Lorenzo Cain's Grand Slam Boosts Royals Over Padres; Cardinals Whip Phillies, 7-0, On Carlos Martinez 4-Hit Shutout

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 10, 2017

American League

Cain: Grand Slam, 5 RBI

With Minnesota holding the rest of the Al Central division at bay, the Kansas City Royals - 6 1/2 back - need every win they can get, so their 12-6 score at San Diego Saturday was a step in the right direction.

Of particular notice was the live bat of Lorenzo Cain, who was 3-for-5 with a pair of homers, three runs and five RBI.

A player who generally hits for a good average, Cain has picked it up of late, batting .333 in June, with four homers and ten RBI. He's hit safely in four straight games, a kind of consistency the Royals need throughout their lineup.

Cain belted a solo shot in the sixth, but the big inning for the Royals was the nine-run eighth, which Cain began with an infield single, scoring on Eric Hosmer's sixth home run of the year. With Kansas City players circling the bases, Cain delivered the decisive blow, a grand slam that put the game away. An inning that started with a 5-3 San Diego lead, ended with the Royals up 12-6, as the Padres could only respond with a single run in the bottom of the frame.

With the series tied at a game apiece, the teams will play the rubber game, Sunday at San Diego's Petco Park, 1:40 pm PT.

National League

Martinez: 4-hit shutout

After going 0-7 on their road trip to Chicago and Cincinnati, the St. Louis Cardinals were sorely in need of some relief, and they may have found it by returning home to host the Phillies for three games.

At 21-39, the Phillies have the dubious distinction of being the worst team in the majors, and the Cardinals aren't enhancing their reputation, taking two straight, including Saturday's 7-0 whitewash.

The Cardinal regulars didn't do much, as they didn't have to, but they put together seven runs on six hits while starter Carlos Martinez was twirling a four-hit shutout.

At 25, Martinez is considered an up-and-coming star, clearly pitching up to his potential by striking out 11 Phillies and evening his record at 5-5. Martinez threw 107 pitches and walked just one, never allowing a baserunner past second.

The win left the Cardinals in fourth place, but just 3 1/2 games behind Central division leader, Milwaukee. St. Louis will be seeking a sweep of the Phillies when they take the field at Busch Stadium, Sunday, 2:15 pm ET.

Lorenzo Cain Doubles Home Three in 12th; Royals Beat Mets in Five for World Series Triumph

Players of the Day for Sunday, November 1, 2015

World Series

Cain: 2-for-5, 3 RBI

Lorenzo Cain's bases-loaded double cleared the bases in the top of the 12th inning, boosting the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series championship in 30 years with a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets.

Cain also started a ninth-inning rally in the ninth, walking, stealing second and coming home with the Royals' first run off mets' starter, Matt Harvey, on Eric Hosmer's double.

Jeurys Familia relieved Harvey with no outs in the ninth, and, in an odd quirk of scoring, had his third blown save of the series, despite getting all three batters he faced in the inning to ground out.

Mike Moustakas grounded out to first, sending Hosmer to third. Salvador Pérez grounded out to third, as Hosmer scored the tying run. With the bases empty, Alex Gordon grounded out to Familia, but the damage had been done.

Perez, who batted .364 for the five games, was named series MVP.

After the Royals tied the score, Familia retired the side in the 10th and neither team mounted a rally until the Royals came to bat in the 12th.

Perez opened the frame with a single off reliever Addison Reed, and was pinch run for by Jarrod Dyson, who promptly stole second. With one out, pinch hitter, Christian Colon singled in Dyson with what proved to be the game-winner, but the Royals were far from done.

After an error by second baseman Daniel Murphy put runners on first and second, Alcides Escobar doubled to right, scoring Colon. A walk to Ben Zobrist loaded the bases, bringing in Bartolo Colon to pitch to Cain.

Cain unloaded on Colon, putting the game out of reach. Wade Davis itched a scoreless bottom of the 12th. Like Hochevar, who worked the 11th inning, was credited with the win.

The Royals won in five games, taking games one and two in Kansas City, 5-4 and 7-1, respectively, losing game three, 9-3, rallying to win game four, 5-3. They finished off the Mets in 12 innings in game five, 7-2.

Lorenzo Cain Leads Royals over Tigers, 6-1; David Peralta's Grand Slam Boosts Diamondbacks

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 11, 2013

American League

Peralta: Grand Slam, 5RBI

The races in the two of the three AL divisions can't be much tighter, but Kansas City is making a mockery of the AL Central.

Cain: 4-for-4

With both the Angels and Astros losers on Tuesday, the AL West still has Houston on top, but only a game ahead of LA. In the East, the Yankees lost their fourth straight - 5-4 at Cleveland in 16 innings - while the Blue Jays won their ninth straight and have gotten to within 1/2 game of the division leading New Yorkers.

Meanwhile, in Kansas City, the Royals hold a 12-game lead over the Twins after hammering the Tigers in the second of their three-game series, 6-1.

In support of the six-inning, two-hit pitching of Yordano Ventura, Lorenzo Cain went 4-for-4 with a solo homer, a double and a pair of singles, scoring twice and driving in one.

The 29-year-old who broke into the majors in 2010, but is really in just his third year as a full-time player for the Royals, has rapidly become one of the better hitters for average in the league.

After hitting .251 in 2013, Cain upped his average to .301 last season and is currently fifth, at .316 in the league, just .009 behind league-leader, Prince Fielder (.327).

The Royals look for the sweep of the Tigers Wednesday night, when the two teams tangle at 8:10 pm EDT.

National League

The NL West isn't quite over with yet.

Thought the Dodgers have maintained their lead for most of the season, the Giants continue to keep pace, just 2 1/2 games back, but then there's the Arizona Diamondbacks, which may have the best lineup in the division, 6 1/2 back of LA, but winners of three straight after bombing the Phillies, 13-1, Tuesday night.

Jeremy Hellickson may have had his best outing of the season, allowing no earned runs on seven hits while fanning six over eight innings, but his effort was overshadowed by the 15-hit barrage from the Arizona regulars.

Leading the pack was David Peralta, who highlighted an 11-run second inning for the D-Backs with a grand slam, his 11 homer of the season. Perlata, currently at .301, added a run-scoring single in the fifth, finishing 2-for-4 with five ribbies.

The Diamondbacks are lurking in third place in the division and have six games remaining with the Gaints and seven against the Dodgers, all in September.

A win Wednesday in the series finale would give Arizona a sweep of the series. Game time is 12:40 pm PDT.