Stephen Strasburg Fans 14 in Nationals' Victory; Ronny Rodriguez Homers Twice in Detroit Win Over Twins

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 31, 2019

Rodriguez: 2HR, 5 RBI

American League

In Saturday's game at Detroit, Minnesota's Mitch Garver homered to left in the ninth inning, setting an MLB record for most home runs in a season by one team, as the Twins has bashed 268. Unfortunately, the home run barrage (the Twins hit six; Garver had two) was not enough to defeat the Tigers, who outscored the Twins for a 10-7 win.

Ronny Rodriguez had both of Detroit's home runs - a pair of two-run shots - to lead the Tigers to victory. Rodriguez homered in the third and sixth innings, after he had put the Tigers on the board with a sac fly in the first.

A second year shortstop from the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez has 13 home runs and 39 RBI in 223 at-bats this season.

Detroit's win snapped a six-game losing streak while slowing the Twins' race to the AL Central crown, ending their six-game winning streak.

Minnesota's loss was not consequential, however, as second-place Cleveland dropped a 9-6 decision at Tampa Bay. The Twins lead Cleveland by 4 1/2 games in the division.

Their series tied at a game apiece, the Twins and Tigers play two more, Sunday and Monday.

National League

Strasburg: 8IP, 2H, 14K

Because Atlanta continues to play solid baseball, the Washington Nationals - who have been equally excellent through the month of August - may not catch their rival in the NL East, but they may be quite dangerous as a wild card team in the playoffs.

The Nationals closed out the penultimate month of the season with a 19-7 record and have secured the top spot in the wild card race, though they still trail the Braves by 5 1/2 in the division after blanking Miami, 7-0, Saturday.

Stephen Strasburg continued making his case for the Cy Young award, shutting out the Marlins on two hits over eight innings, whiffing 14. Strasberg was on the plate, throwing 81 of 107 pitches for strikes as he improved to 16-5.

Strasburg leads all NL pitchers in wins and is one ahead of the Mets' Jacob DeGrom in strikeouts, with 215. mong strikeout leaders are two of Strasburg's teammates, Max Scherzer (200) and Patrick Corbin (193), a trio of starters which makes Washington a formidable team if they should make the playoffs.

With a 5-3 record at the end of May, Strasburg has gone 11-2 since and has helped put the Nationals in a good spot.

Washington, currently holding a 3 1/2 game lead in the wild card over Chicago, concludes their three-game home series with Miami Sunday at 1:35 pm ET.

Niko Goodrum, Tigers Hand Yankees 8-7 Loss; John Gant Leads Cardinals Past Pirates, 5-0

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 30, 2018

American League

Gant: 4-for-5, HR, SB

On a night in which Yankee slugger, Giancarlo Stanton socked his 300th home run, the Yankees could not celebrate his accomplishment as the visiting Detroit Tigers scored three runs in the ninth inning for an 8-7 win.

After Victor Martinez tied the game at 7-7 with a two run homer off New York reliever Dellin Betances, rookie Niko Goodrum connected for his 14th homer of the year, putting the Tigers in the lead.

Goodrum went 4-for-5 on the night, scoring twice and adding a stolen base. The 26-year-old singled in the fourth, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a Ronney Rodriguez home run. The Tigers spanked five homers, two by Martinez, who drove in four runs.

Out of contention in the AL Central, the Tigers took game one from the Yankees, dropping New York 8 1/2 behind the Red Sox in the East division. Boston defeated the White Sox, 9-4.

Game two is Friday, 7:00 pm EDT. The Yankees have dropped three of their last four. Detroit snapped a five game losing streak.

National League

Gant: 5 2/3 IP, 0 ER, HR

St Louis topped the Pirates Thursday, 5-0, maintaining their position as the #1 wild card team in the ultra-tight National League race to the finish.

Cardinal starter, John Gant, got his third win of the month, improving to 6-5 on the year. Gant worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings, holding the Pirates to three hits while issuing three walks and fanning six. He also hit a solo homer - his second HR of the season - going back to back with Harrison Bader in the third inning.

Gant started out his major league career with the Braves in 2016 and going the Cardinals the next season. His scoreless performance drops his ERA to 3.34 on the year.

St. Louis remained 1/2-game ahead of the Brewers in the wild card race and 4 1/2 behind the Cubs in the NL Central. The NL wild card field is overcrowded. While the Brewers hold the second spot, the Rockies, Dodgers, and Phillies are 2, 2 1/2, and 3 games behind Milwaukee, respectively.

The Cardinals took two of three from Pittsburgh and remains home to host the Reds over the weekend. Game one of the series is Friday at 8:15 pm EDT.

Nicholas Castellanos Leads Tigers Over Pirates, 13-10; Matt Adams Drives In Six As Nationals Crush Giants, 15-2

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Castellanos: 4-5, HR, 4RBI

American League

Francisco Cervelli drove in six runs for the Pirates, but, in Detroit's 13-10 victory at Pittsburgh, the top of the Tiger lineup decimated Pittsburgh pitching, with the first four batters a combined 13-for-23. Miguel Cabrera had three doubles and a single in six at-bats, but Nicholas Castellanos had the most productive outing, going 4-for-5, including a two-out, two-run homer that unknotted a 6-6 tie and put the Tigers in the lead for good.

Castellanos, a proven power hitter with 26 HRs and 101 RBI last season for the Tigers, has cut down his swing a bit in order to limit his strikeouts (142 last season), and it seems to be working, as he's batting .333 (30-for-90) and has fanned only 17 times this year.

The Tigers continue to plug along in the AL Central, chasing the Indians. At 13-9, Cleveland is the only team in the division above .500, at 13-9. The Tigers are in second place after dropping the second game of their double-header against the Pirates, 8-3, three games out with a 10-12 mark.

Detroit will finish out their three-game series in Pittsburgh with game three scheduled for 12:35 pm EDT on Thursday.

National League

Max Scherzer went to the mound for the Nationals in game three of their series at San Francisco, looking to avoid being swept after the Giants won the first two games, 4-2, and 4-3. Scherzer would give Washington a solid outing, meaning that the Nats probably wouldn't need to score many runs.

Adams: 3-5, HR, 6 RBI

Matt Adams made sure they had plenty as the Nationals posted a 15-2 crusher, hammering Giants' starter, Jeff Samardzija and four relievers for 18 hits.

Off to a horribly slow start (37 AB, 2 HR, 4 RBI) after being plucked from the Braves in the off-season, Adams exploded for six RBI, with a single, double and home run in five at-bats.

Getting the Nationals off to a fast start, Adams singled in a run and scored in the first inning as Washington put up three, more than enough for the capable Scherzer, who improved to 5-1, striking out 10.

Adams scocked a three-run homer in the fourth and completed the scoring with a two-run double in the eighth.

Even with the win, the Nationals find themselves still looking up at NL East rivals. The Mets lead the division by a 1/2-game over the Phillies, with Atlanta 2 1/2 back. At 11-14, Washington is 5 1/2 out.

The Nationals get a travel day Thursday, prior to opening a series at home against the Braves on Friday, 7:05 pm EDT.

Leonys Martin's Grand Slam Helps Tigers Bash Orioles; Kurt Suzuki, Preston Tucker Lead Braves Over Mets

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 19, 2018

American League

Martin: 3-for-5, GS, 4RBI

Detroit finished off a sweep of the visiting Baltimore Orioles with a 13-8 win, as both teams took some batting practice, banging out 32 hits between them.

Leonys Martin, Detroit's leadoff hitter, made sure to get his licks in, singling and scoring in the first inning and scoring after blistering a triple in the fourth prior to smacking a grand slam in the fifth. Martin finished 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBI.

The result left the Orioles in last place in the AL East, 11 1/2 games off the pace and the Tigers just a shade under .500, at 7-9, but just 2 1/2 games behind front-running Minnesota in the Central.

Baltimore heads home to open a series with Cleveland on Friday while the Tigers stay home. The host Kansas City at 1:10 pm EDT on Friday.

National League

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

The NL East's first place Mets arrived in Atlanta for the opener of a four game series with Matt Harvey taking the mound to face the second place Braves, who had Matt Wisler on the bump.

As it turned out, Wisler, who was making just his second start since 2016, had the better stuff, holding the Mets to one earned run on three hits over seven innings.

Tucker: 2-for-5, 5 RBI

Meanwhile Kurt Suzuki and Preston Tucker were making life miserable for Harvey. Suzuki socked a two-run, first inning homer off Harvey, then proceeded to double twice, going 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI.

Batting right behind Suzuki, Tucker victimized Harvey with a two-run, third inning double and came up again with the bases loaded in the seventh, delivering his second double of the game, racking up a total of five RBI.

Suddenly, first place wasn't looking so secure as the Braves slugged their way to a 12-4 win, reducing the Mets' lead to just two games over themselves and the Phillies, 7-0 winners over the Pirates.

Game two of the series is 7:35 pm EDT, Friday night.

Kershaw Scoreless Streak Reaches 21 1/3 In 10-0 Win Over KC; James McCann Drives In Five As Tigers Rout Braves

Players of the Day for Friday, March 23, 2018

Grapefruit League

McCann 2 2B, 5 RBI

After dominating the AL Central from 2011-2014, winning the division four straight years, the Detroit Tigers have fallen on hard times, not making the playoffs in any of the past three seasons. 2017 was particularly telling of just how far the former powerhouse has fallen, as the Tigers ended the season in last place, a full 38 games behind the Cleveland Indians, tying the Giants for the worst record in the majors, at 64-98.

As Spring unfolds and the regular season awaits, the Tigers have hopes for a better performance with some new faces and continued improvement from veteran players.

One position that appears solid is behind the plate, as James McCann has been the regular catcher the past two years and will be the starter on opening day.

On Friday, the Tigers routed the Braves, 11-3, thanks largely to a pair of doubles and five RBI from McCann.

Down 3-0 in the fifth, McCann tied the game with a bases-loaded double to the left field gap, then doubled again in the seventh, plating two, as the Tigers put the game away with a seven-run inning.

McCann hit .253 in 2017, with 13 homers and 49 RBI. The Tigers are 11-14 this Spring.

Cactus League

Kershaw: 21.1 IP, 0.00 ERA

After taking the NL West in a runaway last season, winning the division by six games over Arizona, then taking the Astros to seven games in the World Series, the LA Dodgers aren't too concerned about their Spring Training record. After all, there are 162 regular season games dead ahead, with the true season starting Thursday.

What may have other teams concerned is the dominance of Clayton Kershaw, who extended his personal string of scoreless innings to 21 1/3 innings by allowing one hit and no runs over 6 1/3 in the Dodgers' 10-0 swamping of Kansas City. He fanned four and did not issue any walks.

His teammates gave him an early lead with a run in the first, then added seven in the third, more than enough cushion for the seven-time all star.

Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young award winner (2011, 2013, 2014) and NL MVP (2014), has made six appearances this preseason - all starts - allowed 12 hits, four walks, no runs, and struck out 23. Last season, he was 18-4 with a 2.31 ERA.

The Dodgers are 15-13, 3 1/2 games out in the Cactus League. Kershaw will start the season opener at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, March 29, against the San Francisco Giants.

Corey Kluber, Indians Clinch AL Central; Detroit's Matthew Boyd Throws 1-Hitter; Travis Shaw Powers Brewers

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 17, 2017

American League

Kluber: 17-4

Even though the Indians had their AL-record-setting win streak stopped at 22 games on Friday night in a 4-3 loss to Kansas City, they were not deterred from their ultimate task: to win the AL Central.

Cleveland came back to win Saturday, 8-4, and clinched the division title behind their ace, Corey Kluber, whipping the Royals 3-2 while taking the series, three games to one.

Possibly cementing his name on the Cy Young award, Kluber tossed seven scoreless innings, backed by a fourth-inning, two-run home run by Edwin Encarnacion and another "small ball" run in the seventh. Kansas City's two runs came off reliever, Bryan Shaw, in the eighth, but the Royals could not come up with another run, giving Kluber his 17th win against a mere four losses.

Kluber allowed three hits, fanned nine and did not issue a walk, throwing 76 of 99 pitches for strikes. With the division in hand and the best record in the league, all the Indians have to do over their remaining 12 games is get in their work, play some prospects in games and stay ahead of Houston, the team with the second-best record. Cleveland is 93-57; Houston's record stands at 91-58. The Astros also clinched their division on Sunday, winning 7-1 over Seattle while the second-place Angels fell to Texas, 4-2.

Boyd throws 1-hitter

Fittingly, the Indians have Monday off, then begin a six-game road trip, starting in LA for three with the Angels followed by a three-game series in Seattle.

Notable Mention: Matthew Boyd came within one out of a no-hitter in Detroit's 12-0 rout of the White Sox Sunday. Tim Anderson doubled with two outs in the ninth inning to break up the bid.

The unlikely hero, Boyd is 6-10 this season with a 5.33 ERA in 23 starts. In just his second year in the majors, Boyd's record is an unassuming 13-21, but on Sunday, he looked as good as Detroit hurlers of old, like Denny McLain or Mickey Lolich. Hats off to him for a fine effort.

National League

With time in the regular season running down, the Milwaukee Brewers continue to play well enough to keep them in the hunt for either a wild card berth or the NL Central crown.

Boyd: 30 HR, 95 RBI

In Sunday's 10-3 victory over the Marlins, Milwaukee put up eight runs in the fourth inning. In the middle of the rally was Travis Shaw, who singled home a run and scored as the Brewers piled on Miami starter, Dillon Peters.

Shaw also knocked in another run in the sixth with a sac fly, and singled home one more in the eighth, going 3-for-4 (all singles) with three RBI, upping his total to 95 on the year. He has 30 homers to his credit off a .275 batting average.

The win left the Brewers four games back of the Cubs in the Central division and 2 1/2 behind Colorado for the second wild card slot. Milwaukee opens a three-game series Monday in Pittsburgh before heading home for a critical four-game series with the division-leading Cubs, Thursday through Sunday.

Ryan Zimmerman Leads Nats With 2 HR In 10-1 Win; Justin Verlander Brilliant in Tigers' 10-0 Victory

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

American League

Verlander: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

Detroit probably won't be seen in October, but they're still playing in August, racking up a 10-0 win over the visiting Pirates Wednesday night.

Justin Verlander didn't allow a hit until Pittsburgh's Josh Bell blooped a two-out double to left in the sixth inning, finishing with eight innings of one-hit ball, striking out six and walking three. Following Bell's two-bagger, Verlander (8-7) didn't allow another baserunner, setting down the last seven batters he faced in order.

Shane Green finished up the whitewash in the ninth.

Ian Kinsler singled, doubled, homered, drove in four runs and scored four times; Nicholas Castellanos singled twice, tripled and drove in five.

The Tigers and Pirates face off again on Thursday, 1:10 pm ET, at Comerica Park in Detroit.

National League

The Washington juggernaut rolls along.

Zimmerman: 2 HR, 5 RBI

Ryan Zimmerman singled, doubled, smacked a pair of home runs, scored four times, and drove in five runs in five at-bats, leading the Nationals to a 10-1 rip over Miami, their nearest rival in the NL East.

Zimmerman's two home runs gave him 26 on the year, to go along with his .310 batting average and 81 RBI. His home run total is his best since 2013, and the RBI number is his highest since 2012, when he drove in 95, and there are still 50 games left to the regular season.

Zimmerman has never batted higher than .307 for a full season, which he did in 2010.

So, it's safe to say that some of the success of the 2017 Nationals can be credited to Ryan Zimmerman having something of a career year.

As for the Marlins, while they are the team closest to the division-leading Nationals in the NL East, they are a distant 14 games back.

Washington leads the current four game series in the nation's capitol, two games to one, with the finale Thursday, at 7:05 pm ET.

Michael Fulmer, J.D. Martinez Star In 11-1 Tiger Win; Nationals' Anthony Rendon Slams Reds

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 15, 2017

American League

Martinez: 2 HR, 5 RBI

With the Tigers already up 2-0 against the Blue Jays in the third inning, J.D. Martinez stroked a bases-loaded single to left, plating two runs as Detroit romped past Toronto for an 11-1 victory.

Martinez finished 3-for-5, adding a double and an eighth-inning, three-run homer (15), driving in five runs. When the Tigers were on the field, starter Michael Fulmer was making hay against the Blue Jay lineup, allowing just two hits over eight innings, fanning three while issuing one walk.

Fulmer: 2 hits over 8 IP

Fulmer, 10-6, dropped his ERA to 3.06 (6th in the AL), giving up a lone run in the fourth inning. The 24-year-old hurler threw 61 of 101 pitches for strikes. After Kendrys Morales singled with one down in the second, Fulmer didn't allow another hit until Troy Tulowitzski beat out an infield single with one out in the eighth.

In his second season with the Tigers, Fulmer is approaching his win total from 2016 when he chalked up 11 victories and seven losses in 26 starts.

Alex Wilson pitched a perfect ninth inning for Detroit, sewing up the win, which kept the Tigers somewhat in contention in the AL Central. With the Indians losing their second straight in Oakland by a 5-3 score, Detroit is in fourth place, seven games behind Cleveland. Kansas City is three games out; Minnesota trails the Indians by 1 1/2.

The series tied, 1-1, Detroit will try to get an upper hand over the Blue Jays in the finale, Sunday, 1:10 pm ET at Comerica Park in Detroit.

National League

Anthony Rendon socked a two-run homer and a grand slam, leading the Washington Nationals to their third straight win, a 10-7 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds.

Rendon's two-run shot came in the fourth, giving the Nationals a 3-0 lead as Max Scherzer was cruising to his 11th win against five losses, tossing six scoreless innings on three hits, whiffing 10.

Rendon: 2 HR, GS, 6 RBI

In the seventh, Rendon capped a seven-run Washington outburst with his grand slam, completing the scoring for the visitors to Great American Ball Park. Rendon's homers were his 17th and 18th. He has 61 RBI on the season after driving in six on Saturday, adding a single for a 3-for-3 effort which raised his batting average to .315.

Washington's bullpen didn't do itself or Scherzer any justice, as the Reds scored two in the eighth and five in the ninth before Matt Grace came on to stop the bleeding, getting the three final outs of the game.

The Nationals kept their 9 1/2 game lead over Atlanta, 8-5 winners over Arizona, and will be going for third straight win over the Reds in game three of the four-game series, Sunday at 1:10 pm ET.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Stops Giants; Tyler Collins Belts A Pair, Leads Tigers Over O's

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 17, 2017

American League

Collins: 2 HR, 4 RBI

In four at-bats, Detroit's Tyler Collins doubled and homered twice, the second of which chased Baltimore starter, Ubaldo Jimenez, in the fifth inning, the tree-run shot turning the game around and erasing the Orioles' 4-2 advantage.

Following the turn-around blast, the pitching took over and neither team scored again, producing a 5-4 Detroit win and improving starter Michael Fulmer's record to 5-1, despite allowing 10 Baltimore hits and three earned runs over seven innings. After that, the Wilson boys took over - Alex and Justin (unrelated). Alex hurled a perfect eighth, but Justin got his third save only after throwing 30 pitches, allowing a hit and a walk, but fanning two.

Collins also belted a solo shot in the second off Jimenez. His two homers gave him four for the season, the four RBI upping his total to 14.

Baltimore's loss was their fifth in the last six outings, dropping them 1 1/2 behind New York in the AL East. Detroit attained breakeven at 19-19 with the victory, leaving them in third place, 1 12 games behind Minnesota in the Central. Cleveland trails the Twins by one game.

Detroit will host game three of the three-game series with an afternoon getaway game starting at 1:10 pm ET at Comerica Park.

National League

Kershaw Leads NL at 7-2

Having won the NL Cy Young award in 2011, 2013, and 2014, Clayton Kershaw is looking good to add a fourth trophy to his collection, becoming the first NL pitcher to reach seven wins this season with Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Giants.

Kershaw allowed just three hits over seven innings, walking none while striking out five. The Giants got their only run of the game off reliever Sergio Romo in the ninth, on an Edwardo Nunez solo homer, his first of the season.

The workmanlike performance for Kershaw consisted of 89 pitches, 63 of which went for strikes. He also calmly ignored a bench-clearing in the third inning, heading right to the mound to take his warm-up throws.

The win stopped the bleeding for LA, as the Gaints had taken the first tow games of the series at AT&T Park in San Francisco. A sellout crowd of 41,588 saw Kershaw improve to 7-2 (2.15 ERA), besting Johnny Cueto (4-3)

With Colorado rained out at Minnesota, the Dodgers picked up 1/2 a game and trail by 2 1/2. San Francisco dropped nine back.

The Dodgers return home Thursday to open a 10-game homestand, starting with a four-game series with the Marlins. San Francisco heads to St. Louis.

Ian Kinsler 4-for-5 In Detroit's 19-9 Rout Of Mariners; Trea Turner Hits For Cycle In 15-12 Washington Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 25, 2017

American League

Kinsler: 4-5, 4 runs

While the Astros were taking down the Indians, 4-2, the Detroit Tigers were wreaking havoc on Seattle pitching, scoring nine times in the fifth on their way to a 19-9 romp over the West division visitors.

Having already led off the Tigers' half of the first inning with a double and scoring, and singling in the second and scoring again, Ian Kinsler was a main cog in the wheel that sent 13 Tigers to the plate. Kinsler singled with a man on and no outs, later scoring on a single by Nicholas Castellanos, then singled again in the latter part of the inning, driving in two runs.

Kinsler finished 4-for-5 with two RBI and four runs, taken out for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. A veteran with 12 years of major league experience, Kinsler is in his fourth year as a Detroit Tiger. Always a run-scoring machine, Kinsler has crossed home safely 16 times this season and has had six seasons in which he scored 100 or more runs.

With the win and Cleveland's loss, the Tigers took over sole possession of first place in the AL Central, a game to the good over both the Inidans and White Sox.

Detroit hosts Seattle again on Wednesday in game two of their three-game series at 7:10 pm ET at Comerica Park.

National League

Turner Hits for Cycle

It was nothing short of an old-fashioned slug-fest in Colorado Tuesday night as the Nationals and Rockies, leaders of their respective divisions, banged out 29 hits, eventually settling matters in favor of the Nationals, 15-12.

Of those 29 hits four of them came off the bat of Trea Turner, the 23-year-old Washington shortstop, who became the third player in Nationals' history to hit for the cycle.

Turner singled in the first, smoked a two-run double in the second, cracked a two-run homer in the sixth and finished up with a bases-loaded triple in the seventh, in the process of entering his name in the records books, driving in a career-high seven runs, also the most RBI for a player in a single game this season.

Turner's effort was the first for the Nationals since Cristian Guzman hit for the cycle in 2008.

Washington's win evened the series at a game apiece. Game three of the four-game series will be hosted at Coors Field by the Rockies at 8:40 pm ET on Wednesday.

John Hicks Powers Tigers Into 1st Place Tie; Nationals Sweep Mets On Daniel Murphy's Slam

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 23, 2017

American League

Looking once again like a legitimate contender in the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers took the final game of their series at Minnesota with a very efficient 13-4 victory, banging out the same number of hits as runs produced.

Hicks: 3-5, HR 5RBI

Playing in just his second game this season, rookie John Hicks drove in five runs, going 3-for-5 with two singles and a three-run homer that capped the scoring for Detroit.

In his limited major league experience, Hicks has played only 20 games in three separate seasons, likely owing to the fact that he's a first baseman, playing behind the likes of Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera.

The win gave the series to the Tigers, two games to one, and moved them into a tie for first place with the Indians, both teams at 10-8. Detroit opens a ten-game home stand on Tuesday, when they host the Seattle Mariners in the first of three games.

National League

Murphy: Slammin'

Daniel Murphy's first inning grand slam was just enough for Max Scherzer (3-1), who allowed three earned runs over eight innings as the Washington Nationals completed the three game sweep of the Mets at New York's Citi Field with a 6-3 win.

Murphy teed off on Mets' starter Zak Wheeler, who had loaded the bases in the opening frame, getting only one out before Murphy arrived at the plate. Having traded Murphy to the Nationals following the 2015 season, the Mets' brass have to live down the bonehead move as Murphy blossomed into a textbook high-average hitter, batting .347 for the Nationals in 2016, second best in the National League.

The sweep help expand the Nationals' lead in the NL East to three games over Miami while sending the Mets to an 8-10 record, 5 1/2 games back. Washington has the best record in the majors, at 13-5. They travel to Colorado Monday to open a three-game series with the red-hot Rockies (13-6), who completed a sweep of their own over the weekend, taking three straight from the Giants. The Rockies hold a 1 1/2 game lead over Arizona in the topsy-turvy NL West.

Justin Verlander One-Hits Angels for 5-0 Tiger Win; Mets Win 6th Straight Behind Michael Cuddyer

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 26, 2015

American League

Verlander: 1-Hitter

This season has not been an especially pretty one for the Detroit Tigers.

Besieged by injuries and spotty play, Detroit harbors slim hopes of reaching the playoffs, currently five games behind fellow AL Central foe, Minnesota, for the last wild card spot.

All doom and gloom aside, Wednesday night at Comerica Park was something special, as Justin Verlander took a no-hitter to the ninth inning, only to have it spoiled by a leadoff double from Chris Iannetta. Verlander, the 2001 AL MVP and Cy Young award winner, retained his composure and finished up the ninth by getting the Angels out in order, completing the one-hit shutout for a 5-0 Tiger victory.

As is the case with many of his teammates, Verlander is not having anything even remotely resembling a championship season. He's 2-6 with a 3.45 ERA, but against the Angels the old magic was back. Throwing 74 of 112 pitches for strikes, Verlander fanned nine and issue just a pair of walks.

Cuddyer: 3-5, 2B, HR

In spite of the two walks - in the third and eighth innings - Verlander faced the minimum heading to the ninth, thanks to a pair of double plays turned by his infielders.

The loss by the Angels was yet another blow to their post-season hopes. Since August 10, LA is 5-11, and they've lost five of their last six, given up the second wild card spot and now trail the Twins by a game and Texas by 1/2 game for the final playoff spot.

The Angels and Tigers conclude their three-game series at 1:08 pm EDT Thursday.

National League

Winners of six straight with a 9-4 win over the Phillies, the Mets are putting it all together at the right time and blowing away the competition in the NL East.

Michael Cuddyer went 3-for-5 with a single, double and a two-run homer (10), driving in three runs to pace the offense. Cutter's blast in the eighth put the Mets up by a 6-0 score. New York's bullpen nearly squandered seven shutout innings from Bartolo Colon, giving up four runs to the Phillies in the bottom of the eighth.

Tyler Clipart quelled the uprising, getting the final out in the eighth and working the ninth for his 18th save of the season and his second as a member of the Mets.

The Mets can complete the four-game sweep of the Phillies when the two teams meet Thursday night at 7:05 pm EDT.

Tampa Bay's Chris Archer, Detroit's Alfredo Simon Hurl Matching One-Hitters

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 20, 2015

American League

Alfredo Simon

Chris Archer

With Alfredo Simon's 1-Hit shutout of the Rangers, the Detroit Tigers find themselves just 3 1/2 games behind the LA Angels for the second wild card slot in the American League.

Detroit's 4-0 win came in the opener of a four-game series in Detroit and was the Tigers' third straight victory, having taken down the Cubs in a two-game set earlier in the week.

While the wins over the Cubs were largely due to an offensive explosion - of which the Tigers are supremely capable - Thursday's win was the product of Simon's dominance from the mound, in which he did not allow a base hit until Rougned Odor's double with two outs in the fifth inning. After walking Will Venable, putting runners at first and second, Simon got out of trouble by striking out Chris Gimenez, one of five strikeouts on the night.

In the sixth, Simon walked Shin-Soo-Choo, but he was erased by an inning-ending double play, after which Simon completed the game without allowing another hit.

The Tigers made up a game on the Angels, who lost to the White Sox, 8-2. Detroit continues its homestead with game two of the series with the Rangers, Friday at 7:08 pm EDT.

American League

Since there were no notable National League performances on Thursday, Tampa Bay's 1-0 win over Houston deserves notice, as Chris Archer twirled a one-hitter against the Astros.

As solid as he's been most of the season - despite the obvious lack of run support from the light-hitting Rays - Archer improved to 11-9 on the year, walking the first batter he faced, Jose Altuve (eventually thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning), but not allowing a hit or a baserunner until Colby Rasmus singled to open the fifth inning.

Following the only hit of the game for Houston, Archer set down the next 15 Astros in order to complete his first shutout of the season.

Having a memorable season, Archer's 2.77 ERA is fifth-best in the league, and his 205 strikeouts are second only to Cleveland's Chris Sale, who has 208.

The win left the Rays 8 1/2 out in the AL East, and just three games behind the Angels in the race for the second wild card.

Tampa Bay's ten-game road trip continues Friday when they open a three-game series with the A's. Game time is 7:05 PDT.

Stephen Strasberg Leads Nationals Over Rockies; Nick Castellanos Powers Tigers Past Cubs

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 19, 2015

American League

Nick Castellanos

Strasberg: 7 IP, 0 ER

Simply by out-slugging them, the Detroit Tigers cooled off the Chicago Cubs over a two-game series at Wrigley Field, the Tigers taking Tuesday's game, 10-8, and Wednesday's meeting, 15-8.

Third baseman Nick Castellanos delivered most of the mayhem for Detroit, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two home runs, a solo shot and a grand slam.

Castellanos drove in five runs as the Tigers pelted Cubs' starter, Jon Lester, and four relievers with 21 hits, 12 of them going for extra bases.

The pair of losses left the Cubs just three games ahead of the Giants for the second and final wild card spot.

National League

With the Mets falling to Baltimore, 5-4, Washington closed to within 3 1/2 games with a 4-1 victory over the home-standing Colorado Rockies, thanks to an outstanding pitching stint from their ace, Stephen Strasberg.

Strasberg worked seven full innings, allowing two hits, fanning five. The Rockies scored an unearned run in the second inning. Strasberg did not walk any batters, throwing 68 of 93 pitches for strikes.

It was the second win in three starts for Strasberg since returning from the DL on August 8th. Over his past 20 innings, Strasberg has allowed just three earned runs.

The win was Washington's second straight over Colorado. The teams complete their three-game series, with the Nationals seeking the sweep, Thursday night at 8:40 pm EDT.

Ian Kinsler 5-for-5 as Tigers Cool Off Cubs; Yunel Escobar Leads Nationals to 15-6 Win at Colorado

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 18, 2015

American League

Escobar: HR, 4R, 4RBI

Kinsler: HR, 5-for-5

Detroit may have given up on the post-season, but that doesn't mean the players stop playing.

Case in point: Ian Kinsler went 5-for-5 in the Tigers' 10-8 win over the red-hot Cubs Tuesday night.

Kinsler got off right away, belting his seventh homer of the season - a solo shot - in the top of the first inning. The Tiger second baseman added a double and three singles, scoring three times and driving in a pair of runs.

Upping his average to .304, Kindler is 10th in the league in batting for average. Only 10 American League players have batting averages over .300.

The game was the first of a two-game interrelate series which concludes Wednesday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Game time is slated for 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Yunel Escobar helped carry the Washington Nationals to a 15-6 win over Colorado with a 3-for-4 night at the plate.

Escobar got the Nationals on the scoreboard in the top of the first with his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot.

He added a pair of singles and also walked twice, enabling him to score four times. Escobar drove in four runs as the Nationals belted out 15 hits against a battered Colorado pitching staff. The Rockies used six pitchers in the loss, their eighth in the past ten games. Escobar finished the game with a .305 batting average.

The win kept Washington within 4 1/2 games of the NL East-leading Mets, who took a 5-3 decision in Baltimore over the Orioles.

Colorado hosts Washington in the second of their three-game series Wednesday night at 8:40 pm EDT.

Nick Castellanos, Ian Kinsler Lead Tigers to 9-4 Win over Seattle; Mike Leake Goes Eight Strong in Victory over Cubs

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 22, 2015

American League

Castellanos: Grand Slam

Kinsler: 4-for-5

Ian Kinsler rapped out four hits and Nick Castellanos smacked a grand slam as the Detroit Tigers hammered Seattle starter Mike Montgomery for eight runs (six earned) in the third inning, en route to a 9-4 victory in the third game of their four-game series.

The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the series which concludes Thursday afternoon in Detroit.

For Castellanos, the homer was his eighth this season and got the scoring started for the Tigers. Kinsler, who was 4-for-5, finished the eight-run barrage with an RBI double. He added another double and two singles, scoring twice in the contest, the first time, on Castellanos' slam, after reaching on a bunt single.

The Tigers continue to struggle, but regained the .500 mark at 47-47, They trail the Royals in the AL Central by 10 1/2 games and are also three games behind the second-place Twins.

Nelson Cruz homered twice for Seattle, his 23rd and 24th both coming off Detroit starter - and winning pitcher - Anibal Sanchez (10-7).

National League

Leake Improves to 8-5

Mike Leake allowed four hits and only one run as the Reds took the first game of a double-header against the visiting Cubs by a 9-1 tally.

Kyle Schwarber drove in Addison Russell in the third inning for Chicago's only run.

Leake (8-5) didn't issue any walks, struck out six and threw 74 of 111 pitches for strikes.

Later, the Reds dropped the nightcap, 6-5, furthering the woes of the Cincinnati franchise, falling 17 1/2 behind the division-leading Cardinals in the NL Central. The Reds have struggled throughout the season, and currently have a mark of 42-51.

Chicago is nine games behind St. Louis, good for third place in the division.

St. Louis topped the White Sox, 3-2 on Wednesday.

Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez Lead Players of the Week for April 6-12

Players of the Week for April 6-12, 2015

American League

Cabrera: .520 BA

AL Infielder: Getting off to a blazing start, the Detroit Tigers swept the Indians (at Cleveland) and Twins (in Detroit) for a 6-0 record and a tie for first place with the equally-hot Kansas City Royals.

Mashing away, and, putting a significant scare into pitchers everywhere, Miguel Cabrera set out on an MVP pace with a .520 batting average (13-for-25), including two doubles, two homers and eight RBI, which is tied for the league lead with KC's Salvador Perez.

Cabrera didn't start out the season with his best. Against the Twins, he was just 2-for-11 with two RBI, but in the three-game sweep of Cleveland, he went 11-for-14. In Sunday's 8-5 finale, he was 4-for-4 with two homers, four RBI, and three runs.

Ramirez: Red Sox
LF is red-hot.

AL Outfielder: Adding Hanley Ramirez to their roster has already paid off for the Red Sox, as the shortstop-turned-left fielder turned in an awesome week as the Red Sox went 4-2 on the road with a pair of wins in Philadelphia and two more against the Yankees in the Bronx.

Ramirez played in five of those games, sitting out Saturday's game with the Yankees, but, he made is presence felt in the series final (won by the Yanks, 14-4) with his third home run of the season, and a sac fly, good for two RBI.

While Ramirez hasn't set foot yet in Fenway Park, Boston fans were appreciative from day one. Ramirez opened the season with a two HR game in Boston's 8-0 rout of the Phillies. Ramirez went 2-for-4 and drove in five runs.

For the week, he batted .320, with three homers and seven RBI.

Ventura: 2-0

AL Starting Pitcher: With his team scoring runs in bunches, Yordano Ventura didn't have to be very sharp, but he managed to rack up a pair of wins, the first in a 10-1 victory over the White Sox on opening day, and, the latest, a 9-2 romp over the Angels on Sunday afternoon.

The first outing was better than the second, though the starter was solid in both. In the opener, he went six innings, allowing four hits and one earned run, fanning two. His second start featured seven strikeouts, and two earned runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. A bit troubling is Ventura's giving up a home run in each of his starts.

Holland: 3 saves

AL Relief Pitcher: When your team goes 6-0 for any week, chances are your closer is going to get a few save chances.

Such was the case for KC's Greg Holland, who managed to finish three of Kansas City's six wins, working the ninth in each of their Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday victories. Holland hasn't allowed a hit (or a walk) in three innings of work thus far into the season, and he's fanned three, two of them in Thursday's 4-1 win over the White Sox.

Holland had 47 saves in 2013 and 46 last season, finishing second in saves both seasons.


National League

Gonzalez: 5 HR

NL Infielder: The Dodgers made some moves in the off-season, but one constant is going to be Adrian Gonzalez at first base, and for good reason. Gonzalez started out his 2015 campaign in style, bashing home runs in his first two games before belting three of them and driving in five runs in the Dodgers' 7-4 win over the Padres.

After his blazing 10-for-13 start, Gonzalez cooled off into the weekend, but still managed to go 4-for-10 in three games at Arizona, laving his batting average, as of Sunday night, at a blistering .609. His five homers lead the majors, but he's driven in just seven runs, though that is good enough to tie hime for fourth place with Philly's Jimmy Rollins.

Dickerson: 9 RBI

NL Outfielder: Prior to dropping Saturday and Sunday games to the Cubs, the Rockies were off to a 4-0 start, largely the result of the play of left fielder Corey Dickerson, who started the season with a bang, belting a three-run homer and driving in four runs in Colorado's 10-0 smashing of the Brewers on opening day in Milwaukee.

After that, Dickerson hit safely in each of his next five games, added another homer and drove in five more runs. By week's end, Dickerson was batting .417, and had nine RBI, good enough for the league lead over Cincinnati's Joey Votto and Todd Frazier, each with eight.

Greinke: 0.69 ERA

NL Starting Pitcher: - Zack Greinke ought to be 2-0, but he's 1-0, since, in his first start of the season on April 7, his teammates failed to score early or often, despite Grienke's six innings of 2-hit ball. The starter gave up a run in that 7-3 loss to the Padres, but came back undaunted on Sunday at Arizona, tossing seven shutout innings on five hits as the Dodgers whipped the Diamondbacks, 7-4.

Grilli: 3 saves

Striking out seven without allowing a walk in his second outing, Greinke upped his seasonal total to 11 Ks and is at his best with a 0.69 ERA and 0.62 WHIP.


NL Relief Pitcher: Atlanta's Jason Grilli looks like a keeper as the Braves' closer. Grilli got three chances and converted them all in a pair of wins over the Marlins and a Friday night, 5-3 win over the Mets.

Grilli, who spent last season split between Pittsburgh and the LA Angels, appears fit and ready for the Braves. He fanned four in his three innings of work, didn't give up a hit and issued just one walk.

The Braves are 5-1 as of Sunday night and have a two-game lead over the Mets and Phillies in the NL East.

********

Alfredo Simon Stops Rays in 1-0 Tiger Victory; Mets Rangers Close Spring with 4-4 Tie on Anthony Recker's 9th Inning Slam

Players of the Day for Saturday, April 4, 2013

Simon: 1 Hit

Grapefruit League

The Tigers and Rays finished up the exhibition season with a 1-0 win for Detroit in which there were only a combined six hits between the two teams.

Detroit had four of them, one a solo homer by Victor Martinez, his second-inning shot scoring the only run of the game.

The Rays managed only two hits, and just one off starter, Alfredo Simon, who worked five innings, didn''t allow any walks, struck out three and threw 37 of 50 pitches for strikes.

The Reds traded right-hander Simon to the Tigers during the off-season for 2013 first-round Draft pick Jonathon Crawford, and infielder Eugenio Suarez.

Recker: Grand Slam

So far, the trade has received mixed reviews from Tiger management. In seven Spring starts Simon is 2-2, with a 4.55 ERA. He is expected to bolster an already deep Detroit staff ad Saturday's effort was a positive development.

Cactus League

Maybe this is how exhibition season should end.

Down 4-0 in the ninth, the Mets rallied to put three men aboard for catcher, Anthony Recker, who - fittingly, on the day before Easter - took an offering from a fellow named Jesus (Texas reliever, Jesus Pirela) and deposited the ball over the center feild wall for a grand slam and a 4-4 tie with Texas.

The Rangers failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, leaving the 12,000+ faithful at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a less-than-satisfied feeling.

With the regular season beginning on Sunday, with one game - the Cubs vs. Cardinals - there was no point in prolonging the end of Spring training, the players itching to get the regular season underway as much as the impatient fans.

For the Mets, and Recker, who played 58 games last season behind the plate for New York, the finish left them with a 19-12 mark. The Rangers ended up 9-19.

Shane Green Gives Tigers Three hitless Innings in Win over Braves; Salvador Perez Homers as Royals Improve to 10-1

Players of the Day for Friday, March 13, 2015

Grapefruit League

Greene: Perfect

The Detroit Tigers are gearing up for another run at the AL Central title, which they won last season by a game over Kansas City, and who is likely to be their main rival in the division for 2015 (see below).

Detorit bats rang out 13 hits in a 12-2 victory over 3-7 Atlanta Friday, but the best story came from the mound, where Shane Greene blanked the Braves over the first three innings, fanning two without allowing a hit or a walk.

In his second start of the Spring season, Green improved dramatically, after allowing six hits and three runs in two innings in his first appearance.

The Tigers acquired Green from the Yankees in the off-season. Pressed into duty when the Yankee staff was besieged with injuries last year, Greene went 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 14 starts. He's expected to make the Tigers' opening day rotation as the fifth starter after David Price, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, and Alfredo Simon.

Cactus League

Perez Shows Power

It's beginning to sound like a broken record, but the Kansas City Royals are the hottest story coming out of Spring Training in Arizona.

KC improved to 10-1 in the Cactus League, dispatching one of their nearest rivals, the 7-4 Oakland A's, by an 8-4 score.

Salvador Perez was behind the plate once again, as he will be most of the 2015 season, but what he did while standing aside it in the batter's box was significant. After the A's had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Perez responded with a three-run homer after Eric Hosmer had already singled in a run. The Royals added single runs in the second and fifth innings, and added a pair in the sixth. Knasas City's bullpen blanked the A's from the fourth inning onward.

Perez singled in his only other at-bat, finishing 2-for-2 on the day.

Kansas City holds a three-game edge over the Dodgers (5-2) and A's in Cactus League standings.

Ian Kinsler Leads Tigers in Win over Kansas City; AL Wild Card Tight ; Michael Cuddyer Drives in Seven for Rockies

Players of the Day for Friday, September 19, 2014

American League

Ian Kinsler

In his years with the Texas Rangers, Ian Kinsler gained valuable first-hand experience of pennant races and post-season play, so it was no surprise that he was batting in the leadoff spot when the Tigers opened an important three-game series at Kansas City on Friday.

The scrappy second baseman wasted no time getting the Tigers into gear, singling and scoring in the first inning, as Detroit forged a 3-0 lead. Kinsler went on to double and homer in four subsequent at-bats, driving in three runs as the Tigers routed the Royals, 10-1.

Justin Verlander held Kansas City to one earned run on seven hits over seven innings for his 14th win against 12 losses.

The result moved Detroit 1 1/2 games up on the Royals in the AL Central and made the wild card chase the closest it has been all season, with three teams - Oakland, Kansas City and Seattle - all within one game of each other.

The A's and Mariners were both winners on Friday, putting Oakland up by 1/2 game over the Royals, with Seattle another 1/2 game back. Oakland and Seattle have just nine games remaining in the regular season (Kansas City, 10), meaning there are no days off until the season ends on Sunday, September 28. Two teams will be wild cards, playing a one-game playoff at the home of the team with the better record.

The Yankees, winners of four straight, are 4 1/2 behind KC, but are quickly running out of time.

Game two of Detroit's series at Kansas City is slated for 1:05 pm EDT on Saturday.

National League

Cuddyer: GS, 7RBI

At the start of the season, Michael Cuddyer was one of the hottest hitters in the National League, until suffering a hamstring injury that had him on and off the DL through the summer. Just about 12 days ago, the hamstring healed, he began playing regularly in right field, and Cuddyer has picked up right where he left off, riding a six-game hitting streak through Colorado's 15-3 pasting of Arizona Friday night.

Going 3-for-5 with two doubles and a grand slam, Cuddyer drove in seven runs and scored three runs as the Rockies and Diamondbacks play out the string, both teams long since having fallen out of post-season contention.

Elsewhere, the Dodgers improved their lead in the NL West to 3 1/2 games with a 14-5 slaughter of the Cubs in Chicago, while the Giants lost at San Diego, 5-0. In the Central, St. Louis squeezed out another close win, taking a 2-1 decision over Cincinnati. St. Louis leads Pittsburgh by 2 1/2 games in the division. Washington has already clinched the East.

The wild card is all but decided, that only matters remaining being what teams will be in which positions. Currently, the Giants have a one-game lead over Pittsburgh, but the Pirates are red-hot, having won five in a row, including Friday's 4-2 victory over the Brewers, which left Milwaukee 4 1/2 games behind the Pirates and with little chance of catching up.

Naturally, all positions could change, but the four remaining playoff spots appear to be split between St. Louis, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and San Francisco.