ALDS: Verlander Leads Astros, LeMahieu Powers Yanks; NLDS: Foltynewicz Hurls Braves to Win, Strasberg Solid for Dodgers

Players of the Day for Friday, October 4, 2019

American League

LeMaheiu powers Yanks

The New York Yankees opened their best-of-five divisional series against Minnesota at home with a bang, most of the noise provided by leadoff hitter DJ LeMahieu, who was 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBI in the Yankees' 10-4 triumph.

With his team down 2-0 in the third, LeMahieu, who was second in batting in the AL regular season with a .327 average, singled, and scored on Edwin Encarnacion's double. The Yankees would tally twice more in the frame and never look back. LeMahieu socked a solo home run in the sixth inning and ripped a bases-loaded double in the seventh, plating all three and completing the Yankees' scoring.

Game two of the series is Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Verlander wins Game 1

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Justin Verlander got the ball for game one of the Astros' divisional series against the Rays and he did with it what he's been known for throughout his career, blanking Tampa Bay on one hit over seven innings in a dominant performance, fueling a 6-2 Houston win.

Verlander didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, and struck out the side in the seventh to complete his day's work. He fanned eight and walked three. Verlander led the majors with a 21-6 record over the regular season. He and teammate Gerrit Cole are leading candidates for the AL Cy Young award.

The series picks up with game two in Houston on Saturday.

Foltynewicz leads Braves

National League

Atlanta tied its division series with St. Louis via a strong pitching performance from Mike Foltynewicz in a 3-0 game two victory.

The Braves scored a run in the bottom of the first and added two more on Adam Duvall's two-run pinch hit homer in the seventh.

Tied 1-1, the best-of-five series resumes Sunday in St. Louis.

Strasburg fans 10

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Evening their series in Los Angeles at a game apiece, Stephen Strasburg out-pitched LA starter, Clayton Kershaw, hurling the Washington Nationals to a 4-2 win over the Dodgers.

Strasberg allowed just one earned run on three hits over six innings, fanning 10. The Nationals scratched out a run in the first inning and two in the second off Kershaw, who was lifted in the sixth inning.

The Dodgers and Nationals resume their series in Washington on Sunday.

Braves Clinch NL East On Mike Foltynewicz Gem; Jose Altuve's HR Caps 9-Run Inning For Astros

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 22, 2018

American League

Altuve's HR caps rally

Houston topped the Angels for the second straight time, pounding out a 10-5 win after whipping LA 11-3 on Friday.

Three time batting champion and 2017 AL MVP, Jose Altuve, socked his 13th home run and singled twice in four at-bats, to lead the Astros in their pursuit of another AL West pennant.

Altuve's 8th inning home run came as part of a nine-run inning, which turned a 5-1 Angel lead into a 10-5 Houston advantage. Altuve's blast provided the final two runs.

The win kept Houston's lead over the A's at 3 1/2 games as Oakland topped Minnesota, 3-2. Houston has eight games left in the regular season, Oakland, seven, so the magic number for the Astros to clinch their second straight division crown is five.

Houston closes out the weekend with game three against the Angels. If they are to capture he division flag, Houston will need to do it on the road. They travel first to Toronto next week for three games, followed by a final four-game series in Baltimore.

National League

Foltynewicz hurls clincher

Atlanta's Mike Foltynewicz hurled a no-hitter through six innings en route to the Braves' 5-3 win over the visiting Phillies and the NL East pennant.

The Braves backed their starter by building a 4-0 lead heading into the seventh when the Phillies finally broke through. Odubel Herrera led off with a single, but he was erased on a fielder's choice and Atlanta converted a double play to end the inning. In the eighth, however, Foltynewicz ran out of gas, surrendering a second hit and a walk - his third - before being lifted. Jesse Biddle walked Jose Bautista to load the bases, and Cesar Hernandez came through with a single, plating two runs. Rhys singled in another run, cutting the Braves' lead down to 4-3.

After Kurt Suzuki drove in Ender Inciarte for a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth, Arodys Vizcainoclosed out the game with a hitless ninth, prompting an on-field celebration in Atlanta followed by the requisite locker room mayhem.

Foltynewicz was tagged with two earned runs, but still took the win, the 12th for Foltynewicz, against 10 lesses, though the record doesn't aptly indicate the 26-year-old's importance to Atlanta's rise to division winner this season nor his emergence as a top line starter. His 2.88 ERA is fourth in the NL; he's struck out 193, walking 68 in 30 starts comprising 178 innings. He's recorded two complete games this season, one a shutout.

The division crown in hand, Atlanta's ongoing task is to keep winning, in hopes of catching the Cubs for the best record in the league, which would ensure home field through the playoffs. Chicago leads the Central at 90-64. Atlanta is at 87-68, and the Dodgers top the West with a record of 86-69.

Winners of four straight, the Braves wrap up their series against the Phillies on Sunday, looking for the sweep. They close out the season next week with three games in New York with the Mets and three at Philadelphia.