Mitch Haniger, Denard Span Power Mariners Past Astros; Hunter Renfroe Slam Toasts Brewers In 8-4 Padres Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 9, 2018

American League

Haniger: 4-5, HR, 2 RBI

Losers of seven of their last nine, the situation was critical as Seattle opened a four-game series in Houston with the division-leading Astros against former Cy Young award winner, Justin Verlander.

It didn't take long for the Mariners to revive hope, as Mitch Haniger led off the game with a home run - his 19th of the year. The next man up, Denard Span, tripled and was waved home on Jean Seguara's ground rule double. Seguara scored on Nelson Cruz's single, putting the Mariners up 3-0 before Houston even had a chance to respond.

Span: 3-for-3, HR, 2RBI

In the second, Haniger doubled, Span knocked him in with his ninth homer, and Segura smacked a solo shot, making it 6-0.

Verlander was pulled after two brutal innings, giving up seven hits, throwing just 54 pitches.

Haniger knocked in another run in the sixth with a single, finishing 4-for-5 with two RBI. Span went 3-for-3 with a pair of ribbies. Both players scored twice en route to a huge, 8-6 triumph.

The win left the M's seven games back in the NL West. Houston leads Oakland by 4 1/2.

Game two of the series is Friday, 8:10 pm EDT.

National League

Renfroe's Slam Sinks Brewers

San Diego scored six runs in the ninth, overwhelming the Brewers, 8-4, in the finale of a three-game series in Milwaukee.

The key hit in the rally came off the bat of Hunter Renfroe, who socked a grand slam off Joakim Soria, changing the scoreboard from 4-3, Brewers to 7-4, Padres.

San Diego, well out of post-season consideration, took two of three from the Brew crew after taking the last game over the Cubs in Chicago, 10-6.

Renfroe, in his third season with the Padres, has 12 homers and 39 RBI in 72 games.

The loss dropped the Brewers two back of the Cubs in the Central.

San Diego returns home to host the Phillies on Friday; Milwaukee starts an eight-game road trip against the Braves, Cubs, and Cardinals.

Boston's Chris Sale Fans 13, Downs Orioles; Hunter Renfroe Socks 3 HR But Padres Lose To Arizona

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 20, 2017

American League

Sale: 300 strikeouts

While the Yankees were busy eliminating the competition in the wild card race, sweeping three from the Minnesota Twins and advancing their lead over them to seven games, the Boston Red Sox had the pedal to the metal as well, matching the Yanks with three straight over the fading Orioles, in Baltimore.

Capping the sweep with a 9-0 shutout, starter Chris Sale went eight full innings, didn't allow any walks, gave up just four hits and fanned 13, sending his major-league leading strikeout total to 300, becoming the first American League pitcher to achieve that milestone since Boston's Pedro Martinez did it 1999, when he set a club record with 313.

Sales threw 111 pitches, 77 of them for strikes, improving to 17-7 on the year. With 10 games remaining, and a mere three game lead over the Yankees, it's a good bet that Sale will get to the mound again this season, with the possibility of equalling or breaking Martinez's club record.

Boston's win assured that they will be playing in October, at least as a wild card, though the Sox clearly have higher aims. New York has a magic number of three to clinch a playoff berth, but they too have their eyes on the AL East division title.

The two contenders (Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Toronto have been mathematically eliminated) do not play each other again this season, unless they meet up in the playoffs. After a day off Thursday, Boston will head to Cincinnati for a three-game series with the Reds, then return home for their final seven games, three against the Blue Jays and four with Houston.

New York also opens a three-game road series on Friday, in Toronto. A make-up game with the Royals is slated for September 25 (Monday), prior to back-to-back three-game home series against Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Renfroe: 3 HR, 4 RBI

National League

Arizona increased its lead in the wild card race to 5 1/2 over the Rockies with a 13-7 win at San Diego, despite the best efforts of rookie outfielder, Hunter Renfroe, who became the first Padre to belt three home runs in one game since the inception of the franchise back in 1969.

Renfroe socked his first in the third inning, a two-run blast, followed by solo shots in the fifth and ninth innings. Renfroe has 24 home runs and 54 RBI on the year.

The Padres built a 6-2 lead after five innings, but the Diamondbacks scored four in the sixth, one in the seventh, two in the eighth and four more in the ninth to win going away, avoiding the sweep in the three-game series.

Fortunately for Arizona, which had lost three straight before Wednesday's win, they had built a sizable lead in the wild card race. Below them, the battle is engaged for the #2 position. Colorado leads Milwaukee by one game and St. Louis by 2 1/2.

Looking like a sure thing to clinch the top wild card spot, Arizona has Thursday off, then opens a six-game home stand, playing three with Miami and then the Giants. They close out the regular season with three games at Kansas City.

Yuli Gurriel Grand Slam Paces Houston Past Miami; Hunter Renfroe's Walk-Off Homer Lifts Padres

Players of the Day for Monday, May 15, 2017




American League

Gurriel: Grand Slam

.692.

That's the winning percentage of the Houston Astros as MLB approaches the end of  the proverbial first quarter in the annual march to the pennants. At 27-12, the Astros have the best record in the majors and are on pace to run away with the AL West, with a record of 112-50.

Already eight games to the good over the Angels and Rangers, the Astros have led the division since being 7-4 on April 14 and appear poised to keep padding their lead for the foreseeable future.

In their 7-2 win at Miami - Houston's seventh win in their last eight games - another hero emerged for the night in the form of first baseman, Yuli Gurriel, who smacked a sixth-inning grand slam that erased a 1-0 Marlins lead and sent the Astros on their way to victory.

Technically a rookie, since MLB rules state, "A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues..." and Gurriel had exactly 130 at-bats last year for Houston, the 32-year-old Cuban is batting .293 with three homers and 14 RBI. He continues to get plenty of playing time and has become a regular contributor to the Houston offense.

Refroe: 2-run HR

Houston will be looking to take game two of their three-game interleague series when they take the field at Marlins Park on Wednesday at 7:10 pm ET.

National League

The Brewers lost a 6-5 heart-breaker in the opening game of their four-game series in San Diego as the Padres, after giving up a run in the top of the tenth inning, plated a pair for the win on Hunter Renfroe's walk-off two-run homer.

Renfroe, who finished 2-for-4 with four RBI, got the Padres started with a two-run double in the opening inning, but the Brewers came back to eventually tie the game at 4-4 and force extra frames. After Eric Sogard's solo homer gave the Brewers a lead in the top of the 10th, the stage was set for Renfroe after Erick Aybar singled leading off the bottom of the inning. Milwaukee's Oliver Drake didn't get anybody out, giving up both the single and Renfroe's blast, and took the loss, dropping the Brewers to 21-18, 1 1/2 games behind the streaking Cardinals.

A 25-year-old rookie, Refroe is batting just .217, but, he's socked seven home runs and driven in 17 for the 15-25 Padres, who have found their way to last place in the NL West, 9 1/2 behind the division-leading Rockies.

The teams meet again for game two at Petco Park on Wednesday. Game time is 7:10 pm PT.