Jake Arrieta Deals No-Hitter Against Dodgers, Cubs Win, 2-0; Derek Holland Blanks O's in 6-0 Texas Win

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 30, 2015

American League

Arrieta: No-Hitter

Holland: 3-Hitter

Hotter than a sizzling plate of barbecued ribs, the Texas Rangers completed the three-game sweep of the Orioles with a superb three-hit shutout from Derek Holland who improved to 2-1 in just his fourth start this season.

Following left knee surgery, Holland missed most of 2014 and went back on the DL after only one inning in the home opener April 10 when he strained his left shoulder, but the effects of 4 1/2 months of rehab have been obvious and the lefty veteran has arrived back in action at an opportune time for the Rangers.

Holland struck out 11 batters in the 6-0 Ranger win, getting sluggers Adam Jones and Chris Davis twice each on strikes and struck out every Oriole player in the lineup.

With 79 of 116 pitches going for strikes, Holland had batters confused. Only Jones, Davis and Dariel Alvarez had base hits off Holland, and Jones double was the only one that went for extra bases.

Texas has won four straight and seven of their last nine, closing to within three games of the Houston Astros, who lead the AL West and who dropped a 7-5 decision to the Twins on Sunday.

The rangers are also in line for the second wild card, leading Minnesota by 1 1/2 games. Texas trails the Yankees by four games in the quest for the #1 wild card spot.

The Rangers go on the road Monday, starting a six-game trip with three at San Diego, followed by three more at the Angels in Anaheim, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

National League

In the midst of a west coast road trip and in need of something to snap them out of a four-game losing streak, the Chicago Cubs got a shot in the arm from the arm of their ace hurler, Jake Arrieta, who tossed the season's sixth no-hitter Sunday in a 2-0 Cubs' victory over the Dodgers.

Having a remarkable season which has helped put the Cubs in position for a wild card in the NL, Arrieta was just a few plays from perfection. Stalin Castro's throwing error in the second inning and a sixth inning walk to Jimmy Rollins were the only flaws in an otherwise sensational mound appearance.

Arrieta fanned 12, including striking out the side in the ninth inning to end the game. Arrieta has 190 strikeouts on the season, ranking him fourth in the league, but his record of 17-6 has him atop the wins column. San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner is second in the majors with 16. No AL hurler has more than 15 wins.

With an ERA of 2.11, Arrieta is a serious contender for NL Cy Young honors. Tossing a no-hitter and having your team vying for a playoff spot certainly won't hurt his chances.

For the Cubs the victory moved them 5 1/2 games ahead of the Giants for the second wild card spot. With San Fran losing to the Cardinals, 7-5, LA's loss kept the two separated by 3 1/2 games in the NL West race.

The Cubs open a six-game homestead with a three-game series against Cincinnati starting Monday night. Also beginning Monday night is a critical three-game series in LA with the Dodgers hosting the Giants.

NOTES: Edwin Encarnacion of Toronto has a hitting streak that reached 25 games on Sunday, the longest in the majors this season.

Pirates and Reds Clinch Playoff Berths; Starling Marte, Shin Soo Choo Provide Heroics; Alex Rios, Derek Holland Leads Rangers' Rout

Players of the Day for Monday, September 23, 2013

American League

Alex Rios

Derek Holland pitched a six-hit shutout and Alex Rios hit for the cycle, as the Texas Rangers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 12-0 pounding of the hapless Houston Astros, losers of 10 straight.

Derek Holland

Holland walked one and struck out nine, going the distance in his second shutout of the season and seventh of his career. The win improved his record to 10-9 on the year.

Rios, acquired from the White Sox earlier this season, got the rangers on the board early, socking a double to left that knocked in a pair of runs. In third inning, Rios reached on an infield single and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to David Murphy. After hitting a solo home run - his 18th - in the fourth inning, Rios ripped a shot to the right-center field gap for a triple to complete the cycle, driving in Elvis Andrus in the process. He finished 4-for-4 with four RBI and three runs.

Rios did not get another at-bat. With the game already out of hand, manager Ron Washington made mass replacements, saving his starters for upcoming games.

It was the third cycle in the majors this year. Mike Trout of the LA Angels on May 21, and the Astros' Brandon Barnes on July 19, both turned the trick against Seattle.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/23)

Team	GB
Tampa Bay	+1
Cleveland	--
Texas	-1
Kansas City	-3
NY Yankees	-4
Baltimore	-5

National League

Shin Soo Choo

Both the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates clinched playoff spots on Monday as the Cardinals dumped Washington, 4-3, the Reds dropped the Mets, 3-2, in 10 innings and Pittsburgh took down the Cubs, 2-1.

Starling Marte

Pittsburgh's win came by virtue of a ninth-inning, pinch-hit solo homer off the bat of Starling Marte that broke a 1-1 deadlock as the Pirates opened their three-game series in Chicago with a win.

Cincinnati's victory was even more dramatic, as Sin Soo Choo singled home Devin Mesoraco in the bottom of the 10th inning, the walk-off hit Choo's third, in six at-bats. Choo's single in the second got the Reds on the board with a 1-0 lead.

The Reds and Pirates remain tied for the two wild card playoff spots, at 90-67, both two games behind St. louis in the NL Central.

Cincinnati hosts the Mets Tuesday at 7:10 pm EDT in the second game of their three-game series. Pittsburgh plays game two in Chicago at 8:05 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: What pitcher led the National League in strikeouts four straight years, from 1932 through 1935? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Five. Reggie Jackson played most of his ball for the A's, Yankees and Angels, but spent a year as a Baltimore Oriole and began his career with the Kansas City Royals.

Derek Holland Blanks A's for 8 as Rangers Take Series; David Freese Leads Cardinals in 15-2 Win over Reds

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 4, 2013

American League

Derek Holland threw eight innings of shutout ball at the home-standing Oakland A's as the Texas Rangers took the rubber game of their three-game series with the A's, 4-0.

Derek Holland

The Rangers scored single runs in the first and second innings and two in the seventh to back the four-hit pitching of Holland (9-6). Joe Nathan came on for the ninth, in a non-save situation, gave up a hit and a walk, but kept the A's off the scoreboard to end the game.

Holland threw 77 of 110 pitches for strikes, walked two and fanned 10. On the season, Holland has 145 Ks, good for sixth in the AL.

The win cut the A's lead in the AL West to 2 1/2 games, the 2-1 series win giving the Rangers confidence that they can still run down Oakland in the division.

The Rangers head down the coast to open a series in Anaheim with the Angels, while the A's head to Cincinnati, where they play a series with the Reds, beginning Tuesday.

National League

David Freese

Still trailing the Pirates in the NL Central, the St. Louis Cardinal made their case that they're easily the second-best team in the division, with a stunning, 15-2 win at Cincinnati.

St. Louis banged out 19 hits - 10 for extra bases - against five Cincinnati hurlers, pounding starter Mike Leake for eight runs over the first five innings.

All eight of the starting position players for St. Louis had at least two hits, backing the pitching of Lance Lynn, who earned his 13th win against five losses, allowing just two runs on four hits over eight innings from the mound. Lynn's 13 wins are tops in the NL, along with teammate Adam Wainwright and Washington's Jordan Zimmermann.

David Freese went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and single, driving in a pair of runs and scoring three times.

Pittsburgh leads the Cardinals by 1 1/2 in the division; Cincinnati is 6 1/2 games out.

Today's Trivia: With Alex Rodriguez in the news, the question is, does A-Rod have a lifetime average over .300? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: FALSE. There are only 206 players who managed to hit .300 or better in their major league careers.

Derek Holland Blanks Yanks on Two Hits in 2-0 Texas Win; Chase Utley's 3-for-5 Effort Wasted as Phillies Fall to Dodgers, 6-4

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 27, 2013

American League

The Texas Rangers finished up their three-game road series with a 2-0 victory over the Yankees on a two-hit shutout by starter Derek Holland (6-4).

Holland: 2-Hit Shutout

Ichiro Suzuki started the Yankees off with a leadoff single in the first, but was erased by a double play that ended the inning. After that, Holland allowed just one more hit - to Austin Romine, with two down in the third inning.

Issuing leadoff walks in both the fourth and seventh innings, Holland twice retired nine straight, as the Yankees could not get good wood on any of the lefty slinger's 92 pitches, 63 of which went for strikes. Holland fanned seven, including Vernon Wells three times.

The win was the second straight for the Rangers and completed a two games to one series win. It was Holland's first win since May 31 and his first shutout and complete game of the season.

Texas took a 1/2 game lead over the idle A's in the AL West, while the Yanks dropped into third place, 4 1/2 games off the pace being set by Boston in the AL East.

Weather permitting, the Yankees open a three-game series in Baltimore Friday night at 7:05 pm EDT, while the Rangers head home to host the Reds for three, the first game Friday at 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Chase Utley

Philadelphia collected 14 hits, but could only push across four runs against Zack Greinke and three Dodger relievers while the more-efficient hosts scored six runs on seven hits for a 6-4 LA win.

Chase Utley singled, doubled and homered in five at-bats, drove in two runs and scored one, but his efforts were for naught as the Phillies stranded seven had a runner picked off first base, another thrown out attempting to steal second and grounded into three double plays.

Greinke gave up 12 hits over seven innings but still was good enough to pick up his fifth win against two losses.

The Dodgers have won six straight but are still in the NL West cellar, though they are just six games off the pace being set by Arizona, the only team in the division with a winning record.

Philly dropped 7 1/2 behind Atlanta in the East, and trail second place Washington by two games.

The game was the first of a four-game series in LA. Game two is set for 7:10 pm PDT on Friday.

Today's Trivia: When was the last time a Cleveland player won the AL MVP award and who was it? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: George Bell is the only Toronto Blue Jay to ever win an MVP award. His came in 1987.

Matt Holliday Keeps Cardinals Winning; Derek Holland and Adrian Beltre Lead Rangers in Rout of Boston

Players of the Day for Friday, May 3, 2013

American League

Adrian Beltre

Matching leaders of their respective divisions, Texas welcomed the Red Sox into Arlington for the first of a three-game series Friday, and the Rangers broke out with an 18-hit attack in a 7-0 thumping.

Derek Holland

Texas starter Derek Holland threw eight innings of shutout ball at the Sox, fanning nine while scattering six hits and one walk to even his record at 2-2. Only one Boston baserunner reached second base, as all of the hits off Holland were singles and the Rangers turned two double plays. Derek Lowe piched a perfect ninth inning to close out the whitewash.

Adrian Beltre went 4-for-5, with a double and three singles, driving in three runs. Batting just .215 entering the game, Beltre upped his average to .241 with the effort.

Despite the loss, Boston remained safely in first place in the AL East, as both the second place Yankees and third place Orioles lost. Boston is 2 1/2 games up on the Yankees.

Oakland kept pace with the Rangers in the West, beating the Yankees, 2-0, to remain 1 1/2 games out.

The series continues Saturday afternoon at 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Matt Holliday

Matt Holliday broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a two-run homer - his sixth of the season - to lead the NL Central division-leading Cardinals to a 6-1 win over the homestanding Brewers.

Holliday went 3-for-4 with three runs, singling and scoring in the fifth and seventh innings as the Cardinals extended their lead.

Carlos Beltran added a solo homer in the seventh inning, his eighth of the season.

The win kept the Cardinals a game in front of Pittsburgh, who topped Washington, 3-1. The Central division, which has been a see-saw battle for first place through most of the first month of the season, has opened up a bit as Cincinnati is 2 1/2 back and the Brewers have faded to 3 1/2 out with their third straight loss.

St. louis has won four straight and will look to extend their winning streak when the meet the Brewers at 4:05 pm EDT in game three of their four-game series.

Texas Ties World Series at 2-2 as Mike Napoli, Derek Holland Deliver

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 23, 2011

Rangers 4 Cardinals 0

Mike Napoli crushed a 6th-inning, three run homer in support of Derek Holland's two-hit pitching as the Texas Rangers evened the 2011 World Series with a game four, 4-0, victory.

Napoli: 3-run HR

Napoli's blast came with the Rangers nursing a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Josh Hamilton doubling home Elvis Andrus in the game's first inning. Cardinal starter Edwin Jackson was matching Golland nearly pitch-for-pitch, until getting into serious trouble in the bottom of the sixth, walking Nelson Cruz and David Murphy with one out in the inning. Jackson was lifted in favor of reliever Mitchell Boggs, who served up the long ball to Napoli.

Holland: 2 hits,
0 ER, 8 1/3 IP

With the lead in hand, Holland persevered, allowing only a single and double by Lance Berkman through the first five innings and setting the Cardinals down without a hit until he was relieved after walking Rafael Furcal with one out in the ninth. Neftali Feliz walked the next batter, Allen Criag, but got Albert Pujols to fly out and ended the game with a strikeout of Matt Holliday.

Holland walked two batters and struck out seven for his second playoff win of the season. His strong outing was a vast improvement over his previous two starts - both against Detroit in the ALCS - in which he lasted only 2 2/3rds allowing three runs and 4 2/3rds, giving up four runs on seven hits, though the Rangers managed to win both games without Holland getting a decision.

A crucial game five is slated for Monday night at 8:05 pm in Arlington, the last of the three home games for the Rangers before the series shifts back to St. Louis for game six on Wednesday, and, if necessary, game seven on Thursday.

Game one winner Chris Carpenter will head to the mound for St. Louis. C.J. Wilson, who took the loss in game one, walking six and allowing three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, goes up the bump for the Rangers.

Derek Holland Blanks BoSox for Seven; Carlos Beltran Delivers for Giants

Players of the Day for Friday, September 2, 2011

American League

The Texas Rangers have a number of ways to win games. They can bludgeon you with bat after bat from experienced, veteran players, or they can sometimes get all of your guys out wit solid starting pitching, a competent bullpen and a complete closer.

Derek Holland

In their 10-0 win at Boston Friday, they did both, as Derek Holland (13-5) worked over the Red Sox for seven innings, allowing just two hits, fanning six, without walking a batter before turning the ball over to the relievers.

Ian Kinsler hit his third home run in the past two games, his 24th, a two-run blast. Elvis Andrus added a two-run job of his own and scored four times. David Murphy also provided a solo shot.

The Texas win, coupled with the Angels' 13-5 drubbing by the Twins, improved the Texas lead in the AL West to 4 1/2 games and made their magic number for winning the division an even 20. Also, the Red Sox gave up first place in the AL East, as the Yankees eked out a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays to take a 1/2 game lead into the weekend.


National League

Carlos Beltran

Finally, the San Francisco Giants are seeing the benefit of their acquisition of Carlos Beltran from the Mets. The Giants picked up the slugging outfielder on July 27, but have gone just 8-13 in games in which he's been in the lineup. Beltran spent two weeks in August on the DL, but on Friday he provided a boost for the Giants as they cooled off the Arizona Diamondbacks by a 6-2 score, ending Arizona's nine-game winning streak and cutting their NL West lead to five games.

Beltran went 4-for-4, with two singles, a triple and a two-run homer to spark the victory and provide some hope that his bat can deliver some runs down the stretch.

The win was the first of a three-game series at San Francisco, which is looking for a sweep which would cut the lead to three games. Saturday's game will be crucial, with aces Ian Kennedy and Tim Lincecum facing off on the mound.

Spilborghs Leads Rockies in 12-3 Win; Derek Holland Throws Second Straight Shutout

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 14, 2011

American League

Derek Holland

Picking right up after the all star break where they left off, the Texas Rangers extended their winning streak to eight straight with a 5-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

The Rangers scored single runs in each of the first three innings and starter Derek Holland made them stand up, tossing his second straight shutout, extending his personal scoreless streak to 18 innings.

Holland gave up just five hits, walked one and struck out eight en route to his eighth win against four losses. The Texas lefty was perfect through five innings and needed 119 pitches - 79 of them for strikes - to record his third complete game and third shutout of the season.

Oddly enough, Holland's scoreless streak began following his worst outing of the season, a July 2nd start against the Marlins in which he lasted only 2/3rds of an inning, surrendering four hits, two walks and five earned runs.

The Rangers have used their win streak to hold off the Angels, winners of four straight. Texas leads the AL West by 1 1/2 games. The Seattle loss was their sixth straight, dropping them 8 1/2 games off the division pace.

National League

Ryan Spilborghs

Ryan Spilborghs made the most of his start in center field for the Rockies, replacing Carlos Gonzalez, who has been sidelined with a deep bone bruise in his right wrist, though the Rockies' regular center fielder is not a candidate for the disabled list.

Spilborghs entered the game with only 152 at-bats and a .217 batting average, but his 4-for-6 performance improved him to .234. Spilborghs, batting in the leadoff spot, spearheaded a 12-3 Colorado win by homering in the 1st inning, singling in and scoring a run in the 4th, singling and scoring again in the 6th and knocking a bases-loaded double in the 7th to drive in two more runs. He also swiped second base in the 4th inning and led a 20-hit Colorado attack.

At 44-48, the Rockies can't waste any time in trying to make up ground in the NL West, where they are in third place, 8 1/2 games behind the Giants. Arizona holds second place, 3 1/2 back.

Holland, Hamilton Rock A's; Bailey Tosses Shutout at Pirates, Reds within 1 game of Cardinals

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 12, 2010 American League Could this be the beginning of the end for the Oakand A's? After knocking off the Rangers in the first game of their 3-game set on Tuesday, the A's ran smack into a tough lefty Wednesday afternoon in Arlington by the name of Derek Holland (left). Called up for his first major league start of the season after going 4-1 with a 0.93 ERA in six starts for Oklahoma City, Holland stymied the A's on 5 hits over 6 innings, striking out 7, allowing just one walk and no runs. Last season Holland went 8-13 with a 6.12 ERA in 33 games for Texas, but he's retooled his game to become part of the Rangers' starting rotation. With the 10-1 win, the Rangers snapped a tie for first place in the AL West with the upstart A's. Texas now owns a 1-game advantage, with the rubber game Thursday afternoon. On the offensive side of things, the Rangers racked up 5 homers against A's hurlers, including Josh Hamilton's (right) 7th of the season, a 2-run, 5th inning shot that put the Rangers ahead, 4-0, adding to the disdain for Oakland pitching. Hamilton added a couple of singles on the day, going 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and a couple of runs scored. Hamilton's off to a pretty steady start, batting .285 with the 7 homers and 23 RBI. National League Something's happening in Cincinnati, and it's affecting their pitching staff in wonderful ways. Maybe it has something to do with playing the Pirates, but a day after Johnny Cueto tosses a 1-hitter for a 9-0 Reds' win, Homer Bailey comes out and throws a 4-hit complete game for another Reds win, this one by a 5-0 score, sweeping the Pirates in Pittsburgh, and quietly creeping to within one game of Central division-leading St. Louis. Bailey picked up his first win of the season against 2 prior losses and notched the first complete game and first shutout of his brief career. Bailey has started just 44 games in four partial seasons with the Reds. Needing only 90 pitches, Bailey scattered the four hits without giving up a walk while fanning six different Pittsburgh would-be hitters. The Reds get a day off Thursday, as the Cardinals finish up their series with Houston before the two meet up for a crucial three-game series in Cincinnati beginning on Friday. If Cincy can manage to take two of three from the reigning division champs, they would be either 1/2-game ahead or behind, depending the outcome of the Cardinals' Thursday game. A Reds sweep would give them the outright lead regardless. Should be a fun weekend for NL Central fans. QUICK HITS: Might as well call him Andre the Giant (or Giant killer?). Andre Ethier is feasting on National League pitching early this season. Bashing his 11 home run this season in Wednesday's series-sweeping 6-3 win over Arizona, Ethier now leads the NL Triple Crown categories outright with a .385 batting average (his 1-for-4 effort dropped him down from .390), 11 dingers and an eye-popping 37 RBI. The sweep got the Dodgers back to a respectable 17-17 record, though they still trail the Padres by 4 1/2 games in the NL West.

Holland's Shutout Boosts Rangers; Ramirez, Marlins Complete Phillies Sweep

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 9, 2009 American League After losing the middle game of their critical 3-game series with the Angels, 3-2, Saturday, the Texas Rangers were looking to at least leave Southern California with a 2-1 split in the series. To do so, however, would mean winning the matchup between veteran starter John Lackey and the Rangers' rookie hurler, Derek Holland. What they got was an impressive 3-hit shutout by the rookie, a 7-0 win and a reduction in LA's lead in the AL West to 3 1/2 games. Holland, who entered the game with a 4-7 record, completely baffled the tough Angels' batters, fanning 8 - including getting Vlad Geurrero twice on strikes - while walking just one. The 22-year-old lefty threw just 96 pitches in the complete game win, placing an incredible 73 for strikes. By contrast, Lackey, who lasted only 6 2/3 innings, threw 131 pitches, with only 83 going for strikes. Looking ahead, the Rangers head to Cleveland to complete their 10-game road trip, but then face a very tough stretch in which they play the Red Sox and Twins at home, then take to the road again, traveling to Tampa, New York and Minnesota for three-game sereis in each of those locales. The Angels get a huge break in the schedule after a three game series hosting the Rays. They travel to Baltimore for 4 games, then Cleveland for 3 and Toronto for 3 more before returning home to face the Tigers and A's. If the Angels are to win the division, this could be the time to open some space between themselves and the second place Rangers. National League As the weekend approached, the Phillies were feeling pretty good about themselves, sporting a 7 game lead in the division after taking two straight from the Rockies. That was Thursday. By Sunday, the Phillies weren't exactly beaming with confidence after dropping three straight at home to the Florida Marlins and watching their lead drop to 4 games and 4 1/2 in front of the third place Braves, who were busy taking three of four from the Dodgers in LA. Sunday's 12-3 splattering at the hands of Florida was a tour de force for the mystifying Marlins, who, before the Philadelphia series, had just dropped three straight to the last-place Nationals. Josh Johnson, perhaps the most overlooked pitcher in the majors, improved his record to 11-2 (30-13 lifetime), limiting the Phillies to 4 hits and one earned run over 6 solid innings. Meanwhile, the Marlins regulars were taking extended batting practice against Jamie Moyer (11 hits) and five relievers, mashing out 19 hits overall. As expected, shortstop Hanley Ramirez was leading the hit parade, going 4-for-6 with 3 RBI and 3 runs on a double and three singles, raising his batting average to a league-best .348. Ramirez has 137 hits in 103 games, and is on pace to challenge his career high of 212 hits in 2007. NOTES: The New York Yankees certainly made the most of their 4-game home series with second place Boston, sweeping the Red Sox and upping their lead in the AL East from 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 games. The third-place Rays could not take advantage, remaining 8 back after stumbling against the Mariners, dropping two of three in Seattle. Both the Rays and Red Sox have to be seriously looking at the wild card, in which the Sox are now tied with the Rangers, with Tampa 1 1/2 back. Dark horses, Chicago and Minnesota continue to chase the Tigers, who have a 3 game lead in the Central. Over in the National League, the Cardinals finally got some separation from the Cubs, as they won and the Cubs lost. St. Louis leads the Central by 2 games. Colorado and San Fran are tied for the wild card lead, but both trail the Dodgers by 5 1/2 with intentions of running down the division leader. The Giants host the Dodgers for three games beginning Monday night. The Cubs are two back in the wild card and the Marlins three behind.