World Series Game Five: Houston Storms to 3-2 Series Edge Behind Gerrit Cole's Seven Innings

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 27, 2019

World Series, Game 5

Cole fans 9 in Gave Five

Houston Astros 7 Washington Nationals 1

Bouncing back from his first loss since May 22, Gerrit Cole worked seven powerful innings to earn the win in game five of the World Series, as the Astros won their third straight over the Nationals, 7-1.

In game one, Cole took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits and a walk as the Nationals won, 5-4. It was a different result for game five, as Cole dominated, striking out nine while allowing three hits. Washington didn't score until the seventh inning, when Juan Soto launched a home run to center with one out.

Cole had command of all his pitches, throwing 71 of 110 for strikes. After escaping a one-out, first and third situation in the second inning via a double play, Cole did not allow a Washington hit until Soto's seventh inning homer. Cole put down the Nationals in order in the first, third, fifth and sixth innings.

Cole was 20-5 during the regular season and is 4-1 in the 2019 post-season with a 1.72 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.

Houston's offense was powered by home runs. Yordan Alvarez, who was 3-for-3 on the night, started the long-ball barrage with a two-run liner to center in the second inning off Washington starter, Joe Ross. Carlos Correa followed with the second two-run belt off Ross with a blast to right in the fourth.

After Yuri Guriel knocked in George Springer from third with a single in the eighth, Springer whacked the third two-run rip for Houston in the ninth, completing the scoring.

Houston, after losing games one and two at home, has responded with three straight wins at Nationals Park, outscoring the home team in those three games, 19-1, and has rebounded to a 3-2 lead in the series.

When play resumes Tuesday night in Houston (8:07 pm ET), the Astros will be looking to win their second World Series in three years; the Nationals will be facing elimination or forcing a game seven, also, if necessary, at Houston.

Justin Verlander is expected to take the mound for the Astros in game six. The Nationals will start Stephen Strasberg.

ALDS: Gerrit Cole Pitches Astros In ALCS To Meet Yankees

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 10, 2019

American League

Houston Astros 6 Tampa Bay Rays 1

Cole Wins Game Five

In the decisive game five of the AL Divisional Series, Houston starter, Gerrit Cole, was brilliant, allowing two hits and one run over eight innings of dazzling mound mastery, as the Houston Astros defeated Tampa Bay, moving on to the Championship Series against the NY Yankees.

Cole, fanned 10 and walked two, throwing 74 of 107 pitches for strikes before being lifted after eight innings.

Houston jumped out to a four run lead in the bottom of the first and Cole dominated the Rays to maintain the lead. Solo homers by Michael Brantley and Jose Altuve in the eighth increased the margin to seal the win.

Cole previously won game two of the series, shutting out the Rays on four hits, striking out 15, in 7 2/3 innings, for a 3-1 Houston victory. Cole, the leading Cy Young award candidate, was 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts during the regular season.

The home team won all five games in the series, Houston taking a 2-0 lead before Tampa countered with two wins at Tropicana Field.

The championship series begins Saturday in Houston, the Astros earning home field by winning 107 games during the regular season to the Yankees 103. Houston will host games one and two. Games three, four, and five (if necessary) will be at Yankees Stadium in New York. If needed, games six and seven would be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

National League

There were no National League games on Thursday. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Washington Nationals in game one of their best-of-seven Championship Series, Friday, 8:08 pm ET.

ALDS: Didi Gregorius Slams Twins in Yankee Romp; Gerrit Cole Fans 15 in Houston Victory

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 5, 2019

Gregorious socks slam

American League

NY Yankees 8 Minnesota Twins 2

Didi Gregorius socked a third inning grand slam as the Yankees erupted for seven runs in the frame and never looked back, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Masahiro Tanaka struck out seven over five innings of work, earning the win. Tanaka allowed three hits and one earned run.

With the win, New York is one game away from sweeping the Twins, champions of the AL Central division. The series resumes Monday in Minnesota.

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Houston Astros 3 Tampa Bay Rays 1

Cole: 15 Ks

Gerrit Cole fanned 15, dominating the Tampa Bay Rays over 7 2/3 innings, leading the Astros to their second straight post-season victory.

Cole gave up four hits, blanking Tampa until he was lifted with two down in the eighth inning after allowing a Kevin Kiermaier double and a walk to Willy Adames. Roberto Osuna struck out Yandy Diaz to end the threat.

Alex Bregman ripped a solo homer leading off the fourth to give Houston a 1-0 lead. RBI singles by Martin Maldonado in the seventh and Carlos Correa in the eighth padded the Astros' lead.

The Rays loaded the bases after scoring a run in the top of the ninth, but Will Harris struck out Travis d'Arnaud and got Kiermaier on a ground out to first.

The teams travel to Tampa Bay on Sunday, the series resuming Monday. Houston can move on to the AL Championship Series with a win.


National League

There were no National League games on Saturday. NLDS continues Sunday. St. Louis hosts Atlanta at 4:05 pm ET; Washington hosts the LA Dodgers at 7:45 pm ET. Both series are tied 1-1.

Houston's Gerrit Cole Wins 15th Straight Decision; Trea Turner Leads Nationals to Two Wins Over Phillies

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 24, 2019

American League

Cole: 15 straight wins

Winning his 15th straight decision, Houston's Gerrit Cole blanked the Seattle Mariners on two hits over seven innings, striking out 14 in a 3-0 Houston win.

Cole (19-5, 2.52) didn't issue any walks and threw 101 pitches in what should be his final start of the season. Houston would likely use him as the starter in the playoff opener next week. Cole leads the majors in strikeouts with 316, and hasn't been on the wrong end of a decision since May 22. He's 4-0 in five September starts.

The win put the Astros up 1 1/2 games over the Yankees for the best record in the American League. Houston is 103-54; the Yankees - 2-1 losers at Tampa Bay Tuesday - are 102-56.

Houston has won eight of its last nine. After closing out their series in Seattle Wednesday, the Astros finish the regular season with four games against the Angels in Anaheim. The Yankees also finish on the road. They have one more game in Tampa on Wednesday, Thursday off, and close out at Texas over the weekend.

In the wild card race, Oakland lost to the Angels, 3-2, while Cleveland slaughtered the White Sox, 11-0. The A's lead Tampa Bay by 1/2 game and Cleveland by one.

National League

Turner powers Nationals

Taking both ends of a double-header from the visiting Phillies, the Washington Nationals increased their lead in the NL wild card to one full game over the hard-charging Milwaukee Brewers.

Leadoff batter, Trea Turner, did it all for the Nationals, going 3-for-4 in the opener with a single and two doubles, scoring twice in the 4-1 win, and slugging a sixth-inning grand slam to lead Washington to a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.

Turner is having a solid season, batting .298 with 18 home runs, 55 RBI, 94 runs, and 34 stolen bases. He's stepped it up for the stretch run, batting a robust .406 with four homers, eight RBI and 10 runs in his last seven games.

Washington's taken three straight from the Phillies in their five-game series, but the damage has already been done, the National;s eliminating Philadelphia and their $200 million payroll from the playoffs. The Nats and Brewers each have five games remaining, the intrigue being whether the Brewers can catch the Cardinals in the NL Central, where they trail St. Louis by 2 1/2 games. St. Louis, a 3-2 loser in 19 innings at Arizona, has just four games left, three of them this weekend against the reeling Cubs, losers of seven straight.

Milwaukee has won five straight and is 16-2 since September 6. On Tuesday, they topped Cincinnati, 4-2, and will finish on the road, with two more against the Reds and three in Colorado over the weekend.

Cardinals Rip Brewers As Paul Goldschmidt Drives in 7; Gerrit Cole 17-5 After Houston Downs Royals

Players of the Day for Friday, September 13, 2019

American League

Cole's 292 Ks leads majors

Gerrit Cole notched his 17th win against five losses, blanking the Royals over seven innings as the Astros inched closer to the AL West crown with a 4-1 win in Kansas City.

Cole was cruising along until the Royals scored an unearned run in the eighth inning, but George Springer made the difference, socking a three-run homer in the top of the ninth. Roberto Osuna came on in the ninth to complete the task, earning his 33rd save with a scoreless inning of relief.

Cole won his 10th straight, fanning 11. It was the sixth straight start in which Cole hit double digits in strikeouts and the 18th time this season. He leads the majors with 292 strikeout victims.

Houston maintained its 7 1/2-game lead over Oakland, as the A's out-slugged Texas, 14-8. The Astros' magic number to clinch the division is seven.

Kansas City hosts the Astros in game two of the three-game series Saturday at 7:15 pm ET.

National League

Goldschmidt: 2 HR, 7 RBI

Late August, St. Louis took command of the NL Central division, winning nine of 10, bypassing the Cubs and Brewers as they vaulted into first place. Maintaining their lead since August 27, the Cards have cooled off a bit, going 10-6, but they solidified their hold on first place Friday with a 10-0 romp over Milwaukee, snapping the Brewers' seven-game winning streak.

Adam Wainwright hurled six scoreless innings and Paul Goldschmidt smashed two homers and drove in seven runs as the Cardinals opened their final series of the season with Milwaukee with a no-doubt-about-it conquest.

Wainwright (12-9) allowed just two hits and fanned seven, while Goldschmidt socked a third-inning grand slam and mashed a three-run homer in the sixth. Acquired from San Diego in the off-season, Goldschmidt has provided power to the middle of the St. Louis lineup. He has 31 homers and 89 RBI on the year.

The win left the Cardinals four in front of the Cubs in the division, dropping Milwaukee to five off the pace.

The Cardinals lead the season series with the Brewers, 10-7. They'll wrap it up Saturday and Sunday in in St. Louis.

Gerrit Cole, Jordan Alvarez Lead Houston to 22-1 Blowout of Mariners; Jack Flaherty Rolls, Cardinals Slash Pirates, 2-0

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 8, 2019

American League

Cole fans 15

Gerrit Cole allowed one hit and struck out 15, and the Houston Astros exploded for 22 hits in a 21-1 blowout of the Seattle Mariners.

Alvarez: 3 doubles, 6 RBI

Cole, 16-5, was perfect except for a second-inning solo homer by Shed Long. He did not walk anyone and threw 68 of 96 pitches for strikes, getting first pitch strikes on 18 of the 25 batters he faced. In his last 18 starts, he's 12-0, dating back to May 27. His strikeout total grew to 281, which leads the majors.

On the offensive side, Houston rang up 11 doubles, three of them by rookie Yordan Alvarez, who went 4-for-6 and drove in six runs. Alvarez is a big-time candidate for rookie of the year in the AL, batting .314 with 22 home runs and 70 RBI in just 258 at-bats.

Houston is 16-1 against the Mariners this season and have won 11 straight head-to-head. The season series closes out on September 24-25, with two games in Seattle.

Looking to wrap up their third straight LA West title, Houston holds a 9 1/2-game bulge on Oakland. The A's arrive in Houston Monday for a four-game series against the Astros. Game one starts at 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Flaherty blanks Pirates

Extending his scoreless streak to 18 innings, Cardinals' hurler, Jack Flaherty, delivered eight innings of shutout ball in a 2-0 St. Louis win at Pittsburgh, taking two of three from the Pirates in their final head-to-head series of the season.

Flaherty allowed five hits and one walk, hit a batter, and was picked off first base after a successful bunt advanced runners to second and third bases. He fanned 10 for the third time this season.

While his base-running might have been questionable, Flaherty's pitching was outstanding, a trait developing over his last eight starts, dating back to August first. Over that span, he's 6-1, with an ERA of 0.50, having worked 54 innings and given up just three earned runs. His scoreless streak dates back to August 28, when he finished a six-inning stint with a pair of goose eggs in a 4-1 loss to Milwaukee.

On September 3, he gave up one hit to the Giants over eight innings in a 1-0 St. Louis victory.

Combined with the Cubs' 8-5 loss at Milwaukee, the Cardinals have opened up a 4 1/2-game lead in the Central division, which, until a few weeks ago, had been a see-saw battle between St. Louis, Chicago, and the Brewers. Milwaukee is 6 1/2 back in the division and tied with the Phillies, two behind Chicago for the second wild card. Arizona is only 1 1/2 behind the Cubs.

Since August 18, the Cardinals are 17-5, while the Cubs and Brewers have not been able to keep pace. After a day off Monday, St. Louis opens a three-game series in Colorado with the Rockies.

Gerrit Cole Fans 12 As Houston Tames Tigers; Noah Syndergaard 2-Hits Indians for Mets' Sweep

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 22, 2019

American League

Cole: 15-5, 3.20, 238 Ks

While the Oakland A's were busy wrapping up a three-game sweep of the Yankees with 5-3 win, Gerrit Cole and the Houston Astros were doing their best to remain atop the AL West with a 6-3 win over Detroit.

The win wrapped up the series with the visiting Tigers, with Houston taking three of four.

A leading Cy Young candidate, Cole worked seven innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs. He fanned 12 Tigers, marking the fifth time this season he's struck out at least 12 in a game.

Cole was serving up the whiffs right from the start, fanning two in each of the first and second innings before striking out the side in the third. He gave up one walk and finished with 238 strikeouts, one behind teammate Justin Verlander, who leads the majors.

Cole is 15-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 26 starts and he's won 11 straight, his last loss coming on May 22, a 9-4 loss to the White Sox.

Houston's win kept them seven up on the Athletics in the division. With the Yankees losing four straight, Houston has crept to within one game for the overall best record in the league, which would ensure home field throughout the playoffs.

The Astros host the Angels for three over the weekend with game one starting at 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Syndergaard Stops Tribe

Completing a three-game sweep of Cleveland, the New York Mets continue to amaze the baseball world, winning their fifth straight with a 2-0, rain-shortened win over the Indians.

Noah Syndergaard took a no-hitter into the sixth, gave up a pair of singles, but closed out the inning without allowing Cleveland a run.

Jeurys Familia and Paul Sewald set down the Indians in the seventh and eighth. The game was called with the Mets batting, two on base and no outs in the eighth.

Syndergaard improved to 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA and his best performance since one-hitting the Rockies over seven innings on June 9th.

The Mets have earned their way into the playoff race. They are 27-10 since the all-star break and are 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card slot. Washington leads the wild card, 1 1/2 ahead of the Cardinals.

NL East's first place team, the Atlanta Braves, visit Citi Field and the Mets this weekend for a three-game series. Game one is Friday at 7:10 pm ET.

Gary Sanchez Homers Twice As Yankees Even Series With Boston; Gerrit Cole Stymies Indians In Houston Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 7, 2018

Sanchez: 2 HR, 4 RBI

American League

Yankees 6 Red Sox 2

Gary Sanchez socked a pair of homers and drove in four runs as the Yankees evened their series at Boston at a game apiece. After Aaron Judge homered in the first, Sanchez belted a solo shot in the second to put the Yankees up 2-0. With New York leading, 3-1, in the seventh, Sanchez delivered the kill shot, blasting a three-run, 479-foot bomb to center field. Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were aboard for the ride.

Masahiro Tanaka picked up the win for the Yanks, allowing one run on three hits over five innings. Boston starter, David Price, lasted just 1 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs on three hits and a pair of walks.

The series shifts to New York on Monday for game three.

Cole: 7 IP, 1 ER. 12 K

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Astros 3 Indians 1

Gerrit Cole spun magic on the mound as Houston took a two-games-to-none lead over the visiting Cleveland Indians in the AL divisional series, working seven innings for the win.

Cole allowed a mere three hits and one run, fanning 12 without surrendering a walk. Cole threw 70 of 98 pitches for strikes, most of which the Cleveland batters could not handle, their only run coming on a third inning solo home run by Francisco Lindor. After the Lindor homer, Cole retired 13 of the next 14 batters he faced, striking out the side in the fourth and fanning two each in the fifth and sixth innings.

Alex Bregman homered for the second straight game, socking a solo shot in the seventh inning. Marwin Gonzalez went 4-for-4 and drove in two runs with a double in the sixth that gave Houston a 2-1 lead.

Houston will be seeking a sweep of the five-game series when the teams meet Monday in Cleveland for game three.


National League

There were no games in the National League on Saturday. The Dodgers lead the Braves, two games to none, and the Brewers have the same edge over the Rockies.

Both series continue Sunday, with the Dodgers at Atlanta (8:07 pm ET) and the Brewers at Colorado (4:37 pm ET). A win by either Los Angeles or Milwaukee would constitute a sweep of the best-of-five series.

Jose Bautista Lead Blue Jays Past Orioles; Gerrit Cole Throws Seven Scoreless as Pirates Down Cardinals

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 6, 2015

American League


There is absolutely no letup in the AL East competition between the Blue Jays and Yankees. On Sunday, both teams took wins, the Yankees coming from behind to defeat the Rays at Yankee Stadium, 6-4, while the Blue Jays were dusting off the Orioles up in Toronto, 10-4.

Bautista: HR, 3RBI

Cole: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER

Baltimore used six relievers after starter Chris Tillman lasted only three innings, giving up six runs on eight hits. Toronto's assault was spearheaded by Jose Bautista, who smacked his 33rd homer of the season with one aboard in the first inning to put the Jays up 3-0. In the third, Bautista walked and scored on a Troy Tulowitski home run. Bautista doubled in another run and scored again in the sixth inning, finishing 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI.

Bautista's RBI total stands at 94, second on the team and just one ahead of teammate Edwin Encarnacion. The two are fourth and fifth in the league, respectively. Another Blue Jay, Josh Donaldson, leads the major with 114 RBI.

Both the Blue Jays and Yankees completed their series on Sunday, winning two of three. Toronto starts a three-game series in Boston on Monday. The Yankees host Baltimore.

National League

Gerrit Cole threw seven innings of shutout ball as the Pirates tried to apply the brakes to the season-long runaway freight train that has been the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cole allowed two hits, three walks, and struck out seven, leading Pittsburgh to a 7-1 win over the Central division front runners. In he process, Cole earned his 16th win against eight losses and the Pirates gained to within 5 1/2 games in the division race.

Pittsburgh took two of three in the series at St. Louis, but still faces an uphill battle to catch the Cardinals. The two teams will meet just three more times this season, in a series at Pittsburgh September 28-30, the second-last series of the season for both teams.

Having logged 180 innings already, the Pirates will be looking to Cole down the stretch and into the playoffs for deep starts. If they can't catch the Cardinals, Pittsburgh is still looking at the wild card. They lead the Cubs by three games for the first wild card spot and home field in the one-game playoff. The Washington Nationals are the next in line, but they are a full 10 1/2 games behind Pittsburgh.

The Pirates open a three-game series in Cincinnati on Monday, while the Cardinals host the Cubs.

Shane Victorino Leads Red Sox in 12-2 Win over Rays; Rookie Hurler Gerrit Cole Stuffs Cardinals in 7-1 Pirate Victory

Players of the Day for Friday, October 4, 2013

American League

Banging out 14 hits, the Boston Red Sox stopped the Tampa Bay road show at Fenway Park with a 12-2 win in the opening game of their best-of-five divisional series.

Victorino: 3-for-4

The Rays had won in Texas on Monday to get into the playoffs and then handled Cleveland on Wednesday night, taking claim of the wild card playoff, but the party ended in the bottom of the fourth when the Red Sox plated five runs after Tampa had taken an early 2-0 lead. The Sox tacked on three more in the fifth and four more runs in the eighth, turning the game into a romp for the team which finished with the best record in the AL.

All nine Red Sox batters had at least one hit; Shane Victorino had three, all singles, in four at-bats, with two RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. Boston didn't have any home runs. Nine of their 14 hits were singles; Tampa Bay pitchers issued five walks. Jon Lester took the win, going 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on just three hits, and three walks, whiffing seven Rays batters.

Game two is Saturday at Fenway, 5:37 pm EDT.

In the other AL divisional series, the Tigers got off to a good start by taking game one at Oakland by a 3-2 score. Max Scherzer got the win, striking out 11 over seven innings, walking two and allowing two runs on three hits. Game two is Saturday at 9:07 pm EDT.

National League

Gerrit Cole

Rookie hurler, Gerrit Cole, limited the St. Louis Cardinals to just two hits - one of them a fifth-inning, solo homer by Yadier Molina - over six innings, as the Pittsburgh Pirates evened the divisional series at a game apiece with a 7-1 victory at Bush Stadium.

Cole, who was 10-7 during the regular season and making his first post-season start, stymied the Cardinals throughout his six frames. After Carlos Beltran doubled with one out in the first inning, Cole set down the next 11 consecutive batters, retiring the side in order in the second, third and fourth innings. Molina's homer led off the fifth, but Cole got the next three batters and retired after an uneventful walk to Matt Carpenter in the sixth.

Manager Clint Hurdle made the move in the top of the seventh, pinch-hitting for Cole with a 6-1 lead. Three Pittsburgh relievers mopped up, each throwing a scoreless inning.

Tied at 1-1, the series moves to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Game time is 4:37 pm EDT.

Hanley Ramirez drove in all of the runs for the Dodgers, but he could have used some help as the Braves tied the series with Los Angeles at a game apiece with a 4-3 win at Turner Field in Atlanta. Mike Minor got the win for Atlanta, scattering eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run. The series shifts to Los Angeles on Sunday at 5:07 pm PDT.

Today's Trivia: The Amazin' Mets, who captured the 1969 World Series, fielded two players who had won rookie of the year awards. Who were they? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The three prior rookies of the year on the 1977 Yankees were Lou Pineilla (1969, KC), Thurman Munson (1970, Yankees), and Chris Chambliss (1971, Cleveland).