Giants' Jeff Samardzija Tosses 3-Hit Shutout; Rays' Austin Pruitt Extends KC Scoreless Streak

Players of the Day for Monday, August 28, 2017

American League

Pruitt: 6 IP, 1 H, 6K

With a 12-0 shutout over the Royals, the Tampa Bay Rays extended the agony for Kansas City to 43 innings in which they have not scored a single run, five shy of the MLB record. It was the fourth straight game the Royals have been shut out.

Kansas City hasn't scored since the second inning of a 3-2 loss to Colorado last Thursday, and they were shut out over the course of a three-game series at Cleveland. The 1968 Chicago Cubs and the 1906 Philadelphia Athletics hold the major league record at 48 innings.

Rookie starter, Austin Pruitt, kept the Royals off the board for the first six innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, fanning six. Pruitt is 7-4 with a 5.27 ERA. His winning effort was in his eighth start of the season. Matt Andriese finished the job, allowing one more hit over the final three frames. Both hits were doubles by Lorenzo Cain.

Game two of the series is Tuesday, 8:05 pm ET in Kansas City. Alex Cobb (9-8, 3.69 ERA) will be looking to shut out the Royals for the first five innings, which would tie the major league mark.

The loss was the fifth straight for the Royals, sending them plummeting in the AL Central and wild card races. They are 10 games behind Cleveland in third place in the division and were passed by the Rays Monday in the wild card, three games behind the Twins for the second spot. Tampa Bay is 2 1/2 out.

National League

Samardzija: 3-hit Shutout

For the San Francisco Giants, the 2017 was a complete bust. The team that plays its home games near the West coast bay and Golden Gate bridge was supposed to be a contender in the NL West, but, a horribly slow start (12-24 through May 11), numerous injuries, a complete lack of hitting and inconsistent pitching have San Fran in last place in the division and hopelessly out of contention for the wild card at 53-80.

Jeff Samardzija put on a display Monday at San Diego, however, that was a reminder of how the season was supposed to be, throwing a three-hit complete game shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Padres.

Samardzija, who stuck out five and walked none, was solid throughout. Of the three hits, only one left the infield, an eight inning single to right field by Cory Spangenberg. At 9-12, Samardzija is one of the few San Francisco hurlers that has not been injured during the season. In 27 starts, Samardzija has struck out 175 batters in 176 2/3 innings, but carries an ERA of 4.43.

The Giants got all of their runs on long balls, a fourth inning solo homer by Brandon Crawford and an eighth inning two-run belt by Joe Panik, with Crawford aboard.

Elsewhere, division leaders Washington and Chicago were both winners, the Nets shutting down Giancarlo Stanton and the Miami express, ending their four-game winning streak with a 11-2 win. The Cubs downed Pittsburgh, 6-1. The Dodgers, and much of the National League, were idle.

Jeff Samardzija 1-Hits Tigers as White Sox Sweep Twin Bill; Starling Marte, Jordy Mercer Keep Pirates in NL Hunt

Players of the Day for Monday, September 21, 2015

Samardzija: Near-perfect

American League


A leadoff single by Victor Martinez in the fifth inning was the only offense the Tigers could muster off Jeff Samardzija (10-13) as the Chicago White Sox took the measure of Detroit in a 2-0 win.

Samardzija's one-hitter - his second complete game shutout of the season - came in the opener of a split double-header, Chicago prevailing in the nightcap, 3-2, sending the Tigers deeper into the basement of the AL Central, three games behind the Sox and 18 1/2 back of the division-leading Royals.

Around the plate all game long, Samaardzija needed just 88 pitches for the win, throwing 60 for strikes, walking none and fanning six.

Jordy Mercer

Starling Marte

The Tigers will try to get a win over their Central division foes in the third of the four-game series, Tuesday at 7:08 pm EDT.

National League

With a 9-3 win at Colorado, the Pittsburgh Pirates held their position, four game behind the Cardinals in the NL Central and two games ahead of Chicago in the wild card race.

Starling Marte and Jordy Mercer each went 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, Mercer doubling twice with two singles. Marte had a solo homer, double and two singles.

Pittsburgh's win was their third straight and the opener in a four-game series with the Rockies. Both the Cardinals and Cubs were winners Monday, keeping the order in the NL the same as the previous day, only with one less game remaining in the regular season.

St. Louis has already been assured a playoff spot. The Pirates and Cubs will likely secure a place in the post-season this week, though the exact order of finish will determine participants and home field for the wild card playoff game and division winner.

Pittsburgh hopes to continue their win streak when they meet the Rockies on Tuesday for the second of their four-game set. Game time is 8:40 pm EDT.

Kelly Johnson Homers Twice as Rays Sting Marlins; Cubs' Jeff Samardzija Blanks White Sox on Two Hits

Players of the Day for Monday, May 27, 2013

American League

Johnson: 2HR, 6RBI

Memorial Day kicked off interleague play between regional "rivals," so it was Miami visiting Tampa Bay for the first of two games before the teams head South for two games in the national League city starting Wednesday.

The Rays, desperately chasing Boston, New York and Baltimore in the AL East, took full advantage of their meeting with the sub-par Marlins, topping Miami, 10-6.

While the Marlins actually out-hit the Rays, 11-10, they didn't have Tampa's Kelly Johnson, who had the Rays' only extra-base hits, going 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs and six RBI.

In the second inning, Johnson completed a six-run attack with his first homer of the day, a three run shot to right. Johnson also completed the scoring for the Rays in the eighth with another three-run homer. In between, came a single, double and, for good measure, Johnson's fifth stolen base of the season.

Johnson's been a pleasant surprise for the Rays, with a .298 average, 10 home runs and 32 RBI.

The win left the Rays five games out in the division, nestled snugly into fourth place, but with eyes on moving up as their four straight games against Miami should result in an extended winning streak.

National League

Samardzija: 2-Hitter

The start of Chicago's crosstown rivalry series between the Cubs and White Sox produced a lopsided victory for the visitors as Jeff Samardzija tossed a two-hit shutout for the Cubs in a 7-0 romp.

Samardzija fanned eight and walked two in his first major league complete game, limiting the White Sox to a pair of singles - one in the second inning and one in the ninth. The lanky, 6'5" right-hander was in control throughout, needing just 108 pitches over the nine frames.

The former All-American wide receiver from Notre Dame moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation last season, when he posted a 9-13 mark. Despite his unimpressive 3-6 record this year, Samardzija's other numbers are pretty solid: a 2.85 ERA and 80 Ks in 72 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .196 against him.

The win moved the Cubs out of last place in the NL Central, 1/2 game ahead of Milwaukee, losers of three straight. The Cubs still are 13 games behind the Cardinals in the division, but Samardzija gives the Wrigley Field faithful hope that they have a #1 starter for the long haul.

The White Sox fell five games out in the AL Central. The series continues Tuesday at 8:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trvia: Who was the last catcher to win the AL MVP award? Hint: it was 1999.

Yesterday's Answer: Greg Maddux won the NL Cy Young Award four straight years, from 1992-1995 as a starter for the Atlanta Braves; Randy Johnson took home the award each year from 1999-2002 when he was with the Arizona Diammondbacks.

Windy City Winners: Paul Konerko Leads Sox Past Twins; Jeff Samardzija 1-Hits Pirates Over 8

Players of the Day for Monday, July 23, 2012

American League

Paul Konerko

Remaining in the thick of the AL Central race, the Chicago White Sox took a 7-4 decision over the Minnesota Twins to stay one game behind Detroit, which has won five straight.

Chicago's victory was fueled by the long ball, as Adam Dunn and Alex Rios each cracked two run homers in the third inning, turning a 3-2 lead into a 7-2 bulge. Rios hit his 15th, while Dunn's was his 29th, which leads the major leagues.

The initial three runs for the Sox were supplied by Paul Konerko, who socked his 15th home run in the bottom of the first. In the third, Konerko followed Dunn's belt with a single and scored on the Rios big fly.

The game was the first of a three game set which continues Tuesday night in Chicago with a day game on Wednesday.


National League

Samardzija: 8IP, 1H

Somebody had to cool of the Pittsburgh Pirates, winners of five straight, and that somebody turned out to be Cubs' starter, Jeff Samardzija, who allowed only a one-out, fourth inning single to Andrew McCutchen over eight innings in a 2-0 victory.

As he improved to 7-8, Samardzija got support from Alfonso Soriano, who drove in Starlin Castro twice with a pair of doubles. Samardzija issued just one walk - also to McCutchen - in the first inning, struck out five and finished by retiring 13 straight batters after McCutchen was gunned down trying to steal second before turning the ball over to Carlos Marmol, who allowed a hit in the ninth but still managed to earn his 12th save of the season.

Around the plate all night, Samardzija threw 99 pitches, of which 71 were strikes.

The loss by the Pirates dropped them 1 1/2 behind the Reds in the NL Central. Cincinnati has won five straight, including Monday's 8-3 win over Houston.