J. D. Downs Angels; J. P. Stops White Sox

Players of the Day from Friday, October 3, 2008 American League Tampa Bay 6 Chicago White Sox 2 The Tampa Bay Rays took a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series with the White Sox, scoring a 6-2 win Friday night in Tampa. Quality pitching has been a key to the Rays' success all season, proved by the 2 innings of stellar work turned in by middle reliever J. P. Howell. Howell came on in the top of the 7th inning, with the Rays up 3-2. Starter Scott Kazmir had lasted just 5 1/3, and Grant Balfour, who came on with one out in the 6th, ran into trouble, allowing back-to-back singles to Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko leading off the 7th. With the potential lead runs on base, Powell calmly put down the next three batters in order and worked a scoreless 8th as well, allowing only a harmless 2-out single to Orlando Cabrera while striking out the side. After the Rays put up three more runs in the bottom of the frame, Howell's night was complete. Chad Bradford came on to finish off the Sox in the ninth. Howell was 6-1 during the regular season, appearing in 64 games. Over 89 innings, Howell compiled a 2.22 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP and 92 Ks. The Rays and Sox get a day off prior to resumption of their series in Chicago on Sunday. Matt Garza goes for the Rays, facing Chicago's John Danks. Boston 7 LA Angels 5 J. D. Drew snapped a 5-all tie with a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th inning to give the Red Sox a 7-5 win over the Angels and a 2-0 lead in the playoff series. It was the 11th straight win for the Red Sox over the Angels in the post-season. Drew, who managed to end the game on a positive note for the Red Sox, got things started with an RBI double in the first inning and added a single for a 3-for-5 night. The Red Sox are within one win of advancing to the AL Championship Series. Game three is Sunday at Fenway. Boston ace Josh Beckett faces Joe Saunders in a do-or-die game for the Angels. Notes: The National League takes center stage on Saturday as both Philadelphia and the LA Dodgers look to advance. Both hold 2-0 leads in their series, over a pair of NL Central squads, the Brewers and Cubs, respectively.

AL Wins All Star Game and Home Field Again

The American League won the annual mid-season classic for the 11th time in the last 12 years (2002 ended in a tie), with a 4-3, 15-inning baseball-fest at Yankee Stadium. The "House the Ruth Built" was the perfect backdrop for yet another NL collapse, and the last time the stadium - built in 1923 - will host an All Star game as it will be torn down following the 2008 season.

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For the record, the AL and NL have split four All Star games at Yankee Stadium, with the American League winning in 1939 and 2008, and the Nationals taking the prize in 1960 and 1977. The win gives the AL pennant winner home field advantage in this season's World Series, which has proven to be a nice edge of late. American League clubs have won eight of the last ten fall classics. The game itself highlighted some very solid pitching and timely hitting, especially Michael Young's game-winning sac fly and J. D. Drew's 2-run homer in the 7th inning which erased a 2-0 NL lead. The Nationals had held the AL scoreless through the first six innings, but, as has been the case so often, they could not hold them down in the final critical innings. The teams traded runs in the 8th and then treated the assembled throng and millions of TV viewers to 6 1/2 shutout innings. It was a tough night for Florida Marlins players in the field. Second baseman Dan Uggla made three errors, while shortstop Hanley Ramirez booted a ball in the 4th inning. None of the Florida errors resulted in unearned runs. J. D. Drew took home the MVP Award, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and the only Al home run. Matt Holliday hit a solo homer for the Nationals, who stole just one base while the AL swiped six. Tomorrow: NL 2nd-half Outlook

Haren's Revenge; Drew Steps Up Game

Players of the Day from Wednesday, June 18, 2008 American League The Red Sox earned a 2-1 split in their series with Philadelphia as J. D. Drew went 4-for-5 in Boston's 7-4 win Wednesday. Drew got things started early for the Sox with a three-run homer in the opening frame - his 13th - and followed up with three singles, completing a 4-RBI night. With both Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz out of the lineup, Drew and 3rd baseman Mike Lowell have moved into the 3 and 4 spots in the lineup. While Ortiz is on the 15-day DL, Ramirez took the day off to rest a troublesome hamstring, and should be back in the lineup on Friday. Notes: While the Red Sox nurse their various injuries and their two-game lead over Tampa in the division, the Yankees won their 6th straight (8-5 over San Diego) on Wednesday, and are just 5 1/2 back. In the Central, Detroit has won 8 of their last 9 and are in third place, 6 1/2 behind the White Sox and 2 back of the Twins. The Tigers are still 4 games under .500 (34-38), but after going 17-28 through May 18, they're 17-10 since. National League After seeing ace Brandon Webb demolished by the A's in Tuesday's 15-1 romp, Dan Haren literally took matters into his own hands and single-handedly defeated the A's 11-1, Wednesday night. Haren allowed just 4 hits and one earned run over 7 innings, striking out 8 in the process, but also delivered a key blow with a bases-loaded double in the third inning, which put the D-Backs ahead 8-0. Haren threw 112 pitches as he improved to 7-4 and dropped his ERA to a very respectable 3.26. Notes: It looks like Milwaukee may be about to get serious about the race in the NL Central. With their third straight win - 5-4 over Toronto - on Wednesday, the Brewers have gained to within 6 1/2 of the Cubs and are just 3 behind the Cardinals. Both teams have lost their last two games.

Boston's Lowell, Drew, are Grand; Miller Blanks AZ as Marlins Sweep

Players of the Day from Thursday, May 22, 2008 American League Mike Lowell (left) and J. D. Drew (right) each hit grand slam homers as Boston won their 7th straight, an 11-8 Fenway slug-fest over the KC Royals. Drew hit his slam in the second inning and also singled and scored in the sixth, before the bases got loaded and Lowell delivered his bomb. Lowell also singled and doubled and scored three times on the night. While the Boston efforts were spectacular, they barely outshone those of the Royals' Jose Guillen (4-5, double, homer, 3 runs, 3 RBI) and Miguel Olivo (3-5, 2 doubles, homer, 1 run, 5 RBI). Going unnoticed with all the balls leaving the yard was Daisuke Matsuzaka winning his 8th game without a loss. Despite pitching poorly (5 2/3, 6 hits, 6 BB, 3 ER 7 K), Dice-K now stands alone as the AL's only 8-game winner. Notes: While the Sox have opened up a healthy 2 1/2 game lead over the Rays in the East with seven straight wins, the White Sox have won 8 straight and pulled 3 1/2 ahead of the Twins and 4 1/2 beyond the Indians, who have lost six straight, in the Central. The Angels lead Oakland by 2 1/2 in the West. National League Andrew Miller worked 7 scoreless innings, allowing just 5 hits and a walk while striking out nine, as the Florida Marlins downed Arizona, 4-0, completing a three-game series sweep of the NL West leaders.

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Miller, 4-3, got his work in, throwing 107 pitches, before retiring at the end of the 7th. In his last four starts (in which he's recorded 3 wins), Miller has lowered his ERA from 9.12 to a nearly-respectible 5.33 and has helped keep the Marlins in first place. Notes: Though the Marlins scored just 10 runs in their series sweep of the Diamondbacks, Florida pitchers gave up just 3 runs, keeping them 1 1/2 ahead of the charging Braves (5 straight Ws) and Phillies (3 straight). Meanwhile, the Dodgers, idle on Thursday, have climbed to within 2 1/2 games of Arizona in the West.