Randy Dobnak Pitches Twins Into Playoffs; Ryan Braun's Grand Slam Secures Playoff Berth for Brewers

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 25, 2019

American League

Dobnack: 6IP, 1H, 0ER, 6K

The Twins are in.

Randy Dobnak tossed six innings of one-hit ball as Minnesota cruised to a 5-1 victory. Coupled with Cleveland's 8-3 loss to the White Sox, the Twins clinched the AL Central and will likely meet the Yankees in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Dobnak, as raw a rookie as there is, gave up a first inning unearned run on an error and a double, which turned out to be the only hit the Tigers would produce off the 24-year-old. Dobnak no-hit the Tigers over the next 5 1/3 innings, and did not issue any walks, fanning six. Having worked just 28.1 innings, Dobnak is 2-1 with a save and a 1.59 ERA in eight appearances, five of those starting assignments.

Clinching the division for the first time since 2010, the Twins are likely to finish with the third-best record among division winners, meaning they will open the best-of-five divisional series against the team with the second-best records, which is currently the Yankees, who have lost their last two to Tampa Bay, as the Rays continue to battle Cleveland and Oakland for two wild card spots.

With the Rays topping the Yankees, 4-0, and Oakland slipping by the Angels, 3-2, Cleveland's loss leaves them in a precarious position, 1 1/2 games behind the Rays for the second spot. Oakland holds the top position, but only by 1/2 game over the Rays. Tampa Bay has just three games left to play; Cleveland and Oakland each have four remaining.

National League

Braun: Grand Slam

Ryan Braun's first inning grand slam got the Brewers off to a big start, leading to a 9-2 romp over host Cincinnati, putting the Brewers into the playoffs for the second straight year.

Braun's belt was his 22nd of the year and was also his second grand slam in the past ten days. He socked a ninth-inning grand slam in a victory over St. Louis on September 15. Eric Thames also homered in the first inning, his 24th.

The rampaging Brewers won for the 17th time in its last 19 games and secured at least a wild card for the playoffs. Their victory, coupled with the Cardinals' 9-7 loss at Arizona, left them 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the Central division.

Seedings in the National League are still very up in the air. The Dodgers have the best record in the league and will host the wild card entrant in the divisional round. Atlanta, East division champs, will host the either the Cardinals or Brewers, depending on which team captures the division pennant. Washington has secured a wild card but holds a slim, one-game lead over Milwaukee, with each team having four games to play.

St. Louis has three games remaining, all against the Cubs in St. Louis, starting Friday.

Luis Arraez Leads Twins Win Over White Sox; Marcell Ozuna Powers Cardinals Past Nationals

Players of the Day for Monday, September 16, 2019

American League

Rookie Arraez has 100 hits

Minnesota rookie, Luis Arraez, collected his 100th major league hit on Monday, and it helped fuel a Twins win over the White Sox, 5-3.

Arraez, sporting a .350 batting average, led off the bottom of the first with an infield single, but was left stranded at third base. In the second, he singled again, moving runners to second and third. Both of those scored, but Arraez was left stranded again, this time on second base.

After lining out in the fourth inning, Arraez came up in the sixth with runners on second and third and delivered another single, plating both, completing the Twins' scoring. The 22-year-old second baseman from Venezuela has been on fire of late, going 23-for-54 (.426) over his last 15 games.

With Cleveland idle, the Twins increased their lead in the Central division to five games with just 12 to play.

The Twins have what looks to be an easy path to the division title. After two more home games against Chicago, the remainder of their schedule includes seven games against Kansas City and three versus Detroit, the two laggards of the division.

National League

Ozuna: 2-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI

With the Central division contenders all playing Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals maintained their lead over the Cubs and Brewers, with a 4-2 edge over the Washington Nationals.

Marcell Ozuna drove in all four St. Louis runs, with a first-inning, two-run homer off Washington starter, Stephen Strasburg, and a two-run double in the seventh that unknotted a 2-2 tie. Ozuna has 28 home runs and 86 RBI after missing the entire month of July due to injury. His hits were timely, snapping a 2-for-17 mini-slump.

Dakota Hudson picked up his 16th win against seven losses, allowing two runs on five hits over seven innings.

The win kept the Cardinals two games up on Chicago, 8-2 winners over Cincinnati, and three up on Milwaukee, as the Brewers topped the Padres, 6-1.

Also tightening was the wild card race. With Washington losing - they're 6-9 in September - their grip on the top wild card spot is only 1/2-game over the Cubs, with Milwaukee another game back.

The NL wild card race is looking like a four team affair, with the Cardinals, Nationals, Cubs and Brewers all vying for three spots - two wild cards and the Central division crown. The Mets, Phillies, and Diamondbacks have each begun to fade. They are five, five and 5 1/2-games behind the Cubs, respectively.

St. Louis hosts the Nationals in game two of their three-game series, Tuesday, 7:45 pm ET.

Kurt Suzuki Drives Nationals Over Orioles; Jonathan Schoop's 2 HR Lead Twins Past White Sox

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Schoop: 2 HR, 4 RBI

American League

With Cleveland posting a 4-2 win at Detroit Wednesday night, the Minnesota Twins kept their AL Central rivals at arms length with an 8-2 win in Chicago over the White Sox.

Wins by the top teams in the division kept the Twins 3 1/2 games up on the Indians as the clock ticks down on the regular season. Minnesota has 30 games left to play, Cleveland, 29.

Minnesota's win was fueled by a pair of home runs off the bat of second baseman, Jonathan Schoop. Putting the Twins up, 3-1, with a three-run blast in the first, Schoop socked a solo shot in the eighth.

In his last seven games, Schoop is batting .318 with five homers and nine RBI.

The Twins meet the White Sox again on Thursday, looking for a sweep of their three-game series and their fifth straight win. Game time is 1:10 pm CT.

National League

Suzuki: 2B, HR, 4 RBI

It may be too late for the Washington Nationals to run down the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, but, for what it's worth, the Nats are putting in one heck of a run, winning for the 13th time in their last 16 games with an 8-4 win over the visiting Orioles Wednesday.

Veteran Kurt Suzuki led the Nationals with four RBI on his 14th home run and a two-run double. Suzuki capped a five-run first inning for the Nats with a two-run belt, then doubled in a pair of runs in the fifth, putting the game out of reach at 8-2.

An accomplished catcher, Suzuki, 35, is on his second tour with Washington. He played for the Nationals at the end of the 2012 season and 79 games in 2013.

While the Nationals have been on fire, Atlanta has not flinched. The Braves recently won eight straight and have won 12 of their last 16, including Wednesday's 9-4 win at Toronto. Washington's win kept them within 5 1/2 of the division leader and three games up on the Cubs, in the top wild card position.

Washington and Atlanta still have seven games against each other remaining. The Nationals host the Marlins and Mets for three games each before heading to Atlanta for four games with the Braves next week, September 5-8.

Twins Win, Max Kepler Homers, Drives in 2; Corey Dickerson's 5 RBI Leads Phillies over Marlins

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 24, 2019

Kepler socks 35th HR

American League

Resisting the challenge from Cleveland, the Twin keep on winning, evening their series with the Tigers Saturday with a 9-5 victory.

Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Jake Cave all homered, with Kepler added a single and a double, driving in a pair of runs and scoring twice.

The win was Minnesota's sixth in their last nine games. The Indians, 4-2 winners over Kansas City, kept pace, 2 1/2 games back in the AL Central.

Kepler, who seems to be always on base, is batting just .256, but he's having an all-star season, smacking 35 home runs, driving in 86, and scoring 89 runs. He's tied for second in homers, eighth in runs, and tied for eighth in RBI. Not bad for a leadoff hitter.

Tied a game apiece, Minnesota and Detroit conclude their series in Minneapolis Sunday at 2:10 pm ET.

National League

Dickerson: 4-for-5, 5 RBI

With a 9-3 win at Miami, the Philadelphia Phillies moved past the Mets into third place in the NL East, and are 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the second wild card.

Leading the effort was Corey Dickerson, picked up from the Pirates at the trade deadline to provide some extra offense, which is exactly what he did Saturday, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and two singles, driving in five runs.

A lifetime .285 hitter, Dickerson is batting .292 with five doubles, three homers and 19 RBI in 17 games with the Phillies. That's a recipe for success with Andrew McCutchen on the 60-day IL, and Bryce Harper on three days of paternity leave.

Embroiled in a heated wild card race - they're 10 1/2 out in the division - the Phillies have won seven of their last 10 and will look to take two of three in Miami when they take the field Sunday at 1:10 pm ET.

Braves Top Marlins, 5-1, As Freddie Freeman Homers Twice; Nelson Cruz Powers Twins Over White Sox, 14-4

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Cruz: 4-5, HR, 3 2B, 3 RBI

American League

After a brief stint on the injured list, Nelson Cruz returned to action on Monday, knocking out a pair of singles in five at-bats in a 6-4 loss to the White Sox.

On Tuesday, Cruz demonstrated that he was truly ready for full-time play, mashing three doubles and a solo home run in five at-bats. Cruz drove in three runs and scored three runs as the Twins evened their home series with the Sox with a 14-4 rout.

Cruz has 33 home runs on the year with 80 RBI.

With the Mets handing Cleveland a 9-2 defeat, the Twins opened up another game of breathing room in the division race, leading the AL Central by three games over the Indians.

Game three of the Twins' series with Chicago starts at 1:10 pm ET Wednesday.

Freeman: 102 RBI leads MLB

National League

Winners of three straight and six of their last eight, the Atlanta Braves are cruising toward their second straight NL East pennant.

On Tuesday, the Braves rode the arm of Dallas Keuchel and the bat of Freddie Freeman to a 5-1 win in the opener of a three-game series with the Marlins in Atlanta.

Keuchel (4-5, 4.15) tossed six innings, allowing one run on six hits, fanning seven and walking two. Meanwhile, Freeman was providing plenty of offense, socking a solo homer in the fourth inning and another in the fifth. His two-run single in the seventh broke the game open, allowing a trio of Atlanta relievers to shut down the Marlins for the duration.

Freeman is having his usual outstanding season, stroking 33 home runs with 102 RBI, which leads the majors. Atlanta improved its advantage in the NL East to six games of the Nationals, as Washington dropped a 4-1 decision in Pittsburgh.

Atlanta hosts the Marlins Wednesday at 7:20 pm ET for game two of the three-game set.

Javier Baez, Cubs Take Down Brewers, 6-2; Nelson Cruz Drives In 5 for Minnesota Win

Players of the Day for Friday, August 2, 2019

Cruz, 3-4, HR, 5 RBI

American League

En route to an 11-9 win over the visiting Royals, Nelson Cruz uncorked his 27th home run of the season - a two-run shot in the second - doubled twice, scored twice and drove in five runs for the Central division's first-place Twins.

On fire since the all-star break, Cruz has whacked ten homers in his last 15 games and is batting .500 (11-for-22) with 14 RBI in his last seven.

After a stumble to start the second half with a 4-7 record, the Twins have rebounded to win six of their last eight and lead the Cleveland Indians by three games in the division.

Game two of the three-game series between Kansas City and Minnesota is scheduled for Saturday at 7:10 pm ET.

Baez: 3-5, HR, 3 RBI

National League

Jose Quintana improved to 9-7 as the Cubs topped the Brewers in Chicago, 6-2.

Javier Baez and Jason Heyward homered for Chicago in the opener of the three-game series at Wrigley Field between the two NL Central contenders. Hayward socked a solo shot in the first, while Baez delivered a two-run belt in the third, both homers coming off Brewer starter, Zach Davies.

Baez doubled twice, scored in the fifth and drove in another run on a ground out in the sixth, completing Chicago's scoring.

The Cubs' most consistent power player, Baez is batting .287 with 26 dingers and 72 RBI.

Chicago's victory left them 1/2-game behind St. Louis in the division with Milwaukee now down 1 1/2 and tied the season series between the two clubs at five apiece.

Game two is Saturday, 2:20 pm ET.

Miguel Sano Homers In Minnesota Win; Cubs Slug Brewers, 11-4, Behind Kyle Schwarber HRs

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 28, 2019

American League

Sano: 3-4, HR, 3 RBI

At least temporarily, the Minnesota Twins stopped the bleeding in the AL Central race, putting the Indians two games back after thumping the White Sox, 11-1, while Kansas City cooled off the Indians, 9-6.

After Jorge Polanco ripped a two-run homer in the opening frame, Miguel Sano launched his 18th of the year with two aboard, sending White Sox starter, Dylan Covey, to the showers without recording a single out.

Sano also singled twice and scored a run on Jonathan Schoop's two-run shot in the fifth.

Sano, who has played in just 58 games this season due to an early injury, has been beating the rawhide senseless his last seven games, batting .333 (9-for-27) with four homers and 11 RBI.

The Twins have been watching their once-sizable lead in the division diminish as the Indians reeled off 12 wins in 14 games, but got one back on Sunday.

Minnesota may be able to pad its lead in coming days. The Twins will be traveling Monday and arrive in Miami for three games with the Marlins. After that, it's back home for three with the Royals. After three with the Braves, the Indians come to Minneapolis for four games, starting August 8.

National League

Schwarber: 2 HR, 7 RBI

It doesn't get any tighter than the NL Central, which, after Sunday's results, have the Cubs and Cardinals deadlocked for the division lead, with the Brewers one game back.

Avoiding a sweep, Chicago got all over the Brewers in the finale of their three-game series in Milwaukee, or rather, Kyle Schwarber got all over the Brewers, bashing a grand slam and a three-run homer in three at-bats, accounting for seven of the Cubs runs in an 11-4 rout.

Schwarzer also singled, walked twice and scored four times. The Brewers simply did not have an answer for the lumbering, 6'0", 235-pound left fielder.

Coupled with St. Louis losing at home to the Astros, 6-2, the division is up for grabs.

The Cubs travel to St. Louis for a three-game series with the Cardinals on Tuesday, then it's back to the Windy City for a rematch with the Brewers, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Milwaukee heads to Oakland on Tuesday for a three-game meeting with the A's.

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.

Twins Top Yankees Again On Jake Ordorizzi 1-Hit Effort; D.J. LeMahieu Smashes HR As Rockies Walk Off Arizona

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 12, 2018

American League

Odorizzi 1-hits Yankees

Jake Odorizzi took a no-hitter into the eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins took their second straight over the Yankees, 3-1. The game was the last of the season series with the Twins. The Yankees had won the first five this season, but stumbled, losing two of three in Minnesota.

After striking out Gary Sanchez to open the eighth, Odorizzi walked Luke Voit, then gave up a double to Greg Bird, which scored Voit all the way from first. Having thrown 120 pitches, Odorizzi was immediately replaced on the mound, but the Yankees could muster no more hits or runs.

Odorizzi worked 7 1/3 innings, fanned five and walked three, improving to 6-10 on the year.

With Oakland scoring all of their runs in the third inning for a 10-0 win at Baltimore, the Yankees' lead in the wild card over the A's has been cut to one game. The Yankees have Thursday off prior to opening a nine-game home stand with three each against Toronto, Boston and Baltimore. It's the final home stretch for New York of the season. They close out with four games in Tampa and three at Boston.

Winners of six straight, the A's continue their dual track in Baltimore Thursday, hoping to wrap up the three-game series with a sweep. Oakland trails the Astros in the AL West by three games.

National League

LeMahieu: Walk-off HR

In the NL West, Colorado continued to cling to a 1 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers with a dramatic, 5-4 win over Arizona Wednesday night.

Down 4-3 with one out and Gerardo Parra on base in the bottom of the ninth, D.J. LeMahieu took Arizona reliever Yoshihisa Hirano deep to right field for a walk-off, top run homer.

Finishing a 3-for-5 night with the big blast, LeMahieu had singled twice earlier and scored in the third inning on a wild pitch by Diamondback starter, Patrick Corbin. He's batting .283 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI.

The win kept the Rockies atop the division as the Dodgers won at Cincinnati, 8-1. The Rockies have taken two of three from the visiting Diamondbacks and wrap up their series Thursday afternoon. Colorado is 8-3 in September and has surged past both the Diamondbacks and Dodgers in the division.

The Dodgers open a four-game series at St. Louis Thursday.

Washington Rookie Juan Soto Rocks Phillies; Mauer, Twins Maul Yankees, 10-5

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Mauer Slams Yankees

American League

With their lead in the wild card quickly dwindling, the Yankees gave one away to the Twins, as starter Sonny Gray and three relievers allowed 13 hits, losing at Minnesota, 10-5.

Joe Mauer's fifth-inning grand slam put the Twins up by a 10-1 score and pretty much ended the contest. New York had taken the prior five games against the Twins this season. Mauer walked and scored in the third inning, tying the score at 1-1. The Twins tacked on two more runs in the frame and the Yankees never responded. Mauer finished 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs.

Meanwhile, the Oakland A's shaved another game off New York's lead in the wild card, closing to within two games of the Yankees with a 3-2 win at Baltimore.

Since September 2nd, the Yankees are 4-5, while the Athletics went 7-1, including taking two of three from the Yanks in Oakland. They've gained 3 1/2 games in just over a week.

The Yankees play the series finale in Minnesota at 8:10 pm EDT Wednesday. The A's have game two of their three-game set in Baltimore at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Soto: Nat's Hot Rookie

The Washington Nationals gave up on their season a few weeks back, but maybe they should have waited just a little longer before jettisoning some of their top players and throwing in the towel.

Taking a pair at Philadelphia, the Nationals did more to ruin the Phillies' chances for reaching the post-season than perhaps any other team could have.

Tuesday's twin killing marked the fourth straight loss for Philadelphia as well as Washington's fourth straight victory. The first-place Braves have made the most of it, also winners of four straight, including Tuesday's 4-1 complete game win by Mike Foltynewicz.

After taking the first game, 3-1, Washington battled back from a 6-3 deficit with three runs in the eighth to tie the game and won it in the 10th on Juan Soto's second home run, a solo shot to left-center that produced the double-header sweep with a 7-6, 10-inning win.

Having doubled in a run in the second inning, Soto smacked his 17th of the season with a man aboard in the fourth. In the first game, Soto went 2-for-4, so his complete day was a 5-for-8 effort with two homers, a double, four RBI and three runs. Not bad for a 19-year-old rookie. He and Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. are the leading NL candidates for rookie of the year. Soto's batting .306 with 18 homers and 60 RBI.

Tuesday's results left the Phillies 6 1/2 behind the Braves in the NL East, with Washington eight out. Neither Philadelphia nor Washington has much hope of catching Atlanta nor reaching the playoffs via the wild card. Philly is 6 1/2 behind the Cardinals for the second wild card, with Washington eight behind. Milwaukee holds the top wild card by two games over St. Louis.

The Phillies and Nationals wrap up their series on Wednesday, 7:00 pm EDT.

Logan Forsythe 5-for-5 In Twins Win Over Tigers; Jose Bautista Drives In 7 As Mets Rout Phillies, 24-4

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 16, 2018

5-for-5 Forsyth

American League

Minnesota clubbed Detroit, 15-8, Thursday, but it's not likely Minnesota is going to get any close to Cleveland in the AL Central, where the Indians are the only team over .500 and lead the Twins by 12 games.

Minesota's 15-hit outburst was led by second baseman Logan Forsythe, who had a 5-for-5 night at the plate, socking a pair of doubles, three singles, driving in two runs, and scoring three times.

Minnesota is 57-63 on the year, second best in the division, a full eight game up on third place Detroit. The White Sox and Royals are 25 and 32 1/2 games out, respectively.

The Twins play the second of a four game home series against Detroit Friday, 8:10 pm EDT.

National League

Bautista: 3-for-4, GS, 7RBI

Jose Bautista didn't even start the first game of a doubleheader at Philadelphia, but he made a major impact, going 3-for-4 with a grand slam, driving in seven runs in the Mets' 24-4 win.

Yes that's right, three touchdowns and field goal. The scoring outburst by the Mets came a day after they bounced the Orioles, 16-5, setting a franchise record for runs in a game. The previous record was 23 runs at the Cubs on Aug. 16, 2017.

Bautista entered the game in the bottom of the third inning, after right fielder Brandon Nimmo was injured grounding out to end the top half of the frame. His first at-bat was a single in the fifth, driving in a run and subsequently scoring. As the Mets piled on the runs, Bautista got to the plate again in the inning, delivering his 10th home run, a grand slam for 10 runs in the inning. The Mets scored in every inning except the second and sixth.

After lining out in the seventh, Bautista doubled in another run, for a season-high seven RBI.

The Mets dropped the second game, 9-6, and play again in Philly, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday's game is set for a 6:05 pm EDT start.

Kyle Gibson Stops Red Sox In Minnesota Win; Hoskins, Franco, Williams 2 HR Each As Phillies Top Reds.

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 26, 2018

American League

As it turns out, the Boston Red Sox are human.

Kyle Gibson proved as much, limiting the BoSox to four hits and one run over eight innings in a 2-1 Minnesota win at Fenway Park.

Even with the loss, Boston holds the best record in the majors, at 71-33. They lead the Yankees by 4 1/2 games in the AL East.

National League

Nick Williams, Maikel Franco and Rhys Hoskins each homered twice as the Phillies won their third straight, downing the Reds, 7-3, in Cincinnati.

Carlos Santana started the seven home run barrage with a two-run belt in the first. All of the other homers were solo shots.

The win added to the Phillies' lead to 2 1/2 games in the NL East as Atlanta lost to the Dodgers, 8-2.

Hoskins' homers were his 19th and 20th and upped his RBI total to 67. Franco has 17 homers on the year, Williams, 14.

Game two of the four-game series is slated for a 7:10 pm EDT start on Friday.

Walk-Offs To All Star Game: Trevor Story Completes Rockies' Sweep; Twins' Brian Dozier Slams In 10th

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 15, 2018

American League

Dozier: Walk-off Slam

Brian Dozier is known around the league as a dangerous hitter in the clutch and he proved to be just that when he came up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth inning Sunday against the visiting Rays.

Dozier took a one out, 1-1 offering from Tampa's Matt Andriese - the Rays' ninth pitcher of the game - and deposited it in the seats beyond the left field wall of Target Field for an 11-7 victory. His grand slam was his 16th home run of the season and sent Minnesota into the second half in a good way, winners off nine of their last eleven and three of four over the Rays.

Dozier and the Twins underperformed through June, but they seem to have awakened in July. Dozier has especially improved, raising his average from .181 at the end of June to .292 at the all star break.

He's hit safely in 12 of 15 games with five homers and 17 RBI.

The 44-50 Twins are in second place in the AL Central, 7 1/2 games behind Cleveland.

National League

Story: Walk-off Homer

In the National League, there's no doubt which division is the tightest.

It's the NL West, where the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rockies, and Giants are all within four games of each other. The Dodgers take a 1/2-game lead into the break with their 5-3 win over the Angels, but, in Colorado, Trevor Story had a significant send-off as he belted a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 win over Seattle and a sweep of the Mariners in their three-game series.

Story's shot was his 20th of the year, his 68th RBI tying him with teammate Nolan Arenado for fourth in the league.

Colorado heads into the second half on a five-game win streak and winners of 13 of their last 16. They are in third place, two games behind the Dodgers, with a 51-45 record.

Patrick Corbin 1-Hits Dodgers In Arizona Win; Miguel Sano 3-for-5, 2 RBI To Lead Twins

Players of the Day for Wednesday, April 4, 2018

American League

Sano: 3-for-5, 2 RBI

The Twins remained tied for first place in the AL Central with the White Sox as they dumped the Pirates, 7-3, in Pittsburgh.

Both the Sox and Twins have yet to see their home stadiums; both are 3-2 on the road.

Minnesota got a home run from Brian Dozier for the third straight game, and Miguel Sano singled twice and doubled in five at-bats, driving in two runs, scoring twice.

Known primarily as a power hitter, Sano showed great patience and skill at the plate, scoring a tying run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly, and tying the game again in the sixth with an RBI single before adding an insurance run with another run-scoring single in the seventh.

Sano has homered twice already this season. Last year, he smacked 28 home runs and drove in 77 runs in 114 games.

The Twins head home on Thursday to host Seattle at 4:10 pm EDT.

Corbin: 7 1/3 IP, 1H, 12K

National League

Humming along like a well-oiled machine, the Arizona Diamondbacks won their fifth game in six outings, downing the visiting Dodgers, 3-0, as starter Patrick Corbin became the first pitcher in the National League to win two games.

Corbin didn't allow a hit until Matt Kemp's two-out double in the fifth inning broke up his bid for a perfect game. In the eighth, Corbin walked Kemp with one out and was done, manager Torey Lovullo pulling the starter after he threw 62 of 98 pitches for strikes, allowed one hit, one walk, struck out 12, and blanked the Dodgers throughout.

Archie Bradley finished the inning without incident and Brad Boxberger picked up his second save of the season walking two and fanning two without allowing a hit in the ninth.

The win left the Diamondbacks two games up on Colorado and the Giants, with Los Angeles 3 1/2 back after the three-game sweep by Arizona.

The Dodgers get a day off before opening a weekend series at San Francisco on Friday. Arizona heads to St. Louis for a three-game series starting on Thursday.

Ehire Adrianza Leads Twins Over Orioles; Christian Yelich Keeps Brewers On Top Of Cactus League

Players of the Day for Saturday, March 24, 2018

Grapefruit League

Ehire Adrianza

In 2017, the Twins were one of the surprise teams, hanging close enough in the AL Central to capture a wild card berth into the playoffs. Minnesota was almost even with the Indians until the tribe went on their record-setting winning streak in September, leaving the Twins 17 games back.

Minnesota still has the makings of a contender despite a lackluster Spring. Their 12-4 romp over the Orioles on Saturday evened their record at 13-13.

Getting the Twins off to a fast start was shortstop Ehire Adrianza, with a solo homer in the first inning, followed by a two-run double in the second, both hits coming off Baltimore starter, Chris Tillman, who was rocked for six earned runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Adrianza has limited major league experience, but is likely to be riding the Minnesota bench during the regular season as a utility infielder, part-time starter, pinch runner and pinch-hitter. After parts of four seasons with San Francisco, the 28-year-old Venezuelan played 70 games with Minnesota in 2017, batting .265 with two home runs and 24 RBI, but, more importantly, stole eight bases in nine attempts.

Cactus League

Chris Yelich

With a 10-5 road victory over Oakland, the Milwaukee Brewers moved one step closer to cementing themselves as the best team in Arizona this Spring.

The win kept them two games ahead of a trio of pursuers - San Diego, Cleveland, and the Cubs - with three games left to play before breaking for the regular season.

The Brewers took little time to take the edge over the A's, as leadoff batter Christian Yelich whacked a solo home run to start the game and followed up with a bases-loaded double in the second inning, clearing the deck for a 4-0 lead. The next batter, Lorenzo Cain, singled Yelich home for a 5-0 advantage and the rout was on.

Yelich, who is carrying a .356 preseason average, finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs. Traded from Miami to Milwaukee in the off-season, Yelich will likely start in center field for the Brewers, the same position he held in Miami. An all-purpose player, Yelich can hit leadoff or just about anywhere else in the lineup. A career .290 hitter over five seasons, Yellich last year socked 18 home runs and drove in 81 with 16 stolen bases.

Brian Dozier Powers Twins Past Indians; Corey Seager Leads Dodgers To Best NL Record

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 26, 2017

American League

Dozier: 3-5, HR, 3 RBI

With an 8-6 win over the Indians in Cleveland, the Minnesota Twins moved one step closer to clinching the second wild card, clinching at least a tie with the LA Angels. Both the Twins and Angels have five games remaining, so any win by the Twins or loss by the Angels would clinch the position outright for Minnesota.

Brian Dozier continued his season of excellence, going 3-for-5 with a single, double and a three-run, eighth inning home run that rallied the Twins from a 6-4 deficit to a 7-6 lead. Minnesota added another run in the top of the ninth for the final score.

Dozier's home run was his 33rd, the three RBI upping his season total to 80, which is incredible considering Dozier is a leadoff hitter.

Dozier led off the game with a double, and scored the first Minnesota run in the first, then singled leading off the the third, scoring on one of Eddie Rosario's two doubles. Rosario was 4-for-5 with three RBI including his 27th home run, in the first with the bases empty.

Minnesota plays game two at Cleveland Wednesday at 7:10 pm ET. The Twins can clinch the wild card outright with a win. Meanwhile, Cleveland has a tenuous hold on the best record in the league, one game better than the Houston Astros.

National League

Seager: HR, 4 RBI

Corey Seager drove in four runs, leading the LA Dodgers to a 9-2 home victory over the San Diego Padres, securing playoff home field advantage with the best record in the National League.

The Dodgers are 101-57. With five games left, the Washington Nationals, at 95-62, cannot match the Dodgers' mark. Thus, the Dodgers will host the winner of the wild card game, which currently will be either Arizona or Colorado, making for an all-NL West series. Washington will host the winner of the NL Central. The Cubs need one more win or a Milwaukee loss to wrap up the division.

Seager singled in a run to put the Dodgers up, 5-2, in the sixth, then wrapped up the scoring with his 21st home run, a three-run blast, in the seventh inning. Seager is batting .295 with 75 RBI.

LA will be looking to add to their win total and sweep the Padres in game three of the series, Wednesday, at 7:00 pm PT. Los Angeles closes out the regular season with a three-game road series at Colorado.

Kris Bryant, Wade Davis Lead Cubs Over Brew Crew; Joe Mauer Keeps Twins Alive In Wild Card

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 21, 2018

American League

Mauer: 3-for-4, .311 BA

After dropping three straight to the Yankees in New York, the Minnesota Twins were hoping for better results when they opened a four-game series in Detroit on Thursday.

Getting exactly what they needed from their batsmen - 14 hits - the Twins got back on the winning track with a 12-1 thumping of Detroit.

Leading the assault on Detroit starter Jordan Zimmermann and six relievers was Joe Mauer, resurgent this season as the Twins defied the experts by staying in contention throughout the season. Maueer went 3-for-4 with a double and two singles, driving in two runs and scoring twice. In his 14th year in the majors - all of them with the Twins - he's batting .311 after hitting just .261 last season. His average is the sixth-highest in the American League.

Minnesota also got an assist from Central division rival Cleveland, as the Indians topped the Angels, 4-1, dropping LA into a tie with Texas, 2 1/2 games behind the Twins for the second wild card spot.

Game two of the series is Friday, 7:10 pm ET at Detroit's Comerica Park.

National League

Bryant: game-winning HR

Taking an important step closer to capturing the NL Central division, the Chicago Cubs rallied in the ninth inning and won the opener of a four-game series at Milwaukee in the 10th inning for a 5-3 victory.

Kris Bryant socked a two-run homer in the Cubs' half of the extra inning and Wade Davis (4-1) earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of shutout ball, striking out four, including setting down the Brewers in order, on strikes, in the 10th.

Davis: bullpen ace

For Bryant, the 2016 NL MVP, the home run was his 28th of the season. He has 67 RBI on the year. Davis, called on with a man aboard and one out in the ninth, loaded the bases by hitting a batter and allowing a base hit, but struck out Domingo Santana and got Orlando Arcia on a routine ground ball to end the threat. Davis, the Cubs' closer, has 32 saves, a 1.95 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 55 1/3 inning.

The Cubs entered the ninth down a run, but tied the game on Javier Baez's RBI single.

Chicago's win left them with a 4 1/2 game lead over the Brewers and five over the Cardinals. The Cubs have caught fire at the most opportune time, winning eight of their last nine.

Game two of the series starts Friday at 7:30 pm ET.

Eduardo Escobar Homers Twice As Twins Top Royals, 17-0; J.D. Martinez Leads Arizona To 9th Straight

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 2, 2017

American League

Escobar: 3B, 2HR, 6RBI

In their 17-0 rout of the Royals, the Minnesota Twins got to Kansas City pitchers early and often, scoring 10 runs in the first two innings, evening the three-game series in Minneapolis at a game apiece.

While Joe Mauer was going 4-for-4, his cross-diamond teammate, third baseman Eduardo Escobar, was swinging with power, going 3-for-5 with a triple and a pair of homers, driving in six runs.

Escobar's triple came with the bases loaded in Minnesota's six-run second inning. He mashed a solo shot to center in the fifth inning and completed the scoring for the day with a three-run blast to left in the seventh.

Minnesota's win kept them in control of the second wild card. With the Yankees topping the Red Sox, 5-1, the Twins remained a game back of New York, the top wild card.

The series finale is scheduled for a 2:10 pm ET start, Sunday afternoon.

National League

Martinez: HR, 4 RBI

There is no team hotter than the Arizona Diamondbacks right now, as they won their ninth straight game taking the second of their three-game series with a 6-2 victory at Colorado.

J.D. Martinez, who was plucked from the Tigers mid-July and played his first game as a Diamondback on July 19, got Arizona off to a quick start with a three-run homer in the first inning, adding an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth.

Martinez has 14 home runs as a Diamondback and had 16 when he was in Detroit, giving him 30 on the year, to go with a combined 73 RBI. In 96 games, the seven-year veteran right fielder is batting .277.

Arizona's winning streak dates back to a 3-2 win in the final game of a four-game series with the Mets. Since then, Arizona has swept the Giants and Dodgers, and are on the verge of doing the same to the Diamondbacks, their main competitor in the wild card chase.

The win pushed Arizona's hold on the first wild card to 5 1/2 games over their NL West rivals. Colorado leads Milwaukee by 1 1/2 for the second slot.

Game three is Sunday at 3:10 pm ET. Whether Arizona wins or not, they head back to LA for a final regular season meeting with the Dodgers, a three-game set, beginning Monday.

Bartolo Colon, Eddie Rosario Lead Twins To 4th Straight; Tyler Flowers Powers Braves With Grand Slam

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 20, 2017

Colon: Wins vs. All MLB

American League

In his extended, 20-year career, Bartolo Colon had notched at least one win against every team in the majors, except the Arizona Diamondbacks.

When he sat down on the bench after tossing a scoreless first inning in the final game of the Twins three-game series with the visiting Diamondbacks, he didn't know his teammates would make his rest between innings a lengthy one, scoring nine runs off Arizona starter, T.J. McFarland and reliever Braden Shipley.

The Twins had already scored five runs and batted around when Eddie Rosario came up for the second time in the frame, this time with the bases loaded. The left fielder responded with a grand slam, making Colon's task easier than expected.

Rosario: Grand Slam

With the huge edge, Colon, 44 years of age, went about his business, allowing four runs on seven hits over six innings, joining Max Scherzer and John Lackey as the only active pitchers to beat all 30 teams. Rosario went to the plate there more times, but came up empty, his damage already done in the 12-5 romp, completing the sweep. Rosario's homer was his 17th, the four RBI gave him 50 on the year.

As the Twins won their fourth straight, they improved in the AL Central to within five games of first place Cleveland, 7-4 losers at Kansas City, and remained tied with the Angels for the second wild card spot.

The Diamondbacks continued a game behind the Rockies in the second spot, but, their lead over Milwaukee was shaved to 2 1/2 games, as the Brewers won, 8-4, at Colorado.

On Monday, the Twins are in Chicago for a doubleheader with the White Sox, while Arizona travels to New York to begin a four-game series with the Mets.

Flowers: Grand Slam

National League

Trailing by 11 games for the second wild card spot and 19 games behind Washington in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves aren't likely to be playing in October, but since it's only August, they're still hopeful.

Tyler Flowers and the Braves made quick work of the Reds in the finale of their three game series with an 8-1 rout.

Already ahead 2-0 in the fifth, Flowers pretty much put away all doubt with a grand slam. The Braves tacked on two more runs in the inning, completing the scoring for the game. Starter Sean Newcomb blanked the Reds over five innings for the win, avoiding the sweep.

The Braves host Seattle Monday, beginning a three-game series.

Twins Win, 5-2, As Ervin Santana Tosses 5th Complete Game; Vance Worley, Dee Gordon Lead Marlins Past Nats

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 2, 2017

American League

There were not many runs scored on Wednesday, with 12 of 28 teams on MLB fields scoring two or fewer runs and six of those teams not scoring at all.

Santana's 5 CGs Leads MLB

Of all these low-scoring games, in only one did a starting pitcher go the entire distance, that being Minnesota's Ervin Santana, in the Twins' 5-2 victory at San Diego.

The complete game was Santana's fifth of the season, which is three more than any other pitcher in the league. While there are probably a couple dozen starters who could pitch a full nine innings, the nature of baseball in the age of numbers, studies, and career protection, few do. Santana is a throwback to the 60s, when complete games were the norm rather than the oddity.

In the win over the Padres, Santana allowed four hits and two runs, both of them coming off the bat of Jose Pirela, who socked a two-run homer in the fourth inning. That didn't faze Santana, who set down the first ten batters faced in order before surrendering a single prior to Pirela's homer.

After that, it was lights out for the Padres, able to muster only two hits and a walk the rest of the way. Santana finished with nine strikeouts on 110 pitches, 82 of which were strikes. At 12-7 with a 3.28 ERA, Santana is one of the leading causes for Minnesota's success this season. They've cooled off since the break (6-11), and trail Cleveland in the AL Central by six games.

Worley: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER

The Twins head to home Thursday for the opener of a four-game series with the Rangers. Game one starts at 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Even though the Washington Nationals lead the NL East by 12 games, the division race is far from over, according to the Miami Marlins.

Miami took the final two games of their three-game series with the visiting Nationals, winning the finale, 7-0, as Vance Worley made the most of his spot start, flinging seven innings of shutout ball on two hits for the win and leadoff hitter Dee Gordon went 3-for-4 with two singles, a triple, two stolen bases, three runs and an RBI.

Gordon: 3-4, 3 R, 2 SB

On Tuesday, the Marlins erased a 6-0 win to take the game, 7-6. Washington starter, Max Scherzer, went just one inning, but also homered in his only at-bat, belting a three-run shot. Scherzer didn't take the mound for the second inning, complaining of stiffness in his neck. He expects to make his next start and is set to see a chiropractor this week. Stephen Strasburg is already on the DL and the Nationals cannot afford to lose Scherzer as well for any extended period.

In Wednesday's series finale, Worley allowed a first-inning single to Howie Kendrick, but got out of the frame on a double play. After that, he allowed just one more hit and didn't give up any walks. No Washington batter reached second base with Worley on the mound.

Meanwhile, Gordon was running wild. He walked and scored in the first inning, singled and stole second in the third, tripled and scored in the fifth, singled in a run in the sixth, stole second and scored again.

Gordon is batting an even .300, has scored 71 runs, tied for fifth in the NL, and his 40 steals is second league-wide to Cincinnati's Billy Hamilton (44). Worley is 1-2 with a 5.31 ERA in 14 appearances, six of them starts.

The Marlins head to Atlanta for a three-game series with the Braves starting Friday. On Monday, they'll open a four-game series in Washington. The Nationals open a three-game series with the Cubs in Chicago on Friday.