Giants Prevail on Madison Bumgarner's 1-Hitter; Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox Bury Toronto, 11-7, in 11 Innings

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 26, 2014

American League

Pedroia: HR, 4RBI

Toronto's season may already have been over, but the Red Sox, languishing in last place in the AL East (58-74), put another nail into the Blue Jays' coffin Tuesday night with an 11-inning, 11-7 defeat.

Dustin Pedroia got the party started for the Sox with a first-inning, two-run homer, his seventh of the season, and his two-run single in the 11th inning ignited a seven-run outburst that eventually buried the Blue Jays. Toronto scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, but could not avoid losing their second straight to the Red Sox and third straight overall, falling back to .500, at 66-66 on the year.

The loss left the Blue Jays 10 games behind Baltimore in the East, and 6 1/2 back of Seattle in the quest for the second wild card spot. Toronto's hopes for the post-season are fading fast, as the Tigers, Indians and Yankees are all ahead of them in the wild card race.

Pedroia finished the game with his two hits and five RBI in five at-bats, but like many of his teammates, his numbers this season are far below his usual output. He has only seven homers and 51 RBI, and a .256 batting average.

Boston will go for the sweep of the three-game series in Toronto starting at 7:07 pm EDT Wednesday.

National League

Bumgarner: 1-Hitter

Trailing the Dodgers by five games in the West, the San Francisco Giants haven't given up hope of winning the division, and enhanced their chances in the wild card race with an outstanding effort from Madison Bumgarner Tuesday night in a 3-0 victory over the visiting Rockies.

After dropping the opener of their four-game series at AT&T Park, 3-2, Monday, Bumgarner got the Giants back on the winning track on Tuesday with a one-hit shutout, his 15th victory of the season, against nine losses.

Perfect through seven, Bumgarner's only mistake was a pitch to Justin Morneau, who laced a double to right field leading off the eighth. Unfazed, Bumgarner struck out the side and proceeded to get the final three outs in the ninth without incident. The lanky lefty fanned a season-high 13 batters, giving him 192 on the season, 10 behind league-leader, Steven Strasburg and seven behind Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto (199). Bumgarner is also tied with Cueto, Adam Wainwright, Clayton Kershaw and Wily Peralta for the NL lead in wins.

The victory was the third this month for Bumgarner and his sixth in his last nine starts. Prospects for a 20-win season are reasonable, given that Bumgerner will likely get seven more starting assignments.

Buster Posey provided more than enough offense with a pair of homers, a two-run shot in the fifth and a solo job in the eighth inning.

With Atlanta losing to the Mets, and Pittsburgh downing St. Louis, the chase for two wild card spots has the Giants in the thick of it. They trail St. Louis by two games, but are two games up on both the Braves and Pirates.

Game three of the series is set for Wednesday at 7:15 pm PDT.

Allen Craig Powers Cardinals Past Houston, 13-5; Dustin Pedroia Keeps Boston in AL East Lead with 4 RBI

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 25, 2013

American League

Dustin Pedroia

While the race in the AL East remains a tight one, one constant has been that the Red Sox stand atop the rest. Since taking over the top spot in May, that's where Boston has remained, despite pressure from the other four teams in the division.

Much of the success of this year's Boston team stems from their outstanding hitting throughout the lineup, as evidenced Tuesday, when they amassed 20 hits in an 11-4 hammering of the visiting Rockies.

Dustin Pedroia knocked in four runs and scored twice, going 3-for-5 with a double and two singles, leading the Boston attack.

Pedroia, who stands just 5'8", is one of the toughest outs in either league, batting .316 (9th in AL) with five homers and 44 RBI.

Boston's win was their first in a two game series with the Rockies, who are themselves in the heat of a pennant race in the NL West, but have recently taken it on the chin, losing six of their last eight. Despite that poor recent record, they remained tied for second in the division with San Diego, both three games behind Arizona. The Giants are 3 1/2 out.

The Red Sox, Yankees, O's and Rays were all winners on Tuesday, keeping the standings intact. Boston leads New York and baltimore by 2 1/2, the Rays are 4 1/2 out and Toronto is just 6 1/2 back, despite being in last place.

The series concludes Wednesday at Fenway with a 4:05 pm EDT start time.

National League

Allen Craig

Leading the NL Central Division by a game over the Pirates - who've won five in a row - the St. Louis Cardinals are probably the most balanced team in the National League. They lead the league in batting, with a .276 average, runs (385) and RBI, with 367. Four of their regulars are batting over .300, led by Yadier Molina, who leads the league at .355.

Their starting pitching has the lowest ERA in the league, but they have mound competition from Atlanta - which has the lowest total ERA in the league, at 3.21 - and Pittsburgh, whose starters have thrown 12 shutouts already this year and whose staff has allowed a league low batting average of just .226 to opponents.

Still, the Cardinals have managed to stay clear of their pursuers - primarily Pittsburgh and Cincinnati (3 1/2 games out) - with the best record in baseball, getting to 48-29 by virtue of Tuesday's 13-5 pounding of Houston, the first of a two-game series against the former NL Central Astros, now making their home in the basement of the AL West.

Allen Craig spearheaded the 15-hit St. Louis batting parade, going 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and three singles, totaling three RBI and scoring twice.

Along with Molina, Craig. at .321, is one of the four Cardinals batting over .300. Matt Carpenter is hitting .318 and Carlos Beltran checks in at .307.

The Cards will look to sweep the Astros and keep their lock on first place when they play ball at 8:05 pm EDT in Houston.

Today's Triva: Pete Rose was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1963. In what year did he win his only MVP award? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson hit .408 as a rookie in 1911, but did not win the batting title, as Detroit's Ty Cobb hit .420.

Mariano Rivera and Time Wakefield Reach Mound Milestones; Fielder and Braun Power Brewers

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 13, 2011

American League

Wakefield: 200 Ws

A couple of milestones were reached by two veterans of the Yankee-Red Sox wars on Tuesday, specifically, Boston's knuckle-balling Tim Wakefield notched his 200th win as the Red Sox trounced the Blue Jays, 18-6, and Yankee closer, Mariano Rivera, collected his 600th save in New York's 3-2 win over Seattle.

Rivera: 600 Saves

The Yankees got six good innings out of starter AJ Burnett (4 hits, 2 runs, 11 Ks) and key contributions from Robinson Cano, who had a solo homer in the 2nd inning and drove in the eventual winning run in the 6th on a fielder's choice. Cano's two RBI tied him for the AL with teammate Curtis Granderson at 111. The focus was clearly on Rivera though, who came on, as he customarily does, in the 9th inning, quieting the Mariners by sandwiching a single to Ichiro Suzuki between a pair of strikeouts, the game ending when Russell Martin gunned down Ichiro at second as he attempted to steal.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Rivera's 41st save of the season was also the 600th of his major league career, placing him just one behind the only other pitcher in the "600 save club," Trevor Hoffman. Rivera should have ample opportunity to tie and surpass Hoffman for the all-time lead in saves as the Yankees have 15 more games on the regular season slate.

Dustin Pedroia

In Boston, the Red Sox won just their second game in their last nine tries, as Wakefield lasted six innings while his teammates were collecting 18 hits. Wakefield's 200th win was nothing special other than its milestone status, as he gave up six hits and five runs before exiting. The knuckle-baller has started 461 games over 20 years, compiling 200 wins against 178 losses.

Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury each went 4-for-5 and scored four times. Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a solo homer, two singles and a double, driving in three runs. Pedroia was busy collecting total bases, homering twice and doubling twice, driving in five runs.

Verlander: 23-5

The Yankees maintained a 4-game lead over Boston in the East, and the Red Sox advanced another game over Tampa Bay in the wild card race, as the Rays fell to Baltimore, 4-2. Boston's wild card lead is back to four games.

Justin Verlander won his 23rd game of the season, hurling seven scoreless innings at the White Sox as the Tigers inched closer to the AL Central crown with a 5-0 win. Verlander allowed six hits, two walks and struck out six. Detroit's lead in the division is 12 1/2 games over the Sox and Indians; their magic number is three.

The Angels and Rangers were both winners in the West. Texas remains three games in front of LA in the division.

National League

Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder's solo home run (32) in the 6th inning tied the game at 1-1, and Ryan Braun's bases-empty blast (28) in the 10th provided all the runs needed by Zach Greinke and a parade of five relievers as the Brewers gutted out a 2-1 win over Colorado, improving on their MLB-best home record (52-22) while keeping the second place Cardinals at bay, 6 1/2 games back.

Milwaukee's magic number is reduced to eight, with just 13 games left on their schedule.

Ryan Braun

In the wild card race, both Atlanta and St. Louis were winners, so the Braves continue to lead them by four games.

Out West, both Arizona and San Francisco had to go to extra innings for wins, with the D'Backs knocking off the Dodgers, 5-4, in 10 innings on a bases loaded walk to Chris Young, while the Mark DeRosa's walk-off RBI single in the 12th provided the winning margin in the Giants' 3-2 win over the Padres.

The Giants trail the Diamondbacks by 8 1/2 games in the West.

Philadelphia lost their third straight, but still hold an 11 game lead over the Braves in the East. The Phillies' magic number is five.

Pedroia Extends Hitting Streak to 16 Games; Freddie Freeman Powers Atlanta Past Rockies

Players of the Day for Monday, July 18, 2011

American League

Dustin Pedroia

With David Ortiz and Kevin Gregg serving suspensions for a fighting incident prior to the all star break, there were no punches thrown as the Orioles and Red Sox opened a three-game series in Baltimore, but there was plenty of hitting.

The two teams combined for 28 hits; the Red Sox coming away with a 15-10 victory.

Boston Didn't have Big Papi, but they got Carl Crawford back from the DL to provide a couple of hits. Dustin Pedroia continued his hot streak, going 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Pedroia singled and doubled, driving in three runs and scoring once.

Prior to his 16-game streak, Pedroia had an 11-game hitting streak interrupted by a 0-for-3 effort June 28 at Philadelphia. Over his past 28 games, Pedroia has raised his batting average from .258 to .295 and the Red Sox have won 13 of the 16 games in his current hitting streak.

National League

Freddie Freeman

Freddie Freeman is having one heck of a rookie season with the Atlanta Braves.

Freeman went 3-for-5 with three RBI - two of them on a 3rd inning home run - and scored twice as the Braves continued to pressure the Phillies in the NL East with a 7-4 win at Colorado.

The three ribbies gave Freeman an even 50 for the year and his home run was #14 for the Atlanta first baseman.

Atlanta's win pushed them to within 2 1/2 games of the first place Phillies, as the Cubs beat Roy Halladay, 6-1, in Chicago.

NOTABLE: The Pittsburgh Pirates survived a 90-minute delay in the 1st inning and knocked off the Reds, 2-0, to take sole possession of first place in the contentious NL Central. The Pirates lead Milwaukee and St. Louis by 1/2 game, with the Reds four games out.

Jim Thome socked his 596th home run on Sunday, a three-run blast that gave the Twins a 4-3 win over the Royals. Thome is four shy of becoming the 8th player in major league history to reach the 600 home run mark, and his shot against the Royals was his 500th as an American Leaguer, making him the 11th player to achieve that lofty plateau.

Pedroia, Sox Beat Yanks for 1st Win; Jose Tabata Stars in Pittsburgh Win Over Rockies

Players of the Day for Friday, April 8, 2011

American League

Dustin Pedroia

After opening the season with six straight losses, the Boston Red Sox finally put one in the win column, and it was especially pleasant coming as a 9-6 win over their lifelong nemesis, the New York Yankees.

It was a ty[ical Yankees-Red sox battle, with the two teams combining for 13 runs in the first five innings. Boston starter John Lackey lasted five innings. Phil Hughes, the Yankee starter, was shelled for six runs over the first two innings.

Dustin Pedroia delivered the money shots, with a solo homer in the first inning and a two-run single in the second. He came around to score as the Red Sox put up a five-spot and added a single later to complete a 3-for-5 night at the plate.

The two teams go to battle again at 1:10 pm EDT in Boston on Saturday.

National League

The Pittsburgh Pirates got their first home win of the season, outlasting Colorado, 4-3, in 14 innings.

Jose Tabata

The win kept Pittsburgh a mere half game behind the NL Central front-running Reds as the Pirates have displayed much more punch in their lineup this season than in years past.

Leadoff hitter Jose Tabata doubled home the winning run with two out in the bottom of the 14th after pinch-hitter Josh Rodriguez reached on a walk. Tabata's shot scored Rodriguez all the way from first, improving Pittsburgh's record to 5-3.

Tabata had earlier socked his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the 5th inning as the Pirates fought back from a 3-0 Colorado lead forged by Jason Giambi's 3-run blast in the first. Tabata finished 2-for-6 with two RBI, adding his third stolen base of the season in the seventh inning. His heroic night at the plate actually lowered his batting average slightly, from .346 to .344

The Pirates evened up their series with Colorado after a 7-1 loss on Thursday and conclude the series with games Saturday and Sunday.

Pedroia Homers Three Times to Down Rockies; Gallardo Pitches Second Shutout

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 24, 2010 American League Emerging as the two best divisions in the majors, the AL East and the NL West are tough enough to have four teams each with records above the .500 mark. Two of them squared off in an interleague game Thursday with Boston looking to avoid being swept in Colorado, and they needed extra innings and a three-homer, 5-for-5 effort from Dustin Pedroia to get the job done. Pedroia, the 2008 AL MVP, spent the better part of the night running the bases. In addition to his three round-trippers, he singled and doubled and scored four times. All of his five RBI came on his homers - a solo shot in the 4th and two-run blasts in the 8th and 10th, the last of which sealed the deal for a 13-11 Red Sox win. The Red Sox maintained their position, tied for 2nd place in the division with Tampa Bay, both two games behind the idle Yankees. The Rays downed the Padres, 5-3. With the Dodgers beating the Angels, Colorado dropped into 4th place in the NL West, 4 games behind division leader, San Diego. National League The Milwaukee Brewers have mostly struggled early on, but not starter Yovani Gallardo, who notched his second complete game and second shutout of the season with a 5-hit, 12-K, no walks performance over the Minnesota Twins. Gallardo took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but surrendered a single with one out in the frame. He also aided his own cause with a single and a double in four at-bats, scoring two runs. The 5-0 win capped a three-game sweep of the AL Central front-running Twins and was the 4th straight overall for the home-standing Brewers, who are tied with the Cubs, 8 games back of St. Louis in the NL Central. The victory was Gallardo's 7th against 3 losses, lowering his ERA to a solid 2.36 and the strikeouts giving him the NL lead with 115, two better than San Fran's Tim Lincecum. Streakers: The hottest team in the majors is the Texas Rangers, who won their 11th straight - the longest win streak in MLB this season - with a 6-5 win over the Pirates. The Rangers also have the hottest hitter in either league, Josh Hamilton, who, after taking Wednesday off, returned Thursday with 3 hits, extending his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. Not far behind the Rangers are the Chicgo White Sox, winners of nine in a row, the latest a 2-0 win over NL East leader, Atlanta. Gavin Floyd dueled with the Braves' Derek Lowe for seven innings and did not receive a decision, as Paul Konekero settled matters with a two-run homer in the 8th inning, his 18th of the season.

Pedrioa, Youkilis Power Red Sox Past Yankees

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 5, 2010 American League The Yankees and red Sox renewed the most-heralded rivalry in baseball with a opening night thriller at Fenway Park. C.C. Sabathia was cruising along with a 5-1 lead after 4 innings when the burly hurler's pitch count began to rise and the big guy started missing his spots. After giving up a run in the 5th, disaster struck in the 6th when Dustin Pedroia (left) walked to open the inning, then Sabathia gave up a double to Victor Martinez and a triple to Kevin Youkilis (right), which plated 2 more runs. After David Ortiz grounded out, Sabathia was pulled, throwing 104 pitches in 5 1/3 innings. Things were getting interesting. Adrian Beltre greeted reliever David Robertson with an RBI single and the game was tied, but the Red Sox were just gearing up. The Yankees came back with two runs of their own in the 7th, but Pedroia responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame, and Youkilis doubled, took third on a Damaso Marte wild pitch and scored what proved to be the game winner on Jorge Posada's passed ball. Pedroia singled home another run in the bottom of the 8th and Jonathan Papelbon shut down the Yanks in the 9th for the 9-7 Red Sox win. Youkilis had one heck of a night, going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and 3 runs. All of his hits went for extra bases: two doubles and a triple, but, best of all, the Red Sox started 2010 with a win over the world champion Yankees. National League There were no National League games scheduled.

Pedroia Leads Red Sox to 5weep; Pirates, Ohlendorf Shut Out Marlins

Players of the Day for Monday, April 20, 2009 American League Baltimore and Boston entered the finale of their four game series with identical 6-6 records, though the teams were going in opposite directions. Boston had already won the first three games and were riding a four-game winning streak. By the time it was over, the Red Sox left no unanswered questions with a 12-1 smack-down of the Orioles and a sweep of the series, led by Dustin Pedroia's 4-for-6 performance. Pedroia singled three times and doubled, driving in three runs and scoring three times. The BoSox second baseman hit safely in each of the four wins over the Orioles, going 9-for-18 and raising his batting average from .233 to .281, delighting Red Sox fans and fantasy owners alike. National League There haven't been many down nights for the Florida Marlins as they raced off to a 11-1 record to open the 2009 campaign, but on Monday, they ran into one of the hotter teams in the NL, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who spanked them, 8-0, on the strength of 7 shutout innings from starter Ross Ohlendorf, who allowed just 2 hits and a walk while striking out five. Ohlendorf, who came up with the Yankees in 2007 and was traded to the Pirates in 2008, won for just the second time in 8 career starts. While the Pirates improved to 7-6, a game back in the crowded NL Central, the Marlins, losers for just the second time this season, maintained their lead in the NL East at 4 1/2 games over the Mets.

Pedroia Continues Hot Streak; Ramirez Leads LA

Players of the Day from Tuesday, September 2, 2008 American League Dustin Pedroia continues to amaze as Boston's cleanup hitter. Last night, in a 14-2 Red Sox demolition of Baltimore, Pedroia came through with 3 hits in 5 at-bats and 5 RBI, including a 3-run homer (16). Pedroia's .330 batting average leads all AL hitters. Notes: The Rays lost to the Yankees, 7-2, but still lead Boston by 4 games in the Eastern division. Tampa Bay will be tested over the next two weeks as they have - including yesterday's game - 6 games each with Boston and New York through Sept. 17, plus a three-game set at Toronto this weekend. If the Rays can split with the Yanks and BoSox, the East title could be theirs. Chicago and Minnesota both lost on Tuesday, and remain deadlocked for first place in the AL Central. The Angels won, 5-4, at Detroit, with Francisco Rodriguez picking up his 54th save, leaving him just 3 short of Bobby Thigpen's major league record of 57, set in 1990 with the White Sox. LA reduced its magic number to 7. National League Manny Ramirez hit a 2-run homer in the first inning - his 10th as a Dodger - added a sac fly in the third, and LA never looked back, winning their 4th straight, 8-4 over the Padres. LA's win put them just 1 1/2 back of Arizona in the West, as the D-Backs fell to St. Louis, 8-2. Both of the West leaders would be wise to keep Colorado on the radar, as the Rockies are just 5 games out and have won 12 of their last 17. The Rockies host LA on Sept. 12, 13 and 14, the D-Backs on the 19th, 20th and 21st, and close out the regular season with a three-game set at Arizona. Notes: The Braves and Marlins combined for 36 hits and 30 runs as Atlanta outlasted Florida, 16-14. The two teams sent 15 pitchers to the mound in a game that lasted 3 hours and 44 minutes. The Astros topped the Cubs, 9-7, in 11 innings, the 4th straight loss for Chicago. The Brewers, however, couldn't capitalize, dropping their second in a row to the Mets, 6-5. Milwaukee trails the Cubs by 4 1/2 games. The Phillies topped the Nationals, 4-0, to remain 2 games behind the Mets in the East.

Pedroia Unstoppable; Ramirez Helps LA End Slide

Players of the Day from Saturday, August 30, 2008 American League Dustin Pedroia has been absolutely on fire. In his last four games, he's had 12 hits in 17 at-bats for a sizzling .706 batting average. In Boston's 8-2 win over the White Sox on Saturday, Pedroia was literally unstoppable, going 4-for-4 for the second day in a row, with a walk in his only other plate appearance, scoring twice. Pedroia took over the AL batting lead at .327. The Red Sox kept the pressure on Tampa Bay, who beat Baltimore, 10-9. The Rays remain 4 1/2 in front. In the Central, the Twins also lost, remaining 1/2 behind the White Sox for the division lead. With the Red Sox knocking off Chicago for the second straight game, Boston is beginning to distance themselves in the wild card race, now 3 1/2 ahead of the Twins, who face a tough September. After Sunday's series finale at Oakland, the Twins play 13 of their next 19 games on the road prior to finishing the season with a pair of 3-game series with the White Sox and the Royals. The four series on the road are 3-game sets at Toronto, Baltimore and Cleveland, ending with a 4-gamer at Tampa Bay, Sept. 18-21. Notes: In the West, everything is going just swimmingly for the Angels. On Saturday, they topped the Rangers 4-3, Francisco Rodriguez earned his 53rd save and the team's magic number dropped to 9. They lead the Rangers by 18 games with just 27 left to play. National League So far, Manny Ramirez has enjoyed the change from the East coast to the West, from the Red Sox to the Dodgers, from the AL to the NL. On Saturday, he knocked around Arizona pitching, with a single, double and a pair of solo homers, driving in 2 runs and scoring 3 times as the Dodgers broke their 8-game losing streak and toppled the Diamondbacks, 6-2. In 28 games as a Dodger, Ramirez is hitting .416 with 9 home runs and 25 RBI. One cannot argue with the production, and, despite the prolonged losing streak, the Dodgers are just 3 1/2 behind Arizona with a chance to draw to within 2 1/2 in Sunday's rubber game of their 3-game set in Arizona. Notes: Both the East and Central division races tightened on Saturday, as the Cubs and Mets both lost, while the Phillies and Brewers won. The Phillies are just one game behind the Mets, but the Brewers still trail the Cubs by 5 1/2.

Yankees' Season Withers on Pedroia Slam; Delgado Puts Mets Back in First

Players of the Day from Wednesday, August 27, 2008 American League Dustin Pedroia may have finally delivered the blow that ended the Yankees' post-season hopes. With the Red Sox already ahead 7-2 in the and three runs already plated in the 8th inning, Pedroia drove a David Robertson offering to left center, up and over the wall, a grand slam that finally, maybe mercifully, ended New York's season. The Red Sox won, 11-3, the second straight one-sided Boston win over the Yankees, leaving New York 7 games behind Boston in the wild card race with only 30 games left to play. The task seems too gargantuan, the opposition too strong, for the Yankees to do anything except slip quietly into the oblivious off-season. Notes: Tampa Bay got another exceptional performance from Matt Garza (12-7), topping Toronto, 1-0, to remain 3 1/2 ahead of Boston in the East. The Central is still very much up in the air as the White Sox lost and the Twins won, leaving Minnesota a game behind Chicago. The Indians won their 10th straight, a 9-7 win over Detroit, solidifying their hold on third place, 10 1/2 back, but hopelessly out of any kind of playoff contention. In the West, the Angels dropped a 6-5 decision to Oakland, keeping their magic number at 15. National League Carlos Delgado is feeling it. A night after the Mets blew a 7-run lead and lost to the Phillies in extra innings, Delgado stepped up with a pair of solo homers and an RBI single to lead the Mets to a 6-3 win over Philly and back into first place by 1/2 game. Delgado has hit 4 homers (30) and driven in 9 runs (93) in his past 3 games. Notes: The Marlins beat Atlanta, 4-1, and remain 5 1/2 back in the East. The Cubs got some help from the Cardinals, who beat Milwaukee, 5-3, while Chicago was winning, 2-0, over the Pirates. That left Chicago 6 games in front of Milwaukee and the Brewers hanging onto a 3 1/2 game edge over the Cards in the wild card. The Dodgers lost their 6th straight and Arizona lost their 4th straight, as the West race turns into a war of attrition. All of a sudden, the Rockies are just 6 games back. The Diamondbacks are the only team in the West with a winning record, at 68-65.

ALCS: Red Sox Complete Comeback, Bomb Indians 11-2 in Game Seven

Boston 11 Cleveland 2 - When Josh Beckett won game 5 in Cleveland with an overwhelming 7-1 win, the handwriting was on the wall. Down 3 games to 2, the Red Sox forced the series back to Boston, where two wins would seal the AL pennant for the Red Sox. Cleveland had managed a split in the first two games in Boston, but it wasn't easy. The Indians had to go 11 innings in game two for their 13-6 victory. Winning one, with a trip to the World Series on the line, would prove to be a hill too high for the Indians to climb. Game seven had ominous overtones for Cleveland from the very first inning, in which the Red Sox loaded the bases, only to let Indians' starter Jake Westbrook off the hook, scoring just one run. The Sox scored single runs in the second and third innings for a 3-0 lead, but the Indians cut that to 3-2 with a run in each of the 4th and 5th innings off eventual winner, Daisuke Matsuzaka. In the seventh, Dustin Pedroia (right) finally got to reliever Rafael Betancourt, who had only allowed one hit and no earned runs in four previous appearances lasting 6 1/3 innings, blasting a two-run homer over the Green Monster in left field, and the rout was on. The Sox eventually plated 7 runs off Betancourt, with Pedroia again providing the big hit, a bases-loaded double in the 8th. Pedroia, who had singled and scored in the first inning, finished the game with 3 hits in 5 at-bats, 5 RBI and 3 runs. Kevin Youkilis also singled, doubled and homered in 5 at-bats. His solo homer in the 8th was his 3rd long ball of the series. Youkilis' numbers for the series were incredible. He hit safely in every game, going 14-28 (.500) with 7 RBI and 10 runs. Though pitcher Josh Beckett was named series MVP for his two wins, Youkilis easily qualified for the award. In the four Red Sox wins, Boston outscored Cleveland, 40-8. Notable failures for the Indians were their two headline hitters, Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner. Leadoff man, Sizemore, was 6-for-27 (.222) and just 1-7 in the final two games.

Glendale Golfs Manitoba
Glendale Manitoba Golf Winnipeg Golfs.
www.glendalegolfs.com

Hafner, who finally doubled in his final at-bat, finished a woeful 1-27 (.037) for the series with 12 strikeouts. The biggest disappointment for Cleveland had to be their front-line pitching. C.C. Sabathia, 19-7 in the regular season, started games one and five and was the loser in both, giving up 17 hits, 7 walks and 12 earned runs in 10 1/3 combined innings. Games two and six starter, Fausto Carmona, was even worse, allowing 10 hits, 9 walks and 11 runs in a combined 6 innings, lasting just two frames and taking the loss in critical game six. Carmona was 19-8 over the regular season. Boston will host the Colorado Rockies in games 1 and 2 of the World Series, Wednesday and Thursday. Games 3, 4 and, if necessary, game 5, will be played in Denver, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. First pitch is slated for 8:23 pm ET for all games. The Rockies have won seven straight, sweeping the Phillies and Diamondbacks in their two playoff rounds. Colorado has won 21 of their last 22 games, and by the time the series gets started, will have had 8 days rest.

Vidro boosts Mariners, Atkins powers Rockies

American League Boston 9 LA Angels 6 - The Red Sox won a crucial game and avoided being swept by the Angels as Mike Lowell went 4-4 and Dustin Pedroia broke a 6-6 tie in the 7th inning with his 6th home run of the season. The Boston bullpen shut down the Angels for the final 4 innings, with Jonathan Papelbon earning his 26th save. NY Yankees 4 Toronto 15 - Earlier in the evening, the Yankees were shocked back to reality by the Blue Jays, who snapped New York's 5-game win streak, hammering out 16 hits, sending Chien-Ming Wang to the showers after just 2 2/3 innings. Wang (13-6), allowed 9 hits and 8 earned runs in his shortest start of the season. Vernon Wells (right) went 3-4 with 4 RBI. The loss dropped the Yankees back to 6 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. Seattle 8 Baltimore 4 - The Mariners tied the Tigers for the wild card lead as Detroit, New York and Cleveland all lost. Jose Vidro went 3-3 drove in four runs and scored twice, belting a 2-run homer and a pair of sac flies. Other AL Scores Cleveland 4 Chi White Sox 6, 13 innings Tampa Bay 7 Detroit 1 Oakland 6 Texas 3 Minnesota 11 Kansas City 4 National League Milwaukee 4 Colorado 19 - The Rockies took over third place in the NL West, pounding out 23 hits against the slumping Brewers. Garrett Atkins (right) went 4-4, including a pair of doubles, and drove in six runs. Colorado won their third straight while the Dodgers lost their sixth in a row. The Rockies are 4 behind Arizona in the division. Second place San Diego is 2 back. Prince Fielder knocked his league-leading 34th home run for the Brewers. LA Dodgers 0 Cincinnati 1 - The Dodgers, who were in first place just a week ago, lost their sixth straight and have been on the losing side of the ledger in 13 of their last 17 games. Their second straight loss to the Reds was also the third straight game in which they failed to score, having lost to Arizona, 3-0, on Sunday. The Reds won 4-0 on Tuesday and Wednesday's shutout was delivered by Aaron Harang (11-3), who worked the Dodgers over for 8 innings, allowing 4 hits while fanning 8. David Weathers pitched a perfect ninth for his 22nd save. Atlanta 3 NY Mets 4 - The Mets rallied for 2 runs in the 7th and Moises Alou capped the comeback with a solo homer in the 8th, expanding New York's NL East lead over the Braves to 4 1/2 games. With Atlanta losing, Philadelphia slipped into 2nd place in the division, 4 back. Florida 4 Philadelphia 6 - The Phillies won their third straight as Aaron Rowand socked his 18th home run, a two-run shot in the sixth that put the Phillies ahead to stay. Pittsburgh 6 Arizona 10 - Chris Snyder drove in four runs with a double and 2-run homer as the Diamondbacks extended their lead in the West to 2 games over the Padres. Arizona has been red hot, going 14-3 since July 20. Other NL Scores Chi Cubs 2 Houston 8 San Diego 1 St. Louis 2 Washington 0 San Francisco 5 - B. Bonds, 2-run HR (757)

Pedroia Leads BoSox; Pudge, Tigers Flatten Phillies

Note: During interleague play, home teams are reported under their respective leagues. American League NY Mets 2 NY Yankees 0 - Two streaks ended last night in New York. The Mets stopped their losing streak at 5 and ended the Yankees' winning streak at 9 straight as Oliver Perez outdueled Roger Clemens. Perez worked 7 1/3, allowing just 5 hits and 3 walks while fanning 6. Clemens struck out 8 over his 6 1/3 innings, but gave up the game's only runs on an RBI single in the 3rd by Jose Reyes and Reyes' 3rd home run of the season in the 5th. The speedy shortstop finished the night 3-3 and added 3 more stolen bases to his major league leading total. He now has 35. The Mets attempted 7 steals and were successful on 5 of them. Boston 10 San Francisco 2 - Usually, it's David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez getting the headlines in a big Boston win, but on Friday, it was rookie 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia (right) who stole the spotlight. Pedroia went 5-5, with a double and his 3rd home run of the season, amassing 5 RBI and scoring twice. The Giants, mired in the NL West cellar, again were let down by their ace, Barry Zito (6-7), who allowed 6 earned runs on 5 hits and 4 walks over 5 1/3 innings. Boston's win, coupled with the Yankees' loss put the Red Sox' lead back at 8 1/2 games. Milwaukee 11 Minnesota 3 - The Brewers won their 3rd straight to remain 5 1/2 clear of the Cubs in the NL Central. Prince Fielder clubbed his 24th home run, drove in 2 and scored 3 times. Fielder leads the NL in homers and his 53 RBI are just one behind Houston's Carlos Lee. Oakland 14 St. Louis 3 - Danny Haren (8-2) won his 8th straight after starting the season with a pair of losses. Haren worked 7 innings, giving up 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out 8. The dependable righty has not lost a decision since April 7. All 9 starters for the A's had at least one hit in overwhelming the Cardinals, who dropped to 28-36, 7 1/2 games behind Milwaukee. Oakland trails the Angels by 4 games in the AL West. Other AL Scores Arizona 7 Baltimore 3 - O. Hudson, PH HR (7), 3 RBI Atlanta 5 Cleveland 4 Toronto 7 Washington 2 - R. Halladay (W, 7-2) Kansas City 6 Florida 2 National League Detroit 12 Philadelphia 8 - Jimmy Rollins (left) hit two home runs and Ryan Howard added his 14th for the Phillies, but it was the Tigers' Ivan Rodriguez (right) who broke the game open with a three-run shot in the 5th inning. Pudge's 7th of the season made the score 7-1, and the Tigers added 4 more in the 6th - two on a Rodriguez RBI single - and another run in the 7th to overwhelm their hosts. With Cleveland losing to Atlanta, the Tigers closed to within a game of the first-place Indians, while the Phillies fell 1/2 back of Atlanta and 3 behind the NL East-leading Mets. The two teams go at it again on Saturday and conclude the short series on Sunday in Philadelphia. Texas 7 Cincinnati 6 - Sammy Sosa changed the game with a 5th inning grand slam - his 11th of the season and 599th of his career - that quickly turned a 4-3 Reds lead into a 7-4 Rangers' advantage. In the bottom half of the inning, Adam Dunn launched a 2-run shot - his 16th - to complete the scoring as two of the weakest bullpens kept both teams off the scoreboard for the remaining 4 innings. Colorado 12 Tampa Bay 2 - Matt Holliday doubled twice, singled, scored a run and drove in 4 in 5 at-bats to lead Colorado to their 3rd straight win and keep pace in the ultra-competitive NL West. Holliday's .358 batting average leads the National League and his 52 RBI are the 4th best in the league.

Advertise on Blogs
Choose your own colors, dates and message for maximum impact.
dtmagazine.com/customtext.html

The Rockies' schedule may be working in their favor short term, as they handle the Devil Rays while the Dodgers battle the Angels and San Diego toughs it out with the Cubs this weekend. Colorado is 5 games behind Los Angeles. LA Dodgers 2 LA Angels 1 - The Dodgers got a win from their cross-town rivals thanks to another strong performance from starter Derek Lowe who shut out the Angels for 6 innings, finally surrendering the lone run in the 7th. Lowe (7-6) struck out 11 while allowing just 4 hits. Other NL Scores Chi Cubs 4 San Diego 1 - T. Lilly (W, 5-4) 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Pittsburgh 4 Chi White Sox 2 Houston 5 Seattle 1 - C. Biggio, 3-5, needs 12 more for 3000 hits Interleague Scoreboard: Friday (6/8): AL 8, NL 6 Saturday (6/9): AL 10, NL 4 Sunday (6/10): AL 9, NL 5 Monday (6/11): AL 0, NL 2 Tuesday (6/12): AL: 8, NL: 6 Wednesday (6/13): AL: 6, NL: 8 Thursday (6/14): AL: 7, NL: 5 Friday (6/15): AL: 6, NL: 8