Will Middlebrooks, Andrew Cashner Power Padres; Jordany Valdespin, Reid Brignac Wreck Mets in Marlin Win

Players of the Day for Monday, March 9, 2015

Brignac

Grapefruit League

Valdespin

Before some Mets' batters had even gotten to the plate, the Marlins had already put up nine runs on their NL East foes, scoring six in the second and three more in the third inning. The players doing the bulk of the damage were fresh faces on the Miami roster, Jordany Valdespin and Reid Brignac.

Valdespin, who started with the Mets and played in 54 games for the Marlins last season, singled and tripled in four at-bats, driving in three runs and scoring twice. Brignac, who spent last season in Philadelphia, went 3-for-4 (all singles) also driving in three and scoring twice.

When it was all said and done, the Marlins pasted the Mets, 13-2, improving to 3-2 for the Spring while dropping the Mets to a 3-4 mark.


Cactus League

Cashner

Middlebrooks

Will Middlebrooks socked a three-run, second inning homer in support of three innings of no-hit ball from Andrew Cashner as the San Diego Padres evened their record at 3-3 and sent the Cubs to their fifth straight defeat of the spring without a win with a 6-3 victory.

Cashner blanked the punchless Cubs over the first three innings, walking one, while striking out a trio. After going 10-9 in 2013 with the Padres, Cashner dipped to a 5-7 mark over 19 starts in 2014, though his ERA dropped to a very respectable 2.55. He's expected to remain in the San Diego starting rotation.

Middlebrooks, who spent the last three seasons playing part-time for the Boston Red Sox, is looking to catch on as the regular third baseman with the Padres and he's off to a good start with a .400 batting average in two games. The Texas native needs to work on his plate demeanor, as his batting average has gone from .288 in 2012, to .227 in 2013, to a scary .191 last season.

Rays Win as Alex Cobb Blank Yanks; Jordany Valdespin Slams Dodgers in 10th for Mets' Victory

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 24, 2013

American League

Alex Cobb

Tampa Bay took another step toward being a .500 ball club with a 3-0 win over the visiting Yankees Wednesday night, earning a 2-1 split in their three game series.

The Rays put up two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth inning off losing pitcher, Andy Pettitte, who was out-dueled by Tampa's Alex Cobb, who improved to 3-1 on the season, keeping the Yanks under wraps on three hits over 8 1/3 innings.

Cobb allowed just one baserunner from the third through eighth innings, threw 72 of 106 pitches for strikes, walked just one batter and fanned seven.

After allowing a one-out single in the ninth to Brett Gardner, Cobb handed the ball over to Fernando Rodney, who picked up his third save of the season, a night after blowing a chance in a 5-4 Yankees win.

The Rays improved their record to 10-11, but remain four game behind Boston in the East. The Yankees are 2 1/2 out; Baltimore holds second place, two games back of Boston.

National League

Jordany Valdespin

Evening their series with the Dodgers at a game apiece with a 7-3 win, the Mets continue to battle in the contentious NL East, staying in second place, four games behind the Braves.

Victory was anything but assured for the Mets, who trailed the Dodgers 3-1 in the sixth inning after Mett Kemp launched a two-run homer, his first of the season, but responded with a run in the bottom of the frame and tied the game at 3-all on David Wright's run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth.

An inning later, Jordany Valdespin, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning with two down and Marlon Byrd on third but grounded out to end the inning, reappeared with the bases loaded after staying in the game in center field.

This time, Valdespin did not disappoint, scorching his first home run of the season, a grand slam, walk-off finishing touch.

The Mets and Dodgers will settle up in the series finale, Thursday at 1:10 pm at Cit Field.