Alex Avila Lifts Tigers over Yankees; Jordan Shafer Helps Twins Down Royals in 10; Yusmeiro Petit Sets MLB Mark in Win over Rockies

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 28, 2014

American League

Alex Avila

Tightening the race in the Central division, Alex Avila delivered a walk-off, game-winner for the Tigers, banging one off the wall in right center with two down and two aboard in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 Detroit win over the visiting Yankees in an afternoon contest.

Jordan Schafer

Avila, who had just the one hit in three at-bats, did drive in the Tigers' first run, with a second-inning sac fly, scoring Nick Castellanos from third base. The Tigers took two of three from the Yankees on their final visit of the season to Motown.

In the evening, Minnesota scored six runs in the 10th inning to upend the Royals, 11-5, leaving Kansas City just 1 1/2 games up on the Tigers. Left fielder, Jordan Schafer, who spent the first half of the season in Atlanta, playing part-time for the Braves, went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs, including two in the extra inning. He also came around to score in the 10th on Brian Dozier's double.

Riding an eight-game hitting streak, Schafer is blooming with more playing time for the Twins, batting .328 with the Twins while going 12-for-27 (.444) during his hit streak.

Minnesota, in last place in the AL Central, avoided being swept at home with the win. The Royals close out August with three home games with Cleveland, beginning Friday, while the Tigers travel to Chicago for four games with the White Sox, including a double-header on Saturday.

National League

Petit: 46 Straight

Setting a major league record by retiring 46 straight batters, Yusmeiro Petit went six innings, striking out nine, as the Giants took their third straight over the faded Rockies, 4-1.

Petit retired the first eight batters he faced, before allowing a double to the opposing pitcher, Jordan Lyles. The Rockies scored their only run of the game when the next batter, Charlie Blackmon, singled home Lyles from second.

The record (previously set by Mark Buehrle in 2009) out of the way, Petit got back to business, allowing allowing just two more hits while keeping the Rockies off the scoreboard.

Petit's record run covered eight games, six of which were in relief.

The Giants gained a half game on the idle Dodgers in the West, and now trail LA by 4 1/2 games. San Francisco gained to within 1/2 game of the Cardinals in the wild card, and have a 1 1/2 game edge over the Braves for the second spot. Atlanta defeated the Mets, 4-1, Thursday.

On Friday, the Giants open a crucial series with central division-leading Milwaukee, hosting the Brewers for three games at AT&T Park.

Nick Blackburn Wins for Twins; Cliff Lee Hurls Two-Hitter; Jones, Schafer Lead Braves

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 16, 2011

American League

Nick Blackburn

Atop the Central division, the Tigers scored a 6-2 decision over Cleveland to take over first place by one game, while at the lower end, Minnesota topped the White Sox, 1-0, furthering the Twins' desire to get back into the race after a forgettable first two months of the season.

Starter Nick Blackburn worked out of repeated jams, allowing eight hits but no runs over eight innings for the Twins, riding Michael Cuddyer's 3rd inning solo home run to his sixth victory over four losses.

Blackburn walked one and struck out just one batter, and Matt Capps earned his ninth save, allowing a hit, but fanning two in a scoreless 9th.

The Twins remain in last place in the division, but are just nine games behind the Tigers. A game in front of them are the Royals, while the White Sox hold third place, 5 1/2 out.

National League

Cliff Lee: Two-Hitter

What's better, a two-hit shutout, five RBI or five hits in a game?

Jones: five RBI

Since the answer is a matter of subjective preference, we present all three, from an entertaining evening in the NL East.

In Philadelphia, Cliff Lee sent the Florida Marlins to their 15th loss in their last 16 games, hurling a two-hit, two-walk complete game shutout in a 3-0 Phillies' win.

Lee threw an incredible 117 pitches for his seventh career shutout, fanning four as he improved to 7-5 on the season.

The win kept the Phillies five clear of the Atlanta Braves, who survived a see-saw battle with the Mets, 9-8, eventually scoring the game-winner on a 10th-inning balk by Mets' pitcher D.J. Carrasco, sending Diory Hernandez, who had replaced Chipper Jones in the 9th inning, to the platter.

Schafer: five hits

Prior to the melodramatic ending, Jones had driven in five runs for the Braves with a first inning ground out, a third inning three-run homer and an RBI single in the 4th. Jones left the game after leaping to field a high chopped by Angel Pagan and throwing wildly to first in the 8th inning. Pagan would eventually score, putting the Mets up 8-6 at the time.

Atlanta tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on Brooks Conrad's two-run homer.

Jordan Schafer had five hits for the Braves, all singles, including his 10th-inning hit that sent Hernandez to third, setting him up to score the winning run.