Lorenzo Cain's Grand Slam Boosts Royals Over Padres; Cardinals Whip Phillies, 7-0, On Carlos Martinez 4-Hit Shutout

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 10, 2017

American League

Cain: Grand Slam, 5 RBI

With Minnesota holding the rest of the Al Central division at bay, the Kansas City Royals - 6 1/2 back - need every win they can get, so their 12-6 score at San Diego Saturday was a step in the right direction.

Of particular notice was the live bat of Lorenzo Cain, who was 3-for-5 with a pair of homers, three runs and five RBI.

A player who generally hits for a good average, Cain has picked it up of late, batting .333 in June, with four homers and ten RBI. He's hit safely in four straight games, a kind of consistency the Royals need throughout their lineup.

Cain belted a solo shot in the sixth, but the big inning for the Royals was the nine-run eighth, which Cain began with an infield single, scoring on Eric Hosmer's sixth home run of the year. With Kansas City players circling the bases, Cain delivered the decisive blow, a grand slam that put the game away. An inning that started with a 5-3 San Diego lead, ended with the Royals up 12-6, as the Padres could only respond with a single run in the bottom of the frame.

With the series tied at a game apiece, the teams will play the rubber game, Sunday at San Diego's Petco Park, 1:40 pm PT.

National League

Martinez: 4-hit shutout

After going 0-7 on their road trip to Chicago and Cincinnati, the St. Louis Cardinals were sorely in need of some relief, and they may have found it by returning home to host the Phillies for three games.

At 21-39, the Phillies have the dubious distinction of being the worst team in the majors, and the Cardinals aren't enhancing their reputation, taking two straight, including Saturday's 7-0 whitewash.

The Cardinal regulars didn't do much, as they didn't have to, but they put together seven runs on six hits while starter Carlos Martinez was twirling a four-hit shutout.

At 25, Martinez is considered an up-and-coming star, clearly pitching up to his potential by striking out 11 Phillies and evening his record at 5-5. Martinez threw 107 pitches and walked just one, never allowing a baserunner past second.

The win left the Cardinals in fourth place, but just 3 1/2 games behind Central division leader, Milwaukee. St. Louis will be seeking a sweep of the Phillies when they take the field at Busch Stadium, Sunday, 2:15 pm ET.

Jed Lowrie's Walk-Off Homer Leads A's Past Angels; Cards' Carlos Martinez Wins At Plate

Players of the Day for Monday, May 8, 2017

Lowrie: 2HR, Game-winne

American League

The Oakland A's used the long ball to score all of their runs in a 3-2, 11-inning win over the visiting Angels, as both teams struggle to catch the runaway Astros, who lead the division by six games.

Jed Lowrie accounted for two of the A's runs, socking a solo shot in the fourth and the walk-off solo blast in the bottom of the 11th. In between, Trevor Plouffe added a bases-empty homer in the fifth.

Second baseman Lowrie returned to the A's in 2016 after spending a year in Houston. Though he's batting .295, he's hit four homers and has only eight RBI as he's not getting much help from his teammates.

The Angels, A's, and Mariners each trail the Astros by six games. Oakland hosts the Angels in game two of their three-game series at 7:05 pm PT at the Oakland Coliseum.

National League

St. Louis reached first place in the NL Central on Monday, whipping the Miami Marlins, 9-4, their fourth consecutive victory.

Martinez: Big Hitter

The Cardinals' rise to the top spot in the division can be credited partly to the New York Yankees, who took three straight from the Cubs over the weekend and Monday turned down the Reds, 10-4, leaving St. Louis 1/2 game better than Cincy and a full game ahead of slumping Chicago.

Credit is also due starting pitcher, Carlos Martinez, who wasn't exactly overpowering on the mound, but who absolutely terrorized Marlins' starter Adam Conley, doubling in three runs in the second inning and singling in another and scoring in the fourth. Conley lasted just 3 2/3 innings, as the Cards built a 7-0 lead.

Martinez worked six innings, allowing three runs on five hits, fanning seven with two walks, but his real value obviously came from when he was at the plate rather than throwing to it.

The 25-year-old righty is 2-3 with a 3.86 average. After a shaky start, the Cardinals have been playing much better of late. After dropping three straight to the Yankees in New York, they've gone on a 14-5 tear. They'll be looking to add to or keep their lead in the division when they play game two of their three-game series in Miami Tuesday at 7:10 pm ET.

Notable: Chris Taylor's first inning grand slam opened the floodgates in LA, as the Dodgers romped over the Pirates, 12-1. Taylor went 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs. He's batting .395 and the Dodgers are in second place, just two games behind Colorado in the NL West.