Yankees' Derek Jeter, Rockies' Larry Walker Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Derek Jeter

Former New York Yankee shortstop, Derek Jeter, and outfielder Larry Walker were both elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday night, though their paths to glory could not have been more different.

Jeter, now the CEO of the Miami Marlins, received all but one first place vote in his first time on the ballot. Walker got 76.6% of the votes on his 10th and final try, making the grade by a mere 10 votes. Walker joins former Cubs' pitcher Ferguson Jenkins as the only other Canadian-born member of the Hall.

Jeter played every season of his 20-year career - from 1995 though 2014 - with the New York Yankees, during which the Bronx Bombers won five World Series, reaching the playoffs in all but four seasons. Jeter won various awards including Rookie of the Year (1995), All-Star game MVP, World Series MVP (2009), and five gold gloves.

During his run, Jeter had 3465 hits in 11195 at-bats for a .310 regular season average.Jeter socked 260 home runs, drove in 1311, and scored 1923 times. He swiped 358 bases and finished with an on-base percentage of .377.

For all his accomplishments, Jeter never won a batting title nor a regular season MVP award, finishing second in 2006, and third in the voting in both 1998 and 2009. His base hits total of 3465 is sixth all-time, trailing only Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, and Tris Speaker.

Larry Walker

Walker, a five time All-Star, played 17 seasons starting in 1989, six of them with the Montreal Expos, nine full seasons with the Colorado Rockies, and part of 2004 with the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he finished his career in 2005.

A prolific hitter, Walker had 2160 hits in 6907 at-bats for a lifetime .313 regular season batting average. He led the National League in batting three times, hitting .363 in 1998, .379 in 1999, and .350 in 2001. He earned the NL MVP award in a season in which he did not win the batting title. In 1997, he batted .366 and led the league with 49 home runs, 409 total bases, a .452 on-base percentage, .720 slugging, and 1.172 OPS.

Walker's post-season play was limited to just three seasons, two with the Cardinals (2004 and 2005) and one with the Rockies (1995). His best performance was in 2004, when the Cardinals were swept by the Red Sox. Walker batted .357 (5-for-14) with two doubles, two homers, and three RBI.

Induction to the Hall will be made official on July 26 at Cooperstown, NY along with catcher Ted Simmons and former players' association head Marvin Miller, who were voted in last month by the Hall's Modern Era Committee.

Raimel Tapia Slams Brewers, Rockies Win; Tommy Pham, Tyler Glasnow Lead Rays Into Playoffs; A's Also Qualify

Players of the Day for Friday, September 27, 2019

American League

Glasnow: 4 1/3 hitless

Cleveland is out. The Rays and A's are in the playoffs.

Tommy Pham's third inning, two-run homer broke a scoreless tie and Tyler Glasnow tossed 4 1/2 innings of no-hit ball, as the Rays went on to defeat the Blue Jays, 6-2, Friday in Toronto.

Pham's homer was his 21st of the year; Glasnow fanned four and issued two walks, setting down the last eight batters he faced before being lifted with one out in the fifth inning.

Pham: 2-run homer

The win, combined with Cleveland's 8-2 loss at Washington, put the Rays into the playoffs for the first time since 2013, taking a wild card spot.

Oakland, falling 4-3 at Seattle, also qualified as a wild card, but fell into a flat-footed tie with the Rays. Both teams are 96-64, with two games left.

Should the two finish tied for the wild card spots, Oakland would be the home team, as they won the season series over the Rays, four games to three. Wherever it is played, the AL wild card game will be played Wednesday, October 2nd.

Cleveland, which had been in contention not only for a wild card, but also for the Central division, played itself right out down the stretch, losing four of its last six.

National League

Tapia's slam buries Brewers

On their path the the playoffs, the Milwaukee Brewers finally ran into a game the could not win, a team they could not beat, as the Colorado Rockies out-slugged them, 11-7, Friday night.

After Lorenzo Cain put the Brewers up 2-1 in the fourth inning, the floodgates opened for the Rockies, scoring seven times in the sixth inning, capped by Raimel Tapia's grand slam. Colorado tacked on three more in the seventh and though the Brewers posted a pair in the eighth and three in the ninth, it was not nearly enough.

Tapia's home run was his ninth of the season and upped his RBI total to 44.

Milwaukee's loss was only their second in their last 11 games. The Brewers are having a September to remember, going 20-5 to overtake the Cubs in the Central division and gain, at least, a wild card spot. Despite losing, the Brewers remain one game behind St. Louis in the division, as the Cardinals were bombed by the Cubs, 8-2. Both teams have two games remaining.

Should the Brewers and Cardinals tie for the division title, they would play a one-game playoff, the loser to face Washington in another one-game elimination, while the division winner would open a five-game divisional playoff series in Atlanta. The wild card team would head to Los Angeles to meet the Dodgers.

Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox Pound Yanks, 19-3; Daniel Murphy Leads Rockies in Comeback Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 25, 2019

Bogaerts: 4-6, 2HR, 4RBI

American League

Entering their four game series at Boston, the New York Yankees held a 10-game lead over Tampa in the division and an 11-game bulge over the Red Sox.

That would be hard to believe after the events of the first game, in which the Red Sox hammered starter Masahiro Tanaka for seven runs in the first inning, en route to a 19-3 demolition of the first place Bombers.

The Red Sox amassed 23 hits off four Yankee hurlers, 13 of them for extra bases. Xander Bogaerts was one of the leaders of the assault, going 4-for-6 with four RBI and four runs. Bogaerts' first-inning, three-run homer set the tone, and Boston hitters just kept piling on the division leaders with impunity.

Bogaerts added a pair of singles and an eighth-inning solo homer. While the Red Sox are just 8-6 since the all-star game, their relatively tame performance cannot be tied to Bogarts and his hot bat. He's batting .419 with six home runs and 17 RBI over his last 15 games.

Friday's game two is scheduled for a 7:10 pm start at Fenway Park.

Murphy: 3-5, HR, 2 RBI

National League

Daniel Murphy is heating up, and that should be good news for the Colorado Rockies.

One of the best hitters in the majors, Murphy's been boosting his batting average, upping it to .287 with a 3-for-5 effort in Colorado's 8-7 comeback win at Washington.

The Nationals held a 7-5 lead entering the eighth inning, but Murphy cut the lead in half with his third hit of the game, a solo homer into the right field seats.

After Ian Desmond tied the game in the ninth with a solo shot of his own, Murphy knocked in the game-winner on a fielder's choice ground out, getting Charlie Blackmon home from third.

Murphy drove in two runs and scored three times. Over his past 15 games, Murphy has been on fire, batting .327 with three homers.

Colorado's victory left them mired in last place in the NL West. They are 6 1/2 games away from the wild card spot.

The Rockies open a three-game series in Cincinnati, Friday at 6:40 pm.

Tony Wolters Singles Home Game-Winner In 13th As Rockies Oust Cubs; A's-Yankees Wild Card Wednesday

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 2, 2018

National League

Wolters singles in 13th

It took thirteen innings and four hours and 55 minutes, but the Colorado Rockies finally finished off the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild card game, 2-1, to move to the next round of the playoffs.

Rockies' starter, Kyle Freeland, held the Cubs scoreless over 6 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and fanning six. Freeland made the one run the Rockies scored in the first inning - on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado which plated Charlie Blackmon - stand up through seven.

In the eighth, the Cubs scored what would be their only run of the game. Javier Baez, the Cubs' most reliable batter throughout the regular season, doubled home Terrance Gore, who was pinch-running for Anthony Rizzo.

The game remained knotted at 1-1 until the 13th inning when the Rockies put two aboard with two outs on back-to-back singles by Gerardo Parra and Trevor Story. Tony Wolters delivered a sharp single to center, sending Story home with the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the frame, reliever Scott Oberg - who fanned Kris Bryant for the third out in the 12th - set the Cubs down in order, striking out Gore, Baez, and Albert Almora Jr. to finish the game and send the Rockies further into the playoffs.

The Rockies move on to the division series with the NL Central champion Brewers, which begins Thursday in Milwaukee. The Dodgers host Atlanta in the other NL division best-of-five series, also starting Thursday night.

American League

There were no American League games on Tuesday. The AL wild card game is scheduled for an 8:08 pm EDT start Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The Oakland As' start Liam Hendriks against Yankee hurler, Luis Severino.

Rockies' Charlie Blackmon Hits For Cycle; NL West, Central Still Undecided; Boston's Mookie Betts Captures AL Batting Crown

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 30, 2018

American League

Betts: AL batting champ

While Boston's 10-2 win over the Yankees in the regular season finale meant nothing in terms of the post-season, it did provide conclusive confirmation of the AL batting champion, Mookie Betts, who went 1-for-2, finishing the regular season with a .346 batting average.

Betts finished ahead of teammate J.D. Martinez, who ended the season second to Oakland's Khris Davis with 34 home runs to Davis' 38. Martinez did lead in RBI, however, with 130. Davis was second with 123.

The Yankees claimed another record in the game. Miguel Andujar tied the AL rookie record for doubles in a season with his 47th, equalling Boston's Fred Lynn 1974 mark. Lynn won the AL MVP award that season, and, while Andujar has been sensational, he's likely to win only the rookie of the year award. Betts or Martinez are favored to be named league MVP.

The Yankees host the Oakland A's in the wild card game on Wednesday. Boston will play the winner in the AL division series.

National League

Blackmon hits for cycle

The Rockies are in the playoffs, but whether they'll be a wild card or the NL west champion still needs to be decided.

Charlie Blackmon hit for the cycle and the Rockies closed out the regular season with a 12-0 romp over the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers, who entered the day in a flat-footed tie with Colorado atop the NL West, also romped home with a 14-0 defeat of the Giants in San Francisco.

Likewise, the NL Central ended in a tie for first place as the Cubs and Brewers both finished in style, the Cubs topping the Cardinals, 10-5, while the Brewers routed the Tigers 11-0. There will be a pair of one-game playoffs to determine post-season seedings.

Blackmon, batting in his usual leadoff spot, got the hardest part of the cycle out of the way on the second pitch he saw from Nationals' starter Erick Fedde, tripling to right field in the bottom of the first. He scored on Nolan Arenado's home run, beginning the slaughter. Arenado's home run was his 37th, enough to lead the NL in home runs. Matt Carpenter of St. Louis, Milwaukee's Christian Yelich and Arenado's teammate, Trevor Story each ended the season with 36.

In the third inning, Blackmon's 29th homer brought in two runs for a 4-0 lead. He beat out an infield single in the fifth and scored again on David Dahl's three-run homer. After striking out in the sixth, Blackmon doubled, driving in two runs, to complete the cycle.

Blackmon batted .289 for the season, with 70 RBI and led the league in runs. His 119 runs scored was one more than Milwaukee's Christian Yelich, who captured the batting title with a .323 average.

The Rockies play at Los Angeles Monday at 4:00 pm EDT to determine the division champion and wild card. At 1:00 pm EDT, the Cubs host the Brewers for the Central division title. The loser of that game will host Wednesday's NL wild card game.

Ian Desmond Lifts Rockies Past Nationals; Aaron Judge Homers, Yankees Wrap Up Wild Card

Players of the Day for Friday, September 28, 2018

Aaron Judge

American League

The suspense is over.

The New York Yankees - by virtue of their 11-6 win at Boston and Oakland's 8-5 loss to the Angels - will host the al wild card game on Wednesday, October 3.

Tearing through the Boston pitching staff with 13 hits, every Yankee player had at least one hit, including Aaron Judge, recently returned from the disabled list, who went 2-for-4, including his first home run since July 21.

Judge finished off the scoring for the Yankees with a booming solo homer to Fenway Park's center field. He had been sidelined with a fractured wrist since July 24, coming off the DL on September 14. Earlier, the Yankee right fielder had walked and singled, scoring in both the third and fourth innings as the Yankees piled on the runs. They led 8-0 before Boston struck for four runs in the sixth on Steve Pearce's grand slam.

Miguel Andujar stroked his 44th double in the fourth inning, tying Joe DiMaggio for the most doubles by a rookie in Yankee history. DiMaggio hit his 44 in 1936.

Now that the wild card locale has been decided, all positions in the AL are set in stone. Boston, Houston and Cleveland are division champions, with the Yankees and A's set to duel in the single-elimination game next week. The winner of the wild card game would open the division series in Boston while the Indians would will travel to Houston. Both series would begin on Friday, the 5th of October.

National League

Ian Desmond

Getting hot at the most opportune time has taken the Colorado Rockies from playoff wannabes to a possible game away from claiming the National League West division crown. Winners of eight straight, the Rockies rocketed past the Cardinals in the wild card and beyond the Dodgers into first place in the division in just over a week.

Friday's 5-2 win over the visiting Nationals was testimony to their timely play and grit under pressure.

Starting pitcher, Kyle Freeland, worked out of jam after jam in his six innings of work, allowing just two runs on 11 hits and one walk. Freeland, 17-7, worked himself into and out of bases-loaded situations in the second and third innings without surrendering a run, but Trea Turner's two-out triple in the fourth plated a pair of runs for the Nationals. Freeland gave up a single in the fifth and a double in the sixth, leaving the game with a 4-2 lead thanks to a Charlie Blackmon solo homer in the third, Ian Desmond's two-run fifth inning blast, followed directly by Chris Iannetta's solo homer.

In the bottom of the sixth, Dan Dahl stroked a solo homer to complete the scoring. It was the fifth consecutive game in which Dahl has gone yard, With his solo shot in the sixth, joining Dante Bichette (1995), Larry Walker (1999) and Arenado (2015) as Rockies' players to accomplish the unique five-in-five feat.

Desmond, who played for Washington from 2009 through 2015, came back to bite his former team, his homer turning a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 Colorado lead that the Rockies would never relinquish. Desmond's homer was his 22nd of the season, to go with 88 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

With the Dodgers winning, 3-1, at San Francisco, the Rockies maintained their one game lead in the division. St. Louis lost their fourth straight, dropping an 8-4 decision at the Chicago Cubs, leaving the Cardinals with almost no hope of post-season play. The Cubs remain a game behind Milwaukee in the Central, as the Brewers knocked off Detroit, 6-5.

Colorado can clinch at least a tie for the division title with a win or an LA loss on Saturday. Any combination of Colorado wins and Dodger losses equalling two would clinch the division outright. The regular season ends Sunday with all games starting between 3:05 and 3:20 pm EDT.

Trevor Story Leads Rockies To 1st Place In West; Rafael Devers Drives In 6 In Boston's 19-3 Rout Of Baltimore

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 26, 2018

American League

The Orioles managed to win the second game of their doubleheader at Boston, 10-3, but it came after they dropped the day game, 19-3.

Devers: 4-5, 2B, 2HR, 6RBI

In the opener, the Red Sox hammered out 22 hits against five Baltimore hurlers. Rafael Devers had himself an active afternoon, going 4-for-5 with a single, double, two home runs, and six RBI.

Devers got the Red Sox rolling with a bases-full double that plated three in the first inning. After singling home Ian Kinsler in the fifth inning, Devers hit solo homers in the seventh and eighth, his 20th and 21st of the season. The win was Boston's 107th, extending their franchise record for wins in a season. Baltimore lost its 112th game.

Elsewhere, the Yankees fell sloppily at Tampa Bay, 8-7, while the A's walloped Seattle, 9-3, cutting the Yankees' wild card lead to 1 1/2 games. Both Oakland and New York will be wild cards, all that needs to be determined is where the game will be played.

The Yankees play a final game at Tampa Bay before heading up to Boston to close out the regular season with a three-game series. Oakland has Thursday off and finishes out the season at LA, playing the Angels three times over the weekend.

National League

Story: 3-4, 3R, HR, 3RBI

Colorado won their sixth straight game, dropping a 14-0 rip on the visiting Phillies taking their third straight over the East division represenative. During the winning streak the Rockies moved from wild card hopeful to division leader, as the Dodgers, losers of two straight, gave up first place in the NL West with a 7-2 loss at Arizona and the Cardinals lost three straight to the Brewers. The Rockies took a half game lead over LA in the West division.

Knocking out 16 hits, the Rockies got a big effort from Trevor Story, who tripled and scored Colorado's first run on a second inning Carlos Gonzalez sacrifice fly, socked a two-run homer in the fifth, and singled and scored in the seventh.

Having an MVP-like season, Story is batting .290 with 34 home runs and 104 RBI. His numbers place him in a tie for second in homers (Matt Carpenter leads with 36), and in a tie for fourth with Milwaukee's Christian Yelich in the RBI tally. Javier Baez leads the league, driving in 111 runs.

In the Central division, the Brewers completed their sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis with a 2-1 win, dropping the Cardinals a game behind the Dodgers for the second wild card. The Cubs continued to cling to a half game lead over the Brewers, winning, 7-6, in 10 innings over Pittsburgh.

With three games remaining on their slate, the Cardinals, Brewers and Dodgers all have Thursday off, while the Rockies finish up with the Phillies and the Cubs host the Pirates. Over the final weekend, St. Louis is at Chicago, the Rockies host Washington, the Dodgers are at San Francisco, and Milwaukee hosts Detroit. All are three-game series which begin Friday and finish the regular season on Sunday.

Corey Kluber Notches 20th Win As Indians Down White Sox; Jon Gray Hurls Rockies To Victory

Players of the Day for Monday, September 24, 2018

Kluber: 20-7, 2.83 ERA

American League

Corey Kluber became the second 20-game winner in the majors, hurling seven scoreless innings at the Chicago White Sox in a 4-0 Cleveland road win. Tampa Bay's Blake Snell leads all starters with 21 wins.

Just in time for the post-season, Kluber displayed his winning form, allowing four hits while fanning 11 and walking one.

Cleveland's win didn't change anything concerning the playoffs, as they are locked in with the lowest win percentage of any division winner. Thus, they will likely face the #2 seed in the playoffs, at this juncture, looking like Houston.

The Astros won, 5-3, at Toronto, maintaining their 4 1/2 game lead over the A's in the West division. Oakland topped Seattle, 7-3, while the Yankees beat Tampa Bay, 4-1, so there was no change in any of the standings. The Yankees continue to lead Oakland by 1 1/2 in the wild card race. Houston needs just two more wins or Oakland losses to wrap up the division.

National League

Gray: Seven solid

While Colorado hitters were piling on the runs - five in the third inning and three more in the fourth - Jon Gray was keeping the Phillies off the basepaths and off the scoreboard.

Gray turned in one of his best performances of the season, allowing one run on four hits over seven complete innings. Improving to 12-8, Gray struck out seven, walked three, and was done after throwing 105 pitches. His work and the Rockies' onslaught at the plate produced a 10-1 victory in the first of three against the visiting Phillies.

In his fourth year in the majors - all with the Rockies - Gray has compiled a record of 32-24 and may be looking forward to some post-season play as the Rockies picked up a game on St. Louis in the wild card chase. They now trail St. Louis by 1/2-game for the second spot as the Cards dropped a 6-4 decision to the Brewers.

Colorado also trails the Dodgers by 1 1/2 in the West division. Los Angeles has five games left, matching their magic number, while the Rockies have six games remaining on the schedule.

The Rockies play game two of their series with the Phillies at 8:40 pm on Tuesday. Colorado has won four straight; the Phillies are losers of five in a row.

Twins Top Yankees Again On Jake Ordorizzi 1-Hit Effort; D.J. LeMahieu Smashes HR As Rockies Walk Off Arizona

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 12, 2018

American League

Odorizzi 1-hits Yankees

Jake Odorizzi took a no-hitter into the eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins took their second straight over the Yankees, 3-1. The game was the last of the season series with the Twins. The Yankees had won the first five this season, but stumbled, losing two of three in Minnesota.

After striking out Gary Sanchez to open the eighth, Odorizzi walked Luke Voit, then gave up a double to Greg Bird, which scored Voit all the way from first. Having thrown 120 pitches, Odorizzi was immediately replaced on the mound, but the Yankees could muster no more hits or runs.

Odorizzi worked 7 1/3 innings, fanned five and walked three, improving to 6-10 on the year.

With Oakland scoring all of their runs in the third inning for a 10-0 win at Baltimore, the Yankees' lead in the wild card over the A's has been cut to one game. The Yankees have Thursday off prior to opening a nine-game home stand with three each against Toronto, Boston and Baltimore. It's the final home stretch for New York of the season. They close out with four games in Tampa and three at Boston.

Winners of six straight, the A's continue their dual track in Baltimore Thursday, hoping to wrap up the three-game series with a sweep. Oakland trails the Astros in the AL West by three games.

National League

LeMahieu: Walk-off HR

In the NL West, Colorado continued to cling to a 1 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers with a dramatic, 5-4 win over Arizona Wednesday night.

Down 4-3 with one out and Gerardo Parra on base in the bottom of the ninth, D.J. LeMahieu took Arizona reliever Yoshihisa Hirano deep to right field for a walk-off, top run homer.

Finishing a 3-for-5 night with the big blast, LeMahieu had singled twice earlier and scored in the third inning on a wild pitch by Diamondback starter, Patrick Corbin. He's batting .283 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI.

The win kept the Rockies atop the division as the Dodgers won at Cincinnati, 8-1. The Rockies have taken two of three from the visiting Diamondbacks and wrap up their series Thursday afternoon. Colorado is 8-3 in September and has surged past both the Diamondbacks and Dodgers in the division.

The Dodgers open a four-game series at St. Louis Thursday.

Brandon Phillips Homers To Power Red Sox Win; Rockies In First Place After Trevor Story Belts Three HRs

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 5, 2018

American League

Phillips: Game winning HR

Boston's incredible season got a little more interesting and emotional on Wednesday.

The Red Sox came back from a 7-1 eighth-inning deficit to overwhelm the Braves, 9-8 - sweeping the three-game series in Atlanta - with six runs in the eighth and a dramatic, two-run, two-out homer in the ninth by Brandon Phillips.

Phillips' game-winning blast was his first hit of the season, sending the Red Sox dugout into a euphoric celebration.

Phillips signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox in June and came up to the parent team on Tuesday but did not play. Wednesday's game was his first major league appearance since he closed out the 2017 season with the Angels.

At 37, Phillips wasn't on a major league roster to start the season, but took up the Red Sox offer and spent most of his time at AAA Pawtucket, where he hit .302 in 38 games. He played most of his major league career with the Cincinnati Reds as the regular second baseman.

Prior to his decisive blow, Phillips had walked twice, scoring in the second and eighth innings. Andrew Benintendi was on first base when Phillips launched his drive to left on the first pitch from Atlanta reliever, A.J. Minter.

After Boston tied the game at 7-all in the eighth, Atlanta slugger, Freddie Freeman put the Braves back on top, 8-7, with a solo homer in the bottom of the frame.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a hitless bottom of the ninth to seal the victory, Boston's 97th of the year. Kimbrel's save was his 38th, which is second the AL behind Seattle's Edwin Diaz, who has 53.

The Red Sox return home to Fenway Park on Friday, opening a three-game series with AL West leader, Houston.

National League

Story: 3 solo HRs 

By winning five straight, the Colorado Rockies have wrested control of the NL West from the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, leading the division by 1 1/2 games after a 5-3 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants.

Trevor Story, who has been on fire of late, socked three solo home runs to lead the Rockies. Story broke a 1-1 tie in the first inning, tied the game at three in the fourth and put the Rockies up 4-3 in the sixth. The three dingers have Story at 31 on the year, tied for third in the NL with five other players. Max Muncy of the Dodgers is second, with 32, and the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter leads the league with 34.

Story is also tied for third in RBI with 95, along with Milwaukee's Jesus Aguilar. Chicago's Javier Baez and Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez each have 100.

Story's hot streak has coincided neatly with Colorado's ascent to the division lead. In his last six games, Story is 12-for-24 (.500) with five homers and 10 RBI.

Colorado's sweep of their three-game series with the Giants goes at an opportune time. The Rockies are in the midst of a 10-game home stand. After a day off Thursday, they host the Dodgers for three games, then welcome in the Diamondbacks for four.

The NL West has been a toss-up for most of the season, and these upcoming series can only add to the drama.

Jakob Junis, Ryan O'Hearn Lead Royals Past Indians; Trevor Story's 2 HR Power Rockies in 9-8 Win

Players of the Day for Monday, September 3, 2018

Junis: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 6 K

American League

The Cleveland express train to the playoffs was temporarily derailed Monday as the Indians dropped a 5-1 decision to visiting Kansas City.

O'Hearn: 2 HR, 3 RBI

Jakob Junis (8-12) shut down Cleveland's batters on two hits and no runs over seven solid innings, fanning six with no walks. While Junis was frustrating Indian hitters, Ryan O'Hearn provided support with two homers, a solo shot in the fourth and a two-run bomb in the sixth.

The win was the 46th - against 91 losses - for the last place Royals. They are 31 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central. Cleveland has lost three straight but still leads Minnesota by 14 games in the division, the largest lead in the majors.

The Indians need a combination of 11 wins or 11 Minnesota losses to clinch the division.

Game two of the series at Cleveland is Tuesday at 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Story: 2 HR, 5 RBI

Trevor Story smacked a pair of home runs and the Colorado bullpen struggled but held on for a 9-8 win over the Giants in the opener of a three game series in Denver.

Story sent out a two-run homer in the first inning after second baseman, DJ LeMahieu, had put the Rockies ahead, 2-0, with a two-run shot of his own.

In the fifth, Story added a three-run blast that had the Rockies up, 7-2. San Francisco came back with a run in the sixth, two in the seventh and three in the eighth, eventually taking an 8-7 lead. Noel Cuevas put the Rockies back in front in the bottom of the eighth with a pinch-hit, two-run single. Wade Davis struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth, earning his league-leading 38th save.

In his third full season, Story is having a career year with 28 home runs, 92 RBI and 24 steals. He's batting .295 in 136 games.

Game two of the series is Tuesday, 8:40 pm EDT.

Lance Lynn Blanks White Sox As Yankees Rebound; Rockies' Kyle Freeland Stops Pirates In 2-0 Win

Players of the Day for Monday, August 6, 2018

Lynn: 7 1/3IP, 2H, 0ER, 9K

American League

After losing four straight in Boston, the Yankees were in dire need of a win and a solid pitching performance. They got both thanks to recently-acquired Lance Lynn, who is likely to replace the underperforming Sonny Gray in the New York rotation.

In his first start in pinstripes, Lynn worked a gem, allowing just two hits over 7 1/3 innings, blanking the White Sox in a 7-0 romp.

Lynn, who's had a .500 season or better every year since 2011, struck out nine and walked one. At one point, he set down 19 straight White Sox batters. The Yankees struck for two in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the eighth inning. A.J. Cole mopped up the final 1 2/3 innings.

Lynn played for the Cardinals through 2017 and was traded to the Twins during the off-season. The Yankees picked him up prior to the trading deadline. In two appearances, Lynn has pitched 11 2/3 innings, allowed seven hits, no runs, one walk and fanned 14.

The win left the Yankees nine games behind the Red Sox in the East division, but hold the top spot in the wild card, three up on Oakland and five better than Seattle. The Yanks, A's, and Mariners are the only teams with a legitimate wild card chance.

Game two in Chicago is Tuesday at 8:10 pm EDT.

Freeland: 7 IP, 2H, 0 ER

National League

The National League is where it's at this season.

Eight teams are within 7 1/2 games of each other in the wild card race, four within 3 1/2, and that does not include the three division leaders - the Phillies, Cubs, and Diamondbacks.

As far as those division leaders are concerned, they each could become a wild card contestant or be completely eliminated from post-season contention over the next eight weeks. The Phillies are a game up on the Braves in the East. The Cubs lead Milwaukee by 1 1/2 in the Central, and the Dodgers, in the West, are just 1/2-game better than Arizona.

Which brings us to the Rockies, two games behind in the West and two behind Atlanta in the race for the second wild card.

The Pirates - also one of the wild card contenders - opened a series in Denver with the Rockies and got blanked, 2-0, at the hand of Kyle Freeland, who shut the swashbucklers down on two hits over seven innings.

Freeland (10-7) threw 102 pitches, walked three, fanned five, and didn't allow a hit after the third inning. The Rockies scratched out two runs in the fifth, more than enough for the Colorado lefty. Seughwan Oh and Wade Davis worked perfect eighth and ninth innings for the win.

Pittsburgh will try to even the series when they take the field on Tuesday. Game time is 8:40 pm EDT.

Mark Trumbo Leads Orioles Over Texas; Nolan Arenado's Solo Shot Wins In 11th For Rockies

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 5, 2018

Trumbo: 2 HR, 5 RBI

American League

Baltimore (34-78) has the worst record in the majors, but the games have to be played and the players need to stay sharp and try to win as often as possible. The Orioles, however, haven't won much, and on Sunday, they were looking at being swept four straight by the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

Mark Trumbo prevented the sweep, going 3-for-5 with a single and a pair of timely home runs resulting in a 9-6 Baltimore triumph.

In the first, Trumbo got the Orioles on the board with a run-scoring single, but Baltimore could not maintain the lead, eventually falling behind, 5-4, in the second inning. Trumbo put the O's ahead with a two-run blast in the third and another in the seventh, his 15th, sealing the victory.

The Orioles are baseball's biggest disappointment, and they continue to be. Since the all-star break, they've won six and lost nine.

National League

Arenado saves Rockies

Colorado snapped a five-game losing streak and avoided a sweep by the Brewers in Milwaukee with an 11-inning, 5-4 victory on Sunday.

The Rockies built a 4-1 lead heading into the ninth, but the Brewers erased it with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Nolan Arenado single-handedly bailed out the bullpen with his 29th home run, belting a screamer to left in the top of the 11th inning.

Arenado had a pair of singles prior to his heroic, extra-inning feat, going 3-for-5 on the day with two runs and one RBI, upping his RBI total to 91 on the year. Arenado is tied with St. Louis' Matt Carpenter for the league lead in home runs, and he's third in the NL in RBI.

The Rockies ended Sunday two games behind the Diamondbacks and Dodgers, which are tied for the lead in the NL West. A win by Milwaukee would have tied them with the Cubs, atop the NL Central. The loss left them a game behind Chicago.

Colorado opens a seven-game homestead on Monday, beginning with three against the Pirates before the Dodgers come to town for four.

Charlie Blackmon Walks Off Astros In Rockies' Win; Khris Davis Powers A's To 5th Straight

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Davis: 2 HR, 5 RBI

American League

The Oakland A's won their fifth straight game, with a 6-5, come-from-behind win at Texas.

It was the second straight game the A's have rallied for a win. On Tuesday, Oakland came back from a 10-2 deficit for a 13-10 win in 11 innings.

Khris Davis was almost single-handedly responsible for Wednesday's win, socking a three-run home run in the seventh after the A's trailed, 5-1. In the ninth, Davis launched a two-run shot for a 6-5 A's advantage. Oakland's Blake Treinen struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth for his 26th save.

Davis, who has 27 homers and 77 RBI, has been on a tear, whacking six long balls and driving in 13 runs in the last four games, homering in each. He's fourth in the AL in home runs and second in RBI.

The A's wrap up their series in Texas Thursday at 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Blackmon: walk-off homer

Charlie Blackmon smacked a one-out solo homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth to walk off a winner in Colorado's 3-2 win over the visiting Astros.

Blackmon, batting out of his customary leadoff spot, had walked twice but was left stranded as Houston's Charlie Morton and the Rockies' Jon Gray engaged in a fierce pitching duel. Morton allowed one run on four hits over six innings, while Gray allowed one hit and one earned run in seven innings of work.

Blackmon's homer was his 20th of the season, and the win left the Rockies in third place, just 1 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Arizona holds second, 1/2 game behind LA.

Houston, despite the loss, still leads Seattle by five games in the AL West.

The teams split the two-game series, Houston taking Tuesday's game by an 8-2 score. Both teams have Friday off and open weekend series at their respective homes. Houston will host Texas while the Rockies welcome the red-hot Oakland A's in for a three-game series in Denver.

Walk-Offs To All Star Game: Trevor Story Completes Rockies' Sweep; Twins' Brian Dozier Slams In 10th

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 15, 2018

American League

Dozier: Walk-off Slam

Brian Dozier is known around the league as a dangerous hitter in the clutch and he proved to be just that when he came up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth inning Sunday against the visiting Rays.

Dozier took a one out, 1-1 offering from Tampa's Matt Andriese - the Rays' ninth pitcher of the game - and deposited it in the seats beyond the left field wall of Target Field for an 11-7 victory. His grand slam was his 16th home run of the season and sent Minnesota into the second half in a good way, winners off nine of their last eleven and three of four over the Rays.

Dozier and the Twins underperformed through June, but they seem to have awakened in July. Dozier has especially improved, raising his average from .181 at the end of June to .292 at the all star break.

He's hit safely in 12 of 15 games with five homers and 17 RBI.

The 44-50 Twins are in second place in the AL Central, 7 1/2 games behind Cleveland.

National League

Story: Walk-off Homer

In the National League, there's no doubt which division is the tightest.

It's the NL West, where the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rockies, and Giants are all within four games of each other. The Dodgers take a 1/2-game lead into the break with their 5-3 win over the Angels, but, in Colorado, Trevor Story had a significant send-off as he belted a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 win over Seattle and a sweep of the Mariners in their three-game series.

Story's shot was his 20th of the year, his 68th RBI tying him with teammate Nolan Arenado for fourth in the league.

Colorado heads into the second half on a five-game win streak and winners of 13 of their last 16. They are in third place, two games behind the Dodgers, with a 51-45 record.

Kole Calhoun Sparks Struggling Angels; Tyler Anderson Tosses 8 Scoreless As Rockies Sweep Giants

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Calhoun: 3-5, HR, 3 RBI

American League

Even though their 7-4 win at Seattle pushed the LA Angels back over .500 (44-43), they are still 12 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West.

LA has been in a rough patch of late. Their win on the 4th was just the third in their last 11 games, but there's always the second half and the wild card to keep hopes alive.

Kole Calhoun singled twice, homered, scored a pair, and drove in three runs from his leadoff spot to spark the win for the Angels. His single in the fourth inning snapped a 2-2 tie, and his two-run belt in the sixth advanced LA's lead to 6-2. In the eighth, he singled and scored on a Justin Upton ground out to finish the scoring.

Despite his recent effort, Calhoun has been one of the reasons the Angels have fallen so far behind. The 30-year-old outfielder is batting just .180 in 222 at-bats, with 5 homers 19 RBI and 24 runs.

The Angels and Mariners wrap up their three-game series on Thursday, 7:10 pm PDT.

National League

Anderson: 8IP, 2H, 9K

With Arizona losing, 8-4, to the Cardinals, the Dodgers, Rockies and Giants each had an opportunity to gain ground on the NL West leader.

While the Dodgers took advantage of the Pirates to pick up a game with a 6-4 win, the Rockies were hosting the Giants, meaning only one of them would move forward.

The Rockies took the first two games of the series, 5-2 and 8-1, completing the sweep with a 1-0 Independence Day victory.

Chris Ianetta's solo shot in the seventh backed the two-hit, eight inning effort by Colorado starter, Tyler Anderson, who improved to 6-3. Anderson walked two and struck out nine and needed just 93 pitches before turning the ball over to closer Wade Davis, who earned his 25th save.

Anderson, 28, is in his third year as a Colorado starter. The lefty hurler is getting the hang of things. He went 5-6 in 2016 and 6-6 in 2017.

Colorado's win didn't get them out of fourth place, but they did snatch up three games on the Giants with the sweep. Winners of six of their last seven, the Rockies are just four games off the pace, the Giants 3 1/2 back, and the Dodgers closed to within 1/2 game of Arizona in the tightest, most contentious race in the majors.

The Rockies open a three-game series at Seattle on Friday, while the Giants return home to host the Cardinals in a four-game series that starts Thursday.

Lance McCullers Jr. Stops Rays As Houston Wins 11th Straight Road Game; D.J. LeMahieu's Homer Leads Rockies Past Giants, 9-8

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 28, 2018

American League

Road warriors?

McCullers: 7 scoreless

Try road masters. The Houston Astros tied a franchise record with their 11th straight win away from home, ending Tampa Bay's five-game win streak in the opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Park.

Houston's 1-0 win was delivered by way of the arm of Lance McCullers Jr., who kept the Rays in check on four hits over seven scoreless innings, fanning seven.

McCullers improved to 9-3, backed by Jake Marisnick's fifth-inning solo home run. Chris Devenski allowed a pair of hits in the eighth, but was bailed out when Matt Duffy lined into a double play, squelching the Rays' scoring bid. Hector Rondon worked the ninth for his fifth save.

McCullers notched his third straight win, lowering his ERA to 3.55. He's already thrown 101 1/3 innings this season, striking out 106.

Houston will be looking to set a new franchise mark when they face the Rays in game two of the series, Friday at 7:10 pm EDT.

LeMahieu: 3-5, HR, 5RBI

National League

With Arizona currently the leader in the NL West, the division still seems to be up for grabs as the Dodgers, Giants and Rockies all have solid squads and a chance to go on a run at any time.

Colorado took a step in the right direction in a wild one at San Francisco in which the lead changed hands four times, the final change coming in the top of the ninth, when D.J. LaMahieu uncorked a two-run blast to left center, giving the Rockies a 9-8 victory.

LeMahieu's homer was his eighth of the season, though it was far from his only highlight. In the fourth he singled in a run to put the Rockies up 5-2 and he singled in two more in the seventh, cracking a 5-5 tie.

The eight-year pro was 3-for-5 with five RBI, helping Colorado snap a four-game losing streak. In 2016 LeMahieu led the National League in hitting with a .348 average. He's batting just .280 this season, and is a .300 lifetime hitter.

With the win, the Rockies avoided the sweep and head to LA for a three-game series with the Dodgers, starting Friday at 7:10 pm PDT.

Edwin Encarnacion's 3 HR, 6 RBI Leads Indians Over Texas; Nolan Arenado, Rockies Rout Cubs, 11-2

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Encarnacion: 3HR, 6RBI

American League

There were plenty of game performances in the AL on Wednesday, including a complete game shutout by Luis Severino (5-1, 2.11), who allowed five hits and struck out 10 in the Yankees' 4-0 win over the Astros, all of the New York runs accounted for by Giancarlo Stanton, who socked a solo homer, a two-run homer and drove in the other Yankee run with a double.

In Boston, Mookie Betts ripped three solo home runs, helping the Red Sox take down Kansas City, 5-4.

While those performances certainly were considered POTD material, they fell short of Edwin Encarnacion's three home run, six RBI game in Cleveland's 12-4 rout of the Rangers.

Encarnacion victimized Texas starter, Matt Moore, with a three run blast in the opening frame, followed by a two-run dinger in the second inning. With a 9-1 lead after two innings and Corey Kluber throwing for the Indians, the final result was never in doubt. Kluber improved to 5-1 and Encarnacion capped off his big game with a solo home run in the eighth, a tape-measure shot of 425 feet. He has nine homers but just 16 RBI on the season.

The win gave Cleveland a 2-1 split in the series, dropping the 12-20 Rangers deeper into the AL West cellar. At 16-13, Cleveland is the only team in the Central division with a better-than-.500 record. They lead the Tigers by three games and remain home to open a weekend series with Toronto, starting at 1:10 pm EDT.

National League

Arenado: 2HR, 5RBI

Arizona leads the NL West by five games after taking a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers in LA as the Rockies topped the Cubs for the second straight day, their 11-2 road win resulting in a 2-1 series win.

Chicago sent Yu Darvish to the mound on Wednesday, but the Chicago ace didn't last long, as the Rockies put up four runs in the first three innings, and sent the 0-3 hurler to the showers with one out in the fifth after he allowed solo homers to Trevor Story and Chris Iannetta.

Colorado began to build its lead on Nolan Arenado's two-run bomb in the first inning, but Arenado was hardly finished. He added a double and a three-run home run in the eighth, going 3-for-5 with five RBI.

The up-and-down Rockies, now 17-15, likely have the most potent offense in the division, if no the entire league. Consider that Arenado, who would have been the 2017 MVP if not for Giancarlo Stanton's banner season, has seven homers and 19 RBI, is only tied for second on the team in RBI, with leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon. Story leads the team with 20, all of this despite the league's second-worst batting average (.226). Arenado is batting a brisk .320.

If Arenado (.309, 37, 130 in 2017) continues to lead, expect his teammates to follow. Colorado should be in the heat of the NL West race for the duration. The team gets a day off Thursday prior to opening a series with the Mets in New York on Friday.

Lance McCullers Jr. Hurls Houston Past Yanks; Ian Desmond, Nolan Arenado Power Rockies

Players of the Day for Friday, March 16, 2018

Grapefruit League

McCullers Jr.: 4.1IP, 1H, 5K

Two team which figure to be in the hunt for post-season glory matched up Friday in Tampa as the Yankees hosted the Astros in a preseason preview.

Houston, currently the regining world champions of baseball, proved their mettle as Lance McCullers Jr. and a pair of relievers held the powerful New York lineup to two hits in a 2-0 triumph.

McCullers, who was instrumental in Houston's World Series victory over the Dodgers, going 7 2/3 innings for one of their four wins, had the Yankees off-balance, allowing one hit over 4 1/3 innings, fanning five, walking one, for his second win of the Spring without a loss.

Brandon McCurry worked through the sixth inning without allowing a hit, striking out a pair of batsmen. The final three innings were handled by Rogelio Armenteros, who gave up one hit struck out five and walked one.

The Astros scored on solo homers by J.D. Davis and Tyler White, keeping Houston in first place while dropping the Yanks into a tie for fourth place with Boston, 2 1/2 games out.

Cactus League

Desmond: 2 solo shots

In 2017, the NL West was arguably the best division in baseball, with the Dodgers streaking to 104 wins and the Rockies and Diamondbacks - though well behind - qualifying for the post-season as wild cards.

2018 will likely be a three-way struggle between the same teams, and possibly a fourth, if San Francisco rebounds from a poor performance. The Rockies will bring an assortment of heavy hitters into the fray, as evidence by their 18-hit, 18-6 romp over the LA Angels.

Arenado: 3-4, HR, 3 RBI

The assault was led by Ian Desmond, who swatted a pair of solo home runs, and Nolan Arenado, who singled twice and socked a three-run homer in four at-bats.

The Rockies hammered seven Angel pitchers, including starter, Shohei Ohtani, who was pummeled for seven hits and seven runs in just 1 1/3 innings.

The win was only the ninth for the Rockies, against 12 losses, but the Angels are worse. At 9-14, they are better than only Texas (7-13) and Cincinnati (7-14) in the Cactus League.

Desmond joins the Rockies after a year with the Rangers. He was acquired in the off-season. Arenado was a standout for the Rockies in 2017, batting .309 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI.

Alex Bregman Provides All RBI In Houston Win; Trevor Story Powers Colorado Over Dodgers

Players of the Day for Friday, September 29, 2017

American League

Bregman: HR, 3 RBI

With the regular season coming to a close on Sunday, the Astros and Indians know they must keep winning if they hope to have the best record in the American League.

Entering Friday's games, the Indians had a one-game edge in that department and took care of business by swatting the White Sox, 10-1. Houston faced a more arduous task, playing at Boston, where the Red Sox are still embroiled in a pennant race with the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Houston, thanks to third baseman, Alex Bregman, was up to it, topping the Red Sox 3-2 at Fenway Park, as Bregman drove in all three Houston runs.

While a parade of five Houston hurlers were limiting the Red Sox to five hits and two earned runs, Bregman was going 3-for-4, with a single, double, home run, and, as mentioned, all three RBI.

Bregman got the Astros on the board in the third inning, singling home the first run of the game.He put the Astros up, 3-0, with a two-run homer over the Green Monster in the fifth inning and the Houston bullpen managed to hold on for the win, leaving the Astros exactly where they were a day before, one game behind the Indians in the overall AL standings.

Bregman has had an excellent season, batting .287, with 19 homers and 71 RBI.

Houston will go for their third straight win over the Red Sox on Saturday, in game three of their four-game series, starting at 1:05 pm ET.

National League

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

The Colorado Rockies reduced their magic number for clinching the second wild card to one with a 9-1 romp over the visiting Dodgers, highlighted by four homers at high-altitude Coors Field.

Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon got things going early for the Rockies, each swatting their 37th home run of the year. Arenado's came in the first with the bases empty. Blackmon's was a second-inning, two-run variety as the Rockies built a 5-0 lead in the first two innings of Dodger starter, Hyun Jin Ryu.

The hitting star was Trevor Story, who went 3-for-4, with a single, triple, and a two-run, fourth inning home run that essentially put the game away. Story has 24 home runs and 82 RBI on the year.

With Milwaukee dogging the Rockies the past month, Colorado has done just enough to stay ahead of the Brewers down the stretch. Since September 7, they are 12-8, while the Brewers have gone 12-7, keeping on the pressure.

Colorado has to win just one more game or Milwaukee lose one to clinch the wild card spot and play the single elimination game at Arizona on Wednesday, October 4. They host the Dodgers Saturday at 8:10 pm ET and Sunday at 3:10 pm ET. Milwaukee plays Saturday and Sunday in St. Louis.