Jose Bautista Powers Blue Jays over Rays in 10; Cliff Lee Goes the Distance in Phillies' 3-0 Win over Miami

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 22, 2013

American League

It's still May, so there's plenty of time for the AL East's last-place Toronto Blue Jays to get back into the race; they have too much talent to be written off so early.

Bautista:
4-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI

The best the Jays can hope for is that the teams ahead of them beat each other senseless, and Toronto can do further damage when they play teams in their division head-to-head.

That exact situation arose Wednesday, as the Orioles topped division-leading New York by a 6-3 tally while Toronto did their part, taking down the Rays, 4-2, in 10 innings.

Jose Bautista drove in all of Toronto's runs, going 4-for-4 with a pair of solo homers and singles in the first and last innings to get the Blue Jays both on the board and off the field with a win.

The 2010 and 2011 AL home run champ belted his 10th in the fourth inning and his 11th in the ninth to send the game into an extra inning. With two down and two aboard in the 10th, Bautista delivered a single to right, scoring Colby Rasmus with the game-winner.

Taking two of three from the visiting Rays, Toronto (19-27) is now nine games behind the Yankees in the division.

National League

Lee: CG, 3H, 5Ks

Despite Atlanta winning their sixth straight, the Phillies have managed to stay close to the NL East leaders, just 5 1/2 games back after defeating the Miami Marlins in Miami, 3-0.

Going the distance for the Phillies was Cliff Lee, who improved to 5-2 on the year with his first shutout and complete game of the season.

Lee fanned five and walked two while limiting the Marlins to just three hits - all singles - throwing 85 of his 115 pitches for strikes.

The win was the 12th career shutout and 27th complete game for the 34-year-old hurler, in a major league career which dates back to 2002, when he broke in with the Cleveland Indians.

The Phillies won the last two games of the series after dropping the opener and stand at 23-24, in third place in the division. Washington holds second place, 4 1/2 behind the Braves.

Today's Trivia: Who holds the all-time career record for shutouts?

Yesterday's Answer: St. Louis speedster, Vince Coleman, swiped 109 bases in 1987.

Cliff Lee Blanks Braves for First Philly Win; Chris Davis Powers Orioles Past Rays

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 4, 2013

American League

Chris Davis

Baltimore's Chris Davis is off to one heck of a start, homering in each of Baltimore's three games this season, and batting a sharp .636 (7-for-11) with 11 RBI, leading the league in both categories. Seattle's Michael Morse has banged four homers to lead the majors. Six of Davis' seven hits have been for extra bases. (three doubles)

Davis launched his third of the season in the second inning off Tampa Bay starter Roberto Hernandez, staking the O's to a 2-0 lead. After the Rays tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Davis delivered again, stroking a double to the left-center gap, driving in two more. He finished up a very productive night at 2-for-3 with four RBI as the Orioles took two of three at Tampa Bay, winning by a 6-3 score.

That result left the Orioles tied with the Red Sox in the AL East, at 2-1, after Boston dropped a 4-2 decision in New York.

National League

Cliff Lee

After dropping their first two games of the season in Atlanta, the Phillies needed to get on track with a win, calling on one of their dependable aces, Cliff Lee, to get the job done.

Lee didn't disappoint, throwing eight full innings of shutout ball at the Braves in the windy, misty environment of Turner field, striking out eight to notch his first victory of the year and put a "W" on the the Phillies' ledger, in a 2-0 win.

Lee threw 78 of 106 pitches for strikes and did not walk a batter.

Jonathan Papelbon struck out two in the ninth to record the save, his first.

Even with the win, Philly finds itself already two games out in the NL East, as the Nationals completed a sweep of the Marlins with a 6-1 win. The Miami run was the only one allowed in three games at Washington. The Nats are 3-0.

A.J. Griffin Slams Door on Angels in 4-1 Win; Cliff Lee Leads Phillies to 7th Straight Win, Tightens Wild Card Race

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 12, 2012

American League

Divisional and wild card races are heating up in both leagues, but, in the AL, no teams have been more pleasant surprises this season than Baltimore and Oakland.

On Wednesday, both the A's and O's were winners, the Orioles taking their second straight from Tampa Bay, when Nate McLouth drove in rookie Manny Machado with the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win.

Baltimore remained tied with the Yankees for the AL East lead and in line for the second wild card spot, dropping the Rays down to three games out.

A.J. Griffin

The A's have severely dimmed the fading post-season hopes of the LA Angels, whipping them for the third straight time after getting eight innings of shutout ball from rookie starter A.J. Griffin (6-0), in a 4-1 victory.

Griffin has been solid since being called up in June, posting a 1.984 ERA in 11 starts. Over his last three games, he's allowed just two earned runs in a span of 20 1/3 innings. His win over the Angels was his best start of the year, allowing six hits while fanning six with no walks issued.

The A's remained three games behind Texas in the West and are in line for the first wild card while sending the Angles 8 1/2 back and virtually out of both the wild card and division races.. In the Central, Detroit has pulled to within one game of division-leading Chicago, taking two straight from the White Sox.

The A's and Angels tangle again in Anaheim on Thursday afternoon, with Oakland seeking the series sweep. Likewise, the Orioles will be looking for their third straight win over the Rays in their series finale, an afternoon contest.

National League

Cliff Lee

With their seventh straight victory, the Philadelphia Phillies have officially risen from the dead, winning for the 15th time in their last 19 games as teams ahead of them stumble in September.

Cliff Lee (5-7) delivered seven solid innings from the mound, allowing four hits and no earned runs as Philadelphia completed their sweep of the Marlins with a 4-1 win.

Jimmy Rollins provided all the support Lee would need, stroking a two-run homer, his 19th bomb of the season. Lee fanned six and walked one as the Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers and Pirates all lost. For Pittsburgh, their losing streak has now run to six games.

Milwaukee and Arizona also won, so the race for the second wild card has St. Louis a game better than LA, the Pirates 2 1/2 back, Philly and Milwaukee closing fast, just three out, and Arizona, waiting in the wings nearly all season long, just four games out.

Haren, Trumbo Lead Angels Past Twins; Cliff Lee Tosses 5th Shutout of Season

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 4, 2011

American League

Mark Trumbo

Dan Haren

Continuing their relentless pursuit, the LA Angles took the rubber game of their series with Minnesota by a 7-1 score.

Dan Haren went eight innings, allowing five hits andjust one run - Jim Thome's 598th career home run - and Mark Trumbo singled, scored and homered, driving in four runs to keep the Angels one game behind Texas in the AL West.

The win was Haren's 12th, against six losses. He fanned six Twins and did not allow a walk. Trumbo's homer - a three-run shot that put the Angels up 5-0 - was his 21st of the season.

National League

Cliff Lee

The pennant race in the NL East might as well be over. Nobody's catching the Phillies.

Proving that they have the best pitching staff in the majors, again, Cliff Lee worked his mound magic to record his fifth shutout of the season, a 7-hit gem in a 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants.

Lee (11-7) didn't allow a walk and struck out eight en route to improving his record to 11-7. Amazingly, almost half of his wins came via shutouts.

The Phillies lead the NL East division by 8 1/2 games over the Braves. It is the largest lead in any of baseball's six divisions and the Phillies sport the best record in baseball, at 72-39.

Gonzalez Downs Marlins on One Hit over 8; Cliff Lee Hurls Third Straight Shutout

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 28, 2011

American League

Emilio Bonifacio led off the game for Florida with a single against Oakland starter Gio Gonzalez, but that was the last hit the Marlins would produce in a 1-0 win for the A's.

Gio Gonzalez

Gonzalez would cruise through the remaining innings, allowing just one hit and three walks until leaving the mound after finishing the 8th.

Bonifacio was also the first batter closer Andrew Bailey would face in the 9th, reaching on an error, but Bailey made quick work of the next three batters, getting Omar Infante, Greg Dobbs and Hanley Ramirez swing at third strikes.

Gonzalez was staked to a one-run lead on Kurt Suzuki's sac fly in the 2nd, which plated Hideki Matsui with the game's only score, and the lefty made it hold up with one of the best outings of his career. Gonzalez improved to 7-5, fanning nine in the process.

The win was just the second in the last six outings for the A's, who have fallen six games off the pace in last place in the hotly contested AL West. For the Marlins, it was just another loss in a summer of discontent.

National League

As amazing as the Philadelphia rotation has been this season, Cliff Lee has added superlatives for June, throwing his third consecutive shutout in a 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Cliff Lee: 32 straight
scoreless innings

Ever the model of efficiency and control, Lee allowed just two hits and two walks in the whitewash, extending his streak of scoreless innings to 32, and ending June with an ERA of 0.21. He fanned five, increasing his season total to 119, third in the AL.

Lee threw 71 of 112 pitches for strikes, completely stifling the Boston batters who missed the presence of their DH, David Ortiz, who was held out of the lineup because the game was being played in a National League city.

Lee has not allowed a run since the Cubs' Starlin Castro scored in the third inning of a 7-1 Phillies' triumph on June 11. Since then, Lee - who has won five straight - shut out Florida, 3-0, on June 16 and St. Louis, 4-0, on June 22.

Over the 32-inning scoreless span, Lee has given up just 12 hits and issued five walks.

The Phillies maintained their 4 1/2 game lead over Atlanta in the NL East with the victory, while the Red Sox fell 1 1/2 behind the Yankees in the AL East.

INTERLEAGUE TALLY: With five days left to interleague play (July 3), the National League tied it back up again at 94 wins for each league, winning eight games while the AL won six.

Nick Blackburn Wins for Twins; Cliff Lee Hurls Two-Hitter; Jones, Schafer Lead Braves

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 16, 2011

American League

Nick Blackburn

Atop the Central division, the Tigers scored a 6-2 decision over Cleveland to take over first place by one game, while at the lower end, Minnesota topped the White Sox, 1-0, furthering the Twins' desire to get back into the race after a forgettable first two months of the season.

Starter Nick Blackburn worked out of repeated jams, allowing eight hits but no runs over eight innings for the Twins, riding Michael Cuddyer's 3rd inning solo home run to his sixth victory over four losses.

Blackburn walked one and struck out just one batter, and Matt Capps earned his ninth save, allowing a hit, but fanning two in a scoreless 9th.

The Twins remain in last place in the division, but are just nine games behind the Tigers. A game in front of them are the Royals, while the White Sox hold third place, 5 1/2 out.

National League

Cliff Lee: Two-Hitter

What's better, a two-hit shutout, five RBI or five hits in a game?

Jones: five RBI

Since the answer is a matter of subjective preference, we present all three, from an entertaining evening in the NL East.

In Philadelphia, Cliff Lee sent the Florida Marlins to their 15th loss in their last 16 games, hurling a two-hit, two-walk complete game shutout in a 3-0 Phillies' win.

Lee threw an incredible 117 pitches for his seventh career shutout, fanning four as he improved to 7-5 on the season.

The win kept the Phillies five clear of the Atlanta Braves, who survived a see-saw battle with the Mets, 9-8, eventually scoring the game-winner on a 10th-inning balk by Mets' pitcher D.J. Carrasco, sending Diory Hernandez, who had replaced Chipper Jones in the 9th inning, to the platter.

Schafer: five hits

Prior to the melodramatic ending, Jones had driven in five runs for the Braves with a first inning ground out, a third inning three-run homer and an RBI single in the 4th. Jones left the game after leaping to field a high chopped by Angel Pagan and throwing wildly to first in the 8th inning. Pagan would eventually score, putting the Mets up 8-6 at the time.

Atlanta tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on Brooks Conrad's two-run homer.

Jordan Schafer had five hits for the Braves, all singles, including his 10th-inning hit that sent Hernandez to third, setting him up to score the winning run.

Markakis Alone Not Enough to Stop Yanks; Cliff Lee Shuts Out Nationals, Fans 12

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 14, 2011

American League

Nick Markakis

Nick Markakis singled, doubled, homered, drove in three runs and scored twice, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Yankees from taking their second straight over the Orioles, as New York rallied for a 10-inning, 6-5, victory.

Baltimore, thanks mostly to Markakis, had built a 5-0 lead after 4 1/2 innings, but the Yankees scored a run in the bottom of the 5th, two more in the 6th and another in the 7th, cutting the lead to a single run. When Jorge Posada homered in the bottom of the ninth, the O's were caught and the Yanks overtook them with a Nick Swisher sac fly in the bottom of the 10th, plating Mark Teixeira with the game winner.

The loss exposed the weakness of Baltimore's bullpen, which allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings, and the strength of the Yankees', which gave up just four hits and no runs over the final 5 2/3 after starter Phil Hughes lasted only 4 1/3 innings.

With the win, the Yankees assume the position they feel is rightfully theirs, forever and for all time, atop the AL East, with a one game lead over the O's and 1 1/2 edge over Toronto.

Now that the Yankees are in first place, they host the top representative from the AL West, the Texas Rangers, who hold a two-game bulge over the Angels, for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday night.

National League

Cliff Lee

OK, seriously, barring injuries, the Philadelphia Phillies are already the de facto champions of the NL East. They've assembled a powerful lineup, but also have what appears to be the best starting pitching staff the league has seen in many years.

Proof of how good the Philly starters are was on display Thursday as Cliff Lee took to the mound against the Washington Nationals. All Lee did was toss a complete-game, three-hit shutout, strike out 12 batters - including a string of 7 of 8 in succession between the 6th and 8th innings - for a 4-0 Philadelphia win, his sixth shutout in the last four years.

After losing their first meeting, 7-4, the Phillies came back to take the remaining two games of the series at Washington and now head home to face another divisional foe, the Florida Marlins, in a three-game series beginning Friday.

Lee walked one batter as he improved to 2-1 on the season.

Rangers Ravage Yanks, 8-0; Take 2-1 Lead in ALCS

Players of the Day for Monday June 18, 2010

American League

Andy Pettitte's 20th post-season win will have to wait another start, maybe another year.

With the record for most wins in post-season play secure, Andy Pettitte took the mound for the Yankees in game three of the NLCS. He pitched well, but, unfortunately for him, the guy on the mound for the Rangers pitched better, much, much better.

Cliff Lee extended his unbeaten post-season streak to seven games with a 2-hit shutout performance over eight innings for the 8-0 win and a 2-game-to-1 lead in the series. Lee has never lost a playoff or World Series game. The way he pitched last night, the streak looks very much like it will be extended even further.

New York couldn't even get a man to first base until lee walked Mark Teixeira with two outs in the 4th inning and didn't get a hit until Jorge Posada stroked a single with one out an inning later. By then, Lee had already fanned 10 Yankees en route to 13.

Brett Gardner led of the 6th inning with the only other hit off Lee. He stole second and advanced to third on a Nick Swisher ground-out, but was stranded when Teixeira grounded out to short. Lee finished his eight innings getting the last nine batters he faced in order.

Texas struck for two first-inning runs on Josh Hamilton's homer, but Pettitte didn't crack. That was all he'd allow through his seven innings. Texas finally broke through in the 9th, scorching Yankee relievers Boone Logan and David Robinson for six runs, allowing Lee to retire and leave the mop-up to Neftali Feliz, who worked a perfect inning in a non-save situation.

With a 2-1 lead heading into game four, the Rangers appear a confident bunch, and well they should be with the prospect of A.J. Burnett getting the start for the Yankees on Tuesday.

After a 6-2 start through the end of May, Burnett pitched the rest of the season like he was being paid on the sly by the Red Sox, going 4-13 the rest of the way. From the start of June, the Yankees won just five of Burnett's 22 starts as his ERA ballooned from 3.28 to 5.26. In 10 of those starts, Burnett never made it to the sixth inning.

The Ranges will send up Tommy Hunter, who was 13-4 with a 3.73 ERA during the regular season. Hunter gives the Yankees hope. He didn't start his season until June, but recorded wins in his first eight decisions. Since then, he's tailed off, going 5-4. He only made it into the 6th inning in two of his final seen starts, plus he only lasted four innings in the Rangers' 5-2 less in game four of the NLDS against Tampa Bay.

The redeeming quality for the Rangers is that their bullpen is well-rested should Hunter falter early. First pitch is slated for 8:07 pm ET Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

National League

The Phillies and Giants will untie their deadlock beginning 4:19 pm ET in game three of the NLCS at San Francisco. Strong pitching performances are expected from both starters, Cole Hamel for Philadelphia and Matt Cain for the Giants.

Lee Delivers Complete Game as Rangers Advance to ALCS

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 12, 2010

American League

Cliff Lee turned in a complete game and the Texas Rangers advanced to their first AL Championship Series in franchise history with a 5-1 victory over Tampa Bay in a decisive game five Tuesday night.

Acquired from Seattle in July, the lefty needed 120 pitches - 90 thrown for strikes - to get the Rangers one step closer to the AL pennant and a possible trip to the World Series. Lee allowed just six hits and walked none. Finishing strong, Lee retired the final nine batters he faced and struck out 11 Rays.

Texas built their lead one run at a time, putting up single runs in the 1st, 4th and 6th inning. Ian Kinsler's two-run homer in the top of the 9th sent Lee back to the mound for the final three outs with a comfortable lead and an abundance of confidence. He plowed through the heart of the Rays' order, striking out Evan Longoria, inducing a ground-out from Carlos Pena and getting B.J. Upton on a short pop-up to end the game.

The Rangers will host the NY Yankees on Friday night, October 15, for game one of the best-of-seven championship series. First pitch is scheduled for 8:07 pm ET in Arlington, Texas.

Philadelphia and San Francisco open the National League equivalent on Saturday, October 16.

Playoff Players: No-Hit Halladay; Lee's 10 Ks Down Rays: Teixeira Drives Yankee Win

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 6, 2010

National League

In the most dazzling post-season pitching performance since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, Philadelphia's Roy Halladay entirely shut down the National League's most prolific offense with a no-hitter in game one of the best-of-five divisional series in a 4-0 win over the Reds.

Facing just one batter over the minimum, the likely NL Cy Young award winner's only misstep was a 5th inning walk issued to Jay Bruce. Beyond that, Halladay was magnificent, hitting the corners with all of his pitches and keeping batters off-balance by changing speeds and throwing to spots.

Halladay struck out eight, and got 12 more outs on ground balls. He threw only 104 pitches, 79 of which went for strikes. Hardly any balls were hard-hit, and the most difficult play was probably on the shortest hit ball of the game, which also resulted in the final out, when Brandon Phillips pounded a pitch into the dirt in front of home plate. The ball traveled no more than seven feet, but Carlos Ruiz, who Halladay credited for calling a great game, pounced and threw a strike to Ryan Howard, planted on first base 90 feet away.

The no-hitter was the first in post-season play since the Yankees' Don Larsen threw a perfect game in the 1956 world Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Halladay also became the first pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter (actually a perfect game against Florida on May 29) in the regular season and the post-season in the same year.

The Phillies, who took the NL East for the fourth straight season, relied heavily on Halladay's arm to catch and overtake the Braves. The ace went 11-2 from the end of June to the end of the season.

Halladay also aided his own cause, driving in a run in the second inning and scoring on Shane Victorino's 2-RBI single. The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the series, which resumes Friday at 6:07 pm ET in Philadelphia.

American League

Tampa Bay battled all the way to the final game of the season to secure home field advantage in the playoffs by winning the AL East, then squandered it in the opening innings of their playoff game with the visiting Rangers.

Texas scored a pair of runs in the second inning and single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 5th, chasing Rays' starter David Price on nine hits over 6 2/3 innings. While Price was stumbling, Ranger starter Cliff Lee was stunning, fanning 10 over seven innings without walking a batter, allowing only five hits and a solitary run in the 7th inning on Ben Zobrist's solo homer, which proved to be far too little as the Rangers took game one, 5-1.

Lee was most in trouble in the bottom of the first inning, when he gave up three singles to load the bases with one out, but then got Carlos Pena looking at a called third strike and Rocko Baldelli with a swinging strikeout to finish the inning unscathed.

Catcher Benji Molina was the hitting star, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI as the Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the series. Game two is scheduled for 2:37 pm ET on Thursday.

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The Yankees rallied from a 3-0 deficit with four runs in the top of the sixth, and after Minnesota tied the game with a run in the bottom of the inning, Mark Teixeira blasted a 2-run homer to right field in the 7th, putting the Yankees ahead in a 6-4 win over the Twins to open the best-of-five series in Minnesota.

Teixeira, who led the Yankees during the regular season with 33 homers, delivered the clutch blow an inning after he had singled and scored the Yankees' first run, driven in by second baseman Robinson Cano. Jorge Posada drove in another run in the inning and Curtis Granderson capped the 4-run rally with a 2-run triple.

Teixeira finished with a 2-for-5 effort at the plate with two runs and two RBI. In 20 post-season games (4 with the Angels in 2008), Teixeira has a .247 average with 3 homers and 11 RBI. In the 2009 run to the world championship, Teixeira batted .282 with 4 homers, 8 RBI, scoring 10 runs.

Game two of the series is Thursday at 6:07 pm ET in Minnesota.

Cliff Lee Drops A's; Wainwright Shuts Out Marlins on Two Hits

Players of the Day for Friday, August 6, 2010 American League When the Texas Rangers snatched up Cliff Lee from the Mariners a month ago, there was nobody who thought the move might backfire on the AL West leaders. Even when he bombed in his Texas debut - a 6-1 complete game loss to the lowly Orioles - there was nary a negative word and no skeptics to be found. That's because the Rangers did make the right move. Since his nine-inning debacle against the O's, Lee has taken the mound five more times, chewed up 42 1/3 innings, allowed 10 runs (for a 2.13 ERA), struck out 35, collecting two wins and a loss in the process. The Rangers have won three of the five games he started, including Friday's 5-1 win over the A's. Oakland has moved into second place past the sliding Angels, but they're still not making up ground on the Rangers. Lee snuffed out their post-season hopes on seven hits over eight innings, fanning eight, to take the first of the three-game series in Oakland and drop the A's 9 1/2 back. With Lee cementing an already-solid staff, the race for the AL West flag appears to be over. If Oakland can't win both of the remaining games in this series, they'll allow the Rangers to get out of town with either a 9 1/2 or 10 1/2 game lead, and, with just over 50 games left on the schedule, would have to hope for a pretty complete collapse in Texas. It's not going to happen. Crown the Rangers kings of the West. National League There are those who believe Ubaldo Jimenez is the best pitcher in the National League, but this season's Cy Young award is probably going to belong to the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright. After blowing away the Florida Marlins, 7-0, for his 5th complete game and second shutout this season, Wainwright's record stands at 16-6, as he appears to be well on his way to his first 20-win season (19-8 in 2009). Wainwright shut down the Marlins on two hits and three walks, while striking out seven, getting 11 more outs on grounders and seven on fly balls. The win kept the Cardinals a 1/2-game behind the Reds, who continue to paralyze the NL Central. As far as post-season awards are concerned, Wainwright has the credentials in all the important categories. His 2.07 is second among starters, the 1.00 WHIP is also second (by .01 to Matt Latos of the Padres), He's third in strikeouts with 154 and his 16 wins are just one behind Colorado's Jimenez. Only Philadelphia's Roy Halladay has more innings, shutouts or complete games. Wainwright's keeping good company and he's kept the Cardinals in the hunt all season.

Cliff Lee Brilliant for Mariners; Ryan Howard Has 13 Total Bases in Philly Win

Players of the Day for Friday, June 18, 2010 American League When Cliff Lee was traded from Cleveland to Philadelphia last season, it was hailed as a solid move by the Phillies, but Lee didn't quite cut the muster against the Yankees in the World Series, so the Phillies went after Roy Halladay and Lee, a free agent, signed on with the Mariners. His first start didn't come until the last day of April, and though he pitched brilliantly (7 innings, 3 hits, 8Ks against the Rangers), he received no decision. Since then, he's been up-and-down, but lately, he's been mostly up. On Friday, he threw the second complete game in his last three outings, a nifty, 6-hit shutout against the visiting Reds, for a nail-biting, 1-0 win. Lee, demonstrating the kind of control which earned him the AL Cy Young award in 2008, didn't walk a batter while striking out seven, throwing 79 of 111 pitches for strikes. Improving his record to 5-3, Lee, an innings-muncher, has gone 7 innings or more in all but one of his starts. National League Most of the Philadelphia Phillies have been struggling at the plate, though one could make the case that Ryan Howard has continued to produce even while the players batting in front or behind him have faltered. The power outage began in on May 22nd, when the Phillies were blanked on one hit by Daisuke Matsuzaka. After that, they were swept by the Mets and the Braves, lost hold of first place and from the 22nd of May through the 15th of June went 6-15. But things may be turning around for the power-laded lineup. The team's won three straight, including Friday's 9-5 win over Minnesota. Chase Utley smacked his 11th home run and drove in four runs, and Howard, who has been going pretty well, doubled, tripled and knocked two balls out of the park in four at-bats, scoring 3 times and driving in an equal number of runs. Even though the Phillies have struggled, Howard's numbers are respectable: .293, 13 homers, 49 RBI. Considering there are only 15 players in the NL batting over .300, the average is solid, his 13 homers are just 4 off the pace set by Milwaukee's Cory Hart and just 2 behind Albert Pujols, and his RBI total is the 4th-best in the league. David Wright and Troy Glaus share the lead with 53, but there's a very good chance that the guys right behind them - Pujols, with 50. and Howard - will be battling for the RBI crown in September. The Phillies are 3 1/2 behind the Braves, with the Mets just 1/2 game behind Atlanta, but the Phillies endured a protracted slump and shortstop Jimmy Rollins, their regular leadoff hitter and shortstop, should be coming off the DL any day and his bat could be just the catalyst Philly needs.

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.

Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees Open with Wins

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 7, 2009 Playoff Coverage American League NY Yankees 7 Minnesota Twins 2 The Yankees took advantage of a tired Twins team and Derek Jeter led the way from his leadoff position in the lineup, reaching base on all four of his plate appearances with a single, two-run homer, two walks, two RBI and three runs. While Jeter, Alex Rodriguez (2 RBI) and Hideki Matsui (2 RBI homer) were mashing Minnesota pitchers, C. C. Sabathia was working the hitters over from the mound, scattering 8 hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out 8 while allowing only one earned run. Though the Twins scored the first two runs of the game in the 3rd inning, the Yanks responded in the bottom half of the frame with a deuce of their own off a Derek Jeter 2-run homer. The Yankees took the lead in the 4th on a double by Nick Swisher, adding three more in the 5th and another run in the 7th. New York leads the best of five series, one game to none, with game 2 at Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon (6:07 pm EDT). Nick Blackburn goes for the Twins against the Yankees' A.J. Burnett. The LA Angels host the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night in the opener of their five game series. Game time is 9:37 pm EDT. Jon Lester goes for the Red Sox against the Angels' John Lackey. National League Philadelphia Phillies 5 Colorado Rockies 1 - The Rockies finally pushed across a run in the 9th inning off Cliff Lee, but by then it was far too late. Lee dominated from the mound, allowing just 6 hits and the lonely run as the Phillies took game one of their best-of-five series with the Rockies. Lee was largely untouchable, throwing 79 of his 114 pitches for strikes, often getting Colorado hitter off-balance and swinging for balls out of the strike zone. Lee struck out 5, got 10 more outs on ground balls and 11 on flies. His first post-season appearance resulted in a power pitching performance and a complete game win. Lee even added a hit and a stolen base, though the bulk of the damage was done by the heart of the lineup. Jayson Werth tripled in one run. Raul Ibanez accounted for two RBI with a single and double as the Phillies did all of their scoring in the 5th and 6th innings. Every batter in the lineup had at least one hit. The Phils and Rocks go at it again Thursday afternoon at 2:37 pm EDT. LA Dodgers 5 St. Louis Cardinals 3 The Dodgers took the first of their five-game series with St. Louis, capitalizing on a shaky Chris Carpenter and grinding through a game which set a major league post-season record for stranded runners by both teams. The Cards and Dodgers combined to leave 30 men on bases through the nine inning odyssey. Carpenter, who led the NL in ERA during the regular season, struggled through five innings, allowing 4 runs. His Dodger counterpart, Randy Wolf, survived only 3 2/3 before manager Joe Torre had seen enough. With the bases loaded in the 4th, Torre called on Jeff Weaver, who got Ryan Ludwick to ground out to end the inning and the Cardinals' best threat of the night. Thereafter, it was a steady parade of LA relievers - 4 more - who shut down the Cards on 5 hits over the final 5 innings. Rafael Furcal (left) was the hitting star, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Furcal was aboard when Matt Kemp hit a first-inning two-run homer and drove in a run which proved to be the winning margin with a sac fly in the 5th. The Cardinals and Dodgers play the second game of their series Thursday afternoon in LA. Game time is 6:07 pm EDT.

Lee Shuts out Nats; Wieters Arrives with 5 RBI

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 15, 2009 American League When catcher Matt Wieters hit the bigs back in late May, he was all the rage in fantasy circles, as though the Oriole prospect was the second coming of Johnny Bench. To the dismay of many virtual managers, he was not an instant sensation, but, after some initial struggles, Wieters may finally be coming around, though it certainly appears that better days are ahead of him. In Tuesday's 10-5 win over Tampa Bay, Wieters showed what he could do, going 3-for-4 with a single, double, 3-run homer, 5 RBI and 2 scores. Though his numbers are still short of expectations (6 homers and 32 RBI in 78 games) and the O's completely out of playoff contention, Wieters may thrive in the no-pressure environment as Baltimore plays out the string. National League Want to win a divisional title? One thing you need to do is beat up on the weaker teams, like the Phillies did to the Nats all season long. It also helps to have a bona fide ace on the mound, like Cliff Lee, who stymied the Nationals on 6 hits for a complete game 5-0 shutout. Lee struck out 9 and walked 3, posting his 3rd shutout and 6th complete game of the year. Three of those complete games and two shutouts have come while a member of the Phillies, whom he joined at the end of July. The Phillies are 12-3 vs. the Nationals this season and have two games still to play with the worst team in the majors. At 50-94, the Nationals are virtually assured of recording another 100-loss season. Philadelphia is 7 games clear of second place Florida in the division. Their magic number is 12. NOTES: Time is running out on the Texas Rangers. They are in danger of becoming an afterthought - the best team to NOT make the playoffs - after losing their third straight in a 6-1 loss to the A's. Texas is now 6 games behind the Angles in the AL West and 5 1/2 behind Boston in the wild card race. The Red Sox topped the Angels, 4-1, for their 6th straight win. With just 18 games left in the regular season, the Rangers need to start winning almost every game. In the National League, the Giants don't have the look of a team that relishes being left behind as they blasted the Rockies for the second straight day. After Monday's 9-1 thumping, San Fran took Colorado out for a 10-2 whipping on Tuesday, creeping to within 2 1/2 games of the Rockies for the wild card lead. Seemingly unable to cope with prosperity, the Rockies have dropped four straight and gotten themselves back into contested waters. The Giants go for the series sweep tonight at home.

Abreu Lifts Angels in 11; Lee Fabulous for Phillies

Players of the Day for Friday, July 31, 2009 American League Pounding out 19 hits against seven Minnesota pitchers, the LA Angels racked up another lopsided win over a Central division contender. The Halos are 16-10 against the middle division after their 11-5, 11-inning win over the Twins. Every Angel starter except Erick Aybar had at least one hit. Mike Napoli had four, including a solo homer, while Chone Figgins, Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu each had three, Abreu knocking his 8th home run (solo) while driving in four runs and scoring twice. He also singled in a run in LA's 6-run 11th inning. The Angels have won three straight and continue to lead the West by 3 games over the Rangers. The Twins remain in a three-way dogfight in the Central, trailing the Tigers by 2 games with the White Sox sandwiched in between 1 1/2 out of first. National League The Philadelphia Phillies seemed intent on landing Toronto's Roy Halladay prior to the Friday trading deadline, but they could never reach a suitable agreement with the Blue Jays. From the looks of things, however, the Phils appear to have done just fine with the acquisition of Cleveland's Cliff Lee, who tossed a complete game four-hitter against the Giants in his first National League start. The Phillies rode their new lefty's arm to a 4-1 victory in San Francisco. Lee was everything as advertised and perhaps more, allowing just one earned run in the bottom of the 8th (Jose Uribe's sac fly) and walked just two batters while setting down six on strikes. Lee was around the plate all night, demonstrating his excellent control, throwing 76 of 109 pitches for strikes. Lee will fit well into the decent Phillies rotation. Along with Cole Hamels, he gives the Phillies a solid one-two punch.

Lee Gets First win in a Month; Moyer Mows Down Marlins

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 16, 2009 American League In limited AL action (2 games), the Cleveland Indians got another solid outing from ace Cliff Lee, who has struggled to a 5-9 record despite quality stats (3.31 ERA, 1.36 WHIP), as they cruised to a 4-1 home win over Seattle. Lee allowed 9 hits and 1 earned run in the complete game victory, fanning six for his first win in over a month. His previous winning effort was also a complete game, a 3-hit shutout over St. Louis on June 14. In the interim, Lee took three losses and two no-decisions, even though he allowed more than 3 runs in any of those starts once. The Indians remain in the AL Central basement, 13 1/2 out. Seattle dropped to 5 games behind the Angels in the West. National League At 46 years old, one would not expect Jamie Moyer to pick up many wins, but the aged hurler is expert at changing speeds and hitting corners even though his fastball barely registers on a radar gun any more. On Thursday in Miami, Moyer was on top of his game, shutting out the Marlins on one hit over 7 innings in a tidy 4-0 Philadelphia win. Moyer put down the first 12 in order before allowing a single and walk in the fifth inning. After that little scare he didn't allow another baserunner before giving way to the bullpen to open the 8th. Raul Ibanez spanked a pair of homers (23 and 24) and Ryan Howard added a solo shot (23) for all of the scoring. The win inproved Philly's lead to 5 games over Florida in the NL East.

Lee Shoots Down Cardinals, 3-0; Paulino Shines in Marlin Sweep

Players of the Day for Sunday, June 14, 2009 American League Cliff Lee took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but allowed a lead-off double by catcher Yadier Molina, spoiling his bid. He finished with a 3-hit, complete-game shutout, and a 3-0 win for Cleveland. The Indians took two of three from the visiting Cardinals, as Lee recorded his first shutout and complete game of the season. Lee walked 2 and struck out six, including Rick Ankiel three times. Last season's Cy Young Award winner with a record of 23-3, Lee is just 4-6 this season, though his numbers are still credible: 2.88 ERA, 1.33 WHIP. National League With regular starting catcher Ryan Doumit on the disabled list, Marlins' Ronny Paulino has been getting more than his share of work behind the plate, but he's making the Florida brass take notice. The Marlins completed a three-game sweep at Toronto with an 11-3 mauling of the Blue Jays, thanks in large part to Paulino's 4-for-5 effort at the plate. Paulino hit a two-run shot to get the Marlins started in the 2nd, and finished up his day with a solo blast in the top of the ninth. Sandwiched in between were a pair of singles. Paulino scored three times and drove in three. Florida is 6 games back of Philadelphia in the NL East but only two behind the second-place NY Mets. NOTES: The Colorado Rockies tied their franchise record with their 11th straight win, cruising past Seattle, 7-1. They still need one more win to get to .500 on the season, and are currently 10 1/2 behind LA in the NL West and 3 1/2 behind second-place San Francisco. The AL East may turn into a four-horse race if Tampa Bay and Toronto continue their winning ways. Boston leads the Yankees by 2 games, but the Rays and Blue Jays are tied for third, just 5 games out. All four teams are presently playing above .500. Life gets a little tougher for both teams in this week's interleague play: Toronto heads to Philadelphia, while the Rays travel to face the red-hot Rockies. The Yanks would seem to have the best chance to make a move, hosting the Nationals, while Boston welcomes Florida for three games at Fenway.

Murphy Blasts A's Past Twins; Lee Scoreless Streak at 21; Leadoff Lopez Drives in 6

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 24 2008 American League After being released by Toronto, Frank Thomas has found a new home in Oakland, but it was lightly-used rookie third baseman Donnie Murphy who carried the big stick in Oakland's 11-2 romp over the Minnesota Twins. Murphy, who has spent parts of the last two seasons with the A's but still qualifies as a rookie since he's never had more than 130 at-bats in a season, stroked a single and a pair of solo homers in 5 at-bats, scored three times and drove in four runs. Notes: The Detroit Tigers are picking up steam quickly. After starting horribly (0-7), they've gone 10-6 and won their last four straight. On Thursday, Magglio Ordonez whacked a pair of homers and drove in four runs as the Tigers completed a three-game sweep over Texas with an 8-2 win. The Tigers still trail the White Sox by 3 games in the Central Division. Texas dropped their 7th straight, as did KC, 2-0 losers to Cleveland as Cliff Lee (left) improved to 4-0 with a 3-hit, complete game shutout. Lee struck out 9 and extended his scoreless innings streak to 21 innings. National League Leadoff hitters aren't supposed to be big run-producers, but on Thursday Felipe Lopez singled in two runs in the 5th and knocked a grand slam in the 6th inning, blowing open a 3-3 tie and leading the Nationals to a 10-5 win over the stumbling Mets.

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For Lopez, it was his first home run of the season and the six RBI gave him 8 on the year. Notes: Arizona continues to dominate the NL West, last night topping the Dodgers, 6-4, to improve their record against teams in their own division to 15-4. The D-Backs still hold a 6-game lead in the West. Other clubs doing well against teams in their own division are the Cubs (11-4), the Mets (10-6) and the Marlins (9-5).