Matt Holliday, Jacoby Ellsbury Spark Yankees Over O's; Travis d'Arnaud's Two Homers Power Mets Past Nats

Holliday: Walk-off HR

Players of the Day for Friday, April 28, 2017

American League

Rallying from a 9-1 deficit, the New York Yankees outlasted the Baltimore Orioles, tying them for first place in the AL East with a 14-11 win in 10 innings.

The game lasted three hours and 41 minutes, featuring 29 hits, eight home runs - two of which were grand slams - and a walk off three-run job by Matt Holliday.

Ellsbury: Grand Slam

Thanks to Mark Trumbo's grand slam in the top of the sixth, the Yankees were down 9-1 after 5 1/2 innings, but scored three in the bottom of the sixth, then added four more on Jacoby Ellsbury's grand slam in the seventh. Ellsbury knocked in another run in the ninth on a fielder's choice, and scored when Starlin Castro socked a three-run homer to tie the game at 11.

An inning later, Holliday delivered the final blow, a 414-foot blast to center with two aboard, completing one of the biggest comebacks in Yankee history (and there have been plenty of them). Ellsbury finished 1-for-5, but had five RBI and scored twice. Holliday was 3-for-5, with three runs and three RBI.

Now dead even at 14-7, the two teams tangle again at Yankee Stadium in game two of their three-game series, Saturday at 1:05 pm ET.

National League

d'Arnaud: 2 HR, 5RBI

The New York Mets could not have picked a better time nor place to snap their six-game losing streak, traveling to Washington, DC, for a 7-5 win over the first place Nationals.

Travis d'Arnaud belted a pair of home runs and drove in five runs to power the Mets past their NL East rivals in the opener of a three-game series of vital importance to the Mets.

While the Mets were busy losing six straight and ten of their last eleven, the Nationals had seized the lead in the NL East, going 11-2 over the same span, including a three-game sweep of the Mets in New York.

Now at 9-13, the Mets own last place in the division, 6 1/2 games behind Washington, but have hope that they can make up some ground during their head-to-head weekend series.

Game two is slated for a 1:05 pm ET start at Nationals Park on Saturday.

Matt Holliday's Grand Slam Lifts Cardinals; Matt Shoemaker Delivers as Angels Win Sixth Straight

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 21, 2015

American League

Shoemaker: 6IP, 10Ks

Rolling to their sixth straight win, the LA Angels maintained a two-game lead in the AL West over Houston with a 7-0 shutout of the visiting Minnesota Twins.

Starter Matt Shoemaker improved to 5-7 with a solid six-inning performance, blanking the Twins on two hits over six innings. The Angels staked their hurler to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and third innings, but, after Chris Ianetta keyed a five-run sixth inning with a three-run homer, manager Mike Scioscia decided he had gotten all he needed from his starter and sent Fernando Salas out for the seventh inning.

After Salas put down the Twins in order, Jose Alvarez completed the whitewash with two hitless innings.

Shoemaker walked three and fanned 10, matching his season high. Off to a slow start in 2015, Shoemaker was 16-4 last season with the Halos. The win was Shoemaker's first since June 9.

Holliday: Grand Slam

National League

Michael Wacha didn't have his best stuff, but still improved to 11-3, allowing five runs on four hits over five innings as teammate Matt Holliday boosted the Cardinals to an 8-5 win over the White Sox with a fourth inning grand slam.

The homer was just Holliday's fourth of the season, but it came at a most opportune time, lifting the Cardinals to a five-game lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central. The Pirates fell at Kansas City, 3-1.

While Holliday is batting a healthy .302, his power numbers are way down. He's hit 20 or more homers every season since 2009.

Still, the Cardinals continue to bowl over the opposition. Their 59-34 mark is the best in the majors.

St. Louis faces the White Sox in the completion of their two-game series, Wednesday night in Chicago.

Matt Holliday Powers Cards to Top in NL Central; Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence Rip in 15-5 Giants' Win; Clay Buchholz Goes Distance

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 31, 2014

American League

Buchholz: 3-hit ShO

Sadly, Clay Buchholz's 3-hit shutout of the Rays will not be remembered in the annals of great Boston performances, as the Red Sox have long since fallen out of contention, their 60-76 record leaving them 19 1/2 back and in last place in the AL East.

Buchholz did everything right in Boston's 3-0 victory, getting 23 first-pitch strikes on the 29 batters he faced, throwing 69 of 98 pitches for strikes, fanning six without walking a batter.

It hasn't been the best of season for either the Red Sox or Buchholz, who improved to just 6-8 while lowering his ERA to 5.40.

Buchholz allowed hits in the first, fourth and sixth inning, but, after Jose Molina singled, leading off the sixth, Buchholz mowed down the remaining Tampa hitters in order, getting the last 12 in a row, to finish with a flourish.

Elsewhere in the division, Baltimore extended their lead - the largest in the majors - to nine games over the Yankees with a 12-8 win over the Twins while the Bombers were losing to Toronto, 4-3. In case anyone wants to start counting, the Orioles' magic number to clinch the AL East outright is 19.

Hunter Pence

National League

Matt Holliday

It's getting crowded at the top in the NL Central, West and wild card races.

The Giants completed the three-game sweep of the Brewers with a 15-5 trouncing, pounding a parade of weary Milwaukee pitchers for 16 hits and five bases on balls, dropping the Brewers into a tie for first place in the Central division with the Cardinals, 9-2 winners over the Cubs.

Pablo Sandoval

Leading the Giants were Hunter Pence, who singled, doubled twice, tripled, drove in two runs and scored three times in five at-bats, and Pablo Sandoval, who went 3-for-3 with a single, triple and a two-run homer, driving in three. Both players scored three times in the rout, the Giants' sixth straight win, leaving them 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the West but atop the wild card race, with a game edge over either the Brewers or Cardinals. Atlanta trails San Francisco by 2 1/2 in the wild card. Pittsburgh is three out.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals rode the bat of red-hot Matt Holliday, who singled, homered, doubled and drove in four runs in the Cardinals second straight win over the Cubs, splitting the series, two games apiece.

Holliday homered twice on Saturday, has four homers in his last five games and has nine RBI in just his last two games. He has 16 homers and 78 RBI on the season. He's hit safely in nine of his last ten games, going 13-for-40 (.325) with 16 RBI.

As the calendar turns to September, on Monday, all NL contenders oen three-game series. St. Louis stays home to host the Pirates, Milwaukee heads to Colorado, the Brewers go to Chicago to play the Cubs, while the Dodgers host NL East-leading Washington.

The Giants could end the day riding an eight-game win streak, as they will be finishing a game with the Rockies that was suspended with the score tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the sixth inning, from May 22, prior to their regularly-scheduled start. The additional game due the Giants could - in the case of a win - put additional pressure on the Dodgers and the teams battling for the wild card.

Tampa's Jake Odorizzi, Toronto's Drew Hutchison Each Throw Seven-Inning 1-Hitters; Matt Holliday Homers Twice as Cardinals Break Losing Streak

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 30, 2014

American League

Drew Hutchison

If any one thing typifies the state of baseball in the 21st century it is the advent - and overuse - of the pitch count, the nearly deified number that skews statistics and has managers scurrying from the dugout to the mound with the diligence of a third grade schoolmarm.

Jake Odorizzi

On Saturday, the dreaded pitch count marred two exceptional performances, both in the AL East and both by pitchers on their separate ways to what could have been - should have been - shutouts.

In Tampa, rookie hurler, Jake Odorizzi quieted the Red Sox on one hit over seven innings, blanking them, while striking out seven and walking three, in a 7-0 Tampa Bay victory.

Other than plunking Yoenis Cespedes in the second inning and walking the bases full in the seventh, Odorizzi was round the plate, allowing only a Will Middlebrooks fourth-inning leadoff single to soil his record. That one hit, did, however, give manager Joe Madden an excuse to take his rookie from the mound ad turn the ball over to relievers for the final two innings. One supposes that had Odorizzi been throwing a no-hitter, Madden might have left him in, even after the alarming 103 pitches he'd thrown.

Jake Beliveau and Kirby Yates mopped up, pitching the eighth and ninth, respectively, preserving the victory.

Earlier in the day, Toronto's Drew Hutchison had set the mark for young hurlers, blanking the visiting Yankees on one hit over seven innings - a fourth-inning double by Mark Teixeira - before being lifted. Hutchison threw (you guessed it) 103 pitches, walking two and striking out nine prior to getting the hook.

Strangely enough, Hutchison also faced a bases-loaded condition, when he plunked Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann with two outs, around Teixeira's double, but got Martin Prado to fly out to center, ending the inning.

Aaron Sanchez came on with a flawless two innings of relief for the 2-0 Toronto win.

Hutchison, who tossed 58 innings in 2013, so is technically not a rookie, has already thrown a shutout this season. Odorizzi has not.

The results of the games did little to affect the standings, except that the Yankees fell further behind the Orioles in the East, now eight games back, and fell 3 1/2 off the pace in the race for the second wild card.

National League

Holliday: 2HR, 5RBI

The Cardinals finally broke out of their funk, winning the back end of a day-night double-headers with the Cubs Saturday night, breaking a four-game losing streak with a 13-2 win.

Matt Holliday led the hitting assault with a pair of homers - his 14th and 15th - a three-run jolt in the fifth inning which unknotted a 1-1 tie and a solo blast in the ninth igniting a nine run Cardinal eruption.

Holliday was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded later in the inning, accounting for his fifth RBI of the night. He finished 2-for-3.

The victory came at an opportune time for St. Louis, holding onto their status in both the Central division and wild card races. While the Giants were beating Milwaukee, 3-1, for their fifth straight win (and the Brewers' fourth straight loss), the Cardinals had already lost the first half of their double-header to the Cubs, 5-1.

The results leave St. Louis one game behind the Brewers in the division, with Pittsburgh another game back. The Cardinals are a game behind the Giants in the wild card race, leaving them in the #2 slot, with the Pirates, again, one more game back. Atlanta is 1 1/2 behind the Cardinals.

Teams and positions are sure to change as baseball enters September. The Giants trial Los Angeles by just 2 1/2 in the NL West.

Matt Holliday Drives in Three as Cardinals Take 2-1 World Series Edge on Bizarre Ending

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 26, 2013

World Series Game Three

Matt Holiday drove in three runs to help position the Cardinals for a wild ninth-inning ending, putting St. Louis up two games to one with a 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Holliday: 2-5, 3RBI

Prior to Allen Craig doubling and scoring the game-winner on an obstruction call, Holliday had gotten the Cardinals out to an early lead with an RBI single in the first as St. Louis scored a pair off Boaston starter, Jake Peavy. After Boston tied the game at 2-2, with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, Holliday delivered a two-run double in the seventh to give St. Louis what looked, at the time, a safe lead.

Boston re-tied the contest with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth and the game appeared headed for extra innings after the Cardinals failed to produce in the bottom of the eighth. But, Yadier Molina singled with one out in the ninth, followed by Craig's double as a pinch-hitter for reliever Trevor Rosenthal.

With runners at second and third and the infield playing in, Jon Jay grounded to second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, who threw home to nail Molina at the plate. Boston catcher, Jerrod Saltalamacchia, whipped a throw to third base in an attempt to gun down Craig, who was trying to advance on the play. The ball eluded third baseman, Will Middlebrooks, who lay prone in the third-to-home basepath when Criag rose from his slide and attempted to slide, but tripped over Middlebrooks, falling face-first to the ground.

Craig continued down the line, the throw beating him to the plate, where Saltalamacchia applied the tag, but the play was overruled by third base umpire Jim Joyce, who awarded Criag home on grounds of obstruction by Middlebrooks, an obvious and correct call.

Notes: Both teams emptied their respective benches in a managerial free-for-all. St. Louis used 18 players, six of them pitchers, while Boston fielded 17, also employing six hurlers, though Mike Napoli, Boston's surest power hitter, sat the bench throughout.

-- As is often the case in World Series games, little things matter, such as Matt Carpenter reaching on a checked swing to shortstop Xander Bogaerts (moved from third to short to start the inning). Bogaerts got to Carpenter's dribbler, but threw wide to first base, manned by David Ortiz, who had played the position all of five times during the regular season. Ortiz failed to come up with the ball and Carpenter later scored the go-ahead run, breaking a 2-2 tie, on Holliday's double down the left field line.

-- The Cardinals won for the second straight time without the benefit of a home run. Matt Holliday has the only St. Louis homer thus far, a ninth-inning solo shot in game one, an 8-1 Boston rout.

Game four starters are Lance Lynn for St. Louis and Clay Buchholz for Boston, with first pitch slated for 8:07 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: The record for total bases in a World Series is 25, shared by which two players? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: David Freese set the standard for total bases in a single post-season with 40 in 2011.

John Lackey, Mike Napoli Get Red Sox Past Detroit, 1-0; Matt Holliday Pushes Dodgers to the Brink in 4-2 St. Louis Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 15, 2013

American League

Mike Napoli

John Lackey

John Lackey gave the Red Sox his best, blanking the Detroit Tigers for 6 2/3 innings, and Mike Napoli delivered the only run of the game with a one-out, seventh-inning solo shot as Boston took a 2-1 lead in the AL championship series with a 1-0 victory in Detroit.

Lackey notched his second post-season win for the Red Sox in as many starts, improving his career marks to 5-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 14 starts. Giving up just four hits, Lackey fanned eight and did not walk a batter. Leaving in the bottom of the seventh with one aboard and two down, a trio of relievers finished his work, culminating with a four-out save by Koji Uehara, his third save of the post-season.

Napoli's homer came off Detroit starter, Justin Verlander, who went eight innings, giving up four hits and striking out 10. Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez both went 2-for-4 for the Tigers - all singles - but the 3-4 batters, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder produced only one hit between them, an inconsequential single by Fielder, a combined 1-for-8.

The series resumes Wednesday in Detroit at 8:07 pm EDT.

National League

Matt Holliday

After fouling out in the first inning, slugger Matt Holliday was still searching for his first hit of the series, 0-for-13 against the Dodgers in the NLCS.

When he came up in the third with a run already in, two outs and Matt Carpenter on third, Holliday didn't waste any time, mashing the first pitch from Ricky Nolasco into the far reaches of Dodger Stadium beyond left field, a 423-foot blast that put the Cardinals ahead 3-1.

Holliday's homer set the stage for the Cardinals' third win in four games over the Dodgers, putting LA on the brink of elimination in the best-of-seven series with a 4-2 victory and a three-games-to-one lead.

LA struck back with a pair of runs off starter Lance Lynn in the fourth, but it was all they could muster and proved insufficient, as Lynn picked up his second win of the series, going 5 1/3, and three relievers completed the job, blanking the Dodgers the rest of the way.

Shane Robinson added a solo homer in the seventh as a pinch-hitter, giving the Cards a cushion down the stretch.

Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig each went 2-for-3, but the Dodgers largely failed to get runners home despite eight hits and three walks (all off Lynn), grounding into three double plays. Nick Punto was picked off at second base by reliever Carlos Martinez in the seventh. LA stranded five and were 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

St. Louis will be looking to qualify for the World Series in game five Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles, Game time is 4:07 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who holds the record for most stolen bases in a single World Series? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Mickey Mantle holds the career mark, scoring 42 runs in multiple World Series as a member of the New York Yankees.

Matt Holliday Keeps Cardinals Winning; Derek Holland and Adrian Beltre Lead Rangers in Rout of Boston

Players of the Day for Friday, May 3, 2013

American League

Adrian Beltre

Matching leaders of their respective divisions, Texas welcomed the Red Sox into Arlington for the first of a three-game series Friday, and the Rangers broke out with an 18-hit attack in a 7-0 thumping.

Derek Holland

Texas starter Derek Holland threw eight innings of shutout ball at the Sox, fanning nine while scattering six hits and one walk to even his record at 2-2. Only one Boston baserunner reached second base, as all of the hits off Holland were singles and the Rangers turned two double plays. Derek Lowe piched a perfect ninth inning to close out the whitewash.

Adrian Beltre went 4-for-5, with a double and three singles, driving in three runs. Batting just .215 entering the game, Beltre upped his average to .241 with the effort.

Despite the loss, Boston remained safely in first place in the AL East, as both the second place Yankees and third place Orioles lost. Boston is 2 1/2 games up on the Yankees.

Oakland kept pace with the Rangers in the West, beating the Yankees, 2-0, to remain 1 1/2 games out.

The series continues Saturday afternoon at 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Matt Holliday

Matt Holliday broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a two-run homer - his sixth of the season - to lead the NL Central division-leading Cardinals to a 6-1 win over the homestanding Brewers.

Holliday went 3-for-4 with three runs, singling and scoring in the fifth and seventh innings as the Cardinals extended their lead.

Carlos Beltran added a solo homer in the seventh inning, his eighth of the season.

The win kept the Cardinals a game in front of Pittsburgh, who topped Washington, 3-1. The Central division, which has been a see-saw battle for first place through most of the first month of the season, has opened up a bit as Cincinnati is 2 1/2 back and the Brewers have faded to 3 1/2 out with their third straight loss.

St. louis has won four straight and will look to extend their winning streak when the meet the Brewers at 4:05 pm EDT in game three of their four-game series.

Cardinals Advance Past Braves as Matt Holliday Homers; Joe Saunders Stifles Rangers, Orioles Move On in Playoffs

Players of the Day for Friday, October 5, 2011

American League

The collapse of 2010 and 2011 AL champion Texas Rangers was completed Friday night when the Baltimore Orioles eliminated them in a one-game wild card playoff,5-1, at Arlington, Texas.

Joe Saunders

Losing eight of their final ten games, the Rangers blew a lead in the AL West to the Oakland A's, who came on to win six straight - including the final three games of the regular season against the Rangers - to capture the division title and force Texas into the one-game wild-card format with the Orioles.

Baltimore scored their five runs on eight hits, while the Rangers squandered their few opportunities, getting nine hits in the contest. Oriole starter Joe Saunders kept the Rangers in check, allowing one earned run on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. Earning his first post-season victory in five starts, Saunders walked one and struck out four, working into and out of trouble in each inning. The Rangers had base runners in every inning in which he worked, except the sixth, when he was lifted for reliever Darren O'Day with two out and nobody on, to face Nelson Cruz, who popped out to end the inning.

O'Day worked two innings before handing the ball over to Brian Matusz, who got the final out of the eighth. The Orioles tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the ninth, setting up a non-save situation for closer Jim Johnson.

Providing one final bit of drama, the Rangers sent the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth after Johnson loaded the bases by allowing a pair of singles and a walk, but then got David Murphy on a harmless pop out to right, ending the game.

Baltimore will host the New York Yankees in the first two of a best-of-five series beginning Sunday. The other divisional series opens Saturday in Detroit between West division champion Oakland and the Tigers, winners of the Central division.

National League

Controversy and an embarrassing display by Atlanta fans aside, the St. Louis Cardinals moved on in the playoffs, eliminating the Braves in a one-game playoff, 6-3, at Turner Field.

Matt Holliday

With the Cards leading 6-3 in the eighth inning, Atlanta had runners on first and second with one out when left field umpire Sam Holbrook called an infield fly rule on a deep pop-up into left field. Shortstop Pete Kozma was settling under the ball, but darted away at the last moment, the ball falling harmlessly between himself and left fielder Matt Holliday.

Because of the call, instead of having the bases loaded and one out, the Braves were left with runners on second and third with two outs. That's when bottles and other debris came flying from the stands, causing a 19-minute delay and Braves' manager Fredi Gonzalez protesting the game. Once play resumed, Brian McCann walked to load the bases, but Cardinal reliever Jason Motte struck out Michael Bourn to end the inning and the threat.

The Braves were their own worst enemy, wasting 12 hits and stranding ten base runners. St. Louis cashed in six hits for six runs, aided by three Atlanta errors. Holliday went 2-for-3, with a single and a solo home run, scoring twice, to lead the Cardinals offensively.

St. Louis advances to the division round against the Washington Nationals starting Sunday. The five game series begins with two games in St. Louis, followed by three in Washington, D.C., if necessary, in the best-of-five series.

The Giants and Reds begin their five-game series on Saturday in San Francisco.

Max Scherzer, Tigers Top Angels; Matt Holliday Leads NL in RBI as Cardinals Down Reds, 8-2

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 26, 2012

American League

Scherzer's 195 Ks
Lead AL

Prince Fielder and Delmon Young each homered in the sixth inning, providing more than enough offense in support of Max Scherzer, who improved to 14-6, holding the visiting Angels to a solitary, first-inning run in Detroit's 5-2 victory.

Scherzer gave up four hits and walked two, getting out of a three-hit first inning with a double play that plated Mike Trout, and a strikeout of Mark Trumbo to end the inning.

After Howie Kendrick singled to open the second inning, Scherzer did not allow another base hit, setting down 14 in a row before walking Trumbo to open the seventh. Setting down the Angels in order after that, his seven innings of work included nine strikeouts, giving him 195, tops in the major leagues and three better than teammate Justin Verlander.

Taking two of three from the Angels, the Tigers remain 2 1/2 back in the AL Central, following the White Sox, and they are in the thick of a four-team scramble for the two wild card spots, trailing Tampa Bay by a full game. Baltimore and Oakland are tied in the #2 slot, 1/2 game behind the Rays. The Angels are 4 1/2 back in the wild card and stuck in third place in the West, trailing the Rangers by 9 1/2 games.


National League

Holliday's 89 RBI
Leads NL

Taking two of three from the Central division-leading Reds, St. Louis crept to within six games of first place, winning the rubber game of the series by an 8-2 score.

Matt Holliday had a sensational afternoon at the plate, going 4-for-5, with two singles a double, triple and four RBI. Holliday scored twice, in the sixth and seventh innings, as the Cards banged out 17 hits off four Cincinnati hurlers.

Holliday leads the league in RBI with 89, four better than teammate Carlos Beltran and the Brewers' Ryan Braun.

Allen Craig cracked his 20th homer off Reds' starter Homer Bailey in the sixth and drove in three runs. He has 71 RBI, but has played in 30 to 40 fewer games than most other players.

St. Louis continues to cling to the second wild card, 2 1/2 behind Atlanta, but 1 1/2 better than the Dodgers and up two on division foe, Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals open a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Monday.

David Freese, Matt Holliday Lead Cards to Sweep of Astros; Rays Win 5-0 Over A's on Alex Cobb Shutout

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 23, 2012

American League

Tampa Bay just keeps on winning, getting their 14th victory in the last 17 games, courtesy of a four-hit shutout by Alex Cobb - the first shutout of his career - in a 5-0 blanking of the Oakland A's.

Cobb: 4-hit shutout

Cobb struck out eight, walked a pair and didn't allow any runners past second base, throwing 79 of 113 pitches for strikes while getting two double plays from his infield.

Cobb evened his record at 8-8 with his second career complete game, both of them coming this season.

The Rays scored all of their runs in the fifth inning and Cobb continued mowing down A's, as the Rays reached to within 2 1/2 games of the idle Yankees in the AL East, the closest they've been since June 16.

New York, which opens a thee game series at Cleveland Friday, has dropped three straight and five of their last seven.

The Rays opened home series with a win and hope to keep winning when they host the A's Friday and Saturday, followed by a rare Sunday day off.


National League

Matt Holliday

Heating up at the right time, the St. Louis Cardinals won their third straight, sweeping the Houston Astros with a 13-5 trouncing in the series finale Thursday.

David Freese

MVP of last season's World Series, David Freese drove in four runs with a three-run homer and a pair of singles in four at-bats. Matt Holliday also drove in four with a bases-loaded double in the fifth inning and an RBI single in the eighth.

Having taken over second place from the Pirates, St. Louis trails Central division leader, Cincinnati, by seven games, but is in line for the second wild card spot, trailing wild card leader Atlanta by 2 1/2 games.

The Cards begin a tough stretch on Friday, with three games at Cincinnati, three at Pittsburgh, and finally finish the 10-game road trip with four at Washington.

Jason Hammel, Ervin Santana Notch One-Hitters; Matt Holliday Leads Cardinals over Royals

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 16, 2012

American League

It may not exactly be the year of the pitcher, but with four no-hitters already this season (including two perfect games), dominance on the mound is spreading.

Jason Hammel

On Saturday, two hurlers, the Angels' Ervin Santana and Baltimore's Jason Hammel each came within a hit of record book territory with one-hit performances.

In Atlanta, Hammel set down 20 of the first 21 Braves in order, walking Dan Uggla to lead off the second, before surrendering another walk to Uggla and a scratch single to Jason Heyward with two out in the seventh.

Ervin Santana

Hammel got Eric Hinske on a routine fly ball to end the inning, and sailed through the eighth and ninth unscathed, finishing with a one-hitter, eight strikeouts and two free passes in the 5-0 Baltimore victory. His record improved to 7-2 as the O's evened their series with the Braves and play the rubber game Sunday afternoon.

Baltimore remained 1 1/2 back of the Yankees, winners of eight straight, in the AL East.

Ervin Santana took nearly the same route to a 2-0, 1-hit win as Hammel, retiring the first 20 Arizona batters, until surrendering a single toJustin Upton with twoouts in the seventh. Besides a walk to Miguel Montero in the ninth, that was the only blemish on Santana's game.

The Angels pounded outt10 hits, but only Mark Trumbo's first inning, two-run homer produced and scoring. Santana finished with one walk and five Ks, keeping LA within striking distance of AL West leader, Texas, four games out.

National League

Holliday: 4-5, 5RBI

The Cardinals and Royals each banged out 14 hits, but St. Louis prevailed in a 10-7 win, as Matt Holliday went 4-for-5 and drove in five runs.

Every hit was a run-producer for the St. Louis left fielder, socking a two-run homer (11) in the first, doubling and scoring in the second, singling in another run in the seventh and finishing with a two-run double in the eighth.

The victory kept the Cardinals tied for second in the NL Central, four games behind the Reds, winners of five in a row.

St. Louis will finish their home series with the Royals Sunday afternoon.

Jerome Williams Tosses First Shutout in Nine Years; Matt Holliday 3-for-5 for Front-Running Cards

Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 1, 2012

American League

The last time Jerome Williams threw a shutout in the majors, he was a rookie with the San Francisco Giants. The year was 2003.

Jerome Williams

Nine years later, getting the call to start from the Angels, Williams shut down the Twins on three hits, getting the Angels a much-needed, 4-0 victory.

Along the way between whitewashes, Williams has toiled in the minors, along with short stints with the Cubs and Nationals. Back in the AL and on the West coast, Williams has started four times for the Angels, compiling a 2-1 record with a 3.55 ERA.

In Tuesday's win, Williams didn't allow a hit after the third inning, setting down 17 Twins in a row before allowing a walk to Denard Span with two outs in the ninth. Span, the only Minnesotan to reach second base safely, did so on fielder's indifference before Williams got Alexi Casilla on strikes to end the game. Williams got all three outs in the ninth on Ks, fanning six overall, throwing 75 of 109 pitches for strikes.

Currently mired in last place in the AL West with a 9-15 record, the Angels will go for the series sweep of the 6-17 Twins on Wednesday.


National League

As standard bearers for the National League, the World Series champion Cardinals have represented well, compiling a 14-8 record through April and winning their first game of May with a 10-7 victory over the visiting Pirates.

Matt Holliday

St. Louis sits alone atop the Central division with a 3 1/2 game lead, after the Reds were rained out and the Brewers dropped a 2-0 decision at San Diego.

The Cards have picked it up right where they left off last October, despite the departure of Albert Pujols and world-class manager Tony LaRussa. Mike Matheny has guided St. Louis to a strong start, and Matt Holliday, who went 3-for-5 in Tuesday's contest, has helped pick up the slack.

Holliday singled twice, socked his fifth home run of the season, stole a base, scored twice, and drove in two runs as the Cardinals opened their three-game series with Pittsburgh with a win. St. Louis has taken six of seven series thus far, a 2-games-to-1 defeat at Chicago their only blemish.

Cardinals Take Game Five, 7-1, Lead NLCS, 3-2; Rangers-Tigers Resume Saturday

Players of the Day for Friday, October 14, 2011

National League

Cardinals 7 Brewers 1

St. Louis bounced back after Thursday's loss to forge another lead in the NLCS, taking a 3-2 series edge back to Milwaukee, where they can eliminate the Brewers with a game six victory.

Jaime Garcia

The Brewers were their own worst enemy, committing four errors in the game, though St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa and starting pitcher Jaime Garcia deserve most of the credit for the win. Garcia lasted only 4 2/3 innings, yielding one earned run off seven hits, fanning five without issuing any walks, but he was even more effective at the plate, going 0-for-2 with an RBI, though his key at-bat came in the crucial bottom of the second.

After Yadier Molina had doubled in Lance Berkman with the game's first run, Nick Punto lined out to third, leaving David Freese on thrid and Molina on second with two outs and Garcia coming to the plate. The 25-year-old lefty sent a hot smash between the legs of Milwaukee third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr., scoring both Freese and Molina, who were off on contact. The play was ruled an fielding error, though the ball never touched Hairston's glove, taking a low hop under it after skidding off the lip of the infield grass. A clean bounce would probably have resulted in Garcia being thrown out at first, ending the inning. The official scorer may have been too hard on Hairston; ruling the play a hit rather than an error would have given Garcia a couple of RBI.

In the fourth, Garcia did manage to get an RBI, on his ground out to short after LaRussa made the unorthodox move of having #8 hitter Punto sacrifice with one out and Freese on second and Molina on first. Punto laid down a perfect bunt to advance the runners to second and third, and Garcia laid the bat on the ball, plating Freese and putting the Cardinals ahead 4-0.

In the fifth, after Garcia had allowed the Brewers to score a run with two out, two aboard and Ryan Braun heading to the dish, LaRussa lifted his starter for reliever Octavio Dotel, who struck out Braun swinging on a series of low, outside sliders.

Matt Holliday

Yadier Molina

From there, the brilliant St. Louis bullpen took over, allowing just two hits the rest of the way. In the series, Cardinal relievers are 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA over 22 2/3 innings, holding Milwaukee batters to a .164 average. The only St. Louis starter to last long enough to record a win is Chris Carpenter, who worked five full innings in the Cardinals' 4-3, game three victory.

Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina each collected three hits, a double and two singles apeice. Holliday drove in a pair of runs, while Molina scored once and drove in one.

Game six is Sunday in Milwaukee, at 4:05 pm EDT. St. Louis sends Edwin Jackson to the mound to face Shaun Marcum in a rematch of game two starters.

American League

Friday was a travel day for the American Leaguers. The best-of-seven championship series resumes Saturday in Arlington, TX, at 8:05 pm EDT. with the Rangers holding a 3-2 edge over the Tigers.

Wainwright, Holliday Lead Cards; AL Pitchers Dominate NL, Colby Lewis Tops

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 19, 2010 American League Saturday was full of exceptional pitching performances by AL hurlers as they dominated their NL foes. In Chicago, Jered Weaver tossed seven shutout innings, allowing only two hits, no walks, while fanning 11 in a 12-0 Angels' rout. Jake Peavy returned to the kind of form that earned him the 2007 NL Cy Young award, going the distance for the first time this season with his first shutout since 2005, a 1-0 nail-biter at Washington. Peavy allowed just three hits and walked two while striking out seven. Jesse Litsch bounced back from a horrid performance in his first start (2 1/3 innings, 9 hits, 7 runs in a 10-3 loss to Colorado), with a solid seven shutout innings in the Blue Jays' 3-0 win over Matt Cain and the Giants. Seattle's Felix Hernandez shut down the Reds, 5-1, allowing five hits and one walk in his complete game win, fanning 9 batters. But the best of the bunch was turned in by the Rangers' Colby Lewis, a journeyman starter who didn't have any major league playing time in all of 2008 or 2009, but has posted a 7-4 record in 14 starts this season. The 31-year-old Lewis pitched what was probably the best game of his career - which dates back to 2002 - with a complete game 5-1 win over the Houston Astros. Lewis didn't allow a walk, yielded only two hits, struck out nine, giving up the only run of the game in the bottom of the 7th, when Michael Bourne doubled, moved to third on a fly out, and scored on a wild pitch. Lewis needed only 102 pitches to go the distance, throwing 72 strikes. He induced 12 batters to ground out as the Rangers won their 7th straight and continue to lead the Angels (winners of 3 straight) by 2 1/2 games in the AL West. National League With all of the AL pitchers throwing peas at National Leaguers, a couple of Cardinals picked up the slack for the senior circuit. Adam Wainwright (left) improved to 10-4 with eight innings of stellar work, yielding just five hits and no earned runs in the Cardinals' 4-3 victory over Oakland. All but one of the St. Louis runs were provided by Matt Holliday (right), who doubled in a run in the 5th inning and smacked a two-run homer - his 8th of the year - in the 7th inning, providing the winning margin. St. Louis expanded their thin NL Central advantage over Cincinnati to 1 1/2 games with the win.

Wilson Tosses 5 No-Hit Innings; Holliday's 4 RBI Lift Cards

Players of the Day for Friday, April 2, 2010 American League Do the Texas Rangers have another pitching on the verge of a breakout season? Last year, it was Scott Feldman, who turned around a lackluster career 7-13 mark into a 17-8 season. This year's phenom could be converted reliever C.J. Wilson, who has some similarity to Feldman, in that his record over 5 seasons is 12-20 and he's breaking into the starting rotation in 2010 with the Rangers. Where he differs is that he's had extensive experience as a closer, converting 50 of 60 save opportunities for the Rangers over the past three seasons. Wilson's had a OK Spring, showing flashes of brilliance, like Friday's 5 no-hit innings against the Kansas City Royals. While he didn't record a decision, the Rangers went on to win the game, 2-1, on David Murphy's 2-run homer in the 7th. Wilson walked 2 and struck out 4 in his final tune-up for the regular season. Wilson made 6 appearances this Spring - 4 of them starts - and finished up with an 0-2 record with 22 Ks, 8 BBs, and a 3.24 ERA. National League The Twins opened their new stadium - Target Field - to a wide-eyed exhibition game crowd on Friday, but Matt Holiday and the St. Louis Cardinals soured the celebration by beating Minnesota, 8-4. The official crowd, measured at 32,995, saw the Cardinals get all of their runs in two innings, with Holliday a major contributor. The Cardinals got 3 runs in the 4th, when Holliday belted a two-run homer off Twins' starter Carl Pavano, followed by a Colby Rasmus solo shot, and then hammered a pair of relievers in the 8th, scoring 5 times. Holliday delivered a two-run double in the midst of that outburst. The slugging St. Louis outfielder added a single to go 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, upping his average to .356, with 3 homers and 11 RBI. MLB Preview: San Francisco Giants The Giants appear poised to make another run at the NL West title this season, after a near-miss in 2009. San Francisco is leading the Cactus league as of this writing with a 22-11 record, and, while those games don't count for much, they may give the team an added boost of confidence when they open their regular season Monday at Houston. The home opener is slated for Friday, April 9, with the first of three games against the Braves. San Fran finished 2009 with an 88-74 record, their best performance since 2004, when they finished just 2 games behind the Dodgers, but missed out on the playoffs. Last year, they chased the Dodgers for the entire season, but stumbled down the stretch, ending up 7 back, and 4 behind the wild card Rockies. The Giants had the best record of any team in the major which didn't make the post-season, so there's reason to believe they'll be in the hunt again. Pitching is the Giants' major strength, with a starting rotation that ranks among the top 2 or 3 in the majors. Tim Lincecum. 33-12 over the past two season, notched his second straight Cy Young award in 2009. Following him are Matt Cain (14-8, 2.89), Barry Zito (10-13, 4.03) and Jonathan Sanchez (8-12, 4.24). Fifth starter Todd Wellemeyer (from St. Louis) pitched well enough in Spring training to complete the rotation. The Keys are Zito and Sanchez. If they perform well, the Giants could string together some nice win streaks through the season. If they don't, the team will struggle. In the bullpen, closer Brian Wilson should have an abundance of save opportunities this season. He had 38 saves in 2009, and will have a solid pair of set-up men in Jeremy Affeldt (a former closer himself) and Brandon Medders, who may also get a number of spot starts. Affeldt was outstanding last year, recording 33 holds and a 1.73 ERA over 62 1/3 innings. Two big free agent additions were Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa, who will likely bat fourth and fifth, respectively, behind slugging 3rd baseman Pablo Sandoval (.330, 25, 90). Huff has a good measure of power, while DeRosa has demonstrated that he can play a variety of positions and handle the bat quite well. Huff had a down year in the home run department, swatting just 15, though he did produce 85 RBI between Baltimore and Detroit. The well-traveled DeRosa will begin 2010 with his 6th different team. In 2009, he had possibly his best year yet, batting .250 with 23 homers and 78 RBI for the Indians and Cardinals. With DeRosa in left field, Aaron Rowand will play center and bat in the leadoff spot, but the biggest surprise may be right fielder John Bowker, who's had an outstanding Spring, batting .310 with 5 homers and 22 RBI. Veterans Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria man second and short, respectively, and besides being solid defensively, can each provide timely hits, though Uribe will likely give way to Freddy Sanchez, who is expected to remain on the DL until mid-May. Bengie Molina returns as the starting catcher after an excellent 2009 campaign in which he hit 20 homers and drove in 80 runs. The Giants should be in the thick of the division race until the end, along with the Dodgers and Rockies. If the pitching holds up and their free agency hires perform, they could get into the playoffs for the first time since the end of the Barry Bonds era. The Las Vegas future book has them at 84.5 wins and a 30-1 shot to become world champions.

Liriano Tosses 6 Scoreless; Holliday Banks a Pair

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 30, 2010 American League For Francisco Liriano, the road back to full health has been a long and arduous one. After emerging in 2006 as a high-octane hurler, Liriano suffered an arm injury that derailed a 12-3 season and caused him to miss all of 2007 after surgery and rehab. In 2008 and 2009, he was still struggling, going 6-4 in 2008, but backtracking to 5-13 last season with an ERA of 5.80. This Spring, the velocity has returned and Liriano's K-BB ratio has improved. He's fanned 30 while walking only 5, including the 8 Ks and 3 walks issued in 6 innings of work against the Pirates, which ended up a 4-1 Minnesota win. Liriano blanked the Pirates for 6 innings, his best start of the exhibition season. For his efforts this Spring, he was rewarded, being named the Twins' fifth starter. National League Entering his 7th season in the majors, Matt Holliday has already crossed some milestones, though there certainly seems to be many more in store for him. Already over 100 hits, Holliday, always a run-producer, is 8 RBI shy of 600, and his 152 homers are fair power numbers. In the Cardinals' 9-4 win over the Mets, Holliday parked a couple of offerings - both solo shots and his first two homers of the Spring - the first of which came right after Ryan Ludwick raked a 2-run shot off Mets' starter Oliver Perez, who lasted just 2 1/3 innings and allowed 7 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. Holliday homered later in the game and also scored 3 times. His batting average jumped to .308. He has a career batting average of .318, one of the best among active players. MLB Preview: Colorado Rockies Coming off a reasonably successful 2009 campaign in which they nearly tracked down the Dodgers in the NL West, the Colorado Rockies should be a contender for the division title once again. Finishing just 3 games behind the Dodgers, the Rockies captured the wild card but lost in the divisional series to the Phillies. The Rockies surprisingly came from well out of it. After a 19-28 start, they fired manager Clint Hurdle, replacing him with bench coach Jim Tracy. The moved worked magic for the Rockies, who went 73-42 under Tracy to close out the season. Even after their horrible start, the Rockies ended 2009 with the third-best record in the NL, behind LA and Philly. The 2010 edition of the Rockies comes stocked with an assortment of young players, not a lot of power, a quality pitching staff and one notable veteran: first baseman Todd Helton, who, at 36, can still deliver. He batted .325, with 18 homers and 86 RBI in 2009 and was rock-solid defensively. Around the infield, Clint Barmes mans second base, Troy Tulowitzki stays at short, and Ian Stewart plays the hot corner. Tulowitzki started slowly in 2009, but led the Rockies in homers, with 32 and RBI, 92. Chris Ianetta returns as the primary catcher, though his .228 average last season was a negative. Outfielder Seth Smith has a quiet, but productive season in 2009, banging 15 homes and 55 RBI to go with his .293 batting average. He will play left, with Dexter Fowler returning in center and Brad Hawpe in right. Fowler is the speed guy, with 27 swipes, but he needs to be more consistent at the plate (.266 in 2009). Hawpe is experienced and, along with infielders Barmes and Stewart, should be good for 15-25 homers and 70-90 RBI. Ubaldo Jiménez is the unrivaled ace of the Rockies rotation. In his third season - last year - he was 15-12, though his 3.47 ERA and 198 Ks proves he has the stuff to lead the team in wins. Behind him are four workhorses: Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook, Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Hammel. Francis missed all of 2009 with shoulder surgery, but had a good enough Spring to be named the #2 starter. He was awesome in 2007, but suffered the injury half way though the 2008 season. His return to health and a solid performance will be critical to the team's success. Hammel was a full-time starter in 2009 and settled in nicely. Veterans Cook and De La Rosa are good for 160-200 innings. The bullpen is stacked. Closer Huston Street had 35 saves last year and he will again be fronted by Rafael Betancourt, one of the best set-up guys in the game. Randy Flores, Matt Belisle and Franklin Morales will also be called on for situational relief. The Rockies will be part of what looks to be a 4-team race in the division, with the Dodgers, Giants and Diamondbacks all pointed for strong seasons. Along with the NL Central and AL West, it's likely to be one of the most competitive divisions in the majors. The Vegas future book has Colorado slated to win 86.5 games and a 20-1 shot to take home a World Series trophy. They have a chance, but their pitching needs to hold up over the long haul.

Huff Sends Tigers to Xtra Inning Win; Holliday a Cheery Cardinal

Players of the Day for Monday, September 14, 2009 American League After dropping the first two games of their series with Toronto, the Tigers came back to win the last two games, including Monday's 6-5, 10-inning triumph over the Jays. The Blue Jays pounded Tiger starter Justin Verlander for 5 runs in the 6th inning to take a 5-2 lead, but Aubrey Huff evened the score in the bottom of the 9th with a 3-run blast, and Detroit went on to win in the 10th when Marco Scutero mishandled a potential double-play ball, allowing Brandon Inge to score from second. Huff's homer was just his second as a Tiger since being acquired from Baltimore in mid-August. Used mostly as a replacement and pinch-hitter, Huff is batting just .197 in 24 games with Detroit. The Tigers shaved their magic number to capture the Central division down to 14 with the win. They lead the Twins by 5 1/2 and the White Sox by 6 1/2. National League Matt Holliday has proven to be an outstanding mid-season pick-up for the power-hungry Cardinals, providing a big bat behind superstar Albert Pujols. Hitting in the cleanup spot on Monday, Holliday singled and doubled in 5 at-bats, driving in 3 runs and scoring twice as the Cards banged out 17 hits in an 11-6 win over the fading Florida Marlins. Holliday has driven in 48 runs in 47 games with St. Louis, including 12 homers. He's batting a robust .371 as a Cardinal, with 12 home runs, 14 doubles and two triples. The win helped the Cardinals reduce their magic number to win the NL Central to 10, as they lead the Cubs by 9 1/2. The Marlins trail Philadelphia by 7 games in the East and Colorado by 5 1/2 in the wild card. With just 18 games left on the schedule, time is running out on Florida. NOTES: The Rockies aren't in the wild card sweet spot just yet. Dropping their third straight, a 9-1 loss at San Fran, Colorado's wild card edge is down to just 3 1/2 games over the Giants, who refuse to die. The two play two more games, Tuesday and Wednesday, in what could prove to be the pivotal series of the season. In the AL wild card hunt, the Red Sox, by virtue of a 5-game winning streak, have opened a 4 1/2 game edge over the Rangers. No other team is close enough for consideration.

Holliday Blasts A's Back to Win; Ibanez Helps Phils Win 9th Straight

Players of the Day for Monday, July 20, 2009 American League Oakland's Matt Holliday broke through with a grand slam in the 7th inning, tying the Minnesota Twins at 13-13, and then Jack Cust delivered the game-winner with a solo shot for the comeback 14-13 win. The Twins had led the game 12-2 in the 3rd inning, but starter Nick Blackburn and the Minnesota bullpen could not contain the A's attack. Holliday doubled twice and homered twice, driving in six runs and scoring four times in 5 at-bats. Minnesota's Justin Morneau drove in 7, with a pair of homers, one a grand slam. National League The Phillies won their 9th straight as Raul Ibanez belted his 25th home run, a 3-run, first-inning shot, to lead Philadelphia to a 10-1 win over the Cubs. The win pushed the Phillies to a 6 1/2 game lead over the Braves. The Cubs remained 2 games beind the St. Louis Cardinals, who lost to Houston, 3-2. NOTES: Apologies for the scant coverage lately. My father, Nick Gagliano, 84 years of age, passed away on Thursday and I have been dealing with the funeral and other matters as best as possible. Thanks for your understanding during this trying time. The burial is today, July 21. -- Rick Gagliano

Holliday Leads Rockies in 18-17 Win over Marlins; Young, Twins Rock Tribe

Players of the Day from Friday, July 4, 2008 American League The surprising Minnesota Twins simply will not go away in the race for the top spot in the AL Central. On Independence Day, Delmon Young singled twice and hit a three-run homer in five at-bats, scoring three times and driving in four to lead a 15-hit Minnesota attack as the Twins pummeled Cleveland, 12-3. Notes: Coupled with the White Sox's 7-1 loss to Oakland, the win moved the Twins to within 1 game of first place. In the East, Tampa Bay hammered KC, 11-2, while Boston handed the Yankees their second straight loss, 6-4. While the Red Sox remained 3 games behind the Rays, the Yanks dropped into a tie with the Orioles, 9 out. National League In this season's highest-scoring game, Rockies, 18, Marlins,17, Matt Holliday homered twice - the second blast a grand slam - singled and scored the winning run in the 9th, helping the Rockies come all the way back from a 13-4 4th inning deficit. Holliday contributed 5 RBI to the Colorado attack, but certainly wasn't the only star in the lineup. Ryan Spilborghs went 4-for-5, scored four times and had 3 RBI; Clint Barnes also was 4-for-5, while Garret Atkins went 5-for-6 with 3 RBI and 3 runs. For the Marlins, Jorge Cantu was 4-for-5 and scored 4 times, and Cody Ross drove in 5 runs with a pair of singles and a bases-loaded double. Notes: The Phillies benefited from Florida's flop, beating the Mets 3-2 (their 4th straight win), to pull 3 1/2 ahead of the Marlins in the East. The Cubs also increased their advantage to the same margin in the Central with a 2-1 win over the Cardinals. However, in the West, Arizona lost while the Dodgers won, leaving the D-Backs just 1/2 game in front of Los Angeles.

NLCS: Rockies Roll Into Series

Colorado 6 Arizona 4 - So much for pitching and defense. The Colorado Rockies showed NL West champion Arizona that they could play that game even better, and added potent hitting to the mix, sweeping the Diamondbacks in four straight. Matt Holliday's (right) 3-run blast in the 4th inning put Colorado up 6-1 and sent the partisan crowd into a World Series frenzy. Arizona cut the lead to 6-4 in the 8th inning on Chris Snyder's 3-run home run, but that was as close as they would get. The Rockies will have to wait until October 24 to face either Boston or Cleveland in the World Series. The 8-day rest is a record layoff, and comes at a time when the Rockies are red hot. With the sweep of Arizona, they've won seven straight postseason games, plus a one-game playoff over San Diego to reach the playoffs. Prior to that run, they won 13 of 14, with their last loss coming on September 28 against the Diamondbacks.

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The Rockies have won 21 of their last 22 games. The only other team to have swept both the NLDS and NLCS was the 1976 Cincinnati Reds, who went on to sweep the Yankees in the World Series. The well-rested Rockies will hope to duplicate that feat.