Cleveland Notches14th Straight Behind Carlos Carrasco; Ryan Zimmerman Leads Nationals

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 6, 2017

American League

Carrasco: CG, 9 Ks 1 ER

Tying a franchise record with their 14th straight win - the longest in the majors this season - the Cleveland Indians topped the White Sox, 5-1, in Chicago.

Carlos Carrasco went the distance for the tribe, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out nine. Chicago's only run came on an Adam Engel home run with two down in the bottom of the ninth inning. Prior to that, Carrasco had given up singles at the start of the fifth and sixth innings. Both were wiped away on double plays.

The 30-year old hurler was highly efficient, throwing 78 of 97 pitches for strikes while facing 28 batters, one one the minimum. Carrasco matched his career high in wins with his 14th of the season, against six losses. Carrasco is tied for third in wins with four other pitchers, including teammate Cory Kluber. His 192 strikeouts are the fifth-highest total in the league.

Cleveland's late-season streak has virtually sewn up the division. The Indians lead the Twins by 11 games in the AL Central with 21 games to play. The Indians wrap up their series at Chicago on Thursday. Game time is 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Zimmerman socks 31st HR

With all the streaking going on in the NL West (Arizona's won 13 straight, the Dodgers have lost six in a row), almost without notice, the Washington Nationals have expanded their lead in the East to the largest in the majors: 18 games after downing the Marlins, 8-1.

Washington completed the sweep in Miami with their third straight over the Marlins, taking the series with a combined score for the three games of 17-4.

Ryan Zimmerman, who's having a remarkably productive season, singled twice and whacked his 31st home run, scoring three times and driving in two, giving him 93 RBI on the year.

With just 23 games left on their schedule, the Nationals could clinch the division title by the weekend. A magic number of five means that any combination of five Washington wins or five losses by the Marlins would be enough to clinch.

The Nationals open a four game series against the Phillies in Washington on Thursday.

2-Hit Effort By Carlos Carrasco Leads Indians Over Rays; Giancarlo Stanton Belts 40th HR In Miami Win

Players of the Day for Friday, August 11, 2017

American League

Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco took a no-hitter into the seventh inning helping the Indians to a 5-0 victory at Tampa Bay.

Carrasco: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER

Carrasco's bid for the record books was shattered when Logan Morrison singled with two down in the seventh. Carrasco finished with eight innings of shutout ball, allowing two hits and a pair of walks, striking out 10.

Perfect through four innings, Carrasco issued walks in the fifth and seventh, improving to 11-5 off the effort.

Tyler Olson worked the ninth for Cleveland to close out the shutout, the Indians maintaining their 3 1/2 game lead over the Twins in the AL Central. Minnesota has won six straight, including Friday's 9-4 win at Detroit.

The Indians evened their series with the Rays at a game apiece and will be looking to go one up when they play game three of four, Saturday, at Tropicana Field. Game time is 6:10 pm ET.

National League

Stanton: 40 HR Leads MLB

Giancarlo Stanton socked his major league-leading 40th home run as the Miami Marlins took the first of three from the visiting Rockies, 6-3.

Stanton's sixth inning solo blast measured 433 feet and got the Marlins to within a run of the Rockies, who were leading 3-1 entering the bottom of the frame. Miami eventually tied the game in the inning adding three more runs in the eighth to secure the victory.

Stanton has outpaced all contenders for the home run title, leading the National League by seven over the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger. In the AL, Aaron Judge has 35 to lead the league, with Kansas City's Mike Moustakas right behind, at 34.

Stanton's 86 RBI is sixth-best in the NL. Colorado's Nolan Arenado leads with 100. Arenado reached the century mark with his 26th home run, a two-run blast in the third inning.

Desperate to stay in the hunt for the wild card, the Marlins are 9 1/2 behind Arizona for the second spot, but trail the Nationals in the NL East by 14 1/2 games. Colorado is the leader in the wild card race and will look to keep it that way when they take the field in Miami, Saturday at 7:10 pm ET.

Carlos Carraso Sharp As Indians Blank White Sox Again; Wilson Contreras Grand Slam Leads Cubs

Players of the Day for Saturday, April 22, 2017

American League

Carrasco: 8IP, 3H, 0R

In 2016, Carlos Carrasco played a pivotal role in getting the Cleveland Indians to the top of the AL Central. Though the Tribe would eventually arrive at the World Series, Carrasco was lost to injury in mid-September and missed the post-season.

Now, with Carrasco healed and the Indians already in first place, the future looks bright, especially after the Venezuelan righty tossed eight scoreless innings in a 7-0 whitewash of the White Sox, Saturday night in Chicago.

Carrasco (2-1, 1.65) threw 73 of 106 pitches for strikes, fanning eight, allowing one walk and just three hits as the Indians stretched their scoreless streak against the Pale Hose to 18 innings. Corey Kluber threw a three-hit shutout against them on Friday. In their last three games - all losses - Chicago has scored exactly one run, falling to 7-9, 2 1/2 behind the division-leading Indians.

The series wraps up Sunday, 2:10 pm ET. The Indians will be looking for their sixth straight win.

National League

Contreras: Grand Slam

Winners of four straight, the Chicago Cubs have surged to the lead in the NL Central and are starting to play like the world champions that they are.

As Cincinnati hurlers walked eight batters, the Cubs responded with nine hits, outscoring the Reds, 12-8, in the second of their three-game series in Cincy.

The two squads combined for six homers, including Wilson Contreras' second inning grand slam, which provided a three-run cushion and a lead the Reds could not overcome.

Contreras also doubled and singled in four at-bats, scoring three times. The effort was the best so far for the second year catcher, who seems to have settled into the starting role ahead of Miguel Montero. In 15 games, Contreras is batting .275 with two home runs and 10 RBI.

The Cubs go for the sweep Sunday, at 1:10 pm ET at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Lucas Duda Homers Twice as Mets Approach NL East Crown; Carlos Carrasco One-Hits Royals, Fans 15

Players of the Day for Friday, September 25, 2015

American League

Duda: 2HR, 6RBI

Carracso: 1-hitter

Kansas City clinched the AL Central on Thursday, but on Friday they were nearly no-hit as Carlos Carrasco went the distance, tossing a one-hit shutout in a 6-0 Cleveland victory.

Carrasco walked two and fanned 15, improving to 14-10 on the year.

It was his third complete game and first shutout of 2015.

The Royals will try to get back on track when they host the Indians in game two of their three-game series at 7:10 pm EDT Saturday night.

National League

Lucas Duda crushed a pair of three-run home runs as the Mets inched closer to capturing the NL East pennant with a 12-5 win at Cincinnati.

Duda socked his 23rd homer of the season in the third inning and his 24th in the seventh, both coming with two men aboard.

With the win and the Nationals' 8-2 loss to Washington, the Mets' magic number is down to one.

New York could grab the title as early as Saturday, when the Mets look to win their third straight over the Reds. Game time for the third of the four-game series is 4:10 pm EDT.

Phillies Down Dodgers on Maikel Franco's Grand Slam; Indians' Carlos Carrasco Tosses One-Hitter, Gets No Decision

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 4, 2015

American League

Carrasco: 1-hitter

Franco: Grand Slam

The season hasn't gone very well for the Cleveland Indians (picked by Sports Illustrated to win the American League pennant), but Tuesday night's 2-0, 12-inning win over the Angels was a bit of sweet redemption.

Starting pitcher, Carlos Carrasco, had a perfect game through the first two hitters in the fourth inning , prior to walking Mike Trout with two down in the frame. He escaped un-hit, but surrendered the no-hit bid via a lead-off single by David Murphy, who was thrown out trying to steal for the first out of the frame.

Carrasco got the next two in order and proceeded to mow down the remaining 12 Angels in the sixth through ninth for a one-hit shutout, but, the game was still tied, and went to extra innings.

Indians' third-baseman, Giovanni Urshela, belted a two-run homer in the top of the twelfth inning that proved to be the difference.

Even though he did not get a decision, Carrasco put up one of the best mound performances of the season, walking one and fanning seven on 100 pitches, 68 of which were strikes.

In 22 starts this season, Carrasco is 11-8, with a 3.76 ERA. Not bad, considering he's hurling for a last-place team.

The Angels and Indians play the rubber game of their three-game set Wednesday afternoon at 3:35 pm EDT in Anaheim.

National League

The Dodgers continue to cling to first place in the NL West, but it seems only a matter of time before the Giants (8-3 winners at Atlanta Tuesday) catch them and take control of the division.

LA continues to play sub-par ball, as witnessed in their 6-2 loss to the Phillies in the opener of a three-game series at Philadelphia.

The Dodgers actually outhit the Phillies, 11-10, but stranded 13 runners and were just 2-12 with runners in scoring position.

For their part, the Phillies, current basement residents of the NL East - though now only one game behind the Marlins - got a huge boost from third-baseman, Maikel Franco, who broke a 1-1 tie with a seventh-inning grand slam, his 12th home run of the season and first of his career.

A rookie who played in 16 games for the Phillies last season, Franco is batting .282 and has driven in 44 runs in 70 games.

He's been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for Philly fans.

The Dodgers and Phillies play game two of the series Tuesday night at 7:05 pm EDT.