Carlos Santana, Michael Bourn Lead Indians into Playoffs; Pittsburgh gets Top Wild Card as Neil Walker, Marlon Byrd Lead Six HR Attack

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 28, 2013

American League

Michael Bourn

Michael Bourn and Carlos Santana each delivered clutch, two-out hits to drive Cleveland to their ninth straight victory and secure at least a tie for a playoff spot with a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Carlos Santana

While Scott Kazmir was fanning 11 and holding the Twins to one run over six innings, Santana socked a two-run homer in the fourth inning, followed by Bourne's two-out triple in the fifth that drove in a pair. Bourne later scored on a jason Kipnis single to complete the scoring for the Indians.

The win, coupled with Tampa Bay's 7-2 loss at Toronto and Texas' 7-4 win over the Angels put Cleveland in the driver's seat entering the last day of the regular season. Cleveland has a one-game lead over both the Rays and Rangers, who are now tied for the second wild card spot.

All three teams close out their seasons on Sunday. Tampa Bay takes the field in Toronto at 1:07 pm EDT, the Indians go for their 10th straight win and the sweep of the Twins at 2:10 pm EDT and the Rangers and Angels mix it up at 3:05 pm EDT in Arlington, Texas.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/28)

Team	GB
Cleveland	+1
Tampa Bay	--
Texas	--

National League

The Pittsburgh Pirates rocked Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo, socked six home runs and grabbed the top wild card spot in the National League with an 8-3 victory over the Reds.

Neil Walker

Marlon Byrd

Marlon Byrd homered and singled twice in four at-bats, drove in two runs and scored twice; Neil Walker mashed a pair of solo home runs - his 15th and 16th - as the Pirates hammered Arroyo for eight hits (five of them homers) and six runs over 4 2/3 innings.

Winning their second straight in their season-ending series at Cincinnati, the Pirates earned the right to host the one-game wild card playoff on Tuesday, October 1. Despite the loss, the Reds are still in the playoffs, taking the second wild card spot.

The series - and the season - wraps up today for both teams at 1:10 pm EDT at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

Today's Trivia: Who was the last Cincinnati player to win either the Cy Young or MVP Award? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The Pirates were last seen in the playoffs in 1992, when they won what was then the NL East.

Edwin Encarnacion Powers Blue Jays to Seventh Straight Win; Marlon Byrd Leads Mets to DH Sweep of Braves

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 18, 2013

American League

Edwin Encarnacion

Could the AL East be turning into a five-team race?

Nearly left for dead a month ago after a 13-24 start, the Toronto Blue Jays - much to the dismay of the Colorado Rockies - are the hottest team in the majors right now, winning their seventh straight - and second in a row over the visiting Rockies - with an 8-3 victory on Tuesday.

Edwin Encarnacion got the Jays off to a hot start, doubling in Melky Cabrera and scoring as the Jays put down four runs in the first inning.

In the fifth, again with Cabrera on base, Encarnacion socked his 18th home run of the season, followed by solo shots from JP Arencibia and Maicer Izturis in the sixth, all before the Rockies scored a single run off starter Esmil Rogers (3-2).

Encarnacion finished 2-for-4, with three RBI, giving him 58 on the season, third-best in the AL, behind Detroit's Miguel Cabrera (71) and Baltimore's Chris Davis (61).

The Blue Jays are still in last place in the division, but are just 8 1/2 behind Boston, and, at 32-34, trail fourth-place Tampa Bay by just 1 1/2 games.

Toronto will be looking for their eighth straight and a sweep of the Rockies (who are tied with the Giants, 1 1/2 behind Arizona in the NL West) when the two teams meet in the series finale Wednesday night. Game time is 7:07 pn EDT.

National League

Marlon Byrd

Just a day after losing a 2-1 heart-breaker on Freddie Freeman's walk-off homer, the Mets regrouped and took a double-header from the Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta, winning the first game 4-3, and powering to a 6-1 victory in the nightcap.

Well-traveled outfielder, Marlon Byrd, who has won a regular starting position with a determined presence, was a combined 5-for-8 in the double bill, going 2-for-3 in the opener with a run and an RBI, and 3-for-5 in the second game, with a run scored on a BJ Upton error.

Since breaking in with the Phillies in 2002, Byrd has played for five different teams, but has found a home in New York, and a regular spot in the middle of the Mets' lineup. A lifetime .278 hitter, Byrd has 11 homers and 33 RBI to go with a .264 batting average. He's hit safely in seven of his last eight games.

The Mets two wins on Tuesday leave them 12 1/2 games back of the Braves in the NL East. Atlanta, leading Washington and Philadelphia by seven, will try to get back on the winning track when they meet the Mets in the fourth of their five-game series, Wednesday night at 7:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: In 1968, which starting pitcher led the majors with an incredible 1.123 ERA? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Stan Musial batted .3308 in 22 seasons, but Tony Gwynn was just a little better hitter, with a career average of .3382 over 20 seasons.

Byrd 7-for-9 in Texas Two-Step; 5 Philly Homers Down Nats

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 8, 2009 American League The Texas Rangers continue to chase both the California Angels in the AL West and the Boston Red Sox in the wild card hunt. On Tuesday, the Rangers took both ends of a double-dip in Cleveland, taking the first game, 11-9, and the second by a score of 10-5, In the first game, Marlon Byrd, hitting in the cleanup spot, cashed a three-run homer in the 7th to break a 5-all tie, adding 3 singles for a perfect 4-for-4 appearance. In the nightcap, Byrd's bat remained red-hot, kicking in 3 more singles in 5 at bats, though he didn't drive in any runs, nor score, even though he was batting in the 3-hole and the Rangers put up 10 runs. Every regular had at least one hit in the second game, totaling 18 in all, and, with the 13 hits in game one, totaled 31. With the 7-for-9 day, Byrd's batting average leapt 10 points, to .286. His 16 homers and 72 RBI have been key to keeping the Rangers in the post-season chase. The pair of wins moved the Rangers to within 4 1/2 of the Angels and 2 games behind the Red Sox. Both of the teams the rangers pursue were also winners on Tuesday. The Rangers look for the sweep of the three-game set this afternoon. National League Continuing their quest for a third straight NL East pennant, the Philadelphia Phillies blasted five homers in their 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals, holding on in the 9th despite the reoccurrence of wildness from closer Brad Lidge. All of the homers were solo shots, with Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley each banging one out, while Raul Ibanez cranked out a pair, giving him 30 on the year. Along with Utley, Werth and Ryan Howard, the Phillies now have 4 players with at least 30 homers on the year, the 12th team to accomplish the feat. Ibanez also added an inconsequential single, to go 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Lidge almost gave the game away in the 9th, giving up a hit and a walk while only retiring one batter. Ryan Madsen was called on again to clean up the mess created by Lidge. Pedro Martinez picked up his 4th win as a Phillie without a loss, but it was Brett Myers, recently returned from the DL, who kept the Phils ahead and who may hold the key to the closer controversy. Myers relieved Pedro after Willie Harris homered to trim the lead to 4-3 with 2 out in the 7th. After giving up a single to Christian Guzman, Myers struck out Ryan Zimmerman to end the inning and cruised through the eighth unscathed. Myers, who has some experience as a closer, may emerge as the solution for Philadelphia's late-inning woes, as Lidge continues to struggle with his control and Madsen has been unreliable in the past.

Howard Powering Phils In NL East; Bryd's Homers Lift Rangers

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 20, 2009 American League The chase continued for the Texas Rangers on Thursday, as they notched an 11-1 win over Minnesota, earning a 2-2 split in their 4-game series. Continuing what looks to be a battle to the finish with Boston for the wild card, the Rangers remain a game behind, as Marlon Byrd led the way with a pair of homers - a solo shot in the second and a two-run bomb in the 3rd - and a sac fly in the 6th. The Rangers get their runs from a variety of contributors, and Byrd's been a player lately, driving in 7 runs in his last four games. National League Is it all over in the NL East? Well, according to the way the Phillies are playing, it certainly looks that way. The Phils won their 4th straight and 8th in their last 10, blasting Arizona by a 12-3 score as Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz all homered. The Phillies have been knocking balls out of parks with increasing regularity, led by their biggest bopper, Howard, who opening the scoring onslaught with an RBI double in the first and pretty much ended it when he launched a 3-run shot (his 32nd) in the 6th inning. Howard's 4 RBI gave him 98 on the season and he also scored three times. Howard has been a terror of late, smashing 6 homers in his last 7 games and driving in at least one run in 9 of his last ten games, with 19 overall during that span. The win upped Philadelphia's lead to 6 1/2 games over the suddenly-struggling Marlins, who have lost two straight. The Braves, with their second straight win, are now tied with Florida in second place.

Byrd's Bombs Ground Angels; Marquis Tosses 2-Hit Gem

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 30, 2009 American League The battle for the AL West is being won by the Angels, but after Tuesday's 9-5 win by the Rangers, there's a palpable feeling that the war has just begun. Having taken the first of their three-game series, 5-2, on Monday, the Angels had assumed a 2 1/2 game lead in the division and was looking to add to it. Enter Marlon Byrd, the unheralded outfielder who's become a regular since Josh Hamilton was sidelined due to injury. All Bryd did was single-handedly smash the Angels' with a pair of home runs - a two-run shot in the first inning and a three-run bomb in the 4th - the latter of which turned a 4-3 Texas lead into an insurmountable 7-3 edge. Byrd, always an asset in the field, has been a solid contributor at the plate for the Rangers, batting .286 with 7 homers and 39 RBI. The win closed the gap on the Angels to 1 1/2 games with the rubber game of the series tonight at Arlington. National League Sooner or later somebody's going to toss a no-hitter, and it will probably come from the National League, where there have been numerous close calls of late. The most current was Tuesday's complete game, two-hit shutout by Jason Marquis, as Colorado topped the Dodgers, 2-0, evening their three-game series at a game apiece and making the NL West race - which looked like a Dodger runaway a month ago - more interesting every day. Marquis (10-5) was a mound model of efficiency, using just 86 pitches (66 strikes) to cut down the Dodgers without issuing a walk. While Marquis fanned just three, he did record 17 outs on ground balls, at one point - between the 2nd and 8th inning - set down 18 straight batters and didn't allow a runner to even reach second base. Becoming the first National League pitcher to reach 10 wins, he bested Dodger ace Chad Billingsley (9-4), who was also seeking the same honor. The Rockies have won 21 of their last 25 games and have drawn to within 7 1/2 games of the front-running Dodgers. The Giants, currently lodged in second place, have won 3 straight, 8 of their last 11, and are just 6 games behind LA. NOTES: While those Western division races are heating up, the AL East is rounding into mid-summer form, thanks to the last place Baltimore Orioles, who battered Boston's bullpen for 10 runs in the largest comeback in O's history. Down 10-1 entering the bottom of the 7th, the O's exploded for 5 runs in each of the 7th and 8th innings to top the BoSox, 11-10. Boston's loss was New York and Tampa Bay's gain, with the Yankees and Rays pulling to within 2 1/2 and 4 games respectively. The Yankees have won 6 straight while the Rays are on a 7 game roll.