Christian Yelich Leads Brewers In Chase of Cubs; Mike Trout 5-for-5 As Angels Whip White Sox

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 8, 2018

American League

Trout: 5-for-5, 2HR, 5RBI

Even though the Angels are out of contention for the post-season, Mike Trout is still putting up some impressive numbers.

Trout went 5-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs as the Angels defeated the White Sox, 12-3. Trout's homer was his 33rd of the season. He is batting .316 with 68 RBI. The LA outfielder is fourth in the AL in batting and tied for sixth in home runs with Giancarlo Stanton and Francisco Lindor.

Elsewhere, the west division leader, Houston, won their seventh straight, knocking off Boston at Fenway Park for the second straight game, 5-3. The Astros can't seem to shake off the A's, who have won three straight and are 3 1/2 back in the division. The Yankees were also winners on Saturday, defeating the Mariners in Seattle, 4-2. New York is 7 1/2 behind the Red Sox in the AL East and holds the top spot in the wild card race, 3 1/2 better than the A's.

Houston wraps up it's series in Boston, and the Yanks will be looking to sweep the Mariners Sunday.

National League

Yelich: .316, 28HR, 86RBI

Much like the famous line from the movie, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," the Chicago Cubs may be looking over their shoulders at the Milwaukee Brewers, asking, "who are those guys?"

After dropping two games to the Washington Nationals, the Cubs' lead in the NL Central has dwindled to 2 1/2 games after Christian Yelich and the Brewers defeated the Giants, 4-3.

Who is Christian Yelich? He's the Brewers' 26-year-old left fielder who just happens to be second in the league in batting at .316 (behind Cincinnati's Scooter Gennett, .317), with 28 homers (tied for 11th with teammate Travis Shaw) and 86 RBI (tied for 9th with Philadelphia's Ryhs Hoskins).

Yellich and Shaw both homered in the Milwaukee win, backing 5 2/3 shutout innings by starting pitcher, Gio Gonzalez (8-11). It was Gonzalez's first start for the Brewers after his separation from the Washington Nationals.

The Brewers have taken two straight at home from the Giants and will be looking for the series sweep when they take the field Sunday at

Albert Pujols Ties Griff As Angels Down Mariners; Jose Alfaro Leads Phillies Past O's

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 12, 2018

American League

Pujols: 630 HRs

Albert Pujols socked two home runs to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for sixth place on the career list with 630 lifetime as the Angels whacked the Mariners, 11-2, as the teams wrapped up a three-game series in Los Angeles.

Taking two of three at home, the Angels continue to hover just above .500 (48-46), but trail the first place Astros in the West by 13 games. Seattle suffered a setback by losing two of the three games, and trail Houston by three games.

Pujols started with a two-run homer in the first inning, putting the Angels up, 3-1. His sixth-inning solo shot boosted the Angels lead to 9-1.

A nine-time all star and three time winner of the N MVP award (2005, 2008, 2009), Pujols is still raking, with 16 home runs and 52 RBI this season. Lifetime, he has a .303 batting average and has 1970 RBI (seventh, all-time).

On Friday, the Mariners start a series against the Rockies in Denver. The Angels head across town for a three-game series with the Dodgers.

National League

Alfaro: 3-4, 2B, HR, 3RBI

With a 5-4 win at Baltimore, the Phillies took a 1/2 game lead over the idle Braves in the NL East.

Philadelphia took all four games in their season series with the Orioles, not surprising, since the O's are baseball's worst team, with a 26-68 record.

Catcher Jorge Alfaro provided key hits for the Phils. He singled and scored the first Philadelphia run in the opening inning, doubled in two runs in the fifth and smacked a solo homer in the sixth for a 5-0 lead.

The Phillies' relief staff nearly gave the game away, allowing a run in the sixth and three in the seventh before settling down and keeping the O's off the board over the last two innings.

Alfaro's home run was his sixth of the season, to go with 21 RBI.

On Friday, the Phillies head to Miami for a three game series. Game one is scheduled for a 7:10 pm EDT start.

Kole Calhoun Sparks Struggling Angels; Tyler Anderson Tosses 8 Scoreless As Rockies Sweep Giants

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Calhoun: 3-5, HR, 3 RBI

American League

Even though their 7-4 win at Seattle pushed the LA Angels back over .500 (44-43), they are still 12 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West.

LA has been in a rough patch of late. Their win on the 4th was just the third in their last 11 games, but there's always the second half and the wild card to keep hopes alive.

Kole Calhoun singled twice, homered, scored a pair, and drove in three runs from his leadoff spot to spark the win for the Angels. His single in the fourth inning snapped a 2-2 tie, and his two-run belt in the sixth advanced LA's lead to 6-2. In the eighth, he singled and scored on a Justin Upton ground out to finish the scoring.

Despite his recent effort, Calhoun has been one of the reasons the Angels have fallen so far behind. The 30-year-old outfielder is batting just .180 in 222 at-bats, with 5 homers 19 RBI and 24 runs.

The Angels and Mariners wrap up their three-game series on Thursday, 7:10 pm PDT.

National League

Anderson: 8IP, 2H, 9K

With Arizona losing, 8-4, to the Cardinals, the Dodgers, Rockies and Giants each had an opportunity to gain ground on the NL West leader.

While the Dodgers took advantage of the Pirates to pick up a game with a 6-4 win, the Rockies were hosting the Giants, meaning only one of them would move forward.

The Rockies took the first two games of the series, 5-2 and 8-1, completing the sweep with a 1-0 Independence Day victory.

Chris Ianetta's solo shot in the seventh backed the two-hit, eight inning effort by Colorado starter, Tyler Anderson, who improved to 6-3. Anderson walked two and struck out nine and needed just 93 pitches before turning the ball over to closer Wade Davis, who earned his 25th save.

Anderson, 28, is in his third year as a Colorado starter. The lefty hurler is getting the hang of things. He went 5-6 in 2016 and 6-6 in 2017.

Colorado's win didn't get them out of fourth place, but they did snatch up three games on the Giants with the sweep. Winners of six of their last seven, the Rockies are just four games off the pace, the Giants 3 1/2 back, and the Dodgers closed to within 1/2 game of Arizona in the tightest, most contentious race in the majors.

The Rockies open a three-game series at Seattle on Friday, while the Giants return home to host the Cardinals in a four-game series that starts Thursday.

Scooter Gennett Leads Reds To Second Straight Win; Angels Take Game Two From Astros On Andrelton Simmons' 2 HRs

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 24, 2018

American League

Simmons: 3-4, 2HR, 5RBI

The two top teams in the West played game two of their series in Houston on Tuesday, as the Angels took their second straight over the Astros in an 8-7 victory, taking over first place in the division by 1/2-game.

After being blanked, 2-0, in game one, Houston found themselves in an immediate 2-0 hole after solo home runs by Mike Trout in the first and Andrelton Simmons in the second inning.

When Simmons legged out an infield single in the third, plating Martin Maldonado, LA led, 4-1, but the Astros came back in the fifth and sixth to forge a 5-4 advantage.

The Reds responded in the seventh. After Albert Pujols singled in a run to tie the game, Simmons mashed his second homer of the game, a three-run kill shot to left. Houston did managed to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but LA's bullpen held together for the slim win.

Simmons had a game to remember, going 3-for-5 with two homers, five RBI and two runs.

The Astros will be looking to avoid an embarrassing home sweep Wednesday when the two teams meet for game three, 2:10 pm EDT.

National League

Gennett: 3-5, 2HR, 4RBI

Cincinnati got off to an increbilry bad start to the 2018 season, going 3-18, but their bats have suddenly found new life against the Atlanta pitching staff, and they've won two straight, including Tuesday's 9-7, 12-inning epic.

The Braves sent seven different pitchers to the mound, but could not keep Reds' hitters at bay. Cincinnati banged out 12 hits, three of them coming off the bat of Scooter Gennett, who singled and homered twice, the second of which ended the game in the bottom of the 12th.

Doing his best impression of a one-man wrecking crew, Gennett singled and scored on a Freddie Freeman throwing error in the second, launched his first home run of the game in the fifth, drove in another run with a squeeze bunt in the seventh, and with teammate Joey Votto on first with no outs in the 12th inning, treated fans to the walk-off win with his second home run.

After playing four seasons in Milwaukee, Gennett really hit his stride in his first season with the Reds, batting .295 with 27 home runs and 97 RBI in 2017.

This season has been a slow start for him and the Reds. The two Tuesday homers were his first of the season, and he's driven in just 13 runs, despite a solid .287 batting average.

Cincy will be looking to make it three straight over the Braves when the two teams take the field Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. Game time is 6:40 pm EDT.

Anibal Sanchez Goes Six Scoreless As Braves Humble Cubs; Ian Kinsler Leads Angels To Top Spot In AL West

Players of the Day for Friday, April 13, 2018

American League

Kinsler: 3-for-4, 2R, RBI

After winning the World Series in 2017, Houston is expected to take the AL West once again, but the other teams in the division have fortified their lineups and are certain to make the Astros earn heavy win.

Among the contenders in the West is the LA Angels, winners of six straight, their most recent conquest a 5-4 win in the second of four at Kansas City.

Picked up in the off-season from Detroit, Ian Kinsler was back in the leadoff spot for the Angels in Friday's game, after coming off the 10-day disabled list. The veteran second baseman went 3-for-4, stole two bases, scored twice and drove in the game-winning run with a sac fly in the eighth inning.

Kinsler's .367 batting average is positive sign that he's ready to go the distance atop the LA lineup.

The Angels improved to a stunning 12-3, their sixth straight win vaulting them past the Astros into a 1/2-game lead in the division. They'll be looking for their seventh straight win when they take the field at KC on Saturday. Game time is 7:15 pm EDT.

National League

Sanchez: 6 scoreless, 6K

The last time the Braves made the playoffs was 2013, when they ran away in the AL East, posting a mark of 96-66 to win the division by 10 games. Since that time, they've spent four years finishing under .500, but with an 8-5 start to the season, 2018 could be a year of change.

Opening a three-game series in Chicago, Atlanta posted a 4-0 win over the Cubs. Dominating from the mound with six innings of scoreless, three-hit ball was starter Anibal Sanchez, who struck out six and walked one as his teammates built a lead, Preston Tucker's three-run homer in the fifth off You Darvish providing most of the cushion.

The veteran right-hander threw 63 of 94 pitches for strikes, earning his first win of the year in three appearances. Now in his 13th season, Sanchez gives the Braves some depth in their starting rotation.

It was the second straight win for Atlanta, moving them into second place, 3 1/2 games behind the streaking Mets, who lead the division with a 11-1 mark, including nine straight wins.

Game two of the series at Wrigley Field is slated for a 2:20 pm EDT start on Saturday.

Jameson Taillon Tosses 1-Hitter As Pirates Thump Reds; Shohei Ohtani Fans 12 In Angels' Win

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 8, 2018

American League

Mike Trout and Ryan Shrimpf socked solo home runs, and Shohei Ohtani improved to 2-0, blanking the Athletics on one hit over seven full innings en route to a 6-1 win.

Ohtani: 7 IP, 1H, 0ER, 12K

Ohtani, the widely-hyped, 23-year-old rookie from Oshu, Jpana, had a perfect game going over the first six innings, but Marcus Semien’s one-out single in the seventh ended the no-hit bid. After walking the next batter, Jed Lowrie, Ohtani finished up the inning by getting Khris Davis on a comebacker to the mound and striking out Matt Olson for his 12th K of the afternoon.

Already up 6-0, manager Mike Scioscia went to his bullpen. Blake Wood tossed a scoreless eighth and Felix Pena allowed a meaningless run n the ninth.

In two starts - both against the A's - Ohtani has two wins, no losses, 18 strikeouts, and is living up to the advance billing.

The Angels kept pace with division-leading Houston, trailing the Astros by a game in the AL West at 7-3.

Hitting the road Monday, the Angels travel to Texas for a three-game series with the Rangers. Game one starts at 8:05 pm EDT.

Taillon: 1-hit Shutout

National League

Swashbuckling their way through the early schedule, the Pittsburgh Pirates finished up their four-game series with the visiting Reds on Sunday on a one-hitter by starter, Jameson Taillon, who went the distance for his first major league shutout in a 5-0 victory.

Taillon stymied the Reds throughout, the only hit an ironic third inning single by opposing starter Tyler Mahle. Otherwise, Taillon was spectacular in his second start and second win of the season, hitting a batter - Alejandro Suarez - in the fifth and walking a pair while striking out seven.

Throwing 110 pitches, Taillon had exceptional control, with 67 of his throws for strikes.

In his third season with the Pirates, the 6'5" 25-year-old has a positive career mark of 15-11 with a 3.82 ERA.

Pittsburgh continues to dazzle opponents, improving to 7-2, taking three of four from the Reds. They lead the Cubs by two games in the NL Central and will try to put some distance between themselves and the reigning division champs when they travel to Chicago for a three game series with the Cubs, starting Monday at 2:20pm EDT.

Mike Trout, Albert Pujols Power Angels Past A's; Nats' Stephen Strasberg Shuts Out Marlins

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Trout: 4-for-4, HR, 4 R

American League

With the Yankees getting swept three straight by Cleveland, dropping both ends of a Yankee Stadium doubleheader Wednesday, the AL wild card race has suddenly become a life-and-death affair for eight teams, all within five games of each other.

New York's lead as the top wild card has slipped to a single game over the Twins, but even they are not safe, despite winning three straight. The Angels are one game back and the Orioles won their seventh straight to end the day 1 1/2 behind the Twins and 2 1/2 behind the Yankees. The other teams in contention are Texas, Tampa Bay, Seattle, and Kansas City.

In LA, capped by Cliff Pennington's grand slam, the Angels rallied for five runs in the seventh inning, overtaking the A's for a 10-8 victory and a three-game sweep.

Pujols: 2 HR, 4 RBI

Albert Pujols socked a pair of home runs, scored three runs and drove in four. Mike Trout went 4-for-4, scored four runs, and drove in one with a first inning solo homer, his 27th. Pujols banged out numbers 20 and 21, tying Jim Thome for seventh place on the career HR list, at 612. At 37, Pujols has played 17 seasons. The six players ahead of him on the career list all played 22 seasons, except for Hank Aaron (755), who played 23. The LA slugger has an outside chance of catching Barry Bonds (762) for the all-time lead, but almost certainly will make the 700 club if he remains in good health.

With the sweep behind them, the Angels get a day off Thursday and begin a nine-game road trip Friday, starting with three games in Texas with the Rangers.

National League

The Miami Marlins were red hot entering their three-game series with at NL East leader, Washington. After being swept, including Wednesday's 4-0 shutout courtesy of Stephen Strasberg, they couldn't get out of town soon enough.

Strasberg Shuts Out Miami

Strasberg, who hurled the complete game shutout (first of the season), was largely untouchable, except for T.J. Realmuto, who had three of the six hits off the National's hurler, a single, double and triple. Strasberg threw 78 of 110 pitches for strikes, fanning eight and walking one.

The shutout left the Marlins tied with the Cardinals, 5 1/2 games back of Colorado for the second wild card spot, but Milwaukee is ahead of them, three games down to the Rockies. Arizona holds a three-game lead in the top position.

Sweeping the series also virtually ended any hope in the NL East, expanding the Nationals' lead to 15 games over Miami, with 30 remaining.

The Marlins head back to Miami for a three-game series starting Friday with the Phillies. Washington opens a four-game series with another contending team, the Brewers, in Milwaukee, Thursday night.

Nolan Arenado, 5-for-6, 3 HR Leads Rockies To 18-4 Win; Alex Meyer 1-Hit Over 7, Angels Top Nats, 7-0

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 19, 2017

American League

Meyer: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

In the two-game series featuring two of baseball's brightest young stars - LA's Mike Trout and Washington's Bryce Harper - game two went to the Angles and the spotlight was stolen by LA starter, Alex Meyer, a 27-year-old, 6'9" rookie.

Meyer took a perfect game into the fifth inning, and, after walking Anthony Rendon, took a on-hitter into the sixth, though it was spoiled by Nats' leadoff hitter, Brian Goodwin, who lashed a two-out double to right.

Meyer finished the inning and pitched a perfect seventh, taking a seat after throwing a mere 88 pitches. David Hernandez and Jose Alvarez worked the eighth and ninth, respectively, each putting in a perfect inning to finish up the 7-0 Angel's victory.

Meyer improved to 4-5, striking out seven. Harper was out of Washington's lineup for the day, but Trout managed to sock his 18th home run, a two-run jolt in the seventh.

The result was a 1-1 split in LA. Washington continues its Western swing road trip with three game in Arizona, beginning Friday. The Angels host Boston for three games, also starting Friday.

National League

Arenado: 3 HR, 7 RBI

In baseball's annals of great third basemen, the names Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt, and Eddie Mathews come immediately to mind. Some day in the not-too-distant future, the name Nolan Arenado may become a staple on that list.

Wednesday in Colorado, Arenado put on a show of his magnificent swing, going 5-for-6 with two singles, a trio of home runs, four runs, and seven RBI, which vaulted him to the major league RBI lead with 80. In the National League, Bryce Harper has 73, Paul Goldschmidt, 72. Nelson Cruz leads the AL with 74.

Padres pitchers were unable to keep Arenado off the base paths as the Rockies completed the three game sweep with a 21-hit attack, humiliating San Diego, 18-4.

In the first and second innings, Arenado singled home Charlie Blackmon. In the fourth and fifth, Arenado led off the innings with solo home runs. In the sixth, he belted a three-run homer, his 21st of the season, putting the Rockies up by the gaudy score of 17-4.

Finally, Kirby Yates, the fourth and final San Diego hurler, managed to get Arenado to line out to left in the eighth inning.

The victory was Colorado's fourth straight. Combined with Arizona's 4-3 loss at Cincinnati, the Rockies hold a 1/2 game edge for second place in the NL West, though they trail division leader, Los Angeles by 11 games.

After a day off Thursday, the Rockies host the Pirates for three games. Pittsburgh also has won four straight and is in third place in the Central, four games behind Milwaukee.

Ricky Nolasco Shuts Out Mariners In 4-0 Angels' Win; Rich Hill, Chris Taylor Lead Dodgers Past Padres

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 1, 2017

American League

In his 12 seasons as a major leaguer, Ricky Nolasco has been around, playing for no less than five different teams, but the last time he's finished with a winning record was when he went coastal in 2013, logging a 13-11 record playing for the Marlins (5-8) and Dodgers (8-3).

Nolasco: CG Shutout

At 4-9, Nolasco may or may not finish over .500 this season, though his last two outings argue that he's headed in the right direction. On June 26, Nolasco threw five scoreless innings against the Dodgers in a 4-0 win. On Saturday, he upped his scoreless inning string to 14 with a complete game shutout, as the Angels moved a game over .500 (43-42) with another 4-0 win, this time over the visiting Mariners.

Scattering a mere three hits over the nine frames, Nolasco needed struck out seven and didn't issue a walk. All the Mariners could muster in terms of offense were three harmless singles, one each in the second, fifth and eighth innings. Only one runner even made it to second base. Nolasco is 112-112 in his MLB career.

The win didn't help the Angels in the West division standings as the Astros rallied for a 7-6 win over the Yankees, but the Angels are only a game out of the second wild card slot behind the Yankees (+2), Rays, and Twins.

Being early July, it's probably premature to be looking at wild card standings, though in the case of the AL West, Houston's 13 1/2 game lead does appear insurmountable. Nolasco and his Angels may be prudent to keep trudging forward, especially with Mike Trout due to return shortly from the 10-day disabled list.

Hill: 7 IP, 0 ER, 11 K

Evening the series at a game apiece, the Angels and Mariners play the rubber game Sunday, at 12:37 PT.

National League

Taylor: Grand Slam

Opening the month of July as hot as they ended June, the LA Dodgers won their third straight with a 8-0 whitewash of San Diego.

While his teammates were building a healthy lead, Dodger starter Rich Hill was blanking the hapless Padres over seven innings.

Hill struck out 11, walked one, allowed four hits, throwing 69 of 92 pitches for strikes. After Chris Taylor swatted a grand slam in the top of the seventh, Hill returned for one more frame and then headed to the bench. Taylor finished 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI.

With the huge lead, Brock Stewart worked a hitless eighth and ninth innings for the win, which kept the Dodgers 3 1/2 ahead of the Diamondbacks in the NL West. Hill improved to 5-4, dropping his ERA to 4.00.

LA will be seeking the three-game sweep of the Padres when they return to Petco Park Sunday, 1:40 pm PT.

Edinson Volquez Throws No Hitter For Miami Over Arizona; Angels' Albert Pujols Swats 600th Home Run

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 3, 2017

Pujols joins 600 club

American League

Albert Pujols reached one of the great milestones in all of sports, swatting his 600th home run on Saturday in an Angels' 7-2 victory over Minnesota.

Not only was the homer the stuff of legend, but it happened to be the ultimate in long balls, a fourth-inning grand slam that broke the game wide open for the Angels.

As the ninth player to hit 600 homers, Pujols joins some of baseball's greatest hitters in the hallowed 600 club, including Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), and Willie Mays (660).

A major leaguer since 2001, Pujols is also approaching some other strong career marks in his sixth season with the Angels after playing his first 11 in St. Louis. He has 1859 RBI and 2876 hits. Pujols is currently 13th all-time in RBI, but not for long. His next run driven in will tie him with Mel Ott in 12th. Considering that the 37-year-old will play at least another season, he has a legitimate chance of becoming the fifth player in MLB history to amass 200 RBI.

Third among active players in hits (Adrian Beltre, 2950; Ichiro Suzuki, 3042), Pujols is tied with Mel Ott at #43 all-time, and on the move. 300 hits - a level reached by just 30 players - is also well within his reach.

The win left the Angels in second place in the West, 12 1/2 behind the Astros, who have spurted away again, winning their ninth straight on Saturday in a 6-5 win at Texas. Minnesota, despite the loss, remains in first place in the Central division, a game to the good on Cleveland. LA hosts the Twins Sunday at 3:37 pm ET in the series finale. Minnesota leads, two games to one.

National League

Volquez hurls no-hitter

Tossing the first no-hitter of 2017, Edinson Volquez surprised the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 3-0 win for the Miami Marlins.

Played before a crowd of 21,548 at Marlins Stadium in Miami, Volquez entered the contest with a 2-7 record, not exactly a stellar grade for a major league starter.

But, as the game unfolded, Volquez was displaying the kind of stuff he had when he was a top hurler in 2008 when he went 17-6 for Cincinnati.

It wasn't until the fifth inning that the Diamondbacks even had a baserunner. Volquez walked Jake Lamb, but was aided by a double play, as he was in the eighth, when he issued his only other walk, to Chris Hermann.

Thus,Volquez faced the minimum 27 batter, fanning the final three in the ninth to complete the gem, striking out 10 and needing just 98 pitches (65 for strikes).

In support, the Marlins scored a run in the fourth inning and added two more in the eighth, improving to 23-31 while dropping the Diamondbacks 1 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the West, at 34-24.

The two teams will complete the four game series Sunday at 1:10 pm ET. Miami leads the series, two games to one.

Danny Espinosa Lifts Angels Over A's; Calyton Richard Goes Eight Shutout Innings For Padres

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 4, 2017

American League

Espinosa: 3-run blast

Danny Espinosa socked a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning, leading the LA Angels to a 7-6 triumph over the Oakland A's.

Not known primarily as a power hitter, second baseman Espinosa knocked 24 ball out of parks last season, a career high, and got his stroke aligned with his first of the new season, which was also his only hit in eight at-bats thus far in 2017.

The 383-fott drive to right center drove in teammates Jefry Marte and Andrelton Simmons, bringing the Angels back from a 6-4 deficit. Cam Bedrosian came in to toss a perfect inning in the bottom of the ninth, earning his first save of the season.

Richard: 8 Scoreless

Notable in the game was the first start for Matt Carpenter, who returned to the mound for the first time since being struck in the head by a line drive, suffering a fractured skull, seven months earlier. Carpenter was effective, allowing two earned runs on four hits over five innings.

The win tied the four-game series at 1-1. The two teams take to the field at the Oakland Coliseum for game three Wednesday night at 7:05 pm PT.

National League

After being hammered and humiliated in their season opener, 14-3, by the Dodgers on Monday, Clayton Richard and the San Diego Padres said, "not so fast" to the home-standing Dodgers, blanking them 4-0, to even their record and the series at 1-1.

Richard tossed eight innings of shutout ball, allowing five hits and two walks, fanning five. Efficient in his pitch selection, Richard threw 68 of 99 pitches for strikes and recorded first pitch strikes on 19 of the 27 batters he faced.

A spot starter and long reliever for most of his career, Richard became part of the Padres' starting rotation this season and is off to a great start. The win took his career record above the break-even line, giving him 54 victories against 53 losses.

The Padres and Dodgers play game three of their four-game series Wednesday night in Los Angeles with first pitch slated for 7:10 pm PT.

Matt Shoemaker Solid as Angels Down Tigers, 2-0; Zack Greinke Goes to 14-3 as Dodgers Defeat Reds, 1-0

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 27, 2013

American League

Zack Greinke

Matt Shoemaker

With just their second win in the last six games, the LA Angels are still in the race for a wild card, if not the AL West pennant.

LA got 7 1/3 solid innings from starter, Matt Shoemaker, en route to a 2-0 win at Detroit, taking the series two games to one.

Shoemaker (6-9, 4.48) shut down Detroit on one hit, a third inning single with two outs by Anthony Gose, who was promptly erased by the LA hurler, as Shoemaker picked him off to end the inning.

After getting Victor Martinez to fly out opening the eighth inning, Shoemaker was replaced on the mound by Joe Smith, who finished the inning. Huston Street picked up his 31st save with a perfect ninth, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

National League

In the NL West, the race for the division title is heating up as August comes to a close.

On Thursday, Dodger ace, Zack Greinke, cruised through seven innings of shutout ball to lead LA to its third straight win and his 14th against just three losses in a 1-0 win at Cincinnati.

Greinke, who leads the majors with a ridiculous 1.61 ERA, fanned nine, walked two and allowed four hits while his teammates struggled for offense against Reds' hurler, Anthony DiSciafani, who was impressive, also going seven full innings, allowing six hits and the game's only run, which scored not on a hit, but on a second inning double play ball off the bat of Dodger Yasmani Grandal.

There were no extra base hits in the entire game, as 25,529 watched the Reds lose for the 12th time in 13 outings, falling into sole possession of last place in the NL Central, a miserable 29 1/2 games off the pace.

With the win, the Dodgers maintained their 2 1/2 game lead over the Giants, who got another strong performance from Madison Bumgarner, who became the league's second 16-game winner, joining the Cubs' Jake Arrieta. Bumgarner (16-6) gave up two hits and one earned run over six innings, fanning 12, as the Giants knocked off the Cubs, 9-1, taking the series two games to one.

The Dodgers head back to LA on Friday to meet the Cobs for a three-game weekend series, then host the Giants for three starting Monday, August 31.

Mike Trout's 4-for-4, Grand Slam Lifts Angels; Carlos Gonzalez Smacks Two Homers, Drives in Six for Rockies

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 26, 2015

American League

Trout: 4-4, Grand Slam

Regaining the major league home run lead from teammate Albert Pujols, Mike Trout helped the Angels salvage a win in their three-game series with Texas, going 4-for-4 with a pair of singles and two homers (#s 30, 31), one of which was a grand slam.

After dropping the first two games of the series, 4-2, and, 7-6, the Angels roared back on Sunday with a 13-7 rout.

Combined with Houston's 5-1 loss at Kansas City, the win pushed the Angels back into sole possession of first place in the AL West with a one-game lead over the Astros.

Trout socked a solo homer in the first inning, then followed up with the grand slam in the sixth, blowing open a game that the Angels led by only a run - 3-2 - entering the inning.

By the time the Rangers got to bat again in the top of the seventh, it was 8-2, and the outcome largely determined.

Gonzalez: 2HR, 6RBI

Trout's 4-for-4 effort boosted his batting average to .315, among the league leaders, and his five RBI gave him 64 on the season, fifth-best in the American League.


National League

After singling home the first run in Colorado's half of the third inning, Carlos Gonzalez capped a 10-run outburst by the Rockies with a two-run homer, giving Colorado a 12-4 lead over the visiting Reds.

Gonzalez smashed another homer - this time a three-run shot - in the fifth inning, tallying six RBI on the day and helping the Rockies to a 15-hit, 17-7 victory, taking two out of three from the visiting Reds.

The homers were Gonzalez's 17th and 18th of the season, his 3-for-4 effort giving him a .270 batting average with 47 RBI.

The win didn't help Colorado much, as they still are last in the NL West, 12 games behind the LA Dodgers, who hold a one-game edge over he Giants.

One of the more prolific hitters in the National League, 29-year-old Gonzalez has 154 homers and 504 RBI with a .291 average in eight major league seasons.

Matt Holliday's Grand Slam Lifts Cardinals; Matt Shoemaker Delivers as Angels Win Sixth Straight

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 21, 2015

American League

Shoemaker: 6IP, 10Ks

Rolling to their sixth straight win, the LA Angels maintained a two-game lead in the AL West over Houston with a 7-0 shutout of the visiting Minnesota Twins.

Starter Matt Shoemaker improved to 5-7 with a solid six-inning performance, blanking the Twins on two hits over six innings. The Angels staked their hurler to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and third innings, but, after Chris Ianetta keyed a five-run sixth inning with a three-run homer, manager Mike Scioscia decided he had gotten all he needed from his starter and sent Fernando Salas out for the seventh inning.

After Salas put down the Twins in order, Jose Alvarez completed the whitewash with two hitless innings.

Shoemaker walked three and fanned 10, matching his season high. Off to a slow start in 2015, Shoemaker was 16-4 last season with the Halos. The win was Shoemaker's first since June 9.

Holliday: Grand Slam

National League

Michael Wacha didn't have his best stuff, but still improved to 11-3, allowing five runs on four hits over five innings as teammate Matt Holliday boosted the Cardinals to an 8-5 win over the White Sox with a fourth inning grand slam.

The homer was just Holliday's fourth of the season, but it came at a most opportune time, lifting the Cardinals to a five-game lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central. The Pirates fell at Kansas City, 3-1.

While Holliday is batting a healthy .302, his power numbers are way down. He's hit 20 or more homers every season since 2009.

Still, the Cardinals continue to bowl over the opposition. Their 59-34 mark is the best in the majors.

St. Louis faces the White Sox in the completion of their two-game series, Wednesday night in Chicago.

Travis Ishikawa Powers Giants Past Royals; Albert Pujols Goes Yard Three Times as Angels Sweep Red Sox

Players of the Day for Monday, July 20, 2015

American League

Pujols' 3 HR passes
Mike Schmidt

Albert Pujols took over the AL home run lead from teammate Mike Trout on Monday, socking three homers as the Angels swept a double-header from visiting Boston, slaughtering the Red Sox, 11-1 in the first game and completing the four-game series sweep with a 7-3 win in the nightcap.

Pujols whacked a solo shot in the second inning of the first game, when the Angels piled up seven runs routing starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who was tabled for all of the runs and lasted only 1 2/3 innings.

In the second game, Pujols sent two balls out of the yard - a solo homer and a two-run shot - securing a two-game lead over idle Houston in the AL West. Pujols has 29 homers on the season, already surpassing last year's total of 28.

Pujols was a combined 4-for-7 in the two games, driving in four runs. He has 60 RBI on the season, good for fifth place in the AL, behind Kansas City's Kendrys Morales (65).

The Angels have won five straight since the All-Star break. Trout was named MVP of the All-Star Game, won by the American League, 6-3.

Pujols passed Mike Schmidt (548) on the all-time home run list with 549 dingers.


National League

Ishikawa: 4 RBI

The Pittsburgh Pirated continued their relentless pursuit of NL-Central-leading St. Louis, with a 10-7 road win at Kansas City.

Pittsburgh trails the Cardinals by four games in the division race, but has the second-best record in the league. Their mark of 55-38 has them 5 1/2 games up on the Giants in the Wild Card standings.

The Pirates got a big boost from the bat of Travis Ishikawa, a .174 hitter who delivered four RBI with a home run and pair of doubles in five at-bats.

Ishikawa dd his damage early, with a two-run double in the second inning and a two-run homer in the fifth.

The Pirates face the Royals again on Tuesday night at 8:10 pm ET in the second of their three-game set.

Albert Pujols, Andrew Heaney Lead Angels over Dodgers; Jason Marquis Hurls Reds past Blue Jays in Montreal

Players of the Day for Friday, April 3, 2015

Grapefruit League

Jason Marquis

Despite indications to the contrary, there are still baseball fans in Montreal - at least 46,314 of them, not to put too fine a spin on it. That's how many turned out to see the Reds defeat the Blue Jays, 2-0, inside climate-controlled Olympic Stadium.

Mark Buehrle and Jason Marquis put on a fine pitching duel to start the game. Buehrle allowed three hits over four innings, but Marquis was truly masterful, allowing no runs on one hit over a five-inning span, striking out three.

Marquis, who missed all of last season due to injury, appears fully repaired. He's thrown 31 innings of exhibition ball this Spring, allowing 22 hits and 10 earned runs, posting a respectable ERA of 2.80. He'll be in the Reds' starting rotation when the regular season opens this coming week.

While the two teams combined for just 10 hits, fans were appreciative, many sporting gear bearing the insignia of the Montreal Expos, the team that was moved from Canada in 2004 to become the Washington Nationals.

Skip Schumaker doubled in the game's only runs in the eighth inning.

Pujols: Slam

Cactus League

Heaney: No Hits

David Freese smacked a two-run homer in the second and Albert Pujols added a sixth-inning grand slam, the two long balls more than enough to support the 5 1/3 innings of no-hit ball from Angels starter, Andrew Heaney, who got the win in LA's 6-0 whitewash of the Dodgers.

Heaney walked three, but struck out just as many, getting his first win of the exhibition season. He was surely trying to impress the team's coaches, as the fifth spot in the rotation has yet to be filled, and he's one of a few players getting a look.

Heaney went 0-3 for the Marlins last season, making five starts, but his performance was less-than-impressive, putting up an ERA of 5.83.

Until Friday, his stats this Spring were also poor. He finishes up with a record of 1-2 and a 7.03 ERA. The Angels may not use a fifth starter until sometime later in the month.

For Pujols, the slam was his fifth homer of Spring. He has 19 RBI in 20 games.

Last season, his third in an Angel uniform, Pujols hit .272 with 28 HR and 105 RBI.

David Buchanan Tosses 5 Scoreless in 3-0 Phillies Win; Matt Shoemaker's 6 Shutout Innings Earns Angels Win over Seattle

Players of the Day for Monday, March 23, 2015

Grapefruit League

David Buchanan

As a rookie last season, David Buchanan started 20 games for the Phillies, won six and lost eight, with an ERA of 3.75. That effort was good enough to assure that he'll be in the rotation this season as the Phils seek to rebound.

On Monday, Buchanan took the mound for the fifth time this Spring - his third start - and delivered a solid performance, blanking the Twins for five innings on two hits.

The 25-year-old Atlanta native fanned three and walked none. The Phillies went on to the 3-0 victory, putting them at an even 10-10. Minnesota dropped to 8-10.


Cactus League

Matt Shoemaker

If Matt Shoemaker returns to the Angels in 2015 with the kind of stuff he had in 2014, the AL West is going to be just as tough as last season, when LA took the division by 10 games.

Shoemaker started 20 games in 2014, went 16-4 with a 3.02 ERA and 124 Ks in 136 innings. His win total was fourth-highest in the American League, and judging by his six innings of shutout ball against the Mariners on Monday, he appears to be right on track for the regular season. He allowed just two hits and a walk, striking out a pair.

As a rookie last season, Shoemaker displayed toughness and durability. With a full season under his belt, he may be on the path to becoming one of the more dominant pitcher in the AL.

The Angels won the game, 5-0, putting them at 11-7, 1/2 game behind the Royals and Dodgers in the Cactus League standings.

***

11-5 Fest: C.J. Cron Sets Angels Soaring; Justin Smoak Powers Blue Jays with Two Homers

Players of the Day for Friday, March 20, 2015

Grapefruit League

Smoak: 2HR

Seemingly on the cusp of greatness for the better part of the past decade, the Toronto Blue Jays continue shuffling, trading and realigning objectives in hopes of finding the right mix for competitiveness in the rugged AL East.

One such element of all this hoopla might be the emergence of long-ball specialist, Justin Smoak, snatched away from the Mariners during the off-season after a 2014 campaign shorted by injury.

Smoak played in just 80 games for Seattle last season, but he's back to good health, Smaok found his stroke in Friday's 11-5 win over the Rays, socking a pair of homers and driving in three runs for Toronto. The Blue Jays banged out 14 hits against five Tampa Bay pitchers, en route to their 10th win against eight losses.

A first baseman by trade, Smoak may end up as a DH, platoon player, pinch-hitter, part-timer or bench warmer for the regular season in the crowded, but power-packed Blue Jay lineup that includes established sluggers Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista.

Cactus League

Talk about burning up the basepaths.

Four LA Angels tripled in one inning - the third - in LA's 11-5 bombastic victory over the Cleveland Indians, a feat which has to be, at least, a Cactus League record.

Erick Aybar, C.J. Cron, Johnny Giavotella, and Collin Cowgill each legged out three-baggers as the Angels assaulted Cleveland starter, Trevor Bauer, for nine hits and eight runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings.

Turns out, both teams were just getting started with the hot bats, hammering out a total of 30 base hits in the game, half of them for extra bases.

Cron, a 25-year-old from Fullerton, California, who played college ball at Utah, finished 3-for-5, adding a single and a double, with an RBI and two runs scored. He's batting .395 with two homers, four doubles, six RBI, and yes, a triple.

Mike Trout Powers Angels over Rockies, 11-0; Chris Carter 3-for-3 in 13-7 Pounding of Pirates

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Grapefruit League

Carter: 3-3 4RBI

Following a strong 2014 campaign, Houston's Chris Carter is hoping to maintain the power stroke that produced 37 home runs and 88 RBI and improve on his .227 batting average.

He appears to be heading in the proper direction after going 3-for-3 with a single and two doubles in Tuesday's 13-7 rip of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Carter drove in four runs, snapping out of the 1-12 streak that had started his Spring training.

Houston, one of the worst teams in the majors last season, improved to 7-4; the Pirates dipped to a 6-6 mark.


Cactus League

Trout: 2HR 6RBI

Evening their record at 7-7, the LA Angels clubbed the Rockies, 11-3, powered by a pair of homers from 2014 L MVP, Mike Trout, and his six RBI.

Off to a blazing start in the Arizona heat, Trout has three homers and 10 RBI, along with a sizzling .545 batting average. Last season he batted .287 with 36 home runs and 111 RBI.

Leadoff man, Cole Calhoun went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs and a stolen base. The Angels totaled 15 hits off seven Rockies' hurlers, while five members of the Angels staff held their opponents to just two hits.

Brian Bogusevic Cranks a Pair of Homers for Phillies; Angels Stop Red-Hot Royals in 10, Kyle Kubitza Homers, 3-for-5

Players of the Day for Saturday, March 14, 2013

Grapefruit League

Bogusevic: 2HR

With the regular season just a little more than two weeks away, teams are beginning to make adjustments to starting lineups and general rosters, penciling in the names of players who may make an impact come April.

One such name could be Brian Bogusevic, the 31-year-old outfielder that the Phillies acquired from the Cubs during the off-season.

Bogusevic crashed a pair of homers for the Phillies on Saturday in their 5-4 win over the Tigers, both coming off Detroit starter, Anibal Sanchez, who was roughed up for four runs on four hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings.

After a 2-run blast in the first, Bogusevic delivered a solo shot that put the Phils up 4-1 and sent Sanchez to an earlier-than-expected shower.

In 47 games with the Cubs last season, Bogusevic hit .273 with six homers and 16 RBI. With the Phillies' outfield in somethig of a fluid situation, there's a chance that he'll see some time this season with the big club.

Cactus League

It took an extra inning, but the LA Angels ended the Royals reign of terror over the Cactus League with a 7-6 victory at Surprise Stadium on Saturday.

The Halos roughed up Royal starter, Jason Vargas, for eight hits and three earned runs, but Kansas City eventually tied the game at 6-6 with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Daniel Robertson brought home the winning run with a sac fly in the 10th.

Kyle Kubitza, a third baseman with no major league experience, was impressive, getting three hits, including a solo home run. He scored twice as the Angels improved to 5-6, handing the Royals just their second loss of the Spring.

Kansas City, which lost to San Francisco in seven games in last year's world series, have picked up where they left off. Their loss to the Angels made them 10-2, good for a two-game edge over the 6-2 Dodgers in the Cactus League.