Matt Harvey One-Hits White Sox in Mets' 1-0 Win; Matt Wieters Leads Orioles past KC

Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 7, 2013

American League

While the Red Sox were losing, 6-1, to the Twins, the Baltimore Orioles managed to win their third straight, a 4-3 victory over the visiting Royals, to pull to within a game of East division-leading Boston.

Matt Wieters

Baltimore jumped on KC starter, Ervin Santana, scoring three runs in the first inning, two on a double by catcher Matt Wieters which knocked home Nick Markakis and Adam Jones.

The Royals returned fire and tied the game at three, with a run in the third and two in the seventh on Alex Gordon's two-run belt, but Wieters came through with another RBI double in the eighth inning after Adam Jones walked to open the frame and took second on a throwing error by Royals' catcher, Luke Hochevar.

Jim Johnson stoned the Royals in the ninth, setting them down in order for his 12th save of the season, tops in the AL.

Wieters finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, boosting his total runs driven in to 18.

The Royals and O's hit the field for game two of the three-game set on Wednesday at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Matt Harvey, the young pitching phenom for the Mets, turned in his best performance of the season, but didn't get a decision, despite the Mets' beating the White Sox, 1-0, in 10 innings.

Harvey: 9IP, 1H, 0ER

Harvey set down the first 20 batters he faced, but had his perfect game spoiled by an infield single off the bat of Alex Rios with two down in the seventh inning. Undeterred, Harvey set down Adam Dunn swinging, one of 12 strikeouts on the night for the right-handed flame-thrower.

Finishing strong, Harvey put the Sox batters down in order in the eighth and ninth, getting the last two on strikeouts, however, the Mets also failed to score a run off White Sox starter Hector Santiago and relievers Matt Lindstrom and Nate Jones through nine innings.

After Bobby Parnell set down the White Sox in the top of the ninth, the Mets broke through off Jones in the 10th when Ike Jones led off with a walk, reached second on a sac bunt and scored when pinch-hitter, Mike Baxter, singled him home. Jones took the loss, his third without a win; Parnell won his third without a loss.

Even though Harvey didn't record a win, he's having a solid season - 4-0 with a 1.28 ERA and 58 Ks in 49 innings, leading the National League.

Chicago will try for a split in the two-game series Wednesday night at 7:10 pm EDT at Citi Field.

Todd Frazier Leads Reds to 4th Straight W in 11-1 Rout of Marlins; Matt Wieters' Grand Slam Buries Rays

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 18, 2013

American League

Matt Wieters

In Baltimore's 10-6 victory over Tampa Bay, Matt Wieters was there at the start and delivered the final blow to end the game.

Down 3-0 in the second inning, Wieters doubled and scored on Chris Davis' single to center for Baltimore's first run. Davis then scored on on Nolan Reimold's two-run homer, tying the game.

The teams exchanged blows, eventually sending the game to extra innings at 6-6. In the bottom of the 10th, Wieters made his way to the plate with the bases chock full of Orioles and delivered a 376-foot blow to right field, clearing the wall for a walk-off, grand slam homer, his third long ball of the season. The win was Baltimore's 17th straight extra-innings triumph.

The Orioles took the home series, two games to one, over the Rays, leaving Baltimore at 8-7, two games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. Tampa Bay dropped to 5-10, six games out, in last place.

National League

Todd Frazier

By all appearances, the 3-13 Miami Marlins are the worst team in the majors, on pace to lose 130 games, and, while that number is probably a stretch, they look like sure 100-game losers, especially after the 11-1 beat-down by Cincinnati Thursday night.

Miami tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, but their pitching staff allowed four runs in the bottom of the frame, four more in the fifth and two in the sixth, completing the rout.

Third baseman Todd Frazier scored three times in the fray, reaching on a walk and scoring on a sac fly in the fourth, singling and scoring in the fifth and finally, belting his fifth home run of the season in the sixth inning with one aboard to complete Cincinnati's scoring barrage for their fourth straight win.

Frazier is batting .298 with 14 RBI thus far and should add to his totals shortly. The Reds have a clear path to first place in the NL Central with three more home games against the Marlins over the weekend. Cincinnati trails the Cardinals in the division by 1/2 game.

The Cardinals topped Philadelphia, 4-3, on Thursday, and have three more games with the Phillies through the weekend.

Alex Gordon Leads Royals to 9th Straight win; Conor Jackson, Matt Wieters Star for Orioles

Players of the Day for Sunday, March 3, 2013

Grapefruit League

Matt Wieters

Matt Wieters homered and doubled, driving in five runs and Conor Jackson launched a pair and drove in four as the Baltimore Orioles whacked the Phillies, 12-3, in exhibition action.

Conor Jackson

The O's got off fast, scoring four times in the bottom of the first and then added seven more in the fifth. Phillies' starter Kyle Kendrick lasted just two innings, surrendering two homers and four earned runs.

The win put the Orioles atop the Grapefruit League standings with a 7-2 mark. Philadelphia dropped to 4-5.

Jackson, a regular with Arizona from 2005 through 2009, was traded to Oakland in 2010, went to Boston in 2011 and is trying to catch on with the Orioles this Spring. He's a lifetime .271 hitter.

Wieters had his best year as a pro in 2012, hitting .249 with 23 homers and 83 RBI.

Cactus League

Alex Gordon

As often happens during the exhibition season, the Kansas City Royals look like world beaters, winning their ninth straight without a loss in the Cactus League with an 8-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Batting from the leadoff spot, Alex Gordon socked his first home run of the year - a solo shot - singled, stole a base and scored twice for the Royals. He's put up a .500 average thus far, with seven hits in 14 at-bats.

Gordon, who has played all of his major league ball with the Royals, had a solid season in 2012, batting .294 with 14 homers and 72 RBI. He is expected to be the starting left fielder for the Roaysl in 2013.

KC is being hotly pursued by the Seattle Mariners, who have posted a 9-1 record.

Kevin Correia Shuts Down Cubs; Adam Jones, Matt Wieters Power Orioles to 10-4 Win

Players of the Day for Monday, September 17, 2012

American League

Back in July, when the Yankees had opened a sizable lead on the rest of the division, conventional thinking was that the Baltimore Orioles had begun their annual ritual of fading into the the depths and out of contention.

That thinking was incorrect, as August saw a revival of the "birds" and September brought forth the call, "they're not going away."

On Monday, the Orioles got even with the front-running Yankees in the win column and a game worse in the loss column to trail by just 1/2 games, beating the Mariners in Seattle by a 10-4 score.

Matt Wieters

Adam Jones

Beyond the steady managerial hand of Buck Schowalter, the Orioles have been led throughout the season by two of their bright, young stars, 26-year-old Matt Wieters and Adam Jones, 27.

In their win over Seattle, Wieters continued his hot streak with a pair of singles and his 22nd homer - a two-run, fourth-inning blast - three RBI and a couple of runs in five at-bats. Jones went 3-for-4, with a double and two singles, a lone RBI and four runs.

In his last ten games, Wieters has hit safely in seven, with multi-hit games in five, socking four homers with 12 RBI. Over the same span, Jones has batted at a steady .293 clip (12-for-41) and scored ten runs.

The series continues Tuesday in Seattle, where an Oriole win could land them in sole possession of first place, should the Yankees lose their series opener at Toronto.

National League

Having hit a bit of a speed bump in September, the Pittsburgh Pirates remain in the hunt for the wild card after splitting their series in Chicago, 2-2, topping the Cubs in the finale, 3-0.

Correia: 7IP 2H 0ER

Kevin Correia twirled two-hit ball over seven innings for his 11th victory against nine losses, giving way to relievers Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan, who each worked an inning of hitless, scoreless relief, Hanrahan picking up his 36th save, one behind Atlanta's Criag Kimbrel, who leads the league.

Striking out the first four batters he faced, Correia fanned six total, walking only one. Darwin Barney was the only Chicago batter to hit safely, getting two singles off Correia, but erased by double plays both times he reached.

The win left the Pirates still very much alive in the wild card race, tied with Milwaukee, 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card.

Pittsburgh, 4-11 in September, hosts a three game series with the Brewers beginning on Tuesday.

Matt Wieters, Endy Chavez Lead Orioles Over A's; Brewers Keep Closing as Wily Peralta, Ryan Braun Lead 3-0 Win Over Mets

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 16, 2012

American League

Matt Wieters socked a pair of solo homers and Endy Chavez went 4-for-4 as the Baltimore Orioles avoided being swept in Oakland, keeping pace with the Yankees in the AL East pennant race with a 9-5 victory.

Matt Wieters

The win left the O's a game behind New York as the Yanks took two out of three from the visiting Rays, finishing the series with a 6-4 win. Looking more and more like an also-ran, the Rays have fallen five back of the Yankees and four behind Baltimore, currently in line for the second wild card position.

The A's dropped three back of Texas in the West but remain two games up on the Orioles for the first wild card. The Rangers took a 2-1 decision over Seattle on Sunday.

Endy Chavez

Wieters had only three official at-bats, walking twice and scoring a third time in the seventh inning after his solo shots in the second and fourth innings put the Orioles up 3-2. Chavez singled three times and doubled, scoring twice and driving in a pair of runs.

Baltimore begins a three game series in Seattle Monday, while the Yankees get a day off before opening a three game set with Toronto on Tuesday.

The A's hit the road for the next ten games, beginning Tuesday with three in Detroit, then three in New York and four games with the Rangers in Texas, a series that should go a long way toward deciding the AL West and the wild card positions.

National League

Don't look now, but here come the Brewers.

Milwaukee won its second straight over New York, topping the Mets, 3-0, behind the two-hit pitching of rookie Wily Peralta (2-0) and a pair of homers by Ryan Braun.

Braun: 40 HRs

Peralta went eight full innings in his third start of the season, walking one and fanning five while he bamboozled the Mets hitters. Of the three base runners Peralta allowed, two reached second, but none advanced any further. John Axford came on to earn his 29th save with a hitless, scoreless ninth.

Peralta: 8IP 2H 0ER

Braun's homers were both of the solo variety. He went back-to-back with Aramis Ramirez leading off the fourth inning, then sent his league-leading 40th over the left field wall in the sixth.

The result left Milwaukee just 2 1/2 behind the Cardinals in the race for the second wild card spot. St. Louis topped the Dodgers, 5-2, in 12 innings, dropping the Dodgers one game back. Pittsburgh lost and slipped behind the Brewers by 1/2 game.

Atlanta has virtually sewn up the first wild card. The Braves stuck it to the Nats, 5-1, Sunday night, sweeping the series in Atlanta while creeping to within 5 1/2 of Washington in the NL East standings.

The Phillies trail St. Louis by for games. Arizona is 4 1/2 out.

Milwaukee has been on a September tear, winning 11 of 15 games thus far. They face a rugged 10-game road trip beginning Tuesday, taking them to Pittsburgh for three games, Washington for four and finally into Cincinnati for a three game series the middle of next week.

Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Mark Reynolds Bomb Yanks, Baltimore Ties for AL East Lead; Kurt Suzuki Leads Nats to 5th Straight Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 6, 2012

American League

The Yankees are stumbling. The Orioles are soaring.

Since August 24, the O's have put together a 10-4 record. The Yankees have been not so hot, going 5-8 over the same period, right after being swept by the White Sox in a three-game series at Chicago.

Beginning a four-game series in Baltimore with a slim, one game lead in the AL East, the Yankees were trying desperately to hold off the charging Orioles and retain their edge, which back on July 18 was a ten game bulge.

It didn't happen. Before a sellout crowd at Camden Yards, on a night honoring hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr., the Orioles smashed six homers in a 10-6 win to tie the Yankees for first place in the division.

Adam Jones

Adam Jones, Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds, who has been on a breathtaking tear of late, were the chief antagonists. Weiters got the Orioles on the board quickly, socking a three-run blast in the first inning as Baltimore put up a four-spot after Jones had singled home J.J. Hardy.

Mark Reynolds

In the sixth, Reynolds hit the first of two homers, putting the O's up, 6-1, but the Yanks rallied to tie the game with five runs in the top of the eighth.

Responding in the bottom of the frame, Jones belted a solo shot, Wieters singled and came home on Reynolds' two-run blast and Chris Davis completed the scoring with a solo bomb to right.

Reynolds has hit eight homers in his last seven games and driven in 16 runs as the O's have run down the Yanks.

Matt Wieters

Baltimore has taken three of the last four head-to-head with the Yankees, taking two of three last weekend in New York and there are three games at Camden Yards yet to play this weekend.

The Yankees are walking wounded. Mark Teixeira has been out of the lineup since August 27, nursing a sore left calf, though not on the disabled list. He could return this weekend. Starting pitchers Ivan Nova and Andy Pettitte are also currently out with injuries. Regular outfielder Brett Gardner was lost for the season since April, as was closer Mariano Rivera.

Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup September 3rd after missing 45 games with a broken wrist. He's gone 4-for-16, but has only driven in one run.

Age and injuries are catching up to the Yankees, and the youthful Orioles - and Tampa Bay, just two games back - are taking full advantage.


National League

On Thursday, Atlanta took its second straight 1-0 game from Colorado, winning three of four in the series, but they can't make up any ground on the Nationals, as Washington took four straight from the Cubs, completing the series sweep with a 9-2 victory that left them up 7 1/2 up on the Braves in the NL East.

Kurt Suzuki

The Nats outscored the Cubs, 31-9, over the four games, getting a boost from catcher Kurt Suzuki in the finale. Suzuki went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer, two singles and scored twice.

It was the fifth straight win for Washington, which continues with the best record in the majors, at 85-52, 2 1/2 games better than Central division leader, Cincinnati. If the Nats and Reds finish in that order, the result could mean home field advantage should the top two teams meet in the NL Championship series.

The Nationals open a three-game series with the Marlins on Friday. 15-6 Stephen Strasburg has been penciled in as the starter for Washington, in what could be his final start of the season. The controversial plan to sit the young ace after 160 to 170 innings is on the cusp of completion. Strasburg enters Friday's contest having thrown 156 1/3 innings.

Nationals' management has maintained all along that Strasburg would be shut down for the season at some point whether the team was in a pennant race or not, but has not disclosed exactly when the star would see the mound for the last time.

There is speculation that the Nationals, with their commanding lead in the division, might hedge their position a bit, having Strasburg skip a start or two down the stretch, saving him for the post-season. Players, fans, broadcasters and other managers have been critical of the innings limit, but the Washington front office has been steadfast in their commitment to shut the hurler down at some point.

The situation could become a lot more interesting Friday night, especially if Strasburg goes six innings or more.

Matt Wieters, Mark Reynolds Lead O's to Sweep of Pirates; Brandon Phillips Has 4 RBI in Reds' Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 14, 2012

American League

Baltimore completed their three-game home sweep of Pittsburgh with a 12-6 win over the Pirates.

The two teams combined for 26 hits, 16 of them belonging to the winning Orioles, who closed to within 1/2 game of idle AL East leader, New York.

Matt Wieters

The heart of Baltimore's lineup had the best of Pittsburgh's pitching staff, as Mark Reynolds and Matt Wieters each went 4-for-5.

Mark Reynolds

Reynolds had a single, a pair of doubles and a solo home run, scoring three runs and driving in two. Wieters singled twice and doubled twice, driving in five runs, including the first of four Baltimore's first inning runs.

After that, the game was mostly Baltimore's. The Orioles had a 10-0 lead before the Pirates finally got on the board with three runs in the fifth.

The Orioles embark upon a weekend road trip to Atlanta while the Pirates, now tied with St. Louis, three games behind the NL Central-leading Reds, head to Cleveland.


National League

With Pittsburgh dropping three straight, the Cincinnati Reds took full advantage, completing their sweep of the Indians with a 12-5 victory over Cleveland, Thursday.

Brandon Phillips

Brandon Phillips was key to the Reds' win, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a pair of singles and four RBI.

After Cleveland scored two runs in the top of the first, Joey Votto erased their lead with a three-run blast in the bottom half, his 15th of the season.

Phillips broke the game wide open after that, socking a solo homer in the third - his 8th - singling in two runs in the fourth and singling in another as the Reds put up a 5-spot in the fifth.

The win put the Reds three games ahead of Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the Central division.

INTERLEAGUE SCOREBOARD: The National League finally cut a bit into the AL's interleague lead, winning six of ten games on Thursday, leaving the tally for the season at 68-58 in favore of the American League.

Chase Headley, Nick Hundley Power Padres Past Rockies; Matt Wieters Homers Twice for Orioles

Players of the Day for Monday, April 16, 2012

American League

Could this be the year that Matt Wieters lives up to his potential and becomes of the baseball's premier catchers?

Matt Wieters

With a blazing start to the 2012 campaign, this appears to be Wieters' year to shine.

The fourth-year pro capped a six-run 10th inning in Baltimore's 10-4 road win over the White Sox with a grand slam, his fourth homer of the season and his second long ball of the game.

Wieters finished 3-for-4 - his other hit a single - five RBI and a couple of runs as the Orioles took sole possession of first place in the AL East, 1/2 game ahead of the Blue Jays.

The numbers continue to improve. In 2010, Wieters hit .249, with 11 homers and 55 RBI. 2011 was better, at .262, 22 and 68. This season's .344, four homers and nine RBI has him on pace for a breakout season.


National League

With a 2-8 start, Padres' fans haven't had much to cheer about, and, even after Monday night's 7-1 win at Colorado, San Diego still trails the 9-1 Dodgers by 6 1/2 games, the largest deficit in the majors.

Nick Hundley

Chase Headley

If the Padres are going to be competitive, they'll need solid campaigns from two of their better hitters, third baseman Chase Headley and catcher Nick Hundley, who together produced six of San Diego's 14 hits, both players going 3-for-5.

Headley's hits were all doubles, and each time he arrived at second base, Hundley drove him in, with a double and two singles, collecting three RBI for the game.

San Diego's win snapped a four-game losing streak. The Padres continue their three-game series at Colorado Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home for four straight with the visiting Phillies.

Ryan Howard Has Grand Time vs. Mets; Matt Wieters Breaks Out for Orioles

Players of the Day for Friday, April 29, 2011

American League

Matt Wieters

Manager Buck Showalter has his hands full in Baltimore.

Since taking over late last season, Showalter has the team playing better baseball, but there are lots of moving parts and the AL East is an unfriendly environment overall. The O's started out hot, then lost seven straight, but have since played more consistently.

With Friday's 10-4 shearing of the White Sox, the O's have won three of their last four and are out of last place in the division.

Catcher Matt Wieters had the key hits in Friday's win. With the game tied at three, Wieters blasted his 4th home run of the season, a two-run shot off White Sox starter John Danks that put the O's up 5-3. After Chicago responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, Wieters pretty much finished them off with a two-run double in the 7th, part of a five-run rally in which he also scored Baltimore's 10th run.

Weithers went 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs. He's driven in 16 this season, but still hasn't quite found his groove, batting .260, generally out of the eight hole.

National League

Ryan Howard

The Phillies have had to play at a high level just to stay ahead of the streaking Florida Marlins. On Friday, they won for the seventh time in their last nine games with a 10-3 whipping of the Mets in New York.

The win kept them just 1/2 game ahead of Florida in the NL East, as Ryan Howard delivered with a pair of home runs - his 5th and 6th of the season.

Howard got the Phillies started with a two-run shot in the 4th and followed it up with a grand slam in the 6th that put the game out of reach as the Phillies built an 8-0 lead.

Besides guiding Philadelphia into first place, Howard his having his usual, exceptional time at the plate, batting .302 with six home runs and 27 RBI which leads not just the National League, but the entire majors.

DIAMOND NOTES: It wasn't supposed to work out this way, but Washington's Jason Marquis outdueld the Giants' Tim Linceum, shutting down San Francisco on five hits for a 3-0 Nationals' win. Marquis fanned seven and went the distance, driving in a run with a single in the 6th. He's now 3-0, while Lincecum faded to 2-3.

Wieters on the Mark for Orioles; Hudson Leads Padres Past Rangers

Players of the Day for Thursday, March 17, 2010

American League

Matt Wieters

Baltimore bats were booming as the O's banged out 20 hits in a 13-3 win over the Pirates. Matt Wieters, in as a DH, had four for himself, going 4-for-5 with two singles, two doubles, two runs and two RBI.

Entering his third season, Wieters has yet to live up to his expectations. As a rookie in 2009, he hit .288 with 9 home runs and 43 RBI in 96 games. The power numbers were a little better in 2010 - 11 bombs and 55 RBI - but that was over a 130-game span in which the catcher struggled at the plate, batting just .249.

Lots of players really begin to find their stride in their third season, and if that's the case for Wieters, the Orioles may find themselves closer to the top of the AL East standings than the bottom.

National League

San Diego pounded Texas, 15-5, getting 19 hits off five Texas hurlers. Leading the barrage with a 3-for-4 effort was newly-acquired Orlando Hudson, who belted a pair of doubles and a single, scored twice and drove in two runs.

The well-traveled Hudson spent last season in Minnesota, where he batted .268 in 128 games. A veteran of nine seasons in the majors, Hudson has played with the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Twins and Diamondbacks and is a career .280 hitter.

Lee Shuts out Nats; Wieters Arrives with 5 RBI

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 15, 2009 American League When catcher Matt Wieters hit the bigs back in late May, he was all the rage in fantasy circles, as though the Oriole prospect was the second coming of Johnny Bench. To the dismay of many virtual managers, he was not an instant sensation, but, after some initial struggles, Wieters may finally be coming around, though it certainly appears that better days are ahead of him. In Tuesday's 10-5 win over Tampa Bay, Wieters showed what he could do, going 3-for-4 with a single, double, 3-run homer, 5 RBI and 2 scores. Though his numbers are still short of expectations (6 homers and 32 RBI in 78 games) and the O's completely out of playoff contention, Wieters may thrive in the no-pressure environment as Baltimore plays out the string. National League Want to win a divisional title? One thing you need to do is beat up on the weaker teams, like the Phillies did to the Nats all season long. It also helps to have a bona fide ace on the mound, like Cliff Lee, who stymied the Nationals on 6 hits for a complete game 5-0 shutout. Lee struck out 9 and walked 3, posting his 3rd shutout and 6th complete game of the year. Three of those complete games and two shutouts have come while a member of the Phillies, whom he joined at the end of July. The Phillies are 12-3 vs. the Nationals this season and have two games still to play with the worst team in the majors. At 50-94, the Nationals are virtually assured of recording another 100-loss season. Philadelphia is 7 games clear of second place Florida in the division. Their magic number is 12. NOTES: Time is running out on the Texas Rangers. They are in danger of becoming an afterthought - the best team to NOT make the playoffs - after losing their third straight in a 6-1 loss to the A's. Texas is now 6 games behind the Angles in the AL West and 5 1/2 behind Boston in the wild card race. The Red Sox topped the Angels, 4-1, for their 6th straight win. With just 18 games left in the regular season, the Rangers need to start winning almost every game. In the National League, the Giants don't have the look of a team that relishes being left behind as they blasted the Rockies for the second straight day. After Monday's 9-1 thumping, San Fran took Colorado out for a 10-2 whipping on Tuesday, creeping to within 2 1/2 games of the Rockies for the wild card lead. Seemingly unable to cope with prosperity, the Rockies have dropped four straight and gotten themselves back into contested waters. The Giants go for the series sweep tonight at home.