Gio Urshela's 2 HRs Lead Yankees Over Blue Jays; SF's Madison Bumgarner Shuts Down Phillies

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 8, 2019

American League

Urshela: 3-4, 2HR, 4RBI

A near lock to make the playoffs as the pennant winner in the AL East, the New York Yankees opened a four-game series in Toronto by doubling up the Blue Jays, 12-6.

At the center of the blowout was third baseman Gio Urshela, who whacked a pair of home runs for the second straight game.

After tearing up Baltimore on Wednesday, Urshela unleashed a two-run homer in the opening frame and added another in the third inning. He also singled and scored in the ninth as the Yankees pounded Blue Jay pitching.

Called up early in the season as a replacement for injured Miguel Andujar, Urshela has proven to be much more than an ordinary replacement. In 94 games (303 at-bats), Urshela is batting .323, with 16 home runs and 59 RBI. He's delivered an inordinate number of big hits as the Yankees - with numerous injuries to key players - haven't skipped a beat en route to the top of the division.

New York holds a 10 1/2 game lead over Tampa Bay and recently swept the Red Sox four straight, ending their hopes for the post-season. The Yankees have won nine straight.

Game two of the series is Friday at 7:07 pm ET.

National League

Bumgarner: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

Straight from the "too little, too late" department, San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner had his best game of the season, shutting out the Phillies for seven innings on one hit in the Giants' 5-0 win Thursday.

After setting down the first ten batters in order, Bumgarner walked Rhys Hoskins with one out in the fourth, then set down the next five batters before Cesar Hernandez broke up the no-hit bid with one gone in the sixth inning.

With the Giants holding a safe lead, Bumgarner (7-7, 3.74) worked through the seventh before sitting down, having thrown just 85 pitches, striking out three, allowing just the one hit.

This effort was of little solace to Giants' fans, as San Francisco is in third place in the NL West, trailing the Dodgers by 19 1/2 games. They also have slim hopes of making the playoffs as a wild card, five back of the current leader, Washington.

Losing seven of their last ten games, the Giants have been unable to gain any ground.

The Giants host game two of their four-game series with Philly Friday at 10:15 pm ET.

Madison Bumgarner Goes Yard Twice As Giants Fall to D'Backs; Rays' Evan Longoria Victimizes Yankees Again

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 2, 2017

American League

Evan Longoria

The NY Yankees may have been the best team in Spring Training, but it certainly didn't translate well into games that actually count.

In MLB's first regular season game, the Yankees got whipped by a team that's always been trouble for them, and, by a player that's been a thorn in the collective Yankee sides since he came onto the scene in 2008, third baseman, Evan Longoria.

In the first inning, Longoria knocked in leadoff DH (seriously, who but Tampa uses the DH as their leadoff guy?) Corey Dickerson with a Sac fly, and, as Yankee ace Masahiro Tanaka struggled along, socked a two-run line-shot homer into the left field corner of Tropicana Field, putting the Rays ahead 5-2. Tampa had scored two earlier runs in the first on Logan Morrison's two-run double, and Morrison added a solo shot in the third to make it 6-2 helping the Rays cruise to the 7-2 blowout.

Tampa Bay starter, Chris Archer, yielded two runs on seven hits over seven innings. The Rays and Yankees resume their three-game series on Tuesday, at 7:10 pm ET.

National League

Madison Bumgarner hit the record books hard on Sunday, but his imprimatur will be for his efforts at the plate, not for his prowess on the mound.

Bumgarner Homers Twice

Bumgarner pitched well enough to win but didn't, leaving the game after giving up three runs in the sixth inning, which tied the game at 3-3. Prior to his departure, however, MadBum, as some call him, socked a fifth-inning solo homer to put the Giants briefly ahead, 2-0, and came back to bat in the top of the seventh and did it again, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to stroke two homers on opening day.

The last Giant pitcher to even hit a homer on opening day was Johnny Antonelli, in 1956.

While his exploits at the plate will forever be recorded in the annals of baseball history, the 11 strikeouts he recorded in San Francisco's 6-5 loss at Arizona won't likely receive much notice.

The Giants and Diamondbacks resume their four-game series on Tuesday night.

Boston's David Ortiz Hits 500th Homer; Mike Moustakas Drives in 9 for Royals; Giants' Madison Bumgarner 1-Hits Padres

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 12, 2015

American League

Ortiz: 500 HR

There were some big games by some big names in the American League on Saturday, but none more deserving of attention than that of David Ortiz, who belted a pair of home runs in Boston's 10-4 win at Tampa Bay, giving him an even 500 for his career in the majors.

Moustakas: GS, 9 RBI

Big Papi, as Ortiz is well known, cranked a three-run blast in the first inning and followed up with a solo shot in the fifth, both off Tampa starter Matt Moore, who was shelled by the Sox for eight runs (six earned) on nine hits over five innings.

Ortiz also singled going 3-for-4 with four RBI on the night. The only downside to his historic feat (he's the 27th player to reach the 500-homer milestone) is that he didn't do it at Fenway Park. There surely will be a hero's welcome for Ortiz when the team returns to Beantown, though that won't be until next Monday (Sept. 21) when the Red Sox open a four-game series with the Rays.

Elsewhere, the Royals continued their slugfest series with the Orioles at tiny Camden Yards with a 14-6 victory after being out-gunned, 14-8, in Friday night's opener.

While the Royals managed to bang out another win, the bulk of the load was carried home by Mike Moustakas. The burly third baseman didn't really get going until the sixth inning, when he singled in a pair of runs, but then smacked a grand slam in the seventh inning and added a three-run belt in the ninth, giving hime nine RBI for the game.

Moustakas has 18 homers on the year, with 71 RBI and a .284 batting average. He turned 27 on Friday.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak and losses in six out of the Royals' last seven games, but they are still 11 games better than the Twins in the AL Central with just 21 games to play, putting their magic number to clinch the division at 10.

Bumgarner: 1-Hitter

The Royals evened the series, with game three set for Sunday night at 8:00 pm EDT.

National League

With almost no chance of reaching the playoffs, it hasn't been the greatest of seasons for the reigning world champion San Francisco Giants.

For starter Madison Bumgarner, however, it's been a full tilt joy ride.

Bumgarner tossed a near-perfect game against the San Diego Padres, allowing just one hit, resulting in an 8-0 win, the second straight in the series in San Francisco.

The Padres didn't get a player to first base until the eighth inning, Bumgarner tossing a perfect game until Melvin Upton Jr. slapped a single to center in his pinch-hitting role for reliever Frank Garces. Bumgarner took the break-up of his perfecto unfazed, getting the final four outs in order for a still-stellar one-hit shutout.

Throwing 75 of 111 pitches for strikes, Bumgarner fanned nine and didn't walk any batters, upping his strikeout total to 212 (third in the league), and improving his record to 18-7, chasing Chicago's Jake Arrieta, who has 19 victories on the year.

Arrieta and Bumgarner are the only pitchers in the league with 17 or more wins, leaving them as the only ones with a chance to reach 20 wins this season. In the AL, Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Houston's Dallas Keutchel each have 17 wins.

The Giants seek the sweep when they conclude their series with the Padres, Sunday at 1:05 pm PDT.

Gerardo Parra Goes 5-for-6 in Orioles' 18-2 Romp; Giants Sweep Nats on Madison Bumgarner's 3-Hit Shutout

Parra: 5-for-6

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 16, 2015

American League


The AL East continues to be the most intriguing race in the majors, with the Yankees failing to sweep the Blue Jays in Toronto on Sunday, dropping a 3-1 decision, and reducing their lead over Toronto to a mere 1/2 game.

While the two leaders were battling, the Orioles were sending baseballs all over and out of Camden Yards, accumulating 26 hits in an 18-2 rout of the visiting Athletics.

Of those hits, seven went for two bases and four for home runs, two of them by center fielder Adam Jones, who contributed three RBI.

Catcher Caleb Joseph was 3-for-4 with a single, double, home run and four ribbies, but, outfielder Gerardo Parra stole the show with a 5-for-6 day at the plate, getting the O's started with a first-inning home run, followed by a double and three singles, scoring three times and driving in three runs.

Bumgarner: 3-Hit Shutout

Parra, acquired by Baltimore just prior to the trading deadline, has been a solid addition to the Orioles' lineup, batting .295 with three homers in 14 games.

The Orioles finished the weekend just four games from the first-place Yankees, and 1/2 game better than the Angels for the final wild card spot. Baltimore can finish off the sweep of Oakland when the two meet on Monday in the finale of their four-game series. Game time is 7:05 pn EDT.

National League

The San Francisco Giants completed their sweep of the visiting Washington Nationals, with a 5-0 victory on Sunday, thanks to another outstanding outing by Madison Bumgarner, who joined the Cubs' Jake Arrieta, Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole and the Cardinals' Michael Wacha as the league's fourth 14-game winner.

Bumgarner notched his third straight win with a superb three-hit shutout of the Nationals, walking one while striking out a 14, matching his season high.

It was Bumgarner's third complete game and first shutout of the season. At 14-6, Bumgarner is well-entrenched in the Cy Young award vote gathering. The shutout lowered his ERA to 2.98 and his strikeout total was upped to 174, third-best in the league behind Clayton Kershaw (205) and Max Scherzer (194).

The Giants kept pace with the Dodgers - winners of three straight - in the NL West, 2 1/2 games back, but 3 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the second wild card spot.

The Giants open a three-game series in St. Louis on Monday, while the Nationals, trailing the Mets by 4 1/2 in the East, opens a series in Colorado on Tuesday.

Chris Davis' Grand Slam Lifts O's over A's in 10; Madison Bumgarner Solid as Giants Keep Pressure on Dodgers

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 5, 2015

American League

Bumgarner: 12-6

Davis: Grand Slam in 10th

With time beginning to be a "front-of-mind" factor in all major league races, the Baltimore Orioles - and quite a few others - have to be thinking about making a move right about now.

The O's in particular, are just out of the wold card race, two behind the Angels and one game back of fellow AL East club, Toronto, but, the Orioles have to be thinking more about catching the Yankees and taking down the division crown, as they did last season.

With that in mind, Baltimore got a boost from their big slugger, Chris Davis, defeating the A's, 7-3, in 10 innings and taking two of three on the road.

Davis scored the tying run in the sixth, when he scored from second on a single by J.J. Hardy, and then delivered the decisive blow in the 10th, a grand slam, putting the O's up by the final score.

Following Daivs' blast (his 28 homer of the season, to go with 79 RBI, 3rd in the AL), Zach Britton - who came on in relief with two down in the eighth - put down the Athletics in order in the bottom of the tenth, sealing an important victory for Baltimore.

The Yankees feel to Boston, 2-1, on Wednesday, while the Blue Jays outlasted Minnesota, 9-7, putting the Yankee lead over Toronto at 4 1/2, and 5 1/2 ahead of the Orioles.

Baltimore gets a day off Thursday, traveling to Anaheim, where they open a three-game weekend series with the Angels on Friday.

National League

The Giants continue to keep the pressure on the Dodgers in the NL West, where they trail their southern cousins by two games after Madison Bumgarner improved to 12-6 with a 6-1 triumph over the home-standing Atlanta Braves.

Bumganer didn't give up a run until the seventh, but it was all the Braves would get. Manager Bruce Bochy pulled his starter after the run scored with one down in the eighth inning, calling on deliver Hunter Strickland after Eury Perez reached on an infield single. Strickland walked one but completed the inning without any damage. Santiago Casilla mopped up with a hitless ninth inning for the win.

Bumgarner is having his usual solid season for the Giants. He threw 116 pitches, allowed seven hits and struck out nine, giving him 148 on the year, fifth in the National League. His ERA is 3.28 with a 1.10 WHIP.

The Giants took two of three on the road from Atlanta and head to Chicago, where they open a four-game series with the Cubs on Thursday. The Dodgers whipped the Phillies, 4-3, on Wednesday and finish up their series on Thursday.

Orioles, Angels Magic Numbers: 5; Mike Trout Leads Angels to Ninth Straight; Madison Bumgarner Stifles Dodgers, Giants within One

Players of the Day for Friday, September 12, 2014

American League

While the East and West became nearly sorted out on Friday, the Central division and two wild card sport remain up for grabs in the American League.

Mike Trout

Baltimore took both ends of a day-night double-header, winning the first game by a 2-1 score in 11 innings and taking the second with a 5-0 skunking of the power-deficient Yankees, who saw their slim hopes of reaching the post-season take a dismal turn for the worse. The Orioles have won six straight, have an 11 1/2 game lead over Toronto and a magic number for clinching the division of five.

In LA, the Angels dropped their magic number to five as well, cruising to their ninth straight win, an 11-3 spanking of the Astros, to take an 11-game division lead.

The Angels were led by potential league MVP, Mike Trout, who doubled and tripled in four at-bats, scored twice and drove in two runs, expanding his AL RBI lead to four over Nelson Cruz and Miguel Cabrera. Trout has 105 RBI on the season and is tied with Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins for the MLB lead.

Detroit won and Kansas City lost, putting the Tigers 1/2 game ahead in the topsy-turvy Central division. The wild card scenario continued to tighten, as the A's lost and Seattle won, leaving Oakland 1/2 game ahead of both Seattle and Kansas City. Cleveland and Toronto are another four back, the Yankees five away from the second wild card.

National League

Bumgarner: 18-9

Opening a three-game series in San Francisco, the white-hot Giants pounded their West coast rivals, the LA Dodgers, with a 9-0 beating, led by home runs from Brandon Crawford and Travis Ishikawa and seven innings of shutout ball from Madison Bumgarner, who became the fourth NL pitcher to notch 18 wins.

Bumgarner (18-9) allowed just three hits and walked two for the win. He struck out nine, giving him 208 Ks on the year, trailing Stephen Strasburg (223), Johnny Cueto (220), and Clayton Kershaw (210).

Along with Bumgarner, Kershaw, Cueto and the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright also have 18 wins for the year.

Juan Gutierrez finished the whitewash of the Dodgers with two perfect innings in relief.

The win pushed the Giants to within one game of the Dodgers for the lead in the NL West. San Francisco, winners of four straight, is well-positioned for the post-season, with a four-game lead over Pittsburgh in the wild card race. The Pirates have won three in a row and lead Milwaukee by 1 1/2 and Atlanta by 3 1/2 for the final wild card berth.

The Dodgers and Giants take the field for game two of their series at 6:05 pm PDT on Saturday.

Giants Prevail on Madison Bumgarner's 1-Hitter; Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox Bury Toronto, 11-7, in 11 Innings

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 26, 2014

American League

Pedroia: HR, 4RBI

Toronto's season may already have been over, but the Red Sox, languishing in last place in the AL East (58-74), put another nail into the Blue Jays' coffin Tuesday night with an 11-inning, 11-7 defeat.

Dustin Pedroia got the party started for the Sox with a first-inning, two-run homer, his seventh of the season, and his two-run single in the 11th inning ignited a seven-run outburst that eventually buried the Blue Jays. Toronto scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, but could not avoid losing their second straight to the Red Sox and third straight overall, falling back to .500, at 66-66 on the year.

The loss left the Blue Jays 10 games behind Baltimore in the East, and 6 1/2 back of Seattle in the quest for the second wild card spot. Toronto's hopes for the post-season are fading fast, as the Tigers, Indians and Yankees are all ahead of them in the wild card race.

Pedroia finished the game with his two hits and five RBI in five at-bats, but like many of his teammates, his numbers this season are far below his usual output. He has only seven homers and 51 RBI, and a .256 batting average.

Boston will go for the sweep of the three-game series in Toronto starting at 7:07 pm EDT Wednesday.

National League

Bumgarner: 1-Hitter

Trailing the Dodgers by five games in the West, the San Francisco Giants haven't given up hope of winning the division, and enhanced their chances in the wild card race with an outstanding effort from Madison Bumgarner Tuesday night in a 3-0 victory over the visiting Rockies.

After dropping the opener of their four-game series at AT&T Park, 3-2, Monday, Bumgarner got the Giants back on the winning track on Tuesday with a one-hit shutout, his 15th victory of the season, against nine losses.

Perfect through seven, Bumgarner's only mistake was a pitch to Justin Morneau, who laced a double to right field leading off the eighth. Unfazed, Bumgarner struck out the side and proceeded to get the final three outs in the ninth without incident. The lanky lefty fanned a season-high 13 batters, giving him 192 on the season, 10 behind league-leader, Steven Strasburg and seven behind Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto (199). Bumgarner is also tied with Cueto, Adam Wainwright, Clayton Kershaw and Wily Peralta for the NL lead in wins.

The victory was the third this month for Bumgarner and his sixth in his last nine starts. Prospects for a 20-win season are reasonable, given that Bumgerner will likely get seven more starting assignments.

Buster Posey provided more than enough offense with a pair of homers, a two-run shot in the fifth and a solo job in the eighth inning.

With Atlanta losing to the Mets, and Pittsburgh downing St. Louis, the chase for two wild card spots has the Giants in the thick of it. They trail St. Louis by two games, but are two games up on both the Braves and Pirates.

Game three of the series is set for Wednesday at 7:15 pm PDT.

Madison Bumgarner, Hunter Pence Pace Giants over Mets, 9-0; Minnesota's Danny Santana Standout in Twins 16-3 Win at Chisox

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 3, 2014

American League

Danny Santana

Giving up 32 runs in a three-game series isn't likely to earn your team any pathways to the post-season, especially when the team that's beating you is at the bottom of your division and they're doing it to you in your home ballpark.

That's what the Chicago White Sox must ponder when looking back on the weekend that wasn't, losing two of three to the Twins, the Sunday finale a massive, 16-3, Minnesota blowout.

Minnesota amassed 23 hits in all, getting a bunch from leadoff hitter, Danny Santana, who went 5-for-6 with a double, triple, four RBI, two runs and a couple of stolen bases.

Making a late bid for rookie of the year honors, Santana was called up from A ball earlier this season. In 52 major league games he's batting .325, with 13 doubles, three triples, five homers, eight steals and has scored 32 runs. His four ribbies upped his total to 32.

While the Twins are going exactly nowhere this season, at least they can relish the fact that they're taking the Sox with with and that the future looks bright with the young shortstop, Santana.

National League

Bumgarner: 2-hitter

Maybe a trip to New York is just what the Giants needed to revive their season.

Madison Baumgarner tossed a two-hit shutout on Sunday to give the Giants a 9-0 win and a 2-1 lead in their four-game series at Citi Field.

Pence: 2HR 4RBI

With the Dodgers losing to the Cubs, 7-3, San Francisco picked up a game in the West division and now trails LA by 2 1/2 games. Before coming to New York, the Giants had lost six of their last seven and were in danger of falling out of the race.

In five at-bats, Hunter Pence smacked a double and a pair of home runs in support of Baumgarner, driving in four runs and scoring three.

Bumgarner improved to 13-8, tying him for the NL lead in wins with Wily Peralta, Adam Wainwright and Clayton Kershaw, needing just 95 pitches for the gem. He walked one and struck out 10. He has 153 Ks on the season, tying him for fourth with LA's Zack Greinke.

San Fran will try to take three of four from the Mets when the series concludes Monday at 12:10 pm EDT.

Rick Porcello Throws Seven Scoreless as Tigers Maintain Central Lead; Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey Spark Giants over Braves

Players of the Day for Friday, June 14, 2013

American League

Rick Porcello

While the Indians and Royals each won their third straight, the Detroit Tigers stayed 4 1/2 clear of Cleveland and five up on KC with a 4-0 win over Minnesota in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Rick Porcello (4-3) fanned four of the first five batters he faced en route to seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks, striking out five.

The Twins never got a runner past second base as Porcello and a trio of relievers kept them in check the entire nine innings. Porcello finished strong, setting down the last eight batters he faced in order. Porcello threw 63 of 94 pitches for strikes, getting first strikes on 16 of the 23 batters he opposed.

Detroit - winners of six of their last eight games - scored all of its runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Prince Fielder's two-run double which opened the scoring. Fielder has 54 RBI, fourth-best in the AL.

Game two of the three-game series is set for 7:15 pm EDT, Saturday night.

National League

Bumgarner:
7 Scoreless

Posey: 3 Doubles

San Francisco took the first of a three-game set at NL East leader, Atlanta, off a solid pitching performance by Madison Bumgarner, who improved to 6-4 with seven innings of scoreless ball in the 6-0 Giants' win.

Bumgarner struck out ten, issued just one walk and allowed two hits over his seven innings, throwing 69 of 108 pitches for strikes. The Giants built a lead with single runs in each of the first three innings, adding another in the fifth and two more in the seventh.

Buster Posey doubled three times in five at-bats, scoring in the third and fifth innings and driving in a run in the seventh, raising his average to a stout .313.

The win left the Giants 1 1/2 behind Arizona in the NL West. Colorado is 2 1/2 out, with San Diego four back, in the most contentious race in the majors.

Atlanta's loss was their fourth straight, but no teams in the division seem capable of taking advantage. The Braves continue to lead the East by 5 1/2 over Washington and 6 1/2 over the Phillies. The loss was just the eighth in 29 home games for the Braves.

San Francisco will look to upend the Braves again on Saturday, in a 4:05 pm EDT afternoon start.

Today's Trivia: As of today, who is the current active NL leader in batting average? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: On October 4, 1986, Minnesota's Greg Gagne hit inside-the-park homers in consecutive at-bats at the Metrodome, in a 7-3 win over the White Sox.

Yu Darvish Comes Within One Out of Perfect Game for Rangers; Madison Bumgarner Blanks Dodgers

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 2, 2013

American League

Darvish: near-perfect

Praise for Texas pitcher Yu Darvish was over the top last season as the 6'5" Japanese phenom made his US debut, putting up a record of 16-9, with a 3.90 ERA over 29 starts.

Darvish, apparently ready to exceed expectations this year, went to the mound on Tuesday for the Rangers and was completely untouchable for 8 2/3 innings, throwing a perfect game until Houston's Marwin Gonzalez slapped a single up the middle - right between Darvish's legs, in fact - breaking up the attempt at perfection.

After throwing 111 pitches, the lone hit prompted a move to the bullpen, Darvish replaced by Michael Kirkman, who was nicked for a single by Jose Altuve before getting JD Martinez looking to end the game.

Darvish struck out a career high 14 in the 7-0 Texas win. Ian Kinsler socked a two-run homer in the seventh to break open the 1-0 game. Elvis Andrus and Lance Berkman each had three hits in four at-bats.

National League

Madison Bumgarner

After Clayton Kershaw threw a four-hit shutout in the season opener for the Dodgers on Monday, it was payback time for the Giants as the West coast rivals played game two of their three-game series in Chavez Ravine.

Madison Bumgarner responded for the world champions, blanking the Dodgers over eight innings before Sergio Romo mopped up with a hitless ninth inning for the 3-0 San Francisco win.

Hitting his marks with outstanding control, Bumgarner threw 76 of 101 pitches for strikes, fanning six. He also aided his cause by driving in a run in the seventh inning on a fielder's choice after singling to left in the fifth.

Bumgarner was 16-11 with a 3.34 ERA in 22 starts for the Giants last season.

Hiroki Kuroda Hurls Four Scoreless as Yankees Top Cardinals; Giants Previal, 2-1, over Rangers, Madison Bumgarner Earns Win

Players of the Day for Monday, March 11, 2013

Grapefruit League

Hiroki Kuroda

Some much needed good news for Yankee fans came in the form of four solid innings from the mound by Hiroki Kuroda (1-1), who will likely fall into the role of #2 starter behind C.C. Sabathia once the regular season gets underway.

With sluggers Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez nursing injuries, the Yanks will need good starting pitching and Kuroda delivered on Monday, blanking the Cardinals for four innings on three hits, fanning six without allowing a walk. New York went onto the 4-0 victory, a string of four relievers finishing what Kuroda started.

After four years with the Dodgers, Kuroda spent 2012 with the Yankees, posting a record of 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA.

Even with the win, the Yankees remain at the bottom of the Grapefruit League standings with a troublesome 5-11 record.

Madison Bumgarner

Cactus League

10,025 fans set out to Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona but had a surprise of a different kind as Madison Bumgarner and four relievers shut down the Rangers on six hits in a 2-1 victory for the Giants, their sixth win against seven losses.

Texas fell to 7-8 as Bumgarner delivered four strong innings, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out four.

Notching his first win of the Spring without a loss, Bumgarner is looking to fill his role on one of baseball's best starting staffs. Last season, he went 16-11 with a 3.37 ERA for the world champion Giants, but was 1-2 in the post-season.

Giants Take Series Command After Madison Bungarner, Hunter Pence Forge 2-0 Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 25, 2012


World Series

Hunter Pence

Game Two: San Francisco 2 Detroit 0 - In game one, the Giants pounded the Tigers with their bats, or, rather, with one bat, that of Pablo Sandoval. Game two was won by force of arm, that belonging to one Madison Bumgarner, who blanked the suddenly-punchless Tigers on two hits over seven innings, leading the Giants to another win and a commanding 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven World Series.

Bumgarner: 7IP 0ER

Bumgarner, and Detroit starter, Doug Fister, dueled through six scoreless innings, until Hunter Pence led off the bottom of the seventh, after which Fister was lifted for reliever, Drew Smyly. A walk to Brandon Belt and a perfectly-placed bunt down the third base line by Gregor Blanco loaded the bases with nobody out. Brandon Crawford grounded into a double play, but Pence zipped home with the game's first run.

In the eighth inning, the Giants scored another run without the aid of a hit, loading the bases with three walks prior to Pence's sac fly, sending Angel Pagan to the plate.

Meanwhile, San Francisco reliever, Santiago Casilla, set the Tigers down in order in the eighth, then turned the ball over to closer Serigo Romo, who got the Tigers 1-2-3 in the ninth for his first World Series save.

Bumgarner struck out eight and walked two, getting his first World Series win. His post-season record stands at 3-2.

The teams travel to Detroit on Friday, in preparation of games three, four and, if necessary, five, at the Tigers' home, Comerica Park. Game three is Saturday, 8:07 pm EDT. Ryan Vogelsong goes for the Giants. The starter for the Tigers is Anibal Sanchez.

Hiroki Kuroda Blanks Rangers on Two Hits; Madison Bumgarner Cools Off Nationals as Giants Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 14, 2012

American League

With their ace, C.C. Sabathia, on the DL, the Yankees need to get solid efforts from the rest of their starters. On Tuesday in the Bronx, Hiroki Kuroda answered the call, turning in his top performance of the year with a two-hit, 3-0, shutout of the Texas Rangers.

Hiroki Kuroda

Kuroda had a no-hitter through six, but speedy Elvis Andrus broke it up with an infield single to lead off the seventh. Unfazed, Kuroda got the next three batters in order, though Andrus eventually reached third base, tagging from first on Josh Hamilton's fly out to right and taking thrid on a wild pitch.

Michael Young was the only other Ranger to hit safely, leading off the eighth inning with a single up the middle, but he was quickly erased on a double play. Kuroda finished off the final four batters in order for his fourth career complete game, all of them shutouts. Kuroda (11-8) struck out five and walked two.

The Yankees struck for the only runs of the game in the seventh, on back-to-back homers by Nick Swisher - a two run poke - and Mark Teixeira.

The Yankees have taken the first two games of the four-game series with the Rangers which resumes Wednesday night at 7:05 pm EDT. Both the Yankees and Rangers lead their respective divisions by six games.

National League

There were four shutouts in the National League on Tuesday, though none of the pitching performances were complete game wins. The Dodgers topped the Pirates, 11-0; Cincinnati took care of the Mets, 3-0; Atlanta put away the Padres, 6-0; and Philadelphia survived a 1-0 win over Miami.

Madison Bumgarner

In San Francisco, however, Madison Bumgarner went the distance, as the Giants cooled off the Nationals, 6-1.

After the Nationals opened the series by the Bay with a 14-2 trouncing of their hosts, Bumgarner chilled the hot bats of the Nats, allowing just five hits and one earned run in his second complete game of the season. He walked one and didn't allow the lone Washington run until the seventh inning, after the Giants had built a 2-0 lead.

San Francisco added four runs in the eighth, allowing Bumgarner to complete his mound work. Bumgarner improved to 13-7, striking out six and setting down the last nine batters in order.

The win kept the Giants tied with the Dodgers on top of the NL West. Atlanta picked up a game on the Nationals in the East and trail by 4 1/2. The two division leaders will complete the three-game series Wednesday afternoon.

Felix Hernandez Fans 13 in 1-0 Seattle Win; Madison Bumgarner Blanks Reds on One Hit

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 28, 2012

American League

There really hasn't been much to shout about in Seattle this season, unless one is complaining about the Mariners' 33-45 record and last place position in the AL West, but their one true superstar, Felix Hernandez, continues to provide moments of awesome wonderment about every fifth day.

Felix Hernandez

Thursday night's outing for Hernandez was more of his usual excellence, as he dueled with Red Sox starter Franklin Morales (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 7 K), the mound duo putting goose-eggs on the scoreboard throughout.

Hernandez had to pitch a complete game (his fifth of the season) to earn the win, because his teammates couldn't muster up a run until the bottom of the ninth, when John Jaso singled home Casper Wells with one out in the inning for the 1-0 final score.

For his part, Hernandez was magnificent, allowing five hits and one walk while fanning a season-high 13 Boston batters - tying him for the AL lead with Max Scherzer at 114 - as he improved to 6-5.

Hernandez demonstrated his usual, pinpoint control, throwing 128 pitches, of which 84 were strikes.


National League

Bumgarner: 1-hitter

Less than a week ago, the San Francisco Giants were in second place, chasing the LA Dodgers for the lead in the NL West division.

After winning three head-to-head games with the Dodgers in San Francisco - all by shutout: 8-0, 2-0, 3-0 - Madison Bumgarner delivered the icing on the cake with a one-hit, 5-0, shutout of the visiting Reds, the fourth scoreless outing for a Giants starter in a row, and just like that, the Giants suddenly are in first place with a one-game lead over Los Angeles.

The Dodgers lost their fifth straight, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Mets while up the coast, Bumgarner was twirling magic from the mound, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning and setting down the final 12 batters in order, walking two and striking out eight.

Becoming the fifth NL pitcher to reach 10 wins, Bumgarner (10-4) has been rock solid for the Giants while other starters - notably, ace Tim Lincecum - leading the league in innings pitched at 110.2, with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. The win was Bumgarner's first career complete game and shutout.

San Francisco set a franchise record with its fourth straight shutout and will seek to extend the streak when they face the Reds in the second of their four game series, Friday night.

Josh Beckett, Madison Bumgarner Get on Track in Final Tune-ups

Players of the Day for Wednesday, March 30, 2011

American League

Josh Beckett

Josh Beckett won't be on the mound for the Red Sox on opening day, but he will be in the rotation and Red Sox fans are probably feeling a bit better about that after Beckett, following four straight losses, picked up his only win of the exhibition season with five shutout innings against the Houston Astros.

The former World Series MVP (2003) has struggled through the Spring, compiling a 1-4 record from six starts with an ERA of 5.33, but he didn't need any excuses for his strong stint against the Astros. He allowed just one hit, didn't walk any and struck out three as the Red Sox completed their exhibition season with a 10-0 win.

Normally one of baseball's top hurlers, Beckett suffered injuries that limited him to 21 starts and a 6-6 record in 2010 while his ERA ballooned to a career-worst 5.78. Opposing hatters averaged .292 against him.

National League

Dallas Braden and Madison Bumgarner hooked up in a pitcher's duel on Wednesday, and by the time Braden stepped off the mound after 5 2/3 innings, his A's held a tenuous 1-0 lead.

Madison Bumgarner

Bumgarner had allowed a run in the third, but that was all, as his Giants failed to get anything going against Braden, who limited them to just five hits.

But the Giants got the last laugh, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to take a 2-1 decision in their final prep game.

Bumgarner didn't get the win. That went to reliever Marc Kroon (2-0) who struck out a pair of A's during a no-hit ninth inning. What Bumgarner did get for his efforts was a little momentum and maybe some needed confidence, allowing four hits and three walks while fanning six over the first six innings of the game.

The Giants' starter went 1-4 with a 5.93 ERA this Spring but hopes to fare better in his second professional season.

Bumgarner Ties Rangers in Knots; Giants Lead Series, 3-1

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 31, 2010

World Series Game Four: Giants 4, Rangers 0

Unable to solve the left-handed wizardry of rookie Madison Bumgarner (left), the Texas Rangers find themselves on the brink of elimination as the San Francisco Giants took a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series with a 4-0 win Sunday night.

Bumgarner, throwing a dizzying array of fastballs, sliders and curves, kept the Rangers so off-balance they didn't get a runner to second base until there were two outs in the 7th inning. even at that juncture, Bumgarner was cool, casually putting down Ian Kinsler with runners on first and second to end the inning.

As has been the case this season, with their starting pitcher throwing up goose-eggs for the opposition, the Giants managed to forge a lead and add to it late. Aubrey Huff's (right) crushing blow to the right field corner put the Giants up 2-0 in the 3rd inning, and they added a run in the 7th and another in the 8th, when Buster Posey lifted one out to center field.

In total control all night, Bumgarner allowed just three hits (all singles) and a pair of walks over eight innings, throwing 106 pitches, 69 for strikes. Closer Brian Wilson worked a perfect 9th inning, getting Josh Hamilton on strikes to end the game.

The Giants can wrap up their first World Series win since 1954 with a win in Game Five, slated to start at 7:57 pm Monday night in Arlington. Game one starters Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee have been named starters. Lincecum took the win in Game One, handing Lee the first post-season loss of his career. He had won seven straight prior to that.