Oakland's Sean Manaea Throws Majors' First No-Hitter, Over Red Sox, 3-0; Hyun Jin Ryu Blanks Nats On 2 Hits In 4-0 Dodger Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, April 21, 2018

American League

Manaea tosses no-hitter

At 17-2, the Boston Red Sox had the best record in the majors heading into game two of their three-game series at Oakland.

Enter Sean Manaea with the treatment to cool off the hottest team in baseball.

Manaea threw the season's no hitter, as the A's downed the Red Sox 3-0, evening the series at a game apiece.

Oddly enough, Manaea didn't start off his night right. He walked Mookie Betts to open the game, but it didn't matter, as the 26-year-old lefty set down the next 14 straight batters. With two out in the fifth, Sandy Leon reached on an error by shortstop Marcus Semien. Leon became the only Red Sox to reach second base when Manaea uncorked a wild pitch, but he ended the threat by fanning Jackie Bradley Jr., one of 10 strikeout victims.

After retiring the Sox in the sixth, seventh and eighth in order, Manaea got to within one out of the no-hitter before walking Andrew Benintendi with two outs. Getting Hanley Ramirez to ground into a fielder's choice, nailing Benintendi at second, the feat was complete.

Manaea threw 108 pitches, of which 75 were strikes. Semien, who made the error in the fifth, redeemed himself by scoring all three of Oakland's runs, one of which came on a double by Jed Lowrie, who is leading the majors with 23 RBI and a .367 batting average, .001 better than Boston's Betts.

Manaea improved to 3-2 and sports an ERA of 1.23.

The win got the A's closer to .500, at 10-11. Boston, helped by the Yankees' 9-1 win over Toronto, remained four games up on the Jays in the AL East. The two teams will settle their differences on Sunday, 1:05 pm PDT.

National League

Ryu: 7IP, 2H, 0ER

In what could be a preview of the playoffs, the Washington Nationals and LA Dodgers are playing a three-game series in Los Angeles. On Friday, Washington took the first game, 5-2, but the Dodgers evened the series as Hyun-Jin Ryu blanked the Nats on two hits over seven innings for a 4-0 Dodger victory.

Ryu was backed by solo homers by Joc Pederson (second inning) and Enrique Hernandez, who pinch hit for Ryu in the bottom of the seventh, and Cody Bellinger's two-run shot in the eighth.

Striking out eight and walking three, Ryu allowed two harmless singles in his dominating performance, throwing 58 of 89 pitches for strikes. Tony Cingrani and Kenley Jansen held the National;s hitless over the eighth and ninth innings, preserving Ryu's third win of the season without a loss.

The Dodgers improved to 9-10 with the win, dropping Washington to 10-11. One of these two will reach .500 when they wrap up the series Sunday night in LA. Starting at 8:00 pm EDT, the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Manny Machado 4-5, HR, 5 RBI in 12-3 Oriole Win; Hyun-Jin Ryu Throws 1-Hit Ball For 7, Dodgers Win 4th Straight

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 6, 2017

American League

Widely regarded as the most balanced division in the majors, four of the five teams in the AL East posted wins on Sunday, the lone loser, last place Toronto, in a 7-6 defeat by Houston.

Machado: 4-5, HR, 5 RBI

That left the standings unchanged for the top four teams. The Red Sox lead the Yankees by three games, the Rays by 5 1/2 and Baltimore by 7 1/2. Despite Baltimore handing the visiting Tigers a 12-3 defeat at Camden Yards, the Orioles failed to gain any ground, but they are just 2 1/2 out of the second wild card slot, so, with their powerful lineup and many divisional games upcoming, they bear watching.

Manny Machado spearheaded the Baltimore offense, going 4-for-5 with two singles, a double, a two-run homer, and five RBI.

After a horrible first half, Machado has apparently fixed whatever was wrong with his swing. He hit .327 in July, raising his average from .217 to .246, and thus far in August he's batting .423 (11-for-26) with three home runs and eight RBI. Sunday's four-hit barrage was his third multiple-hit game of the month.

Baltimore will have to improve on its 55-56 record down the stretch if the Orioles are to reach the playoffs. Upcoming is a ten-game road trip to the West coast, playing the Angels, A's and Mariners beginning Monday. If Baltimore can be successful on the road - they're 20-33 thus far - they may have a future in October.

National League

Ryu: 7 IP, 1 H, 0ER

No team appears capable of slowing down the inexorable march to the playoffs by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Leading the NL West by a whopping 15 1/2 games, LA won its fourth straight, defeating the NY Mets at Citi Field in New York, 8-0, as Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed seven complete innings of one-hit ball in the Dodgers' 8-0 whitewash.

Ryu, who improved to 4-5, was impressive, striking out the first three batters he faced and setting down the first six before Travis d'Arnaud singled to open the third inning. The hit didn't matter, as Ryu breezed through eh remainder of the inning, putting away the last 15 batters he faced in order.

Ryu struck out eight and did not allow a walk. Tony Cingrani and Kenley Jansen each pitched an inning in relief, neither allowing a Mets hit.

The Dodgers continue to outpace the entire league. Since the all-star break they are an astonishing 18-3, and they ride their winning streak into Arizona to play a three-game series with the Diamondbacks beginning Tuesday.

Jon Lester Throws Complete Game Shutout for A's; Hyun-Jin Ryu Leads Dodgers over Angels, 7-0

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 7, 2013

American League

Jon Lester

Just a few weeks ago, in what has been referred to as the blockbuster trade of the season, Oakland acquired lefty Jon Lester from the Red Sox in exchange for, among other players and cash, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.

That deal has already begun to benefit the A's, who took a three-game lead in the AL West over the Angels as Lester tossed a 3-0 shutout of the Twins Thursday in Oakland.

The win was Lester's second straight for the Athletics in as many starts. This past Saturday, he went 6 2/3 innings for his new team in an 8-3 win over Kansas City. Thursday's effort was his first complete game and shutout of the season.

Lester allowed three hits and walked two while striking out eight would-be Twins hitters. He threw 83 of 122 pitches for strikes, improving to 12-7 on the year.

Game two of the four-game series is set for a 7:05 pm PDT start Friday.

Hyun-Jin Ryu

National League

Finishing off their four-game home-and-home series with the Angels with a 7-0 victory, the Dodgers opened their largest lead of the season in the NL West Thursday, going 3 1/2 up on the flailing Giants, who lost, 3-1, at Milwaukee.

Hyun-Jin Ryu kept the Angels in check, hurling seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk. Ryu struck out four and got 12 outs on ground balls.

The win was the fourth in Ryu's last five starts, putting his record at 13-5, among the leaders in the National League. The Cardinals' Adam Wainwright and Milwakee's Wily Peralta each have 14 wins.

It was the third straight win for the Dodgers, who took three of four from the Angels. The Dodgers head for Milwaukee to open a three-game series with the Central division-leading Brewers on Friday. Game time is 8:10 pm EDT.

Hyun-Jin Ryu Stops Cardinals on Three Hits over Seven; Dodgers Take Game Three, 3-0

Players of the Day for Monday, October 14, 2013

American League

There was no AL game on Monday. Game three of the ALCS is scheduled to begin at 4:07 pm EDT at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Red Sox and Tigers are tied at a game apiece.

National League

Ryu: 7IP, 0R, 3H

Returning to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles was the perfect tonic for the Dodgers, taking game three of the NLCS by a 3-0 score after dropping the first two games of the series in St. Louis.

LA starter, Hyun-Jin Ryu, out-pitched Cardinal ace, Adam Wainwright, giving St. Louis but three hits over 7 innings, walking one and striking out four.

Ryu, the 26-year-old rookie hurler from Incheon, South Korea, recorded his first-post-season victory, throwing 69 of 108 pitches for strikes before being lifted for reliever Brian Wilson, to start the eighth. Wilson allowed one hit and fanned two. Closer Kenley Jansen picked up the save with a perfect ninth inning.

Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig each had two hits and an RBI to pace the Dodger offense. Pitching has been spectacular during the series. Thus far, the two teams have combined to score just nine runs.

Ryu was 14-8 with a 3.00 ERA during the regular season.

Game four of the series is 8:07 pm EDT in LA on Tuesday.

Today's Trivia: Who is the all-time leader in World Series runs scored? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Tom Glavine threw 218 1/3 innings in post-season play, the most by any NL pitcher.

Max Scherzer Wins 17th, Tigers Win 12th Straight; Hyun-Jin Ryu Leads Dodgers to Commanding Lead in NL West

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 8, 2013

American League

Max Scherzer is pitching his way to a Cy Young award while his Tigers are streaking toward the AL Central pennant and the playoffs.

Max Scherzer

Scherzer won his fourth straight decision and 17th overall - against just one loss - as the Tigers completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians with their 12th straight victory.

Just like that, the Tigers cooled off the Tribe, increasing their lead in the division to seven games.

Scherzer allowed two earned runs on four hits with a walk and six Ks over seven innings, as the Tigers downed their division rivals, 10-3.

Scherzer has a comfortable, three-game edge in AL wins over a trio of hurlers. Chris Tillman, Bartolo Colon and Matt Moore each have won 14 games. Second in the league to the Rangers' Yu Darvish, Scherzer has 176 strikeouts. His 2.84 ERA is eighth-best in the league.

The Tigers haven't lost since July 25th, when they dropped a 7-4 decision to the White Sox. They're a perfect 7-0 in August and have won 16 of their last 17.

Detroit opens a three-game series in New York with the slumping Yankees - losers of four straight - Friday at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Hyun-Jin Ryu

The LA Dodgers have taken control of the NL West. In the process, they've damaged the post-season chances of some other National League clubs.

17-3 since the All Star break, LA swept three from the Nationals and beat up the Reds and Cardinals, taking four-game series from both, three games to one, including the series finale in St. Louis Thursday, as Hyun-Jin Ryu led them to a 5-1 victory.

With one of his best performances of the season, Ryu (11-3) worked over the Cardinal lineup for seven innings, giving up five hits, walking none while fanning six. The sole Cardinal run was unearned, coming off a throwing error by the Dodgers' Andre Ethier in the fourth inning.

A. J. Ellis provided some pop with a sixth-inning, three-run homer, his sixth of the season.

The Dodgers have a 5 1/2 game lead over Arizona in the division and host the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game series starting Friday night at 7:10 pm PDT.

Today's Trivia: The last time a player from Cleveland won the AL MVP award was 1953. Who was it? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The eight MVP awards won by Yankee players from 1954-1963 went to four players: Yogi Berra (1954, 1955), Mickey Mantle (1955, 1956, 1962), Roger Maris (1960, 1961) and Elston Howard (1962).

Rays Just 4 Back in Al East as Desmond Jennings Delivers in Ninth; Hyun-Jin Ryu Throws Two-Hit Shutout in 3-0 Dodger Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 28, 2013

American League

Tampa Bay has joined the fray in the AL East.

While the Red Sox, Yankees and Orioles were all losing Tuesday night, the Rays won their third straight and second in a row over the Marlins, leaving them four games behind division-leading Boston. With the Yankees a game out and Baltimore 3 1/2 back, it's turned into a true, four-team race.

Desmond Jennings

Tampa's decision was not a foregone conclusion, despite 17 hits against a parade of five Marlin hurlers. The game-winner eventually came with two down in the bottom of the ninth inning, when Desmond Jennings collected his third hit of the night, driving in Kelly Johnson for the 7-6 final.

Jennings finished 3-for-4 with a double and the lone RBI, but had earlier scored twice as the Rays battled back from 4-0 and 5-3 deficits to eventually tie the game in the sixth and again in the eighth before putting it away.

It was a rough night for the American League, which won only three of 13 games played between the leagues.

The interleague match-up shifts to Miami for two games, starting Wednesday night at 7:10 pm EDT.


National League

Ryu: 2-hit shutout

The LA Dodgers continue to wallow in the basement of the NL West, but they are just seven games out after 26-year-old rookie hurler, Hyun-Jin Ryu, threw a two-hit shutout and blanked the Angels, 3-0.

Ryu threw 79 of 113 pitches for strikes, struck out seven and didn't walk any batters, allowing just a second inning single to Howie kendrick and an eighth inning, two out double to Angels' catcher, Chris Ianetta. In between, the feisty lefty set down 19 batters in a row, improving to 6-2 on the season.

The big blow for the Dodgers came in the fifth inning, when Luis Cruz socked a two-run homer to left - his first of the year - bringing home Jose Uribe for a 2-0 lead and some breathing room for Ryu.

The win was the second straight for the Dodgers, both against the Angels, who saw their eight-game winning streak ended Monday at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are just 1/2 game behind San Diego, while the Angels have clambered into third place in the AL West, but still trail the Rangers by nine games.

Ryu is making a strong bid for rookie of the year, with a 2.89 ERA and 66 Ks in 71 2/3 innings.

Shifting to Anaheim for the next two games, the Dodgers and Angels face off at 10:05 EDT Wednesday night.

Today's Trivia: In the 1970s, the Reds won the NL pennant four times, the Dodgers, three, and the Pirates, twice. Which team was the only other to capture the NL flag in the decade?

Yesterday's Answer: Ivan Rodriguez was the last catcher to capture the AL MVP award when he batted .332 with 35 home runs and 113 RBI for the Texas Rangers in 1999.