Hisashi Iwakuma Blanks Phillies over 8 for Mariners; Justin Upton Powers Braves Past Pirates, 11-3

Players of the Day for Monday, August 18, 2014

American League

Iwakuma: 11 Ks

Almost imperceptibly, the Seattle Mariners have remained in the wild card race, currently tied with Detroit for the second spot for the post-season.

Seattle topped the Phillies, 5-2, Monday, to keep pace with the Tigers, as Detroit slipped by Tampa Bay, 8-6, in 11 innings.

Hisashi Iwakuma turned in an impressive eight innings of shutout ball for the Mariners, improving to 12-6 on the year with his seventh win over his last 10 starts. Iwakuma struck out a season-high 11 Phillies, allowing four hits without surrendering a walk.

Lifted at the end of the eighth inning after throwing 74 of 96 pitches for strikes, Iwakuma had to sit through a painful ninth inning as two Seattle relievers combined to allow two Philly runs before Fernando Rodney came on to get the final out, picking up his 36th save.

Iwakuma is having a solid season for the contentious Mariners, with a 2.57 ERA and 120 Ks.

The rubber game of the three-game series is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, at 1:05 pm EDT, in Philadelphia.

National League

Upton: 80 RBI

By winning eight straight - beating Arizona, 8-1, Monday night - the Washington Nationals may be leaving no questions about the NL East, but the second-place Braves have proven game, winning five in a row, including Monday's 11-3 slaughter of fading Pittsburgh.

Atlanta is six games out in the division, but their two straight wins over the Pirates have put them into sole possession of the second wild card spot, a game up on the Giants, two games better than the Pirates and 2 1/2 over Miami.

Justin Upton provided nearly half of the Atlanta runs, banging a three-run home run in the third inning - his 24th - and following up with a two-run single in the fifth, as part of a five-run inning that all but sealed the game.

Upton's five RBI gave him 80 on the season, to go with a .287 batting average.

Meanwhile, the Pirates have lost seven in a row. A team that just a few days ago was challenging for the Central division title, now appears to be headed for the golf links come October.

Atlanta will be seeking the sweep when their series at Pittsburgh concludes Tuesday, at 7:05 EDT.

Jeremy Guthrie, Eric Hosmer Lead Royals to 13-0 Shutout; Justin Upton's Home Run Delivers Atlanta's 11th Straight Win

Players of the Day for Monday, August 5, 2013

American League

Jeremy Guthrie

Jeremy Guthrie threw a complete game, four-hit shutout as the Royals won for the 12th time in their last 13 outings, hammering the Twins, 13-0.

Eric Hosmer

Guthrie (12-7) walked one, struck out seven and needed just 106 pitches to blank the flailing Twins. It was Guthrie's fourth straight win and his second shutout of the season.

Eric Hosmer provided more than ample offense for the streaking Royals, going 3-for-5 with a single, double and a three-run homer, his sixth of the season. Hosmer drove in five runs.

KC is 7 1/2 games behind Central division-leading, Detroit. The Indians are four games out, in sewcond place.

The Twins will try to even the series Tuesday night when they meet the Royals in game tow of their three-game series, at 8:10 pm EDT.

National League

Justin Upton

Justin Upton's 8th inning home run broke a 2-2 tie and the Braves held on in the ninth, defeating Washington, 3-2 for their 11th straight victory and a 13 1/2 game lead in the NL East.

Upton's solo shot was his third hit of the game, after singling in the third and singling again in the fifth, scoring the second of the Braves' runs.

Atlanta mets Washington for game two of their three-game set Tuesday night at 7:05 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Speaking of A-Rod, how many times has he been named AL MVP? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) is right at .3001. If he continues to play while appealing his suspension and going 1-for-4 as he did Monday, the .300 career mark may be in jeopardy.

Two Ryan Raburn Home Runs Lead Indians over White Sox, 6-1; Atlanta Wins 7th Straight on Justin Upton's 5 RBI

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 1, 2013

American League

Winning their eighth consecutive game, beating up on the White Sox, 6-1, the Cleveland Indians finally made up some ground on the first-place Tigers, but only because Detroit had the night off.

Ryan Raburn

The Tigers have won five straight, while third-place Kansas City is hottest of all in the Central division, winners of nine straight as they downed Minnesota, 7-2.

Cleveland pounded out 14 hits against the Sox, but the most important ones were the three that came off the bat of Ryan Raburn, who was 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, four RBI and two runs.

Raburn homered with a man aboard in the third, singled in another run in the fifth and socked his second home run of the game in the seventh, a solo shot that completed the scoring.

Cleveland completed their four-game sweep of the visiting White Sox and will be looking to extend their streak when they open a series in Miami, Friday at 7:10 pm EDT against the Marlins

National League

Justin Upton

Atlanta just keeps rolling along, winning their seventh straight with an 11-2 trouncing of the Rockies that completed a sweep of the visitors in the four-game series. The Braves outscored Colorado by a combined score of 41-13, and, in the last three games, 31-5.

The star of Thursday night's massacre was Justin Upton, who started the season like a house afire, belting 12 homers in April, only to tail off dramatically, with just two in May, and one each in June and July. The two Thursday homers - a two run donk in the first inning and a three-run yank in the eighth - gave him 18 on the year, upping his RBI total to 53.

While Upton's batting average fell from .298 at the end of April to just ,258 at the conclusion of Thursday's game, the Braves haven't slowed down. The win increased their lead to 11 1/2 games over the idle Washington Nationals in the NL East, the largest lead in any major league division.

Atlanta will be looking to do more damage in the division when they open a three-game series in Philadelphia at 7:05 pm EDT, Friday night, followed by three straight at Washington.

Today's Trivia: Since 2004, the National League leader in fewest hits per nine innings has come from the NL West every year except 2005. Who was the leader that season?

Yesterday's Answer: Lance Johnson led the AL in triples four straight years (1991-1994) with the White Sox, then led the NL in triples in 1996 when he had 21 three-baggers with the Mets, the most in an NL single season since 1930.

Justin Upton Crunches 13th Homer as Braves Win; Billy Butler Leads Royals with 5-for-5 Effort

Players of the Day for Monday, May 13, 2013

American League

Butler: 5-for-5

With six full seasons already under his belt, Kansas City's Billy Butler may finally be reaching the potential everybody associated with him always knew existed.

In Monday's 11-4 win over the slumping Angels, Butler went to the plate five times, and five times he arrived on base. With three singles, two doubles and five RBI, Butler was a one-man wrecking crew of the Angels' pitching staff. His fellow Royals added 14 more hits, helping KC keep pace in the contentious AL Central, where they trail the Tigers by 1 1/2 games (Cleveland is in second place, 1/2 game out).

Butler hasn't been exactly tearing the leather off the ball this season, but his 5-for-5 effort improved his batting average to a respectable .261 and he's tallied 25 RBI, 12th-best in the league and on pace for another 100+ RBI season, something Butler accomplished for the first time last season.

A .299 career hitter, Butler is becoming a force which should help keep the Royals in the pennant and wild card hurt deep into the season.

The Angels will try to even up the three-game series in game two, at 10:05 EDT, Tuesday in LA.

National League

Upton's 13 HRs
lead MLB

Atlanta continues to cling to a slim lead in the NL East, with Monday's 10-1 win over Arizona keeping them a game clear of the Washington Nationals in the division race.

The Braves got 6 2/3 innings out of Mike Minor, who held the Diamondbacks to a single run, but it took Atlanta until the fifth inning to break through and take the lead, but, after scoring three times in the frame, they poured it on, turning the game into a rout.

Justin Upton provided his fair share of fireworks, going 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and his 13th home run of the season (which leads the majors) - a two-run shot in the Braves' four-run sixth.

While Upton's home run numbers are impressive, what is troubling the Braves is the RBI total, just 23, suggesting that the top of the Atlanta order is not getting on base in sufficient numbers with Upton having a big season at the plate. Andrelton Simmons, who usually leads off, is batting just .243, while brother B.J. Upton - who was in the two-hole Monday - is staggering along with a .151 mark.

Game two of the three-game set in Arizona goes off at 9:40 pm EDT, Tuesday.

Today's Trivia: Two of the top four career lifetime strikeout leaders are left-handers. Who are they? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Phil Neikro is one of 19 pitchers with more Ks than Cy Young (2803). Neikro fanned 3342 in his 24-year career, while Bob Feller had 2581, Warren Spahn, 2583, and David Cone struck out 2668.

Paul Maholm Blanks Marlins, Justin Upton Socks 6th Homer for Braves; Robinson Cano Leads Yankees over Indians

Players of the Day for Monday, April 8, 2013

American League

Cano: 3-4, 2HR

Even though the Yankees roster has been decimated by injuries (Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, A-Rod), there's still plenty of pop in the lineup, as the Cleveland indians found out on Monday in an 11-6 loss.

The Yanks cranked out 13 hits in the win, scoring three in the first inning, before Cleveland tied it in the bottom of the frame, but then New York scored a run or more in each inning from the third through the seventh.

Smack in the middle of the offensive outburts was Robinson Cano, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers, a double, two RBI and four runs.

Off to a slow start, Cano doubled his hit output from three to six, raising his batting average from .130 to .222.

The Yankees are 3-4 and tied with Baltimore and Tampa Bay in second place in the AL East. The trio trails Boston by two games.

National League

Maholm: 7IP, 1H, OER

After a failed attempt at buying its way into the playoffs in 2012, Miami unloaded most of the expensive talent it had acquired and this season is feeling the effects of self-imposed austerity.

Upton: 6 HRs

Paul Maholm blanked the Marlins on one hit over seven innings, leading the Braves to a 2-0 shutout of Miami, the third time this season the Marlins have failed to score a run.

Justin Upton went 4-for-4 with his sixth home run, a sixth-inning solo whack, after singling and scoring in the fourth inning. Upton leads the NL with six homers in seven games this season and is batting .423 with eight RBI.

Improving to 2-0, Maholm was money on the mound, fanning seven with three walks, the only hit a single off the bat of Placido Polanco in the third inning. Maholm finished strong, getting 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, plunking Juan Pierre with two down in the fifth the only break in his hitless string. Maholm has allowed just seven hits and no runs over 12 2/3 innings to start the season.

The 6-1 Braves hold a one-game lead over the Mets in the NL East.

Rangers Stop Royals as Ian Kinsler Goes 3-for-3; Justin Upton Socks a Pair, Drives in Six in Atlanta Rout

Players of the Day for Monday, March 18, 2013

Grapefruit League

When the Phillies and Braves have gotten together for a ball game n recent years, the usual expectation is of a pitcher's duel of some kind. Playing an exhibition game at the Braves' Springtime home at Champion Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida, was a little bit different.

Upton: 2HR, 6RBI

The Braves pounded Philly pitching for 19 hits - four of them home runs - in a 17-10 romp in which the Braves scored in every inning except the sixth.

Justin Upton led the assault with a pair of homers. He socked a two-run, first inning blast off starter Rodrigo Lopez, and later pounded a three-run shot in the third off reliever Colton Murray. Upton was not done, however, connecting for an RBI single in the fifth off Antonio Bastardo to give him six RBI on the day. He also walked and scored in the second.

Upton was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Braves during the off-season and brings a lively bat to the Atlanta lineup. He batted .280 in 2012 with 17 homers and 67 RBI. He is expected to patrol left field alongside his brother, B.J., who was acquired via free agency by the Braves after eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays.

With rising star, Jason Heyward, in right field, the 2013 Braves will field one of the fleetest and productive outfields in the major leagues.

Cactus League

Kinsler: 3-3, HR

With the Kansas City Royals running away with the Cactus League, the Rangers took a step Monday at putting their reign to an end, topping the Royals, 8-2, with their second straight win, improving to 12-10 in exhibition play.

At the top of the order, where he's been a mainstay for nearly a decade, Ian Kinsler went 3-for-3, with a home run and two RBI. Kinsler also scored twice and stole his second base of the Spring. He's expected to start the 2013 season at second base for the Rangers.

Derek Lowe worked three innings of scoreless ball, getting the win, his first of the exhibition season. The Royals were held scoreless until the ninth, when they plated their only runs of the game.

The loss reduced KC's lead in the Cactus to just 1 1/2 games over Seattle, winners of five straight.

Shields, Longoria Keep Rays in Wild Card Hunt; Justin Upton Leads Arizona in Comeback Win; Uggla Hit Streak at 30

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 9, 2011

American League

Tampa Bay fell out of contention in the AL East right after the all star break when they lost none of 13 games to the Red Sox, Yankees, Royals and A's.

Shields: 4th Shutout

Since then, they've played better, recently winning four of their last six. Though they still trail the Red Sox by 11 games, they are within 8 1/2 of the Yankees, losers of three straight but the current wild card leader.

Tuesday, James Shields pitched a 6-hit shutout and Evan Longoria drove in all of Tampa Bay's runs in the 4-0 victory.

Longoria: 4 RBI

Longoria singled in a pair of runs in the first inning and socked his 17th home run of the season in the sixth inning with one aboard to complete Tampa's scoring.

It was more than Shields would need, as he dominated the Royals, giving up three walks while fanning eight. Shields threw 75 of 117 pitches for strikes and improved to 11-9 with a stellar 2.80 ERA. It was his 8th complete game and 4th shutout of the season.

National League

Upton: .296 BA

Arizona keeps battling in the NL West, where they trail the Giants by 1/2 game, looking to upend the reigning world champions and take the division.

Tuesday's 9-7 win over Houston was emblematic of the fire the team has when facing adversity.

Down 7-1 after just four innings, the Diamondbacks scored for runs in the 5th and four more in the 6th to take a 9-7 lead and held on with two more in the 8th.

Justin Upton, enjoying a remarkable season at the plate and in the field, went 3-for-5, with his 23rd home run - a two-run blast - a double and a single, scoring three times and driving in four runs in the come-from-behind triumph.

Upton carries a .296 batting average and leads the Diamondbacks with 72 RBI. The Giants maintained their slim lead in the division with a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh.

STREAKS: Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 30 games with an infield single - his only hit in six at-bats - tying him with LA's Andre Ethier for the longest hit streak of the season. Uggla will try to make it 31 straight when the Braves take on the Marlins in the finale of their three game series Wednesday night.

A troubling streak is developing for Yankee closer Mariano Rivera. One of the finest closers ever to step up a mound has been beaten in his last two appearances. On Sunday, the Red Sox victimized Rivera with a run in the 9th inning, winning it in the 10th, 3-2, and on Tuesday, Rivera gave up two runs to the Angels with the game tied 4-4 in the 9th when Bobby Abreu took hi deep with two outs and a man aboard for the 6-4 win. Sunday was Rivera's fifth blow save of the year, and Tuesday's loss was his second against one win.

Rookie Eric Hosmer Brings Home Game-Winner in 10th; Justin Upton, Miguel Montero Scorch Rockies

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 23, 2011

American League

Eric Hosmer

After a promising start, the situation is back to normal in Kansas City, with the team in last place in the AL Central, 11 games behind Detroit and 16 games under .500 (42-56).

To Eric Hosmer, however, it's a chance to prove he belongs in the big leagues, and in Saturday's 10-inning, 5-4 win over the Rays, he strengthened his case, going 3-for-5, scoring two runs and driving in the game-winner.

In the 4th inning, Hosmer tied the game at 2-2 when he raced around the bases from first on Mike Moustakas' double to center. Hosmer scored again in the 6th, singling, advancing to third and coming home on a sac fly to get the Royals within one, at 4-3.

The big moment came in the 10th, after KC had tied the game, when Hosmer doubled home the winning run as pinch runner Mike Aviles motered home from first.

Hosmer has credentials for rookie of the year, toting a .277 batting average with nine homers and 40 RBI... and his second walk-off hit of the season.

National League

Miguel Montero

Justin Upton and Miguel Montero absolutely torched the Colorado Rockies, sparking the Diamondbacks to a lopsided, 12-3 win.

Justin Upton

The Arizona pair combined for five hits and 11 of the D-Backs' 12 runs. Both doubled in two runs in the first inning, and they both had homers - Upton's a grand slam and Montero's a two-run job. Montero also was awarded an RBI when he walked with the bases loaded in the 6th inning.

Upton went 3-for-5 with six RBI; Montero was 2-for-4 with five ribbies.

The win helped Arizona stay within range of the NL West-leading Giants at four games out. San Fran beat Milwaukee, 4-2, on Saturday. The Diamondbacks also trail Altanta by five games in the wild card race.

STREAKS: Florida Marlins third baseman Emilio Bonifacio went 2-or-4, extending his career-best hitting streak to 22 games, as the Marlins downed the Mets, 8-5. Seattle equalled the franchise record for futility, losing their 14th straight, as Boston downed the Mariners, 3-1.

Hunter, Abreu Lead Angels; Upton, Johnson, Montero Star in D-Backs 15-4 Defeat of Marlins

Players of the Day for Monday, May 30, 2011

American League

Bobby Abreu

The importance of winning early in the season is often understated, but to the veteran players around the league, every game is meaningful.

Torii Hunter

That sentiment is surely not lost on Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter, as they try to keep the Angels within striking distance of defending AL West champion, Texas.

In the Angels' 10-8 triumph at Kansas City Monday, both players had big games and important hits. Abreau went 4-for-5 - two doubles, two singles - scored twice and drove in a pair of runs, while Hunter was 3-for-5, with a pair of homers, the second of which came in the 9th inning with the Angels down a run. His two-run blast turned an 8-7 Royals' lead into a 9-8 advantage for the Angels. Hunter drove in four runs, giving him 31 on the year.

LA has managed to keep the Rangers within view, as Texas is just one game in front of the Angels, but the rest of the division is right in the mix, with Seattle 1 1/2 back and the A's 2 1/2 off the pace.

Justin Upton

National League

Kelly Johnson

The hottest team in the majors has to be the Arizona Diamondbacks, winners of seven straight, including Monday's 15-4 pasting of the Florida Marlins.

Arizona has surged from the back of the pack to the top of the NL Western division, with a 1/2 game lead over the Giants. This incredible 14-2 run began on May 14, after the Diamondbacks had lost five straight and fallen into the division basement.

Miguel Montero

In Monday's road fest, Arizona banged out 19 hits. Leadoff hitter, Kelly Johnson could have hit for the cycle as he needed only a single to do so, but instead hammered a pair of homer runs, a double, a triple, scored three times and drove in three runs. Catcher Miguel Montero drove in five runs, going 3-for-5 at the plate, including a three-run homer, but Justin Upton was unstoppable, going 5-for-5 with four singles and his 10th home run of the season. He scored three runs, drove in three and stole a base for good measure.

The game was the first of three with Florida. The Marlins find themselves in the usual position of looking up the standing at Philadelphia. They trail the Phillies by three games in the East.

Justin Upton, Yankee Killer; Brett Gardner Adds Depth for New York

Players of the Day for Monday, June 21, 2010 National League The first day of summer yielded only three games in the major leagues, all interleague variety, all won by National League teams, with both Players of the Day coming from the same game, Arizona's 10-4 triumph over the NY Yankees. The Diamondbacks jumped all over NY starter, A.J. Burnett, scoring five runs in the first inning and adding single scores in both the 2nd and 4th innings. Doing much of the damage was Justin Upton, who started the 9-hit barrage off Burnett with a 1st-inning solo homer, then singled and scored all the way from first base on Miguel Montero's double in the 2nd. His motor humming, Upton hit full speed in the 4th, when he walked, stole second and scored another D-Backs run. After bieng hit by a pitch and forced out at second in the 6th inning, Upton returned in the 8th, smacking a three-run homer, his 13th of the season. Just for the record, Upton went 3-for-3 with two homers, 4 RBI, 4 runs and a stolen base. American League Also having a perfect night at the plate for the Yankees, but without the same impact as Upton's was for Arizona, Brett Gardner dinged out four singles in his four at-bats, swiped his 23rd base of the season and scored twice in the losing effort. Gardner, who has become a fixture in the Yanks' lineup, playing mostly left field, continues to thrive at the plate, the 4-for-4 effort raising his batting average to .324, second-best among Yankee starters. Quietly piling up some impressive stats, Gardner is 10th in the AL in batting average, 5th in runs, and 4th in steals (Juan Pierre leads with 27 swipes). Recently demoted from second in the batting order to 9th (8th in interleague games), Gardner often finds himself batting with men on base - particularly Robinson Cano, who leads the league with a .365 average - or reaching base in front of the top of the order and Derek Jeter, all among the reasons the Yankees have seized temporary control of first place in the AL East, 1/2 game ahead of Tampa Bay and Boston.

Upton Tearing It Up in Spring; Slowey Perfect Over Three

Players of the Day for Sunday, March 14, 2010 American League Despite the possibility that closer Joe Nathan could be lost for the season, the Minnesota Twins are optimistic about their prospects in 2010, mostly because they have some very live, young arms in their starting rotation. One of those youngsters is Kevin Slowey, who got his second start of the Spring facing Boston on Sunday. The Twins lost the game, 6-4, but it certainly wasn't Slowey's fault, as the 6'3" righty held Boston batters hitless over the first three innings of the game, striking out four. Slowey sat after that, leaving his Spring marks at 8 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs and 8 Ks. In three seasons with the Twins, Slowey is 26-14, with a 4.39 ERA. He only pitched 90 innings in 2009, compiling a 10-3 record before going on the DL in July. Later, he had bone chips removed from his right wrist, but looks to be fully recovered, a very positive sign for Twins fans. National League If the Diamondbacks are going to improve from last year's last-place finish in the NL West, one of the players that will make a difference is Justin Upton. On Sunday, Upton got his swing into a groove against Texas pitching, helping the D-Backs down the Rangers, 9-3. Upton banged out his 3rd homer of the Spring, added a couple of singles, drove in three runs and score three times, boosting his pre-season totals to .367, 3 homers and 13 RBI in 8 games. The Arizona right fielder is just 22, but is expected to have a banner year. Last season, he hit an even .300, knocked 26 home runs and drove in 86 runs in 138 games. If his Summer is anything like his Spring, expect to see Justin Upton in the All-Star game. MLB Preview: Texas Rangers For the better part of the 2009 season, the Texas Rangers were chasing the LA Angels for the AL West title. They never got there, as the Angels got hot in September while the Rangers faded. Their finish at 87-75 was only good enough for second place in the division, 10 games back and well short of the wild card, but the Rangers signed Vlaimir Guerrero away from LA and hope to capture the division in 2010. As usual, Texas will have plenty of offense. Along with Guerrero, who will DH most nights, the Rangers boast a lineup chock full of dangerous hitters. Along with Guerrero, there are 6 position players capable of hitting 20 or more home runs. In the infield, 1st baseman Chris Davis, 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler and 3rd baseman Michael Young each did it in 2009. Kinsler was second on the team with 31, behind outfielder Nelson Cruz (33), who returns along with a healthy Josh Hamilton and David Murphy, who knocked 17 out of parks in 2009. Throw in rookie Julio Bourbon, who is fighting for a starting outfield job and the Rangers appear to have a bona fide murderers row for a lineup. Unless injuries decimate their starting players, the Rangers should lead the league in homers and RBI, as well as pitchers who don't want to face them. Shortstop Elvis Andrus provides plenty of speed at the top of the lineup. He swiped 33 bases as a rookie in 2009, being caught only 6 times. Pitching is the area in which the Rangers hope to improve. Kevin Millwood went to Baltimore, but Texas grabbed Rich Harden, who will likely be the #1 starter. Scott Feldman (17-8) and Tommy Hunter (9-6) each had solid seasons in 2009. Brandon McCarthy is expected to fill out the rotation. Frank Francisco took over the closer role in 2009, and converted 25 of 29 save chances. He will be the closer to start the year, but the Rangers have other options should he falter early on, including Neftali Feliz and Chris Ray. With a glut of power and a respectable pitching staff, the winter future book odds of 30-1 that the Rangers win the World Series, may be a worthwhile wager.

Upton's Dual Bombs Down Marlins; Dye's Slam Dumps Twins

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 20, 2009 American League Detroit is leading the AL Central by two games, but the White Sox are the kind of team likely to be heard from before long. In Wednesday's 7-4 thumping of division rival Minnesota, the Sox not only caught the Twins in the standings, but won their second straight over the Twins, pulling themselves to within 5 1/2 games of the Tigers. After taking the lead in the bottom of the 4th inning, 3-2, Jermaine Dye pretty much sealed the deal with a grand slam off Twins' starter Francisco Liriano, sending him to an early exit. Dye's homer was his 10th of the season for the White Sox, 1/4 of the team's total. National League The Arizona Diamondbacks will have to step it up if they hope to catch the Dodgers in the NL West, the most lopsided division in baseball. Los Angeles, the only team in the division with a winning record, leads San Francisco by 8 1/2 games. The Diamondbacks are in 4th place, 12 games off the pace. The Diamondbacks have been getting improved performance from right fielder Justin Upton, who homered twice in Arizona's 11-9, 13-inning win at Florida on Wednesday. Upton went 4-for-7 in the marathon event, belting a pair of 3-run homers - one in the 3rd inning and one in the 13th, the game winner - driving in 6 runs and scoring 3 times. Besides the homers, Upton delivered a pair of singles and stole his 4th base of the season. Upton's stats are more than solid: 9 Homers, 26 RBI and a .313 batting average.