 11, 2008
American League
Kansas City's Brian Bannister pitched 8 innings of shutout ball, allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out 5, as the Royals knocked off Baltimore, 4-0, on Sunday.
Bannister (4-4) didn't allow any runners past first base and threw 110 pitches, giving way to Joakim Soria, who finished up with a 1-2-3 9th inning. The win was the first for Bannister after losing his last three straight starts. It was also the first win for the Royals after twelve straight losses to the Orioles.
Notes: The Tampa Bay Rays swept the LA Angels over the weekend, finishing up with an 8-5 win in Tampa after beating the Angels by consecutive 2-0 scores. Tampa is just 1 1/2 behind Boston in the East, while the Angles yielded first place to the A's in the West. Minnesota continues to cling to first place in the Central, coming from behind to beat Boston on Sunday night, 9-8.
National League
Carlos Beltran was the hitting star again, as the Mets downed the Reds, 8-3.
Kansas City's Brian Bannister pitched 8 innings of shutout ball, allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out 5, as the Royals knocked off Baltimore, 4-0, on Sunday.
Bannister (4-4) didn't allow any runners past first base and threw 110 pitches, giving way to Joakim Soria, who finished up with a 1-2-3 9th inning. The win was the first for Bannister after losing his last three straight starts. It was also the first win for the Royals after twelve straight losses to the Orioles.
Notes: The Tampa Bay Rays swept the LA Angels over the weekend, finishing up with an 8-5 win in Tampa after beating the Angels by consecutive 2-0 scores. Tampa is just 1 1/2 behind Boston in the East, while the Angles yielded first place to the A's in the West. Minnesota continues to cling to first place in the Central, coming from behind to beat Boston on Sunday night, 9-8.
National League
Carlos Beltran was the hitting star again, as the Mets downed the Reds, 8-3.
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Beltran doubled home Luis Castillo in the first inning and socked his 3rd home run of the season - with Castillo aboard again - in the fifth. Beltran had three RBI total and scored twice as the Mets moved into a tie with Philadelphia for second place in the East. Both teams trail the red-hot Florida Marlins by three games. Florida won its seventh straight with a 5-4 win at Washington.
Notes: Get the brooms out: The Marlins swept the Nationals while Arizona was being swept by Chicago and Houston swept the Dodgers. The rare dominance by Central division teams leaves St. Louis and Chicago tied for first with the surprising Astros 1 1/2 back. Arizona remains 3 1/2 to the good over the Dodgers.
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