Anibal Sanchez, Jhonny Peralta lead Tigers to 1-0 Win over Red Sox; Cardinals Take 2-0 Lead in NLCS as Michael Wacha Silences Dodgers

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 12, 2013

American League

Anibal Sanchez

Jhonny Peralta

Tigers' starter, Anibal Sanchez, tossed six innings of no-hit ball to lead Detroit to an opening-game, 1-0, win over the Boston Red Sox in the AL championship series.

Detroit's only run came in the top of the sixth inning, when Jhonny Peralta drove in Miguel Cabrera from third with a solid single to center. Peralta also doubled twice, going 3-for-4 with the lone RBI.

Sanchez struck out 12 and walked six, and was pulled after six innings due to a high pitch count (116) despite the no-hit bid. A series of relievers made their ways to the mound after the departure of Sanchez, each keeping the no-hit bid intact until Joaquin Benoit surrendered a single to Daniel Nava with one out in the ninth, though the hit came to naught as Benoit got Stephen Drew to fly out to Carlos Beltran in right field and Xander Bogaerts on a popup to short, securing the win.

Sanchez took the win, his second, against three losses, in post-season play. John Lester, despite pitching well for six innings, was saddled with the loss.

Michael Wacha

Game two of the series is slated for an 8:07 pm EDT start, Sunday evening at Fenway Park.

National League

Michael Wacha allowed no runs on five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings, as the Cardinals took their second straight from the LA Dodgers, 1-0, in St. Louis.

Wacha out-dueled LA ace, Clayton Kershaw, who took the loss, when David Freese came home on a Jon Jay sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth inning. Freese's double was one of just two hits allowed by Kershaw. The run was unearned because Freese took third base on a passed ball by A. J. Ellis, preceding Jay's sac fly.

Now 2-0 in post-season play, Wacha, the savvy rookie hurler, shut down the Pirates in the NLDS on October 7, allowing one run on one hit, going 7 1/3 innings for the 2-1 victory. Wacha has allowed just six hits and one run in 14 innings in the post-season, fanning 17.

Game three of the NL championship series will be held in LA, on Monday, at 8:07 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who holds the record for strikeouts in a single post-season? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Randy Johnson and Francisco Rodriguez each won five post-season games in a single season, Johnson in 2001, Rodriguez in 2002.

Max Scherzer, Jhonny Peralta Complete Tigers' Sweep of Yankees, Advance to World Series;

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 18, 2012

American League

ALCS: Detroit 8 NY Yankees 1 - Detroit completed the four-game sweep of the collapsing Yankees to advance to the World Series with a lopsided win over New York's ace, C.C. Sabathia.

Jhonny Peralta

The Tigers hammered Sabathia for 11 hits and five earned runs (six total), chasing the starter after just 3 2/3 innings, the final blow being Jhonny Peralta's two-run homer in the fourth, which put the Tigers up, 6-0. Miguel Cabrera earlier tagged Sabathia for his own two-run shot as the Tigers plated four in the frame.

Max Scherzer

Peralta socked another home run of the solo variety in the eighth, leading the Tigers to victory with three RBI and two runs.

While his teammates were bashing New York hurlers, Max Scherzer was setting down the suddenly-impotent Yankees with alacrity, taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning, fanning ten while allowing just two hits, two walks and one earned run over a 5 2/3 inning stint. A trio of Detroit relievers mopped up, holding the Yanks hitless over the final 3 1/3 innings, an embarrassing end for the proud franchise, and an exhilarating triumph in Tiger-town.

Detroit advances to the World Series, awaiting the National League entry. The series will begin at a National League site - since the NL won the all star game - on Wednesday, October 24.

National League

Jon Jay

NLCS: St. Louis 8 San Francisco 3 - Leadoff hitter Jon Jay went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI to lead a 12-hit Cardinal attack and starter Adam Wainwright stymied the Giants on four hits over seven innings to lead St. Louis to a commanding, 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Adam Wainwright

The Cardinals roughed up Giants' starter, Tim Lincecum, tagging him for four runs off six hits and three bases on balls over 4 2/3 innings.

Jay opened the scoring in the first, scoring on Matt Holliday's single up the middle after leading off the game with a scratch single, followed by a walk to the Cards' #2 hitter, Matt Carpenter, who came home on Allen Craig's sac fly.

The Giants cut the lead to 2-1 in the second inning on a solo homer by Hunter Pence, but Wainwright held the lead until the Cardinals let loose with two runs in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, putting the game out of reach. After Pence's homer, Wainwright set down 10 of the next 11 hitters and was in full control, striking out five without allowing any walks, throwing 70 of 96 pitches for strikes.

Jay doubled home a pair of runs in the sixth, Wainwright worked through the seventh, giving up the ball to Fernando Salas, who allowed the Giants two meaningless ninth inning runs on a Pablo Sandoval two-run homer.

Game five is Friday, at 8:07 pm EDT in St. Louis. The Cardinals can wrap up the NL championship with a win and earn some time off prior to Wednesday's start of the World Series. Barry Zito goes for the Giants, against St. Louis starter, Lance Lynn.

Jhonny Peralta Leads Tigers with Pair of Homers; LA Ties Giants in NL West on Clayton Kershaw Shutout

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 29, 2012

American League

With Texas blanking the White Sox, 2-0, the Detroit Tigers took advantage to gain a full game in the AL Central standings with a 4-1 win in Toronto.

While Doug Firster was stymying the Blue Jays on seven hits over eight innings, fanning nine, Jhonny Peralta provided a working margin with a pair of home runs, delivering all of the Detroit scoring.

Jhonny Peralta

After the Jays scored in the bottom of the first, Peralta banged his first blast of the game, a three-run shot to left that put the Tigers ahead to stay.

Fister blanked the Blue Jays for the next seven innings, handing the ball over to Jose Valverde, who pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out two, for his 20th save.

Peralta hit his second homer of the game in the top of the ninth, his eighth of the season.

Detroit pulled to within 1 1/2 games of the leading White Sox and head to Boston for a three game series starting Monday. The White Sox are off to Minnesota for a three game set with the Twins, also beginning Monday.

The two top teams in the division don't meet each other until the last day of August, opening a three game series in Detroit, and meet again September 11-13, in Chicago.


National League

Kershaw:
5-hit shutout

After giving up the NL West lead earlier in the month, the LA Dodgers have fought back to tie the Giants atop the division afte sweeping a three-game series in San Francisco over the weekend.

The Dodgers got a stellar performance from their ace, Clayton Kershaw, in the series finale Sunday, a five-hit complete game shutout for a 4-0 Dodger win.

Kershaw (8-6) shut down the Giants on five hits, walking one while whiffing seven. It was his second shutout of the season, the sixth of his career and his eighth career complete game. Kershaw's 143 Ks are third in the league behind Stephen Strasburg (151) and the Mets' knuckle-baller, R.A. Dickey (147).

On Monday, the Dodgers return home to host Arizona while the Giants stay by the bay for a series with the Mets. Arizona is just 4 1/2 games behind the division co-leaders.

Peralta Sparks Last-Place Indians; Wainwright Shuts Out Brewers

Players of the Day for Friday, June 4, 2010 American League Despite beating up on the White Sox 10-1, Cleveland remains in last place in the AL Central, 11 games out and 1 1/2 behind 4th place Kansas City, but don't blame Jhonny Peralta for the Indians' troubles. Peralta banged out two singles and two doubles in five at-bats against White Sox hurlers, scored twice and drove in a season-high 4 runs, as Cleveland evened their June record at two wins and two losses. The Indians will try to make it two straight in Chicago when they face the Sox on Saturday night. National League Thanks to the Washington Nationals, who beat the Reds 4-2 Friday, and the superb pitching of Adam Wainwright (8-3), the Cardinals are back in sole possession of first place in the NL Central. Wainwright threw his first complete game shutout of the season in an 8-0 win over Milwaukee, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out 8 Brewer batters. In nearly complete control throughout, Wainwright threw 73 of 103 pitches for strikes and didn't allow a baserunner after walking Prince Fielder to open the 4th inning. After giving up doubles in each of the first two innings, Wainwright set down 23 of the next 24 batters he faced, including the last 18 in order, ending the game by getting Fielder flailing. It was Wainwright's third complete game of the year, and the outing dropped his ERA down to 2.03, matching up nicely with his ridiculous 0.94 WHIP. His 85 Ks are the most in the National League, for now, two better than Tim Lincecum and Arizona's Dan Haren.

Martinez, Peralta Shine for Tribe; Lincecum Fans 15; Willingham Slams Twice

Players of the Day for Monday, July 27, 2009 American League The Cleveland Indians recently emerged from last place in the AL Central and extended their winning streak to five games on Monday, with a stunning 8-6 victory over the LA Angels courtesy of Victor Martinez's (left) 3-run ninth inning homer and Jhonny Peralta's (right) all-around excellence. Martinez slugged his 15th round-tripper against closer Brian Fuentes and Peralta added a solo shot on his final trip to the plate. The homers were back-to-back and provided the winning margin. Peralta also singled twice, doubled and drove in 3 while scoring twice in five at-bats. The Cleveland third baseman has been on something of a hot streak, hitting safely in each of his last six games, including multiple-hit games in his last four. In those four games he's gone 11-for-19 (.579) with 10 RBI and 2 homers. National League Tim Lincecum fanned a career-high 15 in a complete game, four hit, 4-2 gem over Pittsburgh. The 2008 Cy Young winner continued his quest for a repeat, improving to 11-3 and dropping his ERA to a minuscule 2.30, as the two Pirates' runs were unearned. He also extended his major-league leading strikeout total to 183. In Milwaukee, Josh Willingham stroked a pair of grand slam homers, becoming only the 13th in the majors to accomplish the feat, as the Nationals extended their win streak to three games with a 14-6 slaughter of the Brewers. The Nats remain in last place, but the loss dropped the Brewers 4 games behind the Cubs, who beat the Astros, 5-1, in 13 innings. Willingham's homers were his 15th and 16th on the year, and his 8 RBI tied the franchise record. He also stroked his 20th double of the season.

Peralta Stun Yankees; Jones Powers Braves Over D-Backs

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 31, 2009 American League Jhonny Peralta came to the plate in key spots - early and late - and delivered, as the Indians topped the Yankees, 5-4. Peralta singled three times in the Cleveland win, driving in two runs with a bases-loaded hit in the 3rd for Cleveland's first two runs of the game, and, after Mark Teixeira homered and doubled in four runs for the Yanks, tying the score at 4-4, the pesky infielder singled home the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth. He also singled in the seventh, to no avail. A mainstay at short since breaking in with Cleveland in 2003, Peralta set up shop at the hot corner Sunday, as manager Eric Wedge was forced to shuffle his lineup to accommodate for injured center fielder Grady Sizemore, who was placed on the 15-day DL prior to the game. National League Chipper Jones did all of his damage in the first four innings, propelling the Braves to a 9-3 thumping of Arizona. Jones singled in a run in the first inning, stroked a two-run homer in the 3rd, drove in another run and scored in the 4th, helping the Braves build an early 8-0 lead, which became 9-0 an inning later. In his 16th season - all with the Braves - Jones is still one of the most reliable hitters in the game, with a .310 lifetime batting average. So far this season, he's batting .316, with 5 home runs and 21 RBI.

Peralta Scores for Indians; Berkman Topples Giants

Players of the Day for Thursday, May 16, 2008 American League The Cleveland Indians won their third straight, extending their lead to 1 1/2 games over Minnesota and Chicago in the AL Central with a 4-2 win over Oakland on Thursday. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta singled, homered, stole a base and scored three times as the Indians got their offense from an unlikely source. Peralta is batting just .221. Notes: Tampa Bay finished off their four-game set in New York by beating the Yankees, 5-2, winning three of the four. While the Rays surged to the top of the AL East, the Yanks dropped into last place, 4 1/2 games off the pace, scoring just 6 runs in the four games against Tampa. National League Lance Berkman is having an incredible season. Last night, in Houston's 8-7 come-from-behind win over the Giants, Berkman delivered the final blow with a solo home run in the 9th inning, capping a rally in which the Astros overcame deficits of 6-0 and 7-3. In addition to his league-leading 15th homer, Berkman singled in a pair of runs in the 4th inning, plating the Astros' first runs of the game.

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His three RBI gave him 43, which leads the AL by 9, and his two hits in four at-bats improved his batting average to .391. Notes: Last season's NL champions, the Colorado Rockies, don't look like they're about to repeat. In fact, they've fallen out of the NL West race, 11 games behind Arizona. While the Diamondbacks have been red hot, the Rockies have produced a record of 15-26, second worst in the majors, just 1/2 game better than the Padres.

ALCS Game 2: Cleveland Goes for 7 in 11th, knots series

Cleveland 13 Boston 8 Cleveland's relief corps, Jensen Lewis, Rafael Betancourt, Tom Mastny and Joe Borowski shut out the Red Sox for the final 6 innings and Cleveland bats erupted for 7 runs in the 11th, capped by Franklin Gutierrez's 3 run homer over the Green Monster in left. Gutierrez had four RBI in the game, as did catcher Victor Martinez. Martinez (left) doubled and singled twice in five at-bats, also scoring a pair. Neither of the starting pitchers, Curt Schilling nor Fausto Carmona lasted through the 5th innings, as both teams sprayed the ball about the confines of Fenway Park. Powered by homers from Jhonny Peralta (left) and Grady Sizemore, Cleveland established an early 5-3 lead but the Sox leapfrogged them on back-to-back jacks by Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell in the 5th. But that was the last the Red Sox would score, as Cleveland relievers rose to the occasion to help earn the split and send the series back to Cleveland deadlocked, 1-1. Starting pitchers Monday in Cleveland will be Jake Westbrook for the Indians and Daisuke Matsuzaka for Boston.

Derrek Lee at .406; Jeter Hit Streak Reaches 18

Tuesday's Peak Performers and Fabulous Flops American League Travis Hafner got Cleveland started with a 2-run shot in the 3rd, then Jhonny Peralta (right) doubled home two more and cracked a 3-run homer in the 5th - his 5th - to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 12-4 win over visiting Toronto. Trott Nixon had a 3-run homer in the eighth, added a single and scored 3 times as the Tribe maintained a 1 1/2 game lead over Minnesota and Detroit in the AL Central. C.C. Sabathia improved to 4-0, allowing just 3 earned runs - all on solo homers - on 4 hits while fanning 9. Sabathia worked 6 innings and did not walk a batter. The woes for the Yankees continue even when they win. On Tuesday, rookie Phil Hughes worked a no-hitter into the 7th at Texas, but was forced to leave with a pulled hamstring. Mike Myers and Luis Vizcaino finished what Hughes started though Myers allowed a run as the Yankees won, 10-1.

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Most of the NY offense came from the 6 and 7 hitters, as Jorge Posada singled, doubled twice, drove in a pair and scored 3 times, while right behind him in the lineup, Robinson Cano had 2 singles and 2 doubles in 5 at-bats, drove in 3 and scored twice. Shortstop Derek Jeter extended his major league-leading hitting streak to 18 games with a single in the 3rd inning. The Yankees also ended a streak of 10 games in which they used 5 or more pitchers. With a 4-2 lead at Fenway, Boston's usually reliable Jonathan Papelbon entered in the top of the 9th, looking to put away the Oakland A's for the night. Bubba Crosby and rookie Travis Buck had different ideas, as Crosby singled to open the inning and Buck followed with a bomb to right field, tying the game. In the 10th, the A's finished off the comeback against Brendan Donnelly, as Dan Johnson doubled home Mike Piazza. Huston Street pitched a hitless bottom of the inning for his 7th save and the 5-4 A's win Other AL Scores Detroit 5 Baltimore 4 - P. Polanco, 4-5, GW RBI Minnesota 9 Tampa Bay 1 - S. Ponson (W, 2-3), T Hunter, 16-gm hit streak LA Angels 7 Kansas City 5 - V. Guerrero, 1st inn. GS HR (8), F. Cordero, S (10) National League Matt Holliday extended his NL-leading hitting streak to 14 games as his visiting Colorado Rockies stoned the Giants, 9-6. Holliday singled, doubled and rocked his 4th homer of the season, drove in 4 runs and scored twice, improving his batting average to a red-hot .395. While Holliday is hot, the Cubs' Derrek Lee (right) is hotter... Lee went 3-4 in a suspended game at Pittsburgh - which will resume at 12:35 p.m. EDT on Wednesday - to boost his MLB-best batting average to .406. Lee had a pair of doubles and a single though he didn't figure in the scoring. The game was suspended due to rain with the Cubs clinging to a 6-5 lead with the Pirates due to bat in the bottom of the 7th. Ken Griffey Jr. homered, singled twice, scored 2 and had 2 RBI in 3 at-bats and teammate Adam Dunn was 2-4 with a double, and a 3-run homer (7). Dunn scored 3 times and also stole his 5th base of the season as the visiting Reds routed Houston 11-2. San Diego starter Chris Young improved to 3-2 on the season with a commanding 3-hit, 3-0 shutout over the visiting Washington Nationals. Young walked 3 and struck out 8 in 8 innings. Trevor Hoffman worked the 9th for his 7th save. J. J. Hardy went 4-5 with a pair of doubles, drove in 2 and scored twice as the Milwaukee Brewers kept Cincy and Pittsburgh (pending the result of last night's suspended game) 4 games back in the NL Central with a 12-2 thumping of the slumping St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night. The Brewers have had their way with the Cards, beating them 7-1 on Monday and can sweep the 3-game series with a win this afternoon in Milwaukee. The Cardinals have lost 4 straight and are tied for last place in the division with Houston, 6 1/2 back. Other NL Scores Seattle 5 Chicago White Sox 2 - R. Sexson, HR (4) Florida 5 NY Mets 2 - C. Delgado, career RBI 1300 Philadelphia 6 Atlanta 4 - C. Hamels (W, 3-1) LA Dodgers 2 Arizona 1 - B. Penny, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, no dec.; LA 1/2-gm. NL West lead