ALCS: George Springer, Carlos Correa Lead Astros to 8-3 Game Four Win over Yankees

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 17, 2019

American League

Houston Astros 8 New York Yankees 3

Carlos Correa

George Springer and Carlos Correa each knocked three-run homers and that was enough to squash the Yankees in game four of the AL Championship Series.

George Springer

Springer unloaded off Yankee starter, Masahiro Tanaka in the third. Correa's three-run bomb was launched off reliever Chad Green. It was Correa's second homer of the series; Springer's was his first.

The result was the Astros with a 3-1 edge in the series, leaving the Yankees on the verge of elimination and the Astros poised to head to their second World Series in the past three years. Houston was the best team in baseball in 2017, defeating the LA Dodgers, four games to three.

The Washington Nationals await the winner of the AL series after sweeping the Cardinals four straight in the NLCS.

Game five is Friday at Yankee Stadium, 7:08 pm ET.

George Springer Leads Astros to MLB-Best Record; Cardinals Snag NL Central Behind Jack Flaherty

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 29, 2019

American League

Spinger: 4-4, HR, 2 RBI

With all the playoff spots and home fields already set in the AL, only one of the five playoff squads came up with a win on the final day of the regular season.

Houston, led by George Springer's 4-for-4 effort, bombed the Angels, 8-5, finishing with the best record in the majors, at 107-55.

The Astros scored in each of the first four innings and coasted to the win. Springer singled to open the game and scored on Jose Altuve's double. In the second, Springer spanked his 39th home run of the year, a solo shot that put the Astros up, 3-0. In the fourth, Springer doubled in a run and later scored. He finished with a fifth-inning infield single and was lifted for a pinch runner.

Houston's 107 wins are a franchise record, topping last season's mark of 103. In 2017, the Astros captured the first World Series in franchise history, dating back to 1962, when they were established as a National League expansion team known as the Colt .45s.

The Astros will host the first two games of the best-of-five division series starting Friday, October 4, facing the winner of the wild card contest between the A's and the Rays, which is scheduled for Wednesday, October 2.

The Yankees host Minnesota in the other divisional series, also starting on Friday, October 4.

National League

Flaherty clinches for Cards

It took until the final day of the season, but the St. Louis Cardinals are champions of the NL Central, ripping the Cubs, 8-0, behind yet another sparkling performance by Jack Flaherty, who has been one of the best pitchers in either league over the second half of the season.

Flaherty blanked the Cubs on two hits over seven innings while his teammates feasted on Chicago pitching, slugging three home runs as they scored in each of the first four innings.

Going 7-2 in his last 15 starts, Flaherty gave up just 10 earned runs over 99 1/3 innings for an ERA of 0.71. Over that span, Flaherty fanned 124 and walked 23 batters. For the year, he finished with 213 strikeouts.

St. Louis captured the division by two games over Milwaukee, who ended the regular season with a 4-3 loss at Colorado.

The Cardinals will open the best-of-five divisional series at Atlanta on Thursday, October 3, while the Nationals and Brewers play a one-game wild card playoff Tuesday, the winner advancing to meet the Dodgers in the other divisional series, which opens in Los Angeles, also on Thursday.

George Springer's 3 HRs Bring AL West Crown to Houston; Cody Bellinger Slams Rockies in Dodger Win

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 22, 2019

American League

Springer: 3 HR, 4 RBI

George Springer cracked a trio of home runs, leading the Houston Astros to a 13-5 victory over the LA Angels, securing the AL West pennant for the third consecutive season.

Springer led off the bottom half of the first inning with a solo homer, spanked a two-run shot in the second, and belted another solo shot in the fourth, giving him 38 homers on the year. Springer's four RBI upped his total to 94.

The Astros cruised to the win, their 102nd against 54 losses, clinching the division in their final home game of the regular season. They also hold a 1/2-game edge on the Yankees for the best record in the league and home field advantage through the playoffs.

Houston will finish on the road, with two games in Seattle and four in Anaheim against the Angels.

The Al wild card race tightened up, as Oakland and Tampa Bay both lost, as Cleveland downed the Phillies, 10-1. The A's hold a two-game edge on both the Rays and Indians. All three have six games left in the regular season.

National League

Bellinger: Grand Slam

With a 7-4 win over the visiting Rockies, the LA Dodgers won their 100th game of the season and need just two more wins - or Atlanta losses - to secure home field for the duration of their playoff run.

After starting pitcher, Hyun-Jin Ryu, tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot, the Dodgers loaded the bases for slugger Cody Bellinger, who promptly unloaded them with a grand slam, his 46th home run of the season.

Bellinger is third in home runs league-wide, trailing the Mets' Pete Alonso (50) and the Reds' Eugenio Suarez (48). His 114 RBI ranks seventh among NL hitters.

In other NL happenings, the St. Louis Cardinals secured a post-season berth after sweeping the Cubs in a four-game series in Chicago, winning Sunday's finale, 3-2. By sweeping the Cubs, the Cardinals eliminated Chicago from the NL Central race, which is now down to St. Louis and Milwaukee. The Cardinals lead the Brewers by three games with six games remaining.

Washington dropped a 5-3 decision at Miami, leaving them tied with the Brewers for the top wild card spot. The Cubs are four games back. The Phillies, Mets, and Diamondbacks are nearing elimination.

Brock Holt First To Hit For Post-Season Cycle In Boston Rout; George Springer Leads Astros; Manny Machado Powers Dodgers Into NLCS

Players of the Day for Monday, October 8, 2018

Holt hits for cycle

American League

Brock Holt became the first player ever to hit for the cycle in the post-season, completing his historic feat in the ninth inning with a home run off Yankee emergency reliever, catcher Austin Romine.

Romine was called to the mound due to the game's out-of-control condition, as Boston handed the Yankees the worst post-season loss in their long history, whipping the home squad 16-1.

Holt, batting seventh, didn't begin his assault on Yankee pitching until the fourth inning. After grounding out harmlessly in the second, Holt led off the fourth with a scratch single to center and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Mookie Betts. Later in the frame, he tripled in a pair of runs as the Red Sox plated seven runs.

After grounding out to first in the sixth inning, Holt lashed a ground rule double to center in the eighth, driving in two more runs and smacked his homer with one on base in the ninth.

The win left the Yankees down in the series two games to one, facing elimination when the teams meet at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. Game time is 8:07 pm ET. C.C. Sabathia goes to the mound for New York. Rick Porcello is the starter for the Red Sox.

Springer: 2 HR, 2 RBI

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Houston will be returning to the AL championship series for the second straight year after sweeping the Indians, finishing off the Central division champs with an 11-3 romp.

George Springer led a 13-hit attack with two solo homers and a single in six at-bats. He hit .429 over the three-games of the divisional series.

The Astros completely outclassed the Indians in the sweep, outscoring their opponent by a combined score of 21-6.

Machado: 2-4, HR, 4 RBI

Houston awaits the winner of the Boston-New York series in their quest to win a second straight AL championship.


National League

The Dodgers dusted off the Braves in game four of the divisional series with a 6-2 victory, as Manny Machado led the way, going 2-for-5 with four RBI.

Machado got the Dodgers going with an RBI double in the first, driving in Max Muncy, and finished off the Braves with a three-run homer in the seventh.

LA returns to the NL championship series for the third straight season, meeting the Brewers for the right to go to the world series. The best-of-seven series begins Friday in Milwaukee.

Cubs Stay Hot through Break, Shuffle Cards, 9-6, Behind Jason Heyward

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 19, 2018

National League

Heyward: 3-5, 2RBI, SB

Leading into the all star break, the Milwaukee Brewers lost six straight while the Cubs won four of six - including their last three straight - and took over the lead in the NL Central.

As play resumed following the mid-summer classic, the Cubs continued their surge with a 9-6 victory over the visiting Cardinals in the first of a five-game series.

Jason Heyward stroked three singles in five at-bats, drove in a pair of runs, stole a base and scored twice, helping the Cubs out-slug the struggling Cardinals, losers of four of their last five.

St. Louis is just a game over .500 (48-47) and has fallen 8 1/2 games off the pace being set by Chicago in the division. Manager Mike Matheny was fired last week, replaced by bench coach, Mike Shildt, who will run the team on an interim basis.

The Cards and Cubs renew their rivalry in game two, Friday, 2:20 pm EDT.


American League

There were no American League games Thursday. A full slate of games is scheduled for Friday, following the AL's 8-6, 10-inning victory over the National League in Tuesday's all star game.

It was the sixth straight win for the American League, the game featuring all but one run delivered by home runs, 10 in all, including solo shots by Houston teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer in the top of the 10th inning.

George Springer, Carlos Correa Power Astros To 10-0 Win; Javier Baez Leads Cubs Past Rockies

Carlos Correa

Players of the Day for Friday, April 20, 2017

American League

Winning their fourth straight - a no-doubt, 10-0 slaying of the White Sox in Chicago - the Houston Astros took back first place in the AL West as the Angels fell victim to the Giants, 8-1, and dropped 1/2-game back.

George Springer

While Justin Verlander was shutting out the Sox (6IP, 2H, 5K), George Springer and Carlos Correa were doing some heavy hitting at the plate.

Springer doubled in the fourth and sixth, driving in two runs with each two-bagger, and he was still on base when Correa launched the first of two homers later in the inning. Correa socked his fourth homer in the ninth, a solo shot which completed Houston's assault.

Correa was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs; Springer went 2-for-5 with two runs and four RBI.

The game was the opener of a three game series which continues Saturday at 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Javier Baez continues to emerge as an star in the National League.

Javier Baez

After back-to-back seasons in which the second baseman batted .273, Baez is rocking along at .290, though most impressive are his power numbers, which keep improving.

In the Cubs' 16-5 romp at Colorado, Baez, in six at-bats, singled twice, doubled and homered, driving in four runs and scoring twice.

The Cubs banged out 18 hits against four Colorado hurlers, and scored in every innings except the second, fourth, and seventh.

Baez homered for the sixth time this season, tying him for fourth with San Diego's Christian Villanueva and Atlanta's Ozzie Albez. His 20 RBI lead the lead.

In 2016, Baez hit 14 homers and drove in 59 runs in 142 games. Last season, in 145 games, he homered 23 times and drove in 75.

The Cobs and Rockies continue their series on Saturday. Game time is 8:10 pm EDT.

George Springer Leads Houston Astros To Game Seven Victory, World Series Championship

Players of the Day for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

World Series

George Springer's two-run homer in the second inning off Dodger starter, Yu Darvish, proved decisive as the Houston Astros captured the first World Series championship in franchise history, dating back to 1962, when they entered the National League as the Colt 45s.

Springer: World Series MVP

Houston's 5-1 victory was the first road win for either team.

Springer's blast - his fifth of the series - tied a World Series record held by Reggie Jackson and Chase Utley and capped a three-run, second inning uprising that sent Darvish to the showers early for the second time in the series.

Darvish lasted just 1 2/3 innings, the same span as in game three, when he allowed four runs on six hits in a 5-3 Houston win.

With the lead in hand, Houston's pitchers took over, keeping the Dodgers off the scoreboard until the sixth inning, when they plated their only run of the game, when Andre Ethier singled off Charlie Morton, sending home Joc Peterson.

Morton, who gave up just two hits over four innings, was credited with the win, his first of the series, striking out four and issuing one walk.

Especially early on, the Dodgers had their chances, but failed to come through in the clutch, leaving 10 men stranded for the game.

Springer, in addition to his five home runs, drove in seven runs and batted .379. He was named Most Valuable Player of the World Series.

Houston played in the National League from 1962 to 2012, then moved into the AL West division in 2013, losing 111 games in their first year in the new league, but they continued to build and improve. In 2014, they finished the regular season with a record of 70-92. In 2015, they went 86-76, finishing two games behind the Texas Rangers in the division, reaching the playoffs as a wild card.

In 2016, the Astros didn't make the playoffs, going 84-78, but rebounded to a record of 101-61 in 2017, winning the West division by a whopping 21 games. While Houston's regular season home record of 48-33 was impressive, the Astros were beasts on the road, going 53-28.

Houston defeated Boston in the ALDS, three games to one, but, in the championship series, were sent to a seventh game by the Yankees, winning a 4-0 shutout engineered by Charlie Morton, who took the win, allowing two hits over five innings. Lance McCullers completed the whitewash with four innings in relief, allowing only one hit.

The Astros will have ample time to enjoy their championship. Houston's first Spring training game isn't until March 3, 2018.

World Series: Houston Evens Series On George Springer Extra Inning Home Run

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 25, 2017

World Series

One of the wildest games in World Series history finally ended in the 11th inning as the Houston Astros took a 7-6 victory at Los Angeles, tying the Dodgers in the series at a game apiece.

Springer: 3-for-5, HR

The Dodgers took a 3-1 edge into the eighth inning, but after Carlos Correa singled home Alex Bregman in the eighth, a solo shot leading off the ninth by Marwin Gonzalez sent the game into extra innings.

In the 10th, balls began to leave Dodger Stadium with frequency. Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa belted back-to-back homers in the top of the 10th, but Los Angeles countered with a solo shot by Yasiel Puig and an RBI single by Enrique Hernandez tied the game again at five.

George Springer delivered the winning blow in the top of the 11th, a two-run home run off Dodger reliever, Brandon McCarthy. Chris Devensky got the first two outs in the bottom of the frame before surrendering a solo homer to Charlie Culberson. Devensky regained his poise, ending the game by striking out Yasiel Puig swinging.

Springer, Houston's leadoff batter, had one of his best post-season games, singling in the third inning to set up Houston's first run and doubling with the bases empty in the ninth. He finished 3-for-5, with two RBI, boosting his post=season average to a pedestrian .250, though Houston fans can take comfort that the leadoff man has broken out from an extended slump. Springer batted .285 with 34 home runs and 85 RBI during the regular season.

Thursday is a travel day for the teams, with game three set for an 8:09 pm ET start at Houston's Minute Maid Park on Friday.

Cody Bellinger Powers Dodgers To Sweep Of Arizona; George Springer Leads Houston Past Boston, 5-4

Players of the Day for Monday, October 9, 2017

American League

George Springer went 3-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a key at-bat as the Houston Astros rallied for a 5-4 win over Boston, taking the ALDS three games to one.

Springer: 3-4, Run, 1 RBI

Leading off the game with a double to deep center, Springer scored Houston's first run on a double play ball struck by Jose Altuve. The Red Sox responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, but Springer untied it with an RBI single in the second for a 2-1 lead.

The score remained the same until the fifth, when Andrew Benintendi scorched a two-run homer to right for a 3-2 Boston lead. In the eighth, Alex Bregman homered to tie the game at three, followed by a single by Evan Gattis. Cameron Maybin ran for Gattis. Springer drew a two-out walk after Maybin took second on a wild pitch. Josh Reddick drove home Maybin with Houston's fourth run, stranding Springer at third.

In the top of the eighth, Carlos Beltran's pinch hit double drove home what would prove to be the game-winner, as Rafael Devers hit an inside-the-park homer in the bottom of the ninth.

Springer had a sensational regular season as Houston's primary leadoff hitter, batting .283 with 34 home runs, 85 RBI and 112 runs.

The Astros will have to wait until Wednesday to see who they will play in the league championship series as the Yankees forced game five in Cleveland, taking their second straight in New York with a 7-3 win over the Indians, tying the series at two games apiece.

National League

Bellinger: HR, 2 RBI

Max Scherzer took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but the Cubs rallied for a run in the seventh and another in the eighth for a 2-1 win over Washington and a 2-1 lead in the NLDS series.

Later in the eventing, the LA Dodgers completed the three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks with a 3-1 victory.

Cody Bellinger drove in a first-inning run on a ground out and homered off Zack Greinke in the fifth, providing all the runs Dodger starter, You Darvish, and four relievers, would need. Darvish gave up one run on two hits over five innings, fanning seven. Darvish took the win. Kenley Jansen recorded his second save of the series, allowing a hit but fanning two in a scoreless ninth inning.

Bellinger was the team leader in home runs, swatting 39 with 97 RBI. The 22-year-old is almost certain to be awarded Rookie of the Year honors.

The Dodgers await the winner of the Chicago-Washington series for the NLCS. The Nationals host the Cubs in game four on Tuesday, at 5:38 pm ET. Chicago can wrap up the series with a win.

Jesus Aguilar Knocks In 7, Brewers Bomb Yankees; George Springer Leads Astros In 11-2 Romp Over Jays

Players of the Day for Friday, July 7, 2017

American League

What the Houston Astros are doing to the West division and the rest of the American League is almost embarrassing.

After dropping the opener of a four game series in Toronto, 7-4, on Thursday, the Astros came roaring back on Friday night with an offensive outburst, plating eight runs in the first two innings en route to an 11-2 smackdown of the Blue Jays.

As has been the case all too often this season, leadoff hitter George Springer was at the center of the action, going 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs, five RBI and four runs.

Springer: 4-4, 2HR, 5RBI

Springer, who is averaging .307, led off the game with a single and scored on a Carlos Correa's home run to open what turned into a rout.

In the second, Springer launched a three-run blast - his 26th - as the Astros scored six runs in the inning. He doubled and scored on a single by Josh Reddick in the third, drove in another run with a sac fly in the fifth and capped off his perfect night at the plate with a his 27th home run, a solo shot to right center in the seventh.

The win left the Astros with an absurd 16 1/2 game lead over the Angels and Rangers in the West. Toronto remained tied with Baltimore for last place in the AL East, 9 1/2 games behind Boston.

On Saturday, the Blue Jays and Astros play game three, at 1:07 pm ET at the Rogers Centre.

National League

Extending their winning streak to five straight, the Milwaukee Brewers rolled into New York for a three=game series against the Yankees with their bats booming, taking game one with a 9-4 knockout.

Aguilar: 2 HR, 7 RBI

While the Yankees are being called the "Baby Bombers" the Milwaukee squad is also one of the youngest teams in the league, surprisingly leading the NL Central by 4 1/2 games over the Cubs.

One of those young stars is 27-year-old Jesus Aguilar, who broke out for a career high seven RBI, swatting a pair of home runs, adding a single to go 3-for-4.

Technically a rookie, Aguilar spent small parts of the last three seasons with the Indians, spending the bulk of this time with Colorado in the AAA International League. After getting just six plate appearances in 2016, the Indians dealt him to the Brewers, who brought him right up to the bigs at the start of the season, though he's platooned at first base with veteran Eric Thames, getting primary playing time against left-handers.

In the fourth inning, Aguilar put the Brewers up 2-1 with his first homer of the game, a two-run belt off Yankee starter, Jordan Montgomery. The Yankees made it 4-2 on Aaron Judge's 30th homer of the year in the fifth, but the Brewers tied it in the sixth when Ryan Braun scored on a wild pitch by Tyler Clippard and Aguilar brought home Travis Shaw with a sac fly.

In the seventh, Aguilar went to the plate against Clippard again, this time reaching the seats for a grand slam, his ninth home hun of the year, essentially ending the contest.

The Milwaukee bullpen held the Yankees scoreless the remainder of the game. Overall, New York totaled only four hits, although two of them were home runs, accounting for three of the four runs they scored.

The loss was the third straight for the Yanks, who have been absolutely horrible over the past three weeks, losing 17 of 23 since June 13. They trail the Red Sox by 4 1/2 in the AL East.

Milwaukee is headed in the opposite direction, winning eight of their last nine. Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for 1:05 pm ET, Saturday afternoon in the Bronx.

George Springer, Josh Reddick Power Astros; Stephen Strasburg Fans 13 As Nationals Club Cubs, 8-4

Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Springer socks 24th HR

American League

On a breakneck pace (53-26) to win 108 or 109 games, the Houston Astros continued their domination of the AL West with an 11-8 win over visiting Oakland.

Houston, 9-2 against the A's this season, got plenty of offense from the top two hitters in their lineup, George Springer and Josh Reddick.

Reddick: 3 RBI, 2 SB

Springer lashed a pair of doubles and his 24th home run, drove in two runs and scored three times, while Reddick singled three times, drove in three runs, stoa pair of bases and scored twice.

Springer is second in the AL in home runs behind Arron Judge, who belted his 27th on Wednesday. Reddick is batting .305, well beyond his .259 career average.

The Astros have won seven of their last nine and evened their three game series with the visiting A's at a game apiece with the rubber game scheduled for Thursday, 2:10 pm ET. Houston leads the AL West by a staggering 12 1/2 games.

National League

Stephen Strasburg got plenty of help from his position players as the Washington Nationals doubled up on the visiting Cubs, with an 8-4 win, taking a 2-1 lead in their four game series.

9-2 Strasburg fans 13

Strasburg worked seven full innings, improving to 9-2 on the year, as his teammates built an early 6-0 lead off Chicago starter, John Lackey. The Cubs didn't get to Strasburg until the fourth inning, when Willson Contreras connected for a two-run homer. Strasburg would give up another run in the fifth, though it was unearned. Overall, he allowed just four hits, walked one and struck out 13.

At one point, Strasburg fanned six straight, putting down the Cubs in order on strikes through the second and third innings. The win tied Strasburg with teammate Max Scherzer, Arizona's Zack Greinke, and Colorado's Antonio Senzatella for at nine victories, all chasing LA's Clayton Kershaw, who is 11-2. His strikeout total for the season now stands at 122, one behind Kershaw, but well distant from Scherzer, who leads the league with 151.

The Cubs trail Milwaukee by one game in the central, while the Nationals continue to lead the NL East by 9 1/2 over the Braves. The series concludes Thursday at Nationals Park, first pitch scheduled for 4:05 pm ET.

George Springer Powers Astros To 10th Straight; Ender Inciarte 5-for-5 In Atlanta Victory

Players of the Day for Sunday, June 4, 2017

American League

This must be the year of the leadoff power hitter.

Springer: Leadoff slugger

In the National League, there's Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies, who routinely rocks opposing pitchers.

The American League has one of their own, similarly, playing in the West conference and on a contender, Houston's George Springer is among the leaders in home runs and RBI.

In Houston's 7-2 win at Texas Sunday, Springer was the catalyst leading off the game with a solo homer - his 15th - singling in another run in the second inning and popping a second solo shot in the fourth (#16), as the Astros built a 6-0 lead en route to their 10th straight victory and a whopping 13 1/2 game lead in the AL West.

Springer's totals are eye-popping, especially for a leadoff hitter. He's tied for third in home runs and his 37 RBI are tied - with New York's Matt Holliday and Tampa Bay's Logan Morrison - for eighth. He has one more RBI than Mike Trout.

Houston's streak has them playing .719 ball, with a record of 41-16, easily the best in the majors. After taking three of four from Detroit, they've swept the Orioles, Twins and Rangers, the last two on the road. Taking their road show to Kansas City, the Astros open a four game series with the last place Royals on Monday at 8:15 pm ET.

National League

Inciarte: 5-for-5

While on the subject of slugging leadoff hitters, Ender Inciarte of the Atlanta Braves would like to add his name to the list after going 5-for-5 with five RBI in Atlanta's 13-8 victory at Cincinnati, closing out the three game series with a 2-1 edge.

Reds' pitchers simply couldn't keep Inciarte off the bases. He singled and scored in the first, singled in a run in the second, socked a three-run homer in the third, was intentionally walked in the fifth, singled again in the seventh and capped off his day with an RBI single in the ninth.

Inciarte, in his fourth year as Atlanta's center fielder, deserves notice, if not for his power, but all-around solid play. A career .293 batting average, 66 stolen bases, 497 hits and 247 runs in 1698 at-bats are close to all-star level numbers.

Atlanta's win gave them sole possession of second place in the NL East, though they trail the Nationals by 10 1/2 games. Cincy dropped into a tie for last place with Pittsburgh in the Central, but they are only four games behind division leader, Milwaukee.

The Reds stay home to host the Cardinals for four games starting Monday, while the Braves head home for a pair of four-game series, starting with the Phillies on Monday, followed by the Mets, Friday, with a double header on Saturday.