Yoan Moncada Powers White Sox Past A's; Enrique Hernandez Homers Twice For Dodgers

Players of the Day for Sunday, June 24, 2018

American League

While the Chicago White Sox probably aren't going to challenge in the AL Central - they're currently 26-51 and 17 1/2 games behind the Indians in the division - with more than half the season remaining, they still have plenty of time to make adjustments and improvements and groom their young players for the future.

Moncada: 2B, HR, 6RBI

One such player is second baseman Yoan Moncada, a 23-year-old, second year player from Cuba who showed off some of his potential in Chicago's 10-3 rout of the Athletics Sunday at home.

Trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning, the Sox loaded the bases for Moncada and the youngster responded by lacing a double, clearing the bases and putting the White Sox ahead, 3-2. It was a lead the Sox would not relinquish, scoring two more in the frame before adding five more in the sixth.

After Daniel Palka and Yolmer Sanchez socked solo homers in the White Sox sixth, Moncada put the game away with a three-run homer, tallying a personal-best six RBI for the game.

Moncada is batting only .228, but he has 10 homers and 32 RBI in 69 games. Chicago's win was just their second in the last 11 games, but they managed a split with the A's, each taking two games in the four-game series.

The White Sox have a day off Monday, prior to host a three-game series against Minnesota starting Tuesday.

National League

Hernandez: 2HR, 3R, 2RBI

In a wild one, the Dodgers smacked seven home runs in their 8-7, 11-inning win over the Mets at New York's Citi Field, the bleacher barrage begun by leadoff hitter Enrique Hernandez, who took a 2-0 pitch from Mets' starter Jerry Blevins into the left field stands.

All of the Dodger homers were solo shots, including two by Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner's game-winner with two outs in the 11th. Hernandez added a second blast in the sixth, tying the game at 4-4, and he also scored the only Dodger run of the game that wasn't via the long ball, scooting home on Matt Kemp's double play ground out in the eighth.

Dodger pitching couldn't protect a 7-4, eighth inning lead, eventually winning it in extra frames.

Hernandez finished 3-for-6 with three runs and two RBI. He's currently batting .232, with 12 homers and 25 RBI.

The Dodgers, who swept the series in New York and handed the Mets their sixth straight loss, kept pace with Arizona, maintaining second place in the NL West, where they trail the Diamondbacks by 2 1/2 games.

Heading back home to LA, the Dodgers open a four-game series with the Cubs on Monday.

NLCS: Dodgers Advance To World Series On Three Homers By Enrique Hernandez, Down Cubs, 11-1

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 19, 2017

National League

Hernandez: 3 HR, 7 RBI

Left fielder Enrique Hernandez socked three home runs - one a grand slam - and drove in seven runs as the Dodgers defeated the Cubs, 11-1, advancing to the World Series by taking the NL Championship, four games to one.

Hernandez belted a solo homer in the second inning, punched out his grand slam in the third, and capped off LA's coronation as NL champions with a two-run blast in the ninth.

A part-time player and pinch hitter, Hernandez only had 297 at-bats in the 2017 regular season, batting .215 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI. The 26-year-old native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, had his best single day at the plate in his three full seasons with the Dodgers.

LA captured the NL pennant for the first time since 1988 and did so with style, winning the NL West division by 11 games over Arizona. Their 104-58 record was the best in the majors and gives them home field advantage against their eventual AL opponents, either the Yankees or Astros.

In the playoffs, LA was nearly unbeatable, sweeping the Diamondbacks in three straight, by a combined score of 20-11. In the NLCS, their dominance was even more pronounced, winning four of five by a combined score of 28-8. The only Chicago win was a 3-2 victory in game four.

In the four championship series wins, Dodger pitching allowed five runs total, for an ERA of 1.25.

The World Series opens on Tuesday, October 24, in Los Angeles.

American League

There were no games in the American League on Thursday. The ALCS resumes Friday, 8:08 pm ET, in Houston with the Yankees leading the Astros three games to two. With a victory, the Yankees would advance to the World Series. If the Astros win, game seven would be Saturday, October 21, at 8:08 pm ET, in Houston.