Freddie Freeman's 2 HR Leads Braves to 4th Straight; Justin Verlander Tosses No-Hitter In 2-0 Win

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 1, 2019

Verlander: 3rd no-hitter

American League

It was only a matter of time before Justin Verlander would throw another no-hitter. On Sunday, time was up.

Verlander blanked the Blue Jays at the Rogers Center in Toronto, fanning 14 for the third no-hitter of his impressive in a 2-0 Houston victory.

After walking Cavan Biggio with one out in the first inning, Verlander set down the next 26 Blue Jays in order, getting the win when third baseman Abraham Toro scorched a two-out, two-run homer in the visitor's half of the ninth. Verlander calmly set down the final three Toronto batters before the Astros broke out in celebration.

Throwing a season-high 120 pitches, Verlander joined the Yankees' Domingo Herman with 17 wins, tops in the majors. He also leads the majors in strikeouts (257) and innings (193). His 2.56 ERA leads the AL.

Verlander joins an elite group with at least three no-hitters, including Nolan Ryan (7) and Sandy Koufax (4). Cy Young, Bob Feller and 1880s-era Larry Corcoran threw three each.

Having already won an MVP and Cy Young award in 2011 as a member of the Detroit Tigers, Verlander is the favorite for this season's Cy Young.

Houston won for the 11th time in its last 14 games, taking a 10-game lead over Oakland in the AL West, as the A's have dropped two straight to the Yankees.

The Astros head to Milwaukee on Monday, opening a two-game series with the Brewers at 4:00 pm ET.

National League

Freeman tearing up NL

Freddie Freeman cracked a pair of home runs and drove in all of Atlanta's runs as the Braves took another step toward their second straight NL East pennant with a 5-3 win over the White Sox.

Backing six innings of mound work by Julio Teheran (9-8, 3.38), Freeman socked a two-run homer in the opening inning, then broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth with another two-run jack. In the eighth, the league's leading RBI guy drove in another with a single.

Freeman leads the majors in RBI with 114. His 38 home runs and a .301 batting average are also among the league's best. With Freeman having what looks like an MVP season, the Braves continue winning, taking their fourth straight while sweeping three from the visiting White Sox. Atlanta has held off a surge by the Washington Nationals by winning 12 of its last 14 games.

The Braves will spend Labor Day hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. Game one of their two-game series starts at 1:20 pm ET.

Braves Top Marlins, 5-1, As Freddie Freeman Homers Twice; Nelson Cruz Powers Twins Over White Sox, 14-4

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Cruz: 4-5, HR, 3 2B, 3 RBI

American League

After a brief stint on the injured list, Nelson Cruz returned to action on Monday, knocking out a pair of singles in five at-bats in a 6-4 loss to the White Sox.

On Tuesday, Cruz demonstrated that he was truly ready for full-time play, mashing three doubles and a solo home run in five at-bats. Cruz drove in three runs and scored three runs as the Twins evened their home series with the Sox with a 14-4 rout.

Cruz has 33 home runs on the year with 80 RBI.

With the Mets handing Cleveland a 9-2 defeat, the Twins opened up another game of breathing room in the division race, leading the AL Central by three games over the Indians.

Game three of the Twins' series with Chicago starts at 1:10 pm ET Wednesday.

Freeman: 102 RBI leads MLB

National League

Winners of three straight and six of their last eight, the Atlanta Braves are cruising toward their second straight NL East pennant.

On Tuesday, the Braves rode the arm of Dallas Keuchel and the bat of Freddie Freeman to a 5-1 win in the opener of a three-game series with the Marlins in Atlanta.

Keuchel (4-5, 4.15) tossed six innings, allowing one run on six hits, fanning seven and walking two. Meanwhile, Freeman was providing plenty of offense, socking a solo homer in the fourth inning and another in the fifth. His two-run single in the seventh broke the game open, allowing a trio of Atlanta relievers to shut down the Marlins for the duration.

Freeman is having his usual outstanding season, stroking 33 home runs with 102 RBI, which leads the majors. Atlanta improved its advantage in the NL East to six games of the Nationals, as Washington dropped a 4-1 decision in Pittsburgh.

Atlanta hosts the Marlins Wednesday at 7:20 pm ET for game two of the three-game set.

Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman Lead Braves Past Dodgers; Jesus Aguilar Helps Brewers Eliminate Rockies

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 7, 2018

National League

Milwaukee 6  Colorado 0

Jesus Aguilar

Milwaukee eliminated the Rockies with a shutout victory Sunday, as Wade Miley and five relief pitchers combined to blank the Rockies on four hits. Miley worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, and the Brewer bullpen took care of the rest.

Jesus Aguilar socked a fourth-inning solo home run to give he Brewers a 2-0 lead. Orlando Arcia and Keon Broxton belted back-to-back solo shots in the ninth inning to seal the deal.

Acuna Jr.: Grand Slam

Red hot late season, the Brewers won eight straight to close out the regular season, capturing the Central division and achieving the best record in the National League. Their sweep of the Rockies left their winning streak at 11. They will host the winner of the Dodgers-Braves series in the NL Championship.

---

Freddie Freeman

Atlanta 6  LA Dodgers 5

Staving off elimination, the Atlanta Braves won a close one at home, as Ronald Acuna Jr. smacked a second inning grand slam and Freddie Freeman unknotted a 5-5 tie in the sixth with a solo shot.

Atlanta's win left the Dodgers up two games to one, with game four scheduled for Monday in Atlanta. First pitch is slated for 4:30 pm ET.


American League

There were no games in the American League on Sunday.

Houston will be looking to eliminate the Indians in game three of their best-of-five divisional series, Monday, 1:30 pm, in Cleveland.

With the series tied, 1-1, Boston is at New York for game three between the Red Sox and Yankees, Monday at 7:40 pm ET.

Oswaldo Arcia Drives in Six for Twins, but A's Win, Clinch AL West; Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons Lead Braves to NL East Pennant

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 22, 2013

American League

Arcia: HR, 6RBI

Rookie Oswaldo Arcia was 3-for-4 and drove in six runs for the Twins, but it was not enough to prevent the A's from completing the sweep of their four-game series and capturing the AL West for the second straight season with an 11-7 victory.

Arcia singled home the Twins first run in the first inning, but the A's countered in the bottom of the second, plating six, highlighted by Coco Crisp's 22nd home run of the year, a three-run shot that gave the A's a commanding lead.

In the third, Arcia sent his own three-run blast over the fence in right, getting the Twins back to within two runs, but the relentless A's scored single runs in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings before Arcia finally drove in two more with a single in the ninth, completing the scoring.

With the West pennant in hand, the next quest for the A's is home field. They are 93-63, chasing Boston (95-62), for the best record in the AL. Detroit, with a five-game lead over Cleveland in the Central, is 91-65, and needs just two more wins or two Cleveland losses to wrap up the division.

Meanwhile, Cleveland has won four straight and the Rays took three straight from the Orioles, putting the Rays and Indians in good position to grab the two wild card spots. Texas, a 4-0 loser in ten innings Sunday, is 1 1/2 back with six games left on the schedule.

The Rays have one more game with the O's before opening a three-game series with the Yankees in New York on Tuesday. Tampa Bay finishes with three games in Toronto.

Cleveland, having taken four straight from the Astros, have two games at home with the White Sox before closing out their season on the road for four in Minnesota.

Texas, now 1 1/2 behind the Indians and in danger of missing out on the post-season, has seven games remaining, all at home. They open a three-game set with Houston on Monday, then host the Angels for four, beginning Thursday.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/22)

Team	GB
Tampa Bay	+1/2
Cleveland	--
Texas	-1 1/2
Kansas City	-3 1/2
NY Yankees	-4
Baltimore	-4 1/2

National League

The Atlanta Braves clinched the NL East when the Nationals lost to the Marlins, 4-2, on Sunday, then went out and celebrated on the field with a 6-2 victory over the home-standing Cubs.

Freddie Freeman

Andrelton Simmons

Freddie Freeman went 3-for-4, socking his 23rd home run of the year to give the Braves a 2-0 lead in the first, driving in his 104th and 105th RBI, third in the league.

Andrelton Simmons went yard twice, with a solo homer in the fourth and a two-run blast in the eighth, and closer Craig Kimbrel finished up, giving up a pair of hits in the ninth, but no runs, for his league-leading 49th save.

At 92-63, the Braves currently have the best record in the league, but the Cardinals (91-65) and Dodgers (90-66) are close. The best record will get home field for as long as they remain in the playoffs.

Atlanta went wire-to-wire to the title after a 12-1 start to the season gave them a big edge.

All that's left to be sorted out is the NL Central, where the Cardinals have a two-game edge on the Pirates and Reds, currently tied for the two wild card positions. Washington is five games back, but with just six to play, have run just about out of time.

Today's Trivia: Reggie Jackson played for five teams, all in the American League. Can you name them all? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Despite being one of the great home run hitters of all time, Reggie Jackson on hit 40 or more twice, knocking 47 in 1969 and 41 in 1980. In 21 major league seasons, Jackson is 13th all-time, with 563 home runs.

Indians Crush White Sox, 14-3, Ryan Raburn, 3-for-3, 5 RBI; Freddie Freeman Helps Braves Get Closer to NL East Pennant in 6-1 Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 12, 2013

American League

Ryan Raburn

Gaining a wild card in the American League is not going to be an easy task this season, as there are no less than six teams in contention for two spots. Excluding Texas, which currently has a two-game lead for the first wild card, five teams are all within 2 1/2 games of each other, Tampa Bay being the current leader for the second wild card.

While the Yankees have taken three straight from the Orioles and no trail the Rays by just one game, winning three of four at Camden Yards, the Cleveland Indians refuse to go away. On Thursday, Cleveland opened a four-game series in Chicago by thumping the White Sox, 14-3, getting a 3-for-3 effort from Ryan Raburn which included a single, double and a first-inning, three-run homer.

The Indians went on to score in each of the first five innings, tallying seven in the fifth, Rayburn completing the scoring with a two-run single that put the Indians up by a dozen runs.

Thus, the Indians have themselves positioned 1 1/2 behind Tampa Bay and 1/2 behind the Yankees. Baltimore and Kansas City are tied, 2 1/2 behind the Rays.

Clevleand will go for its second straight win over the White Sox, Friday afternoon, at 2:10 pm EDT.

National League

Freddie Freeman

With Washington winning six in a row, Atlanta's clinching of the NL East division has been temporarily delayed, but the Braves need only any combination of six more wins or six Washington losses to head into the post-season.

Their quest was put more in sight with a 6-1 win over the Marlins, closing out a four-game series in Miami with the Braves taking three of four.

Freddie Freeman was part of the action, socking his 20th home run of the season in the fourth inning after singling and scoring in the third.

Freeman's two-run shot added insurance for Freddy Garcia, who allowed just five hits and one run over six innings, picking up his first win as a Brave. Freeman finished up 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI and continues to look like a solid choice for MVP. After going 7-for-16 in the series with the Marlins, he's batting .309 and his 98 RBI are third-most in the league, behind Paul Goldschmidt (109) and Brandon Phillips (101).

The Braves open a three-game series with San Diego in Atlanta, but then go back on the road, meeting the Nationals for three games, September 16-18.

Today's Trivia: Of these three players: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Gwynn, who has the highest career batting average? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: In 1995, Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians led the majors with 50 home runs and 52 doubles, making him the only member of his own 50/50 club. Amazingly, Belle did not receive the AL MVP award, which went to Boston's Mo Vaughn, even though Belle batted .317 to Vaughn's .300. The two tied for the league lead in RBI with 126, but Belle had 11 more home runs, scored 23 more runs than Vaughn, who also had only 28 doubles and led the majors in strikeouts (150).

Erick Aybar, Angels, Sends Tampa Bay to Fifth Straight Defeat; Freddie Freeman Keeps Braves Rolling with 5 RBI in 12-5 Win over Mets

Players of the Day for Monday, September 2, 2013

American League

Erick Aybar tripled, homered and drove in four runs in four at-bats to lead the LA Angels to an 11-2 beating of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, sending the Rays to their fifth straight loss.

Erick Aybar

Opening the four-game series with a resounding win did little for the Angels, already destined to be spectators when the post--season commences, but made the AL wild card race even more contentious. With Oakland beating Texas, 4-2, the A's tied the Rangers atop the AL West, and one of the two lead the wild card. Tampa Bay still holds the #2 spot, but the Orioles are now just two games behind the Rays, the Yankees 2 1/2 back, with Cleveland 3 1/2 out. Even Kansas City has benefitted from the Rays' recent slide, just 4 1/2 games from the second wild card.

The Rays' collapse has been sudden and unexpected, losing not only their last five, but eight of their last nine games, with the defeats coming both at home and away.

Tampa Bay will try to get back on track when they face the Angels in game two of their four-game series, Tuesday, at 7:05 PDT. 14-3 Matt Moore will go to the mound for the Rays. Moore has won six straight but hasn't pitched since July 28.

National League

Atlanta took another step closer to the NL East pennant with a 13-5 clobbering of the Mets on Monday, extending the largest lead in the majors to 15 games over second place Washington.

Freddie Freeman

The Braves got an early boost from Freddie Freeman, who drove in two runs in the first with a double and socked a three-run homer in the second inning, taking all the suspense out of the contest as the Braves rolled to an early, 6-1 lead.

Freeman, looking more and more like the NL's MVP, added five RBI, totaling 93 on the year, fourth in the league. His homer was #18 for the season, to go with a .307 batting average.

Atlanta hosts the Mets in game two of their three-game series, Tuesday night at 7:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Ty Cobb held the all-time record for career hits for 62 years. In what year did Pete Rose pass him? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Larry Walker, of the Colorado Rockies, won the NL batting title in 1998 and 1999, batting .363 and .379, respectively.

Torii Hunter 4-for-5 in Tigers' 11-1 Rout of Nationals; Freddie Freeman 4-for-4 in Atlanta's 9-0 Win over Rockies

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 31, 2013

American League

Torii Hunter

At age 38, Torii Hunter is enjoying one of his finest seasons of his 15-year major league career, batting .316 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI after going 4-for-5 in Detroit's 11-1 rout of the Washington Nationals.

After doubling and being stranded in the first inning, Hunter socked his 11th home run of the season - and fourth in his last seven games - in the second inning, a solo shot, singled in another run and scored in the fourth and doubled home one more run in the seventh, driving in three runs and scoring a pair.

Batting in the second spot in Detroit's lineup most of the season, Hunter has solidified an already-powerful Tiger batting order.

Detroit's win was their fifth straight, though they've had a hard time expanding their lead in the division because second place Cleveland has won seven straight while third place Kansas City has strung together eight wins in a row.

The Tigers lead the Indians by 2 1/2 games. The Royals are seven games out.

National League

Freddie Freeman

The Colorado Rockies will be more than happy to depart from Atlanta after the conclusion of their four-game series on Thursday.

That's because the Braves have taken them to the woodshed, winning the first three games by a combined score of 29-11, including Wednesday's 9-0 bashing.

After crushing a pair of homers on Tuesday, Freddie Freeman continued his hot hitting, going 4-for-4 (all singles) against Colorado hurlers in Wednesday's win.

Freeman drove in two runs and scored a pair, improving his RBI total to 71, fifth best in the National League. In the three games against the Rockies, Freeman has gone 7-for-13 at the plate, driving in six runs and scoring six.

The Braves have won six in a row and will be looking for the sweep of the Rockies, Thursday night at 7:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who led the AL in triples four straight years (1991-1994) and then led the NL in triples in 1996? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: As far as three-baggers were concerned, it was no contest. Lou Brock tripled 141 times in 19 seasons, while Rickey Henderson has just 66 triples in his 25-year career.

Two Homers By Mike Moustakas Lead Royals to 7th Straight; Atlanta Expands NL East lead as Freddie Freeman Homers Twice

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 30, 2013

American League

The Kansas City Royals are red hot. Problem is, the two teams in front of them in the Central division - Detroit and Cleveland - are just as hot, having won four and six straight, respectively.

Mike Moustakas

So, despite the Royals taking their seventh straight with a 7-2 victory over the fast-fading Twins, they gained no ground in the race and remain seven games off the Tigers' pace.

Mike Moustakas keyed the win for the Royals, belting a three-run, two-out homer in the third inning, putting the Royals up by a 4-1 score. He homered again in the eighth inning, with the bases empty, driving in four runs in the win.

Despite the Royals having a strong season (52-51), Moustakas' numbers are down. He has only nine homers and a mere 24 RBI in 90 games, with over 300 at-bats.

The Royals will try to make it eight straight when they meet the Twins in game two of their three-game series, Wednesday night at 8:10 pm EDT at Target Field in Minneapolis.

National League

Freddie Freeman

As far as the Atlanta Braves are concerned, it seems like the NL East is clearly their division. Everybody else are just spectators.

The Braves won their fifth in a row Tuesday, taking an 11-3 decision over the Rockies at Turner Field in Atlanta.

Freddie Freeman touched off a pair of homers, belting a solo shot in the first inning and putting the icing on the Braves' cake with a three-run blast in the seventh.

The two home runs gave him 13 on the season and four RBI upped his total to 69, tied for sixth-best in the NL.

Atlanta improved it's already-largest lead in the majors to a full ten games as second place Washington fell to Detroit, 5-1.

The Braves and Rockies meet for game three of their four-game set Wednesday night, at 7:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: In their Hall of Fame careers, who had more triples, Lou Brock or Rickey Henderson? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The most doubles in a single season since Joe Medwick set the mark at 64 in 1936 was achieved by Colorado's Todd Helton, who had 59 in 2000.

Rookie Danny Salazar Gets Winning Debut for Indians; Freddie Freeman Leads Braves over Reds

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 11, 2013

American League

Danny Salazar

Intent on upending Detroit in the Central division, Cleveland called up rookie pitcher Danny Salazar to close out their three game series with the Blue Jays Thursday and what they got was a performance from the right-hander that exceeded expectations.

Salazar held the Jays to a single run on two hits and a walk through six-plus innings, striking out seven before handing the ball over to the relief staff.

The Indians scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the rookie's debut a winning one, coming away with a 4-2 victory and a 2-1 edge in the series.

Salazar displayed quality stuff, throwing 64 of 89 pitches for strikes and getting first strikes on 15 of the 21 batters he faced, holding the Blue Jays hitless through the first five innings, fanning four of the first six batters he faced.

The winning debut helped Cleveland pick up a game on Detroit, the Tigers dropping a 6-3 decision to the White Sox and are just 2 2 1/2 games back in the division.

National League

Freddie Freeman

On the day he was named the last reserve to the NL All Star team, Freddie Freeman showed why he deserved the honor, driving in four of Atlanta's six runs in a 6-5 win over the visiting Reds.

Freeman went 3-for-4 with four RBI, doubling in two runs in the first inning, singling home another in the second to put Atlanta up, 3-2, and singling in another run in the fourth to add to the Braves' lead.

Atlanta made three errors in the game, nearly giving the game away, but Craig Kimbrel came on in the 9th for his 25th save, shutting the door on the Reds in the opener of a four-game series.

Freeman, batting .313 with 60 RBI, out-polled LA's Yasiel Puig for the final roster spot on the All Star team.

Game two of the series is set for Friday at 7:30 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Name the only three players to drive in more than 2000 runs during their careers. (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: In 1921, none other than Babe Ruth scored 177 runs, the most since 1900, a record that stands to this day.

Nelson Cruz Homers Twice, Leads Rangers over A's, 8-7; Freddie Freeman Homer Drops Mets, as Braves Extend NL East Lead

Players of the Day for Monday, June 17, 2013

American League

In the war for the AL West, the opening skirmish went to the Texas Rangers, though victory was hardly decisive.

Nelson Cruz

The A's and Rangers opened a four-game series in Texas, Monday night, with the Rangers holding home field for an 8-7 win.

Nelson Cruz struck the decisive blows, going 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of homers, scoring twice and driving in four runs. Cruz's home runs were his 17th and 18th of the season, tying him for third with Adam Dunn and Edwin Encarnacion. Miguel Cabrera is one ahead with 19, but Chris Davis leads the pack, belting a solo shot in Baltimore's 5-1 loss to Detroit, his 24th of the season.

Oakland put up a six-spot in the fourth inning to take a 6-3 lead, but that's when Cruz took matters into his own hands, socking a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth to cut into the lead, then hammering a 428-foot, two-run rip to center, driving in A.J. Pierzynski, who had already doubled home Ian Kinsler. Cruz's blast put Texas up by a 7-6 score.

In the seventh, Cruz struck again, doubling home Adrian Beltre with the Rangers' final run. Cruz has 48 RBI, sixth in the league, one behind Boston's David Ortiz.

The win ended a six-game Texas losing streak and cut Oakland's lead to two games in the division.

The teams engage again on Tuesday night in the second of the four-game series. Game time is 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Freddie Freeman

New York's Dylan Gee and Atlanta's Tim Hudson locked into a spirited pitcher's duel Monday night in Atlanta, and, through eight full innings, Gee had the better of it, limiting the Braves to no runs on three hits and singling in the Mets' only run of the game in the seventh.

Hudson retired after seven innings of work, turing the ball over to Anthony Vavaro, who held the Mets in check, blanking them for the eighth inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, Gee, attempting to close out the shutout, got the first out, but then gave up a scratch single to Justin Upton, putting the winning run at the plate in the form of Freddie Freeman, who delivered with his third hit of the night, a two-run, walk-off, game-winning homer that crushed Gee's and the Mets' hopes, improving Atlanta's MLB-best home record to an incredible 24-8 with the 2-1 win.

Freeman's homer was his seventh of the season, but none has been bigger, pushing the Braves to a 7 1/2 game lead in the division over Washington, which dropped a 5-4 decision at Philadelphia (8 1/2 back) on Monday.

The Mets, already 14 1/2 game back, will try to recover when the two teams meet again at Turner Field in game two of the five-game series, Tuesday afternoon at 1:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who had a higher career batting average, Stan Musial or Tony Gwynn?

Yesterday's Answer: The 2011 NL hits leader was Chicago's Starlin Castro, with 207.

Andrelton Simmons, Freddie Freeman Lead Atlanta Rout; Ryan Vogelsong, Chris Narveson Each Go Six Scoreless in 0-0 Tie

Players of the Day for Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Grapefruit League

Simmons

Wednesday was the first day of Spring, an appropriate time for the Braves to break out the good wood, it appears, as Atlanta trounced the Pirates, 18-9, in exhibition action.

Freeman

Getting the most out of their at-bats were shortstop and leadoff hitter, Andrelton Simmons, and first baseman Freddie Freeman, both of whom crashed a pair of homers.

Simmons, who barely retained his rookie status by playing in 49 games for the Braves in 2012, went 3-for-4 with the two dingers, a double, three runs and four RBI. Freeman matched his teammate in the runs and RBI categories, but was 4-for-4, also with a double and a single.

For Simmons, the homers were his first two of the Spring, while Freeman has cleared the fences seven times and is batting .373 with 15 RBI.

The Braves improved to 15-11 with the win, tying Detroit for third place, 2 1/2 behind Grapefruit leader, Baltimore. Tampa Bay is in second place, two games out.

Vogelsong

Narveson

Cactus League

Only during Spring training can there be tie games, and that's what happened when the Brewers traveled to Scottsdale Stadium to take on the Giants.

The two teams combined for ten hits over ten innings, 10 pitchers combining to produce parallel shutouts in the resultant 0-0 tie.

Ryan Vogelsong had his best outing thus far, hurling six scoreless on three hits, walking one and fanning seven.

His effort was dutifully matched by Milwaukee's Chris Narveson, also going six scoreless, but allowing just one hit without issuing a walk. Naveson struck out four Giants' would-be hitters.

Anibal Sanchez Tosses 3-Hit Shutout, Tigers Tied with White Sox; Freddie Freeman's 9th-Inning Blast Propels Braves into Playoffs

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 25, 2012

American League

Acquired by the Tigers from the Marlins just prior to the July 31 trading deadline,Anibal Sanchez fired a three-hit shutout over the Kansas City Royals, propelling Detroit into a tie for first place in the AL Central division with the Chicago white Sox.

Sanchez, who had not pitched particularly well since coming over to Detroit (11 starts, 4-6, 3.95 ERA), was in complete control throughout his nine innings on the mound, needing only 105 pitches (77 strikes) to shut down the Royals for the 2-0 win.

Sanchez: 3-hit shutout

Only one Royal reached second base, that coming in the sixth inning, when Alcides Escobar reached on a bunt single with two down and stole second. Alex Gordon was issued the only walk by Sanchez in the game, but the inning was ended when Sanzhez fanned Billy Butler.

After that, Sanchez was lights out, putting away the Royals in order through the 7th, 8th and 9th innings, fanning four along the way and finishing with 10 strikeouts, the most he's recorded as a Tiger.

With Cleveland taking down the White Sox, 4-3, earlier in the day, the result has the Tigers and White Sox dead even at 82-72 with eight games remaining. Unless both the Tigers and Sox get red hot down the stretch and either Baltimore or Oakland goes into a funk, only one team from the Central will qualify for the playoffs, that being the division winner. Earning a wild card spot has long been off the table for both squads.

Having won the first two, the Tigers continue their four game series with the Royals Wednesday and Thursday in Detroit while the White Sox play the rubber game of their three game set with the Indians in Chicago before hosting a four game series with the Rays starting Thursday. Chicago's final three games are at Cleveland.

Detroit finishes up the regular season on the road, with three at Minnesota and three at Kansas City. Detroit is 34-41 on the road, but has two of the weaker AL teams ahead, while Chicago will face a stern test from the Rays, who still entertain post-season fantasies, resting three back of Oakland for the second wild card spot.

National League

Freeman: Walk-off HR

Freddie Freeman's ninth inning, two-run homer lifted Atlanta to a 4-3 walk-off win over visiting Miami and into the playoffs, clinching at least a wild card spot, while shaving a game off Washington's lead in the NL East to just four back.

Freeman's blast came with none out in the ninth, after Chipper Jones reached on a leadoff double off reliever Mike Dunn, who has one save but five blown opportunities. Dunn came on to pitch the ninth, but did not retire a batter and took the loss.

Atlanta will most likely earn the first wild card, as Washington's magic number is down to four with just eight games left.

The Braves have two more games with the Marlins in Atlanta, then hosts the Mets for three before finishing the regular season with three in Pittsburgh.

Washington may have a tough time closing out the season atop the division, which they have led for the bulk of the year. With two more games in Philadelphia, where they lost, 6-3, on Tuesday, the Nationals play three at St. Louis, currently in position for the second wild card, before ending the regular season at home with the Phillies, a dangerous team with plenty of pitching and solid hitting, and probably more than a little upset that the first half more or less eliminated them from contention because of injuries to a number of their star players.

Eight games against a playoff contender and and angry bunch of Phillies while Atlanta plays also-rans bodes ill for the Nationals down the stretch.

Brent Lillibridge Leads Cleveland Over Boston; Freddie Freeman Drives in 5 as Braves Win 3rd Straight

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 11, 2012

American League

Brent Lillibridge

The series between two teams apparently going nowhere this season - Boston and Cleveland - isn't providing either with much hope, as the Indians topped the Red Sox 5-2 on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead with the fourth game set for Sunday afternoon.

Batting out of the seventh spot, Brent Lillibridge, who played for both the Red Sox and White Sox earlier this season, made his mark with the Indians by going 3-for-4 scoring twice and driving in a pair of runs.

In his 11th game as an Indian, Lillibridge muscled out his first home run of the season to give Cleveland a 1-0 lead in the second, then tied the game at two with an RBI single in the fifth.

After Cleveland took a 3-2 lead in the sixth, he led off the seventh with a double and came home on a sac fly, adding an insurance run.

The loss sent the Red Sox 12 games behind the Yankees in the AL East, while Cleveland's victory still left them nine games behind front-running Chicago in the Central.


National League

Freddie Freeman

In their desperate pursuit of the Nationals in the NL East race, Atlanta won their third straight with a 9-3 win over the Mets, trying to keep pace with high-flying Washington, winners of eight in a row.

While the Braves have to be content for now to trail the Nats by 4 1/2, they still lead the wild card race by three games over Pittsburgh, thanks largely to Freddie Freeman, who doubled home a pair of runs in the opening frame, then capped a seven run Atlanta outburst in the seventh with a three-run homer, his 14th of the season.

Freeman accounted for five of Atlanta's nine runs, upping his RBI total to 74, tying him with three other players for sixth place in the category. Carlos Beltran leads the RBI race with 82.

Looking for a sweep of their three-game series in New York, the Braves square off with the Mets at 8:05 pm EDT in ESPN's featured Sunday night game.

Freddie Freeman, Ben Sheets Win 7th Straight for Brave; Yoenis Cespedes Drives A's to Sweep of Twins

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 15, 2012

American League

July is turning into a very good month for the Oakland A's.

After losing three in a row to the Rangers to end the month of June, the A's avoided the sweep in that four game series with a 3-1 win on July 1, and have won eight of their last nine since.

Yoenis Cespedes

The latest victory was Sunday's 9-4 win over the helpless Minnesota Twins and a sweep of that series, their second series sweep of the month after taking Boston three straight prior to the all star break.

Leading the charge was Yoenis Cespedes, the rookie center fielder and part time DH who's having a whale of a season. Cespedes went 4-for-5 with his 11th home run - a solo shot in the second inning - and drove in three runs, boosting his RBI total to 42. Cespedes, a .283 hitter, also cashed in runners with singles in the first and sixth innings.

The A's have kept winning while the Rangers and Angels have had their share of struggles and are now eight games behind the Rangers and just three behind the Angels.


National League

Ben Sheets

Freddie Freeman

As hot as the A's are in the American League, the Braves are equally on fire in the NL East, winning their seventh straight with a 6-1 win over the Mets, sweeping the series, three games to none.

Ben Sheets, in his first major league appearance since July 2010, blanked the Mets on two hits over six innings, walking one and striking out five. Sheets threw 57 of 88 pitches for strikes and took a seat after the Braves scored all of their runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by Freddie Freeman's three-run homer, his 12th of the season.

Sheets got the win and Freeman raised his RBI total to 54, the 10th highest total in the league.

Atlanta kept pace with the Nationals, who lead the Braves and the NL East by three games.

Curtis Granderson's 3 Homers, 5-for-5 Game Sinks Twins; Freddie Freeman Drives in Five as Atlanta Blasts Arizona

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 19, 2012

American League

In 2011, Curtis Granderson spent most of the season vying for AL home run leadership, eventually finishing second with 41 long balls to Toronto's Jose Bautista's 43.

Proving that 2011 was no fluke, Granderson is back at it again, taking over the AL lead in homers after going 5-fo-r with three balls over the wall in right field in New York's 7-6 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins.

Curtis Granderson

Granderson, batting second in the order behind Derek Jeter, got the Yankees on the board with a solo jack in the first inning and followed that up with a two-run bolt in the second, which put New York on top of a 6-4 score.

In the fourth, Granderson sent a bases-empty line shot into the right field stands, his third homer of the game in his first three at-bats, and a 7-4 Yankee lead.

The Twins managed two more runs in the sixth off starter Phil Hughes, who struggled, but got the win, as the Yankee bullpen slammed the door shut. Granderson singled in his next two at bats, scorching a clean single to right field and beating out a dribbler between the mound and first base for his fifth and final hit of the evening.

The three donks gave Granderson six on the season, one ahead of a trio of pursuers. It was the first time in his career that he's hit three in a game and the third time he's had five hits. His effort was also the first for any player to hit three homers in a game at the new Yankee Stadium.

Having split the series with Minnesota, two games apiece, the Yankees head to Boston on Friday, to help in the celebration of Fenway's 100th anniversary. The Yanks take on the Red Sox at 3:15 pm.


National League

Freddie Freeman

After a slow start, Atlanta's Freddie Freeman is beginning to heat up.

Freeman had a homer and three RBI in Atlanta's win over the Mets on Wednesday, and in Thursday's opener of a four-game series in Arizona, he slugged two two-run shots and delivered an RBI double, going 3-for-5 with five RBI, leading the Braves to a 10-2 win.

The recent homer barrage were the first three of the season for Freeman, who belted 21 with 76 RBI as an Atlanta rookie last season.

Atlanta's win shaved a game off Washington's lead in the NL East, where the Braves are now in second place, at 8-5, after Houston bombed the Nationals, 11-4, handing them their fourth loss of the season against 10 wins. Atlanta has won three straight.

Freddie Freeman Knocks Out a Pair as Atlanta Downs Mets; Brent Morel Leads White Sox Past Indians

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Grapefruit League

The Atlanta Braves haven't had the best of springs, going 8-14 in the Grapefruit League before winning a 7-5 game over the Mets, a squad that has had an even worse exhibition season, at 6-15, after the loss.

Freddie Freeman

Atlanta's pitching staff is young, and should make strides as the regular season progresses, but their lineup has some significant bats sprinkled about it, including rising star Freddie Freeman, who poked a pair of long balls in the win over the Mets - a two-run job and a solo shot - in two at-bats. Freeman was issued free passes in his other two plate appearances, and he scored three runs and drove in three for the game.

Showing signs of future stardom in his first full season, Freeman batted .282 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI and is expected to be the Braves' middle-of-the-lineup power hitter for years to come, a quality find for Atlanta, especially since Chipper Jones has announced that 2012 will be his final season.

Cactus League

Brent Morel

White Sox third baseman Brent Morel socked a two-run, sixth-inning home run and singled and scored in three at-bats as the Sox topped the Cleveland Indians, 7-1, at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

The homer was Morel's first of the exhibition season, an encouraging sign for the second-year pro who figures to be Chicago's regular at the hot corner. In 2011, Morel cracked 10 homers and drove in 41 runs. His .245 batting average was a bit of a disappointment, but Morel is likely to become more of a contact hitter than a power specialist, so the upcoming regular season should be a proving ground as the White Sox intend to contend in the AL Central.

Batting .326 this spring, Morel is showing signs of becoming a fixture at third base for the White Sox for years to come.

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.

Hafner Grand Slam Produces 5-4 Win for Tribe; Freeman Leads Braves; Jeter at 2998

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 7, 2011

American League

Toronto pitchers kept Indians' hitters in check through the first eight innings of their game in Cleveland; unfortunately, a ball game lasts nine.

Travis Hafner

Entering the bottom of the 9th down 4-0, the Indians put together a rally, loading the bases on a single, double and a walk before Asdrubal Cabrera drove in the Indians' first run of the game with a single to shallow left. That left the table set for Travis Hafner, who went to the plate with two singles in four previous at-bats, but had no RBI or runs to show for his efforts.

All that changed when Hafner lauched a massive drive into the night air, driving the ball deep into the right field stands for his 12th career grand slam, and, more importantly, a stunning, walk-off, 5-4, victory.

Hafner, playing exclusively as a DH, is batting .347, though the number of at-bats fall short of qualifying him for inclusion in the batting title statistics. Because of minor injuries and interleague play, Hafner has only participated in 48 games and has only 150 at-bats, though he's got eight home runs and 35 RBI. The Indians maintained their 1 1/2 game lead over the Tigers in the AL Central. Detroit beat KC, 3-1, on Thursday.

National League

Freddie Freeman (R)

Atlanta has won four straight, nine of their last ten, and fresh Freddie Freeman is showing the way.

Freeman, a rookie first baseman, went 3-for-4, including his 13th home run of the season, a three-run, 3rd inning blast that erased a 2-0 Colorado lead as the Braves touched home five times in the inning.

Atlanta scored another run in the 5th, and Tim Hudson and a trio of relievers held the Rockies in check for the 6-3 win and a series sweep of the four games in Atlanta in which Colorado stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez were sidelined with injuries.

Batting .279 with 13 homers and 42 RBI, Freeman is putting in a solid bid for NL rookie of the year, while providing much-needed power for the Braves, who trail Philly by just 2 1/2 games in the torrid NL East. While chasing the Phillies, the Braves have built a 5-game lead over Arizona in the wild card standings.

JETER 3000 WATCH: Finally back in Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter wasted no time in his quest for 3000 hits, taking the first pitch he saw from Tampa starter Jeff Niemann into the left-center gap for a leadoff double. That hit put Jeter just two shy of the mark, but it also turned out to be his only hit of the game, as the Rays dominated the Yankees in a 5-1 win.

Jeter finished 1-for-5, but will have three more cracks at Tampa pitching before the squads set down for the all star break. With New York buzzing and Jeter's penchant for the dramatic, this should turn into a memorable weekend in the Big Apple.

Duensing, Valencia Lead Twins to 7-0 Win; Freddie Freeman Powers Atlanta

Players of the Day for Monday, July 4, 2011

American League

Danny Valencia

Brian Duensing

Brian Duensing scattered six hits and four walks, but prevailed in spinning his second career complete game shutout, as the Twins blanked Tampa Bay, 7-0.

Duensing (6-7), in his third season in the majors but his first as a full-time starter, worked out of jams repeatedly, striking out seven en route to the win.

He had help from teammate Danny Valencia, who has become a Twins' fixture at either third base or as DH. Valencia went 3-for-4 with a single, double and three-run, eighth inning homer, his 10th.

Minnesota is still struggling from a poor start and a variety of injuries to key players, remaining eight games back in the AL Central, with Chicago, Detroit and division-leading Cleveland in front of them.

National League

As the only team appearing to have any chance of catching the runaway Phillies in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves just keep finding ways to win.

Freddie Freeman

Remaining four games behind the Phillies in the division race with a 4-1 win over Colorado, the Braves rode the bat of rookie Freddie Freeman, who smashed a pair of home runs - his 10th and 11th - driving in three of Atlanta's four runs.

Freeman is batting a solid .272, with 11 homers and 38 RBI, though his pace of production has picked up of late. He's homered four times and driven in 11 runs in his past 10 games.

While the Braves may never catch the Phillies, they don't have to worry much about the rest of the division. The Marlins have fallen apart and they are 6 1/2 and 7 games in front of the Mets and Nationals, respectively.

The Braves lead the wild card standings by four games over Arizona and five better than the Milwaukee Brewers.

JETER 3000 WATCH: Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter was back in action Monday against the Cleveland Indians, but remained six shy of the 3000 hit mark, going 0-for-4 in his first game after missing 18 games on the disabled list.