Elvis Andrus Leads Texas Past Tigers, 12-6; Trevor Story's 2 HR Power Rockies Over Braves, 17-2

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

American League

Anrdus: 3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI

Hopelessly outpaced in the AL West by Houston but still in the hunt for a wild card spot, the Texas Rangers took a step forward, improving to just a game below .500 (59-60) with a 12-6 win over Detroit, sweeping the three-game series at Arlington.

Elvis Andrus had a big night, contributing three of the 17 Texas hits with two singles and his 16th home run, a solo whack that snapped a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning. Previously, Andrus had walked and scored on Adrian Beltre's two-run, third inning homer. Andres singled in two runs in the sixth, then stole second and scored on Nomar Mazara's three-run homer. Finally, Andrus singled home another score in the seventh, tallying four RBI and scoring three times.

Texas completes the sweep at an opportune time, hosting a four game series with the slumping White Sox - losers of four straight - beginning Thursday. After that, the Rangers head to LA for a four-game set with the Angels, the current holders of the second wild card slot, just two games in front of Texas.

National League

Story: 2 HR, 6 RBI

With Arizona losing at Houston, 9-5, the Colorado Rockies took back sole possession of the first wild card position with a 17-2 mauling of Atlanta at Coors Field in Denver.

The Rockies exploded for 18 hits, nine of them for extra bases. Nolan Arenado increased his RBI by two, to 103, which leads the majors. Trevor Story measured the tale of the tape, going 3-for-4 with a single and two hoe runs (17 & 18), knocking in six runs.

Story singled home a run in the third inning, then followed with a two-run blast in the fourth. In the seventh inning, he completed the Rockies' scoring for the game with a three-run shot to left. He has 56 RBI on the year.

Colorado leads the four-game series with the Braves, two games to one, with the finale scheduled for Thursday afternoon, at 3:10 pm ET. The Rockies hold a one-game lead in the wild card with Arizona second. NL Central contenders, St. Louis and Milwaukee trail the Diamondbacks by four and five games, respectively.

Streak Ended: While Miami was winning, 8-1, over the Giants, Giancarlo Stanton's six-game home run came to an end, though Stanton did single twice in four at-bats.

Elvis Andrus Drives In 5 As Texas Tops Tampa Bay; Robbie Ray Shuts Out Pirates For 3-0 Arizona Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Andrus: 3-run HR, 5 RBI

American League

Texas topped Tampa Bay, 9-5, remaining tied with the Angels for second place in the AL West, 11 games behind the Astros, winners of their sixth straight, a 7-2 win at Minnesota.

The play of shortstop Elvis Andrus was key to the Texas victory. Andrus started the Rangers off on the right path, following Shin-Soo-Choo's leadoff homer with a double, scoring on Nomar Mazara's single to right.

The Rays countered with four runs in the third and another in the fifth before Andrus tied the game at five with a three-run blast with two outs in the seventh inning, his seventh homer of the season. Texas tacked on two more runs in the eighth, and Andrus completed the scoring, singling home two teammates in the ninth. Andrus finished the game 3-for-5, with five RBI and two runs. Batting primarily from the two hole, Andrus is batting .288 with 27 RBI.

The Rangers had been gaining some ground through the middle of May when they won 10 straight, but ran into trouble on the road, dropping three in Boston and two of three in Toronto.

Back in Arlington, their Tuesday win evened the series at a game apiece, the rubber game scheduled for Wednesday at 8:05 pm ET.

Ray: 4-hit Shutout

National League

The race in the NL West is really heating up. With the Dodgers topping St. Louis, 9-4, for their sixth straight win, and Seattle clubbing Colorado, 10-4, the Dodgers have caught and passed the Rockies, leading the division by 1/2 game.

But, this is a three-team race. Arizona won at Pittsburgh, 3-0, Tuesday, on the strength of Robbie Ray's four-hit shutout at Pittsburgh.

Ray (5-3, 3.00) was solid throughout, out-dueling Pittsburgh's Ivan Nova, who kept the Diamondbacks scoreless until the sixth inning. Throwing 76 of 115 pitches for strikes, Ray fanned 10 without issuing a walk. An equal-opportunity hurler, Ray fanned all nine starters once each, excepting #8 hitter Gift Ngoepe, who struck out twice.

Ray upped his strikeout total to 84, tied for third in the NL with Jeff Samardzija and Zack Greinke. Max Scherzer leads the league with 89. The Mets' Jacob deGrom is second with 86.

Arizona, which dropped the first game of the series, looks to walk the Pirates off the plank in game three, Wednesday at 12:35 pm ET.

Pirates Clinch Playoff Spot as Neil Walker Drives Home 6; Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre Lead Texas over A's

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 23, 2015

American League

Elvis Andrus

Adrian Beltre

With an assist from division foe, Los Angeles, the Texas Rangers expanded their lead to three games over the Houston Astros, downing the Oakland A's, 10-4, Wednesday night.

Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre led the charge for Texas, Beltre singling and scoring in the fourth inning to tie the game at one, before Elvis Andrus unloaded a three-run shot to put the A's down 4-1. Beltre delivered his 16th homer of the season the following inning, another three-run belt that put the game out of reach.

Texas has a magic number of eight to lock up the AL West. The Angels are 4 1/2 back and still looking to get into the playoffs, likely via the wild card. Houston is currently in line for the second wild card, trailing the Yankees (1st wild card) by four games. Minnesota is also in the mix. The Twins are a game behind Houston, 1/2 game ahead of the Angels.

With the third game of the series in Oakland slated for a 3:35 pm EDT start, the Rangers will be looking for the sweep before heading to Houston for a showdown, three-game series with the Astros. On Monday they return home to finish up: three games with the Tigers, followed by four against the Angels, October 1-4.

National League

Walker: HR, 6 RBI

Neil Walker went 4-for-5 and drove in six runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates hammered the Colorado Rockies, 13-7, the win assuring themselves of another trip to the post-season.

The Pirates are the second National League team to qualify for the playoffs. Pittsburgh is assured of at least a wild card spot, but still are eyeing the NL Central crown. They trail the Cardinals (the other NL team to have already qualified for the playoffs) by four games, with 10 left to play. St. Louis was a 10-2 winner over Cincinnati Wednesday night.

In the wild card, Pittsburgh picked up a game over the Cubs, now leading them by three. By most accounts, the Pirates and Cubs will be the wild card, St. Louis the Central division winner, though things could change as the season winds to a close.

The win was Pittsburgh's fifth straight. St. Louis has won four in a row.

Walker connected for his 15th homer of the season in the third inning, his three-run blast upping Pittsburgh's lead over the host Rockies to 5-0. Walker had put the Pirates on the board in the first with a two-run single. Later, he completed the scoring for Pittsburgh with an RBI single in the ninth as Pittsburgh piled on the runs.

The Pirates will be seeking a sweep of the four-game series at Colorado when they conclude this afternoon. Game time is set for 3:10 pm EDT.

On Friday, the Pirates open a three-game series in Chicago, then head home to host the Cardinals for three which will likely decide the division. Pittsburgh finishes up at home with three games versus the Reds on October 2, 3 and 4.

Leonys Martin, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus End Rangers' 7-Game Skid; Mike Leake, Jay Bruce Lead Reds' 10-0 Win over Astros

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 17, 2013

American League

Ian Kinsler

Playoff-style baseball is already being played in ballparks around the country, as the AL wild card race continues to entertain six teams in contention for the two spots.

Leonys Martin

Topping the bill of Tuesdya's slate of games was game two of the four-game series between the Rangers and Rays, the two teams currently in position to capture both wild cards.

Texas snapped a seven-game losing streak and regained a tie with Tampa Bay with a 7-1 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Two players at the top of the order - Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus - and one at the bottom, rookie center fielder Leonys Martin, together accounted for nearly all of the Ranger runs.

Elvis Andrus

Martin was 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a pair of doubles and three scores. Leadoff batter, Kinsler, was 2-for-5 with a solo homer and three RBI, scoring twice, while #2 hitter, Andrus, went 2-for-3 with three RBI on a two-run homer and a pair of singles.

Texas starter, Alexi Ogando, gave up two hits and the Rays' only run, working five innings. The Rangers used five pitchers, the Rays, seven. With tired arms in both bullpens, Wednesday and Thursday's games could explode into offensive fireworks.

Elsewhere, Baltimore topped Boston, 4-3, Cleveland whipped KC, 5-3 and the Yankees lost their fourth straight, 2-0, at Toronto.

The Rays and Rangrs resume hostilities Wednesday night at 7:00 pm EDT. The series is tied at a game apiece.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/17)

Team	GB
Tampa Bay	--
Texas	--
Cleveland	-1/2
Baltimore	-2
NY Yankees	-3 1/2
Kansas City	-3 1/2

National League

Leake: 8 scoreless

Bruce: GS, 5 RBI

With the Washington Nationals taking a double-header from the Braves, the Cincinnati Reds might be feeling a little pressure as they maintain a 4-4 1/2 game lead over the Nats in the race for the final wild card, but Jay Bruce made certain that the Reds would keep winning, as he drove in the Reds first run with a single in the opening frame, then added four more with a fourth-inning grand slam.

Bruce's excessive run-producing was more than what starter, Mike Leake, would need as he improved to 14-6 by shutting out the Astros over eight innings, giving up five hits and two walks while fanning six.

With the 10-0 win - Cincinnati's second straight at Houston - the Reds retained the 4 1/2 game bulge over the streaking Nationals while remaining 2 1/2 back of St. Louis in the NL Central. The Cardinals lead Pittsburgh by one game in the division.

NOTABLE: Sidelined since late July, Matt Kemp returned to the Dodgers' starting lineup on Tuesday and has already had an impact, going 4-for-4 with three RBI as the Dodgers hammered Arizona, 9-3, putting Los Angeles within one game of capturing the NL West pennant. LA plays at Arizona Wednesday and Thursday, and a win in either game, which, by default, would also be a Diamondback loss, would clinch the division.

Today's Trivia: Who won the NL batting title in 1975 and 1976, and then won it twice more - in 1981 and 1983 - for a different team? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Boston swept the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The next year, the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros, four games to none.

Elvis Andrus Gets Rangers Over Angels in 10 Innings; Patrick Corbin Hurls six Scoreless as D'Backs Sweep Dodgers

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 1, 2012

American League

Life in the NL West has gotten serious.

Elvis Andrus

On Wednesday, the Texas Rangers fought back from a 7-1 deficit with single runs in the bottoms of the eight and ninth innings - the tying run scored on Ian Kinsler's solo shot - to send the second game of their four-game set with the Angels into extras.

In the 10th inning, Los Angeles put up three runs, two courtesy of Albert Pujols' second two-run homer of the game, but the resolute Rangers rebounded with four in the bottom frame, snatching an 11-10 victory from the hard-charging Angels.

After Nelson Cruz homered to cut into the lead by a run, Mitch Moreland delivered a clutch single to score the Rangers' second run. With the bases loaded, Elvis Andrus delivered the game-winning single to left field, plating two runs and the win.

Andrus was spectacular, going 4-for-6 with three RBI including his 24th double of the season and a run-scoring single in the Rangers' four-run fifth.

The result was a four game lead in the division for the Rangers, with Oakland falling to 4 1/2 off the pace, off their 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay.

The Rangers and Angels go at it again on Thursday and wrap up the series on Friday.


National League

Arizona completed their three-game sweep of the Dodgers, as rookie starter, Patrick Corbin, limited Los Angeles to two hits over six innings of superb mound work.

Patrick Corbin

Making just his sixth major league start, Corbin walked two and struck out five, leaving the ball in the capable hands of a trio of Diamondback relievers who each turned in a perfect inning of relief in the 4-0 win.

Corbin took the win, improving to 3-4 while dropping his ERA to a respectable 3.60.

Arizona's sweep of the Dodgers put them right back into the thick of the NL West race, trailing the Giants by games, but just 1 1/2 behind the second place Dodgers. Since July 20, Arizona is 10-3.

After a day off Thursday, the Diamondbacks head East for three game swith the Phillies and four with the NL Central's contentious Pittsburgh Pirates.

Elvis Andrus Goes 3-for-3 for Rangers; David Ortiz Doubles, Homers in Red Sox Spring Opener

Players of the Day for Monday, March 5, 2012

David Ortiz

Grapefruit League

David Ortiz doubled and homered for the Boston as the Red Sox pummeled Minnesota, 10-2, in their exhibition opener.

The slugging Ortiz, who will be entering his 10th year in a Boston uniform, drove in a run and scored another, raising hopes that the perennial slow-starter will be in game shape by opening day.

At 36, Ortiz looks to reprise a successful 2011 campaign in which he hit .309 with 29 home runs and 96 RBI.

Cactus League

Elvis Andrus

Elvis Andrus had a triple and a pair of singles in three at-bats for the AL champion Texas Rangers, but his three hits, RBI and three runs scored were not enough to stop the Royals who scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth for the 7-6 victory.

Andrus will be starting his fourth season as the Rangers' regular shortstop after a 2011 campaign in which he batted .279 and stole a career high 37 bases.

The 2009 AL rookie of the year and 2010 all star, Andrus and his Texas teammates will be looking for their third straight world Series appearance. They lost to the Cardinals last year and to the San Francisco Giants in 2009.

Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler Help Rangers Even World Series, 1-1

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 20, 2011

Rangers 2 Cardinals 1

With just three outs to go and the Cardinal closer, Jason Motte, on the mound, the Texas Rangers appeared headed to a 2-0 deficit in the World Series. St. Louis had taken a 1-0 lead to the ninth on the strength of Jaime Garcia's brilliant seven innings of shutout ball and pinch-hitter Allen Craig's magic bat, which drove in David Freese with the go-ahead run in the seventh. But that was before Ian Kinsler, one of the toughest of the Texas hitters, came to the plate and delivered his second hit of the night, a scratch single to center.

Kinsler, 2-for-3, SB
scored tying run.

Then Kinsler stole second and the Rangers suddenly had life with the tying run on second base. At the plate was Elvis Andrus, not bunting, instead stroking a clean single to right-center. Kinsler stopped at third as Jon Jay whipped the ball back to the infield, but Andrus, seeing Albert Pujols misplay the cutoff throw, headed to second, sliding headlong into the bag.

With nobody out and runners on second and third, the game had quickly changed from a likely win for the Cardinals to, at worst, for the Rangers, a tie game and maybe a lead.

Andrus scored the
game winner.

Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa went to the mound, and, after a short talk with Motte, waved Arthur Rhodes in from the bullpen. Rhodes faced Josh Hamilton, the power hitter who hadn't had a hit in the series, in obvious discomfort due to a pulled groin. Rhodes missed high with a fastball, and Hamilton drove it to deep right. Kinsler scored without a throw. Andrus took third and the game was tied.

Lance Lynn replaced Rhodes, but he too failed to keep the Rangers from scoring. Michael Young lifted a fly to right center and Andrus came home easily with the game winner. Two sac flies, two runs, game over.

After Adrian Beltre grounded out to end the top of the ninth, the Cardinals went quietly in the bottom, Neftali Feliz walking leadoff hitter Yadier Molina, but then calmly striking out Nick Punto and Skip Schumaker. Rafael Furcal flied out to right to end it and the series was tied at one game apiece, heading to Texas for three games.

Garcia's seven innings (3 hits, 1 BB, 7 K) were nearly matched by Colby Lewis of the Rangers, who didn't allow a run, but left with two aboard and two outs in the seventh inning. Reliever Alexi Ogando came in to face Criag, just as he did in game one, and just like in game one, Criag singled. The run was charged to Lewis, but that was all the Cards could get.

The series heads to Arlington, Texas, home of the Rangers, for games three, four and five. Game three is Saturday night, 8:05 pm EDT. Kyle Lohse goes for the Cardinals. Matt Harrison gets the start for Texas.