Carlos Zambrano Tosses 3-Hit Shutout; Rookie Brandon Snyder Drives in Six in Ranger Rout

Players of the Day for Monday, May 7, 2012

American League

One thing the Texas Rangers always seem to have in ample supply are players with extreme offensive skills, so it came as no big surprise when rookie third baseman Brandon Snyder broke out the wood against the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of the four-game series at Camden Yards.

Snyder: HR, 6 RBI

Snyder, who gets limited playing time, since third base is normally the province of Adrian Beltre, took advantage of Beltre being the DH for a night, going 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and a pair of run-producing singles as the Rangers bombed Baltimore, 14-3.

Snyder got the Rangers started, driving in a pair of runs in the second inning, added the three-run blast in the sixth and contributed another RBI single and scored as the Rangers piled on seven runs in the top of the ninth.

Having been to the plate just 14 times this season prior to Monday's game, upped his average to .421 against the team that traded him to the Rangers after last season.

The Rangers lead the AL West by four games over the A's; Baltimore's loss dropped them into a tie for first place in the East, with Tampa Bay.


National League

Despite a new stadium and a number of high-profile, off-season acquisitions, the Miami Marlins haven't exactly started off like a house afire, but the rest of the NL East has somewhat let them into the race; the Marlins are 3 1/2 games back of the division-leading Nationals.

Zambrano: 3-hit SO

One of those acquisitions was the feisty Carlos Zambrano, longtime Cubs starter and frequent headline-grabber. The kind of guy who needs to keep his emotions under control, Zambrano can be very effective, such as he was Monday night, holding the punchless Houston Astros to three hits in a 4-0 Miami road win.

Aided by three double plays, no Houston player reached second base, despite Zambrano plunking a couple of Astro batters and issuing one walk. Zambrano (1-2, 1.98 ERA) fanned a season-high nine, hurling his 10th career complete game and fifth shutout.

If Zambrano can stay healthy and away from confrontations with teammates, coaches and fans, he could be a key to the Marlins' success as the season progresses, though they'll have to pick it up against teams in their division. The Marlins are just 1-7 against NL East foes.

Jed Lowrie Powers Red Sox Past Rays; Zambrano Sharp in Cubs Win

Players of the Day for Monday, April 18, 2011

American League

Jed Lowrie

The Boston Red Sox took the final three games of their four game series against the Blue Jays - including Monday's 9-1 win - but are still only a 5-10 ball club mired in last place, trailing the Yankees by 4 1/2 games in the AL East.

With the talent they have, it's unlikely the Sox will be down in the dumps for long, especially if some of the players start emulating shortstop Jed Lowrie's level of play.

Lowrie went 4-for-5 in Monday's win, launching his second home run of the season - a 5th inning, two-run shot that sent Blue Jay starter Ricky Romero to an early shower - after greeting Romero with a two-run single in the first inning.

Lowrie's four RBI gave him nine for the year, and his four hits upped his average to a blistering .516, and that's after 11 games.

National League

Carlos Zambrano

Carlos Zambrano didn't get a decision, but he did pave the way for the Cubs' 1-0, 10th-inning win over San Diego.

Widely considered one of the top hurlers in the game, Zambrano allowed just three hits over eight scoreless innings before turning the ball over to the bullpen. Already 2-0 on the season, it was Zambrano's best effort thus far, a hopeful sign for the Cubs, who suddenly find themselves just a game behind Cincinnati in the NL Central. Chicago is stuck in a logjam at 8-8 with St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.

Zambrano struggled a bit in a the early going, allowing two hits and his only walk of the game in the first two innings, but settled in and finished strong, setting down the last ten in order, including striking out the side in the 7th inning. He finished with 10 Ks on 110 pitches.

Diamond Notes: Tim Lincecum took a no hitter into the 7th inning, but was touched up for four hits and didn't last through the 8th, as the Giants roughed up Colorado, 8-1, but remain in second place, three games behind the streaky Rockies.

The two top teams in the AL Central - Cleveland and Kansas City - squared off in the first of a four game series in KC, with the Indians finally putting the Royals away with four runs in the top of the 10th for a 7-3 win and a two-game lead in the division. The surprising Indians have the best record in the majors, tied with Colorado at 12-4, thanks to a reinvigorated lineup which includes a healthy Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, who appears to have rediscovered his power stroke.

A-Rod, Yankees Slug Boston; Zambrano Blanks Giants on 2 Hits

Players of the Day for Friday, September 25, 2009 American League Both the Yankees and the Red Sox are pretty much assured of making the playoffs, but the question of which team deserves the AL East title was answered emphatically by Alex Rodriguez, as the two teams opened a three-game series at Yankees Stadium. Rodrguez, seeking to drive in 100 or more runs for the 12th straight season, took some big strides in that direction with one of his best individual efforts of the season. A-Rod started the scoring with a single in the first, driving in Derek Jeter to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead against Boston starter Jon Lester. He started a 4-run third inning with a 2-run homer - his 28th - and added a double in the 6th to plate another run. In his other two trips to the plate, in the 4th and 7th, Rodriguez walked, finishing 3-for-3 with 4 runs and 3 runs scored. He stole three bases, as the Yankees ran off with a 9-5 win. A-Rod now has 93 RBI on the year with 8 games left, two of which are this weekend against the Red Sox. The Yankees, after dropping their first 8 against Boston this season, have responded by winning 7 of the last 8 against their ancient nemesis. A Yankee sweep would clinch the AL East and also give New York 100 wins. With a 6 1/2 game lead, New York's magic number is 3, the same as the Red Sox need to clinch the wild card. National League The Cubs aren't going to the playoffs this season, but they may have gotten some satisfaction Friday night as Carlos Zambrano shut out the Giants on 2 hits, pushing San Francisco further behind the Rockies in the wild card race. Zambrano needed only 96 pitches to earn his 9th win against 6 losses and his first complete game and shutout of the season. Walking just one and striking out 8, Zambrano also drove in two runs on a fielder's choice in the 7th and a double in the top of the 9th. The Cubs took the game, 3-0. Tied with the Marlins, the Giants fell 5 behind Colorado in the wild card race. Atlanta is 3 1/2 back. NOTES: The Cardinals magic number remained stuck at 1 after the Cubs won and St. Louis fell to Colorado. The Cards look to clinch the NL Central tonight in Colorado. Five different teams failed to score runs last night. In addition to Zambrano's complete game, Roy Halladay (16-10) added another shutout to his resume with a 7-hit blanking of Seattle. Kevin Correia also went the distance with a 6-hitter in San Diego's 4-0 win over Arizona. Gio Gonzalez went 6 1/3 as the A's zeroed the Angels, 3-0, and Jake Peavy improved to 2-0 for the White Sox as Chicago shut out the Tigers, 2-0. Peavy allowed 6 hits, struck out 8 and walked 2, keeping the Tigers within hailing distance of the 2nd place Twins, 9-4 winners at Kansas City. The White Sox play 5 more times against the Tigers, plus, Detroit hosts Minnesota for 4 games beginning Monday. The Al Central is the closest race in the majors, and should be decided in the head-to-head series.

A-Rod Has a Shot at HR Title; Zambrano No-Hits Astros

Players of the Day from Sunday, September 14, 2008 American League Alex Rodriguez hasn't had his best season, but the Yankees may still have some impact on the races and A-Rod might win the home run title. Rodriguez staked the Yankees to an early lead with his 17th career grand slam in the first inning of New York's 8-4 win over Tampa Bay. It was his 34th home run of the season, putting him just two behind league-leader Carlos Quentin. Rodriguez also reached the 100-RBI total for the 11th straight year. The Red Sox beat Toronto, 4-3, putting them just one game behind the Rays in the Eastern division race. The Red Sox have a 6-game lead on Minnesota for the wild card, so whether Boston catches the Rays or not will only matter in the seedings for the playoffs. Whichever team finished second in the East is almost assured of taking the wild card. Notes: In the Central, the White Sox took both ends of a double header with Detroit while the Twins dropped a 7-3 decision at Baltimore, leaving Minnesota 1 1/2 games back with time running out. National League Could this really be the Cubs' year? The omens are beginning to say yes, especially after Carlos Zambrano hurled a no-hitter at the Astros in a game that was delayed twice by hurricane Ike and eventually moved to Milwaukee. The Cubs won, 5-0, as Zambrano mowed down the Astros hitters, fanning 10 and walking just one. The outcome was almost never in doubt as the Cubs scored all of their runs by the third inning. While the Cubs spent most of the weekend dealing with winds and rain, they got plenty of help from the Phillies, who swept the Brewers four straight and tied Milwaukee for the wild card. Those wins help put the Cubs up by 7 1/2 in the Central, dropping their magic number to 7. The Phillies also closed to within one game of the Mets in the East. New York lost to Atlanta, 7-4, on Sunday. Notes: The Dodgers finally lost another game, 1-0, in 10 innings at Colorado, but Arizona was losing 2-1 to the Reds, so LA remained 4 1/2 in front in the West. Their magic number is now 10.

Garza Stops Jays on 5 Hits; Zambrano Chills Brewers

Players of the Day from Tuesday, July 29, 2008 American League The Rays upped their lead in the AL East as Matt Garza twirled a 5-hit shutout at Toronto, topping the Blue Jays by a 3-0 score.

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Garza (9-6) outdueled Toronto's Roy Halladay (12-8), who allowed three runs on six hits over 8 innings, striking out 9. Garza fanned 5 and walked just one batter, allowing only one runner to second base as the Rays' infield turned three double plays. Notes: In Boston, the Angels took their second straight from the Red Sox, 6-2, as John Lackey (9-2) pitched a no-hitter for 8 1/3 innings before yielding a two-run homer to Kevin Youkilis in the 9th. The Sox have dropped 4 of their last 5 and will try to avoid being swept on Wednesday night. The Angels swept Boston in Anahiem just prior to the All Star break. Still, the Red Sox remain in close pursuit of the Rays, just 2 games behind. The Yankees lost their second straight at Baltimore, 7-6, as Aubrey Huff went 4-for-5, including his 32nd double and 22 home run, a solo shot. Huff drove in 4 runs, upping his season total to 71. In the Central, the Twins crept to within 1/2 game of the White Sox with a 8-5 win in Minnesota, topping the Sox for the second straight day. Jason Morneau delivered the key blow, a bases-loaded double in the 5th which plated 3 and gave the Twins a 5-4 lead. Morneau has 82 RBI on the season. National League Carlos Zambrano improved to 12-4, and the Cubs extended their NL Central lead to 3 games with a 7-1 win over Milwaukee. Zambrano gave up 5 hits and no runs over 8 innings, striking out 9 Brewers while walking just 2. The win was the second straight for the Cubs over Milwaukee, who are now 3 games behind in the standings, with St. Louis 4 back. The Brewers can make amends, as they host the Cubs on Wednesday and Thursday. Notes: In the East, the Mets topped Florida, 4-1, while the Phillies beat Washington, 2-1. New York holds a 1/2 game lead over Philly with the Marlins 2 games behind. Arizona and the Dodgers both won on exceptional pitching to keep the Diamondbacks one game to the good over LA. Jason Johnson stopped the Giants on 5 hits over 6 innings, leading the Dodgers to a 2-0 home win. In San Diego, Doug Davis allowed 2 hits while fanning 8 over 7 2/3 in a 3-0 Arizona win.

Chicago's Night of the Carlos: Quentin, Zambrano Lead Sox, Cubs

Players of the Day from Wednesday, July 9, 2008 American League Carlos Quentin belted a pair of homer runs, drove in 4 and scored 3 runs in a 7-6 White Sox win over Kansas City, but it was his 8th inning trot down the third baseline after a balk by KC reliever Ramon Ramirez that provided the winning margin. Quentin has walked earlier in the inning, and wound up at third base when Jim Thome singled home Orlando Cabrera to tie the game. Going first to third proved to be a winning move by Quentin. Quentin has 21 home runs, one less than league leader Grady Sizemore. The White Sox have won 4 straight, improving their advantage over the Twins to 3 1/2 games. Detroit is 7 back. Notes: Drama night in the AL... Josh Hamilton belted a 2-run, walk-off homer off ace reliever Francisco Rodriguez, who leads the AL - and the majors - in saves with 35, as the Rangers topped the Angels, 6-5. It was his third blown save of the season. Hamilton leads the majors with 89 RBI, and his 20 homers has him in third place in the AL. In Detroit, Miguel Cabrera hit his 3rd homer in the past two games, a two-run shot in the bottom of the 9th to give the Tigers a 8-6 win over the hopeless Indians, who have now lost 10 in a row. It was the Tigers' 3rd straight win. Bobby Abreu doubled home Derek Jeter in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Yankees a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay, beating them for the second straight game. With Boston pounding the Twins, 18-5, the Rays are just 2 up on the Red Sox and 6 1/2 better than the Yankees. National League Why are the Cubs sailing along in first place in the NL Central? Maybe because Carlos Zambrano (10-3) has incredible stuff. On Wednesday, Zambrano put that stuff on display for 8 innings of one-hit ball, as the Cubs downed the Reds, 5-1. The Chicago ace struck out 5, walked none, and the only hit was a 2nd inning solo homer by Adam Dunn, who has 23, third in the NL behind Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, both of whom have 25. Following Dunn's blast, it was Carlos in charge, as he set down the next 23 batters in order, mostly on harmless dribblers and pop-ups. It doesn't get much better than that. It was the third straight win for the Cubs, and with both St. Louis and Milwaukee losing, upped their lead to 4 1/2 and 5 games, respectively, over their two main rivals in the division. Notes: Close, but no cigar... The Phillies snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Cardinals while Florida and the Mets both won (5 straight for NY), but the Phillies still lead by 1 1/2 in the NL East. In the West, it's a dead heat between Arizona and LA, both at 45-46.

Zambrano Plunders Pirates; Murphy Has AL Rookie Cred

Players of the Day from Friday, May 23, 2008 American League Texas outfielder David Murphy continues to rack up stats in a bid for Rookie of the Year honors. Murphy belted a three-run first-inning double on Friday to help the Rangers outlast Cleveland in a 13-9 slugfest. Murphy also scored in the first, adding to more singles and to scores in a 3-for-6 effort. Murphy is batting .297 with 6 homers and 34 RBI. Murphy is already staking his claim, being named AL Rookie of the Month for April. Notes: Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona had to leave the game in the third inning with a strained left hip. Carmona was being knocked around pretty well, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks and 6 earned runs in his 2-plus innings. The Indians, who now have lost 7 straight, say Carmona is day-to-day. Both the White Sox and Red Sox had their winning streaks snapped on Friday. Chicago's 8-game streak came to an end when they lost to the Angels, 3-1, while Boston's 7-game run was stopped in an 8-3 loss at Oakland. National League Carlos Zambrano earned some respect on Friday night, both from the mound and at the plate, improving to 7-1 as he limited the Pittsburgh Pirates to 6 hits and 2 runs over seven innings and had four singles in five at-bats. The Cubs walloped the Pirates, 12-3.

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Zambrano, who drove in two runs and scored once, struck out 6 and allowed just one walk. He's batting a ridiculous .343, to complement his 2.47 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Notes: Only three teams have winning road records in the National League - St. Louis, Philadelphia and Florida. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Braves wish all their games were in Atlanta. Despite their 11-1 home loss to Arizona on Friday, the Braves are 20-6 at Turner Field, but just 6-16 away.

Indians, Angels clinch; Cubs open daylight in NL Central

American League Oakland 2 Cleveland 6 - The Indians became the first AL team to clinch their division, their first since 2001, as Grady Sizemore (right) went 4-4 and drove in a pair of runs. Jake Westbrook earned the win, striking out a career-high 9 in 7 2/3 innings. Westbrook, who missed much of the season with injuries, completes what may be the most potent starting four pitchers in the AL, including Paul Byrd (15-7), Cy Young candidate C. C. Sabathia (18-7) and rookie Fausto Carmona (18-8). Seattle 4 LA Angels 7 - Shortly after Cleveland clinched, the Angels did the same in the AL West, topping Seattle in their final home game. The Angels have the best home record in the majors, at 54-27, and play their final 6 games at Texas and Oakland. Though the Angels have already wrapped up the division, those games, and those final games for Cleveland, still have meaning, as the race for the best record in the league, and home field advantage in the playoffs, is still up for grabs. Who wants it most is a vexing question, as the top AL team will play the wild card entry, which is looking more and more like the New York Yankees, one of the hottest teams in the majors since late May. All three division leaders have 92 wins. The Angels and Red Sox have just 6 games left. Cleveland has 7 remaining. John Lackey (18-9) got the win in the clincher for LA, allowing 2 earned runs on 7 hits over 7 innings, fanning 7. Toronto 5 NY Yankees 7 - New York kept pace with the Red Sox, still 1 1/2 back, as Mike Mussina won his third straight, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits over 7 innings. The Yankees still need any combination of two wins or two Tiger losses to wrap up the wild card. Other AL Scores Kansas City 2 Detroit 7 Boston 4 Tampa Bay 5 Chi White Sox 1 Minnesota 7 Baltimore 0 Texas 3 National League Pittsburgh 0 Chi Cubs 8 - Carlos Zambrano (17-13) (right) hurled six innings of shutout ball and Derek Lee drove in 3 runs with a double and his 20th home run (a 2-run shot), leading the Cubs to their 4th straight win and a 3 1/2-game lead in the NL Central race. With Milwaukee losing their second straight at Atlanta, Chicago's path t o the playoffs will go through Florida and Cincinnati, where they play a pair of 3-game series to close out the season. Their magic number reduced to 4, the Cubs hope to clinch the division before the weekend in order to rest their starting pitchers. NY Mets 7 Florida 6, 11 innings - The Mets' bullpen failed again,

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allowing Florida to tie the game with 2 runs in the 8th and one in the ninth before the Mets finally ended it on David Wright's single in the 11th, which sent Jose Reyes home with the winning run. New York improved their lead to 2 1/2 games over the Phillies and reduced their magic number to 5. Colorado 7 San Diego 3 - The Rockies gained on everybody, as Philly and Arizona both lost with Colorado drawing to 1 1/2-games of wild card leader San Diego. The Rockies are also just 4 back of Arizona, and while there are only 6 games left, the final 3 games for Arizona are at Colorado. Other NL Scores Philadelphia 3 Washington 5 Milwaukee 4 Atlanta 7 Cincinnati 4 San Francisco 5 LA Dodgers 7 Arizona 1 Houston 3 St. Louis 4

Yankees Slip by Sox; Zambrano Boosts Cubs

American League NY Yankees 8 Boston 7 - New York scored 6 times in the 8th inning, Luis Vizcaino worked a perfect 8th and Mariano Rivera held the Sox scoreless in the 9th for his 27th save as the Yankees took the first of a crucial 3-game series in Boston, drawing to within 4 1/2 games of the Red Sox for the AL East lead. Johnny Damon victimized his old teammates, going 4-4, though only scoring once. Alex Rodriguez capped the comeback, driving in Bobby Abreu with the lead run with a single, his only hit of the game. A-Rod has 141 RBI, which leads the majors. Texas 9 Oakland 11 - Sammy Sosa (right) slugged his 20th home run of the season and drove in 5 runs in a losing effort for the Rangers. Sosa, after sitting out all of 2006, has rebounded with a solid season, driving in 88 runs in 108 games. Other AL Scores Kansas City 4 Cleveland 5 - Indians magic number is 10 Baltimore 6 Toronto 2 Detroit 4 Minnesota 2 LA Angels 3 Chi White Sox 5 - J. Thome, 0-4, needs 1 HR for 500 Tampa Bay 1 Seattle 2 National League Chi Cubs 5 St. Louis 3 - The Chicago Cubs handed the Cardinals their 8th straight loss and took a 1 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central as Carlos Zambrano (right) hurled 8 solid innings, allowing just 4 hits. The only run off Zambrano was Albert Pujols' 31st homer of the season, which tied the game, but the Cubs came back with a run in the 7th and 3 in the 9th. Zambrano improved to 16-12. Cincinnati 6 Milwaukee 5 - Prince Fielder hit his league-leading 45th home run, and Cincy's Adam Dunn socked his 39th as the Reds climbed to within 2 games of third place in the NL Central division, spoiling the hopes of the Brewers, who failed to keep pace with Chicago. Philadelphia 3 NY Mets 2, 10 innings - The Phillies probably won't catch the Mets in the division, but they kept their playoff hopes alive with an extra-inning triumph at Shea.

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Greg Dobbs' sac fly drove home Jayson Werth with the game-winner, and the Phillies remained 1 1/2 games back of the Padres, who lead the wild card standings. Arizona 4 LA Dodgers 7 - Likewise in the West, the Dodgers are 4 1/2 behind Arizona, but stayed 1 1/2 behind San Diego in the wild card race. LA scored 4 times in the 4th inning to erase a 4-2 Arizona lead and help Brad Penny, who allowed 3 earned runs over 5 innings, improve to 16-4. The Dodger bullpen did its job, blanking Arizona the rest of the way, with Takashi Saito picking up his 39th save with a scoreless 9th. San Francisco 4 San Diego 5, 10 innings - Khalil Green's solo homer in the 10th gave San Diego a much-needed win, keeping them in the wild card lead and closing to within 3 games of Arizona in the West. Other NL Scores Pittsburgh 4 Houston 3 Florida 7 Colorado 6 - M. Holliday HR (31), 120 RBI leads NL Atlanta 8 Washington 5, 13 innings

Dice-K Blanks Tribe; Maine Leads Mets with Arm, Bat

American League The Red Sox remain the team to beat in the AL. with a combined 19-14 record against the Yankees, Mariners, Tigers, Angels and Indians, though the Mariners (4-2) and Tigers (4-3) hold a winning edge thus far over Boston. Including yesterday's game, the Sox are 4-1 against the Indians, 7-5 vs. the Yankees and 3-0 against the Angels. Boston's 61-39 record is the best in the majors and they lead the Yankees by the largest margin of any division, 7 1/2 games. Boston 1 Cleveland 0 - The Boston Red Sox continued their dominance over other contenders (and pretenders) in the American League, as Daisuke Matsuzaka (12-7, right) outdueled C.C. Sabathia (13-5), the only run of the game coming in the 4th inning, when Mike Lowell singled home Kevin Youkilis. Matsuzaka allowed just 4 hits over 7 innings, walking 3 and striking out 5. Sabathia allowed five hits, struck out seven and didn't walk a batter. Johnathan Papelbon picked up his 23rd save with a perfect 9th. Minnesota 0 Toronto 7 - The Twins continued their slow slide in the Central division, now 8 1/2 games behind Detroit (they actually picked up 1/2 game as Detroit dropped a pair to the White Sox), as Dustin McGowan (7-5) blanked them over 7 1/3 innings, getting the Blue Jays to an even 50 wins and 50 losses for the season. Detroit 3 Chi White Sox 5 - Paul Konerko's 6th inning 2-run homer provided the winning margin for the White Sox in the first half of their double-dip with Detroit. It was Konerko's 22nd home run of the season. Detroit 7 Chi White Sox 8 - The Tigers' bullpen blew a 6-1 lead as Jim Thome's 17th home run - a 3-run, 7th inning blast - highlighted a rally as the Sox scored 2 in the 6th, 3 in the 7th and 2 more in the 8th. Despite the twin losses, Detroit remains the AL Central leader, 1 1/2 clear of Cleveland. Other AL Scores Seattle 1 Texas 2 Seattle 3 Texas 4 - Mariners lose 5th straight Tampa Bay 0 Baltimore 3 NY Yankees 9 Kansas City 4 - Yankees have won 5 straight Oakland 4 LA Angels 3 National League Pittsburgh 4 NY Mets 8 - John Maine (right) allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits over 7 innings and cracked a 2-run homer in the 4th inning to aid his own cause as the Mets won for the 4th time in their last 5 games. Maine improved to 11-5, and the Mets retained their 3-game lead over Atlanta. New York will look to expand their edge this week as they have 2 more games with the Pirates before hosting a four-game set with the last place Nationals over the weekend. Chi Cubs 4 St. Louis 3 - Carlos Zambrano (13-7) became the NL's first 13-game winner and the Cubs remain 3 behind Milwaukee in NL Central. Aramis Ramirez continued his red-hot play, going 4-5, for his 5th multi-hit game in his last 9, boosting his batting average to .321. Over that span, he's driven in 13 runs. Other NL Scores Washington 3 Philadelphia 4 Milwaukee 5 Cincinnati 3 - F. Cordero, S (32), leads majors LA Dodgers 4 Houston 7 San Diego 5 Colorado 3 - Padres trail Dodgers by 1 in NL West Florida 3 Arizona 9 Atlanta 7 San Francisco 5, 13 innings - B. Bonds, 1-5, no home runs

Bedard Shuts Out Sox; Phillies' Top 5 Terrific

American League Chi White Sox 0 Baltimore 2 - Who's the best pitcher in the American League. Some votes will go to Baltimore's Erik Bedard (right), who dispatched the slumping White Sox with relative ease last night, allowing just 3 hits over 7 complete innings while fanning 7. Bedard (8-4), ran his scoreless streak to 16 innings, following his 2-hit, complete game effort of July 7 - a 3-0 whitewash of Texas. He also leads the majors with 156 strikeouts and has an ERA of 3.22. All of that while playing for one of the weakest teams in the league. Baltimore, at 39-50, is better than only Texas, Kansas City and Tampa Bay. NY Yankees 4 Tampa Bay 6 - With Toronto and Boston battling each other, the Bombers had the perfect opportunity to make up some ground last night, but Roger Clemens lasted only 5 1/3 innings, and was victimized for 3 early runs in the 2nd, from which the Yankees could never recover. Clemens allowed 5 hits and 4 walks, resulting in 5 earned runs, dropping his record to 2-4. New York and Toronto are tied for 2nd, 10 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East. Detroit 6 Seattle 3 - Gary Sheffield's 3rd inning grand slam was enough support for Jeremy Bonderman, who improved to 10-1, allowing 3 earned on 6 hits over 7 innings. The win kept the Tigers 1/2-game ahead of Cleveland in the AL Central and snapped a 4-game Seattle win streak. The Mariners fell 3 1/2 behind LA in the West. Texas 1 LA Angels 2 - With Seattle suddenly breathing down their necks, the Angels needed a boost, and they got it from starter Kelvim Escobar, who held the Rangers to one run over 8 innings on 6 hits, but did not get the decision. That went to Francisco Rodriguez, who pitched a scoreless ninth, just before Casey Kotchman singled home Gary Matthews Jr. with the winning run in the bottom half of the frame. Escobar's been rock-solid for the Angles of late, having registered wins in 6 of his last 7 decisions, while the Angels have won 8 of the last 10 games he's started. Other AL Scores Kansas City 4 Cleveland 5 Toronto 6 Boston 5 Oakland 3 Minnesota 5 - A's have lost 5 straight National League Houston 0 Chi Cubs 6 - Carlos Zambrano (11-7, right) blanked the Astros for 6 2/3 innings on 3 hits, putting away 7 on strikes, as the Cubs continued their relentless pursuit of the Brewers in the NL Central. Coupled with Milwaukee's loss to Colorado, Chicago is now only 3 1/2 games back. Contributing to his own cause, Zambrano singled twice in 3 at-bats, driving in a run in the 4th and scoring one in the 6th. St. Louis 3 Philadelphia 13 - The first five batters in the Phillies' lineup may be the best in baseball. Last night they combined to go 15-25, with 8 RBI and 8 runs scored, three doubles and a pair of homers. Chase Utley was 4-5 with a solo homer, 3 RBI and 2 runs to lead the way. Over the course of the season so far, Utley, leadoff batter Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard and Aaron Rowand have put up impressive combined stats: 500 hits in 1678 at-bats for a .298 average; 76 home runs, 277 RBI, 293 runs. Five good reasons why the Phillies are battling for the AL East title, 4 games behind New York and 2 1/2 back of Atlanta. Cincinnati 8 NY Mets 4 - Brandon Phillips pounded Mets' starter John Maine, blasting a grand slam in the first inning and delivering run-scoring singles in both the 5th and 6th innings to send the Mets to their 7th loss in their last 10 tries.

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The Reds, meanwhile, remain one of the hottest teams in the league - although they are hopelessly far back to contend - winning 6 of their last 8. They are 12 1/2 back and they are in the NL Central, so anything can happen. Pittsburgh 1 Atlanta 9 - catcher Brian McCann went 3-4 with a pair of homers and 4 RBI to get the Braves to within 1 1/2 of the sliding Mets. Tim Hudson threw 7 innings of shutout ball, allowing just 5 hits. Atlanta has won 5 of their last 6. LA Dodgers 9 San Francisco 1 - Chad Billingsley notched his 6th win without a loss as the Dodgers kept pace with the Padres in the West. Those two lead Arizona by 2 1/2 and Colorado by 4 1/2. Billingsley blanked the Giants on 4 hits and 3 walks over 6 innings. Other NL Scores Washington 14 Florida 10 Colorado 10 Milwaukee 6 - Rockies just 4 1/2 back in NL West San Diego 3 Arizona 8

Tigers Regain 1st; Brewers Running Away in NL Central

American League LA Dodgers 6 Tampa Bay 3 - The Dodgers took a narrow 1/2-game lead over Arizona and San Diego in the NL West as Derek Lowe improved to 8-6 and Takashi Saito picked up his 20th save. Chi Cubs 5 Chi White Sox 1 - Carlos Zambrano (8-6) delivered another stellar performance, striking out 12 while allowing just 3 hits and one earned runs over 8 innings. The Cubs, however, still trail Milwaukee by 8 1/2 games in the NL Central and are still well under the .500 mark at 33-39. The Cubs are better than their flagging cross-town rivals, who have won just 4 times in their last 19 games. And these guys won the world series just a few years ago... Cincinnati 16 Seattle 1 - Catcher David Ross (right) socked a pair of homers - #s 10, 11 - scored three times and drove in 5 runs as the Reds thumped slumping Seattle, only 3 or 4 games behind the Angels in the AL West not long ago, have recently dropped 7 of their last 9 and fallen 8 games back. Other AL Scores Toronto 9 Colorado 8, 10 innings - Rockies score 2 in top 10th, Blue Jays plate 3 in bottom frame. Texas 11 Houston 3 - S. Sosa, 2-3, HR (13), 4 RBI (57) LA Angels 5 Pittsburgh 4, 11 innings National League Milwaukee 11 Kansas City 6 - The Milwaukee Brewers are making the best of a bad division, winning their 4th straight and 8th of their last 10 to lead the feeble NL Central by 8 1/2 games over the Cubs and Cardinals. The Brewers (42-31) are the only team in the division over .500, and on Friday, showed why they are among the elite in the National League, getting game performances from 2 unheralded regulars, Corey Hart and Ryan Braun (left and right). Hart, batting in the leadoff spot, went 3-5 with a 3-run homer, 4 RBI and scored 3 times while Braun, batting 3rd, was 4-4, with a double, solo home run, stolen base, 2 runs and 3 RBI. Detroit 5 Atlanta 0 - Kenny Rogers returned from the DL and shut out the Braves over 6 innings to get his first win of 2007 and boost the Tigers into first place in the AL Central as Cleveland lost at Washington. Rogers was dazzling, giving up just 2 hits, while striking out 5. Detroit scored all of their runs in a decisive 6th inning, capped by Carlos Guillen's 2-run double, just in time to give Rogers the lead and the W. NY Mets 9 Oakland 1 - It took over a month, but Tom Glavine finally got win #296 and has the vaunted 300 plateau in sight. Glavine worked 8 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 earned, while striking out 5. The Mets stayed ahead of the Phillies, who continue in pursuit, just 2 games out and now in 2nd place, 1/2 ahead of the Braves in the NL East. Philadelphia 6 St. Louis 0 - Jamie Moyer (7-5) scattered 7 hits over 6 innings and the Phillies scored 5 of their 6 runs in the 3rd innings to move to within 2 games of the Mets in the NL East. Anthony Reyes took the loss for the Cards. He is 0-9. Other NL Scores Washington 4 Cleveland 1 Florida 5 Minnesota 4 - Marlins, 4 1/2 back in NL East Baltimore 7 Arizona 1 Boston 2 San Diego 1 - D. Matsuzaka (W, 9-5), 9 K; J. Papelbon, S (17) NY Yankees 7 San Francisco 3 - B. Bonds, HR (749) Interleague Scoreboard: Friday (6/8): AL 8, NL 6 Saturday (6/9): AL 10, NL 4 Sunday (6/10): AL 9, NL 5 Monday (6/11): AL 0, NL 2 Tuesday (6/12): AL: 8, NL: 6 Wednesday (6/13): AL: 6, NL: 8 Thursday (6/14): AL: 7, NL: 5 Friday (6/15): AL: 6, NL: 8 Saturday (6/16): AL: 5, NL: 9 Sunday (6/17): AL: 9, NL: 5 Monday (6/18): AL: 7 NL: 3 Tuesday (6/19): AL: 3, NL: 11 Wednesday (6/20): AL: 10, NL: 4 Thursday (6/21): AL: 3, NL: 2 Friday (6/22): AL: 7, NL: 7 Total: AL: 91 NL: 78 Note: During interleague play, home teams are reported under their respective leagues.