Houston's Lance McCullers Jr. Blanks A's Over 7 Innings; Chase Utley's 3 Doubles Lead Dodgers Past Giants

Players of the Day for Saturday, April 28, 2018

American League

McCullers Jr.: 7IP, 2H 0ER

Obviously, the Houston Astros are one of the best hitting teams in the majors - their combined batting average of .258 is fifth in the AL - but it's their pitching that makes them a serious consideration for a second straight trip to the World Series.

Houston's 2.54 team ERA is easily the best in the league. It's more than a full run better than all but two teams, Boston (3.25) and Cleveland (3.28).

One reason why Houston is so dominant - other than Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel - is Lance McCullers Jr., who improved to 4-1 with seven innings of shutout ball in the Astros' 11-0 laugher over the visiting Oakland A's.

McCullers took a perfect game into the sixth inning, but allowed back-to-back singles to open the inning. As it turned out, those were the only hits the A's would get off McCullers, who induced a double play and a fly ball out to escape the threat. Completing his stint by putting down the A's in order in the seventh, McCullers threw exactly 100 pitches, striking out seven without issuing a walk.

With the Angels losing to the Yankees, 11-1, Houston's lead in the AL West division increased to 1 1/2 games.

The win evened the series at a game apiece, with the rubber game scheduled for Sunday, 2:10 pm EDT.

National League

Utley: 4-5, 32B, 4R, 2RBI

Traded to the Dodgers from the Phillies mid-2015, 39-year-old Chase Utley has been playing in the majors since 2003. Proving he still has what it takes, Utely ripped three doubles and a single in five at-bats in LA's 15-6 romp at San Francisco in the first game of their Saturday double-header.

The Dodgers collected 20 hits overall, scoring early and often, building an 8-2 lead by the third inning. Utley walked and scored in the first, doubled and scored in the second, doubled in a run and scored in the third, doubled in another run in the sixth inning, and singled and scored in the eighth.

San Francisco came back to take the nightcap, 8-3, maintaining their 1/2-game edge over the Dodgers in the struggle that is the NL West.

Arizona has thus far been the best in the division, leading Colorado by five games. The Giants are 6 1/2 out, the Dodgers, seven back. It being still April, the Diamondbacks' big lead means little, and both the Giants and Dodgers will be looking to get a little closer when they finish their series on Sunday, at 2:05 pm PDT.

Chase Utley Homers Twice as Phillies Down Braves; Archie Bradley Blanks Reds as Arizona Triumphs, 3-0

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 1, 2013

Grapefruit League

Utley: 2HR, 4RBI

Chase Utley was at it again for the Phillies, belting a pair of homers and driving in four runs as Philadelphia pounded Atlanta, 9-2.

Getting some healthy swings in prior to the start of the regular season, Utley has whacked four home runs and driven in nine runs in 29 at-bats. He's hitting a vary healthy .442 this Spring.

Last year, Utley hit 11 homers and drove in 78 runs in 155 games.

Both teams are under .500 in exhibition play. Atlanta is 13-16; the Phillies are 12-16.

Bradley: 1-Hit

Cactus League

Archie Bradley has spent three years in the minors, compiling a record of 29-18, with a 3.14 ERA.

With a final bullpen spot still open, Bradley let loose with his best stuff in Arizona's 3-0 win over the Reds, blanking Cincinnati for six innings on one hit.

While he did allow three walks and struck out two, Bradley was largely untouchable in what was his sixth game and fourth start of the Spring. He's tossed 22 1/3 innings, allowing just four earned runs, for an ERA of 1.61.

With his latest performance, there's a fair chance that he'll be spending at least part of this season in a major league uniform.

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Chris Dominguez Powers Reds over Angels; Chase Utley Homers Twice as Phillies Tie Tigers

Players of the Day for Sunday, March 29, 2015

Grapefruit League

Utley: 2HR 3RBI

Though the game ended in a 4-4 tie, the Phillies and Tigers each have something to take away from the contest.

For the Tigers, the knowledge that Yoenis Cespedes is going to be an integral part of their lineup became apparent as he went 2-for-3 with his fourth home run of Spring, driving in two runs. Also, Anibal Sanchez, despite allowing all four runs, fanned 10.

The Phillies can be confident that their all-star second-baseman, Chase Utley, still has what it takes to play the game at a high level.

Utley cranked out a pair of homers for the Phillies - a solo shot and a two-run job - driving in three of their four runs.

A Phillie since breaking into the majors in 2003, Utley has been named to six all-star games, most recently in 2014. Last year, he hit .270 with 11 homers and 78 RBI.

Chris Dominguez

Cactus League

The Reds did not make the playoffs last season, but they're gearing up for another run at the Cardinals, Pirates and Brewers in the contentious NL Central.

Adding to their arsenal of offensive players, the Reds are giving third baseman/first baseman, Chris Dominguez, an extended look and the 6'4" mammoth minor leaguer is responding.

Dominguez stroked a single, two doubles and his third home run, going 4-for-5 and driving in four runs as the Reds downed the Angels, 8-6.

Having had only a brief stint with the Giants as a major leaguer and going 1-for-17, the Reds acquired Dominguez in the off-season and may get some playing time when the regular season begins. After all, in addition to the three dingers, he's batting .340, going 17-for-50, with 13 RBI.

Derek Holland Blanks Yanks on Two Hits in 2-0 Texas Win; Chase Utley's 3-for-5 Effort Wasted as Phillies Fall to Dodgers, 6-4

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 27, 2013

American League

The Texas Rangers finished up their three-game road series with a 2-0 victory over the Yankees on a two-hit shutout by starter Derek Holland (6-4).

Holland: 2-Hit Shutout

Ichiro Suzuki started the Yankees off with a leadoff single in the first, but was erased by a double play that ended the inning. After that, Holland allowed just one more hit - to Austin Romine, with two down in the third inning.

Issuing leadoff walks in both the fourth and seventh innings, Holland twice retired nine straight, as the Yankees could not get good wood on any of the lefty slinger's 92 pitches, 63 of which went for strikes. Holland fanned seven, including Vernon Wells three times.

The win was the second straight for the Rangers and completed a two games to one series win. It was Holland's first win since May 31 and his first shutout and complete game of the season.

Texas took a 1/2 game lead over the idle A's in the AL West, while the Yanks dropped into third place, 4 1/2 games off the pace being set by Boston in the AL East.

Weather permitting, the Yankees open a three-game series in Baltimore Friday night at 7:05 pm EDT, while the Rangers head home to host the Reds for three, the first game Friday at 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Chase Utley

Philadelphia collected 14 hits, but could only push across four runs against Zack Greinke and three Dodger relievers while the more-efficient hosts scored six runs on seven hits for a 6-4 LA win.

Chase Utley singled, doubled and homered in five at-bats, drove in two runs and scored one, but his efforts were for naught as the Phillies stranded seven had a runner picked off first base, another thrown out attempting to steal second and grounded into three double plays.

Greinke gave up 12 hits over seven innings but still was good enough to pick up his fifth win against two losses.

The Dodgers have won six straight but are still in the NL West cellar, though they are just six games off the pace being set by Arizona, the only team in the division with a winning record.

Philly dropped 7 1/2 behind Atlanta in the East, and trail second place Washington by two games.

The game was the first of a four-game series in LA. Game two is set for 7:10 pm PDT on Friday.

Today's Trivia: When was the last time a Cleveland player won the AL MVP award and who was it? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: George Bell is the only Toronto Blue Jay to ever win an MVP award. His came in 1987.

White Sox Top Angels on Chris Sale's 1-Hitter; Chase Utley Leads Phillies to Split with Diamondbacks

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 12, 2013

American League

Sale: 1-Hitter

The AL Central was supposed to be the exclusive province of AL champion Detroit, but that has not yet proven out.

The Tigers have been hounded for first place by, first, the Royals, and now, the Indians, who topped them, 4-3, in 10 innings to grab a share of the top division spot.

KC has dropped three straight to fall 1 1/2 off the pace, with the Twins another game back. Bringing up the rear is Chicago, but the White Sox are just five games out and got a boost Sunday night when Chris Sale torched the struggling LA Angels with a one-hit, 3-0 victory.

Sale (4-2) was perfect through six innings, but allowed a single by Mike Trout with one out in the seventh which broke up the no-hit bid. Trout's hit turned out to be the Angels only hit of the contest, and he was the only Angel to reach base other than catcher Chris Ianetta, who reached via a throwing error by White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez.

Sale didn't issue any walks, needed only 98 pitches to go the distance and fanned seven. Chicago scored three times in the bottom of the seventh off Angels' starter, C.J. Wilson (3-2).

It was the first career shutout for the 6'6" lefty and his second complete game. The White Sox win avoided a sweep at the hands of the Angles in the finale of their three-game series.

National League

Utley: 4-for-5

The Phillies (18-20) are scuffling, but, after earning a split with Arizona by taking the final two games of their four-game series, find themselves only four games back in the NL East.

Sunday's 4-2, 10-inning victory over the Diamondbacks was largely due to the 4-for-5 effort from second baseman Chase Utley, who scored the Phillies first run of the game in the ninth inning as Philadelphia rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game. The Phillies scored two more in the extra frame for the win.

In the tenth inning, Utley was again instrumental, doubling with one out to send Jimmy Rollins to third in advance of Ryan Howard's two-run single. Utley had two doubles and two singles, scoring twice.

Jonathan Papelbon came on in the bottom of the ninth for his 7th save of the season.

Utley, who spent most of last season on the DL and played only 83 games, is batting .279 with seven homers and 24 RBI.

Today's Trivia: Cy Young, after whom the award for the leagues' best pitcher is named, had fewer strikeouts in his career than which of the following: Phil Niekro, Bob Feller, Warren Spahn, Tom Glavine? (Answer tomorrow.)

Yesterday's answer: Detroit's Justin Verlander led the majors with 239 strikeouts in 2013. The Mets' R.A. Dickey led the NL with 230.

Chase Utley Belts a Pair as Phillies Top O's; Eric Sogard Batting .538 for A's

Players of the Day for Saturday, March 23, 2013

Grapefruit League

Chase Utley

Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies wasted little time in knocking off Grapefruit League-leading Baltimore, scoring ten runs in the first four innings before the O's finally put a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth en route to a decisive, 13-4 win on the road.

Utley, who missed the first half of last season due to injury, is healthy this time around. He blasted a pair of homers off O's starter Wei-Yin Chen, driving in four runs to get Philly off and running.

The win got the Phillies to .500, with a 13-13 mark. Baltimore remained in first place, leading Atlanta by 1 1/2 games and Detroit by two. Philadelphia is tied with Minnesota, Boston and the Mets, 4 1/2 games out.

Cactus League

Eric Sogard

Meeting their Bay-area rivals at the Giants' Springtime home in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Oakland A's roughed up starter Tim Lincecum for five runs in the opening three innings and proceeded to punish a parade of six San Francisco relievers in a 13-5 romp.

Yoenis Cespedes, Adam Rosales and Eric Sogard each homered, Cespedes touching up Lincecum with his third Spring homer.

Sogard added a pair of singles in three at-bats, driving in two runs and scoring twice against the Giants.

Eyeing the starting shortstop position, Sogard, who played in 68 games for the A's from 2010 through 2012, is batting a remarkable .538 though 20 games. He has 21 hits in 39 at-bats. His homer was his first of the exhibition season, upping his RBI total to six.

Seth Smith Leads A's over Tigers; Chase Utley, Ryan Howard Help Phils Pound Mets, 16-1

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 20, 2012

American League

Seth Smith

If the Oakland A's make it to the playoffs (and it looks like they will), there will be plenty of players to thank, including Seth Smith, who helped the A's tie the idle Orioles for the top wild card Thursday night with a 12-4 win over Detroit.

Smith tied the game at 2-2 with his 14th homer of the season, singled and scored in the A's four-run sixth, then cleared the bases with a double in the ninth, putting his signature on the victory, going 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI.

National League

While the Nationals and Reds each clinched playoff spots, the Phillies continue clinging to slim hopes of reaching the post-season, helping themselves with a 21-hit bombing of the Mets Thursday at Citi Field in a 16-1 rout.

Chase Utley

Ryan Howard

Having fallen well off the pace early in the year due to the absence of two of their star players, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the Phillies have been one of the better teams in the second half, getting both off the DH and into a regular playing regimen.

Utley rapped out four hits in five at-bats (a double and three singles), and drove in four runs while Howard singled in a run as the Phills put up eight in the first inning, then polished off the Mets with his 14th homer of the year, a ninth-inning grand slam as the Phils added seven more runs.

Philadelphia has won three straight, leaving them four games behind St. Louis, winners of four in a row, for the second wild card. Also chasing the Cardinals are LA, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

Zobrist Leads Rays Past Orioles; Utley Rounding Into Form after DL Stint

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 11, 2011

American League

With all the hubbub over bean-ball between Boston and New York, the Tampa Bay Rays have managed to quietly stay just behind the two leaders of the AL East, in third place, two games behind the Yankees and four back of the Red Sox.

Ben Zobrist

After being shut out in Baltimore Friday night, the Rays struck back with a 7-5, 11-inning win over the O's on Saturday.

Of 15 hits collected by the Rays, four each came off the bats of Casey Kotchman and Ben Zobrist, and, while Kotchman drove in a pair of runs, Zobrist made the most of his three doubles and one single, scoring four times, including the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th.

His three two-baggers giving him 20 on the year, Zobrist is tied with Carlos Quentin of the White Sox for third in the AL, behind Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez, both of whom have 21.

National League

Chase Utley

The Phillies managed to maintain their two-game lead over the Braves in the NL East with a 7-1 home win over the Cubs, as Cliff Lee turned in one of his better performances of the season and Chase Utley, recently returned from the DL, went 2-for-5 with a double and his second home run of the year - a two-run shot - driving in four of Philadelphia's seven runs.

Cliff Lee

Utley's return to form has been a gradual one, though he seems to be coming around just fine, having hit safely in seven of his last eight games. With only 66 at-bats, his average is rising quickly, up to a fairly pedestrian .242, though just a week ago, it was at .195.

As for Lee, who improved to 6-5, he stymied the Cubs on four hits, issuing a pair of walks while striking out seven over eight innings, giving up one harmless run in the 3rd inning. With some hitting support, Lee's record could be better, as his ERA is a solid 3.41, to go with a 1.21 WHIP.

JETER 3000 WATCH: Going 0-for-5 in NY's 4-0 win over Cleveland, Jeter remains nine hits short of the 3000 plateau and with just five games remaining on the current home stand, may not get to the mark in front of Yankee fans.

The Yanks have two more against the Indians and then a three=game series with the Rangers before heading off to Chicago, then Cincinnati, for a pair of three-game, interleague series.

Reds Errors, Chase Utley Give Phillies 2-0 Lead in NLDS; Rick Ankiel Gets Braves Even with Giants

Players of the Day for Friday, October 8, 2010

National League

Cincinnati seemed to have everything going their way as they tried to even the NLDS with the Phillies after dropping Game 1 on Thursday. Cruising into the bottom of the 5th inning with a 4-0 lead, Brandon Arroyo had kept the Phillies in check and seemed to be in control.

And then the errors began. Brandon Phillips couldn't handle a Shane Victorino grounder. Same for Scott Rolen on Placido Polanco's ground ball to third. All of a sudden, the bases were loaded for Chase Utley, who delivered a single that plated two runs.

It got worse. In the sixth, Arroyo walked Jayson Werth and was relieved by Arthur Rhodes, who plunked Carlos Ruiz. Then Logan Ondrusek hit Ben Francisco on the bill of his batter's helmet, loading the bases, setting up a walk to Victorino that made the score 4-3. No hits, two walks, two hit batsmen and a run.

In the 7th, it all came apart. Utley Walked. Werth reached on a fielder's choice, Ytley advancing to second. Jimmy Rollins laced a drive to right center that Jay Bruce lost in the lights. Utley scored. Phillips bobbled the relay throw and Werth scored. Rollins advanced to third on Raul Ibanez's single and scored on a fielder's choice to short by Carlos Ruiz. The lead was gone. The Phillies led 6-4.

Philadelphia added another run in the 8th, Ryan Madsen and Brad Lidge mopped up from the mound and the Phillies took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series with a 7-4 win in which only two of the Philly runs were earned as the Reds committed four errors.

The Phillies had no extra base hits, but Utley finished 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a stolen base.

The series heads to Cincinnati on Sunday at 7:07 pm, where the Phillies hope to finish the proceedings, while the Reds search for a win.

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Rick Ankiel blasted a homer into McCovey's Cove, capping an improbable Atlanta comeback that evened the series with San Francisco at a game apiece.

The Braves rallied from a 4-0 Giants' lead with a run in the 6th and three more in the 8th to send the game to extra innings, setting the stage for Ankiel's 11th-inning solo shot.

Ankiel, playing center field, went 2-for-5 on the night, his one big hit providing the margin of victory in the 5-4 Atlanta win. The former pitcher, turned slugger, joined the Braves on August 1, coming over from Kansas City to provide more offense, and on Friday night, the move proved out.

Game three of the NLDS best-of-five will be played in Atlanta, Sunday, at 4:37 pm ET.

There were no games in the American League, where the Yankees and Rangers hold 2-0 leads over the Twins and rays, respectively. Games 3 will be played on Saturday, with the Rays hosted by the Rangers at 5:07 pm ET and the Twins visiting Yankee stadium at 8:37 pm ET.

Sabathia Stops A's on One Hit; Utley Slams, Drives in Six for Phillies

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 2, 2010 American League When the Yankees have C.C. Sabathia on the hill at home, there are no worries. The big man has owned every team he's faced from his high position since the middle of last season. Oakland came forth in an attempt to knock the king from his throne, but came up empty, as Sabathia won his 16th straight decision from the Yankee Stadium bump. The only hitter to have any success was second baseman Mark Ellis, whose single in the 2nd inning proved to be the only hit any Oakland batter would have on the day. Sabathia, boosted to a lead courtesy of two Curtis Granderson homers, steamrolled through the A's for eight innings, walking three and striking out five for his 19th win of the season against five losses. Jonathan Albaladejo came on in the 9th and mopped up, without allowing a hit. In 21 starts, Sabathia has not lost at Yankee Stadium since the 2009 all star break and currently leads the majors in wins. The 5-0 win increased New York's AL East lead over idle Tampa Bay to a contentious 1 1/2 games. National League With an assist from the NY Mets - who beat the Braves, 4-2 - the Phillies picked up a game on the NL East leaders with a scary 12-11 victory at Colorado. The Phillies were down, 6-3, entering the 7th inning, but they erupted for seven runs, five of which were accounted for by Chase Utley, who singled home Placido Polanco with the first score of the inning and later smacked a grand slam off Rockies' reliever Matt Raynolds, the fifth of seven pitchers used by Colorado. Utley knocked in a run with a sac fly in the 5th, bringing home Joe Blanton from third, and finished the night 2-for-5 with six RBI. The home run, his 12th of the year, was Utley's first since returning from the disabled list on August 17. The Phillies, who have won three straight, cut a game off Atlanta's lead in the division and trail by just two games. NOTES: Two races worth watching are the AL Central, where Minnesota clings to a 3 1/2 game lead over the White Sox, and the NL West, which looked to be sewn up by the Padres until recently, as they have dropped seven straight. The Giants have become the main beneficiary of the Pardes' sudden collapse, now behind by just three games, and leading the wild card chase as well. San Francisco is in an enviable position.

Phillies Force Series Back to Bronx for Game 6

Players of the Day for Monday, November 2, 2009 Philadelphia Phillies 8, NY Yankees 6 Chase Utley socked a three-run homer in the first inning off Yankee starter A.J. Burnett and launched a solo shot in the 7th - his 5th home run of the series, tying him with Reggie Jackson for the most all-time in a series - as the Phillies took Game 5 by an 8-6 score, sending the World Series back to New York for Game 6. The anticipated pitcher's duel between Burnett and Philly starter Cliff Lee never materialized as the Yankees struck for a run in the first inning when Derek Jeter scampered home from first base on Alex Rodriguez' RBI double. After Utley's first blast gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead, Phillies batters added three more in the third off RBI singles by Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez and a fielder's choice ground out by catcher Carlos Ruiz. Burnett was chased from the mound, never recording an out in the 3rd inning, officially tagged with all 6 earned runs on 4 hits and 4 walks. Lee fared better, eventually being lifted in the 8th after allowing a 2-RBI double by Rodriguez with no outs in the inning. Lee finished with 5 earned runs on 7 hits and 3 walks, but did earn the win, his second of the series, without a loss. The series now shift back to New York for Game 6 on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:57 pm ET. Andy Pettitte gets the nod for the Yankees, against Pedro Martinez for the Phillies. The Yankees had the best home record in the majors during the regular season (57-24); the Phillies were tied with the LA Angels for the best road record in the majors at 48-33.

Lee, Utley, Too Much for Yankees

Players of the Day for Wednesday. October 28, 2009 Philadelphia Phillies 6 NY Yankees 1 Game 1 of the 2009 World Series went to the reigning champion Phillies, even though they were playing on the challenger's field. Cliff Lee was virtually untouchable, stopping the Yankees cold on 6 hits while twirling a complete game and striking out 10 without issuing a walk. Lee, matched against former Cleveland Indian teammate C.C. Sabathia, proved the master, blanking the Yankees over the first 8 innings of the game. The one run scored was harmless and unearned. After Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon stroked back-to-back singles to start the 9th, Mark Teixeira lashed a shot up the middle, handled by second baseman Chase Utley, who flipped to Jimmy Rollins, forcing Damon. Rollins threw wildly to first, however, allowing Jeter to score and Teixeira to stand at second. Lee (left) calmly struck ut the next two batters - Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada - to end the game as he had started it, completely in control. Utley (right) stroked two solo homers - one in the 3rd and one in the 6th - to nearly the same spot in right field to give the Phillies an early lead. Once Sabathia departed, the Phillies tacked on 2 runs in the 8th and 2 more in the 9th. The win erases home field advantage for the Yankees and sets up a nearly must-win condition for New York, as they prepare to face an old nemesis - Pedro Martinez - who will start game 2 for the Phillies. Losing two straight at home to begin a series is the kiss of death, especially since the following three games are played in the opponent's stadium. A.J. Burnett will be on the mound for the Yankees. Game time is 7:57 pm EDT.

Mauer, Twins Maul ChiSox; Utley Stars for Phillies

Players of the Day for Thursday, May 21, 2009 American League After dropping the first two of their three-game series at Chicago, the Minnesota Twins were determined not to be swept, and as starter Nick Blackburn rolled through 7 innings of shutout ball (4 hits, 3 BB, 2 Ks), the Twins set to work building an insurmountable lead. By the time Blackburn had proven his mastery over the White Sox lineup, Joe Mauer and the Twins put up 20 runs, easily their most productive single game of the season. Mauer, taking a break from catching duties at DH, doubled twice, hit a grand slam home run and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, amassing 6 RBI to up his season total to 24 and boost his major league best batting average to an astonishing .417. The White Sox did finally get a single run in the bottom of the 8th, and even that was unearned, making the 20-1 thumping not much more comforting. Mauer, widely regarded as the AL's best catcher and one of the top hitters in either league, is well on his way to another outstanding season both behind and aside the plate. He's already led the league in batting twice - in 2006 (.347) and 2008 (.328) - and he's well on his way to doing it again in 2009. National League With Florida losing and the Mets getting a night off, Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies made the most of it, battering the Cincinnati pitching staff for 14 hits and 5 walks in a 12-5 road win. Utley, one of the game's most under-appreciated players, singled, doubled and homered in 4 at-bats, driving in 4 runs and scoring twice. Often in the shadow of Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard, Utley is quietly hitting a solid .295 with 30 RBI and 11 home runs. The Phillies lead the Mets by 1 1/2 games in the contentious NL East.

Hamels, Utley Lead Phillies to 3-2 Game 1 Win

Players of the Day from Wednesday, October 22, 2008 World Series Game 1: Phillies 3 Rays 2 Cole Hamels (L) pitched 7 strong innings, and Chase Utley (R) socked a 2-run, first inning home run to enable the Philadelphia Phillies to take Game 1 of the 2008 World Series by a 3-2 score over the Tampa Bay Rays. Hamels, now 4-0 in the postseason, allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out 5. After Utley staked him to a 2-0 lead, and catcher Carlos Ruiz grounded out in the 4th inning, scoring Shane Victorino, Hamels gave up a solo homer to Carl Crawford in the bottom of the 4th and surrendered another run on Akinori Iwamura's double in the fifth which plated Jason Bartlett. But that was all the Rays could muster as Hamels held Tampa Bay hitless through the sixth and seventh before giving way to Ryan Madson, who pitched a perfect 8th inning. Brad Lidge struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced in the 9th, ending the game on a Crawford popup outside the third base foul line. With the Game 1 victory in hand, the Phillies will try to take game 2 with Brett Myers on the mound, facing the Rays' James Shields. Game time is set for 8:29 pm EDT. Notes: The Phillies stranded 11, and were 0-11 with runners in scoring position. Much of the problem starts and ends with the plate troubles of Ryan Howard, who led the majors in home runs and RBI in the regular season, but seems more confused with every at-bat. Howard has just 3 RBI in 10 post-season games. He was 0-for-4 in Game 1. Free Tacos: Jason Bartlett stole second base to ensure that everyone in America would be eligible for a free taco on Tuesday, October 28, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 local time at any Taco Bell location. After Bartlett swiped his bag, Utley stole two and Jayson Werth stole another for the Phillies.

Phillies' 6th Inning Uprising Tops Dodgers, 3-2

Players of the Day from Thursday, October 9, 2008 National League Chase Utley (L) pounded a 6th-inning Derek Lowe offering into the right-center field stands, tying the Dodgers at two before Pat Burrell (R) followed with a solo shot for the lead as the Phillies topped the Dodgers, 3-2, in the opener of the NL Championship Series. Phillies' starter Cole Hamels worked 7 innings, allowing a pair of runs while fanning 8. Ryan Madsen allowed a hit in the 8th, and Brad Lidge threw a perfect 9th for the save. Game Two is Friday afternoon at 4:35 PM ET in Philadelphia

Yanks Help Rays Clinch East; Howard, Utley Get Phillies to Within One

Players of the Day from Friday, September 26, 2008 National League Philadelphia improved to within one win of clinching the NL East as Ryan Howard and Chase Utley provided nearly all of the offense in the Phillies 8-4 victory over the Washington Nationals. Howard cracked a three-run homer (his major league-leading 48th) in the first inning and doubled home Utley in the 2nd. Utley powered home 3 runs with his second inning double and scored 3 times, including the final run of the game, scampering home from third on a passed ball. Utley also singled twice and stole his 14th base. The win, coupled with the Mets 6-1 loss to Florida, left the Phillies staring at the NL East pennant. One more win or a single Mets loss will clinch. As for the Mets, with two games left, they now need help in the form of Philly or Milwaukee losses. The Brewers topped the Cubs, 5-1, and now lead the wild card race by one game. Milwaukee can force at least a playoff with a win in either of their last two games vs. the Cubs. Ben Sheets will start for the Brewers on Saturday. Notes: If the Brewers are the wild card, the LA Dodgers would begin the NLDS at Chicago and Milwaukee would travel to the NL East champion site, either the Phillies or Mets, though the Mets could only win the division if Philly loses their last two games and the Mets win a single-game playoff. The Nationals' loss on Friday was their 100th of the season, tops in the NL. Seattle leads the majors in futility with a 59-101 record. American League The Rays can thank Yankee Robinson Cano for helping them clinch the AL East. In a night which saw the four remaining playoff contenders all lose, the Red Sox were relegated to wild card status as Boston was pounded by the Yankees, 19-8. Cano singled, doubled twice and provided a sac fly in five at-bats, driving in five runs. New York hammered six Boston pitchers for 20 hits, including 6 doubles and 3 homers. With both Minnesota and Chicago losing, the Central division is still up for grabs. The Twins hold a 1/2 game lead over the White Sox. Minnesota has two games remaining at home against the Royals. Chicago is home for two games against Cleveland. If necessary, the White Sox would play Detroit on Monday, making up a postponed game from earlier in September. Notes: With the Rays backing into the AL East title, most of the layout for the playoffs is set. Because the wild card - Boston - is also in the East, they cannot play the Rays in the opening round, so Boston will travel to LA to face the Angels and the Rays will host the eventual AL Central winner.

Markakis Rakes for O's'; Utley Drives in 6 in Philly's 20-run Outburst

Players of the Day from Monday, May 27, 2008 American League First, Nick Markakis kept the O's and Yankees deadlocked at 0-0, rifling a strike to the plate to nail Johnny Damon in the third inning. Later, in the sixth, he broke the scoreless tie with a solo home run, and in the seventh, he singled home another run and later scored on Aubrey Huff's 3-run homer.

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The Orioles snapped their five game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the Yankees. With the win, Baltimore escaped last place, for now. They are just 1/2 game better than the Yankees, but the two teams play twice more on Tuesday and Wednesday. Notes: At the other end of the AL East standings, the Tampa Bay Rays retained the top spot over Boston by 1/2 game, downing the Rangers, 7-3, while the Red Sox were beating Seattle, 5-3. The Rays have won 4 straight, and, at 31-20, have the best record in the majors. National League The Phillies took it to the Rockies, 20-5, on Monday, with Chase Utley leading the charge with 6 RBI. Utley smacked his 16th home run in the first inning, tying him for the NL lead with Lance Berkman and Dan Uggla. The three-run shot complemented his two RBI singles and a ground out that drove in another run. Utley also scored twice and stole his fifth base of the season. Notes: Two other players registered big numbers for the Phillies. Pedro Feliz went 4-fot-6 and drove in 4 runs. Catcher Chris Coste singled, doubled and homered in 6 at-bats, also collecting 4 RBI.

Thome's Hits Bash Rays; Utley's Homer Help Phils Past Mets

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 20, 2008 American League Jim Thome singled twice, doubled and homered in 5 at-bats, driving in 3 runs and scoring twice in Chicago's 6-0 win over Tampa Bay. While Thome was doing his thing at the plate, starting pitcher John Danks limited the Rays to 3 hits over 8 innings, striking out 8 without walking a batter. His record improved to 2-1. National League Pedro Feliz homered in the bottom of the seventh to break a 4-4 tie as the Phillies topped the Mets, 5-4, but it was Chase Utley who made it all possible, going 3-for-3 with a pair of homers and 4 RBI. Utley, known to teammates as "the Machine" leads the majors with 8 homers and his 17 RBI is good for 4th place in the NL.

Sweeps Week: Yankees, Angels, Phillies turn up the heat

American League Boston 0 NY Yankees 5 - Chien-Ming Wang threw a no-hitter for six innings, finished with a 1-hit shutout over 7, and Robinson Cano belted a pair of solo home runs off Boston starter Curt Schilling, as the Yankees completed their sweep of the first-place Red Sox. New York trails Boston by five games in the AL East and also took over the lead in the wild card race as Seattle lost their 6th straight. The Yankees lead Seattle by one and Detroit by 3 games in the wild card standings. Wang (right) joined Boston's Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield, and the Angels' John Lackey atop the AL wins list with 16. Wang is 16-6. Seattle 5 Cleveland 6 - Cleveland won their 6th straight and maintained their 4 1/2-game lead in the AL Central, sending Seattle in the other direction, with their 6th straight loss. The Mariners are now finding new ways to lose, as reliever Rick White walked Kenny Lofton with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, forcing home Jesse Barfield with the winning run. The Mariners were swept at home by the first place LA Angels earlier in the week. Tampa Bay 8 Baltimore 6 - And speaking of losing, the Baltimore Orioles have not recovered from their 30-3 drubbing by the Texas Rangers on August 22. Since then, they've lost 8 more, putting their losing streak at nine games. During the stretch, the O's have been outscored 97-38. Other AL Scores Detroit 6 Kansas City 1 Chi White Sox 1 Texas 5 National League NY Mets 10 Philadelphia 11 - Chase Utley (right) knocked in Tadahito Iguchi from 2nd base in the bottom of the 9th inning to complete the Phillies' 4-game sweep of the Mets and close to within 2 games of first place in the NL East. Pat Burrell homered twice and Aaron Rowand and Ryan Howard also left the yard. For Howard, his 1st inning 2-run shot was his 36th and boosted his NL-best RBI total to 110. Milwaukee 4 Chi Cubs 5 - The Cubs took the rubber game of their 3-game series with Milwaukee and moved ahead by 2 1/2 games in the NL Central.

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Alfonso Soriano hit his first home run since returning from the DL three days ago - his 19th. Arizona 8 San Diego 7 - Third baseman Mark Reynolds drove in 5 runs with a single, double and a 2-run homer as the Diamondbacks reclaimed first place in the NL West. Arizona had lost three straight to the Padres, and nearly blew an 8-0 lead in this one, as San Diego scored 3 in the 7th, 3 in the 8th and 1 in the ninth on Milton Bradley's solo homer. Closer Jose Valverde gave up the Bradley homer, but struck out the side to earn his MLB-best 41st save. Other NL Scores St. Louis 1 Houston 2 Cincinnati 5 Pittsburgh 4

Lackey blanks Mariners; Utley returns to menace Mets

American League Minnesota 3 Cleveland 8 - The Indians put a stamp on their season with a signature win over the Twins, improving their record against Central division teams to 32-20. Paul Byrd improved to 13-5 and Victor Martinez sparked the offense with a 2-run homer (20) in the 3rd inning. The Indians retained their 2 1/2 game lead over Detroit and sunk the Twins back to 6 1/2 out in the division. LA Angels 6 Seattle 0 - John Lackey (right) owns the Seattle Mariners. The veteran righty set the tone for the showdown in the AL West with a complete-game, 7-hit shutout over the Mariners, matching his July 31 effort - an 8-0 win at Seattle. Lackey improved to 16-8 while fanning 5 without walking a batter. Garret Anderson provided all the offense needed with a 2nd inning solo homer and a two-run double in the third. The Angels lead Seattle by 3 games in the division. NY Yankees 0 Detroit 16 - Justin Verlander (14-5) blanked the Yankees on 3 hits over 7 innings while his teammates were pounding his mound counterpart, Mike Mussina, scoring 6 runs on 9 hits over the first 3 innings. For Mussina, who will turn 39 in December, it was his third straight troubling outing and the signs that something's missing are apparent. Over his last three starts, he's managed to last a total of only 9 2/3 innings, allowing 25 hits and 19 earned runs. He's walked five batters and stuck out only 3 over that span as his ERA has ballooned from 4.50 to 5.53. His only wins over contending teams were a pair of 7 2/3 inning games against Arizona and Cleveland and he's lasted 5 innings or less in 9 of his 23 starts. Possibly the most telling stat is his strikeout to walk ratio, which, over his entire career, has been 3.54-1. This season, that's slipped to 2.62-1. The arm is obviously tired and the Yankees are pondering whether to take Mussina out of the rotation and onto the DL, put him in the bullpen or release him outright. None of the options are good as the Yankees fall further out of the playoff picture and are in need of quality starts. The Bombers are 8 games behind the Red Sox and begin a three-game series with them tonight. They are still chasing Seattle for the wild card spot, 2 games back with Detroit another game behind them. Other AL Scores Tampa Bay 4 Chi White Sox 5 Toronto 6 Oakland 2, 12 innings National League NY Mets 2 Philadelphia 9 - Chase Utley (right) returned from a month on the DL just in time to make the Mets miserable. The gritty second baseman, who was sidelined with a broken finger, rapped his 18th home run, singled, doubled and drove in 2 runs to get the Phillies off to a flying start in their four-game showdown series with the first-place Mets. The win put the Phillies 5 games behind New York and 3 games behind San Diego in the wild card race. Arizona 1 San Diego 3 - The Padres aren't ready to concede anything to the Diamondbacks and apparently don't want to settle for a wild card spot in the playoffs. Jake Peavy (15-5) allowed just three hits over 7 innings, one of them a solo homer by Eric Byrnes, striking out 11 to extend his NL-best K total to 197. Geoff Blum stroked a 2-run homer in the 7th inning and Milton Bradley added a solo shot in the 8th for all of the Padres' runs. San Diego trails Arizona by 2 games in the division and host the D-Backs for 3 more games through Thursday. Other NL Scores Atlanta 13 Florida 2 - B. McCann, GS HR (16) Washington 4 LA Dodgers 5 Colorado 1 San Francisco 4