Rookie Yordan Alvarez Leads Houston Rout Of O's; Reds' Aristides Aquino Powers Reds Over Cubs

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 10, 2019

American League

Aquino: 3-4, 3 HR, 7 RBI

Recently, the Houston Astros had been bolstering its pitching staff, adding Zack Greinke, Aaron Sanchez, and others, comfortable in the belief that they needed no extra bats.

That concept was verified on Saturday, when the Astros teed off on Baltimore pitchers for 25 hits in a 23-2 wipeout.

Sanchez picked up his second win in a Houston uniform, allowing one run on three hits over five innings. Meanwhile, the Astros' regulars were building a ridiculous lead, scoring nine times in the first three innings, eventually scoring in every inning except the fourth and eighth.

At the peak of Houston's batting barrage was rookie first baseman, Yordan Alvarez, who socked a trio of home runs, including a seventh inning grand slam.

Alvarez totaled seven RBI for the game with a solo home run in the first inning and a two-run blast in the ninth. He also walked and scored in the fifth.

This offensive explosion by the 22-year-old was not exactly unexpected. Alvarez has been a hitting machine since being called up in early June. In just 167 at-bats, Alvarez has socked 17 home runs and driven in 51 runs. His batting average is a stratospheric .353. 31 of his 59 hits have been for extra bases.

Houston, winners of eight straight, will be seeking a sweep of the Orioles when they take the field Sunday, 1:05 pm ET. At 77-40, the Astros have the best record in the majors and lead the AL West by 11 games over Oakland.

National League

Aquino: record-setting start

Cincinnati has been a second-tier team nearly all season, hanging at or near the bottom of the NL Central.

Recently, however, the Reds have caught a little fire, going 10-4, including two straight over the division-leading Cubs.

Opening the home series with a 12-5 loss, the Reds battled to a 5-2 win on Friday and dominated Chicago, 10-1, on Saturday.

Although their record is 56-59, the Reds find themselves just six games back in the division, which is certainly the most competitive in the majors.

Saturday's win was fueled by Aristides Aquino's personal home run derby, as the rookie outfielder swatted three solo home runs, one each in the second, third and fourth innings.

The first two belts were laser shots to left - 344 and 385 feet, respectively - but his fourth inning rip was a no-doubter, measuring 452 feet over the center field wall at Great American Ball Park.

Aquino became just the second player in MLB history to homer seven times in his first ten games, tying Trevor Story's record with the Rockies in 2016.

Aquino also joined Eric Davis as the only Cincinnati rookie to homer in four straight games. Davis did it in 1984. Aquino wears the same number as Davis, 44. At 6'4, 220, Aquino is an imposing figure at the plate. He's batting .464 (10-for-28), with 13 RBI.

The Reds will try to maintain their momentum when the wrap up the four-game series with the Cubs on Sunday. Game time is 1:10 pm ET.

Scooter Gennet Stays Hot, Leads Reds Past Miami; Mookie Betts Powers Red Sox To AL East Crown

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 20, 2018

American League

Betts: 4-for-5, HR, 5 RBI

Clinching the AL East at the home of their long-standing rival, the Boston Red Sox took charge late in the concluding game of their series in New York, topping the Yankees, 11-6.

Mookie Betts was at his very best after the Red Sox dropped the first two games of the series. Betts, who leads the AL in batting with a .339 average. Teammate J.D. Martinez is second at .331. The two are the leading candidates for AL MVP.

The Red Sox leadoff hitter singled, doubled twice and concluded a 4-for-5 effort by rapping his 30th home run with two aboard off Yankee reliever Aroldis Chapman in the seventh inning. Betts scored three times and drove in five runs.

With the best record in the majors (104-49), the Red Sox are assured of home field advantage throughout their playoff run. The 104 wins ties the franchise record, but Boston still has nine games left to play. It's the third straight division title for Boston, which has held onto first place in the division since July 2.

For the Yankees, the loss hurt. They're clinging to a 1 1/2-game lead over the Oakland A's in the wild card after the A's banged out 22 hits in a 21-3 win over the Angles (no, that's not a football score).

In a potential league championship preview, Boston heads to Cleveland Friday for a three-game series. The Yankees host Baltimore and Oakland welcomes in the Twins. Houston, with a 3 1/2 game lead over the A's in the West, is home for a three-game series with the Angels.

National League

Gennett: 2-for-3, HR, 4RBI

There was limited action in the National League on Thursday, the only impactful game being Atlanta's 8-3 victory at Philadelphia and the Mets' 5-4, 12-inning triumph over Washington.

Those results left the Braves with a seemingly unassailable 6 1/2-game lead in the NL East over the Phillies, with the Nationals nearly eliminated, eight games out with just nine to play. The magic number for the Braves to clinch the division is four. Theirs is the largest lead in the National League.

In Miami, Scooter Gennett did his part to keep heat on Milwaukee's Christian Yelich as the two vie for the batting title. Gennett drove in all four runs in the Reds' 4-2 victory with a double and home run in three at-bats.

The Cincy second baseman drove in a pair of runs in the second with his double to left field and knocked in two more in the seventh inning with his 23rd home run. Like Yelich, Gennett is much more than a high-average singles hitter. His 92 RBI is among the league's leaders. He's tied at #10 with Atlanta's Freddie Freeman and Philadelphia's Rhys Hoskins. Yelich has 93.

Gennett trails Yelich by the barest of margins. He's at .318, Yelich has a .319 average.

All 15 NL teams will be in action Friday through Sunday with pennant races in each division and wild cards still up for grabs.

Reds, Scooter Gennett Wreck Dodgers, 10-6; Gary Sanchez Powers Yankees Past Twins

Players of the Day for Monday, September 10, 2018

American League

Sanchez: 3-for-5, HR, RBI

J.A. Happ blanked the Twins for six innings and Gary Sanchez went 3-for-5 with his second home run since returning from the DL as the Yankees moved closer to the post-season with a 7-2 win at Minnesota.

Sanchez broke a scoreless tie with his 16th home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning, then singled and scored as the Yankees piled on six runs in the seventh. The Yankee catcher doubled in the eighth, but was left stranded along with Giancarlo Stanton, who had walked before him, when Greg Bird, the only Yankee regular without a hit, struck out to end the inning.

The win kept New York three games ahead of the Oakland A's in the wild card hunt. The A's had the day off and are in control of the second position, 7 1/2 games better than Tampa Bay and Seattle.

New York also has faint hopes of catching the Red Sox in the East division. Boston was idle on Monday and leads the race by eight games.

Game two of the Yankees' series in Minnesota is Tuesday, 8:00 pm EDT.  New York is 5-0 against the Twins this season.

National League

Gennett's .320 leads NL

Taking control of the National League batting race, Scooter Gennett lashed four singles, drove in three runs and scored twice, guiding the Cincinnati Reds to a 10-6 victory over the visiting LA Dodgers.

Gennett, in a fight for what could be his first batting title, broke away from Milwaukee's Christian Yellich, who went 1-for-4 in the Brewers' 3-2 win over the Cubs. Yellich is batting .315. Gennett's four hits raised his average to .320, tops in the league.

While Gennett was beating up LA hurlers, the Dodgers watched their playoff hopes diminish slightly as the Cardinals came from behind to defeat the Pirates, 8-7, putting them two games up on the Dodgers in the second spot of the wild card race. Colorado thumped Arizona, 13-2, extending its NL West lead to 1 1/2 games over LA. Third place Arizona is 3 1/2 off the pace.

Monday's contest was the first of a three-game series in Cincinnati. Game two is Tuesday at 6:40 pm EDT. The Dodgers have lost all five games with the Reds this season.

Jose Peraza Goes 4-for-5, Leads Reds Over Brewers, 9-7; Nick Martini Paces A's Win Over Astros With 9th Inning Double

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 28, 2018

American League

Martini: Game-winning 2B

The most important game of the day was the second in a three game series between the A's and Astros at Houston.

Nick Martini, hitless in for at bats, drove a ground rule double into the right-center field stands, driving home Ramon Laureano with what turned out to be the game-winning run in a 5-4 triumph for the Athletics.

With one out in the inning, Laureano walked and moved to second on Jonathan Lucroy's single. After Martini's double, he and Lucroy were left stranded on second and third. Blake Treinen needed just 10 pitches in the bottom of the ninth to earn his 33rd save. Treinen is third on the AL saves list, behind Seattle's Edwin Diaz (50) and Boston's Craig Kimbrel (37).

Martini, a true rookie with just 38 games under his belt, was in the leadoff spot. He's batting .260 in 10 at-bats.

The Oakland win shaved Houston's lead in the division to 1 1/2 games over the A's and seven over Seattle. Game three of the series starts Wednesday at 2:10 pm EDT.

Elsewhere, the Indians increased their major-league-best lead in the AL Central to 14 games with a 8-1 victory over the second place Twins in Cleveland.

Peraza: 4-for-5, 4R, 2RBI

National League

Taking a step backwards, the Milwaukee Brewers dropped a 9-7 decision at Cincinnati, losing half a game to the NL Central front-running Cubs (suspended game, tied at 1-1, 10th inning with the Mets) and a full game behind the Cardinals.

While the final score was close, the game was more of a rout by the Reds, as Cincinnati put up six runs in the first two innings, before Milwaukee finally got on the board in the fourth.

Christian Yelich rocked a pair of homers - his 24th and 25th - and drove in five runs for the Brewers, but his effort fell short of catching the Reds and shortstop Jose Peraza, who was 4-for-5 with three singles and a two-run, first-inning home run, scoring four times and driving in a pair.

Peraza's homer was his ninth. He has 44 RBI on the season and is batting .293.

The Reds are completely out of contention in the NL central, trailing Chicago by 21 games, but the Brewers need all the wins they can get. They trail Chicago by 5 1/2. The Cardinals are four games out and hold the top wild card spot. Milwaukee has the second spot, barely. They lead Colorado and Arizona by 1/2-game, the Dodgers by 1 1/2, and Philadelphia by 2 1/2.

The Brewers were in first place at the all star break but have tailed off, going 18-17 since the midsummer classic. Game two of their series in Cincinnati is slated for a 7:10 pm EDT start on Wednesday.

Texas Rookie Ronald Guzman Bombs Yankees With 3 HRs; Reds' Anthony DeSclafani Stymies Diamondbacks

Players of the Day for Friday, August 10, 2018

American League

Guzman: 3HRs vs. Yanks

No rookie has ever hit three homers in a game against the New York Yankees ...until now.

23-year-old first baseman, Ronald Guzman, accomplished the feat on Friday, helping lift the Texas Rangers to a 12-7 victory after dropping the opener of their four-game series, 7-3.

Guzman socked two homers off Masahiro Tanaka and one off A.J. Cole as the Rangers piled up 14 hits. Guzman's homers were all of the solo variety. He has 12 HRs on the season, to go with 46 RBI and a .245 batting average.

His second homer off Tanaka sent the Yankee hurler to the showers and his third loss against nine wins.

Elvis Andrus, who had his career-best 19-game hitting streak broken in Thursday's loss, went 4-for-5 with three RBI.

The Yanks trail the Red Sox by nine games in the AL East. Texas remained in last place in the West, despite going 10-4 since July 27.

Game three is on tap for Saturday, 1:05 pm EDT at Yankee Stadium.

National League

DeSclafani: 7IP, 3H, 0ER

The Reds aren't likely to make the playoffs this season, but they are in a position to play spoiler as 11 of the league's 15 teams contend for three division pennants and two wild card spots. Along with the Reds, only the Mets, Marlins and Padres have little to no post-season aspirations.

On Friday, Cincinnati pushed back against the Diamondbacks with a 3-0 win at Great American Ball Park to open a three-game set, leaving Arizona and the LA Dodgers tied for first place in the NL West.

Anthony DeSclafani tossed seven innings of shutout ball, improving to 6-3 on the year and 26-23 lifetime, allowing three hits and no walks, fanning nine.

DeSclafani also singled in the seventh and scored on a throwing error by Arizona's Clay Buckholtz on a Billy Hamilton bunt. The 28-year-old right-hander started the eighth, but was lifted after Steven Souza, Jr. singled to lead off the inning. DeSclafani gave up singles in the first and fourth innings, setting down the side in order in the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, throwing 63 of 94 pitches for strikes.

Game two of the series is scheduled for a 6:40 pm EDT start in Cincinnati.

Aaron Hicks Socks 3 HRs, Yankees Rout Red Sox; Jose Peraza's Grand Slam Leads Reds

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 1, 2018

Hicks: 3-4, 3 HR, 4 RBI

American League

Blowout weekend continued at Yankee Stadium Sunday, as the Yankees took the rubber game of their three-game series with the Red Sox, 11-1. The victory came after the Yanks took the opener, 8-1, on Friday, and the Red Sox returned the favor with an 11-0 win on Saturday.

Aaron Hicks delivered the good for New York in this one. After Aaron Judge sent a solo shot into Monument Park and Galyber Torres smacked a three-run homer in the first, Hicks socked a two-run shot in the second inning for a 6-0 Yankee lead.

Hicks added to Boston's pain with solo homers in the fourth and eighth innings, finishing the game at 3-for-4 with four RBI. A part-time player, Hicks has 14 homers and 38 RBI in 64 games.

The series ended, nothing was settled. Boston and New York remain deadlocked atop the AL East.

Boston heads to Washington to open a three-game series with the Nationals on Monday. The Yankees welcome in the Braves. Game one is Monday, 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Peraza: Grand Slam

For a last-place team, the Cincinnati Reds aren't exactly what one would expect. In fact, teams should be wary of the Reds, winners of 11 of their last 14, steadily gaining ground on the other NL Central squads.

Possessing one of the more dangerous lineups in the majors, the Reds have been slugging their way through the schedule of late, the most recent victim, Milwaukee, from whom Cincinnati took two of four, including Sunday's 8-2 drubbing.

Getting the Reds on the board early was leadoff hitter Jose Peraza, who doubled and scored in the first, as the Reds built a 3-0 lead. In the sixth, Peraza put the game away with a grand slam, upping the edge for Cincinnati to 8-0.

Peraza is not a power hitter. He has five homers and 27 RBI on the season, but he's scored 47 runs from his leadoff position.

The Reds will be looking to extend their solid play when they open a three-game series with the visiting White Sox. Game one is slated for a 7:10 pm EDT start, Monday.

Reds, DeSclafani Slam Cubs; Mike Leake Hurls M's Past Red Sox; Yankees' Sudden Slump

Apologies for the nearly month-and-a-half break, but personal matters (allergies, work, etc.) were overwhelming. Baseball on Deck will now return to its usual posting schedule.

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 23, 2018

American League

Leake: 8 scoreless

Seattle snapped a five-game losing streak with a 7-2 win at Boston Saturday, as Mariners' starter, Mike Leake, hurled eight innings of shutout ball before leaving after throwing 98 pitches. Reliever Edwin Diaz allowed two runs on three hits in the ninth, as the Sox spoiled the shutout.

Leake allowed just three hits and walked two, holding the Red Sox in check and in second place in the AL East, as the Yankees lost their second straight at Tampa Bay.

At 8-4, the 30-year-old, ten-year veteran is looking for his first winning season since 2015. That season he was 9-5 with the Reds and 2-5 with San Francisco for a combined 11-10 mark. Leake has been re-emergent this year with the Mariners, who continue to chase the Astros in the AL West. Seattle kept pace with the Astros after Houston defeated Kansas City, 4-3, in 12 innings. The Mariners trail the division-leading Astros by 3 1/2 games.

The Red Sox host the Mariners in the rubber game of their three-game series in Boston, Sunday, 1:05 pm EDT.


National League

DeSclafani: Grand Slam

Anthony DeSclafani socked a third-inning grand slam off Chicago reliever Brian Duensing as the Reds coasted to an 11-2 victory over the Cubs.

What made DeSclafani's slam the smash hit of the day was the fact that he was Cincinnati's starting pitcher, cruising through 6 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs, with three Ks. While DeSclafani did walk four, he managed to pitch out of trouble well enough to leave with a six-run lead in the seventh. Joey Votto tacked on the final three runs with his eighth home run, in the bottom of the eighth.

DeSclafani, who came off the 60-day disabled list on June 5 and had missed all of the regular season until that point, improved to 3-1, winning his third straight and sending the suddenly-hot Reds to their sixth straight.

DeSclafani's epic shot was the first grand slam hit by a Reds pitcher since Bob Purkey hit one against the Cubs on August 1, 1959.

The Reds are still bringing up the rear in the NL Central, but they've taken two straight from the Cubs, keeping Chicago two games behind division-leading Milwaukee, who lost, 3-2, to the Cardinals, thanks to a pair of Yadier Molina home runs.

The series finale is Sunday at 1:10 pm EDT in Cincinnati.


Yankees Suffering Through Slump

On Thursday, June 21, after the Yankees scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning in their 4-3 win over Seattle, completing the three-game sweep, New York fell into a deep slump, going 4-for-25 the rest of that game. That began a string of bad innings and plate appearances for the team that leads the AL in many offensive categories.

In game one at Tampa Bay on Friday, the slide deepened as six Tampa hurlers combined for a five-hit, one-run performance in a 2-1 Tampa Bay victory. The Rays held them to five hits in 31 at-bats, but that was just a prelude to Saturday’s 4-0 whitewash in which the Yankees managed four hits in 29 at-bats off four Tampa Bay throwers.

The Yanks have scored one run in the last 25 innings with a combined batting average of .153 (13-for-85), including their 4-for-29 Saturday sleepwalk. The two straight losses to Tampa Bay matches their longest losing streak of the season, a stat which is hard enough to believe, but they also haven’t homered in the past two games, a very un-Yankee-like trait.

Of course, there’s a simple explanation for the sudden lack of hitting by the Yanks. It’s called youth. The oldest starter for the Baby Bombers is outfielder Brett Gardner, who is 34. Austin Romine, who spells 25-year-old catcher Gary Sanchez, is 29. Every one of the regular starters, besides 33-year-old Neil Walker, who was 0-for-3 in Saturday’s shutdown, is no older than 28 (Didi Gregorious, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks).

Two of their starters, second baseman, Gleyber Torres, and third baseman, Miguel Andujar, are 21 and 23-year-old rookies, respectively. The pair was on fire until recently and, like all rookies, they were due to cool off.

Yankee fans have reason to be a little worried. Young teams usually don’t fare well in the second half of the season, but, considering how weak the rest of the AL East is - after Boston - the Yankees look like a lock to at least be a wild card. But, therein lies the problem. The Yankee post-season could be over in just one game due to the current playoff scheme that has the two wild card teams face off in a win-or-go-home showdown.

Making matters a little more of a concern is the schedule leading up to the all star break. The Yankees only have six more home games prior to July 15. Once they’re done in Tampa Sunday, they head to Philadelphia for a three-game series, then head home for three each with Boston and Atlanta, two of the best teams in the majors. Then, three in Toronto, four in Baltimore and four more in Cleveland to finish up the first half.

Scooter Gennett Leads Reds To Second Straight Win; Angels Take Game Two From Astros On Andrelton Simmons' 2 HRs

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 24, 2018

American League

Simmons: 3-4, 2HR, 5RBI

The two top teams in the West played game two of their series in Houston on Tuesday, as the Angels took their second straight over the Astros in an 8-7 victory, taking over first place in the division by 1/2-game.

After being blanked, 2-0, in game one, Houston found themselves in an immediate 2-0 hole after solo home runs by Mike Trout in the first and Andrelton Simmons in the second inning.

When Simmons legged out an infield single in the third, plating Martin Maldonado, LA led, 4-1, but the Astros came back in the fifth and sixth to forge a 5-4 advantage.

The Reds responded in the seventh. After Albert Pujols singled in a run to tie the game, Simmons mashed his second homer of the game, a three-run kill shot to left. Houston did managed to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but LA's bullpen held together for the slim win.

Simmons had a game to remember, going 3-for-5 with two homers, five RBI and two runs.

The Astros will be looking to avoid an embarrassing home sweep Wednesday when the two teams meet for game three, 2:10 pm EDT.

National League

Gennett: 3-5, 2HR, 4RBI

Cincinnati got off to an increbilry bad start to the 2018 season, going 3-18, but their bats have suddenly found new life against the Atlanta pitching staff, and they've won two straight, including Tuesday's 9-7, 12-inning epic.

The Braves sent seven different pitchers to the mound, but could not keep Reds' hitters at bay. Cincinnati banged out 12 hits, three of them coming off the bat of Scooter Gennett, who singled and homered twice, the second of which ended the game in the bottom of the 12th.

Doing his best impression of a one-man wrecking crew, Gennett singled and scored on a Freddie Freeman throwing error in the second, launched his first home run of the game in the fifth, drove in another run with a squeeze bunt in the seventh, and with teammate Joey Votto on first with no outs in the 12th inning, treated fans to the walk-off win with his second home run.

After playing four seasons in Milwaukee, Gennett really hit his stride in his first season with the Reds, batting .295 with 27 home runs and 97 RBI in 2017.

This season has been a slow start for him and the Reds. The two Tuesday homers were his first of the season, and he's driven in just 13 runs, despite a solid .287 batting average.

Cincy will be looking to make it three straight over the Braves when the two teams take the field Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. Game time is 6:40 pm EDT.

Grand Slam By Scooter Gennett Lifts Reds; Rougned Odor 2 HR Lead Ranger Rout Of White Sox

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 19, 2017

Odor: 2 HR, 5 RBI

American League

Rougned Odor led a 20-hit assault by the Texas Rangers, as they hammered the visiting White Sox, 17-7, in the third of their four-game series.

Odor belted two home runs, giving him 26 on the year, and drove in five runs in the rout. The first of his two blasts capped a six-run third inning outburst by the Rangers and erased a 5-1 deficit. Odor's three-run homer came after the Rangers had already plated three in the inning.

Odor also homered in the fourth, a solo shot that added to the Texas lead, but, the real insult came in the seventh, when he walked with the bases full, giving him his fifth RBI of the game, upping his season total to 58.

The win put the Rangers at .500, with a 61-61 mark, and left them 1 1/2 games behind the Twins and Angels, presently co-owners of the second wild card spot. The Yankees have a good grip on they top wild card, with a 3 1/2 game lead.

The Rangers conclude their series with Chicago at 3:05 pm ET on Sunday.

National League

Gennett Slams Braves

Not probable as a playoff team this season, the Cincinnati Reds (53-71) will be in the midst of the teams trying to make it to October via either the NL Central title or the wild card route.

To that end, Saturday's 11-8 defeat of the Braves in Atlanta may be of instruction to teams that will be facing the power-laden Reds in the days and weeks ahead.

The Reds were taking it to the Braves pretty well, leading, 7-2, after Scooter Gennett knocked in Joey Votto on a sac fly.

Atlanta would not go easily, however, scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning to close the gap. In the ninth, Gennett again was at the plate with a runner on third - and ones on first and second as well - when he uncorked his 21st home run of the season, a grand slam that put the Braves up comfortably, 11-4.

Atlanta would score four more in their final at-bat and put the tying run at the plate. Cincinnati reliever, Michael Lorenzen, slammed the door shut to close out the game.

Gennett is one of the reasons other teams should beware when facing the Reds. He's having the best season of his five year major league career, driving in 75 runs with a .292 batting average, surpassing his seasonal home run and RBI numbers in fewer games than in any of his previous years, all of which, prior to this year, were with the Brewers.

The victory gave the Reds a 2-0 lead in the series, which concludes Sunday at 1:35 pm ET. Atlanta has taken a severe blow to what slim playoff hope they may have had, falling 12 games out of the second spot over the past two games.

Rookie Phillip Ervin Stars As Reds Top Cubs, 13-10; Yankees Sweep Mets On Gary Sanchez 5 RBI

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 17, 2017

Sanchez: HR, 5 RBI

American League

The Yankees completed the four-game sweep of the Mets in their home-and-home subway series with a 7-5 victory as catcher Gary Sanchez drove in five runs with his 22nd home run and a two-run single.

Sanchez gave the Yanks an early leg up with his first inning, three-run blast, then tacked on two more in the four-run fourth inning with his two-run single.

Luis Severino improved his record to 10-5 with 6 1/3 innings of work, allowing four hits and one unearned run, striking out nine. Former Yankee Curtis Granderson belted a ninth inning grand slam off Yankee reliever Bryan Mitchell to cut into the lead late.

With the win, the Yankees are four game behind the Red Sox in the AL East and hold a 3 1/2 game lead for the wild card. They head to Boston for the start of a three-game series Friday. Game time is 7:10 pm ET.

National League

Ervin: HR, 4 RBI

To get an idea of how competitive the NL Central is, consider the four-game series just concluded in Chicago between the first place Cubs and last place Reds. Taking the first and third games by scores of 15-5 and 7-6, the Cubs had the opportunity to take the series, three games to one, as the Reds won game two by a 2-1 score.

It was not to be, however, as the Reds pummeled starter Jon Lester for nine second inning runs. Though the Cubs would actually tie the game 9-9 in the fifth, Reds rookie, Phillip Ervin, stroked his second home run in as many days in the seventh, bringing home two and a lead the Reds would not relinquish en route to the 13-10 victory.

Ervin, in his first major league start, also singled and doubled, accounting for four RBI, and scored three times, including the final Cincinnati run, in the ninth. Other than the home run, Ervin's two hits both came in the nine-run second, singling in the second run and doubling home the ninth.

Apparently having seen enough of Ervin's batting prowess, Cubs' reliever Raisel Iglesias walked him to open the ninth. After moving to second on a sac bunt, Ervin scored on Jose Peraza's infield single.

With only eight at-bats in the majors, Phillip Ervin may be on his way to better things the remainder of this season and into next. The 25-year-old is sporting a .500 batting average with two homers and five RBI.

Having played with five minor league squads since 2013, Ervin is a hitter with power, socking 50 home runs with 259 RBI since 2013. He was recently promoted to the Reds from AAA affiliate Louisville in the International League.

The result of the game left the Cubs with a one game lead over the Brewers and 1 1/2 over the Cardinals. The Reds are in last place in the division, 13 games back. The Cubs host three games with Toronto over the weekend before taking to the road on Tuesday, the first stop, Cincinnati.

Cleveland Tops Twins, 8-1, On Carlos Santana's 2 HR; Reds Top Cubs As Luis Castillo Throws 6 Shoutout Innings

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Santana: 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R

American League

A crucial series began Tuesday in Minnesota as the Twins hosted the Indians in the first of three.

Cleveland starter, Danny Salazar, allowed a run in the second, but that was equalled in the fourth when Carlos Santana belted the first of his two home runs.

As Salazar steadied and continued to dominate, allowing the lone run over seven innings, the Indians continued to tack on runs, culminating in Santana's second homer of the game, a two-run belt in the ninth for the 8-1 victory and a six game lead over the Twins and Royals in the AL Central division.

Santana was on base all five times he appeared at the plate. He walked in the second and fifth innings, and singled in the seventh, scoring on Austin Jackson's three-run homer. Santana has 18 home runs and 63 RBI.

Minnesota will try to even the series on Wednesday when the teams take the field at 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Castillo: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER

If the Chicago Cubs wish to defend their World Series title, they'll have to start winning games in bunches, because the Cardinals and Brewers don't seem to be going away in the contentious NL Central.

Cincinnati got six innings of two-hit, shutout ball from starter, Luis Castillo, who took the win, as the Reds downed the Cubs, 2-1, in game two of their four-game series at Wrigley Field.

Castillo, a rookie, surrendered just two singles and a pair of walks, striking out seven for his second win against five losses. A trio of relievers finished up for the Reds, who are out of contention in both the division and the wild card.

The Cubs remained 1 1/2 in front of the Cardinals and Brewers in the division as St. Louis took a 10-4 loss at Boston and Milwaukee defeated Pittsburgh, 3-1, tying the Cardinals for second place.

Game three of the series is Wednesday, at 8:05 pm ET in Chicago.

STREAKING: Giancarlo Stanton homered in his sixth straight game, but the Miami Marlins fell to the San Francisco Giants, 9-4. Stanton's third inning solo shot off Madison Bumgarner was his 44th of the season, leading the majors. Stanton has 11 homers in his last 12 games, and 23 in the last 35 and is two games shy of tying the major league record, homering in eight straight games, held jointly by Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987), and Ken Griffey Jr. (1993).

Stanton has 94 RBI on the year, second in the NL to Colorado's Nolan Arenado (101).

Scooter Gennett Socks Four Homers In Reds' Win; Mike Moustakas, Royals End Houston Win Streak At 11

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 6, 2017

American League

Moustakas: Game-winner

For now, at least, Houston's reign of terror in the American League is over after the Kansas City Royals ended the Astros' 11 game winning streak with a 9-7 victory Tuesday night.

Mike Moustakas, who's been one of the more consistent performers for the Central division last-place Royals, was the game-changer, going 4-for-5, including the game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.

Moustakas singled twice and doubled in his at-bats prior to the dramatic ending. The Royals erased a 7-1 Houston lead and it was 7-2 in the fourth, when Moustakas singled home Eric Hosmer, getting KC a run closer. He also singled and scored as a part of a four-run rally in the eighth inning which tied the game.

There were two outs in the ninth when Moustakas launched the game-winner. It was his 15th of the season.

The result left Houston still leading the NL West, by a mere 13 games over the Angels and Mariners. Kansas City remains in last place, but they are only 5 1/2 games behind division-leading Minnesota.

Game three of the four-game series is set for 8:15 pm ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

National League

Gennett ties MLB mark

In the bottom of the first inning, Scooter Gennett singled home Billy Hamilton off Cardinal starter, Adam Wainwright. OK, the guy was batting .270 with 20 RBI in 111 at-bats entering the game, so, nothing really out of the ordinary.

What was about to happen nobody could have predicted.

Gennett, a 5'10", 185-pound utility player, hit home runs in his next four at-bats, starting off with a grand slam in the third inning, putting the Reds ahead, 5-0. After Eugenio Suarez cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the fourth, Gennett did what any self-respecting slugger would, he hit another home run. 10-0 Reds.

After sending the first two balls over the walls in right and center fields, respectively, Gennett went opposite field in the sixth for a solo shot. In the eighth, he did it again, with a two run home run to right. When it was all over, the Reds slaughtered the Cardinals, 13-1 and Scooter Gennett was the talk of the sports world, becoming the 17th major leaguer to hit four home runs in a single game, joining the likes of Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays and Mike Schmidt, who have a combined career total of 1,701 homers.

Gennett's career total: 42... and that's in over 1600 at-bats.

Gennett finished with impressive stats, going 5-for-5, with four runs and 10 RBI, which tied the Reds' franchise record for most RBI in a single game, tying Walker Cooper's mark from 1949. His 17 total bases are now a club record. That's pretty impressive since professional baseball in Cincinnati dates back to 1869.

Accurate records exist from 1876, when the Reds were admitted to the National League. After four years in the senior circuit, the Reds were expelled for nine years for selling beer in the stands! The horror! Cincinnati was readmitted after the 1989, playing the American Association during the National League absence.

The victory moved the Reds 1/2 game ahead of the Cardinals in the NL Central, trailing division co-leaders Chicago and Milwaukee by three games.

Game three of the four-game set in Cincinnati is scheduled for 7:10 pm ET.

Aaron Judge's Grand Slam Paces Yankees; Reds' Adam Duvall Homers Twice In Win Over Phillies

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 28, 2017

American League

Judge: Yankee Slammer

With Boston's winning streak ended at six by the Mariners, 5-0, and Baltimore's losing streak extending to seven games, being swept at Houston, 8-4, the New York Yankees padded their lead in the AL East to three games over the Red Sox, 4 1/2 over the Orioles with a solid, 9-5 victory over Oakland.

Setting the tone early, rookie Aaron Judge mashed his 16th home run of the season, a third inning grand slam that put the Yankees up, 5-2. Judge's gavel-banger tied him for the home run lead in the majors with LA's Mike Trout. His .321 batting average is seventh-best in the AL and a total of 34 RBI is tied for sixth in the league with the Angels' Albert Pujols.

The Yankees took the three game series two games to one. Judge's grand slam was his first.

Baltimore welcomes the Yankees to Camden Yards on Monday, beginning a three-game series crucial to the Orioles, as they have been sliding badly since May 10, falling from first to third place, losing 13 of their last 16. Game one game time is 1:00 pm ET.

National League

Duvall: 2 HR, 5 RBI

With Milwaukee leading the NL Central by 1 1/2 over the Cardinals and Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, just 2 1/2 out, believe they have a legitimate chance to win the wide-open division, especially after their 8-4 rip at Philadelphia, taking the series, two games to one.

The Reds have good reason to be confident, as they possess a slugging lineup. Cincinnati belted five long balls in the win, one by Scott Schleber, tying him with Washington's Bryce Harper for the league lead with 15, two by rookie Patrick Kivlehan, and two by Adam Duvall, who socked his 12th and 13th - both two-run shots - and earlier singled in the Reds' first run in the first inning, going 3-for-4 with five RBI on the day.

Duvall tied Arizona's Jake Lamb and Colorado's Mark Reynolds for second in NL RBI with 43, trailing the Rockies' Charlie Blackmon (45).

Duvall's homers came in the third and fifth innings, the first tying the game at 4-all, the second giving the Reds the lead for good, at 7-4.

With all the booming bats in the Reds' lineup, Joey Votto's is surely not forgotten. Votto quietly has 12 homes and 39 RBI. Cincinnati's 67 homers is tied for fourth in the league with Colorado and the Mets.

Winners of three of their last four, Cincinnati heads North to Toronto for a three-game interleague series, starting Monday at 7:07 pm ET.

Sandy Leon's Two Homers Lead BoSox; Scott Feldman Blanks Giants For Cincy Sweep

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 7, 2017

American League

Leon: 2 HR, 4 RB

Boston defeated Minnesota, 17-6, to take their series in Minneapolis two games to one, but despite their 17-14 record, they're having a tough time remaining relevant in the AL East, where the Yankees have a 1/2 game lead over Baltimore. Boston continues to hang in, but they're four games out.

With the departure of David "Big Papi" Ortiz last season, many wondered where the Red Sox would find the power stroke to replace the future Hall of Famer. That question was answered in part on Sunday as the Sox hammered five balls out of Target Field, two of them by catcher Sandy Leon, who broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning with the first of two two-run blasts. In the ninth, Leon again homered with one aboard as the Red Sox tallied a 10-spot in the final frame.

Boston finally got some run support for ace starter Chris Sale, who didn't have his best stuff, allowing four runs on four hits over six innings. Striking out 10, he took the win, improving to 2-3.

National League

Feldman: CG, 4H, 0ER

With a record of 11-18, it wasn't as though the San Francisco Giants weren't having problems enough heading into Cincinnati Friday for a three-game series with the Reds, but by the time they left on Sunday, their issues had magnified, as the Reds swamped them three straight, by a combined score of 31-5, including Sunday's 4-0 whitewash.

The shutout was delivered courtesy of Scott Feldman, the 6'6" right-hander who tossed his fifth career complete game and third career shutout, blanking the Giants on four hits. Feldman, who walked one and struck out five, got tougher as the game progressed, giving up just one hit over the final three innings, getting the last three on ground balls to the right side.

Improving to 2-3 as he threw 81 of 119 pitches for strikes, Feldman gave the Reds their fifth straight win. Much later, when the Yankees beat the Cubs, 5-4 in 18 innings Sunday night, the Reds found themselves in first place in the NL Central division by 1/2 game over the Cardinals and a full game ahead of the Cubs.

The Reds absolutely dominated the slumping Giants, who now hold the worst record in the NL, at 11-21. Friday's 13-2 score and Saturday's 14-3 score indicate that not only are San Fran's pitchers having problems, but the bats aren't exactly humming either. San Francisco is dead last in the NL West, nine games behind division leader, Colorado.

The Reds host the Yankees for two games beginning Monday at 7:10 pm ET at Great American Ball Park. The Yankees have also won five straight including a three-game sweep of the Cubs. At 20-9, they have the best record in the majors.

Billy Hamilton Swipes 19th Base As Reds Rout Giants; Aaron Hicks Powers Yankees Past Cubs

Players of the Day for Saturday, May 6, 2017

American League

Aaron Hicks

The Yankees have taken their youth movement on the road, this weekend visiting the world champion Chicago Cubs, where they have taken the first two of their three-game series, following up Friday's dramatic ninth-inning comeback 3-2 win with an 11-6 blowout Saturday.

Getting off early and often against Cubs' starter, Brett Anderson, touching him up for six hits and five runs in just 1/3 of an an inning.

Aaron Hicks was the main protagonist, going 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI and a stolen base. Hicks rattled the Cubs' starter with a bunt single in the opening frame, upon which Brett Gardner scored on Anderson's throwing error, opening the floodgates.

In the second, Hicks singled, stole second, but was left stranded. In the fourth, Hicks doubled and scored on Starlin Castro's sixth homer, putting the Yankees ahead, 8-0. Capping off the scoring in the eighth, Hicks uncorked a three-run homer of his own, his sixth on the year.

Hicks, playing part-time in center and left field, is batting .355, has scored 17 runs and driven in 15 in 62 at-bats.

The Yankees will be seeking the sweep when they close out their weekend series in Chicago, Sunday night at 8:00 pm ET. The game will be televised nationwide on ESPN.

National League

Hamilton: 19 SB

One of the lost arts in today's baseball is the stolen base, but don't tell that to Cincinnati's Billy Hamilton, who was second in the NL in steals each of the last three seasons, with 56, 57, and 58 in 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively. The first two years Hamilton was chasing Dee Gordon (64, 2014, Dodgers; 58, 2015, Marlins), last season running behind Milwaukee's Jonathan Villar (64).

This year, Hamiliton seems to be intent on setting the record straight. Though batting just .248 in 28 games as the Reds' leadoff hitter, the swift center fielder has swiped 19 bases, leaving Gordon (11) and Villar (6) eating his dust.

The latest came in Saturday's 14-3 rout of the visiting Giants, the second straight manhandling of their guests by the Reds following a 13-3 beating Friday.

Hamilton wasted no time getting the Reds off to a positive start, tripling and scoring in his opening at-bat. In the second, he doubled in a pair of runs and stole third base, but was left stranded.

In the third, Hamilton was again in on the action, singling and scoring as the Reds put up a six spot for a 10-2 lead.

Finishing 3-for-6 with two runs and a pair of RBI, Hamilton has been helping the Reds stay in contention in the NL Central. Saturday's win tied them for first place with the Cubs. Cincy will be looking to sweep the swooning Giants (11-20) Sunday at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 pm ET.

Francisco Lindor Lifts Indians; Reds' Brandon Finnegan Tops Phillies

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 5, 2017

American League

Defending AL champion Cleveland won its third straight without a loss, topping the Rangers, 9-6, to complete the opening series sweep at Arlington.

Lindor: 2HR, GS, 5RBI

The bulk of the offense was carried by shortstop Francisco Lindor, who belted a pair of homers and drove in five runs with a solo shot in the sixth inning of Cole Hamels and a grand slam in the ninth off Sam Dyson, which brought the Indians back from a 6-5 deficit, to victory.

Lindor got to the plate in the ninth with the bases chucked, after Carlos Santana had walked in the first run of the frame for the Indians. The third year shortstop lifted a ball into the right field stands and circled the bases, his teammates awaiting him at the dish with congratulations.

Lindor has played all of his major league games with the Indians, batting .313 as a rookie in 2015 and .301 with 263 total bases last season, making the all-star team.

After a day off Thursday, Cleveland will look to extend their winning streak when they open an interleague series in Arizona on Friday.

Finnegan: 1 hit over 7

National League

After a full season as a starter for the Cincinnati Reds in 2016, Brandon Finnegan figures to fit right in with the Reds for the rest of the 2017 campaign.

In his first start of the season, Finnegan was on fire, allowing just one hit over seven scoreless innings as the Reds evened their record at 1-1 by blanking the Phillies, 2-0.

Finnegan got off to a somewhat shaky start, walking Howie Kendrick and allowing a single to Maikel Franco. But, as it turned out, that was it for the punchless Phillies. Finnegan set down the next 18 batters in order before exiting after completing the seventh inning, fanning nine and throwing just 88 pitches.

The 23-year-old lefty was 10-11 with a 3.98 ERA in 2016.

The Reds and Phillies will complete their three-game series in Cincinnati with the rubber game Thursday afternoon. Game time is 12:35 pm ET.

Seattle's Felix Hernandez Shuts out Rangers; Todd Frazier Flourishes as Reds Stomp Cardinals, 11-0

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 10, 2015

American League

Hernandez: 17-8

After taking the first two of their four-game series in Seattle, something happened to the Texas Rangers that hasn't occurred all season - they were shut out for the second game in a row.

Wednesday's 6-0 whitewash was followed up by a mound visit by the "King," Felix Hernandez, who gave the Rangers a royal razzing, shutting them down on three hits over eight innings for his 17th win against eight losses, tying him for the most wins in the league with Houston's Dallas Keuchel (17-6). The Mariners took the series-ender, 5-0. Nelson Cruz's two-run homer - his 40th - was all the run support Hernandez needed. Tom Wilhelmsan completed the shutout, working the ninth.

Hernandez, who struck out eight and issued four walks, is approaching a couple of milestones. With four or five starts left in the regular season, Hernandez could reach 20 wins, something - despite his award-winning career marks - he's never done. The closest he got was in 2009, when he posted a record of 19-5.

A six-time all-star, Hernandez upped his strikeout total to 175 on Thursday, putting him at 8th in the league. If he reaches 200 Ks this season, it will be the seventh straight season he's fanned 200 or more.

As far as the Rangers are concerned, they've seen enough of Mr. Hernandez for this year. In four starts against the Rangers, he's won each time, and Texas will likely see him a fifth time, when Texas hosts the Mariners in a three-game series next weekend.

That series is the tail end of a teen-game homestead for the Rangers, who take on the A's for three games beginning Friday, then welcome in the Astros in a make-or-break four-game series. The Astros lead Texas by 2 1/2 games in the AL West.

Frazier: 32 HRs

National League

Holding the best record in baseball from mid-April forward, and, with a 4 1/2 game lead (22 games remaining) over the Pirates in the NL Central, the St. Louis Cardinals appear a lock for the playoffs.

However, as well as the Cardinals have played, the road to the post-season has had its share of bumps and pitfalls.

Thursday night's opener of a four-game series in Cincinnati looked more like a sinkhole as the Reds battered five Cardinal pitchers for an 11-0 win.

Cincinnati knocked out 13 hits, including three by Todd Frazier, who singled, smacked his 40th double, and 32nd homer of the season, driving in three runs and scoring three times.

Frazier is fourth in home runs in the NL and tied for ninth with 83 RBI. The Reds have not been as prosperous as their hard-hitting third baseman, dead last in the NL Central, 29 1/2 games behind the Cardinals.

Some of the angst may have been taken off in the one-sided series opener, but the Cardinals will try to return the favor in game two on Friday. Game time is 7:10 pm EDT.

Nick Castellanos, Ian Kinsler Lead Tigers to 9-4 Win over Seattle; Mike Leake Goes Eight Strong in Victory over Cubs

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 22, 2015

American League

Castellanos: Grand Slam

Kinsler: 4-for-5

Ian Kinsler rapped out four hits and Nick Castellanos smacked a grand slam as the Detroit Tigers hammered Seattle starter Mike Montgomery for eight runs (six earned) in the third inning, en route to a 9-4 victory in the third game of their four-game series.

The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the series which concludes Thursday afternoon in Detroit.

For Castellanos, the homer was his eighth this season and got the scoring started for the Tigers. Kinsler, who was 4-for-5, finished the eight-run barrage with an RBI double. He added another double and two singles, scoring twice in the contest, the first time, on Castellanos' slam, after reaching on a bunt single.

The Tigers continue to struggle, but regained the .500 mark at 47-47, They trail the Royals in the AL Central by 10 1/2 games and are also three games behind the second-place Twins.

Nelson Cruz homered twice for Seattle, his 23rd and 24th both coming off Detroit starter - and winning pitcher - Anibal Sanchez (10-7).

National League

Leake Improves to 8-5

Mike Leake allowed four hits and only one run as the Reds took the first game of a double-header against the visiting Cubs by a 9-1 tally.

Kyle Schwarber drove in Addison Russell in the third inning for Chicago's only run.

Leake (8-5) didn't issue any walks, struck out six and threw 74 of 111 pitches for strikes.

Later, the Reds dropped the nightcap, 6-5, furthering the woes of the Cincinnati franchise, falling 17 1/2 behind the division-leading Cardinals in the NL Central. The Reds have struggled throughout the season, and currently have a mark of 42-51.

Chicago is nine games behind St. Louis, good for third place in the division.

St. Louis topped the White Sox, 3-2 on Wednesday.

Albert Pujols, Andrew Heaney Lead Angels over Dodgers; Jason Marquis Hurls Reds past Blue Jays in Montreal

Players of the Day for Friday, April 3, 2015

Grapefruit League

Jason Marquis

Despite indications to the contrary, there are still baseball fans in Montreal - at least 46,314 of them, not to put too fine a spin on it. That's how many turned out to see the Reds defeat the Blue Jays, 2-0, inside climate-controlled Olympic Stadium.

Mark Buehrle and Jason Marquis put on a fine pitching duel to start the game. Buehrle allowed three hits over four innings, but Marquis was truly masterful, allowing no runs on one hit over a five-inning span, striking out three.

Marquis, who missed all of last season due to injury, appears fully repaired. He's thrown 31 innings of exhibition ball this Spring, allowing 22 hits and 10 earned runs, posting a respectable ERA of 2.80. He'll be in the Reds' starting rotation when the regular season opens this coming week.

While the two teams combined for just 10 hits, fans were appreciative, many sporting gear bearing the insignia of the Montreal Expos, the team that was moved from Canada in 2004 to become the Washington Nationals.

Skip Schumaker doubled in the game's only runs in the eighth inning.

Pujols: Slam

Cactus League

Heaney: No Hits

David Freese smacked a two-run homer in the second and Albert Pujols added a sixth-inning grand slam, the two long balls more than enough to support the 5 1/3 innings of no-hit ball from Angels starter, Andrew Heaney, who got the win in LA's 6-0 whitewash of the Dodgers.

Heaney walked three, but struck out just as many, getting his first win of the exhibition season. He was surely trying to impress the team's coaches, as the fifth spot in the rotation has yet to be filled, and he's one of a few players getting a look.

Heaney went 0-3 for the Marlins last season, making five starts, but his performance was less-than-impressive, putting up an ERA of 5.83.

Until Friday, his stats this Spring were also poor. He finishes up with a record of 1-2 and a 7.03 ERA. The Angels may not use a fifth starter until sometime later in the month.

For Pujols, the slam was his fifth homer of Spring. He has 19 RBI in 20 games.

Last season, his third in an Angel uniform, Pujols hit .272 with 28 HR and 105 RBI.

Jon Niese Sharp in Mets Shutout of Nationals; Jay Bruce's Three-Run Blast Lifts Reds over Brewers

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Grapefruit League

Niese: 6IP, 0ER

Will this finally be the year the Mets live up to their potential and vie for the top spot in the NL East?

Could be, especially if their starting pitching works as well during the regular season as it has through exhibition games.

The 18-11 Mets find themselves currently in first place in Florida's Grapefruit League, a slim game ahead of the Pirates, Red Sox and Blue Jays after Jon Niese tossed six shutout innings en route to his third win of Spring, a 2-0 victory over the Nationals.

Scattering four hits and striking out three without issuing any bases on balls, Niese was in control before handing the ball over to the bullpen, whose three relievers finished the job.

Jay Bruce

The Mets scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, both of Nats' starter, Gio Gonzalez, including a solo homer by John Mayberry, Jr., who finished 3-for-4.

Niese went 9-11 with a 3.40 ERA last season. If he pitches back to that ERA and the Mets get some runs for him, his could be a very productive season.

Cactus League

Cincinnati's Jay Bruce went 2-for-3, including a three-run homer and the Reds cruised to a 10-4 win over the Brewers.

It was Cincinnati's 14th win against 11 losses, leaving them in fourth place, four games back of Oakland in the Cactus League.

Bruce will once again be an integral part of Cincinnati's offensive plans, and will usually be patrolling right field when the Reds play defense.

Last season, Bruce missed some playing time, appearing in only 137 games, but still managed to club 18 homers and drive in 66 runs, though those numbers were well below his usual production. From 2011-2013, Bruce average better than 30 homers and 100 RBI per season.