Matt Cain, Marco Scutaro Lead Giants Past Cardinals, Into World Series

Players of the Day for Monday, October 22, 2012

National League

Matt Cain

NLCS: San Francisco 9 St. Louis 0 - Matt Cain threw 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball and Marco Scutaro went 3-for-4 as the Giants blew past the Cardinals in game seven to capture the NL Championship and head to the World Series against the AL's Detroit Tigers.

Scutaro: NLCS MVP

Cain, a 3-1 loser in game three, redeemed himself in the ultimate test, scattering five Cardinal hits while walking one and striking out four to notch his fourth career post-season victory against two losses.

Scutaro, who was named series MVP, scored just once and didn't drive in any runs, but singled to lead off the third inning, starting a four-run rally that was the eventual undoing of Cardinal starter, Kyle Lohse, who took the loss.

Scutaro batted .500 for the series (14-for-28), scored six runs and drove in four. He carries a nine-game, post-season hitting streak into the World Series, which begins Wednesday in San Francisco.

Game one of the fall classic is set to begin at 8:07 pm EDT on Wednesday, October 24. Game two will be on Thursday, also in San Francisco. Games three, four and - if necessary - five, will be in Detroit, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the 27th, 28, and 29th. Should the series go to games six and seven, those would be back in san Francisco, on Wednesday, October 31 and Thursday, November 1.

The Tigers beat the New York Yankees four straight in the ALCS, and will be well-rested, with their starting rotation in good order. Justin Verlander will start game one for Detroit. The Giants have not yet named a game one starter.

San Francisco came back from being down three games to one in the NLCS, capturing the final three games by a combined score of 20-1, their starting pitching coming through with superior performances when it mattered most.

Matt Cain, Marco Scutaro, Angel Pagan Lead Giants Back to First Place; Prince Fielder Blasts O's in 5-3 Win

Players of the Day for Friday, August 17, 2012

American League

Fielder: 2HR, 4RBI

Opening a three game series critical to the wild card chase and divisional races in the East and Central, the Baltimore Orioles had a lead at Detroit, but lost it and the game when they failed to keep Prince Fielder in the yard.

Leading 3-1 in the sixth inning, Fielder unloaded for the first of two massive homers - both coming with Miguel Cabrera aboard - to tie the game, then blasted his second in the eighth, completing the 5-3 win.

The victory left the Tigers tied with the Orioles for the second wild card spot, a game behind Tampa Bay, in the #1 wild card position. The Tigers also picked up a game on Central division leader, Chicago, 4-2 losers at Kansas City, leaving Detroit 1 1/2 back in the Central.

Fielder's homers were his 21st and 22nd of the season. The first came off O's starter, Tommy Hunter, the second blow against reliever J. C. Romero. Miguel Cabrera's first inning hoemr - his 31st of the year - provided the only other run for Detroit.

The series resumes Saturday night, with the third game set for Sunday afternoon at Tiger Stadium.

Marco Scutaro

National League

Matt Cain, Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro led the San Francisco Giants back into first place in the NL West, powering the Giants to to a lopsided, 10-1 win over the Padres, in the opener of a three-game weekend series in San Diego.

Angel Pagan

Scutaro got the Giants started in the first inning, staking Matt Cain (12-5) to an early advantage with a solo homer.

In the third inning, the Giants sent 14 men to the plate and scored eight runs to essentially put the game out of reach.

Matt Cain

Pagan drove in the first run of the epic inning with an RBI triple and was singled home by Scutaro, who later scored. Cain aided his own cause with a single in the inning which plated Brandon Belt.

Pagan finished up 3-for-5 with two RBI. Scutaro was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, while Cain, who earlier this season tossed a perfect game, won his second straight start, allowing four hits and a single fifth inning run over eight, fanning six without issuing a walk.

The win gave the Giants a 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers in the West. LA dropped a 4-3 decision at Atlanta.

Matt Cain Throws Perfect Game for Giants; Wilson Betemit Powers Second Place Orioles to 7-1 Win

Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 13, 2012

American League

Wilson Betemit

With the results of Sunday's games, the Pittsburgh Pirates were tied with the Reds for leadership of the NL Central, but, following a day off and a road trip to Baltimore, and two straight Cincinnati wins, the Pirates have quickly fallen two games off the pace.

After Tuesday's 8-6 defeat, the Pirates couldn't muster much offense against Baltimore starter Jake Arrieta (7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 Ks) while third baseman Wilson Betemit, one of a number of key Baltimore off-season acquisitions, made them pay.

Betemit, who's seen his fair share of major league clubhouses, having been a part of six different teams since 2005 before joining the Orioles, went 3-for-3 against Pittsburgh's hurlers, with a single, double, home run, sac fly, three RBI and two runs, doing the damage in consecutive at-bats between the second and sixth innings.

With Batimore already up 2-0 on Chris Davis' first inning, two-run homer, Betemit doubled in a run and scored in the second, drove in another run with a sac fly in the fourth and socked his eighth home run of the season - a solo shot - in the sixth, providing more than enough support for the 7-1 victory.

While the O's have put a temporary stall into Pittsburgh's plans, they are alone in second place, a game behind the Yankees in the AL East and will be looking for the sweep when they take the field against Pittsburgh Thursday night at Camden Yards.


National League

Matt Cain: Perfect

Since becoming a starter for the Giants in 2005, Matt Cain has been one of baseball's more consistent pitchers, flashing brilliance at time, but falling just short of elite status.

No more.

When he got Jason Castro on a ground ball to third with two down in the ninth inning, Cain etched his name in the annals of major league baseball, hurling the 22nd perfect game in MLB history, the second in the majors this season.

Razor sharp, Cain threw 86 of 125 pitches for strikes and fanned a career high 14, as the Giants scored all of their runs over the first five innings for the lopsided, 10-0 triumph over the Astros.

No hits, no runs, no walks, no errors or hit batsmen, Cain's mound performance was, in a word, perfect, reaching baseball's highest achievement with his second shutout of the season and sixth overall. Cain has 15 complete games on his career stat sheet, and improved to 8-2 this year, with a sparkling 2.18 ERA, second-best in the National League.

Cain has struck out 96 batters thus far this year, ranking him second in the NL, four behind Washington's Stephen Strasburg.

Over the years, Cain has continued to hone his craft. He led the league in starts with 34 in 2008 and his four complete games in 2009 were also tops in the NL.

After a rough couple of seasons in 2007 and 2008, when he compiled a combined record of 15-30, Cain has turned things around, going 14-8, 13-11 and 12-11 in 2009, 2010 and 2011. At 28, the 6'3" righty has all the tools and discipline to make him one of the top pitchers in the game and Wednesday's perfect game seems a fitting accomplishment for a player that has put in the work on the long road to stardom.

The Giants have taken two straight from Houston and will be looking for the sweep Thursday afternoon. While the Giants have won seven of their last ten, they've closed ground on NL West leader Los Angeles, pulling to within 3 1/2 games of first place as a clear second, holding a 5 1/2 game edge over third place Arizona.

NOTABLE: Beyond Cain's golden performance, there was another demonstration of continued mound excellence back in the East division, where R.A. Dickey tossed a one-hit complete game in the Mets' 9-1 win over Tampa Bay.

Dickey set a club record by holding opponents scoreless for 32 2/3 innings. The Rays finally scratched out an unearned run in the ninth off of David Wright's throwing error on Elliott Johnson's grounder ball. Johnson advanced to third on a pair of passed balls by catcher Mike Nickeas, and scored on a routine ground out by Desmond Jennings. Dickey baffled the Rays hitters with his trademark knuckler striking out 12 and needing only 108 pitches to go the distance, improving to 10-1 with his eighth straight win. B.J. Upton's first inning infield single was the only hit off Dickey, who didn't walk a batter.

Dickey's league-high 10 wins were matched by St. Louis rookie Lance Lynn, who struck out 12 and allowed just three hits over 7 1/3 innings in the Cardinals' 1-0 win over the White Sox.

INTERLEAGUE SCOREBOARD: The American League continues to assert its dominance over their National League rivals, going 26-20 over the past four days to increase its interleague edge to 64-52. The cross-league contests continue for another 11 days, ending with games scheduled through Sunday, June 24.

Morneau Blasts a Pair to Defeat Yankees; Matt Cain Runs Scoreless Streak to 18 Innings, Giants Win in 11

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 18, 2012

American League

Justin Morneau spent most of last season on the DL, playing in just 69 games and hitting only four homers, by far his lowest total since becoming a full-time player in 2004.

Justin Morneau

The time off seems to have been worthwhile, because in Minnesota's 6-5 road win over the Yankees, Morneau delivered two balls into the right field seats, helping build a lead that led to victory.

In the first inning, Morneau capped a four-run inning off starter Hiroki Kuroda with a two-run blast and followed up with a solo shot in the fifth - again off Kuroda - that put the Twins up, 6-4. Derek Jeter's ninth inning solo homer saved the lead, but was not enough, sending the Yanks to their second loss in three games against Minnesota.

Morneau finished 3-for-4, scored three times and drove in three. His pair of homers gives him four on the season, the same number he hit all of last year.

The Twins and Yankees conclude their four game series Thursday night.


National League

Cain: 2 hits over 9
innings, no decision

Cliff Lee and Matt Cain were locked into an outstanding pitching duel, neither hurler allowing a run in the Giants' 1-0, 11-inning win over visiting Philadelphia. Lee went 10 innings, allowing seven hits while striking out seven without a walk, but Cain (1-0) was even better over nine innings, giving up just two hits and a walk, fanning four.

The Giants, without bullpen ace Brian Wilson, who has been lost for the season with ligament damage to his right elbow, used four relievers in the 10th and 11th, Clay Hensley picking up the win with 1/3 of an inning to close out the Phillies in the 11th before Melky Cabrera drove home Brandon Belt with one out in the bottom of the inning.

Cain's mound command could not have been better, even though he received no decision for his work. After the fifth inning, which ended in a double play, Cain did not allow a hit or walk a batter. It was his second straight shutout performance, running his string of scoreless innings to 18. On Friday the 13th, Cain pitched a one-hitter for a 5-0 win over Pittsburgh. Over the past two games, Cain has allowed just three hits and one walk, striking out 15.

The Giants took two of three from the Phillies in the three-game series, improving to 6-6. The Phillies, last year's NL East champs, are 5-7, last in the division, 4 1/2 games behind streaking, 10-3, Washington.

Matt Cain One Hit from Perfection in Win over Pirates; Bartolo Colon Goes Seven Scoreless for A's

Players of the Day for Friday, April 13, 2012

American League

38-year-old Bartolo Colon used to be one of baseball's most dominant pitchers. In what appears to be his second coming, he's not quite as overwhelming, but he is winning.

Bartolo Colon

Colon, who made only 19 starts in 2008 and 2009 (seven with Boston and 12 with the White Sox) and missed all of 2012, spent last season on the mound for the Yankees, where he went 8-10 in 26 starts. Having switched coasts in the off-season, Colon has gone 2-1 in three starts with the A's, getting seven solid innings of shutout work in against the Mariners in Friday's 4-0 victory at Seattle.

Colon allowed just three hits - all singles - and a walk, while striking out five, finishing strong by retiring the last ten batters he faced before being lifted after his seven-inning stint.

A pair of relievers - Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour - worked the 8th and 9th to preserve the shutout. The win got the A's to .500 (4-4) and into second place in the AL West, two games behind the Texas Rangers.


National League

San Francisco started the season 1-4, but has won two straight after Matt Cain tossed a one-hit shutout over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in a 5-0 Bay area win.

Cain: 1-Hitter

Cain took a perfect game into the sixth inning, but was foiled by James MacDonald's two-out single. Unfazed, Cain struck out the next batter to end the inning and proceeded to get the final nine outs in order after starting the game by putting down the first 17 batters he faced for the complete game shutout.

Without surrendering a walk and striking out 11, Cain earned his first win of the season after allowing six hits and five earned runs in a no-decision loss at Arizona this past Sunday.

Notes: The Giants and everyone else in the division are chasing the Dodgers, who are off to a flying start for their new owners, at 7-1 and in first place in the NL West. Winning their fourth straight - a 9-8 win over San Diego - was record-setting for starter Aaron Harang, who started the game by allowing a leadoff single to Cameron Maybin, but then proceeded to fan the next nine batters he faced, setting a Dodger franchise record for consecutive strikeouts. The previous record of eight had been held by Johnny Podres. Harang lasted 6 1/3 innings, struck out 13, walked two and allowed four runs, but did not receive the decision even though he left with the lead. After the Padres tied the fame with two runs in the ninth, Andre Ethier's bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning forced home Mark ellis with the winning score.

One doesn't often see four-way ties for first place in any of baseball's six divisions, but the AL East is currently a four-team deadlock between the Yankees, Rays, Orioles and Blue Jays, all sporting 4-3 records. Left out of the mix is Boston, trailing everybody by two games, with a 2-5 mark.

World Series: Cain Rains on Rangers, Renteria Rakes, Giants Take Game Two

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 28, 2010

World Series Game Two: Giants 9, Rangers 0

Edgar Renteria (left) creased a 5th=inning, letter-high fastball from Texas starter C.J. Wilson into the left field bleachers and Matt Cain (right) made it hold up, with 7 2/3 innings of 4-hit, shutout ball, sending the Giants off to Texas for game three with a 2-0 lead in the series.

The Rangers threatened in the top of the 6th when Michael Young and Josh Hamilton delivered back-to-back one-out singles, but Cain reared back and got both Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler to pop out, ending the inning.

Kinsler was part of the most unusual play of the evening, driving a ball to dead center field to lead off the 5th inning. The ball hit the top of the wall and bounded up and back into the waiting glove of Giant center fielder Andres Torres. Kinsler stood dumbfounded at second base as Torres relayed the ball back into the infield and was eventually stranded.

San Fran added another run in the 7th when Cody Ross walked leading off the inning, took second on Aubrey Huff's ground out to first and came home on Jose Uribe's flare to short right center.

In the top of the 8th, Cain walked Elvis Andrus with one out. Andrus stole second, but Cain retired Michael Young for the second out and Cain's final batter of the night. Javier Lopez threw one pitch, getting Josh Hamilton to lift a fly ball to center, ending the inning.

The Giants brooke the game fully open in the bottom of the 8th. Buster Posey singled with two outs off reliever Darren O'Day. Derek Holland relieved O'Day, walking the next three batters, Nick Schierholtz, Cody Ross and finally, Aubrey Huff, forcing home Posey from third. Mark Lowe relieved Holland and walked Jose Uribe, bringing home another run. Edgar Renteria then ended all doubts with a scratch single to left, scoring Schierholtz and Ross.

The Giants weren't done, though. Aaron Rowand drove a ball into deep center field, bringing around Ross and Renteria with a triple. Andres Torres got into the act, doubling down the left field line to bring home Rowand with the seventh run of the inning.

Cain picked up his second post-season win and first of the World Series. He has not allowed an earned run in the post-season, a span of 21 1/3 innings.

After a day off Friday, the series resumes at the Ballpark in Arlington, Texas on Saturday night. Game time is 6:57 pm ET.

Cain Proves Able as Giants Win, 3-0; Molina's 3-Run Blast Lifts Rangers

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 19, 2010

National League

Relishing being back on their home field, the San Francisco Giants rode the arm of Matt Cain to a 3-0 win in game three of the NLCS, taking a 2-to-1 lead over the defending national league champion Phillies.

Cain was tough as nails over his seven innings on the mound, allowing just two hits and three walks, fanning five without allowing a run. Cole Hamels pitched will for the Phillies, just not good enough. He only allowed five hits but the Giants made them count, scoring two runs in the 4th and another in the 5th.

That was all Cain needed to keep the potent Phillie lineup in check, working out of situations with one or more men aboard in four of his seven innings. Javier Lopez and Brian Wilson, quickly becoming known as the dynamic duo of the playoffs, worked the 8th and 9th without incident, sealing the win and giving the Giants a huge boost heading into game four.

The two teams are back on the diamond at 7:57 pm ET for game four on Wednesday.

American League

As expected, Yankee starter A.J. Burnett gave up the big hit at the crucial moment, as he's been doing all season long, and the Texas Rangers took their second straight at Yankee Stadium with a 10-3 win for a 3-1 series lead in the ALCS.

Burnett took a 3-2 lead into the 6th, but gave up a leadoff single to Vladimir Guerrero. After Guerrero moved to second on a fielder's choice and an Ian Kinsler fly out, the Yanks decided to walk David Murphy in order to get to Bengie Molina, who already had been hit by a pitch in the 3rd and scored and singled in his next at bat, leading off the 5th.

Molina turned on the first offering by Burnett, depositing the baseball into the stands just inside the left field foul pole for a three-run homer and a 5-3 lead.

Texas added a pair in the next inning on a Josh Hamilton solo shot and an RBI single by Kinsler to up the lead to four runs and tacked on three more on Hamilton's secnd solo blast and a 2-run smash to left by Nelson Cruz.

The Rangers outhit the Yankees 13-6. Guerrero had four hits in five at-bats, a double and four singles. Molina finished 3-for-4, with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Game five starts at 4:07 pm on Wednesday, with game one starters, C.J. Wilson and C.C. Sabathia the starters. After giving away game one, the Rangers have taken the last three, outscoring the Yankees by a combined 25-5 score.

Cano Slam Powers Yankees; Matt Cain 1-Hits Diamondbacks

Players of the Day for Friday, May 28, 2010 American League With Alex Rodriguez getting a day off, manager Joe Girardi decided to put Robinson Cano in the cleanup spot as the Yankees welcomed Cleveland to the Bronx for the first of a four-game weekend series. It turned out to be the right move as Cano responded with a pair of singles and his 10th home run of the season, a seventh-inning grand slam which turned a contentious 4-2 game into an 8-2 rout and another win for Phil Hughes, who improved to 6-1. Derek Jeter singled to open the 7th and wound up at third base on Curtis Granderson's double. Mark Teixeira walked, loading the bases for Cano, who delivered with a blast into the right field seats. Looking every bit like a possible starter at second base for the all star game, Cano leads the Yankees in four offensive categories with a .351 batting average, his 10 homers, 34 RBI and 34 runs. In Detroit, Miguel Cabrera (left) socked three homers - a two run blast and a pair of solo shots, but that was all the offense the Tigers could produce in a 5-4 loss to the A's. Cabrera's homers were his 11th, 12th and 13th, good for third in the league in that department. His four RBI extended his league - and major league - best to 44. National League Arizona's Mark Reynolds doubled off Matt Cain with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. The next time he was at the plate, Cain plunked him. Next time, he struck him out. Reynolds' second-inning double was the only hit the Diamondbacks could produce of Cain, who - other than hitting Reynolds - set down the next 22 batters in a row for a 1-hit, complete game, 5-0 shutout. Cain was nearly perfect, throwing 83 of 122 pitches for strikes, fanning 9 in all without walking any. With a 2.05 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP, Cain's record is still only 3-4, largely due to lack of run support. Cain has started ten games for the Giants this season. In five of those outings, his teammates have managed to score two runs or less, resulting in 4 losses and a no decision. With San Diego falling to Washington, 5-3, the Giants climbed closer to the top of the NL West, currently 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Padres and a game behind second place Los Angeles.

Pavano Mows Down Red Sox; Cain Stymies White Sox

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 22, 2010 American League For the second time this Spring, Carl Pavano picked up a win over the Boston Red Sox, as his Twins teammates scored all of their runs in the first three innings and Pavano shut out the Sox on 2 hits over five innings for a 7-2 win. Pavano's excellent control was on display, as he induced pop-ups and ground-outs from the Red Sox batters, walked just one and recorded a lone strikeout. He's only had one poor outing - against St. Louis - where he allowed 3 earned runs in 3 innings. Outside of that, he's been sensational, allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run over a 15-inning span. If he can maintain that solid form through the start of the season and keep the ERA down from his career average of 4.44, Pavano may provide a welcome boost to the Twins in the contentious AL Central. National League The San Francisco Giants have been causing quite a stir down in Arizona, compiling an impressive 16-6 record in the current exhibition season. As the Giants prepare for the real thing in two weeks time, their pitching staff has been coming around very nicely, especially 5th-year veteran Matt Cain, who bounced back from a poor outing against Oakland last week, working 6 2/3 innings Tuesday to top the White Sox by a 6-1 score. Cain allowed just 3 hits in his 4th Spring outing, walking one while fanning 2. The only Chicago run against him was unearned. It was Cain's best start of the Spring and has teammates and fans alike anticipating a fast start for the Bay area boys. A stalwart last season with a 14-8 record which included 4 complete games, Cain gives the Giants a great #2 starter behind ace Tim Lincecum. MLB Preview: Chicago Cubs Will this be the season the Cubs finally break through and win the World Series? Las Vegas oddsmakers think they have a shot, making them a 14-1 choice to win it all. The reality on the field will determine if the Cubs have the players and motivation to emerge from the scramble that is the NL Central division, in which the Cardinals, Astros, Reds and Brewers all have reasons to be optimistic. After juggling their lineup considerably in 2009 and finishing in second place, 7 1/2 games behind St. Louis and 8 1/2 behind Colorado in the wild card race, the Cubs will probably have more stability at the top of the order, as shortstop Ryan Theriot has stamped his claim to the leadoff spot, batting .284 with 21 steals and 81 runs scored last year. Having both Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez healthy might have helped the Cubs considerably last year, and the team hopes to have them both in the lineup more often in 2010. Soriano played in just 117 games; Ramirez missed roughly half of the season. When they play an entire season, both of them are good for 25 homers and 100+ RBI. Missing that much punch from the everyday lineup was a drag on the Cubs last season, so keeping the power guys healthy will be key to their success. Derek Lee at first, Mike Fontenot at second, and the improving Geovany Soto behind the plate completes a very solid defensive infield that can also produce at the plate. In the outfield, Soriano will man left, with Kosuke Fukudome in right and Marlon Byrd, cast for from the Rangers, in center. Byrd had a very productive season in Texas prior to taking the free agency route. In 2009, he hit .283 with 20 homers and 89 RBI. He, along with Fukodome (.259, 11, 54) give the Cubs plenty of options. Byrd is apparently the choice to fill the #2 slot in the lineup, replacing Fukodome and probably dropping him down to 6th. Chicago's pitching staff revolves around the fiery Carlos Zambrano, who, when on his game, is one of the most dominating mound presences in the league. Zambrano was also injured for part of 2009, compiling a pedestrian 9-7 record. In 2008, however, he was 14-6. He has the tools to be a 15-20-game winner if he stays healthy and keeps his emotions under control, a difficult task for the 6'5", 255-lb. hurler. The rest of the starters - Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Randy Wells, Tom Gorzelanny and Carlos Silva - are about ordinary, though Lilly had some moments last season, and he gives the Cubs a solid left-hander as a #2 starter, though he's not going to be ready to go until mid-April at the earliest. Dempster's been the most productive over the last two seasons, going 28-15 combined after re-emerging from the bullpen. Gorzelany's battled injuries the past two seasons, and he's another guy who could come up big if he stays injury-free. Silva gives them maneuverability as a 5th or spot starter, but the real issue remains in the bullpen, where the Cubs are weighing their options. Carlos Marmol is likely to be the closer, though blowing 4 of 19 chances in 2009, wasn't didn't exactly endear him to Cubs' fans. If he succeeds in nailing down wins, the issue still remains in long relief and set-up guys, where John Grabow and Sean Marshall seem to be the best at holding down leads. The Cubs can certainly compete in the division, but, after 102 years without a championship ring, there is sure to be plenty of hand-wringing in the Windy City this season.

Cabrera, Tigers Keep Hold of 1st; Cain hurls Giants to Wild Card Lead

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 29, 2009 American League Detroit maintained its 2-game lead in the AL Central, but Minnesota has moved a game ahead of Chicago and into second place with 4 straight wins while the Sox have dropped three in a row. The Tigers have struggled to keep hold of first place, but avoided a sweep in Texas with a 13-5 thumping of the Rangers on Wednesday. Leading the offense was Miguel Cabrera, who went 4-for-6, including a run-producing double in the 5th and a 3-run blast - his 20th - in the 7th as the Tigers banged out 19 hits. Justin Verlander earning his 12th win against 5 losses, allowing 3 earned runs over 7 innings, fanning 13. National League San Francisco's Matt Cain took the mound against the Pirates in search of his 13th win against just two losses and pitched brilliantly - giving up 3 hits and shutting out Pittsburgh over 9 innings - but failed to get the win as Zack Duke (7 innings) and John Grabow (2 innings), matched the zeroes on the scoreboard. In the 10th, Randy Winn singled home Eugenio Velez for the game's only run, and the Giants slipped into the wild card lead with a 1-0 win, 1/2 game past idle Colorado. Cain walked 2 and struck out 4 but remained 12-2. Though Cain's mound brilliance went unrewarded, he managed to improve some already impressive numbers. lowering his ERA to a ridiculous 2.12 while keeping batters in 2009 hitting at a .222 pace. For all the press given to fellow starter Tim Lincecum, Cain is having an equally dominant season. The two have kept the Giants in the heat of the wild card race, though they continue to trail the Dodgers by 7 games. With LA losing four straight, San Fran may be in a position to launch a run at first in the NL West. As July turns to August, the Giants host the Phillies for three games, then head to Houston for three before returning home to face the Reds and then the Dodgers in a three-game series August 10-12. If LA continues to falter and the Giants keep plying quality baseball, that series shapes up as a defining division showdown.

Red Sox Bang Up Yankees; Cain Trims D-Backs

Sunday's Peak Performers and Fabulous Flops American League Manny Ramirez got it started with his 2nd home run in the third inning. Three batters later, J. D. Drew, Mike Lowell (right) and Jason Varitek had all hit balls out of Fenway Park, tying a major league record (4 consecutive HRs) held by four other teams. All four homers were off rookie Yankee starter Chase Wright. Lowell later connected for a 3-run shot that sunk the Yankees, 7-6 and gave Boston a 3-game home sweep over their AL East rivals. Here's a trivia question that should stump your friends. Of the five times that teams have hit 4 straight homers, which player was part of two of them? Answer: J. D. Drew, who did it last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 18 against San Diego. Better yet, he was also the 2nd of the 4 both times. Nick Markakis doubled, tripled, drove in 3 and scored twice in 4 at-bats to help the Baltimore Orioles to their 4th straight win and 2nd place in the AL East. The O's 7-3 win over visiting Toronto completed a sweep of the 3-game set and left them 1 1/2 games behind the streaking Red Sox, who have won 5 straight. The Sox head to Baltimore for a pair on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Other AL Scores Detroit 6 Chicago White Sox 5, 12 innings LA Angels 6 Seattle 1 - E. Santana (W, 2-2) 7 inn., 1 ER Cleveland 6 Tampa Bay 4 Texas 4 Oakland 3 Kansas City 3, Minnesota 1 - J. De La Rosa (W, 2-1) 8 inn., 5 hits, 0 ER National League Barry Bonds smacked his 740th home run, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 2-1 win over visiting Arizona. Bonds' 6th home run of the season left him 15 shy of Hank Aaron's all-time career record of 755. The story in San Fran this weekend was the Giants' pitching which held the Diamondbacks to 3 runs while sweeping the 3-game series. Russ Ortiz, Barry Zito and, on Sunday, Matt Cain (right) stymied the D-Backs, stretching their losing streak to 4 games. Cain was dominant, hurling a complete-game, 3-hit performance for his 1st win of the season. Despite the 1-1 record, Cain, who became a full-time starter for the Giants last season, lowered his ERA to 1.53 and is sporting a mind-blowing 0.83 WHIP. The Giants haven't exactly been generous in run support, scoring only 8 runs in Cain's 4 starts this season. Dan Uggla rapped out a 2-run homer, a 3-run homer and a single in 5 at-bats, drove in 6 runs and scored 3 times to help the Marlins double up the visiting Washington Nationals, 12-6.

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Kelly Johnson singled and homered twice in 4 at-bats, drove in 4 runs and scored 3, spoiling the day for Tom Glavine and the Mets and giving the Braves sole possession of 1st place in the NL East. Scott Rolen went 5-6, including a solo home run and a 2-run triple, drove in 3 and scored 3 times, but teammate Albert Pujols stole the show with his 5th home run of the season, a 10th-inning, 3-run walk off variety that sent the visiting Cardinals to a 12-9 win over Chicago and a 2-1 spilt in their weekend series. Other NL Scores Pittsburgh 7 LA Dodgers 5 - C. Duffy, 2 SB, 3 R Milwaukee 4 Houston 3 - Brewers 1.5-gm lead in NL Cent. Philadelphia 9 Cincinnati 3 - R. Howard, HR (2) Colorado 4 San Diego 2