Seattle Drops Orioles, 8-2, on Michael Saunders' Two HR; Francisco Liriano Leads Pirates to 5-2 Win over Rockies

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 3, 2013

American League

Michael Saunders

Michael Saunders belted a pair of homers for Seattle as the Mariners evened their series in Baltimore with an 8-4 victory Saturday.

Saunders' three-run shot in the fifth inning expanded a 3-2 lead by Seattle to a commanding, 6-2 edge. In the ninth, Saunders connected again, with one aboard, completing the scoring for the Mariners.

The win didn't help the Mariners as much as it hurt the O's, who fell 5 1/2 behind the Red Sox in the AL East race. Seattle trails Oakland in the West by 13 games and are eight games under .500 (51-59) with less than two months left in the season.

The M's and O's meet Sunday afternoon at 1:35 pm EDT at Camden Yards to settle the series.

National League

Francisco Liriano

Now that the Pirates have wrested control of the NL Central away from the Cardinals, they're making sure they keep their lead and maybe expand it a little as August rolls onward.

Pittsburgh topped Colorado, 5-2, while the Cardinals fell victim to the Reds, by an 8-3 score, as Francisco Liriano improved to 12-4 with seven innings of two-hit, shutout ball.

Jose Tabata contributed a solo home run and a triple as part of a 3-for-4 effort, driving in a run and scoring twice as the Pirates evened their series with the visiting Rockies.

Liriano, who walked five and fanned six, is having a magical run through the summer, notching victories in seven of his last eight starts. His 12 wins are tied for third in the NL and his 2.02 ERA is among the best in the league, though with just 102 innings pitched, he doesn't qualify for league stats.

Nonetheless, Liriano is one of the main reasons the Pirates are where they are. They hope the lefty hurler remains healthy to lead them in the post-season.

Today's Trivia: True or False: There are more than 250 players with career batting averages over .300 in MLB history. (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Nolan Ryan set the low mark of 5.261 hits per nine innings in 1972 with the California Angels.

Justin Smoak, Michael Saunders Lead Mariners in 11-5 Rout of Red Sox; John Lannan's Eight Scoreless Innings Carries Phils over Nationals

Players of the Day for Monday, July 8, 2013

American League

Michael Saunders

Leading the AL East by 3 1/2 games over Tampa Bay, the Boston Red Sox are in the midst of a 10-game road trip that will take them into the All-Star break.

Justin Smoak

After losing the final two games of their three-game series to the Angels, Boston fared no better when they opened a four-game set in Seattle with an 11-4 defeat.

Mariner batters unloaded for 15 hits off starter Jon Lester and two relievers, Justin Smoak and Michael Saunders each delivering with a pair of doubles apiece, Smoak adding a dingle to finish 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs. Saunders was 2-for-4 with three ribbies and two runs.

The win was the second straight for the Mariners, who are still not a factor in the AL West, 12 1/2 games off the pace being set by Oakland.

Game two of the series begins Tuesday night at 7:10 pm PDT in Seattle.

NOTABLE: In Oakland's 2-1 win over Pittsburgh, A's closer, Grant Balfour, converted his 23rd consecutive save opportunity of the season, and 41st overall, dating back to last year, breaking the A's record of 41 straight set by Dennis Eckersley in 1991-92. It's the third-longest consecutive save streak in MLB history.

National League

John Lannan

The final score of 3-2 in Philadelphia's win over Washington doesn't give a fair indication of just how well Phillies' starter John Lannan pitched against the Nats.

Lannan, who missed two months with injuries between the middle of April and the middle of June, improved to 2-3 on the year with eight shutout innings on four hits and two walks, fanning four.

After 109 pitches, manager Charlie Manual's decision to sit Lannan down for the ninth inning in favor of closer Jonathan Papelbon nearly backfired as Papelbon allowed Washington to score its only two runs of the game in their final at-bat. The shaky closer finally got the job done, dubiously earning his 19th save, while making Lannan, who clearly threw his best game out of eight starts this season, sweat out the victory.

The win moved Philadelphia closer to Washington in the NL East standings, where they both trail the Braves - Washington by five games and Philly by 7 1/2.

The contest was the first of four between the two East division contenders; game two scheduled for Tuesday at 7:05 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: The longest consecutive streak of saves in the major leagues is 54. Which pitcher holds that remarkable distinction?

Yesterday's Answer: Atlanta's Tom Glavine tied for the NL lead in wins in 1991, 1992 and 1993, then led outright in 1998 and 2000, winning 20 games three times, 21 in 2000 and 22 in 1993.

Carlos Gonzalez Drives in Six as Rockies Dump Mets, 18-9; Seattle's Michael Saunders Slams Blue Jays

Players of the Day for Friday, April 27, 2012

American League

Seattle may not be a match for the Rangers in the AL West division race, but thus far in the season, they've shown a bit of spunk, like the way they handled the Blue Jays in the opener of a three game series in Toronto.

Saunders: 2HR, 5RBI

Michael Saunders hit a pair of homers in the 9-5, 10-inning victory, including a grand slam in the extra inning that got the Mariners over the .500 mark (11-10) and into a tie with Oakland for second place, 4 1/2 games behind Texas.

Entering the ninth, Seattle trailed, 5-3, but put together a couple of runs on Saunders' solo shot and John Jaso's RBI single. Dustin Ackley was thrown out at the plate trying to score the go-ahead run, setting up Saunders' heroic slam in the 10th.

Saunders has been with the Mariners organization since 2005, getting his first taste of the big league in 2009. This year, as the regular center fielder, he's batting .254 with three homers and 11 RBI.


National League

Baseballs were flying all over Coors field Friday night, as the NY Mets and Colorado Rockies opened a three-game series by wearing out each others' bullpens.

Gonzalez: HR, 6RBI

The Mets banged out 17 hits off six Colorado pitchers, but the Rockies proved much more efficient, turning their 19 hits into 18 runs (also off six pitchers) - including 11 in the fifth inning alone - doubling up the Mets, 18-9.

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As usual, Carlos Gonzalez was right in the middle of the action, going 3-for-6, driving in six runs with a three run homer and a couple of singles. Four of Gonzalez's RBI came in the fateful fifth, when the Rockiea 6-2 deficit into a 13-6 advantage. The Rockies sent 16 men to the plate in the frame, including Gonzalez twice, who delivered a three-run homer and a two-run single. Gonzalez had produced the Rockies' first run of the game with a ground-out RBI in the first inning.

The win put the Rockies in second place, 3 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Gonzalez upped his RBI total to 15, good for a tie for sixth with Atlanta's Freddie Freeman.

Jesus Montero, Michael Suanders and Carlos Peguero Power M's Past A's in Cactus League Opener

Players of the Day for Friday, March 2, 2012

Michael Saunders

Cactus League

Exhibition baseball officially got underway when the Seattle Mariners visited the Oakland A's at their Spring training facility in Phoenix, AZ, with Seattle taking the 8-5 win with five homers by five different players.

Jesus Montero

Starter Blake Bevin took the win, allowing four hits and one earned run over 2 1/3 innings. Catcher Jesus Montero, Michael Saunders and Carlos Peguero each hit two-run homers and the Mariners were up 5-1 after they batted in the fifth inning.

Carlos Peguero

Montero, a rookie, was acquired from the Yankees in the deal that sent Michael Pineda to New York. He hit .328 in 61 Yankee at-bats last season. Peguero, who is still technically a rookie, has been with the Mariners organization since 2010, but has toiled mostly in the minors. He batted .196 in 46 games with the Mariners in 2011. Center fielder Saunders is starting his fourth year with Seattle.

Luis Rodriguez and Johermyn Chavez added solo shots. All of Seattle's runs came via the long ball.

Manny Ramierez made his debut at DH for the A's, but came up empty in two at-bats, grounding into a double play and grounding out.