Cactus League Opens Today; Grapefruit League Starts Saturday

Today's the day!

At long last, there's going to be some live baseball, as the Cactus League opens with the Seattle Mariners playing at the Spring training home of the Oakland A's at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona. Game time is 3:05 ET (1:05 MT).

Blake Beavan will make Seattle's first Cactus League start, with Hector Noesi working Saturday against Oakland.

For the A's, right-hander Graham Godfrey goes up the bump. First pitch of spring training will be to Chone Figgins, the likely leadoff hitter for the Mariners.

The A's will bat Manny Ramirez in the cleanup slot as the DH. Manny can play all he likes during the Spring, but he'll miss the first 50 games of the regular season, having to sit out due to a suspension doled out last year for violating MLB's drug policy, which prompted the slugger to announce his retirement from baseball.

Ramirez was picked up during the off-season by the A's, who hope the all star outfielder can provide some pop.

Mariners outfielder Franklin Gutierrez will be out of the starting lineup. The Gold Glove center fielder won't resume baseball activity for at least a month after an MRI on February 29 revealed a partial tear of his right pectoral muscle.

Baseball on Deck will provide commentary and the season's first Player of the Day following the opener's conclusion.

Saturday marks the opening of the Grapefruit League in Florida, with five games on the slate. There are four Saturday games on tap in the Cactus League.

Aviles Keeps Hope Alive in KC; Manny Breaks Out

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 15, 2010 American League Long-suffering fans in Kansas City actually have some things about which to cheer this season, as the Royals - serial cellar-dwellers - have managed to stay out of last place most of the season. At 28-37, there are actually three AL teams with worse records: Cleveland, Baltimore and Seattle. Of course, just not being in last place isn't the goal for the Royals. Maybe making it to .500 would be appropriate. They seem to be headed in the right direction, at least offensively, demonstrating their prowess at the plate Tuesday night with a 15-7 romp over Houston in front of a home crowd. The Royals banged out 20 hits, with every starter getting at least one base knock. Going 4-for-5 was second baseman/shortstop Mike Aviles, who's been on something of a tear lately, hitting safely in six of his last seven, raising his batting average to a lofty .321 on the year. Aviles didn't do anything resembling heroic, as all of his hits were singles, but he did get them at the right time, driving in four runs and coming around to score three times. The four ribbies upped his season total to ten, though that's really not the focus for the 5'10" Aviles. So long as he keeps swinging a hot bat, he may move up in the order, maybe even into the two-hole, to help keep hopes alive in Kansas City. National League In the only non-interleague game of the evening, the LA Dodgers - second in the NL West, 1/2 game behind the Padres - treated the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds with an overabundance of disrespect, knocking them off by a lopsided 12-0 score. While Hiroki Kuroda (6-4) and three relievers blanked the Reds, Dodger batters were knocking the ball all around the yard, racking up 19 hits against five different Reds' hurlers. Leadoff man, Rafael Furcal went 5-for-6; James Loney, 4-for-5, but Manny Ramirez singled twice and hit a two-run homer in four at-bats, drove in four runs and scored three times. Manny hasn't been making many headlines this season, as his homer was just his 6th of the year and he's only driven in 32 runs, but the batting average is up to .298, and the win kept the Dodgers 1/2 game back of the Padres, so maybe better things are in store for the second half of the season. The loss put the Reds back into a tie for first in the Central, as St. Louis simply will not go away. The two teams are deadlocked at 36-29, looking down on the rest of the division. The third-place Cubs are 7 1/2 games back.

Man-Ram Pinch-Hits Dodgers to Win; Scutaro's Pair of Homers Lifts Jays

American League July has been a rough month for the Toronto Blue Jays. Amid swirling trade rumors for ace starter Roy Hallady, the Jays have put together a 6-10 record thus far and have fallen out of the AL East race, now 10 1/2 games behind the Yankees. As it has been for many of the recent years past, the Jays look like they're being reduced to play the role of spoiler down the stretch. Despite the hard times, leadoff hitter Marco Scutaro and some of his teammates continue to produce at the plate. In Wednesday's 10-6 win over Cleveland, Scutaro cracked a pair of home runs in consecutive at-bats in the 5th and 6th innings - a solo shot, and then a 3 run blast which put the game away. The Jays sent five balls over the walls in the win. A starter since 2004, Scutaro is having his best season to date, batting .286 with 8 homers, 43 RBI, 67 runs and 8 steals. National League Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 22, 2009All of LA anxiously awaited the return of Manny Ramirez from his 50-game suspension, and Manny, in his usual dramatic fashion has made the wait worthwhile. Since his return to the starting lineup July 3, Manny has produced at a .347 clip with 5 homers and 17 RBI, but none was more satisfying than his pinch hit grand slam in the Dodgers' 6-2 win over the Reds, breaking a 2-2 tie and sending the Dodgers to their 5th win in a row. The Dodgers maintained their comfortable 9-game lead over Colorado in the NL West. NOTES: Todd Helton laced his 500th double on Wednesday, in Colorado's 4-3 win over Arizona, and followed that feat up with an 8th-inning, game-winning solo homer for the second-place Rockies. Colorado continues to chase the Dodgers in the division, but has a 1 1/2 game bulge on sliding San Francisco in the wild card race. The Giants have lost 5 of 6 since the All Star break. Over in the AL, the Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox, dropping Boston into second place in the AL East. Meanwhile, the Angels were doing the same to the Royals, keeping Texas 3 games back. The Rangers have crept to within 2 1/2 of the Red Sox in the wild card chase, still a distinct possibility, with nearly 70 games left to play for each team. The Central continues contentious, with the White Sox and Twins dogging the Tigers, 1 and 2 1/2 back, respectively. Key series this weekend include the White Sox at Detroit and the Twins at LA. In the NL, the Cardinals visit Philadelphia while the Cubs host the Reds.

Spring Training Notes One Week In

After a week of spring training down in Florida and Arizona, we can finally begin to evaluate some of the team potential as the regular season approaches. Naturally, we're all overjoyed that Manny Ramirez has signed on for two more years with the LA Dodgers, and, with Joe the manager (Torre) back for his second season at the helm, things are certainly looking up for the Blue loyalists on the coast. At least while California slumps economically, residents will be able to get a little bit of relief watching an improving Dodger squad. With Torre running the show, the Dodgers look like the team to be in the NL West, without a doubt. It's just about the only division that seems like it won't be very competitive in 2009, except maybe the AL West, where the Angels once more look like the most solid, though the Rangers, with some pitching, could give them a battle. Coming soon will be regular posts, beginning on March 23, when my reporting on the NCAA tournament at College Basketball Daily tapers off following the opening weekend "four days from hell." I'll be examining each division that week, beginning with the NL East, home of the reigning champion Philadelphia Phillies. After that, the AL East, then the NL and AL Central and the NL and AL West. Following the pre-season analysis, regular daily posts leading up to opening day (April 6) will be the norm.

A-Roid? Examining Alex Rodriguez's Seasons

Baseball's reputation was tarnished once again this past weekend when it was revealed that Alex Rodriguez - baseball's premier power hitter and highest-paid player - had used banned substances (steroids) when a member of the Texas Rangers. Following the initial reporting by Sports Illustrated that he tested positive for Primobolan and testosterone, Rodriguez admitted to using banned substances - without naming which ones in particular - during his three seasons with the Rangers, 2001-2003, and that he stopped using them during Spring training in 2003. What's intriguing about A-Rod's admission is that he led the AL in home runs in each of those seasons, knocking 52 in 2001, 57 in 2002 and 47 in 2003. Is it notable that in 2003 he hit fewer than in the previous seasons, or that his previous high was 42, which he accomplished in both 1998 and 1999 when a player with the Seattle Mariners? Maybe more interesting are his erratic season-to-season fluctuations since leaving Texas for the NY Yankees. In the five full seasons with the Bombers, A-Rod hit 36, 48, 35, 54 and 35. Did Rodriguez use steroids in those odd-year seasons (2005 and 2007) when he hit 48 and 54, respectively, or were '04, '06 and '08 just injury-riddled years? In those seasons, he played in fewer games, especially in '08, when he suited up just 138 times. One could give A-Rod a pass on 2008, though the evidence is telling. Both the batting averages and slugging percentages were significantly lower in the three even-numbered Yankee years as opposed to the 2005 and 2007 seasons, which compared favorably to 2001-2003. After studying the career records of players like Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmiero - all notable roidsters - the evidence is pretty compelling. In each case, it's fairly obvious when a player started or stopped using steroids. All the stats go in reverse. Judge for yourself. Here are A-Rod's career stats. It seems fairly likely that he was using steroids as a member of the Yankees, notably in 2005 and 2007, one of which, I'm sure, was a contract negotiation year (2007). Considering Rodriguez's penchant for not telling the truth (a symptom nearly universally shared by steroid users), as in the 2005 interview with Katie Couric in which he stated unequivocally that he had never used steroids, it would be imprudent to believe him when he says he quit for good in 2003. The evidence in the stats is just too damming. Spring training is just weeks away, but this is no way to head into a new season. We're supposed to be full of hope and promise when the Boys of Summer take the fields in Florida and Arizona, but this year fans are likely to be full of angst and aggravation, that another one of their heroes turns out to be more hype than reality, more dope than muscle and more dishonest than ever. A-Rod's exposure leaves roughly four possible bona fide non-steroid power hitters from the drug-addled era: Frank Thomas, Jim Thome, Ken Griffey Jr. and Manny Ramirez. Let's all hope and pray that those guys turn out to have been clean all along. Baseball needs some standard of unblemished excellence. Then again, even if they are upright and un-drugged, just being an active player during these years puts a bit of taint on them as well. This has been another sad week for baseball, and they haven't even started playing.

NL Championship: Phillies vs. Dodgers

National League Championship Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers Recent history: Finished with a 17-8 record in September, winning the NL West and ousting the Cubs with 3 straight wins in the NLDS. Strengths: Pitching. The Dodgers led the NL with a 3.68 ERA. Speed. LA baserunners swiped 126 bases in 2008, 4th best in the league. Manager. Joe Torre went from the East coast to the West after the Yankees decided he was not in their future plans. Now, Torre has his team in the playoffs while Yankee regulars are watching on TV. Bench vets. Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra and Juan Pierre can pinch hit or fill n wherever and whenever needed. Weaknesses: Lack of power. Outside of Manny Ramirez, there isn't a lot of raw power in LA. They finished the regular season with 137 homers, 13th of 16 in the NL. Closer. Takashi Saito, the regular closer, missed much of the season due to injury, but returned in time for the playoffs, but was ineffective. Jonathan Broxton filled in down the stretch, but was shaky. He will close for Torre as Saito has been kept off the 25-man roster submitted by Torre for the playoffs. Players to watch Manny Ramirez (right): No player had such a tremendous late-season impact on any team than Ramirez. Since joining the Dodgers on August 1, Ramirez batted .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI, amassing 74 hits in 53 games. If any one player could be credited with turning the Dodgers into a playoff-capable team it was Manny. James Loney Mr. RBI for LA, Loney drove in a team high 90 runs and batted .289. A solid contact hitter with a does of power (13 HR), he struck out only 85 times in 595 at-bats. A tough out in the middle of the lineup. Rafael Furcal The veteran infielder started the season on fire, batting .366, but was sidelined on May 5 with a lower back injury that required surgery. He returned in time for the end of the season and playoffs and bats leadoff. He's speedy, but has only attempted one steal since returning Sept. 24 (7 games) and was thrown out. Hiroki Kuroda The rookie starter went 9-10 in the regular season with a 3.73 ERA, and was brilliant at times. If he has his control and breaking ball working, he can provide 7-9 innings of outstanding work.Has been named the starter for Game 3. Chad Billingsley Winningest pitcher on the staff with a 16-10 record, a 3.13 ERA and 201 Ks in 200.2 innings. Will start Game 2. Philadelphia Phillies Recent history: The Phillies captured their second straight NL East title, going 17-8 in September and whipped the Brewers, 3 games to 1, in the NLDS. Strengths: Power. The Phillies led the NL with 214 home runs, the bulk of those off the bats of Ryan Howard, who led the majors with 48, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell, who knocked 33 apiece out of the park. Speed. with 138 steals, the Phillies were third in the NL. Most of those were by leadoff man, Jimmy Rollins (47) and #2 hitter Shane Victorino (36). Bench. The versatile roster includes Pedro Feliz, Jayson Werth, Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins, each of whom can be plugged in as needed. Bullpen. The Phillies are blessed with an abundance of middle relievers. Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero and Ryan Madson are all capable of getting the ball to closer Brad Lidge, who had 41 saves, 92 Ks in 69.1 innings and an ERA of 1.95. Weaknesses: Whiffers. The three power players - Utley, Burrell and Howard - all have a tendency to swing and miss. Between them, they struck out 439 times, the worst offender being Howard, with 199. Starting Pitching. After ace Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09 ERA), there isn't much there. Brett Myers and ancient Jamie Moyer will have to step it up. Players to watch Ryan Howard (right) is the big gun in the lineup, with 48 homers and 146 RBI, he led the league in both categories. If he's on, ball will be flying over outfielders' heads and out of the park. Jimmy Rollins Outspoken and with the stats to back up his talk, Rollins is the team leader and leadoff hitter. Rollins is great at the plate in pressure situations and can hurt you with the long ball and can steal. Very steady at shortstop as well. Shane Victorino This youngster doesn't get much press, but the Phillies probably wouldn't be where they are without him. His .293 BA led all regulars. He was second on the team in hits (167) and third in runs scored (102). Chase Utley Dubbed "The Machine" by teammates, Utley's rare blend of power and consistently produced a .292 BA, 104 RBI and 33 HRs in 2008. He can - and has - hurt opponents in many ways. Capable of carrying the team alone, as he did in April and May. Cole Hamels Led the team in innings with 227.1, strikeouts (196) and all starters in ERA (3.09). The game one starter may get two more shots if the series is extended to 7 games. He is the Phillies' best defensive weapon. If he's on, a very tough guy to beat. Brad Lidge Arguably the best closer in the league, Lidge earned comeback player of the year for his outstanding season. He's simply lights out in the 9th inning. Series Schedule (all games ET) Game 1: Thu, Oct 9 8:22 pm at Philadelphia Game 2: Fri, Oct 10 4:35 pm at Philadelphia Game 3: Sun, Oct 12 8:22 pm at Los Angeles Game 4: Mon, Oct 13 8:22 pm at Los Angeles If necessary Game 5: Wed, Oct 15 8:22 pm at Los Angeles Game 6: Fri, Oct 17 8:22 pm at Philadelphia Game 7: Sat, Oct 18 8:22 pm at Philadelphia Prediction: Hamels should be better than Derek Lowe in game 1 and possibly game 4, though Joe Blanton has been solid lately and may get the start, depending on the situation. Phillies pitchers believe they can handle Ramirez, and Lidge is the best closer out there.While Joe Torre is a great manager, Charlie Manuel knows what he's got and won't hesistate to send in the relief corps. If Howard, Utley, Rollins, Burrell hit, it could be a romp. Philadelphia in 6 games.

Cubs Clinch Central; Dodgers Inch Closer; Rays Reach First Playoff Berth

Players of the Day from Saturday, September 20, 2008 American League Scott Kazmir (12-7) shut out the Twins n five hits over 6 innings, ensuring Tampa Bay's first ever appearance in the post-season while dampening Minnesota's playoff hopes as the Rays dropped the Twins, 7-2 The Rays wrapped up at least a wild card spot, but reman focused on winning the AL East. With Boston losing 6-3 to Toronto, they lead the Red Sox by 2 1/2 games and have reduced their magic number to clinch the division to 7. Notes: The White Sox didn't take advantage of Minnesota's loss, dropping a 5-2 decision at Kansas City. Chicago still leads the Twins by 2 1/2 in the Central. Their magic number is 6. National League Mark DeRosa singled and scored on Aflonso Soriano's bases-loaded single in the first, doubled in a run and scored the game-winner in the 4th as the Cubs clinched the NL Central with a 5-4 win over St. Louis. Chicago clinched the division for the second straight year and, in all likelihood, will have home field advantage throughout the league playoffs. In the year marking the hundredth anniversary of the Cubs' last world series championship, the Cubs have the best record in the National League and is the first team to clinch a division title. Notes: The Phillies beat back the pesky Marlins, 3-2, ending their nine-game winning streak, and, when the Mets lost to Washington, 4-2, took back first place in the NL East by 1/2 game over New York. The Marlins are 5 1/2 back. Milwaukee continued to unwind down the stretch, losing their second straight game at Cincinnati, 4-3, dropping 2 1/2 games behind the Mets in the wild card race. The Brewers have lost 15 of 19 in September. Taking one step closer to the NL West title, Los Angeles reduced its magic number to 5 with a 10-8 win over San Francisco. Manny Ramirez homered twice and drove in five runs in the LA win. The Dodgers continue to lead the Diamondbacks - 5-3 winners at Colorado - by 3 1/2 games. Since joining the Dodgers in late July, Ramirez is batting .404 with 16 home runs and 49 RBi in 47 games.

Pedroia Continues Hot Streak; Ramirez Leads LA

Players of the Day from Tuesday, September 2, 2008 American League Dustin Pedroia continues to amaze as Boston's cleanup hitter. Last night, in a 14-2 Red Sox demolition of Baltimore, Pedroia came through with 3 hits in 5 at-bats and 5 RBI, including a 3-run homer (16). Pedroia's .330 batting average leads all AL hitters. Notes: The Rays lost to the Yankees, 7-2, but still lead Boston by 4 games in the Eastern division. Tampa Bay will be tested over the next two weeks as they have - including yesterday's game - 6 games each with Boston and New York through Sept. 17, plus a three-game set at Toronto this weekend. If the Rays can split with the Yanks and BoSox, the East title could be theirs. Chicago and Minnesota both lost on Tuesday, and remain deadlocked for first place in the AL Central. The Angels won, 5-4, at Detroit, with Francisco Rodriguez picking up his 54th save, leaving him just 3 short of Bobby Thigpen's major league record of 57, set in 1990 with the White Sox. LA reduced its magic number to 7. National League Manny Ramirez hit a 2-run homer in the first inning - his 10th as a Dodger - added a sac fly in the third, and LA never looked back, winning their 4th straight, 8-4 over the Padres. LA's win put them just 1 1/2 back of Arizona in the West, as the D-Backs fell to St. Louis, 8-2. Both of the West leaders would be wise to keep Colorado on the radar, as the Rockies are just 5 games out and have won 12 of their last 17. The Rockies host LA on Sept. 12, 13 and 14, the D-Backs on the 19th, 20th and 21st, and close out the regular season with a three-game set at Arizona. Notes: The Braves and Marlins combined for 36 hits and 30 runs as Atlanta outlasted Florida, 16-14. The two teams sent 15 pitchers to the mound in a game that lasted 3 hours and 44 minutes. The Astros topped the Cubs, 9-7, in 11 innings, the 4th straight loss for Chicago. The Brewers, however, couldn't capitalize, dropping their second in a row to the Mets, 6-5. Milwaukee trails the Cubs by 4 1/2 games. The Phillies topped the Nationals, 4-0, to remain 2 games behind the Mets in the East.

Pedroia Unstoppable; Ramirez Helps LA End Slide

Players of the Day from Saturday, August 30, 2008 American League Dustin Pedroia has been absolutely on fire. In his last four games, he's had 12 hits in 17 at-bats for a sizzling .706 batting average. In Boston's 8-2 win over the White Sox on Saturday, Pedroia was literally unstoppable, going 4-for-4 for the second day in a row, with a walk in his only other plate appearance, scoring twice. Pedroia took over the AL batting lead at .327. The Red Sox kept the pressure on Tampa Bay, who beat Baltimore, 10-9. The Rays remain 4 1/2 in front. In the Central, the Twins also lost, remaining 1/2 behind the White Sox for the division lead. With the Red Sox knocking off Chicago for the second straight game, Boston is beginning to distance themselves in the wild card race, now 3 1/2 ahead of the Twins, who face a tough September. After Sunday's series finale at Oakland, the Twins play 13 of their next 19 games on the road prior to finishing the season with a pair of 3-game series with the White Sox and the Royals. The four series on the road are 3-game sets at Toronto, Baltimore and Cleveland, ending with a 4-gamer at Tampa Bay, Sept. 18-21. Notes: In the West, everything is going just swimmingly for the Angels. On Saturday, they topped the Rangers 4-3, Francisco Rodriguez earned his 53rd save and the team's magic number dropped to 9. They lead the Rangers by 18 games with just 27 left to play. National League So far, Manny Ramirez has enjoyed the change from the East coast to the West, from the Red Sox to the Dodgers, from the AL to the NL. On Saturday, he knocked around Arizona pitching, with a single, double and a pair of solo homers, driving in 2 runs and scoring 3 times as the Dodgers broke their 8-game losing streak and toppled the Diamondbacks, 6-2. In 28 games as a Dodger, Ramirez is hitting .416 with 9 home runs and 25 RBI. One cannot argue with the production, and, despite the prolonged losing streak, the Dodgers are just 3 1/2 behind Arizona with a chance to draw to within 2 1/2 in Sunday's rubber game of their 3-game set in Arizona. Notes: Both the East and Central division races tightened on Saturday, as the Cubs and Mets both lost, while the Phillies and Brewers won. The Phillies are just one game behind the Mets, but the Brewers still trail the Cubs by 5 1/2.

Nady Drives in 6 for Yankees; Ramirez Leads Dodgers over D-Backs

Players of the Day from Sunday, August 3, 2008 American League It appears that the LA Dodgers got what they bargained for in Manny Ramirez, who led the team to a split with Arizona in the Dodgers' 9-3 trouncing of Arizona. Ramirez was a hitting machine, going 4-for-5, with a double, home run and 3 RBI. Since joining the Dodgers, Manny has been Manny, going 8-for-15 with two homers, a double, 5 RBI and 4 runs scored. Sunday's win moved the Dodgers back to within 1 game of the Diamondbacks. Notes: The Phillies won, 5-4, at St. Louis, extending their slim margin in the NL East to 2 1/3 games over the Marlins - who lost to Colorado, 3-2 - and 3 games better than the Mets, swept 4 straight by Houston, concluding with a 4-0 whitewash on Sunday.

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In the Central, the Cubs continue to roll right along, with an 8-5 win at Pittsburgh. With the Brewers and Cardinals both suffering Sunday losses, the Cubs all of a sudden have a 5 game bulge over Milwaukee, with the Cards a game further back. National League Xavier Nady drove in 6 runs as the Yankees salvaged a split with the LA Angels, winning the last two of their four game set, taking a wild one, 14-9. Nady went 4-for-5, and keyed the Yankees' comeback from a 5-0 deficit with a 2-run double in the sixth, a 2-run homer in the 7th, and capped the night off with a 2-run single in the 8th. Notes: The Rays and Red Sox both won, so the Yankees remain 5 1/2 behind Tampa, while the Sox are 3 off the pace. In the Central, Francisco Liriano returned to the Twins just in time to throw 6 shutout innings and help Minnesota to a 6-2 win and first place in the division. The White Sox lost their second straight at KC, being hammered 14-3, in a game marred by a bench-clearing brawl. Meanwhile, the Tigers dropped their 4th in a row and were swept by Tampa Bay, dropping a 6-5, 10 inning decision. At 7 behind, the Tigers' hopes are fading fast. The Angels are still 11 1/2 in front of Texas in the West, despite losing two in a row.

Ramirez Drives in Five as Sox Sweep Rays; Dukes' Walk-Off Blast Folds Cards

Players of the Day from Thursday, June 5, 2008 American League Manny Ramirez cracked a three-run homer in the first inning and drove in another pair of runs in the 4th with a single to lead the Red Sox to their third straight win over Tampa Bay, 7-1. With the five RBI, Ramirez has moved into third place in the RBI race, chasing Josh Hamilton (68) and Carlos Quentin (50). The Red Sox, by sweeping the series with the Rays in Boston, have retaken first place in the AL East and lead the Rays by 1 1/2 games.

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Notes: Texas earned a split in the slugfest series with Cleveland, winning 9-4 on Thursday. Kevin Millwood (4-3) got the win, with C.C. Sabathia (3-8) taking the loss. The 21 hits and 13 runs the two teams combined for was a low of the series. The totals for the four games were 113 hits and 80 runs. Texas shortstop Michael Young, who extended his hitting streak to 21 games, had 10 hits in the series, raising his batting average from .289 to .306. Milton Bradley homered for the 4th time in the last three games. He has 13 and is batting .337. Ian Kinsler went 0-for-4, snapping his 19-game hitting streak. National League Elijah Dukes - budding star or flash-in-the-pan? Dukes, 23 and technically a 2nd year pro, smacked a two-run, 10th inning, walk-off homer to push the Nationals past St. Louis, 10-9 in the second game of a double-header, after losing the first game, 4-1. The blast was Dukes' first homer of the year. Earlier, he singled twice and tripled, going 4-for-6 for the game with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. Dukes entered the game batting .155. He left it with a .203 average. Last season, in 52 games, Dukes played in 52 games, getting to the plate for 184 official at-bats. Of his 35 hits, 10 were of the home run variety, and while he was issued 33 walks, he struck out 44 times while batting a mediocre .190. Notes: Chipper Jones hit the 400th home run of his career, and went 4-for-5, raising his batting average to .418. Chipper, who has never had 200 hits in a season, already has 89.

Ramirez Homers Again; Haren Does Homework

Players of the Day from Sunday, June 1, 2008 American League While he may never show it, pressure is probably an issue, even for such a cool customer as Manny Ramirez. With all the pressure off after hitting his 500th home run on Saturday, Manny was more comfortable at the plate on Sunday, leading the Red Sox to a 9-4 victory at Baltimore. Ramirez singled, doubled and homered in five at-bats, driving in three and scoring twice. Notes: Manny has gotten into a groove of late, making him at least part of the HR and RBI leaders' conversation. His 38 RBI place him 5th in the AL, and his 11 homers are good for a three-way tie for 4th in that category. The Rangers' Josh Hamilton leads both categories with 15 homers and 63 RBI. National League If the Diamondbacks reach the playoffs this season, they'll want to make sure that Dan Haren gets his starts at home. Haren (6-4) has not won on the road this season, but pitched another gem on Sunday, blanking the Nationals over 7 innings for a 5-0 Arizona win. All but one of his losses came on the road. Allowing just 4 hits and 3 walks, Haren threw 105 pitches, striking out five before turning the ball over to Chad Qualls in the 8th and Tony Pena for the 9th, both of whom allowed neither a hit nor a walk.

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Arizona has led the NL West nearly from opening day. Currently, they are 4 1/2 to the good over the Dodgers with the Giants, Padres and Giants far back. Notes: Micah Owings, a healthy Randy Johnson and Doug Davis, Haren and Brandon Webb comprise the best starting five in the majors and are beginning to look like the team to beat in the fall. Those five have accounted for 28 of Arizona's 32 wins. The Diamondbacks have also dominated their division, with a 20-8 record thus far.

Manny Ramirez Cracks #500; Webb is Majors' 1st 10-Game Winner

Players of the Day from Saturday, May 31, 2008 American League The earth didn't move and it was his only hit of the night, but Manny Ramirez' home run in the 8th innings was his 500th - a line shot to right-center field in Baltimore's Camden Yards. Manny's solo shot off Chad Bradford accounted for the final run in Boston's 6-3 win over the Orioles and was his 10th dinger of the season. Ramirez becomes the 24th member of the 500-home-run club and joins active players Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Jim Thome and Frank Thomas. There's no doubting Manny's HOF credentials. In addition to the 500 homers, he's driven in 1639 runs and should also crack the 500 doubles mark. He currently has 484, to go with his 2268 hits and lifetime .312 batting average. Notes: It's over! The longest losing streak in the majors came to an end last night as the Kansas City Royals beat Cleveland 4-2, ending their 12-game skein. Amazingly, the Royals are 11-11 against AL Central opponents. National League Brandon Webb became the first 10-game winner in the majors and he did it with style, pitching his first shutout of the season in a 6-hit, 4-0 blanking of the Washington Nationals. Webb struck out 8, didn't walk a batter, allowed only singles and no runner made it past second base. Webb is also among the leaders in other statistical categories with 72 strikeouts, 2.69 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. In 83 innings this season he's allowed just 4 home runs. Notes: We are pleased to report that Ken Griffey Jr. has broken out of his 0-for-30-games home run drought, cranking HR #599 in the first inning of the Reds' 8-7 win over Atlanta.

Ramirez Powers BoSox into First; Jones, Smoltz Lead Rout of Marlins

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 17, 2008 American League Manny Ramirez blasted a pair of homers, drove in three runs and scored three times in Boston's 7-5 win at New York, boosting the BoSox into sole possession of first place in the AL East, a -half-game ahead the

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Orioles and one in front of the Yankees. Ramirez hit a solo shot in the second inning, his first at-bat, a two run shot in the 3rd the next time he was at the plate and singled and scored in the 5th, finishing 3-for-5. Ramirez, who hit only 20 homers last season, already has 5 this year and is just five short of 500 for his career. Notes: Home cookin'. Baltimore is 7-2 at home, but just 2-4 on the road. Other than the O's, only Boston, the Yankees, Seattle and Chicago have better than .500 home records in the AL. National League Chipper Jones (left) belted a pair of solo home runs, doubled and singled in four at-bats, driving in 3 and scoring 3 runs in Atlanta's 8-0 drubbing of Florida. By the time Jones had done his damage at the plate, John Smoltz (right) and the Braves were up 6-0, so Smoltz, who allowed only 3 hits and struck out 10, was relieved after completing the fifth inning, earning the win. Smoltz is now 3-0, accounting for half of Atlanta's wins, with an ERA of 0.56 and a WHIP of 1.00. Notes: Ken Griffey Jr. slugged his 596th career home run and third of the season in Cincy's 9-2 thrashing of the Cubs. Colorado's 22-inning, 2-1 win at San Diego was the longest game - by innings - since 1993. It lasted 6 hours and 16 minutes, the longest by far in the majors this season.

Boston Batters Indians; Rockies Go Up 2-0

Boston 10 Cleveland 3 - It was the Big Papi and Manny show Friday night at Fenway Park. And, for good measure, Josh Beckett took pretty good care of the Cleveland hitters as Boston took a 1-0 lead in the ALCS best-of-seven series. David Ortiz (left) and Manny Ramirez (right) reached base every time they stepped to the plate. Ten times in all. Ortiz singled, doubled, walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Ramirez had two singles and walked three times. Each scored twice; Ramirez drove in three runs, as did third baseman Mike Lowell. It was more than enough offense for Beckett, as he dominated from the mound, allowing just two runs on four hits over 6 innings, striking out 7. His counterpart for the Indians, C.C. Sabathia, didn't fare so well. lasting only 4 1/3, surrendering 8 runs on 7 hits and 5 walks. Sabathia threw 85 pitches, but only 44 for strikes. Game two is set for 8:00 pm Saturday night in Boston. Cleveland sends sensational Fausto Carmona to the hill, facing Boston's Curt Schilling. Colorado 3 Arizona 2, 11 innings - Willy Taveras (right) worked Arizona's Jose Valverde for a bases-loaded walk in the top of the 11th inning and Ryan Speier shut down the Diamondbacks in the bottom frame to give Colorado a commanding 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series. Taveras, who hadn't played since September 9th, has started in the leadoff spot for the Rockies in both games and has been integral to their success. In Friday night's game, he doubled and scored the Rockies' go-ahead run in the 5th inning and stayed alive at the plate against the best closer in the majors to force home the winning run. Valverde, who entered the game to open the 10th, put down the Rockies 1-2-3 in that inning, but ran into trouble in the 11th, surrendering a leadoff single to Ryan Spilborghs, and then walked Brad Hawpe, Jamey Carroll and Taveras in one of his worst outings of the season.

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Game three shifts to Denver on Sunday night, where the Rockies hope to keep their incredible streak alive. The Rockies ended the season winning 13 of 14 games to reach the playoffs, beat San Diego in a one-game elimination and have won 5 straight since, extending their win streak to 8 straight and 19 of their last 20. Livan Hernadez will start for Arizona against Colorado's Josh Fogg. Arizona, which was last in the NL in team batting average (.250) and on-base percentage (.321) has scored only 3 runs in 20 total innings. The Diamondbacks are actually outhitting Colorado. Arizona is 18-73 (.247), while the Rockies are only 15-71 (.211) for the series.

Manny's Back! Rockies win 9th Straight; Fielder's Fifty

American League Oakland 3 Boston 7 - After nearly a month on the bench, Manny Ramirez (right) returned to the Red Sox lineup, promptly reminding everyone of his value to the offense, singling and scoring in the first inning. After making an out and walking in two subsequent trips to the plate, Ramirez took a seat on the bench in the fifth, as Boston was cruising to a win that would give them a 3-game lead over the Yankees and reduce their magic number to clinch the division to 3. NY Yankees 6 Tampa Bay 7, 10 innings - The Yankees squandered Alex Rodriguez's grand slam and a five-run lead, as the bullpen allowed six runs in the Tampa Bay 6th. The Yanks eventually tied the game, but lost it on Dioner Navarro's solo homer in the bottom of the tenth. New York still needs either a win or a Detroit loss to capture the wild card spot, but they've lost two straight and their bullpen - along with their starting pitching - is a very sore spot right now. Minnesota 0 Detroit 8 - Magglio Ordonez homered and doubled in four at-bats, drove in three runs and raised his AL-best batting average to .359, closing in on his first batting title. The Detroit slugger leads Ichiro Suzuki by .009 with just four games remaining on the Tiger's schedule. Ordonez has hit 28 homers, 52 doubles and has 136 RBI, good for 2nd in the AL behind A-Rod's 151. Other AL Scores Toronto 11 Baltimore 4 LA Angels 1 Texas 3 Kansas City 9 Chi White Sox 5 Cleveland 4 Seattle 3, 12 innings National League Washington 10 NY Mets 9 - The Mets would like to seal off the NL East title, but their pitching staff - and the Washington Nationals - aren't helping matters much. Starter Tom Glavine gave up 6 runs over the first five innings and the bullpen allowed another 4, as the Mets posted their second straight loss to the Nats. Washington has beaten the Mets four times in their last 5 games, with the season series concluding Wednesday night. New York remained 2 games ahead of Philly, also losers on Tuesday. Atlanta 10 Philadelphia 6 - Despite the Mets practically handing the division to the Phillies, they haven't been able to take advantage, losing their second straight with just five games left. Mark Teixeira and Chipper Jones both homered to lead the 13-hit Atlanta attack. The Braves, who were nearly forgotten, are still alive, trailing the Mets by 4 games. They have two more against the Phillies before finishing the regular season with 3 games at Houston. St. Louis 1 Milwaukee 9 - Prince Fielder (right) became the youngest player ever to hit 50 home runs in a season, besting Willie Mays' 1955 record by nearly a year. Fielder, 23, cranked a pair of 2-run homers, giving him an even 50 for the year and boosting his RBI total to 119, good for 3rd in the National League. Milwaukee closed to within 2 games of Chicago in the division, but have two more games with the Cardinals and close out the season with 3 against the Padres. Colorado 9 LA Dodgers 7 - The Rockies won their 9th straight and now trail the Padres by just one game in the wild card race. Equally important, they are just three behind division-leader Arizona, with whom they finish the season in a 3-game series at Colorado. Should the Rockies win out, they'd at least tie the Diamondbacks, and any San Diego loss would put them in a tie for the division title. Matt Holliday returned to the lineup on Tuesday, going 2-4, after missing two games with a strained oblique. Holliday leads the National League with 131 RBI. San Diego 6 San Francisco 4 - Brian Giles belted a 3-run, ninth inning home run to give the Padres a hard-fought decision over the Giants and establish their 1-game edge on the Rockies and Phillies in the wild card race. Arizona's loss also pushed San Diego to within 2 games of the division leader. Other NL Scores Arizona 5 Pittsburgh 6 Chi Cubs 2 Florida 4 Houston 8 Cincinnati 5

Ramirez Rocks for Sox; Pujols Power

American League Boston 14 Cleveland 9 - Manny Ramirez (right) socked a pair of homers, drove in four runs and scored four times as the Red Sox took three of four at Cleveland. The homers gave 35-year-old Ramirez 487 for his career, making him yet another player who could attain a milestone this season. The Red Sox have won six of their last seven and lead the 2nd-place Yankees by 7 1/2 games. NY Yankees 0 Kansas City 7 - The Royals snapped New York's 6-game win streak and recorded their second shutout win of the season, as Jorge De La Rosa (8-10) allowed six hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings with 5 strikeouts. It was the 6th time the Yankees have been struck out this season. Other AL Scores Tampa Bay 7 Baltimore 10 - O's sweep; D-Rays worst record in MLB, 38-63, 16-35 on road Detroit 3 Chi White Sox 4 - Tigers 1 1/2 ahead of Cleveland in Central Oakland 6 Seattle 2 - Mariners lose 7th straight National League Milwaukee 5 Cincinnati 6, 10 innings - Ken Griffey Jr. added another homer to his total, giving him 25 on the season and 588 for his career, and Javier Valentin singled home Adam Dunn with the game-winner in the 10th, sending Milwaukee to their 2nd straight loss and 5th in their last 7. The Reds stayed 1/2 game out of last place, but took 3 of 4 from the struggling NL Central leaders. Milwaukee retained its 2-game lead on the Cubs, who lost at St. Louis. Chi Cubs 1 St. Louis 11 - Albert Pujols isn't having an MVP season, but he's not far off. Pujols (right) socked his 23rd home run and drove in 5, giving him 65 total. He's also batting a very respectable .316, but his Cardinals are still 8 games back of Milwaukee and 6 games under .500. Their win on Thursday allowed them to escape the sweep by the Cubs. Washington 7 Philadelphia 6 - The Phillies lost the game, but also learned that they will miss All-Star 2nd baseman, Chase Utley, for a time. Utley was hit by a pitch, but played out the game, though X-rays later revealed that he had a broken bone in his right hand. Utley said he expected to miss less than a month, though the extent of his injury was not readily apparent. Ryan Howard socked his 29th home run, putting him just one behind NL leader Prince Fielder. His 2 RBI gave him the outright lead in that category, with 85. Florida 4 Arizona 7 - Eric Byrnes unknotted a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the 9th with a 3-run walk-off home run that moved the Diamondbacks into sole possession of 2nd place in the NL West. Arizona is 1 1/2 behind the Dodgers, with San Diego 2 back and Colorado 5 1/2 off the pace. Other NL Scores Pittsburgh 8 NY Mets 4 Atlanta 2 San Francisco 4 San Diego 1 Houston 7 LA Dodgers 5 Colorado 4 - B. Penny, W (13-1)

Bronx Bashers Score 21; Six Sunday Shutouts

American League ...Not exactly sure what the record is for most shutouts in one night, but 6 has to be close. There were two here in the AL and 4 over on the National side. Seattle 0 Toronto 8 - Roy Halladay (right) cooled off the Mariners with a three-hit complete game win, improving his record to 11-4. It was the second straight shutout of Seattle, giving the Blue Jays a 2-1 edge in their now-concluded series. Seattle trails the Angels by 2 games in the AL West. Baltimore 2 Oakland 0 - Jeremy Guthrie (6-3) blanked Oakland on 2 hits over 7 and the bullpen turned in 2 perfect innings of relief. Tampa Bay 4 NY Yankees 21 - The Yankees banged out 25 hits and took their third straight over the hapless Devil Rays. After losing 14-4 on Friday night, the Yanks got their revenge, outscoring Tampa 45-12 for a 3-1 series win. Alex Rodriguez hit his 34th home run and career #498, and drove in 3 runs, giving him 99 on the season. Hideki Matsui went 5-6 with his 17th homer, drove in 2 and scored 3 times. The Yankees totaled six homers in the win but still trail Boston by 7 1/2 in the AL East. Chi White Sox 5 Boston 8 - Manny Ramirez - drove in 3 runs with his 17th home run of the season in the first inning and knocked in another with a single in the 6th as the Red Sox took 3 straight from Chicago after dropping a 4-2 decision Thursday night. Other AL Scores Kansas City 5 Detroit 2 LA Angels 7 Minnesota 2 Cleveland 8 Texas 3 - Indians trail Detroit by 1 game in AL Central National League Philadelphia 9 San Diego 0 - J.D. Durbin tossed a 5 hit shutout and the Philly offense did their thing, banging out 15 hits. Jimmy Rollins(right) spearheaded the attack from his leadoff spot, going 3-4 with a triple and his 17th home rum of the season, scoring three times while driving in a run. Philly trails Atlanta by 1 1/2 and the Mets by 5 in the NL East. Colorado 0 Washington 3 - The Rockies were blanked 3-0 for the second straight day, this time at the hand of Tim Redding's 6 2/3 innings of work, two middle relievers and a shaky 9th inning, in which Chad Cordero allowed a hit and a walk, but picked up his 19th save. Houston 1 Pittsburgh 0 - Woody Williams (5-11) gave up just 5 hits over 8 innings and Brad Lidge picked up his 3rd save since returning to the closing role for Houston. Lidge struck out 3 and allowed a hit in the 9th. He's struck out 11 in his last 5 innings of work. The Pirates are actually as bad as people think, having now lost 8 of their last 9, scoring 3 runs or less in six of those outings. It doesn't get any better for Pittsburgh either. After a day off Monday, they travel to New York and Philly for a pair of 3-game series. Arizona 3 Chi Cubs 0 - rookie Yusmeiro Petit evened his record at 2-2, allowing 3 hits over 6 innings and Jose Valverde notched his 30th save as the D-Backs took 2 of 3 in Chicago. Valverde is 2nd in the NL in saves behind Milwaukee's Francisco Cordero, who has 31. Other NL Scores Cincinnati 3 Florida 9 - M. Cabrera, 2-4, 2 RBI (71) San Francisco 5 Milwaukee 7 - B. Bonds, DNP; F. Cordero, S (31) NY Mets 5 LA Dodgers 4, 10 innings - Mets take 3 of 4 in LA St. Louis 7 Atlanta 2, 10 innings