Cole Hamels Throttles Pirates In 1-0 Win; Neil Walker's Homer Leads Yankees Over Blue Jays

Players of the Day for Friday, August 17, 2018

American League

Walker: 3-run HR

Neil Walker's fourth inning home run turned the tide against the visiting Blue Jays, paving the way to a rain-shortened, 7-5 victory for the New York Yankees.

Down 4-2, Walker launched a Marcus Stroman offering into the right field stands, giving the Yankees their first lead of the game. The Jays tied the game at five in the top of the fifth, but the Yankees countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. After Giancarlo Stanton belted his 31st homer of the season - a solo shot - rain began to fall and out came the tarp. After a delay of more than an hour, the crew made the game official with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

The win snapped a two game losing streak and left the Yankees 10 1/2 behind the Red Sox in the AL East and three games better than Oakland in the wild card race. Oakland defeated Houston, 4-3, in 10 innings.

New York hosts Toronto in game two of their three-game series Saturday, 1:00 pm EDT.

Hamels: 7 scoreless

National League

Extending their lead in the NL Central to 4 1/2 games, the Chicago Cubs took their second straight 1-0 win at Pittsburgh, doing it all with pitching and defense.

Cole Hamels tossed seven scoreless innings for his third win since joining the Cubs at the end of July. Hamels scattered five hits and two walks, striking out three. He was aided by a record=tying seven double plays turned in by the Cubs' infield, five of which were turned while Hamels was on the mound. The eighth and ninth innings were both ended by double plays.

The double killings by the Cubs tied a major league record held by the 1942 Yankees and 1969 Astros.

Kyle Schwarber's second inning home run was all that was needed by Hamels and four relievers. In four starts for the Cubs, Hamels has been magnificent, going 3-0 with one no decision, giving up 16 hits and two earned runs over 25 innings with six walks and 23 strikeouts. The lone no decision came in an August 12, 4-3, win over Washington in which Hamels allowed one hit and one run over seven innings.

Chicago has won three straight while the Brewers have lost two of three and are being pressured by the red-hot Cardinals, winners of nine of their last 10. The Cardinals are just 1/2-game behind the Brewers.

The Cubs and Pirates go at it again in game three of their four-game series on Saturday night at Wrigley Field. Game time is 7:05 pm EDT.

Cole Hamels Tosses No-Hitter for Phillies; A-Rod Goes Yard Three Times as Yanks Down Twins

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 25, 2015

American League

A-Rod: Three Bombs

Trailing the home-standing Twins, 5-0, with two down and nobody aboard in the top of the fourth inning, Alex Rodriguez launched the first of what would be three home runs, helping the Yankees erase the five-run deficit and proceed to an 8-5 victory, evening their three-game series with Minnesota at one game apiece.

A-Rod went yard again in the seventh inning, this time belting a two-run shot off starter Tommy Milone, as the Yankees scored three times in the inning.

In the top of the ninth, Rodriguez tied the game with his third homer of the game, a solo shot to center field off would-be closer, Glen Perkins. Later in the frame, John Ryan Murphy completed the comeback with a three-run shot off Perkins. The Twins failed to score in the ninth as Andrew Miller set them down in order for his 23rd save of the season.

A-Rod's homers were numbers 21, 22, and 23 on the year. It was the fifth time Rodriguez - who turns 40 on Monday - has hit three homers in a game. That's one short of the major league record, held jointly by Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Twins and Yanks play the rubber game Sunday at 2:10 pm ET. New York leads the AL East by 5 1/2 games over Toronto; the Twins trail the Royals by 6 1/2 in the Central division.

Hamels tosses No-Hitter

National League

Cole Hamels set down 27 of the 29 Cubs' batters he faced, walking two while throwing a no-hitter in a 5-0 Philadelphia win.

Ryan Howard's third-inning, three-run homer provided more than enough offense for the 31-year-old Hamels, one of the game's premier pitching stars and currently the subject of a slew of trade rumors.

Hamels fanned 13 Cubbies, getting the top five in the order a total of nine times. Chicago's cleanup hitter, Jorge Soler, went down three times on strikes.

Camels threw 83 of 129 pitches for strikes, improving his record to 6-7. the tall lefty was involved in another Philadelphia no-hitter, teaming with three relievers for a September 1 win over Atlanta last season.

The gem by Hamels was the first no-hitter against the Cubs since Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game at Dodger Stadium in 1965.

Philly has taken two straight from the home-standing Cubs and will look to sweep the series when the two teams take to Wrigley Field at 2:20 pm ET Sunday afternoon.

Four Phillies Combine for No-Hitter in Atlanta; Miguel Cabrera Homers Twice as Tigers Down Indians

Players of the Day for Monday, September 1, 2013

American League

Miguel Cabrera

While the Detroit Tigers continue to do battle with the Royals for first place in the AL Central, in deference to the excitement of the divisional pennant race, they're doing their level best to make the wild card a non-event.

Their latest effort was to quell the recent uprising by the Indians, who had drawn to within three games of the Tigers after taking two from the Royals and having the final game of that series suspended by rain.

Detroit batters took little time to let their opponents know what they thought of Cleveland starter, Cory Kluber, hammering him for seven hits and five earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings, en route to a 20-hit, 12-1 victory.

Miguel Cabrera rapped out a pair of singles and a pair of homers in five at-bats, driving in three runs and scoring four times. Cabrera popped his 18th homer of the season in the first inning with a man aboard, then added his 19th with a solo shot in the eighth. The three RBI gives Cabrera 94 on the year, fourth in the AL behind rookie Jose Abreu, who leads the league with 99.

The result left the Tigers 1/2 game behind Kansas City in the divisional standings, but four games up on both the Yankees and Indians in the race for the second wild card spot. The Tigers are just 1 1/2 up on Seattle, however. The Oakland A's have the first spot in hand, for now, with a four-game edge over Detroit.

Ken Giles

Cole Hamels

The Tigers and Indians resume hostilities Tuesday night at 7:05 pm EDT in game two of the four-game set at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

National League

ESPN delivered a holiday treat as the nationally-televised game between the Phillies and Braves on Monday turned into the fourth no-hitter of the season in the majors, as Cole Hamels shared the workload with three relievers in a 7-0 whitewash.

While quite effective, the no-hitter was hardly a thing of spectacular beauty. Hamels, who worked the first six innings, struggled with his control throughout, walking five batters and plunking Atlanta second baseman Phil Gosselin, but managed to keep the Braves' bats silent as he fanned seven but was spent after throwing 108 pitches.

Jonathan Papelbon

Jake Diekman

Along came the Phillies' bullpen to the rescue.

Jake Diekman fanned two of the three batters he faced in the seventh and Ken Giles struck out the side in the Atlanta eighth. Jonathan Papelbon retired the final three batters in the ninth in order, completing the no-hit effort, the first combined no-hitter in Phillies history.

Ben Revere drove in five runs for Philadelphia with a sac fly in the third inning, a bases-clearing triple in the seventh and a run-scoring single in the ninth.

The victory did not lift the Phillies out of last place in the NL East, where they trail the Mets at the bottom by 1/2 game, but it did damage to Atlanta's post-season hopes, keeping them three games behind San Francisco and 1 1/2 back of Milwaukee in the race for the two wild cards. The Brewers and Giants were both losers on Monday, the Brewers falling, 4-2, at the Cubs, while the Giants came up short in a 10-9 shootout in Colorado.

Game two of the four-game series in Atlanta starts at 7:10 pm EDT at Turner Field.

Cole Hamels Helps Phillies Avoid Sweep; Juan Francisco Powers Toronto to 8-0 Win over Boston

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 24, 2014

American League

Juan Francisco

Tight is the AL East race. Toronto continues to put pressure on the Baltimore Orioles. With the O's Yankees and Blue Jays all posting wins on Thursday, Toronto remained tied for second with the Yankees, three games behind the front-running Orioles.

The Blue Jays hammered visiting Boston, 8-0, on 14 hits, six of which went for extra bases, two of those from Juan Francisco, who tripled, socked a two-run, third inning homer and added a single for a 3-for-4 day at the plate with four RBI, scoring twice.

The home run was Francisco's 15th of the season, to go with 39 RBI and a .242 average.

Cole Hamels

Toronto took the series, three games to one.

National League

Thanks to Cole Hamels, the Phillies avoided being swept at home by the Giants, ending their four game series on the wrong side of a 3-1 advantage for San Francisco.

Hamels allowed five hits and one earned run in eight solid innings to even his record at 5-5 in Philly's 2-1 victory. He struck out 10 and issued just one walk. Jonathan Papelbon came on in the ninth to earn his 24th save.

Around the plate all day, Hamels threw 90 of 116 pitches for strikes. He's been the victim of poor run support by his teammates, sporting a solid 2.72 ERA while the Phillies have sunk into last place in the NL East, 12 1/2 games out.

Cruz Delivers 8 RBI in 12-2 Rout; Hamels Wins 12th for Phillies

Players of the Day for Friday, July 22, 2011

American League

Cruz: 8 RBI

Entering Friday's fracas with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Rangers' Nelson Cruz had been in a serious RBI drought. Cruz had driven in exactly one run in his last 11 games, despite the fact that Texas had won nine straight during that time.

With Michael Young going 4-for-4 in front of him, the Toronto pitching staff was to be unwilling victims of the wrath of Cruz, helping Young score four times.

Beginning with his first at-bat, Cruz proved impossible to get out. In the 2nd he got the Rangers rolling with an RBI double. Then, in the 4th, he hit a three-run homer, following that up with a single in the 5th that plated two more runs.

Cruz finished up with a two-run single in the 6th inning, completing a 4-for-4 night with eight RBI as Cruz and the Rangers punished the Blue Jays 12-2.

While eight RBI in a game is unusual, Cruz is notable for big run-producing games. On July 1, he drove in six runs in a 15-5 win over the Marlins. Cruz has 21 RBI in the month of July.

The Texas win kept them three games ahed of the relentless Angels in the AL West.

National League

Hamels: 12-5

If not for the special play of the Atlanta Braves the Philadelphia Phillies would be impossible to catch in the NL East. Atlanta looks like a shoo-in for the wild card. Their 59-41 record would give them the lead in either of the other two divisions, but they trail Philly by four games.

Philadelphia maintained their lead with Cole Hamels on the mound, who tossed another sensational game in the Phillies' 3-1 win over the Padres.

Hamels allowed three hits and one earned run over eight innings, giving up one walk while whiffing 10. Hamels improved to 12-5 with his third win in his last four starts. Hamels is carrying around some gaudy numbers this season, especially considering the exploits of teammates Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. His ERA is an impressive 2.62, along with a 0.96 WHIP and 134 strikeouts.

Hamels Dominates Marlins; Verlander Super as Tigers Take 1st; Jeter on DL

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 14, 2011

American League

9-2 Verlander Puts
Tigers in 1st Place

After two months of chasing, the Detroit Tigers have finally caught and passed the Clevelnd Indians for the lead in the AL Central, and they did it with style.

Hosting the Indians for the opener of a three-game series, the Tigers sent their ace, Justin Verlander, to the mound, and, boy, was he special. Taking a no-hitter into the 8th inning, Verlander completely shut down Cleveland's bats, until Orlando Cabrera stroked a single to center with one out in the 8th.

Verlander surrendered another hit in the 9th, to Cleveland catcher Carlos Santana, finishing with a superb two-hitter, surrendering one walk while fanning 12 in the 4-0 victory.

Not only did the Tigers finish with a one-game lead in the division, Verlander ended up with the AL lead in Ks, his 105 total two better than that of Seattle's Felix Hernandez. This was Verlander's third complete game and second shutout of the season. At 8-3, with a 2.66 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, put Verlander on the list of probable Cy Young award winners.

National League

8-3 Hamels has
Phillies rolling

When you have Cole Hamels on the mound and your team hits five home runs, you are probably going to win a lot of games.

That's exactly what the slumping Florida Marlins discovered as they lost for the 12th time in their last 13 games, falling to the Phillies, 9-1.

With the month of June nearly half over, the Marlins have only one win to show for their efforts. At the start of the month, they were 31-22 and challenging the Phillies for first place in the division. Today, they are 32-34, 8 1/2 games back in 4th place, their season almost shattered in the course of two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Phillies have opened up a 3 1/2 game lead on the second place Braves, who lost to the Mets (3rd, 8 games back), 4-3.

With homers by Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and two by Domonic Brown, Hamels had more than enough support to notch his 9th win - tying him for the league lead with teammate Roy Halladay - against just two losses. Hamels worked seven full innings, allowing only three hits and one earned run. He struck out six and walked one.

JETER 3000 WATCH: The New York Yankees placed Derek Jeter on the 15-day disabled list for the first time since 2003. Jeter suffered a strained right calf in Monday's game against Cleveland, leaving the contest after his at-bat in the 5th inning. Just six hits short of getting to 3000 for his career, Jeter will have to watch and wait for a chance to get back into the lineup. The injury is not severe

Becket Spectacular in Red Sox Win over Yanks; Hamels Rebounds for 3-0 Philly Victory

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 10, 2011

American League

Josh Beckett

It would appear that all the worries about Josh Beckett and the demise of the Boston Red Sox have been grossly overstated, especially since the BoSox ace shut down the mighty Yankees Sunday night, hurling a 2-hit shutout over eight innings, paving the way for a 4-0 Boston triumph.

Beckett, coming off a 6-6 season in 2010 and losing his first start, 3-1, just five days ago, had complete command of the mound, all his pitches and the opposing Yankees. He allowed two hits and a walk over the first four innings, but set down the final 14 batters he face in order, racking up 10 Ks along the way. Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth - a non-save situation - and retired the Yankees in order.

The win was just the third of the season for Boston, but the second in three days over their arch-rivals, an important matter to both New York and Boston fans.

National League

Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels got roughed up in his first start of the season, allowing seven hits and six runs in a 7-1 loss to the Mets, lasting only 2 2/3 innings. But, like most quality starters, he came back strong for the Phillies, hurling seven solid shutout innings in a 3-0 win at Atlanta.

Hamels gave up just 4 hits, walked one and struck out 8 Atlanta batters, not allowing a hit until a one-out double by Nate McLouth in the 4th inning. After escaping from 2-out, 2-on jams in both the 6th and 7th innings, Hamels surrendered the ball to the Phillies' capable bullpen.

Ryan Madsen worked a scoreless 8th inning and Jose Contreras picked up his second save of the season with a perfect 9th inning.

The Phillies are off to a hot, 7-2, start, with a 2-game bulge over the Marlins in the NL East.

Longoria Forces Game Five; Phillies Complete Sweep; Giants Take 2-1 Edge

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 10, 2010

American League

Ardent fans of the Tampa Bay Rays knew they would not go down without a fight, even after dropping the first two games of the best-of-five ALDS to the Rangers, and so, with Evan Longoria going 3-for-4 and powering a two-run homer in Sunday's 5-2 triumph at Texas, it's on to a decisive Game Five, Tuesday, back at Tropicana Field in Tampa.

The Rays jumped on Texas starter, Tommy Hunter, early, when Carlos Pena tripled and scored on an Ian Kinsler error. In the 4th, Hunter was knocked out on two earned runs. Again it was Pena, doubling in Longoria, who had himself doubled to lead off the inning. Pena later scored on B.J. Upton's double.

Hunter finished the inning, but was replaced by Derek Holland in the fifth, who sandwiched two outs around a Ben Zobrist single before giving up Longoria's homer, his first of the series.

Tampa's Wade Davis held the Rangers scoreless through five, but surrendered two runs without getting anybody out in the 6th. However, the Tampa Bay bullpen made certain that was all the Rangers would get, allowing one hit and no runs getting the final 12 outs.

Game Five is set for Tuesday at 8:07 ET. Starters are a rematch of Game One: Cliff Lee for the Rangers vs. David Price of the Rays. The winner will host the Yankees in the best-of-seven league championship series, slated to begin Friday, October 15.

National League

The Phillies are headed back to the NL Championship Series for the third straight season, hoping to make their third consecutive World Series appearance.

After knocking off the Reds in three straight, Philly looks to be the team to beat as their trio of starters - Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels - are easily the best three starters of any team remaining.

On Sunday, Hamels dusted off the Reds with a 5-hit, complete game shutout that finished off the sweep with a 2-0 win.

Hamels wasn't as good as Halladay, who pitched a series-opening no-hitter, but he came close, allowing five hits and no walks while whiffing nine Reds batters, including Scott Rolen three times.

The Phils got their two runs on an unearned run in the second inning and a 5th inning solo homer by Chase Utley off Reds' starter Johnny Cueto, who pitched well in defeat.

Hamels threw 119 pitches, but will have plenty of time to rest up for his next start, which is certain to be at least a week from Sunday, as the NLCS will begin in Philadelphia on Saturday, October 16, against either the Braves or Giants.

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The San Francisco Giants took a two-games-to-one lead over the Atlanta Braves in the best-of-five National League Division Series Sunday, topping the Braves, 3-2, on a game marred by three costly errors by Atlanta second baseman Brooks Conrad.

Eric Hinske's two-run homer in the 8th, Aubrey Huff getting the only RBI by a Giant in the 9th to tie the game and Conrad's final foul-up to allow the winning run overshadowed a stellar pitching performance by the Giants' Jonathan Sanchez.

Sanchez held the Braves scoreless for 7 1/3 innings, when he was lifted for reliever Sergio Romo after allowing just his second hit of the game, a one-out single to Alex Gonzalez. Romo proceeded to nearly lose the game, giving up a two-run shot to pinch-hitter Hinske.

Sanchez worked a no-hitter into the 6th, when Brian McAnn singled, but finished with no decision, despite allowing just one run on two hits and a walk, striking out 11 Braves in the process.

Conrad, forced into duty due to season-ending injuries to both Chipper Jones and Martin Prado, bobbled a grounder in the first, dropped a pop-up in the fifth and eventually let the winning run score by allowing a Buster Posey ground ball through his legs with two out in the 9th inning.

The Braves, one out away from taking a 2-1 lead in the series, now find themselves facing elimination with a roster decimated by injuries. Besides Prado and Jones being long gone, closer Billy Wagner is also kaput, after he suffered a strained left oblique in Saturday's 5-4 win. Wagner has been taken off the playoff roster, so, if the Braves win the series, he will not be eligible for the best-of-seven series against Philly, though he would be eligible to return if the Braves reach the World Series, though that's a scenario in serious doubt.

Wagner had already stated that this season would be his last, joining manager Bobby Cox in retirement at the end of this season, which, for the Braves, could be Monday night, when they host the Giants in Game 4 of the series at 7:37 pm ET, facing elimination.

Granderson Stings Rays; Hamels on the Money for Phillies

Players of the Day for Monday, September 20, 2010 American League With just two weeks left in the regular season, the Yankees and Rays squared off at Yankee Stadium in the first of a four-game set which will go a long way toward determining playoff seeding in the American League. Carrying a 1/2 game lead into the series, the Yankees struck the first blow with an 8-6 victory over the Rays, powered by a pair of homers by center fielder Curtis Granderson. Getting the Yanks on the board first, Granderson smashed a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, and, after the Rays fought back to tie the score at 4-all in the 6th, he delivered the death blow with a three-run shot to right field that put New York up by four runs. Hitting his 20th and 21st of the season, Granderson was a constant irritant to the Rays, driving in five runs, walking twice and swiping a base late in the game. The Yankee win gives them a 1 1/2 game cushion in the division. Even if the Rays finish second, they will, in all likelihood, take the wild card spot into the playoffs. They currently lead the Red Sox by 6 1/2 games for the final playoff position. National League With every game they play, the Phillies look more and more like they will represent the National League East when the playoffs begin. Opening their crucial three-game set with Atlanta, the Phillies won their 8th straight, stopping the Braves, 3-1, as Cole Hamels continues to impress down the stretch. Hamels kept Atlanta's hitters off balance and off the bases, delivering eight strong innings, allowing one earned run on six hits. Picking up his 12th win against 10 losses, Hamels struck out six and walked just one. The Braves struck first, with a run in the second inning, but hilly quickly tied it in the bottom of the inning. After Placido Polanco and Raul Ianez provided go-ahead runs in the 5th, Hamels set about his job in workmanlike fashion, allowing only a 6th inning walk and a leadoff single in the 7th, retiring the next six batters he faced before turning the ball over to Brad Lidge, who delivered a perfect 9th inning for his 24th save. With a four-game lead, the Phillies are looking to take the next two games from the Braves and build an even larger lead, rendering the final three games of the season - in Atlanta - a moot point. After the series in Philly concludes, the Phils host the mets for three, then travel to D.C. for three games with the Nationals before finishing up in Atlanta. PENNANT NOTES: There was limited action in the majors, with none of the contenders in the NL West seeing action. The Cardinals continued to struggle, losing, 4-0, at Florida, while the Reds whipped Milwaukee, 5-2, giving the Reds a seven-game edge. Texas won, but so did Oakland. The lead in the AL West is eight games. Texas' magic number stands at six. Minnesota can clinch at least a tie on Tuesday with a White Sox loss and a win of their own. On Monday, they smacked the Indians, 9-3, while the Sox were being shut out by Oakland, 3-0. The Giants, currently 1/2 game better than San Diego in the West, open a six-game road trip on Tuesday in Chicago. After three with the Cubs, the team will travel for three with the Rockies, who trail by just 1 1/2.

French Takes No-Hitter Into 7th; Hamels, Phils Close to Within One Game of Braves

Players of the Day for Friday, September 3, 2010 American League With fans focusing on pennant races and post-season positioning, little notice has been given to send-division teams and upcoming players like Seattle's Luke French, who tossed seven inning of 1-hit ball at the Cleveland Indians Friday. Given a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st, French dueled with Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona, who pitched well (4 hits, 1 ER) but didn't get any run support as the Mariners held on for the 1-0 home win. French took a no-hitter into the 7th inning, but gave up a one out walk to Shin-Soo Choo before Shelley Duncan scratched out a single. French worked out of trouble, getting Jayson Nix to line into an inning-ending double play, one of two the Mariners turned. Nix evened his record at 4-4, lowering his ERA down to 3.66. With an 0-2 record and 6.27 ERA as of August 1st, French has gone 4-2 since, including two straight wins in which he's allowed just one earned run. National League Cole Hamels was tough as nails in Philadelphia's 1-0 win over Milwaukee, allowing just three hits over seven innings in his most important start of the season. Plagued by a lack of run support, Hamels has been going to the hill knowing he can't give the opponents anything, which is exactly what's he's done in his last two starts. On Sunday, Hamels blanked the Padres on four hits over 8 innings. With Friday night's outing, he hasn't allowed a run in 18 innings. Despite outstanding numbers (3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP), his last win before beating the Padres was on July 11, fittingly, a 1-0 win over the Reds. Nine times this season, Hamels has allowed two earned runs or less and come away with either no decision or a loss. Because of the lack of runs scored when he's on the mound, his record is just 9-10. On Friday, the Phillies managed to score only one run in the second inning, but Hamels made sure it stood up. The win put the Phillies just one game behind AL East leader, Atlanta, as the Braves were downed by the Marlins 6-1 and have lost two straight. The Phillies have won four in a row and are in perfect position to run down the Braves and take control of the division they've won the past three seasons.

A-Rod Swats 599th; Hamels 1-Hits Cards as Phils Win in 11

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 22, 2010 American League Looking to open up some breathing room in the AL East, the Yankees opened a four game series in New York against the Kansas City Royals. By the end of the game, the Bombers had accomplished their aim, adding a 1/2 game to their lead over the Rays (now 3 games back) with a 10-4 win over their powerless AL Central opponent. Additionally, starter C.C. Sabathia, who struggled through 6 1/3 innings (11 hits, 3 ER), became the top winner in the AL, posting this 13th W of the season against just 3 losses. But it was Alex Rodriguez stealing the spotlight, belting his 599th career home run with none aboard in the 7th inning, putting him on the cusp of an historic mark and upping the Yankee lead to 6-4. Rodriguez had already knocked in a pair of runs with a ground rule double in the 2nd inning prior to his homer, and added another RBI in the bottom of the 8th with a double to the right-center gap as the Yankees tacked on four more runs. It was the 16th homer of the season for A-Rod, who went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI on the night. His four ribbies put him in second place in the AL RBI race, seven behind leader Miguel Cabrera of Detroit. Rodriguez, seeking to become only the 7th player all-time to reach the 600-homer plateau, will have ample opportunity to do it in front of the NY fans with three more games against the Royals this weekend. National League The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to hold onto first place in the NL Central. The Philadelphia Phillies are just trying to remain relevant in the NL East. Matching up Cole Hamels against St. Louis' Adam Wainwright Thursday night, neither team could find a way to the scoreboard while the two starters battled. Wainwright lasted just six innings, though he didn't allow a run while giving up six hits without a walk, fanning six. Hamels, however, twirled a gem over 8 solid innings, allowing only Matt Holliday's leadoff single in the 4th and a walk to Yadier Molina in the 8th before being lifted for reliever Ryan Madsen to start the 9th. Hamels struck out 8, including the first five batters he faced, set down the first 12 in order, but despite his awesome performance, did not receive a decision. Scoreless into the 11th, the Phillies finally broke through when Placido Polanco led off the inning with a solo homer. Jayson Werth drove in Raul Ibanez with an insurance run later in the frame. The 2-0 win kept the Phillies seven games behind the Atlanta Braves, 8-0 winners over San Diego. St. Louis maintained their 1 1/2 game lead over the Reds, who were outclassed by Washington, 7-1. Notes: The AL Central got a little bit tighter as both the Tigers and Twins won while the White Sox took a day off. Carl Pavano pitched a 5-hit complete game shutout for Minnesota's 5-0 win over the Orioles. Detroit stopped Toronto, 5-2. Both trail the White Sox by 2 games.

Davis Shuts Out Orioles; Hamels Improving As Playoffs Approach

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 17, 2009 American League When the calendar turned to September, the Tampa Bay Rays fell completely apart. Heading into the final game of their 4-game series with Baltimore, the Rays' record for the month stood at 2-11 and their record had fallen to the mediocre level of .500 (73-73). With the 2009 campaign winding down, the Rays must look ahead to next year. Some reason for optimism may have emerged in their 3-0 win over Baltimore as minor league prospect Wade Davis tossed a 4-hit shutout for his first win in just his third major league start. A 6'5" right-hander who was called up from AA Montgomery earlier this month, Davis walked 2 batters but struck out 10. He also was adept at inducing ground ball outs, recording 12 ground outs and just 5 fly ball outs. A native Floridian, Davis has the look of a bright rookie prospect for 2010. National League Philadelphia took another step closer to their third straight NL East pennant as Cole Hamels (10-9) dominated the Washington Nationals for a 4-2 Philly win. Hamels, who led the Phillies to World Series glory last season, appears to be rounding into championship form at just the right time. Joining Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez as experienced starters, a healthy Hamels solidifies the top of the rotation. Going 8 innings against Washington, Hamels allowed just one earned run on 5 hits while fanning 10 batters and walking one. The 10 Ks matched a season high. Brad Lidge came in to finish in the ninth, and despite allowing a run, earned his 30th save. Hamels has been on his game in September. In his last three wins, he's worded 23 2/3 innings and allowed just 2 earned runs while striking out 25. His lone September loss came against Houston in his only road start as he gave up 8 hits and 4 earned in 6 innings. The win dropped the Phillies' magic number to 10, as they are 7 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta - winners of 7 straight - in the East division. NOTES: Detroit dropped an 8-2 decision to Kansas City, as Zack Greinke improved to 14-8 for the Royals. That loss moved idle Minnesota closer to the Tigers, now just 4 games separating the top two in the Central. with Boston all but clinching the wild card as Texas has stumbled, the Central division may be the only race left in the American League. In the NL, Colorado still leads the Giants in the wild card hunt by 3 1/2 games. Atlanta is 4 1/2 back and the marlins 5 behind, so the race is not nearly over.

Posada's Pair Knocks Down O's; Hamels 2-Hits Giants

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 1, 2009 American League Jorge Posada cranked a pair of homers out of Camden Yards, drove in three runs and scored three times, to lead the Yankees to their 5th straight win and second in a row over Baltimore with a 9-6 conquest. Posada needs just one more homer to become the 7th Yankee to hit 20 or more this season, which would tie a record held by three teams: the 1996 Orioles, the 2000 Blue Jays and the 2005 Rangers. How many homers have the Yankees hit? 207. They have 30 games left. In order to break the AL and major league record of 264 held by the 1997 Seattle Mariners - a team which included A-Rod, Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner and Edgar Martinez - they'll have to smack roughly two every game, but they have proven capable of doing that. The only Yankee starters who do not have 20 homers are leadoff man, Derek Jeter, who has 17, and #9 hitter Melky Cabrera (11). Jeter is capable of hitting three more in September, which, in addition to Posada, would be 8 players with 20 or more homers, a record that may not ever be broken. In terms of Jeter hitting 20, he's done it three times - in 1999, 2001 and 2004. The 17 he has thus far in 2009 are the most he's hit since 2005, when he had 19. With the Yankees now counting down magic numbers (currently 24) to the AL crown, Jeter may get some time off or be green-lighted to go yard. Extrapolated statistics are inconclusive. At his current pace - 17 homers in 126 games - if he plays all 30 remaining games (he won't), he'd hit 21. While Posada's a lock for 20, Jeter chances are very iffy. National League The Giants managed to sweep the Rockies over the weekend, earning them a tie for first in the wild card standings and a day off Monday as they traveled to Philadelphia. On Tuesday, they fell back to earth (and a game behind the Rockies, who won) as Cole Hamels suddenly regained his 2008 form and hurled a complete game, 2-hit shutout. Ryan Howard drove in Shane Victorino with the game's only run in the 4th inning for the 1-0 Philly win. Hamels (8-8), face two over the minimum, threw 80 of his 118 pitches for strikes, fanned 9 and issued only one walk. Both of the hits came leading off innings - in the second and ninth. In between, Hamels put down 21 straight batters, including 4 straight strikeouts in the 5th and 6th. The Giants' hitters were no match for the 6'3" lefty who seems to have found his game at precisely the right time of year. The Phillies have a 7 1/2 game lead over Atlanta in the NL East, a seemingly insurmountable bulge. The magic number for Philly fans is 25.

Phillies Win It in Five

World Series Game 5: Phillies 4 Rays 3 After a two-day wait, Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske on a low slider away at 9:58 pm ET and the Philadelphia Phillies became baseball's 2008 World Champions, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays, four games to one. The game, which was suspended Monday night in the middle of the 6th inning with the score tied 2-2, resumed at about 8:40 pm. Pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins started the night right with a double to lead off the Phillies' 6th and scored the 3rd Philly run after Jimmy Rollins sacrificed him to third and Jayson Werth drove him in with a short pop fly mishandled by Rays' second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Rocco Baldelli re-tied the game in the top of the 7th with a solo homer, but the Phillies would not be denied. In the bottom of the 7th, Pedro Feliz knocked home Eric Bruntlett, running for Pat Burrell, who ended an 0-for-13 World Series with a double to lead off the inning. JC Romero worked the 8th inning, before manager Charlie Manuel called on Lidge to finish the job. Cole Hamels (R), who won Game 1 and kept the Phillies in Game 5 until the rain delay in the 6th inning, was named World Series MVP. Notes: All regulars ended with at least one hit, as Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria had ended 0-for streaks on Monday, in the regularly-scheduled part of the game. Lidge picked up his 42nd save, including regular and post-season, remaining perfect in save opportunities for all of 2008.

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

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

Rolllins, Hamels Send Phabulous Phillies to World Series

Players of the Day from Wednesday, October 15, 2008 NLCS: Philadelphia 5 LA Dodgers 1 Jimmy Rollins (L) scored the first two runs of the game - on a 1st inning leadoff home run and off a Ryan Howard single in the 3rd. Those two runs proved to be enough as Cole Hamels (R) shut down the Dodgers on five hits over 7 innings, the only run coming on a Manny Ramirez 6th inning homer as the Phillies took out the Dodgers 4 games to 1, with a 5-1 win to clinch the National League pennant. The Phillies used timely hitting and pitching in key spots to knock out LA, advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1993. Hamels, who won game 1 and game 5 was named MVP of the Championship Series. Notes: The Red Sox and Rays square off for game 5 in the ALCS on Thursday night in Boston at 8:07 pm ET. Tampa Bay leads, 3 game to 1, and has routed the Red Sox in both games at Fenway Park, 9-1 and 13-4. Scott Kazmir gets the start for Tampa, facing Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka, who got the win in game 1 with 7 innings of shutout ball in a 2-0 Boston win.

Red Sox Ground Angels; Loney Slams Cubs; Hamels a Hero in Philly

Players of the Day from Wednesday, October 1, 2008 American League Boston 4 LA Angels 1 Jason Bay crunched a two-run homer in support of Jon Lester's strong 7 inning performance as the Red Sox won the opener of their playoff series with the Angels, 4-1. Bay's homer lifted the Red Sox from a 1-0 deficit and the Red Sox bullpen kept the Angels off the board for the remainder of the proceedings. Lester, who allowed an unearned run in the second inning, gave up six hits - all singles - and a walk while fanning seven. Boston's win was the 10th straight over the Angels in the playoffs and the 8th straight playoff loss for LA overall. The Angels dominated Boston during the regular season, winning 8 of 9 games. Notes: The series resumes Friday night in Anaheim with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound for Boston, facing the Angels' Ervin Santana. National League Philadelphia 3 Milwaukee 1 Cole Hamels was at the top of his game, striking out nine batter and shutting out the Brewers over 8 innings on two hits to lead the Phillies to a 3-1 win over Milwaukee in the opener of their best-of-five playoff series. Brad Lidge, who was named NL comeback player of the year on Monday, came on for the ninth, getting the final three outs on strikeouts, but not before allowing a walk, two hits and the Brewers' only run. Hamels was a strikeout machine, getting Mike Cameron swinging to start the game and Ryan Braun swinging to end the first inning. He fanned Jason Kendall and slugger Prince Fielder twice each. For good measure, Lidge also struck out Fielder with Ryan Braun on 2nd and first base open in the ninth. The Phillies scored all of their runs in the 3rd inning on a Chase Utley 2-run double and a bases loaded walk to Shane Victorino. Though all of the runs were deemed unearned because of second baseman Ricky Weeks' one-out error, starter Brewers' starter Yovani Gallardo struggled through 4 innings, allowing 3 hits while walking 5. The Brewers and Phillies take the field again Thursday night (6:07 pm ET). C.C. Sabathia will start for Milwaukee. Philly sends Brett Myers to the mound. Sabathia has been a stud for the Brewers since coming over in a mid-season trade from Cleveland. He will be pitching on three days rest after a complete game win which clinched the wild card for the Brewers on Sunday. LA Dodgers 7 Chicago Cubs 2 The cloud hanging over the Chicago Cubs for the last 100 years just won't go away. Nursing a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning, starter Ryan Dempster managed to load the bases on walks and with two outs let James Loney take him - and the hopes of thousands of Cubs fans in attendance - out of the park with a grand slam that broke the game open. Loney's blast was just the start for the Dodgers. Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin also homered in the 7th and 9th innings. Casey Blake singled in another run in the 8th. The Cubs had no answers in the Dodgers' 7-2 romp at Wrigley. While the Dodgers had only 8 hits, 5 of them went for extra bases, three of them out of the park. Chicago collected 9 hits, but only two - a double by Aramis Ramirez and Mark DeRosa's second-inning two-run homer - were anything beyond singles. The Cubs can make amends Thursday night (9:07 pm ET) with Carlos Zambrano on the mound to face the Dodgers' Chad Billingsley. After that, it's off to LA for a pair of weekend games and back to Chicago on Tuesday, if necessary. It's been 100 years since the Cubs last won a World Series. On such an auspicious anniversary, they're still a long way from celebrating.

Lester Blanks Yanks; Hamels Stops Braves

Players of the Day from Thursday, July 3, 2008 American League The Red Sox struggled with Tampa Bay, dropping all three games of their series with the Rays, but they had little trouble ending their overall five-game skid as Jon Lester twirled a five-hit shutout to drop the Yankees, 7-0. Lester (8-5) threw 102 pitches, walking 2 while striking out 8. He stifled the heart of the Yankee batting order, limiting the first six hitters in the lineup to one hit in 20 at-bats. With the Rays idle, Boston picked up 1/2 game and trail by 3. The Yankees are 8 out of first, but have a chance to close the gap with three more games against Boston at Yankee Stadium this weekend. Notes: The Oakland A's dropped two of three to the Angels this week, but they opened their four-game set in Chicago with a key 3-2 win, ending the White Sox's 8-game winning streak. While the A's trail the Angels by 5 games in the West, Chicago remains in control of the Central, two games up on Minnesota, with the Tigers lurking, 6 games off the pace. National League Philadelphia may be the most balanced team in the National League and that's a key to their 2 1/2 game lead over Florida in the NL East. One large part of that balance resides in the left arm of Cole Hamels, who shut down the Atlanta Braves on Thursday for a 4-1 Philly win. Hamels (9-5) was working on a shutout until the Braves finally broke through for a run with two outs in the ninth. Tom Gordon came on to nail down the final out. Hamels gave up five hits and one earned run, striking out 7 while walking a pair. Notes: Hamels is third in the NL strikeout race, with 110, behind Edinson Volquez (113) and Tim Lincecum (122), who added 8 to his total on Thursday in an 8-3 win over the Cubs. Expect to see all three of these whiff masters on the mound for the Nationals in the July 15 All Star game.

Hamels Blanks Nats; Renteria Drives Five for Tigers

Players of the Day from Tuesday, May 20, 2008 American League The Detroit Tigers potentially have one of the best hitting teams in either league, especially considering that a batter in the #8 hole, Edgar Renteria can go 4-for-4 and drive in five runs on a given night. That's exactly what Renteria did in the Tigers' 12-8 win at Seattle on Tuesday, socking a home run and a triple to go with a pair of singles.

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Notes: Trouble is, the Tigers are still deep in a hole in the standings, 6 1/2 behind and in last place in the AL Central. They're even three games behind the 4th-place Royals, who have lost two straight. Detroit seems fine against fellow bottom-feeders like the Mariners, but a lack of solid starting pitching has doomed them against better squads. National League Cole Hamels didn't get a decision in Philadelphia's 1-0 squeaker over the Nationals, but he certainly deserved a W, working over Washington hitters for 7 innings, allowing just 4 hits and a pair of walks while blanking them with 11 strikeouts. The win went to reliever Tom Gordon (4-2) when the Phillies scored the game's only run in the top of the 9th inning. Hamels (5-3) has been very effective thus far in 2008, sporting an ERA of 2.61 and a 1.02 WHIP. Notes: Still feeling Chipper? Atlanta stood strong at home on Tuesday taking both ends of a double-header with the Mets, 6-1 and 6-2, sneaking past the New Yorkers into second place in the NL East. Chipper Jones, the hottest bat in the league, was held somewhat in check. He registered 3 hits in 8 at-bats in the two games, which actually made his league-leading batting average drop to .409.

Phillies in first; Cubs, Bosox clinch; Arizona is in

National League With the conclusion of Friday's games, the playoff picture in the National League suddenly became much clearer. The Phillies took a one-game lead over the Mets in the NL East - the first time they've been in first place all season. The Cubs clinched the Central division title and the Diamondbacks assured themselves of a playoff spot with a win over the Rockies, ending their 11-game win streak, the longest in the majors this season. The Brewers are out and San Diego leads Colorado and the Mets by 2 games in the wild card hunt. The Phillies, who were 7 games behind the Mets as of September 12, are 12-3 since, while the Mets have stumbled to a 4-11 record over the same span. Philadelphia needs just one more win or one Mets loss to clinch at least a tie in the NL East. Washington 0 Philadelphia 6 - Phillies' ace Cole Hamels (right) was at his best when it counted the most, slicing through the Nationals lineup for eight innings, fanning 13 and allowing just 6 hits and no earned runs. Without a win since August 16, Hamels' (15-5) 8 inning blanking was his best this season. Florida 7 NY Mets 4 - The Mets lost their 5th straight and 11th in their last 15 games, as their extended team slump sent them tumbling into second place and in danger of missing the playoffs completely. Still with slim hope, the Mets can reach the playoffs under a variety of situations. If they win both of their remaining games and the Phillies lose theirs, New York would take the NL East title. One loss and one Philly win gives the division to the Phillies. If the Mets win both and San Diego loses both of their games, they would tie the Padres for the wild card and force a playoff on Monday. Arizona 4 Colorado 2 - Brandon Webb (right) did what no other pitcher could do against Colorado over the past 12 games - he got a win. Webb (18-10) gave up two runs over 7 gritty innings while his teammates scored four times off Rockies' starter Jeff Francis, the big blow being Conor Jackson's two-run homer in the third which staked Webb to a 3-0 lead that he would not relinquish. The D-Backs are still being dogged by the Padres and they need just one more win or a San Diego loss to clinch at least a tie for the NL West title. They have already clinched at least the wild card spot. Colorado must win both of their remaining games and have San Diego lose theirs to earn are share of the wild card spot.

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Chi Cubs 6 Cincinnati 0 - Carlos Zambrano (18-13) shut out the Reds for 6 innings, propelling the Cubs to the NL Central crown. Alfonso Soriano hit his 32nd home run and Derek Lee smashed a 2-run shot for his 22nd of the season. Amazingly, the Cubs, with the worst record of any remaining playoff contender, become the first to clinch a division. San Diego 6 Milwaukee 3 - Shortstop Khalil Greene (right), who's been providing big hits all season, doubled home Adrian Gonzalez in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie and then sealed the win with a 2-run homer in the 8th - his 25th - to end Milwaukee's playoff hopes and keep the Padres one game behind Arizona in the NL West. No matter what they do the next two games, the Padres are assured of at least a tie for the wild card. They lead both the Rockies and Mets by 2 games. Other NL Scores St. Louis 6 Pittsburgh 1 Atlanta 7 Houston 2 San Francisco 3 LA Dodgers 8 American League Minnesota 2 Boston 5 - The Red Sox wrapped up their first AL East title in 12 years as Daisuke Matsuzaka (right) improved to 15-12, allowing 8 hits and 2 runs over 8 innings of work, fanning 8 Minnesota batters. David Ortiz was 3-4 and smashed his 35th home run of the season. The Red Sox will host the LA Angels in the first round of the playoffs. NY Yankees 9 Baltimore 10, 10 innings - Baltimore tied the game with 3 runs off closer Mariano Rivera and Melvin Mora squeezed home Tike Redman with the game winner in the 10th. The Yankees had the bases loaded in the top of the 10th but could not get a run home and end up as the wild card entrant in the playoffs, scheduled to start Tuesday at Cleveland. Alex Rodriguez hit his 54th homer, drove in four runs and scored twice, capping a brilliant season, sure to win the MVP award. Rodriguez pushed his RBI total to 155, tying him with Joe DiMaggio for 10th place on the Yankees' all-time list. The number is a career high for A-Rod and the most by a Yankee in 70 years. Rodriguez also set a career mark for runs scored with 142, one better than he had with Seattle in 1996. Other AL Scores Tampa Bay 4 Toronto 5 Cleveland 5 Kansas City 3 Detroit 2 Chi White Sox 5 LA Angels 2 Oakland 0 Texas 4 Seattle 6