AL and NL Wild Card Previews: Brewers at Nationals; Rays at A's

MLB Wild Card Previews

National League

NL Wild Card: Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals, Tuesday, October 1, 8:00 pm ET.

Scherzer: Nationals' starter

The Milwaukee Brewers face the Washington Nationals in the NL Wild Card elimination game. The winner heads to Los Angeles to meet the Dodgers in a five-game divisional playoff series. The loser goes home.

Brandon Woodruff gets the start for Milwaukee. He's 11-3 with a 3.62 ERA this season, and started just 22 games for the Brewers. The good news is that he's the best pitcher the Brewers have. On the downside, they're very weak in the bullpen, though Woodruff - unless the Nats tee off on him - should be able to go six or seven innings.

Max Scherzer should bring his "A" game, at least that's what the Nationals hope he will do. With a mark of 11-7 on the regular season, this was not a typical year for Scherzer. His ERA is still strong, at 2.92, and his 243 strikeouts were third in the NL, despite starting only four games in July and August combined.

What's concerning about Scherzer is that he was 6-0 with a 1.00 ERA in June, but just 2-2 in September. His longest September outing was 6 2/3 innings in a loss to St. Louis in which he allowed seven hits and five earned runs. Scherzer's September ERA is a whopping 5.16.

While the Brewers were red hot in September, they cooled off just in time to let the Cardinals win the Central division by two games. They were 20-4 for the month before being swept in Colorado the final three games of the season.

The Nationals went through a rough, 4-8, patch at the start of September, but finished strong, going 8-0 in the final stretch, including a five-game sweep of the Phillies and finishing up with a three-game sweep of Cleveland, all of those wins coming at home.

There are mixed signals for both clubs. Washington has momentum Scherzer, and home field, while the Brewers have a losing record on the road, their top hurler and a potent offense. The Nationals are heavily favored, but this match-up appears to be a lot closer than the consensus considers.


American League

AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland Athletics, Wednesday, October 2, 8:00 pm ET.

Pham: Rays' sparkplug

While the A's have yet to name a starter as of this writing, the Rays are going with their ace, Charlie Morton, who had a sensational season, racking up a 16-6 record with a 3.03 ERA. In 33 starts, Morton has struck out 240 in 194 2/3 innings, fifth-best in the AL.

Morton has the ability to go fairly deep into games on a team that has a versatile pitching staff with multiple role players. The Rays' ability to mix and match may serve them well in a one-game scenario. Despite not being adorned with big bats or superstar players, Tampa does everything with team in mind, seldom makes mistakes and can capitalize on opponents' miscues.

The A's definitely have the upper hand when it comes to hitting and power. Though their team average was .249 compared to Tampa Bay's .254, they had more home runs (257-217), RBI (800-730) and runs (845-769). Seven different players for the A's had 20 or more home runs, led by Matt Chapman and Matt Olsen, each with 36.

Tampa Bay will look for offensive spark from Tommy Pham and Willy Adames. Austin Meadows is their power guy, with 33 homers and 89 RBI.

This looks to be a tight one. Whoever starts for the A's will be expected to go at least four innings. Both teams were subjected to a tight wild card race which used up most of their resources until the final two games of the season. Having an extra day of recovery will aid both pitching staffs. The loser goes home, while the winner of this game heads to Houston to play a best-of-five divisional series.

Adam Jones Powers Orioles to 15-5 Win Over Rays; Max Scherzer Overpowers Marlins in 9-1 Washington Victory

Players of the Day for Friday, July 27, 2018

American League

Adam Jones

As the July 31 trade deadline approaches, there are still plenty of rumors afoot concerning players who may or may not be on the move.

One whom has stoked a significant amount of speculation is Baltimore's Adam Jones, especially since teammate Manny Machado was sent to the Dodgers a week ago, prompting the idea that the Orioles could be in the midst of a major restructuring.

Making sure that scouts and general managers fully appreciate his value, Jones sent a message in Baltimore's 15-5 romp over the visiting Rays on Friday, going 3-for-5 with two singles, a three-run home run and four RBI.

Jones, 32, has 11 homers and 42 RBI this season. Though the numbers are not impressive in and of themselves, they are fair, considering Baltimore's MLB-worst record of 30-74. Jones is currently on a seven-game hitting streak in which he has driven in nine runs, although the Orioles have not benefitted much in the way of wins during the stretch.

The Rays will try to even the series when the two tangle again at Camden Yards, Saturday, at 7:05 pm EDT.

Max Scherzer

National League

If the Washington Nationals are going to make a second-half run at the NL East pennant, they'll need starting pitcher, Max Scherzer, to be on his best game.

The two-time Cy Young award winner (2016, 2017) gave every indication that he'll be solid down the stretch as he notched his league-leading 14th win with a stellar performance in a 9-1 Washington win at Miami.

Scherzer went eight innings, allowing three hits and one walk while fanning 11. The sole run scored by Miami was unearned, in the seventh inning.

Not only is Scherzer leading the NL in wins, he's leading the NL with 200 strikeouts and is second in ERA, at 2.30.

Barring injury, Max is almost certainly going to lead the National League in strikeouts. Jacob DeGrom has the second-most, with 159.

The Nationals ended the evening six games out of first place in the division as the Phillies and Braves (2 1/2 off the pace) both lost.

Washington will be looking for their fourth straight win when they take the field against the Marlins, Saturday, at 7:05 pm EDT.

Corey Kluber, Max Scherzer's Brilliant Mound Work Results In Shutout Wins For Indians, Nationals

Players of the Day for Monday, April 9, 2018

American League

Kluber: 8IP, 2H, 0ER, 13K

As ESPN reports, cold weather made it tough for hitters, especially against two of the best pitchers in the majors, who were patrolling the mounds in Cleveland and Washington, DC.

In Cleveland, with the thermometer registering a chilly 33 degrees, Corey Kluber picked up his first win of the season, blanking the Tigers 2-0 over eight innings in the opener of a four-game series.

Last year's AL Cy Young award recipient had the Tigers flailing in the wind, allowing just two hits while fanning 13 with one walk.

The Indians got their two runs on a fifth-inning home run by Bradley Zimmer, the second-year player who has taken over the starting spot in center field.

Kluber is 1-1 after three starts, but he's pitched better than his record, allowing 11 hits and four earned runs over 23 innings. His 27 strikeouts lead the AL.

Game two is slated for Tuesday night, at 6:10 pm EDT.

National League

Scherzer: CG, SO, 2H, 10K

In Washington, the temperature was a relatively balmy 45 degrees, but with Max Scherzer toeing the rubber it might as well have been -25 for the overmatched Atlanta batters.

Scherzer went the distance for his second win against one loss, as the Nationals evened their record at 5-5 with a 2-0 triumph over the visiting Braves.

Scherzer struck out 10, didn't walk a batter and surrendered just two hits, a one-out single by Kurt Suzuki in the second inning and a leadoff single by Nick Markakis in the fifth, after which, Scherzer was perfect, setting down the final fifteen Atlanta batters in order.

The Nationals got their two runs off a first inning double by Howie Kendrick, plating Anthony Rendon and Bryce Harper. Staked to that early advantage, Scherzer sliced through the Braves' lineup as only a two-time Cy Young Award winner could. Scherzer took the prize in p2016 and 2017 and is chasing a third straight.

Scherzer improved to 2-1 with his fifth career shutout. His 27 strikeouts lead the National League and are tied with Kluber atop the majors.

Game two of the three-game series starts Tuesday at 7:05 pm EDT.

Adam Jones Drives In 5 As O's Top Yanks, 10-4; Max Scherzer Tosses Complete Game in 3-1 Nats' Win Over SF

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 31, 2017

American League

Returning to action after nursing a sore hip that sidelined him for four games, Adam Jones drove in five runs with a single, double, and three-run homer, helping the Orioles get back on the winning track, topping the Yankees, 10-4.

Jones: HR, 5 RBI

Jones got the Orioles on the board in the third inning, touching off a double against Yankee starter, Masahiro Tanaka, plating J.J. Hardy for a 1-0 lead. Mark Trumbo followed, driving in Jones and Seth Smith, who was held up at third on Jones' double.

An inning later, Jones broke the game wide open, blasting a three-run shot to right center. The Orioles didn't go easy on the Yankee ace. Tanaka was pounded, allowing nine hits and seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Finishing 3-for-5 with five RBI, Jones topped off the O's scoring in the eighth, beating out an infield single to drive in another run. Apparently, his hip was felling OK.

The win gave the Orioles the series win, two games to one, and may have quelled some of Baltimore's recent woes. Prior to the series with New York, the O's were 3-13 since May 10 and had lost seven straight. Wednesday's result left them 3 1/2 behind the Yankees, leaders of the AL East. The division has recently tightened substantially. Last place Toronto is just 5 12 out and the Yankees open a four game series there on Thursday, while the Orioles head to Boston for a four-game series with the Red Sox.

National League

Scherzer: CG, 11 Ks

Max Scherzer reared back and uncorked his 100th pitch, whizzing it by a flailing Buster Posey to complete Washington's 3-1 win at San Francisco. Posey had earlier doubled in the only run for the Giants in the third, but Scherzer (6-3, 2.56) was unfazed, allowing five hits, striking out 11 for his first complete game of the season and Washington's third straight victory over the Giants, sweeping the series.

The Nationals got three runs off Matt Cain in the bottom of the first on Ryan Zimmerman's 15th home run of the season, and with Scherzer on the mound, it proved too much to overcome. The Giants dropped to 22-33, tied with San Diego for last place in the NL West, 11 1/2 games behind the Dodgers.

Meanwhile, Scherzer and Washington have surged to a 9 1/2 game bulge in the East division with a 33-19 record.

Scherzer leads the league in strikeouts with 100. Over 77 1/3 innings, he's walked 18 and opposing batters are hitting just .186.

The Nationals are fourth in team ERA at 4.00, and lead the league in batting with a combined .275 average. They also lead in runs (286), hits (501, tied with Arizona), home runs (77) and RBI (279).

Washington remains on the West coast for the next six games, playing three with the A's in Oakland over the weekend, then heading down the pike to LA for a three-game series with the Dodgers, Monday through Wednesday.

Seth Smith 4-4, Steals Home In Baltimore Win; Max Scherzer Fans 11 For Nationals

Players of the Day for Thursday, May 4, 2017

American League

Smith: 4-4, Steals Home

Now in his 10th full season, Baltimore right fielder Seth Smith has been around, with stops in Colorado, Oakland, San Diego and Seattle, but he may have won over the hearts of Baltimore fans in his first season with the Orioles by his play thus far, especially what he did Thursday night.

Down, 2-0 in the third inning, Smith - who led off the game beating out an infield single but was stranded - singled again, this time to center, and moved to third on a bunt and a fielder's choice. With two down and runners on first and third, Smith and Manny Machado executed a double steal, with Smith scoring for the Orioles.

Smith was hardly done. Down 3-1 in the fourth, Smith doubled with two aboard, tying the game at three. When Manny Machado launched his xxx homer of the season, Smith scored along with J.J. Hardy, putting the Orioles up, 6-3, a lead they would not relinquish en route to an 8-3 victory.

Smith walked in the fifth and singled again in the seventh, completing a 4-for-4 effort with two runs, two RBI a steal of home, having reached base in all five of his plate appearances.

The win left Baltimore 1/2 game behind the idle Yankees in the AL East, dropping Boston three games back in third.

The Orioles split four games with the Red Sox and return home Friday to open a three-game set with the White Sox. Game time at Camden Yards is 7:05 pm ET.

Scherzer: 11 Ks

National League

The Washington Nationals are rolling along, and, if Max Scherzer - who won the AL Cy Young award in 2013 with Detroit and again in the National League last season - starts pitching like he did against Arizona, the rest of the league will need track shoes to keep pace with the NL East leaders.

After a rough outing on April 28 against the Mets (9 hits, 5 earned runs in six innings), Scherzer found his good stuff, stifling the Diamondbacks on two hits and one run over seven innings in Thursday's 4-2 Washington win.

Fanning 11, Scherzer took over the NL strikeout lead with 51, two better than Arizona's Robbie Ray and the Mets' Jacob deGrom. Sherzer walked just one in earning his fourth win against two losses, and has allowed just 11 batters to reach on walks this season.

The victory put the Nationals 6 1/2 in front in the division, as the Phillies and Marlins both lost and the Mets were rained out in Atlanta.

Winners of three of their last four, Washington travels to Philadelphia to open a three-game series Friday at 7:05 pm ET.

Max Scherzer Fans 17, Tosses Second No-Hitter of Season; Colby Rasmus Keeps Houston on Pace for Playoffs

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 3, 2015

American League

Scherzer: 2nd No-Hitter

Rasmus: 2HR, 2RBI

The AL wild card race continues to confound and confront the NY Yankees, despite having already clinched one of the two spots.

Baltimore took a double-header at Camden yards from the playoff-bound Yanks, taking the first game in a laugher, 9-2, and the second game on a mistake-filled eighth inning that saw the Orioles score the game winning run on a bloop single, a bunt single and two wild pitches from reliever Delan Betances, for the 4-3 win.

The Yankees have dropped five of their last six, and need just one win or a Houston loss to claim home field for the wild card game on Tuesday.

The AL West became even more confused as the Angles scored five runs in the ninth to overtake the Rangers, 11-10, leaving Texas one game up on the Astros after Houston whipped the Diamondbacks, 6-2. LA is two games back but still alive in the wild card.

Colby Rasmus slugged a pair of homers and drove in two runs in Houston's win. The Astros face the Diamondbacks in Arizona at 3:10 pm EDT to complete the regular season. A Houston win assures the Astros of being in the playoffs, either as a wild card or as champions of the AL West, pending a one-game playoff with the Rangers, which would purportedly be played on Monday.

National League

With the Mets in the playoffs and the Nationals playing out the string and making vacation plans, Washington took a small measure of revenge on their NL East rivals, sweeping a doubleheader, 3-1, in the opener and 2-0 in the nightcap, the latter, notably, the second no-hitter of the season for Max Scherzer.

Once again, Scherzer flirted with a perfect game, the only mar on his otherwise gemstone-perfect performance a sixth inning throwing error by Yunel Escobar. Scherzer fanned a season-high and franchise record 17, needing 109 pitches for the complete game win, improving his record to 14-12. Down the stretch, Scherzer was simply untouchable, notching nine straight strikeouts from two outs in the sixth until two down in the ninth. Curtis Grandson ended the game with a pop-up to third.

Washington scratched out a couple of runs in the 6th and 7th innings, the first on an RBI single by catcher Wilson Ramos. Dan Uggla socked a solo homer in the seventh.

Scherzer joined Nolan Ryan, Virgil Trucks, Allie Reynolds and Johnny Vander Meer, who pitched two in a row, as the only pitchers in MLB history to throw two no-hitters in the same season. His first no-hitter was against Pittsburgh on June 20. In that game, a hit batsman (Jose Tabata) kept him from perfection.

Washington and the Mets wrap up the regular season on Sunday at 3:10 om EDT.

Meanwhile, the Cubs and Pirates were attempting to sort out the wild card, but the Cincinnati Reds kept the two from finalizing which would have the better record and host the one-game playoff on Wednesday.

Cindy broke a 12-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory at Pittsburgh, while the Cubs got six strong innings from Kyle Hendricks (1 hit, 0 ER) and three relievers for a 1-0 win at Milwaukee. The results left Pittsburgh with a one-game lead over Chicago with one game to play. Both teams are in action on Sunday. A Chicago win and a Pittsburgh loss would produce a tie for the wild card and the Cubs would host the game at Wrigley field. A Pittsburgh win or a Cubs loss would put the game in Pittsburgh.

Seattle's Taijuan Walker Extends Scoreless Streak to 18 Innings; Max Scherzer Fans Nine as Nats Fold to Cards

Players of the Day for Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Grapefruit League

Scherzer: 9 Ks

As noted by more than a few baseball writers, the Washington Nationals look to have one of the best starting rotations in recent memory, perhaps one of the best of all time.

The addition of Max Scherzer, dealt from the Tigers to the Nats in the off-season, brought the rotation to extreme prominence, adding to an already robust staff that includes Gio Gonzales, Doug Fister, Stephen Strasberg, and Jordan Zimmerman.

Scherzer, the 2013 AL Cy Young award winner, will likely assume the role of ace, or #1 starter, and work opening day of the regular season.

In what looked like his final tune-up prior to that opening day start, Scherzer had complete command of his pitches and the St. Louis lineup, fanning nine in Washington's 1-0 loss to the Cardinals. Scherzer allowed three hits and no walks in his six innings of work.

Aaron Barrett, working in relief, allowed the game's only run, surrendered to the Cardinals in the bottom of the eighth. While Washington will likely have few issues on the mound, they'll have to find ways to score runs if they hope to reach the pinnacle of success in the NL East.

Walker: 18IP, 0ER

Cactus League

During the course of the Cactus and Grapefruit pre-seasons, there have been some notable performances and fabulous flops, but no player has displayed as much cold determination and dominance as Seattle starter, Taijuan Walker.

Walker, who exceeded rookie requirements last year (53 innings total between 2013 and 2014), has been to the mound for five starts this Spring, and has not allowed a run in 18 consecutive innings. On Wednesday, he went up the hill for six innings of work in Seattle's 3-2 win over the Cubs, allowing two hits and a walk while fanning six. The Cubs didn't come close to scoring off him, and only put up a deuce in the ninth inning.

As far as domination is concerned, Walker is the poster boy for it. In 18 innings this Spring, in addition to not allowing any runs (earned or unearned), he's allowed only six hits and four walks, striking out 19, while holding opposing hitters to a paltry .103 average.

Walker is expected to solidify the Seattle staff, which includes Rafael Perez, Joe Saunders, and the King, Felix Hernandez.

Max Scherzer Fans 14, Becomes AL's 1st 14-Game Winner; Milwaukee Tops Cubs, 6-2, as Mike Fiers Ks 14

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 14, 2014

American League

Max Scherzer

It's often been said that good pitching defeats good hitting and that was exactly the case with Max Scherzer earning his 14th win against just four losses in a 5-2 Tiger victory over Pittsburgh, Detroit winning both games of the brief series at home.

Scherzer threw 121 pitches over eight innings, 81 of them for strikes, allowing three hits while fanning 14 Pirate hitters, getting every Pittsburgh starter at least once on strikes. Scherzer left with a 2-0 lead. The Tigers added three runs in the bottom of the eighth, and Pittsburgh got their only two run in the top of the ninth.

Scherzer walked two, lowered his ERA to 2.98, took over second place in the AL strikeout race at 196 (teammate David Price leads with 205), leads the league in innings pitched (185 1/3), became the first 14-game winner in the AL and kept the Tigers 1/2 game behind Kansas City in the AL Central division. The Royals topped Oakland, 7-3.

Mike Fiers

National League

The Milwaukee Brewers earned a 2-2 split in their series at Chicago, topping the Cubs, 6-2, as Mike Fiers struck out 14 over six shutout innings.

Fiers, who spent most of this season at the Brewers' AAA affiliate, Nashville, of the Pacific Coast League, has had just three starts, but has won the last two, beating the Dodgers last week (8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) before taming the Cubs Thursday afternoon.

Moving down the Cubs, Fiers struck out the side in the second, then got the first two batters on strikes in the third. In the fifth inning, he recorded all three outs on strikeouts, as he did in the sixth. Welling Castillo walked with two outs in the fifth; Anthony Rizzo singled with two down in the sixth.

Fiers left the game after the sixth inning with a 5-0 lead, allowing just three hits and the lone walk. The Cubs scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, and the Brewers tacked on a run in the eighth.

Milwaukee's win kept them two games up on the Cardinals in the Central division. St. Louis took back second place with a 4-3 win over the Padres, with Pittsburgh losing to Detroit. The Pirates are 2 1/2 back.

Max Scherzer Wins 21st, Tigers Clinch AL Central; Daisuke Matsuzaka Goes 7 2/3 Scoreless as Mets Down Reds, 1-0

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 25, 2013

American League

Max Scherzer won his 21st game of the season and the Detroit Tigers took the AL Central pennant with a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Scherzer: 21-3

It was the third straight division title for the Tigers who seek a return to the World Series after losing last season to the San Francisco Giants.

On the road at Target Field in Minneapolis, Scherzer, 21-3, allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings, struck out 10, but issued six walks. Regardless of the excessive bases on balls, Scherzer's performance capped off one of the finest seasons for a pitcher in some time. With his pitch count at 123, manager Jim Leyland decided to sit Scherzer after seven innings, leaving the rest of the game in the hands of the bullpen.

Jose Veras and Drew Smyly got the Tigers through the eighth and Joaquin Benoit nailed down the pennant-clinching win with his 24th save, striking out two in a hitless ninth inning.

Scherzer will be the only pitcher in the AL with 20 or more wins. The next-closest are Bartolo Colon and C.J. Wilson, each with 17. In the NL, there are no 20-game winners. Jordan Zimmermann failed in his attempt to win his 20th in a 4-1 loss to the Cardinals.

Looking like a solid choice for the AL Cy Young award, in addition to the gaudy, 21-3 record, Scherzer is fifth in the AL in ERA, at 2.90 and second to Texas' Yu Darvish in strikeouts, with 240 in 214 1/3 innings. His 0.97 WHIP is tops among AL hurlers.

Elsewhere in the AL, Tampa Bay eliminated the New York Yankees from playoff contention with an 8-3 win in New York. Kansas City also fell out of the wild card race, losing 6-0 in Seattle. Cleveland, a 7-2 winner over the White Sox holds the second wild card, a game behind the Rays. Texas continued to keep its hopes alive with a 7-3 win over Houston. The Rangers trail the Indians by one game. The Rays and Indians have each won six straight.

NOTABLE: Will Middlebrooks drove in seven runs with a pair of homers - a three-run shot and a grand slam - as Boston hammered the Rockies, 15-5. The Red Sox should finish with the AL's best record. They are 96-63, holding a two-game edge over Oakland with just three games left to play.

AL Wild Card Standings (through 9/25)

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

National League

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Cincinnati fell to four games behind St. Louis in the NL Central and remained one game behind Pittsburgh for the wild card as Daisuke Matsuzaka shut the Reds out on four hits over 7 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, walking two and striking out six.

Matsuzaka missed most of the season due to injury, but returned to the Mets in late August. In seven starts, he's compiled a 3-3 record.

The Mets topped the Reds for the second time in the three-game series which closed out Wednesday. Matt Latos (14-7) gave up four hits over seven innings, but allowed a third-inning run, taking the loss as the Mets' bullpen preserved the 1-0 victory.

Pittsburgh also lost, 4-2, to the Cubs, keeping the Reds just one back. Al three Central Division leaders - Cardinals, Reds and Pirates - have already clinched playoff spots. The final three games of the season will determine positioning, though the Cardinals need just one more win or one more Pittsburgh loss to secure the division title.

Today's Trivia: The modern (since 1900) NL record for strikeouts in one season by a pitcher is 382. Who holds that distinction? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Don Drysdale led the NL in strikeouts three times, Sandy Koufax, four times, but Steve Carlton led the league in strikeouts five times, all with the Phillies.

Max Scherzer Throttles Mets in 3-0 Tiger Win; Carlos Beltran, Shelby Miller Lead Cardinals to 1st Place in Central with 6-2 Win over Braves

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 24, 2013

American League

If there's any debate about who should receive the AL Cy Young award this season, Max Scherzer did a pretty good job of making his case in Detroit's 3-0 victory over the Mets on Saturday.

Scherzer: 19-1

Scherzer improved to 19-1, going six innings without surrendering a run, walking four, but fanning 11.

Having to work exceptionally hard for the win, Scherzer threw 118 pitches (76 for strikes) but also doubled in the first run for the Tigers in the second inning, his first RBI since 2009.

After Ike Davis singled to lead off the second for the Mets, Scherzer struck out the next three batters to end the inning, then fanned four of the next five, prior to walking Davis with two outs in the fourth, recording eight straight outs, seven of them via the K.

Scherzer allowed just three hits before turning the ball over to a trio of Tiger relievers, who set the Mets down in order through the final three innings.

As for the Cy Young talk, Scherzer's 19 wins are five better than any other pitcher in the league, he's struck out 198 batters, second in the league, and his 2.73 ERA is fifth-best in the AL. With the Tigers leading the AL Central by six games with just 33 games left in the regular season, Scherzer may get five, maybe six starts and is likely to be the only pitcher in the majors to win 20 games this year. Adam Wainwright and Jordan Zimmrmann - both National Leaguers - have 15.

Scherzer's last defeat was a 7-1 loss to Texas, on July 13. He's since won six of his seven starts.

The Tigers and Mets wrap up their three-game series in New York at 1:10 pm EDT Sunday. Detroit leads, two games to none.

National League

Shelby Miller

Carlos Beltran belted his 23rd home run of the season and Shelby Miller allowed just one earned run over seven innings, as the Cardinals tied the Pirates for first place in the NL Central with a 6-2 win over NL East-leading Atlanta.

Carlos Beltran

Freddie Freeman touched off a long ball in the first inning off Miller, but Matt Carpenter quickly tied the game, leading off the bottom of the first with one of his own. After Freeman's bomb, Miller was virtually untouchable, the rookie allowing just two more hits before heading for the showers after seven, walking none while fanning six for his 12th win against eight losses.

Beltran's homer came in the third and gave the Cards the lead for good. The Cardinals tallied three more in the seventh and Beltran delivered another run with the second of two singles in the eighth, finishing the day 3-for-5 with a .311 average on a six-game hitting streak.

Later in the evening, Pittsburgh dropped a 6-3 decision in San Francisco, dropping them into a tie with the Cardinals, who have taken three straight from the Braves.

St. Louis will be looking for the sweep when they face the Braves on Sunday at 2:15 pm at Busch Stadium.

Today's Trivia: Since Denny McLain won 31 games in 1968, what pitcher had the most wins in a single season? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Don Mattingly led the AL in total bases in 1985 with 370, and again in 1986, with 388.

Max Scherzer Wins 17th, Tigers Win 12th Straight; Hyun-Jin Ryu Leads Dodgers to Commanding Lead in NL West

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 8, 2013

American League

Max Scherzer is pitching his way to a Cy Young award while his Tigers are streaking toward the AL Central pennant and the playoffs.

Max Scherzer

Scherzer won his fourth straight decision and 17th overall - against just one loss - as the Tigers completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians with their 12th straight victory.

Just like that, the Tigers cooled off the Tribe, increasing their lead in the division to seven games.

Scherzer allowed two earned runs on four hits with a walk and six Ks over seven innings, as the Tigers downed their division rivals, 10-3.

Scherzer has a comfortable, three-game edge in AL wins over a trio of hurlers. Chris Tillman, Bartolo Colon and Matt Moore each have won 14 games. Second in the league to the Rangers' Yu Darvish, Scherzer has 176 strikeouts. His 2.84 ERA is eighth-best in the league.

The Tigers haven't lost since July 25th, when they dropped a 7-4 decision to the White Sox. They're a perfect 7-0 in August and have won 16 of their last 17.

Detroit opens a three-game series in New York with the slumping Yankees - losers of four straight - Friday at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Hyun-Jin Ryu

The LA Dodgers have taken control of the NL West. In the process, they've damaged the post-season chances of some other National League clubs.

17-3 since the All Star break, LA swept three from the Nationals and beat up the Reds and Cardinals, taking four-game series from both, three games to one, including the series finale in St. Louis Thursday, as Hyun-Jin Ryu led them to a 5-1 victory.

With one of his best performances of the season, Ryu (11-3) worked over the Cardinal lineup for seven innings, giving up five hits, walking none while fanning six. The sole Cardinal run was unearned, coming off a throwing error by the Dodgers' Andre Ethier in the fourth inning.

A. J. Ellis provided some pop with a sixth-inning, three-run homer, his sixth of the season.

The Dodgers have a 5 1/2 game lead over Arizona in the division and host the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game series starting Friday night at 7:10 pm PDT.

Today's Trivia: The last time a player from Cleveland won the AL MVP award was 1953. Who was it? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The eight MVP awards won by Yankee players from 1954-1963 went to four players: Yogi Berra (1954, 1955), Mickey Mantle (1955, 1956, 1962), Roger Maris (1960, 1961) and Elston Howard (1962).

Max Scherzer, Victor Martinez Lead Tigers Back to 1st in Central; Matt Carpenter Keeps Cards Close in NL Central

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 3, 2013

American League

Scherzer: 13-0

Seven games over .500 (45-38), the Detroit Tigers continue battling in the AL Central, re-taking the top spot over Cleveland by 1/2 game after beating the Blue Jays, 6-2, while Cleveland was losing at Kansas City, 6-5.

Victor Martinez

Without Max Scherzer, who earned his 13th straight win without a loss, the Tigers might well be in third place or worst, because Scherzer's wins alone account for all their games over .500 and then some.

Not especially sharp, Scherzer did manage to hold the home-standing Blue Jays scoreless for five innings while his teammates built a 6-0 lead, but was touched up for a pair of runs in the sixth inning and turned the ball over to the bullpen after 6 1/3 frames, striking out eight and walking just one.

Scherzer has a 3.09 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and his 139 Ks are second-most in the AL, behind Texas' Yu Darvish, who has 151.

Victor Martinez was 2-for-4 with his seventh home run coming in the fifth inning, supplying Detroit final run with the solo shot. Martinez scored on Alex Avila's three-run jack in the second inning and singled in Torii Hunter in the third.

The Tigers have taken two of three from Toronto and will close out the four-game series Thursday night at 7:07 pm EDT.

National League

Matt Carpenter

Batting from the leadoff position, Matt Carpenter had himself a fine game as St. Louis hammered the Angels, 12-2, keeping pace two games behind the Pirates, who took a 6-5 decision over Philly, Wednesday.

The Cards scored seven times in the second inning off LA starter, Jerome Williams who didn't make it to the third, surrendering seven runs on four hits and four walks in 2 1/3 innings.

Carpenter singled in a run and scored on Jon Jay's homer in the second, stroked a ground-rule double in the fifth for another RBI, scoring on Jay's single, and socked his eighth homer of the season - a solo job - in the seventh, going 3-for-6 with three runs, a stolen base and three RBI.

Carpenter's hitting streak reach 12 games and his .324 average is fifth in the NL.

St. Louis and LA have split the first two games of their series on the West coast, which concludes Thursday night at 9:05 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who holds the record for most hits in a single season (262)?

Yesterday's Answer: Nolan Ryan threw seven no-hitters, six in the AL and one in the NL.

Max Scherzer, Jhonny Peralta Complete Tigers' Sweep of Yankees, Advance to World Series;

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 18, 2012

American League

ALCS: Detroit 8 NY Yankees 1 - Detroit completed the four-game sweep of the collapsing Yankees to advance to the World Series with a lopsided win over New York's ace, C.C. Sabathia.

Jhonny Peralta

The Tigers hammered Sabathia for 11 hits and five earned runs (six total), chasing the starter after just 3 2/3 innings, the final blow being Jhonny Peralta's two-run homer in the fourth, which put the Tigers up, 6-0. Miguel Cabrera earlier tagged Sabathia for his own two-run shot as the Tigers plated four in the frame.

Max Scherzer

Peralta socked another home run of the solo variety in the eighth, leading the Tigers to victory with three RBI and two runs.

While his teammates were bashing New York hurlers, Max Scherzer was setting down the suddenly-impotent Yankees with alacrity, taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning, fanning ten while allowing just two hits, two walks and one earned run over a 5 2/3 inning stint. A trio of Detroit relievers mopped up, holding the Yanks hitless over the final 3 1/3 innings, an embarrassing end for the proud franchise, and an exhilarating triumph in Tiger-town.

Detroit advances to the World Series, awaiting the National League entry. The series will begin at a National League site - since the NL won the all star game - on Wednesday, October 24.

National League

Jon Jay

NLCS: St. Louis 8 San Francisco 3 - Leadoff hitter Jon Jay went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI to lead a 12-hit Cardinal attack and starter Adam Wainwright stymied the Giants on four hits over seven innings to lead St. Louis to a commanding, 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Adam Wainwright

The Cardinals roughed up Giants' starter, Tim Lincecum, tagging him for four runs off six hits and three bases on balls over 4 2/3 innings.

Jay opened the scoring in the first, scoring on Matt Holliday's single up the middle after leading off the game with a scratch single, followed by a walk to the Cards' #2 hitter, Matt Carpenter, who came home on Allen Craig's sac fly.

The Giants cut the lead to 2-1 in the second inning on a solo homer by Hunter Pence, but Wainwright held the lead until the Cardinals let loose with two runs in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, putting the game out of reach. After Pence's homer, Wainwright set down 10 of the next 11 hitters and was in full control, striking out five without allowing any walks, throwing 70 of 96 pitches for strikes.

Jay doubled home a pair of runs in the sixth, Wainwright worked through the seventh, giving up the ball to Fernando Salas, who allowed the Giants two meaningless ninth inning runs on a Pablo Sandoval two-run homer.

Game five is Friday, at 8:07 pm EDT in St. Louis. The Cardinals can wrap up the NL championship with a win and earn some time off prior to Wednesday's start of the World Series. Barry Zito goes for the Giants, against St. Louis starter, Lance Lynn.

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.

Max Scherzer Fans 12 in 5-0 Detroit Victory; Pedro Alvarez Leads Pirates with 6 RBI

Players of the Day for Sunday, June 17, 2012

American League

Scherzer: 8IP 0ER 12K

Talk about two teams going in opposite directions: The Detroit Tigers won for the sixth time in their last eight outings, topping the Colorado Rockies, 5-0, as Max Scherzer (6-4) scattered seven hits over eight innings and fanned 12 without walking a batter, sending Colorado to their 10th loss in the last 11 games.

Scherzer threw 89 of 122 pitches for strikes and was pulled after eight full innings, having given it his all, setting down 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. Brayan Villarreal mopped up with a perfect ninth inning to preserve the win.

Scherzer's strikeout total reached an even 100, three behind teammate Justin Verlander, who leads the league.

The Tigers picked up a game on both AL Central leader Chicago and second place Cleveland and are just three games off the pace, with the Indians 1 1/2 ahead.

Both teams get a day off on Monday. Colorado heads to Philadelphia for a three game series starting Tuesday, while the Tigers continue their home stand with three against St. Louis.


National League

Pittsburgh continues to hang tough in the NL Central, taking two of three at Cleveland with a 9-5 victory over the Indians on Sunday.

Alvarez: 2HR, 6RBI

The Pirates took over sole possession of second place in the division, four back of Cincinnati, winners of six straight. St. Louis dropped to five behind, losing to Kansas City, 5-3, in 10 innings.

Pittsburgh got the bulk of their offense from third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who socked a pair of three-run homers and added a double to go 3-for-4 with six RBI.

Cleveland remained 1 1/2 behind the White Sox in the AL Central. It won't get any easier for the Indians as they host a three-game series with the Reds, starting Monday.

The Pirates return home for a six game home stand beginning Tuesday, with three against the Twins, followed by a weekend series with the Tigers.

Cabrera Evens Series for Tigers; Ryan Braun Gives Brewers 2-0 Edge; Theriot, Cards Get Even with Phillies

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 2, 2011

American League Divisional Series

Tigers 5 Yankees 3

Miguel Cabrera's two-run, first inning homer backed the pitching of Max Scherzer, who blanked the Yankees on four hits over six innings as the Tigers evened the five-game series at a game apiece.

Miguel Cabrera

Carbrera singled in the sixth, driving in Austin Jackson, who had reached on a Derek Jeter throwing error to lead off the inning. The Detroit slugged singled again in the eight and stole second, but did not score. Cabrera, Detroit's most productive hitter during the regular season, proved his playoff value by going 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Scherzer: 6 socreless

Detroit's relievers nearly gave the game away. Joaquin Benoit allowed a run in the 8th and closer Jose Valverde, who came on in anon-save situation in the 9th, gave up a leadoff home run to Nick Swisher, a triple to Jorge Posada and a walk to Russell Martin before retiring Andruw Jones on a sac fly that plated Posada with the third Yankee score. Valverde struck out Jeter, walked Curtis Granderson and got Robinson Cano, Saturday's hero, to ground meekly to second to end the threat and the game.

Game three is slated for Monday at 8:37 pm EDT in Detroit. Game one starters, Justin Verlander and C.C. Sabathia, will be on the mound after rain limited them to few pitches on Friday. Verlander worked only one inning, Sabathia, two, so both aces should be fresh.

National League Divisional Series

Brewers 9 Diamondbacks 4

Ryan Braun

Milwaukee's bats proved better than Arizona's pitching as the Brewers took their second straight at home, establishing a 2-0 lead in the series.

Ryan Braun singled, doubled and socked a first-inning, two-run homer, driving in three runs and scoring twice. In the 3rd, he doubled and scored as the Brewers began piling on the runs.

The game was tied 4-4 in the 6th, but Milwaukee batted around in the inning, scoring five runs, finalized by Braun's third hit of the night, a run-scoring single.

Game three will be played in Arizona on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 9:37 pm EDT.

Cardinals 5 Phillies 4

After getting beaten up in game one, the Cardinals sent their ace, Chris Carpenter to the mound in an attempt to cool off the hot Philly bats.

Ryan Theriot

It didn't seem to be going so well after the Phillies scored three runs in the first and added another in the second. Carpenter lasted only three innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out only two batters.

But that was it for the Phillies, as a parade of six Cardinal relievers blanked them over the next six innings. Meanwhile, St. Louis was able to generate some offense of their own off Philly starter Cliff Lee, dinging him for three runs in the 4th, another in the 6th and finally knocking him out with no outs in the top of the 7th.

It was one of Lee's worst post-season starts ever. He gave up 12 hits and allowed five runs over six innings, walking two while striking out nine.

Second baseman Ryan Theriot, batting seventh in the lineup, was the game's hitting hero. Theriot got the Cards on the board with a double in the 4th inning and later scored the Cards' third run. In the 6th, Theriot's two-out double turned into a run when he scored on Jon Jay's single to left.

Albert Pujols provided the game's winning run in the next inning, driving in Allen Craig with a single after Craig led off the inning with a triple. When Lance Berkman singled and Pujols took third, that was all for Lee, though the Philly relief staff held the Cardinals scoreless after that.

Game three is Tuesday in St. Louis at 5:07 pm EDT.

Tim Hudson 1-Hits Brewers; Max Scherzer Shuts Out Yankees over Eight

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 4, 2011

American League

Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer shut down the Yankee bats as he improved to 5-0 on the season, tossing eight innings of shutout ball in Detroit's 4-0 home win.

Fanning nine, Scherzer struck out every batter in New York's starting lineup except Curtis Granderson, including getting Mark Teixeira twice. Scherzer limited the Yankees to just four hits and walked two batters, and was never in trouble as the Tigers scored once in the second inning and packed on three more runs in the third.

Mixing his pitches well enough to keep opposing batters off-balance, Scherzer threw 69 of 109 pitches for strikes.

Detroit took firm command of third place in the AL Central, but still trail Cleveland - whose 12-game home winning streak was snapped by Oakland, 3-1 - by a full seven games. The Yankees still control the AL East by two games, as second place Tampa Bay lost to Toronto, 3-2.

Scherzer's 46 Ks have him tied with Dan Haren for third in the American League.

National League

Tim Hudson

With the focus in the NL East on the battle for first place between the Phillies and Marlins, the Atlanta Braves have been lurking in third place, 4 1/2 back after Tim Hudson's near-perfect performance on Wednesday.

Hudson set down the first nine Milwaukee batters in order before giving up the Brewers' only hit of the game, a double by Ricky Weeks to lead off the 4th inning. After that, Hudson set down 16 straight before a one-out walk in the 9th inning to Weeks, his only free pass of the game. Going the distance, Hudson fanned 6 batters.

While Hudson was twirling his one-hitter, Atlanta batters went to town, getting 12 hits and 8 runs off four Milwaukee pitchers for the 8-0 win.

The shutout was the first this season for Hudson, who has thrown 12. It was Hudson's 24th complete game in a career which stretches back to 1999. Hudson is 4-2.

Young Delivers Gibson's 1st AZ Win; Max Scherzer Tops Mariners

Players of the Day for Friday, July 2, 2010 American League There were some swell pitching performances around the majors Friday, but none better than Max Scherzer's 8 innings in Detroit's 7-1 win over Seattle. After allowing Seattle an early lead on Frankin Gutierrez's solo homer in the top of the 2nd, the Tigers responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame, allowing Scherzer to settle into a rhythm and slice through the Seattle lineup. Scherzer allowed just two hits after the Gutierrez homer, fanning seven and walking two, earning him his fifth victory against six losses. More importantly, the win allowed Detroit to keep pace with the Minnesota Twins, 2-1 winners over Tampa Bay. The Tigers remained a game behind the AL Central leaders. Third place Chicago is just two games out. National League On Thursday, Arizona fired GM Josh Byrnes and manager A.J. Hinch. On Friday. new manager Kurt Gibson recorded his his major league win, as the Diamondbacks hitters erupted with a 12-5 win over the Dodgers. One of the first things the new skipper did was put center fielder Chris Young into the leadoff spot, a move that paid immediate dividends as Young singled and scored Arizona's first run of the game in a three-run first inning. The D-Backs put up 3-spots in each of the first three innings, with Young plating two with a double in the 3rd, then stole third and scored his second run of the game. Starter Edwin Jackson allowed four runs over six innings, good enough to earn the victory, and Young made sure of it by blasting a 3-run homer in the 7th inning, his 13th of the season, tying his personal best of five RBI in a game. Young finished 3-for-5, with a homer, five RBI, three runs and a steal. Oddball: There were five games in which one team did not score a run on Friday, but none of the games were traditional complete game shutouts.