Curtis Granderson, David Wright Lead Mets to Game Three World Series Victory

Players of the Day for Friday, October 30, 2015

World Series

David Wright

Curtis Granderson

Team captain, David Wright, and veteran outfielder, Curtis Granderson, between them scored four runs and drove in six, each socking a two-run homer, as the New York Mets rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals in game three of the 2015 World Series, 9-3.

With the Mets taking the series to New York, trailing two games to none, Wright and Granderson set the tone early. After the Royals scored in the top of the first, Granderson led off for the Mets in the bottom of the frame with a sharp single, followed by a massive blast to left field by Wright, putting the Mets up, 2-1.

Kansas City rallied back for two runs in the second inning, but their lead was short-lived. Granderson homered in the third with starting pitcher, Noah Syndergaard, on base, putting the Mets back on top, where they would stay for the remainder of the game.

The Mets added another run in the fourth and tacked on four runs in the sixth to complete the scoring.

Grandson went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and three runs. Wright, who singled in a pair in the four-run sixth, finished 2-for-5 as well, with a run scored and four RBI.

Syndergaard picked up the win, allowing three runs over six innings, striking out six.

The win gave the Mets hope and momentum, now trailing two games to one, with games four and five to be played at Citi Field in New York.

If games six and/or seven are necessary, they will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

Game four is slated for a Saturday start at 8:07 pm ET. Game five is on deck for 8:15 pm ET on Sunday.

David Wright Leads Mets Over Phillies; Kendrys Morales, Mike Trout Lead Angels

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 5, 2012

American League

The Angels picked up a game on Texas in the AL West, defeating the Orioles, 9-7, while the Rangers were handled by the White Sox, 2-1.

Mike Trout

Kendrys Morales

Leading the way for LA were Kendrys Morales and leadoff hitter Mike Trout, who went 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI and three stolen bases, all of them coming in the sixth inning, when he swiped second and third, and continued home on Matt Weiters bad throw that got past third baseman Wilson Betemit.

Morales singled three times in four at-bats, getting the Angels started with an RBI in the first, then rapping a key hit that plated two runs in the fourth to give the Angels an 8-7 lead.

The Angels trail Texas by four games in the division and continue their four game home series against Baltimore, Friday through Sunday.


National League

What a night for David Wright. The Mets' all star third baseman went 3-for-5 with four RBI, including a walk-off, game-winning single with two down in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Mets past the Phillies, 6-5.

David Wright

In an action-packed game that originally was thought to be a pitching duel between two of the league's best, Cole Hamels for the Phillies and the Mets' R.A. Dickey, both pitchers struggled, but lasted seven innings, with Hamels allowing four earned runs to Dickey's five.

Wright had key hits at opportune moments. In the third inning, he singled home Dickey to tie the game at two, then belted a two-run homer in the fifth to put the Mets up, 4-3. After the Phillies added a pair in the sixth, Wright came to the plate in the ninth against closer Jonathan Papelbon, with a run already in and the bases loaded and delivered a bloop single down the right field line out of the reach of Hunter Pence.

For Wright, who was named to the NL all star team earlier in the week as a reserve (Pablo Sandoval is starting at third, but Wright has better numbers), it was a memorable evening in a season in which he's lived up to his reputation as one of the top players in either league. He has 11 home runs, is tied for second in RBI with Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and his .354 batting average is fourth in the National League.

Papelbon took the loss, allowing three hits and a walk in his second blown save of the season. The Mets took two of three from the Phillies and continue to trail the Nationals in the NL East by 4 1/2 games as they begin a three game set with the Cubs at Citi Field on Friday.

David Wright Leads Mets with 5 RBI in 17-1 Win; David Murphy Powers Texas past Detroit

Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 27, 2012

American League

With the Angels pounding the Orioles, 13-1, the Texas Rangers knew that if they wanted to maintain their 4 1/2 game lead in the AL West, they'd need to finish their three-game series with Detroit with a victory.

Mission accomplished. While the Rangers matched the run output of their closest rival, the pitching wasn't nearly on par, as Detroit piled up nine runs, but, a win is a win, and so the 13-9 Texas victory was good enough and produced a 2-1 series win over a potential future playoff team.

David Murphy

David Murphy was the main catalyst for the Rangers' outpouring of runs. In the second inning, Murphy cam to the plate with two aboard and a run already in, and promptly deposited an offering from Detroit starter Doug Fister over the right field wall for a three-run homer and a 4-0 lead.

The Tigers chipped away at the Texas advantage, though they would never tie the game or take the lead after Murphy's blast. The Tigers scored a run in each of the third and fourth innings, but Murphy's second homer of the game - a solo shot - made it 5-2, and Ian Kinsler socked a two-run job that put the Texas lead at 7-2.

Murphy singled in another run and scored in the fifth and added another single later to go 4-for-5 with three runs and five RBI.

The Rangers remain home to start a four-game series with Oakland on Thursday, while the Tigers - now four games behind the White Sox in the Central - head to Tampa for four games with the Rays.


National League

Usually, when a team scores 17 runs, the RBI get spread around, but in Wednesday's 17-1 thumping of the Cubs, four players produced all of the runs.

David Wright

Three players totaled four RBI each for the Mets. Scott Hairston hit a grand slam; Ike Davis had a three-run homer and an RBI double; and Daniel Murphy hit a solo homer, a two-run blast and drove in his fourth run on a ground out in the eighth for the Mets' last score.

David Wright topped them all in just three at-bats - the three others each had five - driving in five runs with a sac fly in the first and two two-run doubles, one each in the fifth and sixth innings before taking a seat on the bench and allowing Justin Turner to finish up the sixth through ninth innings at third base.

With the 2-for-3 effort, Wright raised his already-gaudy batting average to .357, second in the NL behind Philly's Carlos Ruiz. He also leads the Mets with 47 RBI, which is tied with six other players at seventh in that category.

The Mets snapped a four-game losing streak and remain in third place in the NL East, 4 1/2 behind the Nationals, but just one game back of Atlanta.

It was the Mets highest scoring total since they put up 18 at Wrigley Field on Sept. 5, 2010. Apparently, a number of Mets' hitters have found a comfort zone at Wrigley Field.

David Wright Leads Mets, NL with .402 Average: Adam Jones Helps Orioles Forge 2-Game AL East Lead

Players of the Day for Saturday, May 12, 2012

American League

While shocking to some, Buck Schowalter's Orioles are two games ahead in the AL East, the division normally dominated by the Yankees and Red Sox, but the youthful Baltimore team has put together good pitching, timely hitting and opponent's miscues to forge to the front with a 22-12 record, tied with Texas as the best in the league.

Adam Jones

The O's took their second straight from Tampa Bay, winning, 5-3, after taking the opener at Camden Yards, 4-3, Friday night.

The Rays committed five errors in the game and Adam Jones singled twice in four at-bats, including a bases-loaded hit in the fifth inning that plated two teammates and put the Orioles up 4-1. The Rays struck back for two runs in the sixth, but the 4-3 deficit was the closest they would get. Bill Hall added an insurance run in the eighth with a solo home run, his first homer of the season.

The Rays are in danger of being swept and dropping out of second place on Sunday when the two teams finish up their three-game series. The Yankees are 2 1/2 out, with Toronto another 1/2 game behind.


National League

The tightest race in the National League is in the East, where Washington leads Atlanta by 1/2 game. Lurking just two games out are the Mets, who separated themselves from fourth-place Miami with a 9-3 road win over the Marlins.

David Wright

RA Dickey's knuckleball was effective enough to get him out of jams, surrendering two runs on nine hits over six innings without striking out anyone and David Wright took his league-leading batting average up to .402 with a 4-for-6 effort, including a solo homer, three RBI and two runs.

The win evened the tree-game series at a game apiece as Dickey improved to 5-1 and Wright hit safely in his sixth straight game. With 45 hits, Wright is tied for third in that category with San Francisco's Melky Cabrera. St. Louis' Rafael Furcal has 48 hits, one behind Atlanta's Michael Bourne.

The Mets and Marlins conclude the series Sunday afternoon.

Lucas Duda, David Wright Even Series with Rockies; Chris Davis Leads O's into AL East First Place

Players of the Day for Saturday, April 28, 2012

American League

Manager Buck Schowalter has his young Orioles just about where he wants them: tied for first place in the AL East with Tampa Bay. While the Rays were losing to Texas, 7-2, on Saturday, the O's were taking batting practice against the A's, banging out 14 hits in a 10-1 win at Camden Yards.

Chris Davis

The Orioles struck early, scoring five times in the second inning, adding a single run in the third, three in the fifth and another run in the seventh on Chris Davis' fourth home run of the season.

Davis had already inflicted some pain on the A's staff, driving in a run in the second and two more in the fifth with a pair of singles. His homer capped a 3-for-4 outing with four RBI and two touches of home plate.

Coming to the Orioles by way of the Rangers, Davis is getting regular playing time at first base, David is making the most of it, batting .313 with four homers and 11 RBI.

The O's and A's wrap up their three-game set with the rubber game Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.


National League

After being pounded, 18-9, by the Rockies on Friday, the Mets got their share of revenge, evening the series at a game apiece with a 7-5 win in Colorado.

David Wright

Lucas Duda

With the two through five hitters going a combined 11-for-18, the Mets knocked out 13 hits. Lucas Duda snapped a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning with a two-run single after David Wright had knotted the score with an RBI single. Wright and Duda accounted for six of the Mets' seven RBI.

Wright went 3-for-4, with a double and two singles, drove in three runs and scored twice, raising his team best batting average to a robust .385. Duda socked his fourth homer of the year in the second inning - a two-run shot that got the Mets on the board. He went 2-for-4 with four RBI.

The Mets and Rockies will complete their three-game series Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.

Tigers Clinch Central Division with 4-1 Win; David Wright Homers Twice as Mets Bludgeon Braves, 12-2

Players of the Day for Friday, September 16, 2011

American League

The Detroit Tigers clinched their first Central division title in franchise history, getting a superb mound performance from a key acquisition, Doug Fister, who stymied the Seattle Mariners on three hits over eight innings, for a 4-1 win.

Doug Fister

It was Detroit's first division title since taking the AL East in 1987, prior to the leagues going to a three-division set-up in 1994. MLB had been a two division format since 1969, but the Tigers when the leagues further realigned in 1994, Detroit stayed in the East. In 1998, Detroit moved into the Central as expansion provided the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays. Milwaukee moved from the AL Central to the NL Central, allowing Detroit to switch divisions.

The Tigers came from well back early this season to steamroll the rest of the Central. Their lead over second place Cleveland is 13 1/2 games, the largest in the majors. In late August, the Tigers began to heat up, winning 10 of 13 to finish the month. September began with a loss to Kansas City, but then the Tigers won 12 straight, including taking three from Cleveland and six from the White Sox during that stretch. Their loss to Oakland on Thursday was just their second during September.

Valverde: 45 Saves

During their 12-game win streak, Fister and Justin Verlander each recorded three wins. Fister, who was acquired from Seattle just prior to the July 31 trading deadline with a record of 3-12, reeled off six wins against just one loss in nine starts for the Tigers.

In Friday's clincher, after putting the Tigers in a 1-0 hole after surrendering a solo home run to Josh Willingham, Fister gave up a single to Endy Chavez, but then proceeded to set down 17 straight batters. The A's didn't get a hit until David DeJesus stroked a two-out single in the 7th. Jose Valverde allowed the only other A's hit - a leadoff single by Coco Crisp - in the ninth, but stranded him there, getting the final three outs in order for his league-leading 45th save.

Fister did not allow a walk and struck out five, registering his fifth straight victory.

In the battle for the wild card, Boston topped Tampa Bay, 4-3, to inch away to a four game lead over the Rays. The Sox and Rays play two more at Fenway Park this weekend. The Yankees lost to Toronto, 5-4, which slimmed their lead to 3 1/2 over Boston in the division.

In the West, the Angels lost to Baltimore and the Rangers fell to Seattle. keeping the Texas lead at 3 1/2 games.

National League

David Wright

In a game that may turn out to be significant in terms of standings and pennant races, the Mets - after being criticized for "mailing it in" as a six game losing streak culminated in a 10-1 loss to the Nationals Thursday night, banged out 20 hits to down the Atlanta Braves, 12-2 with David Wright continuing a strong second half, belting two home runs and driving in five runs in a 3-for-6 night at the plate.

The win has no significance for the Mets, well out of the pennant race since the All Star break, but tightened up the wild card scenario as the Braves desperately try to hold off the charging Cardinals and Giants, recently the league's two hottest teams.

While the Braves were being pummeled, the Cardinals took down the Phillies, 4-2, in 11 innings and the Giants clobbered Colorado, 9-1, shrinking Atlanta's wild card lead to 3 1/2 over St. Louis and 5 over San Francisco. The Cardinals, winners of eight of their last 10, remain mired 5 1/2 behind the Brewers in the Central division. Milwaukee won, 6-3, at Cincinnati to maintain their edge.

In the West, Arizona suffered a 2-0 setback at San Diego, which allowed the Giants to creep to within six games of the Diamondbacks. The Giants have won six straight.

Book of David: Ortiz 4-for-5 in Boston Comeback Win Over Twins; Wright Powers Mets Late-Inning Surge

Players of the Day for Monday, August 8, 2011

American League

David Ortiz

Felling pretty good about themselves after taking two of three from in Yankees over the weekend, the Boston Red Sox arrived in Minnesota for a three game series with the Twins on Monday with a one game lead over New York in the AL East.

Right from the start, it seemed to be a good night for David Ortiz, who scored the first Red Sox run in the top of the second after leading off the inning with a single.

Minnesota scored three runs in the bottom of the 2nd, then added single runs in the 4th and 5th, to put the Twins up 5-1, but that all changed in the 6th, as the Red Sox plated four in the inning, two of them on Ortiz 22nd homer of the season.

Ortiz scored the go-ahead run in the 8th after doubling to lead off that inning, but the Twins countered with one of their own in the bottom half of the frame, tying the game at six-all.

Undeterred, Ortiz singled home Darnell McDonald with another go-ahead run, and Jerrod Saltalamacchia doubled home another for the 8-6 win, which stood up when Jonathan Papelbon recorded his 25th save with a perfect 9th inning, including two Ks.

Ortiz finished the night at 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and a homer, three runs and 3 RBI, giving him 74 on the season. He raised his batting average to a very solid .295.

The comeback victory increased the Red Sox lead in the East to 1 1/2 games. Minnesota fell 10 1/2 behind the idle Tigers in the Central.

National League

David Wright

With both Jose Reyes and David Murphy missing after injuries in Sunday's 6-5 loss to Atlanta, the situation seemed bleak for the Mets, who have been suffering through another injury-plagued season.

One player who missed significant time is all star third baseman David Wright, who has been on quite a tear since returning from the DL on July 22nd. In the 16 games he's played since then, he's had 10 multiple-hit games, four homers and 18 RBI, so the Mets are fortunate to have his bat back in the lineup.

The Mets got off to a good start, with solo homers by Angel Pagan in the 1st inning and Jason Bay in the second. Wright launched a 2-run shot in the 3rd to put the Mets ahead 4-1, but Mike Pelfrey couldn't hold the lead as the Padres scored three runs in the 6th to tie the game.

Adding four more in the 8th, San Diego took an 8-4 lead, but the Mets were just getting started. After getting back two runs in the 8th, Wright got them to within one run with an RBI single in the 9th, and scored the game winner when Lucas Duda knocked in Justin Turner and Wright with a one-out single after the two baserunners had advanced to second and third on a wild pitch.

The 9-8 walk-off win left the Mets 9 games behind Atlanta in the wild card race and kept the Padres, who just completed a sweep of the Pirates, in last place in the NL West.

STREAKS: In Atlanta's 8-5 win over Florida, Dan Uggla legged out an infield hit in the 5th inning to extend his hitting streak to 29 games, one shy of Andre Ethier's 30-game streak earlier in the season, which is the longest of the season. Uggla will get a chance to tie Ethier for the longest hit streak of 2011 when the Braves take on the Marlins in Miami Tuesday night.

Mark Trumbo Eyeing AL Rookie Honors; Mets Complete 4-Game Sweep of Reds

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 28, 2011

American League

Mark Trumbo

Mark Trumbo went 3-for-5, missing hitting for the cycle for the absence of a single, as the LA Angels continued their relentless pursuit of the Texas Rangers with a 12-7 win at Detroit.

Trumbo, quietly having a smashing year (.256, 19, 53) as the Angels' rookie first baseman, socked his 19th homer in the 2nd inning to get the Angels on the board, then followed up with an RBI triple in the 4th and a run-scoring double in the 7th. He scored three times and drove in five runs.

The race in the AL west has come down to a contentious battle between the top two teams. The Angls have won three straight and seven of their last ten to pull to within two games of the front-running Rangers. Trumbo is looking more and more like the choice for AL Rookie of the Year.

National League

David Wright

Defending champions of the NL Central, the Cincinnati Red are looking less likely to repeat in the most competitive division in the majors, especially now that they've dropped a four-game home series to the NY Mets.

Angel Pagan

Playing without Carlos Beltran - traded to the Giants - the past two games, the middle of the Mets lineup quickly picked up the slack, taking the final two games of the series without much help from their pitching staff.

Following Wednesday's 8-2 romp, New York came through with a 9-8 squeaker, souring the local Reds fans with the sweep. David Wright, Angel Pagan and Jason Bay each collected three hits in the victory, sending the Reds to a 50-55 record, good for fourth place in the Central, 6 1/2 games behind Milwaukee with the Cardinals and Pirates tied for second, 1 1/2 back.

Jason Bay

Catching one team in a divisional race is hard enough, but rallying past three teams in August and September would amount to a Herculean achievement. Meanwhile the Mets continue to chase Atlanta and Philly in the East, though they remain 6 1/2 back of Atlanta and 11 1/2 behind the Phillies.

Wright and Pagan both went 3-for-5, all singles, and drove in a run apiece. Wright scored twice and Pagan three times. Bay was 3-for-4, with two doubles and a single, and drove in three runs.

STREAKS: Florida's Emilio Bonifacio extended his hitting streak to 26 games, going 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and his 24th steal of the season as the Marlins topped the Nationals, 5-2.

In Boston, Dustin Peroia socked an 8th inning home run to extend his hitting streak to 25 games, though it was not enough to overcome the Royals, who won, 4-3.

Ervin Santana Throws No-Hitter for Angels; David Wright Leads Mets to 3rd Straight Over Reds

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 27, 2011

American League

Santana: No Hits

The LA Angels keep nipping the heels of the Texas Rangers in the AL West. On Wednesday, they had something more to cheer about than being in second place.

Ervin Santana threw a no-hitter at the Cleveland Indians, in their home park, a place and a team against which he had never won.

The game began in dubious fashion, after the Angels had gone down in order in the top of the first inning. Santana got leadoff hitter Ezequiel Carrera to ground to short, only to have shortstop Erick Aybar throw wildly to first. Carrera stole second and after an out, went to third on Asdrubal Cabrera's ground out to second. Then Santana uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Carrera to trot home with a run, despite the Indians getting no hits.

After that, however, Santana was all business, getting Travis Hafner to strike out to end the inning, then putting down the next 19 batters he faced before allowing a walk with one out in the 8th. He struck out the next two batters and got the side in order for his first career no-hitter and the third this season in the majors.

Santana struck out 10, issued the one walk and improved to 6-8. The other no-hitters thrown this year were by Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano, against the White Sox on May 3 and Detroit's Justin Verlander against Toronto on May 7.

Santana's 3-1 win got the Angels to within two games of the Rangers, who were beaten at home, 7-2, by the Twins.

National League

Wright: Lots of hits

With Carlos Beltran traded to the Giants earlier in the day, the Mets weren't supposed to beat up on the Reds. Then again, they weren't supposed to beat them in the first two games of the series - with Beltran - but they did.

Recently returned from a long stint on the DL, David Wright came through with a single, a sac fly and a three-run homer in four at-bats, driving in four runs as the Mets cruised to their third straight win at the Great American Ball Park, beating the Reds, 8-2.

Wright, an all star third baseman who went to the DL on May 15, returned on July 22 and has been scorching the ball, hitting safely in six straight games, going 12-for-28 (.429) over that span with two home runs and 11 RBI.

The loss knocked the 4th-place Reds 5 1/2 back of the new leader in the NL Central, Milwaukee. The Cardinals are 1/2 game out and the Pirates are hanging tough, just 1 1/2 behind the Brewers. The Mets are 12 1/2 behind the Phillies in the East and trail Atlanta by 7 games in the wild card race.

STREAKS: Seattle ended the mid-summer nightmare of 17 straight losses with a 9-2 win against the Yankees. emilio Bonifacio extended his MLB-best hitting streak to 25 games. Boston's Dustin Pedrioa has the longest in the American League this season, at 24 straight.

Nelson Cruz Slams Rangers Past Reds; David Wright Leads 23-Hit Mets Onslaught

Players of the Day for Thursday, March 24, 2011

American League

Nelson Cruz

Two of the most potent offensive teams faced off on Thursday, as the Texas Rangers played the Cincinnati Reds. The result was a not-unexpected slug-fest, featuring 34 hits, including four homers and eight doubles and a final score of 15-13, with the Rangers on top.

The game also served as a coming-out party for Nelson Cruz, who had been struggling along this Spring with an average under .200 and no homers. No problem for Cruz, who found his stride just in time to jack a grand slam, single and double and drive in a game-high six runs.

Despite the slow start to his exhibition season, Cruz is healthy and surely will add punch to the Rangers' attack. Despite a few stints on the DL over the past two years, Cruz still managed to hit 54 home runs with 154 RBI in 246 games. Given a full season of good health, Cruz could easily swat 40 and drive in well over 100 runs in 2011.

National League

David Wright

The New York Mets rocked Jamie Garcia for 14 hits and 10 runs (though only 3 were earned) over four innings, and then beat up three relievers with nine more hits en route to a 16-3 bombing of St. Louis.

Five different players had two or more hits, but third baseman David Wright had his way all day, going 4-for-4 with a pair of singles, a double, homer, two runs and 3 RBI.

Wright bounced back from a 2009 season in which he hit only 10 homers and drove in just 72 runs with 29 jacks and 103 RBI in 2010, apparently rediscovering his power stroke. He's labored without a great deal of support the past two seasons, with Carlos Beltran spending most of the time on the DL and the departure of slugger Carlos Delgado to retirement.

Wright is batting .333 in the Spring and appears ready for another solid season.

David Wright Belts a Pair, but Mets Lose Again; Jose Bautista Slams for MLB-Leading 31st Homer

Players of the Day for Friday, July 30, 2010 American League One of the names being bandied about in last-minute trade rumors is that of Blue Jay outfielder/third baseman Jose Bautista, and with good reason. Bautista has come from seemingly nowhere this season to lead the majors in home runs. In Toronto's 8-1 romp over Cleveland, Bautista was at it again, delivering a 4th inning grand slam that put the Blue Jays up 7-0. It was Bautista's 31st homer of the season and the four RBI upped his total to 79, tied for 4th in the AL with Minnesota's Delmon Young. Bautista went 3-for-3 on the night, adding a pair of inconsequential singles, but raising his batting average to .262, 20 points above his career mark. He's set personal bests in all three categories and is currently carrying a bat some contending teams would love to have in their lineups. National League The Mets fell to Arizona, 9-6, on Friday, but the score might have been a little different if a few players besides Jose Reyes and David Wright had shown up for the game. Wright and Reyes each had three hits, accounting for all but one of the team's total and Wright drove in all but one of the Mets' runs with a pair of homers - a three-run blast in the 1st inning and a two-run shot in the 3rd. Angel Pagan had the other hit and drove in the only run besides those produced by Wright. Wright's homers were his 16th and 17th and the five RBI moved him into second place in the NL RBI race with 74, trailing only Ryan Howard, who has 81. Struggling mightily since the all star break, the Mets can't seem to match up good pitching with good hitting, having now dropped 11 of their last 15 and falling into a tie for 3rd place with the Florida Marlins, 7 1/2 behind Atlanta in the NL East. The Braves hold a 3 1/2 game lead over Philadelphia.

Santana, Wright Lead Mets to 1st Place; Kearns, Tribe Hammer Halos

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 27, 2010 American League Austin Kearns has been kicking around the majors since 2002, mostly to little fanfare, and over the past two years was barely able to get into half the games for the Washington Nationals. During the off-season, Kearns connected in Cleveland, making the roster as an extra outfielder on a team that's in the midst of a multi-year rebuilding effort. Proving himself still a capable hitter during Spring training, Kearns has worked his way into the starting lineup of late and has been putting it together pretty nicely, pumping up his batting average to a team-high .386. He's still about 15 plate appearances short of qualifying for the league leaders, but he'd be second in the AL right now if he did. Apparently, Kearns likes playing on the West coast, as he went 3-for-4 with a homer and a steal against the Angels on Monday, and followed that up with a 3-for-6 effort and 5 RBI as the Indians roughed up the Halos, 9-2 on Tuesday. Kearns was the proverbial one-man gang, doubling in a run in the 3rd, hitting a solo homer in the 5th and delivering the big blow in the 8th: a bases loaded double which plated three more runs. Cleveland's win helped the Indians escape from last place. They are 9-11, a game ahead of the Royals and the White Sox, both of which lost on Tuesday. National League "Amazing" is a word often associated with the NY Mets, and many a die-hard fan was amazed last night as the Mets dumped the LA Dodgers twice to took over first place in the NL East, winning their sixth straight while the Phillies have been stumbling, posting a 3-7 record and losing their last 3 straight. Johan Santana (left) was the story of the first game, 4-0, win, allowing just 3 hits and 3 walks while punching out 6 on strikes over 6 solid innings of work. Santana left with a 2-0 lead, but his teammates slated the lead away with a pair of runs in the 7th. He improved to 3-1, with a 2.12 ERA. The nightcap belonged to third baseman David Wright (right), going 3-for-3 at the plate, with a pair of singles, a triple and 4 RBI, leading to a runaway, 10-5 win for the New Yorkers. Wright's RBI single in the 5th broke a 3-3 tie and was his 1000th hit as a major leaguer, all with the Mets. An inning later, his bases-loaded triple put the game away for good, making the score 10-3 at the time. The 12-9 Mets lead Philly by 1/2 game with Florida and Washington both lurking, one game back.

Wright's 6 RBI Lifts Mets; Roberts Slams Burnett, Yanks

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 12, 2009 American League With all the hoopla surrounding Derek Jeter becoming the Yankees' all-time hits leader, nobody seemed to notice that the lowly Baltimore Orioles absolutely outplayed the Yankees in two straight games, winning the opener of their 3-game series, 10-4 on Friday and taking the second game 7-3 on Saturday. With the focus on leadoff hitter Jeter, the O's spark plug, Brian Roberts, was not about to go quietly or without notice. After going 1-for-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs Friday night, Roberts followed up with an even better effort on Saturday, hitting a single, double and his 15th home run - a second-inning grand slam off starter A. J. Burnett - to lead the rout with 4 RBI. For good measure, Roberts added his 29th steal of the season. The O's can go for the rare sweep at Yankee stadium on Sunday, attempting to keep the Yankee magic number at 14. National League 2009 has been a forgettable year for the NY Mets. A rash of injuries to key players all but scuttled their competitive chances by mid-season, though the players left standing did their best with limited resources. In an otherwise down year, the Mets got some level of revenge in Saturday's 10-9 win over probable NL East division winner Philly, as David Wright gave the Mets an early lead, then led a comeback in the late innings. Wright, batting .316 on the year, started the Mets off with a two-run single in the first, but after leading 4-0, Philadelphia stormed back to take a 9-5 lead after 7. In the 8th, Wright launched the first of his two 2-run homers to close the gap, and hit the game-winner in the 9th with his second bomb. The power numbers way down, Wright's homers were just his 9th and 10th of the season and the 6 RBI upped his total to only 66. In 2008, Wright mashed 33 homers and drove in 124 runs. The Mets' win kept Philly's magic number at 17, with the never-say-die Marlins closing to within 5 games of first place. 18 games back, the Mets have already been eliminated from the post-season. NOTES: Saturday was a day for the underdogs, as the only teams among the contenders to record wins were the Red Sox and Dodgers. Boston now holds a 3-game edge over Texas in the wild card race, while the Dodgers bumped their lead to the same level in the NL West. The Rockies, despite ending an 8-game win streak, still have a power lock on the NL wild card, leading the Giants and Marlins by 5 1/2 games. The Marlins probably have a better chance of catching the Phillies, as they are just 5 out and play 6 games with the division-leaders over the last two weeks of the season, the final three coming at the very end of the campaign on October 2, 3, and 4 in Philadelphia.

Detroit's Double Slam Crushes A's; Mets Have Mr. Wright

Players of the Day for Friday, May 15, 2009 American League Detroit's Ryan Raburn (left) and Brandon Inge (right) each belted grand slam homers and drove in five runs apiece as the Tigers hammered the punchless A's, 14-1. Raburn hit his homer in the first inning to get the Tigers off to a hot start, while Inge waited until the sixth inning for his bases-loaded blast to pretty much finish things off. Inge singled home Clete Thomas in the 8th for an additional RBI. Thomas and Miguel Cabrera each had 3 hits and 4 runs in the rout. Raburn's homer was his first of the season; for Inge, his 10th. The win kept the Tigers tied for first in the AL Central with Kansas City. National League David Wright remains one of the hottest hitters in the National League, boosting his average to .341 Friday with a 3-for-5 effort (double, 3 singles), a stolen base, 4 RBI and a run scored in New York's 8-6 win over Washington. Wright has hit safely in his last seven games and has been an integral part of New York's rise to the top of the AL East, which they lead by 2 games over Philly and Atlanta. Friday's effort was Wright's 5th multiple-hit game in his last seven.

Martinez Ups Average to .400; Wright's 4 Thefts Lead Mets

Players of the Day for Thursday, May 14, 2009 American League The Cleveland Indians may be in last place in the contentious AL Central, but they are only 4 1/2 games back and showing signs of life. Thursday at Tampa Bay, Cleveland bats boomed in an 11-7 clubbing at Tampa Bay with Victor Martinez leading the way with a 4-for-4 effort, including a pair of doubles, four RBI and a couple of runs scored. Martinez, who has been batting over .300 since the second game of the season, upped his average to a cool .400 with his 14th multiple hit game of the season. National League David Wright had a busy night in the Mets' 7-4 victory at San Francisco. In the 1st inning, he singled and stole second. In the 3rd, he singled home a run and stole second again, while Gary Sheffiled scored on a wild pitch. He was walked in both the 5th and 7th innings, and stole second base for the third time in the 7th. Finally, with the score tied 4-4 in the top of the 9th, Wright singled in Carlos Beltran, then executed a double steal with Sheffield taking third while he took second, tying a club record with 4 thefts in a game. A batter later, he and Sheffield scored insurance runs on Ramon Castro's single to complete the scoring. Wright finished 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI, a run scored, a couple of walks and 4 steals. The Mets' win boosted their lead in the NL East to 2 games over idle Atlanta and Philadelphia, 5-3 losers to the Dodgers.

Angels Clinch West; Pena Homer Tops BoSox; Wright Powers Mets

Players of the Day from Wednesday, September 10, 2008 American League A former Red Sox, Carlos Pena blasted a Mike Timlin offering over the green monster in Fenway, lifting Tampa Bay to a 14-inning, 4-2 win over the Red Sox. Pena's 3-run homer gave the Rays a little more breathing room atop the AL East, as they took 2 of 3 at Boston and re-established a 2 1/2 game lead in the division. While the Red Sox remain in second place, they still have a firm grip on the wild card, holding a 5-game advantage over Minnesota. The Red Sox have one series remaining with Tampa, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Notes: The LA Angels clinched the AL West title on Wednesday with a 4-2 win over the NY Yankees. The Angels had to wait for the Mariners to drop Texas, 8-7, to begin the celebration, but with 17 games left on the schedule, they had plenty of time on their hands. The Sept. 10 clinching is the earliest ever for the Western division. The previous mark was held by Oakland, which clinched the 1971 title on Sept. 15. Minnesota and Chicago both won, so the White Sox remain 1 game ahead in the Central. Chicago ended Toronto's 10-game win streak, 6-5, while the Twins romped past KC, 7-1. National League David Wright may be on his way to being named the NL MVP, but the competition is tough, especially from his own teammates. Wright hit his 28th home run of the season, doubled, singled twice, scored four times and drove in three runs as the Mets topped Washington, 13-10, and improved their lead in the NL East to 3 1/2 games over the Phillies. Wright is hitting .296 and has 109 RBI, but that's just a little better than the guys who are normally in front of and behind him in the lineup. Carlos Delgado has 104 and Carlos Beltran has 102 RBI. No other team in the majors has three players with 100 or more RBI. In fact, only one team, Houston, has two. Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman have both driven in exactly 100. Notes: The Dodgers keep rolling toward the post-season, winning for the 10th time in their last 11 games - a 7-2 mash of the Padres. The Diamondbacks continue to slump in second place, losing their 6th straight. What makes this LA story so intriguing is that prior to setting off on their current winning way, the Dodgers had lost 8 straight and 10 of 11. With that kind of consistency, even the current 3 1/2 game lead isn't safe in baseball's wackiest division. The Cubs and Brewers both won, so Chicago remains 4 1/2 ahead. Milwaukee has a 4-game edge on the Phillies for the wild card.

Cabrera Keeps Tigers' Hopes Burning; Wright Polishes Off Padres

Players of the Day from Thursday, August 8, 2008 American League If the Detroit Tigers were a hospital patient, they'd be in critical condition, but every time they're ready to pronounce them dead, they seem to rally and hang on for dear life. Such was the case last night, as Miguel Cabrera led the Tigers to an 8-3 win over the 1st place White Sox with a 3-for-3 performance, including a 2-run homer - his 21st - and a run-scoring single. With the win, the Tigers avoided being swept, having lost the last two at Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday, and are now 7 1/2 behind the AL Central leaders. Minnesota is just 1/2 behind Chicago.

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The prognosis for the Tigers is still quite grim. They are still 2 games under .500, at 56-58, and to reach post-season play, would seemingly have to win the division, as they are a full 10 1/2 behind wild card leader, Boston. Pass the respirator, please. Notes: The Rays lost at Seattle, 2-1, on Raul Ibanez' game-ending home run, but are still 2 1/2 to the good over Boston. The Yankees won, 3-0, over Texas, with Mike Mussina picking up his 15th win and are 5 1/2 out. With 9 more starts likely for Mussina, could this be the year he finally gets 20 wins? Now in his 18th year, Mussina has won 19 twice and 18, three times. He's won 11 or more 17 straight seasons. National League With the Phillies losing, 3-0, to Florida, the NY Mets had an opportunity to pick up a game on the NL East leaders, but found themselves tied, 3-3, with San Diego in the bottom of the ninth. Mets' fans prayers were answered by David Wright, who got his third hit of the night, a two-out, walk-off, two-run homer to give the Mets a 5-3 win and sail to within 2 games of Philly, just 1/2 game behind the Marlins.

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Wright's homer was his 21st of the season, and the 2 RBI gave him 87 on the season, tops on the team and 3rd best in the NL, behind Houston's Carlos Lee and Philly's Ryan Howard, both of whom have 97. Notes: Elsewhere, LA beat back the Cardinals, 4-1, avoiding the sweep, as Manny Ramirez socked his 4th home run - a 2-run blast - since joining the Dodgers a week ago. In seven games with LA, Ramirez has 9 RBI, is batting .585, and has hit safely in every game, with multiple hit games in all but last night's. The Dodgers trail Arizona by 1 1/2, while the Cards are 6 behind the Cubs and 1 game behind Milwaukee.

Barajas' 3 doubles lead Jays 12-0 romp; Wright's Pair Drops Dodgers

Players of the Day from Thursday, May 29, 2008 American League The Toronto Blue Jays have quietly slipped into third place in the AL East, winning 7 of their last 10, and made some noise last night, hammering the A's, 12-0. Catcher Rod Barajas stroked three doubles in four at-bats to lead the attack and also directed starter Jesse Litsch to his 7th win against just one loss. Barajas raised his batting average to .301.

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Notes: The AL East is turning into an interesting 3-team race, with the Tampa Bay Rays a game in front of the Red Sox and Toronto just 3 back. The Yankees lurk in last place, 5 1/2 off the pace. National League David Wright and the Mets spoiled Joe Torre's return to New York and roughed up starter Brad Penny, sending the Dodgers to their 4th straight loss with an 8-4 win in New York. Wright connected for a pair of 2-run homers off Penny in the 3rd and 4th innings with Luis Castillo - who went 3-for-4 - aboard for both trips. The Mets have won three straight and have reached the .500 mark at 26-26, but still trail the Marlins by 4 games in the East, with the Phillies and Braves also ahead of them in the standings. Notes: Randy Johnson tied Roger Clemens for second place on the career strikeout list, fanning 9 Giants in Arizona's 4-3 home loss. San Francisco completed a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks by scoring single runs in the 8th and 9th innings, after Johnson had left the game with a 3-2 lead. It was Arizona's 4th straight loss, though they continue to lead the NL West as the 2nd-place Dodgers have also dropped 4 in a row. Johnson, who had taken second place on the strikeout list last season only to see Roger Clemens pass him while he sat on the disabled list, was unimpressed by the feat. Clemens, now retired, and he both have 4672 Ks with no chance of ever catching all-time leader Nolan Ryan, who struck out an amazing 5714.

Book of David: Eckstein Scores for Jays; Wright's 5 RBI Leads Mets

Eckstein Scores for Jays; Wright's 5 RBI Leads Mets Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 15, 2008 American League The Toronto Blue Jays took a calculated risk when they plucked David Eckstein from St. Louis, but the diminuative shortstop who proved his worth in 2001 with the California Angels, is already paying benefits as the Jays downed the Orioles, 11-3, Tuesday in Baltimore. Eckstein singled three times in four at-bats, scored in the 1st, 3rd and 6th innings and singled in the final run in the ninth. For good measure, he also stole his first base of the season. Notes: How do you get four RBI with one hit? The obvious answer is with a grand slam, but Javier Lopez devised a different way in Seattle's 11-6 win at Kansas City last night with a single and 3 sac flies in 2 official at-bats. Now, that's efficiency. National League Mets' 3rd baseman David Wright has been getting plenty of press lately as one of baseball's best all-around athletes, but Tuesday night he proved why he's so highly-regarded as he drove in 5 of the 6 Mets' runs in their 6-0 beating of Washington with a home run and two doubles in four at-bats. The complete player, Wright also scored the only other run he didn't drive in, coming plateward in the 7th on a Carlos Betran single. Incidentally, the home run was a 2-run, 1st inning shot, Wright's 4th of the season. Notes: There were zeroes everywhere in the NL last night, as three teams - Washington, Colorado and Atlanta were all blanked. In NY, Mike Pelfrey limited the Nats to just 5 hits over 7 innings in NY's 6-0 win. Scott Olsen set down Atlanta on five hits and no walks over 7 as Florida won, 4-0, but the best performance of the night belonged to Randy Wolf, who blanked Colorado for 7 innings on 1 hit and 4 walks in the Padres' 6-0 win. In each case, relievers finished the whitewash for the starter.

Mariners lose 9th straight; Lee caps Cubs comeback

American League Seattle 4 Toronto 6 - A week ago, the Seattle Mariners were challenging for the AL West lead. Now they trail the Yankees by 2 games in the wild card standings and have fallen 6 1/2 behind the Angles in their division.

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The Mariners open a critical 3-game series in New York on Monday. Detroit 7 Oakland 8. 10 innings - The Tigers blew a 7-0 lead and lost for the 10th time in their last 16 games, remaining 5 1/2 behind Cleveland in the AL Central and 3 games behind the Yankees in the wild card. Other AL Scores Tampa Bay 8 NY Yankees 2 Chi White Sox 8 Cleveland 0 Baltimore 2 Boston 3 - Red Sox open up 6 game lead on Yankees Kansas City 8 Minnesota 1 Texas 8 LA Angels 7 National League Houston 5 Chi Cubs 6 - The Cubs rallied from a 5-1 deficit, capped by Derrek Lee's (right) 2-run homer in the 8th inning. The win enabled Chicago to maintain their leads over Milwaukee and St. Louis, both of whom won. Chicago is up by 1 1/2 over the Brewers and 2 games over the Cardinals. NY Mets 3 Atlanta 2 - Tom Glavine held the Braves to 1 run over 7 innings and David Wright delivered a 2-run homer as the Mets completed the 3-game sweep and dashed the post-season hopes of the Braves, leaving them 7 1/2 back in the division and 6 1/2 out of the wild card. Philadelphia 6 Florida 7 - The Mets opened up a 4-game lead on the Phillies, as Florida won for the second straight day. Miguel Cabrera socked his 31st home run and drove in run #94 on the season. LA Dodgers 5 San Diego 0 - Chad Billingsley (10-4) blanked the Padres on 4 hits over 7 innings as the Dodgers picked up a game on both San Diego and Arizona. The Dodgers are 4 games back of the virtual dead heat in the West. Other NL Scores San Francisco 1 Washington 2 Pittsburgh 4 Milwaukee 7 - P. Fielder, HR (40), 2 RBI (99) Cincinnati 2 St. Louis 3 Colorado 4 Arizona 3