Matt Holliday Powers Cards to Top in NL Central; Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence Rip in 15-5 Giants' Win; Clay Buchholz Goes Distance

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 31, 2014

American League

Buchholz: 3-hit ShO

Sadly, Clay Buchholz's 3-hit shutout of the Rays will not be remembered in the annals of great Boston performances, as the Red Sox have long since fallen out of contention, their 60-76 record leaving them 19 1/2 back and in last place in the AL East.

Buchholz did everything right in Boston's 3-0 victory, getting 23 first-pitch strikes on the 29 batters he faced, throwing 69 of 98 pitches for strikes, fanning six without walking a batter.

It hasn't been the best of season for either the Red Sox or Buchholz, who improved to just 6-8 while lowering his ERA to 5.40.

Buchholz allowed hits in the first, fourth and sixth inning, but, after Jose Molina singled, leading off the sixth, Buchholz mowed down the remaining Tampa hitters in order, getting the last 12 in a row, to finish with a flourish.

Elsewhere in the division, Baltimore extended their lead - the largest in the majors - to nine games over the Yankees with a 12-8 win over the Twins while the Bombers were losing to Toronto, 4-3. In case anyone wants to start counting, the Orioles' magic number to clinch the AL East outright is 19.

Hunter Pence

National League

Matt Holliday

It's getting crowded at the top in the NL Central, West and wild card races.

The Giants completed the three-game sweep of the Brewers with a 15-5 trouncing, pounding a parade of weary Milwaukee pitchers for 16 hits and five bases on balls, dropping the Brewers into a tie for first place in the Central division with the Cardinals, 9-2 winners over the Cubs.

Pablo Sandoval

Leading the Giants were Hunter Pence, who singled, doubled twice, tripled, drove in two runs and scored three times in five at-bats, and Pablo Sandoval, who went 3-for-3 with a single, triple and a two-run homer, driving in three. Both players scored three times in the rout, the Giants' sixth straight win, leaving them 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the West but atop the wild card race, with a game edge over either the Brewers or Cardinals. Atlanta trails San Francisco by 2 1/2 in the wild card. Pittsburgh is three out.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals rode the bat of red-hot Matt Holliday, who singled, homered, doubled and drove in four runs in the Cardinals second straight win over the Cubs, splitting the series, two games apiece.

Holliday homered twice on Saturday, has four homers in his last five games and has nine RBI in just his last two games. He has 16 homers and 78 RBI on the season. He's hit safely in nine of his last ten games, going 13-for-40 (.325) with 16 RBI.

As the calendar turns to September, on Monday, all NL contenders oen three-game series. St. Louis stays home to host the Pirates, Milwaukee heads to Colorado, the Brewers go to Chicago to play the Cubs, while the Dodgers host NL East-leading Washington.

The Giants could end the day riding an eight-game win streak, as they will be finishing a game with the Rockies that was suspended with the score tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the sixth inning, from May 22, prior to their regularly-scheduled start. The additional game due the Giants could - in the case of a win - put additional pressure on the Dodgers and the teams battling for the wild card.

Madison Bumgarner, Hunter Pence Pace Giants over Mets, 9-0; Minnesota's Danny Santana Standout in Twins 16-3 Win at Chisox

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 3, 2014

American League

Danny Santana

Giving up 32 runs in a three-game series isn't likely to earn your team any pathways to the post-season, especially when the team that's beating you is at the bottom of your division and they're doing it to you in your home ballpark.

That's what the Chicago White Sox must ponder when looking back on the weekend that wasn't, losing two of three to the Twins, the Sunday finale a massive, 16-3, Minnesota blowout.

Minnesota amassed 23 hits in all, getting a bunch from leadoff hitter, Danny Santana, who went 5-for-6 with a double, triple, four RBI, two runs and a couple of stolen bases.

Making a late bid for rookie of the year honors, Santana was called up from A ball earlier this season. In 52 major league games he's batting .325, with 13 doubles, three triples, five homers, eight steals and has scored 32 runs. His four ribbies upped his total to 32.

While the Twins are going exactly nowhere this season, at least they can relish the fact that they're taking the Sox with with and that the future looks bright with the young shortstop, Santana.

National League

Bumgarner: 2-hitter

Maybe a trip to New York is just what the Giants needed to revive their season.

Madison Baumgarner tossed a two-hit shutout on Sunday to give the Giants a 9-0 win and a 2-1 lead in their four-game series at Citi Field.

Pence: 2HR 4RBI

With the Dodgers losing to the Cubs, 7-3, San Francisco picked up a game in the West division and now trails LA by 2 1/2 games. Before coming to New York, the Giants had lost six of their last seven and were in danger of falling out of the race.

In five at-bats, Hunter Pence smacked a double and a pair of home runs in support of Baumgarner, driving in four runs and scoring three.

Bumgarner improved to 13-8, tying him for the NL lead in wins with Wily Peralta, Adam Wainwright and Clayton Kershaw, needing just 95 pitches for the gem. He walked one and struck out 10. He has 153 Ks on the season, tying him for fourth with LA's Zack Greinke.

San Fran will try to take three of four from the Mets when the series concludes Monday at 12:10 pm EDT.

A's Bartolo Colon Shuts Down Rangers in 1-0 Win; Hunter Pence, Brandon Belt Smash Dodgers in 19-3 Giants' Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 14, 2013

American League

Colon: 16-9, 2.73

The demise of the Texas Rangers continues. Earlier this season, the Rangers seemed on their way to running off with the AL West. In August the surging A's caught them, and this month flew past them in the standings. Meanwhile, the Rangers had a grip on the first wild card slot, but after losing their fifth straight, and second straight to the A's, Texas is now tied with Tampa Bay for the two wild card spots, with identical, 81-66 records.

Bartolo Colon stifled Texas bats Saturday, scattering seven hits and one walk over eight innings in a 1-0 A's victory, Oakland's fourth straight win. Colon struck out seven and threw 77 of 108 pitches for strikes before turning the ball over to closer, Grant Balfour, who walked one in the ninth, but picked up save #38. At 16-9, Colon is tied for second in wins and his 2.73 is second-best among starters in the AL. Balfour is fifth in the league in saves.

Oakland scored the only run of the game in the first inning, when Brandon Moss doubled home Josh Donaldson off Texas starter Yu Darvish, who pitched exceptionally-well, but still was saddled with the loss. Darvish gave up only four hits, walked one and fanned 10, leading the AL with 256 Ks.

The A's will be seeking the three-game sweep of the Rangers when the two teams take the field at Rangers Ballpark at Arlington, Texas, Sunday at 3:05 pm EDT. Oakland leads the AL West by a commanding 5 1/2 games.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/14)

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

National League

Brandon Belt

The Giants won't be heading into the post-season, but they at least took out a little bit of their angst against NL West-leading Los Angeles when they bombed the Dodgers, 19-3, Saturday.

Hunter Pence

Brandon Belt was 5-for-6, with a double, home run, three singles, four runs and six RBI, while teammate Hunter Pence scratched out a pair of singles and a grand slam homer in five at-bats, scoring twice while driving in seven.

The pair combined to drive in 13 of San Francisco's 19 runs. The Dodgers used starter Ricky Nolasco - who was hammered for seven hits and five earned runs, lasting just an inning and a third - and five relievers in the loss.

Of course, the Dodgers will get the last laugh. They are cruising toward the NL West pennant with an 11 1/2 game lead over second place Arizona. With the largest lead in any major league division, the Dodgers need just four more wins to clinch the division outright.

San Francisco has taken two of three in LA, the four-game series concluding Sunday at 4:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who is the all-time career leader in on-base percentage? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Barry Bonds holds the single-season record for on-base percentage. In 2004, he reached .609 percent of the time.

Eric Hosmer's Two Homers Lead Royals to DH Sweep of Tigers; Brandon Belt, Hunter Pence Power Giants to 14-10 Win over Marlins

Players of the Day for Friday, August 16, 2013

American League

Eric Hosmer

Combine exceptional pitching with a couple of home runs from Eric Hosmer and you get a double-header sweep of the Detroit Tigers by the unflappable Kansas City Royals.

Hosmer's solo rome run in the fourth inning of game one staked KC starter, Danny Duffy, to an early lead in his duel with Detroit's Justin Verlander. Duffy, a third year pro recalled this week from AAA affiliate Omaha, allowed just one hit over six innings to pick up his first win of the 2013 campaign.

Verlander gave up another run in the seventh that proved the game-winner. Ramon Santiago socked a pinch-hit home run off Royal reliever Aaron Crow to cut the lead in half, but closer Greg Holland slammed the door on the Tigers in the ninth for his 33rd save and a 2-1 Royals win.

In the nightcap, Hosmer homered early again, this time in the third inning, launching a two-run homer into the right field stands of Comerica Park in support of James Shields' seven innings of shutout ball. Shields allowed three hits, walked four and fanned one, evening his record at 8-8 as the Royals produced a 3-0 victory and a double-header sweep of first place Detroit.

The twin killing left the Royals 6 1/2 games back, in third place in the AL Central, just 1/2 game behind second place Cleveland. The Royals lead the five-game series, two games to one, with the next meeting slated for Saturday evening at 7:08 pn EDT.

National League

Hunter Pence

Brandon Belt

With both teams scraping the bottom of their respective divisions, there isn't much happening for either the Giants or the Marlins, so what better way to pass through a Friday night's contest than by bruising a few pitcher's egos.

The two teams combined for 35 hits and 24 runs as the Giants prevailed at Marlins Park by a 14-10 margin.

Pablo Sandoval went 4-for-4, Brandon Belt singled twice, doubled, tripled, scored four times and drove in a run, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Hunter Pence went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a triple, scoring three times and driving in five.

The Giants (54-67) are 1/2 game out of last place in the NL West, while the 46-74 Marlins have the worst record in the league and have last place in the NL East virtually wrapped up.

The two teams will slug out game two of their three-game series Saturday night, starting at 7:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Some guys just out to go straight. Which player led his league seven different times, for four different teams - from 2001 to 2011 - in being caught stealing? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: While Babe Ruth hit more homers than teammate Lou Gehrig, Gehrig was the leader in doubles, amassing 534 to the Bambino's 508.

Prince Fielder Leads Tigers in Win over Indians; Hunter Pence Paces Giants as NL West Race Tightens

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 8, 2013

American League

Prince Fielder

What was a tight race a week ago, is quickly turning into a runaway in the AL Central, as the Indians lost their sixth straight game while the Tigers have won three in a row.

Cleveland's latest lost was delivered by the bat of Prince Fielder, whose second inning, bases-loaded double paved the way to a 6-4 Detroit victory, their second straight over their division rival. The Tigers have opened up a 4 1/2 game lead over the Indians.

Fielder's gapper to right-center plated three runs, breaking a 1-1 tie. The Tigers tacked on a pair in the third inning, which was all starter Rick Porcello (3-3) needed, shutting down the Indians on three hits and one earned run over six innings. The Indians scored two unearned runs off Tiger errors, but could not mount enough offense to overcome their deficit.

Fielder, hitting in the all-important spot behind reigning MVP, Miguel Cabrera, added a single, going 2-for-5 on the day. With 12 homers, a .285 batting average and 51 RBI, Fielder is having an exceptional season, especially considering that the guy in front of him, Cabrera, has been routinely clearing the bases. Cabrera has 17 homers and 67 RBI.

The two sluggers in the heart of Detroit's lineup have driven in 118 of 305 total RBI by the team, an outlandish 38.7%.

Detroit will be seeking a sweep of the Indians when they host game three of the weekend series, Sunday, at 1:08 pm EDT.

National League

Tightening the NL West up a little more, the San Francisco Giants cranked out 15 hits in their 10-5 win at Arizona, tying the Rockies - 4-2 losers to San Diego - for second place, 2 1/2 games back of the Diamondbacks.

Hunter Pence

Hunter Pence made the most of his plate appearances, going 2-for-5 with a double and his tenth homer of the season, a seventh-inning solo shot that put the Giants up 9-0.

Prior to his fence-clearing, Pence got the Giants on the scoreboard in the second inning, grounding into a fielder's choice, but then stealing second and third base, scampering home on Miguel Montero's wild throw to third.

He also started the Giants' six-run outburst in the fourth inning, leading off with a ground rule double to left and scoring on a Andres Torres sac fly.

Pence has his season going in the right direction, batting .342 over his last ten games. He's swiped 12 bases this season without being caught.

The Giants and Diamondbacks will settle their differences Sunday at 4:10 pm EDT in the rubber game of the series.

Today's Trivia: Who was the player who led the majors in runs five times from 2003-2010? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The all-time career leader in RBI is Hammerin' Hank Aaron, with 2297.

Giants Take Series Command After Madison Bungarner, Hunter Pence Forge 2-0 Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 25, 2012


World Series

Hunter Pence

Game Two: San Francisco 2 Detroit 0 - In game one, the Giants pounded the Tigers with their bats, or, rather, with one bat, that of Pablo Sandoval. Game two was won by force of arm, that belonging to one Madison Bumgarner, who blanked the suddenly-punchless Tigers on two hits over seven innings, leading the Giants to another win and a commanding 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven World Series.

Bumgarner: 7IP 0ER

Bumgarner, and Detroit starter, Doug Fister, dueled through six scoreless innings, until Hunter Pence led off the bottom of the seventh, after which Fister was lifted for reliever, Drew Smyly. A walk to Brandon Belt and a perfectly-placed bunt down the third base line by Gregor Blanco loaded the bases with nobody out. Brandon Crawford grounded into a double play, but Pence zipped home with the game's first run.

In the eighth inning, the Giants scored another run without the aid of a hit, loading the bases with three walks prior to Pence's sac fly, sending Angel Pagan to the plate.

Meanwhile, San Francisco reliever, Santiago Casilla, set the Tigers down in order in the eighth, then turned the ball over to closer Serigo Romo, who got the Tigers 1-2-3 in the ninth for his first World Series save.

Bumgarner struck out eight and walked two, getting his first World Series win. His post-season record stands at 3-2.

The teams travel to Detroit on Friday, in preparation of games three, four and, if necessary, five, at the Tigers' home, Comerica Park. Game three is Saturday, 8:07 pm EDT. Ryan Vogelsong goes for the Giants. The starter for the Tigers is Anibal Sanchez.

Chris Sale Keeps White Sox in First Place; Giants Keep Rolling on Hunter Pence Grand Slam

Players of the Day for Friday, September 14, 2012

American League

Chris Sale

The battle for the AL Central is reaching epic proportions, a struggle between two teams, the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers.

Friday saw both teams on the road opening three-game series as the number of remaining games dwindles to fewer than 20.

The Tigers got seven innings from their ace, Justin Verlander, in a 4-0 victory over Cleveland.

Not to be outdone, the White Sox invaded Minnesota, coming away with a 6-0 win, thanks to six solid shutout innings from Chris Sale, who improved to 17-6 and kept the Sox a game ahead of the Tigers in the standings.

Sale allowed only three hits, did not walk a batter and fanned five. With a 3-0 lead, Sale was relieved by Brett Myers, who calmly set down the Tigers in order through the seventh and eighth innings. Closer Matt Thornton was called upon for the ninth in a non-save situation and he finished off the whitewash, allowing a solitary hit in the final frame.

Both teams continue their series on Saturday and Sunday. Monday has a scheduled make-up game, with Detroit traveling to Chicago. After that, the two combatants will not play each other head-to-head for the remainder of the season.

National League

At one time, there were actual pennant races in the National League, but the Nationals, Reds and Giants have proven superior to their divisional foes and have pulled away to large leads in the standings.

The only remaining race of interest is for the second wild card spot, but it's a doozy, with six teams within 4 1/2 games of each other.

Pence: 2-3 GS 4RBI

While the likes of the Cardinals, Dodgers, Phillies and Brewers dogfight over one post-season spot, the San Francisco Giants have put their season on cruise control, winning their third straight with a 6-2 road kill at Arizona.

Hunter Pence paced the Giant attack with a single and a grand slam in three at-bats, driving in four and scoring twice. Pence's 21st homer came in the third inning, after the Giants had plated one in a frame.

After leaving the yard and clearing the basepaths, the Giants left it up to Matt Cin and a parade of six relievers to finish the job. After Cain gave up one run over five innings, the San Fran bullpen mopped up, allowing just one more Diamondback to cross the plate.

The win left the Giants with a 7 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers in the West. The Giants continue their series in Arizona on Saturday.

Asdrubal Cabrera Goes 5-for-5 for Indians; Hunter Pence Gets Houston a Series Win

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 22, 2011

American League

Asdrubal Cabrera

Having already inflicted severe psychological damage on most of the American League, the Cleveland Indians spent the weekend focused on the National League, specifically, making sure that everyone understood that the pride of Ohio was not to be found in Cincinnati, but along the shores of Lake Erie.

After beating the Reds, 5-4, on Friday and 2-1 on Saturday, the Indians took them out behind the woodshed on Sunday and delivered a rough, 12-4, beating.

Chief among the Cleveland offensive marvels was shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who went 5-for-5, punched out a pair of home runs, stole a base, scored twice and drove in five runs. Reds' hurlers couldn't keep Cabrera off the bases. Except for the 6th inning, there were men aboard every time he stepped to the plate. Cabrera's response to leading off the 6th was his second home run of the game.

Cabrera's two homers gave him nine on the season, and upped his RBI total to 32. Cleveland continues to dominate the AL Central standings. They maintained a seven-game lead, the largest in the majors.

National League

Upon completion of the first weekend of interleague play, the Houston Astros can celebrate having taken two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hunter Pence

That may not be saying much, but for the last place Astros, winning a series against anyone is a step in the right direction.

Hunter Pence broke a 1-1 tie in the 5th inning with his 6th home run of the season, a two-run poke to left that gave Houston a lead they would not relinquish in their 3-2 win.

Pence also scored the Astros' first run, reaching on a fielder's choice and coming around to score in the third inning. In the 7th, he singled, completing a 2-for-5 day.

DIAMOND NOTES: After taking it on the chin the first two days of interleague play, the American League came back with a vengeance on Sunday, winning 10 and losing four, That left the two leagues dead even after 42 games this weekend, each league winning 21.

Overshadowed, but surely not to be forgotten: Rick Porcello had a no-hitter through five innings and finished with a 1-hitter over 8 innings as the Tigers dropped the Pirates, 2-0. Ronny Cedeno had Pittsburgh's only hit off Porcello, who improved to 4-2.

Tampa Bay remained tied with the Yankees in the AL East as James Shields threw a three-hit shutout in the Rays' 4-0 win over the Marlins. Shields (5-2) struck out 13 batters and issued only one walk.

Alexei Ramirez went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a home run as the White Sox whacked the Dodgers, 8-3. Ramirez scored twice and drove in a season-high five runs.

Unhittable Haren Stymies Tribe; Bourn, Pence Lead Astros Past Cubs

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 11, 2011

American League

Dan Haren

When the LA Angels plucked Dan Haren from the Diamondbacks prior to the trade deadline last season, he was supposed to help them catch the Rangers and win the AL West division. The plan didn't quite work out, though it was hardly Haren's fault, as he went 5-4 in 14 starts for the Halos.

Finding themselves in a similar situation to begin the 2011 campaign - chasing the Rangers - Haren is doing everything in his power to keep LA close to the top. On Tuesday, he won his third straight without a loss, tossing a one-hitter at the Cleveland Indians en route to a 2-0 win.

It was Haren's 12th complete game and third shutout of his 9-year major league career, and it was a doozy, the only hit coming in the 4th inning when Shin-Soo Choo lifted a single to center field. After that, Haren set down 17 of the next 18 batters he faced, allowing only a 7th inning walk to Carlos Santana and finishing up by retiring the last eight batters he faced.

Haren walked two and struck out eight, giving him 21 on the year, good for third in the AL, behind teammate Jared Weaver (27) and Edwin Jackson (24) of the White Sox. Incidentally, Haren and Weaver have accounted for all six of the Angel wins.

The numbers for Haren are off-the-charts. In 24 2/3 innings, he's allowed 11 hits and just 2 earned runs, for an ERA of 0.73 and a 0.53 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting .131 against him.

The Angles trail Texas by three games in the division.

National League

Hunter Pence

Michael Bourn

Michael Bourn went 2-for-5, stole two bases and scored four runs and Hunter Pence went 3-for-5 with four RBI to pace the Astros in just their third win of the season, an 11-2 scorching of the Chicago Cubs.

That the Astros are already five games back in the NL Central is hardly surprising. Beyond leadoff hitter Bourne and #3 man, Pence, Houston doesn't offer much in the way of punch on offense. Bourn leads the team in runs and steals, while Pence is Houston's RBI king, with 9. The Astros have the distinction of being last in the majors in home runs, with only one to their credit.

Making matters worse, their best starting pitcher appears to be Brett Myers, who earned the his first win of the season with seven innings of 1-run ball. The Astros could very well supplant the Pirates as this season's NL Central cellar dweller.

Everidge Slams Padres; Pence Knocks Two Out

Players of the Day for Thursday, March 4, 2010 American League The Mariners should have no problems finding a first baseman this season. After Ryan Garko went 2-for-3 with a homr and 2 RBI, rookie Tommy Everidge replaced him at first and belted a sixth-inning grand slam in his 2010 Spring Training debut, sending the Mariners to a 9 -3 win over San Diego. National League The Washington Nationals may have pitching issues again this year, but Astros' outfielder Hunter Pence appears to be ready for the regular season. In his first game of the season, Pence doubled and homered twice in three at-bats, drove in four runs and scored twice as the Astors bombed the Nats, 15-5. Pence, a fearsome figure at the plate at 6'4", 220, is developing nicely into a pure power hitter. He hit 17 dingers in his first season, 2007, in just 108 games and smacked 25 in each year since. The Astros collected 21 hits in the game, including five home runs and four doubles. MLB PREVIEW: Tampa Bay Rays After reaching the World Series in 2008, last year was a down year for Tampa Bay. They finished in third place in the AL East, behind the revitalized Yankees and the wild card Red Sox. They'll have to do much better than their 84-78 record in order to be competitive this season. What finally killed off the Rays was the beginning of September, when they lost 10 straight and 11 of 12 to Boston (1-5), the Yankees (0-3) and Detroit (0-3). After ending August with at least some hope, they were out of it by the middle of the next month. Mostly, the Rays could not produce big runs against the better teams in the league, their starting pitching was falling apart and they could not close out games. With 2009 behind them and fresh arms - minus Scott Kazmir, who was traded to the Angels prior to the trading deadline - the Rays have a solid, though unspectacular lineup. Last season, the Rays were hit by injuries, but found a key replacement in 2B Ben Zobrist and an outright star in shortstop Jason Bartlett, who batted .320 with 14 homers and 66 RBI. Power in the middle of the lineup remains intact with Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena filling the 3 and 4 spots in the batting order. Those two combined for 72 homers and 213 RBI last season and there's reason to believe their numbers will be even better in 2010. The pitching staff is young and promising, with James Shields, Matt Garza and Jeff Neimann soild at the top. The Rays are looking for much better from David Price, who went 10-7 with 102 Ks, but was projected to be a #1 or #2 starter. His 54 walks in 128 innings is the main concern. If Price finds some control, he could be one of the top pitchers in the league. If not, the 4 and 5 slots in the rotation could spell big trouble. At least the Rays shouldn't have to worry about closing out games if Rafael Soriano plays up to his promise. Aquired from Atlanta, Soriano had 27 saves for the Braves in 2007. The Rays are 11-1 to win the World Series according to the Las Vegas future book. That sounds about right, but they'll need some help to get past the Yankees. If the Bombers stay healthy, they're a lock to win the division. Tampa Bay needs to play their best just to grab the wild card.

Pence's Pair Leads Astros; Bay Helps BoSox to 3rd Straight

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 12, 2009 American League After losing four straight to the Yankees, the Red Sox have moved on, to Detroit, where they have taken the first three games of their four-game series with the AL Central-leading Tigers. In Wednesday's 8-2 triumph left fielder Jason Bay was dialed in, knocking a pair of doubles and a two-run home run to lead the Boston offense. Bay drove in two runs and scored twice as the Red Sox - 5 1/2 games back in the AL East - retained their 1 1/2 game lead in the wild card standings over Texas. Bay, added to the Red Sox last season in a deal which sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, has had a solid season, batting .261 with 24 homers (tied for 8th in the AL) and 81 RBI (4th). Bay has hit safely in his last 7 games and has had multiple hits in his last two. National League Don't count the Houston Astros out of the wild card race just yet. After dropping the first tow of their four-game series in Miami, the Astros roared back for a 14-6 win on the strength of Hunter Pence's two 3-run homers. Pence walloped his first in Houston's 5-run 1st inning and followed that up with another blast in the 4th, when Houston chased Florida starter Ricky Nolasco, who allowed 8 hits and 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings. Pence's second home run came after Nolasco had given way to reliever Tim Wood, though Lance Berkman's run was charged to Nolasco. Pence's pair gave him 16 on the season, to go with his .291 batting average and 52 RBI. NOTES: Don't look now, but the Phillies, Cardinals and Yankees appear poised to run away with their respective division titles. The Cardinals have gone 12-6 since Matt Holliday joined the club on July 24 and have opened up a 4-game lead on the Cubs in the Central. The Cards got some help from the Phillies, who have taken 2 straight at Wrigley Field, including Wednesday's 12-5 spanking. While Philadelphia batters were feasting on Cubs pitching, scoring 2 runs in each of the 1st and 3rd innings and 8 in the 4th, Pedro Martinez was busy mowing down Chicago batters. Martinez tired in the fifth, allowing 2 of his 3 earned runs, but finished the inning to get his first win in nearly a year. The Phillies have a 4 1/2 game lead over the Braves and Marlins in the NL East. Maybe we should start calling the Yankee's "amazing" after another walk-off win Wednesday, beating Toronto, 4-3, in 11 innings. The Bombers won for the 9th time in their last 10 games and are 20-5 since the all-star break. Their 5 1/2 game lead over the Red Sox is tied with the Dodgers for the biggest bulge in the majors and they have the best record in baseball at 71-43.

Hamilton a Triple Crown Threat; Pence's 5-for-5 Leads Astros

Players of the Day from Tuesday, May 27, 2008 American League Cincinnati's loss has been the Rangers' gain. After hitting .292 with 19 homers and 47 RBI for the Reds as a rookie in 2007, Josh Hamilton was traded to the Rangers and he's already exceeded expectations. On Tuesday, Hamilton smacked a grand slam - his 13th home run of the season - and doubled in 5 at-bats, driving in five runs in the Rangers' 12-6 thrashing of the Rays.

Winnipeg Food Caterers
Affordable, quality catering for weddings or events of any size.
www.kingcolecatering.net

The five RBI gave Hamilton 58 on the year, miles ahead of the closest competition. Carlos Quentin is second in the AL with 44. The 13 homers has Hamilton second behind Quentin and his .329 batting average is tied with Joe Mauer and Milton Bradley as the best in the AL. Notes: Hamilton is looking having a triple crown season, while Lance Berkman is doing much the same in the AL. The last time a player led the league in average, home runs and RBI in the AL was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 (.326, 44, 121). Frank Robinson (.316, 49, 122) did it the year prior, in 1966, playing for the Orioles. In the NL, the feat was last accomplished in 1937, when Joe Medwick hit .374 with 31 homers and 154 RBI for the St. Louis Cardinals. National League Albert Pujols went 4-for-4 and knocked his 12th home run, but Hunter Pence did him one better, going 5-for-5 at the plate and drove in two runs in Houston's 8-2 win over the Cardinals. Pence, in his first full season as the regular right fielder for the Astros, is batting .311 with 7 homers and 31 RBI, and is one of the reasons (besides Lance Berkman) that the Astros are challenging for the NL Central title. Notes: The Cardinals and Astros are both 30-23, 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the Central division. Florida remained 1 1/2 to the good over the Phillies, as the Marlins lost to the Mets, 5-3, while Philly won their third straight, a 7-3 win over visiting Colorado. Nothing much has changed in the West. Arizona still leads the Dodgers by 3 1/2 games.

A-Rod Rocks 30th; Rookie Pence Leads NL at .342

American League Boston 5 Detroit 6 - The Tigers completed the 3-game sweep of Boston, leaving the Red Sox a little bruised heading into the break, though still 10 games clear of the Yankees and Blue Jays in the AL East. The Tigers took sole possession of first place in the Central by a game of Cleveland, who lost a squeaker at Toronto. Detroit has won five straight. With all the milestones being reached this season, Gary Sheffield may want to add his name to the watch list. He needs 24 more homers for 500, crashing his 21st of the season in the Detroit win. LA Angels 0 NY Yankees 12 - It's only fitting that Alex Rodriguez (right) would make one more appearance as the star of the day just prior to the All-Star break. Rodriguez joined teammates Hikedi Matsui and Robinson Cano in 3-run homer derby against the Angels on Sunday. Never outdone, A-Rod also added a run-scoring single and was aboard for Matsui's homer, to lead the Bombers with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. At the break, A-Rod has posted MVP-like numbers: .317, 30 home runs and 86 RBI. Keep the record books handy and the doors to the Hall of Fame wide open. Rodriguez, a native New Yorker who will turn 32 on July 27, needs just six more homers to reach 500, and 67 more RBI to make it an even 1500. Just for good measure, check out the 250 stolen bases, .306 lifetime batting average and .577 slugging percentage. Barry, are you paying attention? Cleveland 0 Toronto 1 - Josh Towers worked a perfect game into the 6th inning, threw 3-hit, shutout ball for 8 innings, but didn't get the decision as Alex Rios' single with one out in the ninth sent Reed Johnson to the plate with the winning run. The Jays took 2 of 3 from the Indians and have won 3 of their last 4. Seattle 7 Oakland 3 - The Mariners banged out 16 hits to pull to within 2 1/2 of first place LA in the AL West. Seattle's won 3 straight and 4 of their last 5. Other AL Scores Minnesota 3 Chi White Sox 6 Tampa Bay 4 Kansas City 12 - T. Pena Jr., 3-5, 4 RBI Baltimore 1 Texas 2 National League NY Mets 3 Houston 8 - The Astros earned a split in their 4-game series with the Mets, who limp into the break just 2 games clear of Atlanta and 4 1/2 ahead of Philly. After sweeping the aforementioned Phillies, the Mets went 2-6 and clearly need some pitching to go with their awesome lineup. Jose Reyes swiped another pair of bases, to up his MLB-leading theft total to 46. Houston Rookie Hunter Pence (right) went 2-5 to take over the NL batting average lead at .342. Arizona 3 Cincinnati 4, 11 innings - Scott Hatteberg singled home Edwin Encarnacion with the game-winner as the Reds completed their sweep of the Diamondbacks. The Reds have won four straight while the D-Backs have dropped their last 5. Chi Cubs 2 Pittsburgh 6 - Jason Bay busted his 13th home run off Cubs' starter Carlos Zambrano, helping the Pirates take 2 of 3 from the 2nd-place Cubbies. Chicago didn't lose any ground on the Brewers, and remain 4 1/2 back. Just a hunch, but it looks like things are going to get a whole lot more interesting in the funky NL Central. With just the Cubs and Brewers over .500, the other four teams are still within hailing distance. Even the last place Reds, who have won 4 straight, are just 13 behind. Florida 3 LA Dodgers 9 - Catcher Russell Martin, voted into his first All-Star game earlier in the week, singled and homered in two at-bats, driving in 3 and scoring 3 times, to draw the Dodgers back to 1-game behind the Padres in the NL West. Atlanta 5 San Diego 4 - The Braves survived a 3-run, 9th inning rally by the Padres to hold onto an important win heading into the break. The Braves took two of three in San Diego and trail the Mets by a mere 2 games in the NL East. Catcher Brian McCann socked a two-run homer in the first and drove in 2 more with a single in the 6th, helping the Braves to their 4th win in their last 5. Other NL Scores San Francisco 0 St. Louis 7 - T. Wellemeyer (W, 3-1), 5 IP, 2 H, O ER Philadelphia 8 Colorado 4 Milwaukee 2 Washington 7