Anibal Sanchez Goes Six Scoreless As Braves Humble Cubs; Ian Kinsler Leads Angels To Top Spot In AL West

Players of the Day for Friday, April 13, 2018

American League

Kinsler: 3-for-4, 2R, RBI

After winning the World Series in 2017, Houston is expected to take the AL West once again, but the other teams in the division have fortified their lineups and are certain to make the Astros earn heavy win.

Among the contenders in the West is the LA Angels, winners of six straight, their most recent conquest a 5-4 win in the second of four at Kansas City.

Picked up in the off-season from Detroit, Ian Kinsler was back in the leadoff spot for the Angels in Friday's game, after coming off the 10-day disabled list. The veteran second baseman went 3-for-4, stole two bases, scored twice and drove in the game-winning run with a sac fly in the eighth inning.

Kinsler's .367 batting average is positive sign that he's ready to go the distance atop the LA lineup.

The Angels improved to a stunning 12-3, their sixth straight win vaulting them past the Astros into a 1/2-game lead in the division. They'll be looking for their seventh straight win when they take the field at KC on Saturday. Game time is 7:15 pm EDT.

National League

Sanchez: 6 scoreless, 6K

The last time the Braves made the playoffs was 2013, when they ran away in the AL East, posting a mark of 96-66 to win the division by 10 games. Since that time, they've spent four years finishing under .500, but with an 8-5 start to the season, 2018 could be a year of change.

Opening a three-game series in Chicago, Atlanta posted a 4-0 win over the Cubs. Dominating from the mound with six innings of scoreless, three-hit ball was starter Anibal Sanchez, who struck out six and walked one as his teammates built a lead, Preston Tucker's three-run homer in the fifth off You Darvish providing most of the cushion.

The veteran right-hander threw 63 of 94 pitches for strikes, earning his first win of the year in three appearances. Now in his 13th season, Sanchez gives the Braves some depth in their starting rotation.

It was the second straight win for Atlanta, moving them into second place, 3 1/2 games behind the streaking Mets, who lead the division with a 11-1 mark, including nine straight wins.

Game two of the series at Wrigley Field is slated for a 2:20 pm EDT start on Saturday.

Ian Kinsler 4-for-5 In Detroit's 19-9 Rout Of Mariners; Trea Turner Hits For Cycle In 15-12 Washington Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 25, 2017

American League

Kinsler: 4-5, 4 runs

While the Astros were taking down the Indians, 4-2, the Detroit Tigers were wreaking havoc on Seattle pitching, scoring nine times in the fifth on their way to a 19-9 romp over the West division visitors.

Having already led off the Tigers' half of the first inning with a double and scoring, and singling in the second and scoring again, Ian Kinsler was a main cog in the wheel that sent 13 Tigers to the plate. Kinsler singled with a man on and no outs, later scoring on a single by Nicholas Castellanos, then singled again in the latter part of the inning, driving in two runs.

Kinsler finished 4-for-5 with two RBI and four runs, taken out for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. A veteran with 12 years of major league experience, Kinsler is in his fourth year as a Detroit Tiger. Always a run-scoring machine, Kinsler has crossed home safely 16 times this season and has had six seasons in which he scored 100 or more runs.

With the win and Cleveland's loss, the Tigers took over sole possession of first place in the AL Central, a game to the good over both the Inidans and White Sox.

Detroit hosts Seattle again on Wednesday in game two of their three-game series at 7:10 pm ET at Comerica Park.

National League

Turner Hits for Cycle

It was nothing short of an old-fashioned slug-fest in Colorado Tuesday night as the Nationals and Rockies, leaders of their respective divisions, banged out 29 hits, eventually settling matters in favor of the Nationals, 15-12.

Of those 29 hits four of them came off the bat of Trea Turner, the 23-year-old Washington shortstop, who became the third player in Nationals' history to hit for the cycle.

Turner singled in the first, smoked a two-run double in the second, cracked a two-run homer in the sixth and finished up with a bases-loaded triple in the seventh, in the process of entering his name in the records books, driving in a career-high seven runs, also the most RBI for a player in a single game this season.

Turner's effort was the first for the Nationals since Cristian Guzman hit for the cycle in 2008.

Washington's win evened the series at a game apiece. Game three of the four-game series will be hosted at Coors Field by the Rockies at 8:40 pm ET on Wednesday.

Ian Kinsler 5-for-5 as Tigers Cool Off Cubs; Yunel Escobar Leads Nationals to 15-6 Win at Colorado

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 18, 2015

American League

Escobar: HR, 4R, 4RBI

Kinsler: HR, 5-for-5

Detroit may have given up on the post-season, but that doesn't mean the players stop playing.

Case in point: Ian Kinsler went 5-for-5 in the Tigers' 10-8 win over the red-hot Cubs Tuesday night.

Kinsler got off right away, belting his seventh homer of the season - a solo shot - in the top of the first inning. The Tiger second baseman added a double and three singles, scoring three times and driving in a pair of runs.

Upping his average to .304, Kindler is 10th in the league in batting for average. Only 10 American League players have batting averages over .300.

The game was the first of a two-game interrelate series which concludes Wednesday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Game time is slated for 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Yunel Escobar helped carry the Washington Nationals to a 15-6 win over Colorado with a 3-for-4 night at the plate.

Escobar got the Nationals on the scoreboard in the top of the first with his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot.

He added a pair of singles and also walked twice, enabling him to score four times. Escobar drove in four runs as the Nationals belted out 15 hits against a battered Colorado pitching staff. The Rockies used six pitchers in the loss, their eighth in the past ten games. Escobar finished the game with a .305 batting average.

The win kept Washington within 4 1/2 games of the NL East-leading Mets, who took a 5-3 decision in Baltimore over the Orioles.

Colorado hosts Washington in the second of their three-game series Wednesday night at 8:40 pm EDT.

Nick Castellanos, Ian Kinsler Lead Tigers to 9-4 Win over Seattle; Mike Leake Goes Eight Strong in Victory over Cubs

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 22, 2015

American League

Castellanos: Grand Slam

Kinsler: 4-for-5

Ian Kinsler rapped out four hits and Nick Castellanos smacked a grand slam as the Detroit Tigers hammered Seattle starter Mike Montgomery for eight runs (six earned) in the third inning, en route to a 9-4 victory in the third game of their four-game series.

The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the series which concludes Thursday afternoon in Detroit.

For Castellanos, the homer was his eighth this season and got the scoring started for the Tigers. Kinsler, who was 4-for-5, finished the eight-run barrage with an RBI double. He added another double and two singles, scoring twice in the contest, the first time, on Castellanos' slam, after reaching on a bunt single.

The Tigers continue to struggle, but regained the .500 mark at 47-47, They trail the Royals in the AL Central by 10 1/2 games and are also three games behind the second-place Twins.

Nelson Cruz homered twice for Seattle, his 23rd and 24th both coming off Detroit starter - and winning pitcher - Anibal Sanchez (10-7).

National League

Leake Improves to 8-5

Mike Leake allowed four hits and only one run as the Reds took the first game of a double-header against the visiting Cubs by a 9-1 tally.

Kyle Schwarber drove in Addison Russell in the third inning for Chicago's only run.

Leake (8-5) didn't issue any walks, struck out six and threw 74 of 111 pitches for strikes.

Later, the Reds dropped the nightcap, 6-5, furthering the woes of the Cincinnati franchise, falling 17 1/2 behind the division-leading Cardinals in the NL Central. The Reds have struggled throughout the season, and currently have a mark of 42-51.

Chicago is nine games behind St. Louis, good for third place in the division.

St. Louis topped the White Sox, 3-2 on Wednesday.

Ian Kinsler Leads Tigers in Win over Kansas City; AL Wild Card Tight ; Michael Cuddyer Drives in Seven for Rockies

Players of the Day for Friday, September 19, 2014

American League

Ian Kinsler

In his years with the Texas Rangers, Ian Kinsler gained valuable first-hand experience of pennant races and post-season play, so it was no surprise that he was batting in the leadoff spot when the Tigers opened an important three-game series at Kansas City on Friday.

The scrappy second baseman wasted no time getting the Tigers into gear, singling and scoring in the first inning, as Detroit forged a 3-0 lead. Kinsler went on to double and homer in four subsequent at-bats, driving in three runs as the Tigers routed the Royals, 10-1.

Justin Verlander held Kansas City to one earned run on seven hits over seven innings for his 14th win against 12 losses.

The result moved Detroit 1 1/2 games up on the Royals in the AL Central and made the wild card chase the closest it has been all season, with three teams - Oakland, Kansas City and Seattle - all within one game of each other.

The A's and Mariners were both winners on Friday, putting Oakland up by 1/2 game over the Royals, with Seattle another 1/2 game back. Oakland and Seattle have just nine games remaining in the regular season (Kansas City, 10), meaning there are no days off until the season ends on Sunday, September 28. Two teams will be wild cards, playing a one-game playoff at the home of the team with the better record.

The Yankees, winners of four straight, are 4 1/2 behind KC, but are quickly running out of time.

Game two of Detroit's series at Kansas City is slated for 1:05 pm EDT on Saturday.

National League

Cuddyer: GS, 7RBI

At the start of the season, Michael Cuddyer was one of the hottest hitters in the National League, until suffering a hamstring injury that had him on and off the DL through the summer. Just about 12 days ago, the hamstring healed, he began playing regularly in right field, and Cuddyer has picked up right where he left off, riding a six-game hitting streak through Colorado's 15-3 pasting of Arizona Friday night.

Going 3-for-5 with two doubles and a grand slam, Cuddyer drove in seven runs and scored three runs as the Rockies and Diamondbacks play out the string, both teams long since having fallen out of post-season contention.

Elsewhere, the Dodgers improved their lead in the NL West to 3 1/2 games with a 14-5 slaughter of the Cubs in Chicago, while the Giants lost at San Diego, 5-0. In the Central, St. Louis squeezed out another close win, taking a 2-1 decision over Cincinnati. St. Louis leads Pittsburgh by 2 1/2 games in the division. Washington has already clinched the East.

The wild card is all but decided, that only matters remaining being what teams will be in which positions. Currently, the Giants have a one-game lead over Pittsburgh, but the Pirates are red-hot, having won five in a row, including Friday's 4-2 victory over the Brewers, which left Milwaukee 4 1/2 games behind the Pirates and with little chance of catching up.

Naturally, all positions could change, but the four remaining playoff spots appear to be split between St. Louis, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and San Francisco.

Leonys Martin, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus End Rangers' 7-Game Skid; Mike Leake, Jay Bruce Lead Reds' 10-0 Win over Astros

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 17, 2013

American League

Ian Kinsler

Playoff-style baseball is already being played in ballparks around the country, as the AL wild card race continues to entertain six teams in contention for the two spots.

Leonys Martin

Topping the bill of Tuesdya's slate of games was game two of the four-game series between the Rangers and Rays, the two teams currently in position to capture both wild cards.

Texas snapped a seven-game losing streak and regained a tie with Tampa Bay with a 7-1 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Two players at the top of the order - Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus - and one at the bottom, rookie center fielder Leonys Martin, together accounted for nearly all of the Ranger runs.

Elvis Andrus

Martin was 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a pair of doubles and three scores. Leadoff batter, Kinsler, was 2-for-5 with a solo homer and three RBI, scoring twice, while #2 hitter, Andrus, went 2-for-3 with three RBI on a two-run homer and a pair of singles.

Texas starter, Alexi Ogando, gave up two hits and the Rays' only run, working five innings. The Rangers used five pitchers, the Rays, seven. With tired arms in both bullpens, Wednesday and Thursday's games could explode into offensive fireworks.

Elsewhere, Baltimore topped Boston, 4-3, Cleveland whipped KC, 5-3 and the Yankees lost their fourth straight, 2-0, at Toronto.

The Rays and Rangrs resume hostilities Wednesday night at 7:00 pm EDT. The series is tied at a game apiece.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/17)

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

National League

Leake: 8 scoreless

Bruce: GS, 5 RBI

With the Washington Nationals taking a double-header from the Braves, the Cincinnati Reds might be feeling a little pressure as they maintain a 4-4 1/2 game lead over the Nats in the race for the final wild card, but Jay Bruce made certain that the Reds would keep winning, as he drove in the Reds first run with a single in the opening frame, then added four more with a fourth-inning grand slam.

Bruce's excessive run-producing was more than what starter, Mike Leake, would need as he improved to 14-6 by shutting out the Astros over eight innings, giving up five hits and two walks while fanning six.

With the 10-0 win - Cincinnati's second straight at Houston - the Reds retained the 4 1/2 game bulge over the streaking Nationals while remaining 2 1/2 back of St. Louis in the NL Central. The Cardinals lead Pittsburgh by one game in the division.

NOTABLE: Sidelined since late July, Matt Kemp returned to the Dodgers' starting lineup on Tuesday and has already had an impact, going 4-for-4 with three RBI as the Dodgers hammered Arizona, 9-3, putting Los Angeles within one game of capturing the NL West pennant. LA plays at Arizona Wednesday and Thursday, and a win in either game, which, by default, would also be a Diamondback loss, would clinch the division.

Today's Trivia: Who won the NL batting title in 1975 and 1976, and then won it twice more - in 1981 and 1983 - for a different team? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Boston swept the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The next year, the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros, four games to none.

Rangers Stop Royals as Ian Kinsler Goes 3-for-3; Justin Upton Socks a Pair, Drives in Six in Atlanta Rout

Players of the Day for Monday, March 18, 2013

Grapefruit League

When the Phillies and Braves have gotten together for a ball game n recent years, the usual expectation is of a pitcher's duel of some kind. Playing an exhibition game at the Braves' Springtime home at Champion Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida, was a little bit different.

Upton: 2HR, 6RBI

The Braves pounded Philly pitching for 19 hits - four of them home runs - in a 17-10 romp in which the Braves scored in every inning except the sixth.

Justin Upton led the assault with a pair of homers. He socked a two-run, first inning blast off starter Rodrigo Lopez, and later pounded a three-run shot in the third off reliever Colton Murray. Upton was not done, however, connecting for an RBI single in the fifth off Antonio Bastardo to give him six RBI on the day. He also walked and scored in the second.

Upton was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Braves during the off-season and brings a lively bat to the Atlanta lineup. He batted .280 in 2012 with 17 homers and 67 RBI. He is expected to patrol left field alongside his brother, B.J., who was acquired via free agency by the Braves after eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays.

With rising star, Jason Heyward, in right field, the 2013 Braves will field one of the fleetest and productive outfields in the major leagues.

Cactus League

Kinsler: 3-3, HR

With the Kansas City Royals running away with the Cactus League, the Rangers took a step Monday at putting their reign to an end, topping the Royals, 8-2, with their second straight win, improving to 12-10 in exhibition play.

At the top of the order, where he's been a mainstay for nearly a decade, Ian Kinsler went 3-for-3, with a home run and two RBI. Kinsler also scored twice and stole his second base of the Spring. He's expected to start the 2013 season at second base for the Rangers.

Derek Lowe worked three innings of scoreless ball, getting the win, his first of the exhibition season. The Royals were held scoreless until the ninth, when they plated their only runs of the game.

The loss reduced KC's lead in the Cactus to just 1 1/2 games over Seattle, winners of five straight.

Ian Kinsler Leads Rangers over Twins; Andre Ethier Goes 4-for-4 in Second Straight Game

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 25, 2012

American League

Multi-hit and multi-homer games are all the rage in Texas, ever since Adrian Beltre smashed three homers in one game and, two days later, hit for the cycle.

Ian Kinsler

Saturday was Ian Kinsler's turn at the plate, and the scrappy second baseman came within a double of hitting for the cycle himself.

Kinsler led off the Texas half of the first inning with his 15th home run of the season, cleared up a bases-loaded situation in the third with a triple and later singled. He finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored, giving him 88 runs on the year, good for second in the AL behind LA's amazing rookie, Mike Trout, who leads the league with 99.

Texas won its fourth straight, a 9-3 Ranger romp over Minnesota, and will be looking for the sweep in their four game series with the downcast Twins when they host them in the finale Sunday afternoon. It's been pretty one-sided for the home team. Texas has outscored the Twins 27-9 in the first three games and continue lead the AL West by six games over the A's.


National League

Ethier: 10 straight hits

Seemingly unconcerned about being dropped to sixth in the Dodger lineup, Andre Ethier continued to demonize opposing pitchers, going 4-for-4 in LA's 9-3 win over Miami.

It was the second straight win over the Marlins and the second game in a row in which Ethier was 4-for-4 with a home run. Ethier had two hits in his final two at-bats in Thursday's loss to the Giants, giving him 10 straight, tying a club record set in 1919 by first baseman Ed Konetchy.

Being moved down in the batting order is not a worry for either Ethier or the Dodgers, since he's batting right behind a pair of newcomers: Hanley Ramirez, whom them Dodgers acquired in late July, and Adrian Gonzalez, who was traded to the Dodgers from Boston on Saturday and hit a three-run homer in his first game for LA.

The win allowed LA to pick up a game on the Giants, who lead the NL West by just two games over the Dodgers. LA will be looking for the series sweep Sunday afternoon when they host the Marlins.

Ronny Cedeno Drives in 5 in 9-1 Win over SF; Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler Lead Rangers past Angels

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 2, 2012

American League

Ian Kinsler

Completing their four game series with the Angels, the Texas Rangers, after losing the first two games, won the last pair, 11-10 in 10 innings on Wednesday, and 15-9, Thursday, in an offensive show which included 31 combined hits for both teams.

The Rangers banged out 18 hits against five LA hurlers. Angel starter C.J. Wilson was tagged for 10 hits and eight runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Rangers tied the game in the sixth at 8-8 when Elvis Andrus singled home Ian Kinsler. Texas added four more in the seventh and three in the eighth, outdistancing their opponents in the late innings.

Josh Hamilton

Kinsler got the Rangers started with a solo homer in the second inning. He eventually finished 3-for-5 with a single, double, home run, four runs and a pair of ribbies, giving him 51 RBI on the season, four behind the Angels' Mike Trout, who leads AL leadoff hitters with 55.

Josh Hamilton singled and doubled in six at-bats, driving in four runs to take over the RBI lead in the AL with 88, one better than Detroit's Miguel Cabrera.

The back-to-back Ranger wins dropped the Angels into third place, five games out, and 1/2 game behind the surging Oakland A's. The A's and Angels will meet for three games in Oakland starting Monday. The two are currently 1-2 in the wild card race.

National League

Ronny Cedeno

July was not a very good month for the Mets, as they went 4-14 after the all star break and fell out of contention in the NL East, but August is off to a better beginning, with two straight wins over the NL West-leading Giants, including Thursday's 9-1 romp.

Chris Young (3-5) had a strong outing, allowing four hits and one earned over seven innings. Meanwhile, Ronny Cedeno was clearing the basepaths, going 3-for-5 (two doubles and a single) with five RBI, leading the offensive assault.

After Jason Bay doubled home a pair in the first, Cedeno doubled home two more, for a quick, 4-0, lead. Cedeno singled in another run in the fifth and completed the Mets' scoring with a two-run double in the seventh.

While the Mets remained 11 games behind the Nationals in the East, the two losses by the Giants left them just 1/2 game ahead of the Dodgers, who were swept three straight by Arizona, now just two games behind the Giants.

San Francisco goes on the road for the next seven games, with three in Colorado over the weekend, followed by a four game series in St. Louis.

Likewise, Arizona hits the road with three games at Philadelphia and four in Pittsburgh, while the Dodgers host a pair of three-game series with the Cubs and Rockies.

Ian Kinsler Sends Rangers Past Jays; Yadier Molina Powers Cardinals with Grand Slam

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 27, 2012

American League

Completing the three-game sweep of the Blue Jays with a 12-6 victory, the Texas Rangers have once again powered their way to the best record in the American League with a 30-18 mark, and lead the surging LA Angels - winners of six straight - by 6 1/2 games.

Ian Kinsler

Texas got going in a hurry, scoring seven times in the second inning and two more in the third, while the Jays were only able to muster single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, clearly not enough to close up the gap.

Ian Kinsler was the driver of the early scoring, doubling and driving in two in the second inning before socking his 6th homer of the season, with a man aboard in the third.

The regular leadoff hitter for the Rangers, Kinsler has touched home plate 41 times this season, four more than teammate Josh Hamilton, who is tied for second with Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez, with 37.

National League

Yadier Molina

After losing three straight at home to the Phillies, the Cardinals finally got a win to avoid a four-game sweep - a no-doubt, 8-3 victory in the series finale, but the poor recent record of 3-7 has dropped St. Louis from the top spot in the Central division, as Reds have surged past, winning eight of their last ten.

The Cardinals were aided by catcher Yadier Molina, who stroked a first-inning grand slam off Philly starter Roy Hallady, who lasted only two innings in the shortest stint of the season.

With Halladay chased from the mound, Adam Wainwright protected the early lead allowing one earned run off of seven hits over six innings, earning his fourth victory against five losses.

The Cardinals trail the Reds by 1 1/2 games in the division. The Phillies, despite better play recently, are still stuck in last place in the East, five games off the pace being set by the Washington Nationals.

Ian Kinsler and Michael Young Power Rangers; Matt Garza Shuts Out Brewers for 8 2/3

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 12, 2012

American League

The Texas Rangers are loaded with great hitters - think Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz - but in Thursday's 5-3 win over Seattle, Texas needed only the first two guys in their lineup in order to get the job done, which was putting some distance between themselves and the second place Mariners.

Ian Kinsler

Michael Young

Ian Kinsler and Michael Young both went 3-for-4 and combined to score four of the Rangers' five runs and drive in all of them. Kinsler, batting in his usual leadoff position, had a pair of singles and a double, stole a base, scored three times and drove in a run, while Young, batting right behind him and playing DH for the day, drove in Kinsler each time he was on the basepaths with a couple of singles and and a two-run homer, tallying four RBI and scoring once.

While the rest of the lineup was apparently taking the day off - going a combined 3-for-24 - starter Derrick Holland picked up his first win of 2012, allowing two runs over seven innings. Mike Adams gave up another run in the ninth, but still picked up the save.

The Rangers are 1 1/2 games to the good over Seattle, having concluded the series in Arlington by taking three of four.

National League

The Cubs haven't had much to cheer about thus far, and, heading into the finale of their four-game series at Milwaukee were staring at being swept and starting off the season 1-6.

Matt Garza

Matt Garza came to the rescue with an outstanding job from the mound, throwing 8 2/3 innings of shutout ball on three hits to silence the Brewer bats, earning Chicago's second win of the season against five losses.

Garza allowed two base runners in the first inning on a single and a walk and issued a one-out walk in the second, but after that was lights out. From the third to the ninth inning, he didn't walk another batter and allowed just a pair of harmless singles, fanning nine while nearly going the distance in an 8-0 Cubs' romp.

Garza could have had the complete game shutout, but his own error (and a pitch count at 119), with two down in the ninth prevented him from finishing. Steve Camp came on to get the final out and send the Cubs out of Milwaukee with a much-needed win.

Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler Help Rangers Even World Series, 1-1

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 20, 2011

Rangers 2 Cardinals 1

With just three outs to go and the Cardinal closer, Jason Motte, on the mound, the Texas Rangers appeared headed to a 2-0 deficit in the World Series. St. Louis had taken a 1-0 lead to the ninth on the strength of Jaime Garcia's brilliant seven innings of shutout ball and pinch-hitter Allen Craig's magic bat, which drove in David Freese with the go-ahead run in the seventh. But that was before Ian Kinsler, one of the toughest of the Texas hitters, came to the plate and delivered his second hit of the night, a scratch single to center.

Kinsler, 2-for-3, SB
scored tying run.

Then Kinsler stole second and the Rangers suddenly had life with the tying run on second base. At the plate was Elvis Andrus, not bunting, instead stroking a clean single to right-center. Kinsler stopped at third as Jon Jay whipped the ball back to the infield, but Andrus, seeing Albert Pujols misplay the cutoff throw, headed to second, sliding headlong into the bag.

With nobody out and runners on second and third, the game had quickly changed from a likely win for the Cardinals to, at worst, for the Rangers, a tie game and maybe a lead.

Andrus scored the
game winner.

Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa went to the mound, and, after a short talk with Motte, waved Arthur Rhodes in from the bullpen. Rhodes faced Josh Hamilton, the power hitter who hadn't had a hit in the series, in obvious discomfort due to a pulled groin. Rhodes missed high with a fastball, and Hamilton drove it to deep right. Kinsler scored without a throw. Andrus took third and the game was tied.

Lance Lynn replaced Rhodes, but he too failed to keep the Rangers from scoring. Michael Young lifted a fly to right center and Andrus came home easily with the game winner. Two sac flies, two runs, game over.

After Adrian Beltre grounded out to end the top of the ninth, the Cardinals went quietly in the bottom, Neftali Feliz walking leadoff hitter Yadier Molina, but then calmly striking out Nick Punto and Skip Schumaker. Rafael Furcal flied out to right to end it and the series was tied at one game apiece, heading to Texas for three games.

Garcia's seven innings (3 hits, 1 BB, 7 K) were nearly matched by Colby Lewis of the Rangers, who didn't allow a run, but left with two aboard and two outs in the seventh inning. Reliever Alexi Ogando came in to face Criag, just as he did in game one, and just like in game one, Criag singled. The run was charged to Lewis, but that was all the Cards could get.

The series heads to Arlington, Texas, home of the Rangers, for games three, four and five. Game three is Saturday night, 8:05 pm EDT. Kyle Lohse goes for the Cardinals. Matt Harrison gets the start for Texas.

Kinsler, Wilson Lead Rangers Past Rays; Pujols Slams as Cardinals Sweep Brewers

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 1, 2011

American League

Wilson: 14-6

The Texas Rangers keep finding new ways to fend off the LA Angels as the pursue their second straight AL West title and a possible return trip to the World Series.

Kinsler: 94 runs

In their latest exploit, a 7-2 win over Tampa Bay, the Rangers got a solid six innings from starting pitcher C.J. Wilson (14-6), who allowed two hits, a walk and two runs while striking out nine, and a pair of solo homers from leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler.

The victory allowed the Rangers to maintain their 3 1/2 games of breathing room over the Angles, 4-3 winners over Seattle Thursday night.

Wilson and Kinsler have been integral to the Rangers' success this season. Wilson, winner of four of his last five starts, is the Rangers' workhorse, logging 192 innings and registering 173 Ks, good for sixth in the AL. Kinsler, despite his sub-standard .243 batting average leads all second baseman and is fourth in the league with 94 runs. He also has 23 homers, 61 RBI and has swiped 23 bases, including one in Thursday's win.

National League

Pujols: 34 HRs

Losing three straight at home to the team chasing you in the division does not inspire confidence as the calendar turns to September, but that's exactly what happened to the Milwaukee Brewers - who have the major league's best home record at 50-19 - when the Cardinals came to town and swept the series, winning 2-1, 8-3 and 8-4 on Thursday.

The Brewers may want to laugh it all off, being that the Cards are still 7 1/2 games back in the NL Central, but nobody was chuckling when Albert Pujols cracked the second of his two home runs in the 3rd inning, a grand slam smash to right that put the Cardinals up 6-0 on Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo, who was pounded for eight runs on nine hits, lasting just 4 1/3 innings.

Pujols, who followed Rafael Furcal's leadoff homer in the first inning with one of his own, added a couple of singles later to go 4-for-5 with three runs and five RBI. Pujols leads the NL with 34 home runs, out in front of a host of pursuers with 31 and 30.

Now that they've cooled off the Brewers, the Cardinals are just looking for a path to the playoffs, and the best route seems to be through the Brewers. The two teams meet again in St. Louis - for the final time this season - next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. St. Louis has three home games against the Reds before that, while the Brewers travel to play a trio in Houston.

Bad luck? The Brewers were featured on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated. Like the appearance of the grim reaper, the SI cover jinx seems to work every time.

Rangers Score 20 Runs in Win over Twins; Yadier Molina Keeps Cards Tied for First

Players of the Day for Monday, July 25, 2011

American League

Ian Kinsler

When all of their position players are healthy, the Texas Rangers have undoubtedly one of the most potent offensive attacks in the majors. To prove their point, the Rangers knocked out 27 hits in a devastating display of hitting, defeating the visiting Minnesota Twins, 20-7, in the first of a three-game series.

The hits and runs were the most by any major league team this season. Every starting player had at least two hits, except for third baseman Chris Davis, who went 0-for-6.

Playing as DH, Ian Kinsler led the assault from the top of the order, going 4-for-6 with a double, home run, four RBI and two runs. Nelson Cruz and catcher Mike Napoli also collected four hits.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire had the most erudite quote, saying, “the first five innings looked like a ZIP code, that will tell you how it went…33354.”

The only innings in which the Rangers did not scare were the 6th and 8th, the latter pitched by Twins' outfielder Michael Cuddyer, though he loaded the bases with one out before setting down the last two Texas batters the Twins needed to face.

The win put the Rangers four games to the good over the Angels in the West. The Twins, who have been trying to get to .500 after a horrible April, remained in fourth place in the tightening Central division, seven game behind the Detroit Tigers.

National League

Yadier Molina

The St. Louis Cardinals are in the fight of their lives for the lead in the NL Central, having to fend off the surprising Pirates, along with the defending division champion Reds and the hard-hitting Brewers.

On Monday night, the Cards did what they do best, bludgeoning the Houston Astros, 10-5, to remained tied with Pittsburgh atop the division. The Pirates dumped Atlanta, 3-1.

Yadier Molina showed off his power stroke, going 3-for-4 with a double and his 8th home run, driving in two runs and scoring three times.

The idle Brewers dropped 1/2 game behind the dual division leaders, while the Reds were stymied by the Mets, 4-2, falling four games off the pace.

STREAKS: Seattle lost their 16th consecutive game, a 10-3 laugher by the Yankees to open a three-game series in New York.

Kinsler drops a Pair on Yankees; Fielder Having Career Year

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 27, 2009 American League Locked into the quest for the post-season, both the Yankees and Rangers had much on the line when they wrapped up their three-game series in New York on Thursday afternoon. With the series tied 1-1, Texas came away with a much-needed 7-2 victory, primarily off the bat of second baseman Ian Kinsler, who recently returned from a stint on the DL and is once again proving to be one of the game's most dangerous hitters. Down 1-0 in the top of the 4th, Kinsler stepped to the plate with two aboard - Josh Hamilton and Nick Cruz - and deposited his 27th home run into the left field stands, giving the Rangers a lead they would not relinquish. After Texas had upped the lead to 6-2 on Chris Davis' 3-run shot in the 6th inning, Kinsler completed the Texas scoring with his 28th homer, a solo shot, again to left. Kinsler is having the best year of his 4-year career with the Rangers, already having topped his season-high totals for home runs (28) and RBI (73). Since returning from the DL on August 15, he's smacked 5 homers and driven in 10 runs. The win by Texas moved them to within 4 games of AL West leader, Los Angeles, and trimmed their deficit in the wild card race to 1 1/2 games behind the Red Sox, who took it on the chin in a 9-5 loss to the White Sox. That leaves the Yankees with a 6-game lead in the East, with just 35 games remaining. National League Despite losing their third straight - 8-5 to Cincinnati - and dropping out of contention for any post-season fun, the Milwaukee Brewers still have some solid hitters in their lineup, but none more feared than mighty Prince Fielder. Even though the Brew crew has floundered to a 61-66 record and 4th place in the weak NL Central, all Fielder has done is lead the world in RBI with 115, smack 35 homers and put up a very respectable - for a power hitter - .305 batting average this season. Fielder cracked his second homer in as many games - a 3-run job - and his 10th in the month of August. He's already hit the second-most homers (50 in 2007) in a season in his brief, 4-year career with the Brewers and four more RBI will tie his best for a season, set last year. Besides all that, his current batting average is 21 points better than his career average. NOTES: Don't look for pennant races to develop in the National League, except maybe in the West, though the Dodgers took two of three in Colorado to put them 4 games ahead of the rocketing Rockies. In the East, the Phillies are 7 in front of the Marlins and Braves, with both of those teams eyeing the wild card instead of a division title, though they trail the Rockies by 4 1/2 games. St. Louis has all but wrapped up the Central division with a 9 game lead and just 33 games left on their schedule. If they play just above .500 ball the rest of the way, they'd finish at 91-71 and the second-place Cubs would have to go 28-9 just to tie them, an unlikely scenario. In the AL, the Yanks continue to roll toward the AL East crown with a 6 game lead over Boston, with the Rays 9 1/2 back. The Central and west are still too close for comfort for front-running Detroit and LA. They lead the white Sox and Rangers by identical 4-game edges, respectively.

Kinsler Outruns Astros; Lannan Guns Down Yankees

Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 17, 2009 American League Texas continues to cling to a narrow lead in the AL West, currently 2 games to the good over the charging LA Angels, winners of six straight. In Wednesday's 5-4 squeaker over Houston, the Rangers were fortunate to have Ian Kinsler in the leadoff spot. In the first inning, Kinsler led off with a double, stole third and scored on Ivan Rodriguez's errant throw. After beating out a bunt single in the 3rd inning and being forced out at second, Kinsler stroked a sac fly in the 5th, scoring Omar Vizquel with the go-ahead run. After Houston tied the game at 4-4, it was again Kinsler in the 10th who reached on an error, stole second and eventually scored the game winner on David Murphy's single to left. Not a bad night: 2-for-4, 2 steals, an RBI, and two runs, including the game winner. National League Don't tell the Washington Nationals that they're supposed to go up to New York just to be swept by the high and mighty Yankees. After a 5-3 loss in the series opener, the Nats evened the score, winning 3-2 in New York. While Washington was only able to muster 3 runs, Nationals' starter John Lannan limited the Yankees to just four hits and two earned runs over 8 1/3 innings of yeoman mound work. Lannan (4-5) allowed the Yanks to score only on home runs - both solo shots - in the 5th, by Robinson Cano, and in the 9th, by Johnny Damon. After allowing a one-out single by Mark Teixeira, Lannan turned the ball over to reliever Mike McDonald, who walked Alex Rodriguez but got Cano to ground into a game-ending double play for his first save since July of 2006. Lannan, a second-year starter for the Nationals who hails from Long Island, has bested both of his favorite boyhood teams. On June 6, he threw a 4-hit complete game to beat the Mets and now holds a win over both metro teams. For a starter on a last place team, Lannan's stats are favorable with an ERA of 3.38 and a 1.34 WHIP.

Howard Slam Sets Team Mark; Kinsler a Leadoff Leader

Players of the Day for Saturday, May 30, 2009 American League Ian Kinsler singled in a pair of runs in the 5th inning and doubled home two more in the 7th as part of a 17-hit assault in the Rangers' 14-1 trouncing of Oakland. Kinsler's 4 RBI gave him 39 on the season, the best for a leadoff batter in either league. Texas, meanwhile, is mauling the AL West, upping its lead to 5 1/2 games as the Angels lost to Seattle, 4-3, in 10 innings on Saturday. Kinsler, whose batting average is down to a pedestrian 281, has improved his slugging percentage (.561) with 13 homers and 12 doubles among his 55 hits. National League Ryan Howard set a team mark as the Phillies vaulted back into first place in the NL East - 1/2 game over the Mets - topping Washington, 9-6. Howard smacked the eighth grand slam of his career, one better than Phillie legend Mike Schmidt, in the third inning, after delivering a solo shot in the second. The two homers were #s 13 and 14 on the season and the five RBI gave Howard 39. NOTES: Baltimore's Luke Scott continued banging away, homering for the 4th straight game in Baltimore's 6-3 loss to Detroit. The loss snapped a Baltimore five-game win streak, though Scott - who earned back-to-back POTD honors on Thursday and Friday - continued his hitting streak to 7 games. --- The LA Dodgers may be dominating the weakest division in baseball, the NL West, where only LA, at 34-17 (best in the majors), has a record above .500. The Giants are in second place, 9 1/2 games back, at 24-24. The Dodgers have feasted upon their divisional opponents, posting a 23-8 record against NL West teams. They are 8-3 against the NL East, but only 2-4 vs. the NL Central.

Kinsler's Cycle, 6 Hits Lead Rangers; Cameron Unloads on Reds

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 15, 2009 American League There are outstanding single-game performances and then there's the truly extraordinary, like the one Texas Ranger Ian Kinsler had in Texas' 19-6 win over Baltimore. Kinsler went 6-for-6, hit for the cycle with 2 singles, 2 doubles a triple and a home run, scored 5 times, drove in 4 runs and stole a base. It was the kind of game that players usually only dream of, but for Kinsler, leadoff hitter for the power-packed Rangers, multiple hit games are the norm rather than the exception. After 9 games, Kinsler leads the AL in hits (18), RBI (13) and is second in batting average at .474. National League Some guys get lost in the shuffle, but often deserve more credit than they get. Such is the case with 15-year veteran Mike Cameron, who has bolstered the rosters of six different teams, the latest being the Milwaukee Brewers. On Wednesday, Cameron was more than a tough out, he was impossible to get out, mashing two solo homers and a double in three official at-bats. He scored 3 times and drove in the same number of runs as the Brewers topped the Reds, 9-3, taking two of three games at Milwaukee. In his only other plate appearance, he was wisely issued a free pass to first base. Mike is batting .370 thus far in 2009, with an on-base percentage of .500.

Rangers, Padres Pound Out 20 Hits Each as Kinsler, Giles Star

Players of the Day from Sunday, August 10, 2008 American League Ian Kinsler led a 20-hit attack as Texas grounded the Orioles, 15-7, as rumors persisted that the Rangers were seeking to trade for starting pitching. Kinsler knocked 4 singles and a two-run homer, drove in 3, scored 3 times and helped turn two double plays. The leadoff batter for the Rangers, Kinsler is batting a brisk .319. The Rangers, 14 games behind the Angels in the AL West, still believe they can make the post-season with just a little more pitching. They lead the AL in almost every offensive category. Their .281 batting average, 667 runs and 641 RBI are tops in the majors. They have hit 146 home runs, second only to the White Sox (165). However, their team ERA of 5.33 is the worst in the majors. Texas is currently 6 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the wild card race. Notes: While the Rangers search for arms, the Angels were busy completing their sweep of the Yankees with a 4-3 win. The loss pushed New York 8 1/2 behind the Rays, who won at Seattle and hold a 4 1/2 game edge over Boston. The Red Sox lost to the White Sox, who moved back into first place in the Central by 1/2 game over the Twins, losers to KC in 12 innings.

Fish , Hunt Ducks and Waterfowl Lake Manitoba Narrows
Golf, Fish Walleye , Fall Duck Hunting at Resort Lake Manitoba Narrows Home Cottage Lot.
fishlakemanitobanarrows.com

The Rays don't seem to be looking over their shoulder much, and the Yankees are going to be eliminated from post-season contention if they don't get on the stick soon. The Yanks play three in Minnesota and then may be able to make a move as they host KC for 3 games, then play 3-game sets in Tornoto and Baltimore before a critical 3-game series with the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on August 26, 27 and 28. National League San Diego hasn't made much noise this season, mired in the basment of the NL West with one of the least potent offenses in the league, but on Sunday, Brian Giles and his teammates broke out the whippin' sticks at Colorado and thumped the Rockies, 16-7, banging out 20 hits along the way. Giles led the team with a 4-for-6 effort, including two doubles and a two-run homer, 4 RBI and 4 runs scored. Even with the one-day explosion, the Padres are still third from the bottom in runs scored (459). Only the Giants and Nationals have scored fewer. The Padres' team batting average of .248 is better than only Cincinnati, Oakland and Washington.

Glendale Golfs Manitoba
Glendale Manitoba Golf Winnipeg Golfs.
www.glendalegolfs.com

Notes: While the Padres and Rockies were carrying on, Brandon Webb and the Diamondbacks were taking care of business atop the NL West. Webb improved to 17-4, going 6 innings and allowing just the one run. The Dodgers are suffering from bullpen woes, as, for the second straight game, they were unable to close out the Giants, allowing two runs in the bottom of the 9th for a 5-4 loss. That puts them 1 1/2 behind Arizona. The Cubs and Brewers both won, so the margin there is still 4 games, but the Cardinals slipped back to 7 off the pace, losing to Chicago, 6-2. In the East, Philly won as the Marlins topped the Mets, so Philadelphia is 2 games ahead of the Mets and 2 1/2 better than Florida.