Max Kepler Leads Twins In Walk-Off Win Over A's; Walker Buehler Blanks Marlins in 9-0 Dodger Victory

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 21, 2019

American League

Kepler: Game-winner

With the Cleveland Indians bearing down upon them, the Minnesota Twins needed some magic in the final game of their four-game series with the tough Oakland A's.

They got just enough tricks from leadoff hitter Max Kepler to come away with a walk-off, 7-6, victory and a split in the series.

After doubling and scoring the game's first run in the opening frame, Kepler uncorked a three-run bomb in the second - his 24th home run of the year - to give the Twins a commanding 4-0 lead. Oakland battled back, and, by their at-bat in the bottom t=of the eighth, Minnesota found themselves down, 6-5. Oakland maintained the lead through the eighth and into the ninth, but closer Liam Hendriks could not contain the Minnesota hitters.

Luis Arraez got things started with a one-out single in the ninth, followed by Ehire Adrianza's triple to right field, tying the score. After Jason Castro struck out swinging, Kepler delivered a scratch single to left center, bringing home Adrianza with the winning run.

Kepler was 3-for-6 with four RBI and two runs. The Twins maintained their three-game lead over Cleveland, who topped Kansas City, 5-4.

Minnesota remains home to open a three-game series with the Yankees on Monday. Game time is 8:10 pm ET.

National League

9-1 Buehler: 7 scoreless

Looking very much like the team with the best record in baseball, the LA Dodgers dismantled the Miami Marlins in the finale of their three-game series, completing the sweep with a 9-0 win.

Starting pitcher, Walker Buehler, improved to 9-1 with seven innings of five-hit, shutout ball. Buehler fanned 11, didn't walk a batter and threw 71 of 94 pitches for strikes. The Marlins were flailing away at his tosses all day.

In just his second full season, Buehler has an ERA of 3.23. He's struck out 131 batters in 117 innings while issuing just 17 bases on balls.

Since the all-star break, the Dodgers have seven wins against three losses and lead the NL West by a whopping 16 games. At 67-35 on the season, they've outclassed and outpaced the rest of the league. The Braves have the league's second-best record, at 59-41. In the AL, the Yankees are 64-34; the Astros, 64-37.

With Monday off, the Dodgers host the crosstown rival Angels for two games starting Tuesday.

Cardinals Rout Marlins, 14-6, As Luke Voit Drives In 4; Max Kepler 4-for-4 In Minnesota Win

Players of the Day for Monday, July 3, 2017

American League

Kepler: 4-for-4

Minnesota hasn't been playing too well recently, but they continue to hang in the race in the AL Central and are currently tied with Kansas City and Tampa Bay for the second wild card spot after a 9-5 win over the Angels Monday.

The Twins victory was only the third in their last nine games, keeping them tied with the Royals, 2 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Indians in the divisional contest.

Max Kepler was 4-for-4 with a home run, double, and two singles, driving in three runs. His double in the third inning put the Twins up, 4-0. A solo home run in the fifth made the score 5-2. After the Angels cut the advantage to 7-5, Kepler drove in his final run in the eighth on an infield single, his fourth hit of the game.

Kepler's home run was his 10th, to go with 35 RBI and a .261 batting average.

The Twins will be looking to take the second game of the series Tuesday at Target Field. Game time is 2:05 pm ET.

National League

Voit: first MLB homer

Fresh off taking two of three from the Nationals, the St. Louis Cardinals extended their home stand by drubbing the Marlins, 14-6, in the opener a four game series at Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals banged out 15 hits off five Miami hurlers, most of them coming against starter Jeff Locke (0-5) who allowed 11 hits and 11 runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Rookie first baseman Luke Voit hit his first major league home run and drove in his first runs, accounting for four of St. Louis' scores.

Voit drove in a run with a ground out in the first as the Cardinals and doubled in another in the third when the Cardinals erupted for seven more runs and an 11-0 lead.

In the eighth, with the game well in hand, Voit launched a 429-foot home run to center with a man aboard, completing the rout. Voit is batting .400, but has had only 15 at-bats.

St. Louis continues to battle in the NL Central, where the Brewers lead by 2 1/2 games over the Cubs. St. Louis is 3 1/2 out and will look for another win in game two, 2:15 pm ET, Tuesday.

Charlie Blackmon Pwoers Rockies Over Phillies, 8-1; Max Kepler Leads Twins' 21-Hit Attack Of Orioles

Players of the Day for Monday, May 22, 2017

American League

Max Kepler

Minnesota has been at or near the top of the Central division all season. After Monday's 14-7 bombing of the Orioles in Baltimore and Cleveland's 5-1 loss, the Twins ended the day with a one game lead over the Indians and a 1-0 lead in their series with the troubled O's.

Baltimore's issue is mainly with their pitching staff. Ubaldo Jimenez, who started for the Orioles, was touched up for six runs on nine hits over four-plus innings, relinquishing a 5-0 lead. Other hurlers didn't fare much better, as the Twins lashed out 21 hits.

Leading the barrage was Max Kepler, who singled, doubled and whacked a solo home run (his 5th) in five at-bats. Kepler drove in four runs, scored three times and reached on an error, which allowed Joe Mauer to score in the Twins' six-run sixth.

Kepler is in his second full season as the Twins' regular right fielder. Last year he hit 17 home runs, drove in 63 runs and batted .235. The nubers are improved this season, with five homers, 20 RBI and a .271 average.

Minnesota will try to hang onto first place in the division when they meet the Orioles at Camden Yards for game two of their three-game series, at 7:05 pm ET Tuesday.

National League

Charlie Blackmon

If Charlie Blackmon keeps playing the way he has so far this season, the Rockies will have to find another spot for him in the lineup. In Colorado's 8-1 torching of the Phillies, Blackmon went 2-for-5, drove in three runs, stole a base and scored twice, raising his average to .321 and upping his RBI total to 36, good for fifth in the National League.

This is not what leadoff hitters ordinarily do. They're supposed to get on base and score runs, not lead the team in RBI. Well, actually, teammate Mark Reynolds leads the Rockies - and the league - in RBI with 39, but Blackmon, who has nine homers as well, is closing in on him.

Not that Blackmon isn't scoring runs. He's crossed the plate 33 times, tied for fifth in the league. Meanwhile, the Rockies are rolling right along, with a 29-17 mark, two games up on Arizona in the NL West. While they're respectable, at 13-10, at home, the Rockies are an amazing 16-7 on the road.

Blackmon and his mates will look to improve on their road raging when they play the Phillies in game two of their four-game series, Tuesday, 7:05 pm ET at Citizens Bank Park.