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.

A-Rod, Nelson Cruz, Jeurys Familia, Matt Carpenter Highlight POTW through April 19

Players of the Week for w/e April 19, 2015

American League

A-Rod

Infielder of the Week - While he certainly has his hare of detractors, NY's Alex Rodriguez spent the week hammering out hits to the tune of a .333 average (6-for-18) with three HRs, a double and five RBI. A-Rod also worked out five walks and scored seven times as the Yankees went 4-2.

Cruz

Outfielder of the Week - Even though the Seattle Mariners went just 2-4 during the week, that didn't stop right fielder, Nelson Cruz, from doing some serious mashing.

Cruz belted six homers in the week, starting with a pair in a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers, and finishing with a two-homer game in an 11-10 victory over Texas on Sunday.

Cruz extended his hitting streak to eight games. During the week's six games, he went 12-for-24, an even .500. The six homers and other hits yielded 10 RBI for Cruz, who leads the majors in home runs, with eight, and has 14 RBI, two behind Baltimore's Adam Jones in the AL.

Greene

Miller

Starting Pitcher of the Week - Detroit's Shane Greene improved to 3-0 with a pair of victories on the week. On April 14, Greene went eight innings in a 2-0 win at Pittsburgh, allowing just three hits. In his next start, on April 19, Greene got more support, going seven solid innings in a 9-1 win over the White Sox. Greene allowed one earned on five hits, fanning three.

Relief Pitcher of the Week - The Yankees' Andrew Miller has settled into the closer role nicely, picking up three saves in the most recent week to give him four on the season. Miller had a five-out save in a 6-5 win over the Orioles, followed by a four-out save against the Rays and a regular ninth-inning variety again against the Rays, as the Yanks swept Tampa Bay.


National League

Carpenter

Infielder of the Week - St. Louis has surged to the top of the NL Central on the strength of second baseman, Matt Carpenter's torrid hitting streak.

Riding a seven-game hitting streak (two hits in each game) Carpenter ended the week batting an even .400. Nine of his 12 hits went for extra bases - seven doubles and two home runs, including a leadoff blast in Sunday night's 2-1 win over the Reds.

Harvey

Outfielder of the Week - The Mets have won seven straight and are atop the NL East, and that's the same number of games comprising left fielder Michael Cuddyer's hitting streak.

Cuddyer

Cuddyer went 10 for 21 (.476) on the week, driving in our runs with three doubles and a triple in his arsenal.

Starting Pitcher of the Week - Scary as it may be to think about, Matt Harvey is 3-0 and still hasn't displayed his best stuff. Harvey, who picked up two wins on the week, gave up five hits and three earned in the Mets' 6-5 win over Philly on the 14th, striking out eight, then, on the 18th Harvey allowed four earned runs while fanning seven in the Mets' 7-6 win over the Marlins. Harvey worked six innings in each of his starts.

Familia

Relief Pitcher of the Week - Jeurys Familia pitched five innings in relief for the Mets and picked up five saves, tying him with Atlanta's Jason Grilli for the major league lead with six. Familia allowed just two hits and one earned run over the five games, striking out five and issuing two walks. All of his saves occurred at the Mets' home field, Citi.

Bird Is the Word: Orioles, Cardinals Cruising as Nelson Cruz, Adam Wainwright Dominate

Players of the Day for Sunday, September 7, 2014

American League

Look in any recent dictionary and under the word "streaky," you're likely to find a photo of one Nelson Cruz, the standout DH and left fielder for the Baltimore Orioles.

Cruz:
7 RBI, Streaky

With a history of huge games and runs of brilliance, Cruz fortified his image on Sunday, driving in all of the Orioles runs in a 7-5, 11-inning victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Baltimore's win avoided the indignity of being swept in Tampa's air-conditioned Tropicana Field; Cruz's mastery of the art of hitting assuring that the Orioles would improve upon their lead in the AL East, as the Yankees - on Derek Jeter Day, no less - dropped a 2-0 decision to the Kansas City Royals. Baltimore's lead is back to 9 1/2 games, their magic number reduced to 12.

Cruz provided the power to boost the O's with a 4-for-5 effort, including a two-run homer in the sixth inning, a bases-loaded double in the ninth, which gave the Orioles a 5-4 lead (only to see Tampa tie it in the bottom of the frame) and another two-run homer in the 11th, which proved to be game-winning. The two home runs increased Cruz's major league leading figure to 39, the seven RBI giving him 101 on the season, leaving him one behind league leader, Mike Trout, and one head of Detroit's Miguel Cabrera.

Including Sunday's performance, Cruz has five home runs and 13 RBI in his last eight games. Over that span, he's 12-for-31, for a .387 average.

Wainwright: 17-9

Streaky.

National League

Adam Wainwright threw his fourth complete game of the season, improving his record to 17-9 in a 9-1 win over fading Milwaukee.

The win put the Cardinals in a commanding position in the NL Central, with a 4 1/2 game lead over the Pirates, dropping the Brewers into third place, 1/2 game behind Pittsburgh. Pleased with the Cardinals' win, the Pirates socked four homers in their 10-4 victory of the Cubs, putting them in sole possession of the second wild card spot, 1/2 game to the good over both Atlanta and Milwaukee.

Wainwright allowed only a ninth-inning run, spoiling what could have been his third shoutout of the season, instead setting for the single run and complete game, dropping his ERA to 2.62, fourth-best amongst NL starters.

Striking out three and issuing just one walk, Wainwright threw 71 of 100 pitches for strikes and got first-pitch strikes on 22 of the 32 batters he faced. The Cardinals turned three double plays, one of which was started by Wainwright.

His 17 wins tied Wainwright with Johnny Cueto, Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner for the NL and major league lead.

Nelson Cruz Grand Slam Lifts Rangers over Astros; Seven RBI by Juan Uribe Send Dodgers to 10-2 Win over Giants

Players of the Day for Friday, July 5, 2013

American League

Over the past five years, few teams have been as successful as the Texas Rangers. One reason for their superior play has been the mainstay of Nelson Cruz in their lineup. Not a superstar, but a quiet, solid everyday player, Cruz has been on the field for Texas throughout their reign in the AL West.

Nelson Cruz

In Friday's 10-5 victory over Houston, Cruz only had one hit, but it was a big one, a second-inning grand slam off Houston starter, Lucas Harrell, which put the Rangers up by a 6-0 score and allowed them to cruise to the series-opening win, keeping them on pace with Oakland, whom they trail by 1/2 game in the division.

The Cruz homer was his 21st of the season and the four RBI gave him 65 on the year, an exceptional total, but hardly recognizable when Detroit's Miguel Cabrera and Chris davis have 86 and 83, respectively, to lead the league. Cruz is tied for fourth in RBI and fifth in homers.

Game two of the home series for the Rangers is Saturday at 7:15 pm EDT.

National League

Juan Uribe

Juan Uribe was lashing the ball all over the AT&T Park field in the Dodgers' 10-2 win over the Giants, but he did not hit for the cycle because in five at-bats he only had a home run, triple and a double, no single.

Despite not putting himself in the MLB record book, Uribe did manage to drive in seven runs, doubling in a pair of runs in the second, tripling with the bases loaded in the third to drive in three more and capping his awesome performance with a two-run homer in the seventh inning.

A veteran of 13 seasons, Uribe is in his third year as a Dodger, the fourth stop on his major league tour, having previously played for the Rockies, White Sox and Giants.

The victory kept the Dodgers locked into second place in the NL West, tied with Colorado, 3 1/2 games behind Arizona. San Diego and San Francisco round out the division, both just 5 1/2 out.

Game two of the storied Dodger-Giants rivalry series is set for 4:15 pm PDT, Saturday in San Francisco.

Today's Trivia: Who had a higher career on-base percentage, Ted Williams or Ty Cobb? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Lefty O'Doul had 254 hits for Philadelphia in 1929, a National League record that was tied by Bill Terry of the NY Giants, just a year later, in 1930. The record still stands.

Nelson Cruz Homers Twice, Leads Rangers over A's, 8-7; Freddie Freeman Homer Drops Mets, as Braves Extend NL East Lead

Players of the Day for Monday, June 17, 2013

American League

In the war for the AL West, the opening skirmish went to the Texas Rangers, though victory was hardly decisive.

Nelson Cruz

The A's and Rangers opened a four-game series in Texas, Monday night, with the Rangers holding home field for an 8-7 win.

Nelson Cruz struck the decisive blows, going 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of homers, scoring twice and driving in four runs. Cruz's home runs were his 17th and 18th of the season, tying him for third with Adam Dunn and Edwin Encarnacion. Miguel Cabrera is one ahead with 19, but Chris Davis leads the pack, belting a solo shot in Baltimore's 5-1 loss to Detroit, his 24th of the season.

Oakland put up a six-spot in the fourth inning to take a 6-3 lead, but that's when Cruz took matters into his own hands, socking a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth to cut into the lead, then hammering a 428-foot, two-run rip to center, driving in A.J. Pierzynski, who had already doubled home Ian Kinsler. Cruz's blast put Texas up by a 7-6 score.

In the seventh, Cruz struck again, doubling home Adrian Beltre with the Rangers' final run. Cruz has 48 RBI, sixth in the league, one behind Boston's David Ortiz.

The win ended a six-game Texas losing streak and cut Oakland's lead to two games in the division.

The teams engage again on Tuesday night in the second of the four-game series. Game time is 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Freddie Freeman

New York's Dylan Gee and Atlanta's Tim Hudson locked into a spirited pitcher's duel Monday night in Atlanta, and, through eight full innings, Gee had the better of it, limiting the Braves to no runs on three hits and singling in the Mets' only run of the game in the seventh.

Hudson retired after seven innings of work, turing the ball over to Anthony Vavaro, who held the Mets in check, blanking them for the eighth inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, Gee, attempting to close out the shutout, got the first out, but then gave up a scratch single to Justin Upton, putting the winning run at the plate in the form of Freddie Freeman, who delivered with his third hit of the night, a two-run, walk-off, game-winning homer that crushed Gee's and the Mets' hopes, improving Atlanta's MLB-best home record to an incredible 24-8 with the 2-1 win.

Freeman's homer was his seventh of the season, but none has been bigger, pushing the Braves to a 7 1/2 game lead in the division over Washington, which dropped a 5-4 decision at Philadelphia (8 1/2 back) on Monday.

The Mets, already 14 1/2 game back, will try to recover when the two teams meet again at Turner Field in game two of the five-game series, Tuesday afternoon at 1:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who had a higher career batting average, Stan Musial or Tony Gwynn?

Yesterday's Answer: The 2011 NL hits leader was Chicago's Starlin Castro, with 207.

Erik Kratz Powers Phillies over Cardinals; Nelson Cruz Comes Alive as Rangers Hammer Mariners

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 21, 2013

American League

Nelson Cruz

With an 11-3 victory over visiting Seattle, the Texas Rangers grabbed first place in the AL West division away from the Oakland A's, who were beaten, 8-1, at Tampa Bay.

For the Rangers, the win was their third straight, while Oakland was losing their third in a row.

Nelson Cruz broke open a close game in the fifth inning with his third home run of the season, a towering 450-foot moon shot to center field that cleared the bases for a grand slam. Cruz also singled and scored, going 2-for-4 on the day.

Seeing Cruz find his swing and hit home runs is a solid sign for the Rangers because Cruz is a streaky hitter with immense power. Last season he socked 24 home runs and drove in 90 runs.

National League

Erik Kratz

It might be too early in the season to call Philadelphia's 7-3 victory over St. Louis a "must-win," but it was certainly important.

Instead of losing their four-game series with the Cardinals, three games to one, the Phillies salvaged a 2-2 tie and prevented a further fall in the NL East standings. At 8-11, the Phillies are already 5 1/2 games behind division-leading Atlanta.

Erik Kratz proved the hero when he singled and scored in the seventh inning on Lance Nix's double, tying the game at 3-3. Kratz followed that up with a three-run homer in the eighth that put the game out of reach. The homer was his second of the year and gave Philly a needed boost.

Kratz has been getting plenty of playing time in relief of injured catcher Carlos Ruiz, playing in all but two of Philadelphia's games this season.

Nelson Cruz's 8 RBI Lead Texas Rout of BlueJays; Ryan Zimmerman Doubles Twice as Nats Extend NL East Lead

Players of the Day for Friday, May 25, 2012

American League

The last time Toronto's Brandon Morrow took the mound, he threw a 3-hit, complete game shutout against the Mets. On Friday, Morrow took to the bump against the Texas Rangers and lasted just 2/3 of an innings, as the Rangers blasted him for six runs off five hits and three walks in the shortest outing of his career, en route to a football-like, 14-3, beating in the opener of a three-game set at Arlington.

Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz was at the center of the Rangers' offensive outburst with a grand slam and eight RBI. Crus cleared the bases in the first with a bases-loaded double, singled home Josh Hamilton in the sixth and powered the slam in the eighth. He went 4-for-5 and scored two runs.

With the victory, the Rangers improved their edge in the AL West to six full games over second-place Oakland. Toronto dropped back to fourth place in the AL East, five games behind Baltimore and a 1/2 game behind the Yankees.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday.

National League

Ryan Zimmerman

The race in the NL East loosened up a bit for the Nationals, as they increased their lead over the Braves to two games with a 7-4 win at Atlanta.

Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and drove in three runs for the Nats, helping send the Braes to their fifth straight loss.

The division standings are incredibly compact, with the Mets and Marlins just 2 1/1 out. Philadelphia is four back, though the Phillies have won three straight and are now 24-23, making the NL East the only division in the majors in which all teams are over .500.

Washington's win over Atlanta came in the first game of their three-game weekend series, which continues Saturday.

Joey Votto's Grand Slam a Game-Winner; Nelson Cruz Goes 4-for-4 with Grand Slam as Rangers Rout Angels

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 13, 2012

American League

With a five game lead in the AL West after bombing the Angels in front of a national TV audience (ESPN), 13-6, the Texas Rangers have the best record in the league and are essentially steamrolling their way toward what seems a probable third consecutive World Series appearance.

Nelson Cruz

As the Angels have been dealt to the West cellar, the Rangers should have few issues disposing of the A's and Mariners, running away with the division.

In Sunday's slug-fest, the Rangers banged out 19 base hits, eight of them for extra bases, and, even though Josh Hamilton didn't hit a home run, Nelson Cruz - who hasn't gotten off to a very great start - did, and it was one which blew the game wide open, a third inning grand slam of Angel ace, Jered Weaver, that made the score 6-2 and sent the starter to the showers only 3 1/3 innings into the game.

The Rangers continued to pile up the hits and runs; Cruz went 4-for-4 - a double and two singles - and scored three runs to go with his four RBI. Texas took two of three in the series and remain home for a pair of two-game series against the Royals and A's before next weekend's interleague play at Houston.


National League

Joey Votto

Thanks in part to the Braves sweeping a three game series from the Cardinals, Joey Votto's three home runs - including a game-ending grand slam - have the Reds in second place in the NL Central, having trimmed St. Louis' lead to just 2 1/2 games.

Votto's 4-for-5 effort included a double, three homers, six RBI and four runs, as the Reds' first baseman nearly single-handedly kept the Reds from being swept by the Nationals with a 9-6 victory.

Votto belted a solo job in the first and another in the fourth inning, which tied the game briefly at two, but the Nats eventually held a 6-5 edge heading into the bottom of the ninth. With HVVV Rodriguez in to close out the contest, the Reds loaded the bases on a single, sacrifice, foul out and a pair of walks, setting up Votto for his specialty, the long ball, which he delivered to straightaway center to the delight of the home crowd.

The Reds pursuit will become more difficult starting Monday as they travel to red-hot Atlanta while the Cardinals host the Cubs. Both are two-game series.

Nelson Cruz Helps Darvish Get First AL Win; Barry Zito Blanks Rockies on Four Hits

Players of the Day for Monday, April 9, 2011

American League

The Texas Rangers game against Seattle Monday was supposed to be all about the debut of Japanese import Yu Darvish making his first start in American baseball. Fans were geared up for the flame-chucking hurler, but, as games usually go in Texas, it was the hitters who carried the day.

Cruz: 3-4 HR 4RBI

While Darvish got the win, he wasn't particularly effective, allowing eight hits, four walks and five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings before being pulled, but the Rangers had already put eight runs on the board and Darvish would get the win as Texas belted Seattle, 11-5.

The Rangers hit four homers off three different Seattle pitchers, including the third-inning, three-run bomb by Nelson Cruz - his first of the year - that tied the game at five. An inning later, Mitch Moreland's two-run job and Josh Hamilton's solo shot put Texas ahead for good.

Cruz singled with two aboard in the first inning, driving in the second Texas run and singled again with two down in the seventh, but was left stranded. He finished up 3-for-4 with four RBI as the Rangers took sole possession of first place in the AL West at 3-1, 1/2 game better than the 3-2 Mariners.


National League

After being swept three straight by Arizona to open the season, the Giants needed a quality start from Barry Zito, and the big lefty delivered a sterling performance, tossing a complete-game, 7-0 shutout at Colorado.

Zito: complete game

Zito had a strong outing, giving up two singles in the third inning, another in the fourth and a two-out double to Ramon Hernandez in the the seventh inning, before cutting down the final seven Colorado batters in order. He struck out four, did not issue any bases on balls and no Colorado player advanced past second base.

Pablo Sandoval staked Zito to a 2-0 lead in the first with his second homer of the year and second year shortstop Brandon Crawford's bases-loaded double completed the scoring for the Giants in the fifth.

The Giants are 1-3, tied with the Rockies and Padres in the NL West cellar. The only winless team remaining in the National League is Atlanta, losing their fourth straight, an 8-3 road loss at Houston.

In the American League, Minnesota is 0-4 after losing their home opener, 5-1, to the Angels.

Cruz, Napoli Give Rangers 3-1 Lead over Tigers; Cardinals Take 2-1 Edge in NLCS

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 12, 2011

American League

Rangers 7 Tigers 3, 11 innings

Mike Napoli

After winning game three and waiting out a rain delay that turned an afternoon affair into an evening interlude, the Detroit Tigers fell behind three games to one in the ALCS, as Mike Napoli and Nelson Cruz provided the winning margin in the top of the 11th inning.

Nelson Cruz

Napoli's single to center scored Josh Hamilton from second base to put the Rangers up 4-3, and Cruz followed with his 4th home run of the series, a three-run shot that pretty much put the game away. All four 11th inning runs came off reliever Jose Valverde, who was used in hope to keep the score tied. Valverde's streak of consecutive saves - 49 in the regular season and three more in the playoffs - remains intact as the inning was not a save situation.

Both Napoli and Cruz made plays in the field that helped keep the game tied. After Brandon Inge tied the game at 3-3 with a solo homer in the 7th, Cruz threw Miguel Cabrera out at the plate in the bottom of the 8th. Napoli's strong arm got Austin Jackson trying to steal second base in the bottom of the 10th, keeping Detroit's speediest runner out of scoring position.

With a 3-1 lead in the series, the Rangers will try to end it Thursday afternoon in Detroit, though they'll have to beat the best in the American League to do so. Justin Verlander, who notched the pitching triple crown with 24 wins, a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts, takes the ball for the start of game five. Verlander is 1-1 in two post-season starts and will be opposed by Ranger starter C.J. Wilson, who was 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA during the regular season. First pitch is slated for 4:19 pm EDT.

National League

Cardinals 4 Brewers 3

Pujols: 636 AVG.

The St. Louis Cardinals took a two games to one lead in the National League Championship Series, scoring all of their runs in the first inning off Milwaukee starter, Yovani Galardo.

David Freese

Albert Pujols set a major league mark with his fifth consecutive extra-base hit on his ground rule double in the first inning, scoring Jon Jay with the Cardinals' second run. Pujols scored on Yadier Molina's ground out into a double play, but David Freese, who went 3-for-4, followed with a double to right field, sending home Matt Holliday with what would prove to be the game-winner. Pujols would single later and draw two walks, going 2-for-2, to improve his series average to a stunning .636 with four doubles a home run and six RBI.

Milwaukee battled back against St. Louis ace, Chris Carpenter, with two runs in the 2nd inning and another in the 3rd, but that was all they could muster of Carpenter - who lasted five inning for the win - and four Cardinal relievers, who put together a string of zeroes in the final four innings, blanking the Brewers without giving up a hit nor walking a batter.

Game four is Thursday night in St. Louis, with Randy Wolf on the mound for the Brewers against the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse. Game time is 8:05 pm EDT.

Nelson Cruz Walks Off Tigers with Grand Slam; Albert Pujols Sets Extra Base Mark in 12-3 Cardinal Win

Players of the Day for Monday, October 10, 2011

American League

Rangers 7 Tigers 3, 11 innings

After a day of rain and 11 innings of game two in the AL Championship Series, Nelson Cruz left no doubt, snapping a 3-3 tie with his second home run of the game and third of the series, a no-out grand slam into the left field seats off Detroit reliever, Ryan Perry.

Nelson Cruz

Cruz's home run was the fourth straight hit off Perry, who failed to retire a batter as he started the 11th frame. Leading off the 7th inning, Cruz went deep to tie the game, sending Tiger starter Max Scherzer to the showers and setting the stage for the dramatic finish four innings later.

Texas now has a commanding, 2-0, lead in the series which heads to Detroit on Tuesday. Due to the washout Sunday, the normal travel day has become a game day, with Colby Lewis going to the mound for the Rangers to face Tiger hurler, Doug Fister. Game three's first pitch is scheduled for 8:05 pm EDT.

National League

Cardinals 12 Brewers 3

Albert Pujols wasted little time showing the Milwaukee Brewers that the Cardinals were not going to go down easy. Albert the Great, baseball's most prolific power hitter, sent a first inning offering from Brewer starter Shaun Marcum into the left field stands for a 2-0 Cardinal lead that would not be relinquished.

"King" Albert

With the lead in hand and the Cardinals intent on tying the series at one game apiece, Pujols let his bat do all the talking, collecting, in 5 at-bats, three doubles to go with his homer, five RBI and the pleasure of setting his foot on home plate three times. His four extra-base hits set an MLB playoff record.

In the third inning, Pujols slammed a double over the head of Milwaukee center fielder Nyjer Morgan, who had earlier tweeted about the Cardinal strong man, calling him "Alberta." Morgan crashed into the wall as Edwin Jackson and Jon Jay scored on Pujols' smash hit.

The Cardinals greeted Brewer reliever Maroo Estrada with a pair of doubles, one by Jay to lead off the 5th inning, followed immediately by Pujols' second double of the game.

Pujols finished his extra-base barrage with one out in the 7th, lashing a ground rule double to right field and scoring on Matt Holiday's single. The rest of the Cardinals joined in the assault, scoring four runs in the inning. David Freese knocked a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning to complete the Cardinal scoring and send the series back to St. Louis on Wednesday, tied 1-1.

Game three's pitching match-up has the two staff aces going up the mound. Yovani Gallardo gets the start for Milwaukee, while Chris Carpenter will open the game for St. Louis at 8:05 pm EDT.

Murphy, Cruz, Rain Beat Verlander; Rangers Lead 1-0

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 8, 2011

American League

David Murphy

Nelson Cruz

Rangers 3 Tigers 2

David Murphy tripled home Mike Napoli and scored on Ian Kinsler's single in the second inning and Nelson Cruz connected for a solo homer off Justin Verlander before the second rain delay in the 5th inning sent Verlander to the bench for the night.

The Rangers' bullpen shut down Detroit on one hit over the final 4 1/3 innings after the Tigers scored two runs off Texas starter CJ. Wilson in the fifth.

The series resumes Sunday in Arlington, Texas at 7:45 pm EDT. Max Scherzer goes up the bump for the Tigers, facing the Rangers' Derek Holland

National League

The NL Championship Series between the Brewers and Cardinals begins Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee at 4:05 pm EDT. Zach Greinke (16-6), who has not lost at home all season, will start for the Brewers, while the Cardinals send Jaime Garcia (13-7) to the mound. In seven career starts against the Brewers, Gacia is 3-2 with one shutout and a 3.27 ERA.

Capuano 2-Hit Shutout Stops Braves; Cruz, Murphy Lead Rangers over Angels

Players of the Day for Friday, August 26, 2011

American League

After losing three straight and four of their last six, the Texas Rangers were in desperate need of a win, especially with the Angels, winners of their last six games, in town for a three game visit.

Cruz: 2 HR, 6 RBI

The secret for the Rangers was that they'd handed the Angels three straight losses just a week ago, before dropping the final game of their four game series in Anaheim, so, as if it were all planned out, the Rangers got big efforts from Nelson Cruz and David Murphy, resulting in an 11-7 win over their top rival in the AL West.

Grand Slam Murphy

Cruz, dealing with a slump entering the contest, was dropped to the #7 slot in the order by manager Ron Washington. His response was a 4-for-5 night at the plate, with a solo homer in the 4th inning, a three-run blast in the 6th, a double, a single, three runs and six RBI.

Murphy, playing as DH and batting right behind Cruz, went 3-for-5, including a 5th inning grand slam off Angels' starter Dan Haren, sending the LA hurler to an early shower.

Texas increased its lead over the Angels to three games with the victory and face them twice more over the weekend. The two teams match up again in Arlington on September 26, 27 and 28, the final three games of the regular season.

National League

Capuano: 2-Hitter

Better late than never, as the saying goes.

Mets' pitcher, Chris Capuano (10-11), who hadn't gone deeper than six innings in any of his last six starts and had only pitched into the 7th inning five times in 25 starts this season, shut down the Atlanta Braves on two hits for a 6-0 Mets win, pitching his first complete game shutout since blanking the Cubs, 2-0, on July 6, 2006, when he was a starter for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Braves came to visit the Mets as winners of seven of their last eight games, but ran into a buzz saw, as Capuano had all his pitches working, setting down the first 12 batters in order, striking out a career high 13 without surrendering a walk in a dominating performance.

Capuano allowed only a 5th inning single by Dan Uggla and an 8th inning double by David Ross, throwing 79 of 122 pitches for strikes. He ended the game with a flourish, fanning the final two Atlanta batters, including the last out against Micheal Bourne, who struck out all four times he went to the plate.

Unfortunately for the Mets, they are still 21 1/2 games back in the NL East and 15 1/2 games behind the Braves in the wild card race. The teams decided to postpone the next two games of the series, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, in the face of oncoming Hurricane Irene, which is expected to deliver heavy rains and damaging winds to the New York area over the next two days.

The games will be made up as a doubleheader on September 8 at Citi Field.

Cruz Delivers 8 RBI in 12-2 Rout; Hamels Wins 12th for Phillies

Players of the Day for Friday, July 22, 2011

American League

Cruz: 8 RBI

Entering Friday's fracas with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Rangers' Nelson Cruz had been in a serious RBI drought. Cruz had driven in exactly one run in his last 11 games, despite the fact that Texas had won nine straight during that time.

With Michael Young going 4-for-4 in front of him, the Toronto pitching staff was to be unwilling victims of the wrath of Cruz, helping Young score four times.

Beginning with his first at-bat, Cruz proved impossible to get out. In the 2nd he got the Rangers rolling with an RBI double. Then, in the 4th, he hit a three-run homer, following that up with a single in the 5th that plated two more runs.

Cruz finished up with a two-run single in the 6th inning, completing a 4-for-4 night with eight RBI as Cruz and the Rangers punished the Blue Jays 12-2.

While eight RBI in a game is unusual, Cruz is notable for big run-producing games. On July 1, he drove in six runs in a 15-5 win over the Marlins. Cruz has 21 RBI in the month of July.

The Texas win kept them three games ahed of the relentless Angels in the AL West.

National League

Hamels: 12-5

If not for the special play of the Atlanta Braves the Philadelphia Phillies would be impossible to catch in the NL East. Atlanta looks like a shoo-in for the wild card. Their 59-41 record would give them the lead in either of the other two divisions, but they trail Philly by four games.

Philadelphia maintained their lead with Cole Hamels on the mound, who tossed another sensational game in the Phillies' 3-1 win over the Padres.

Hamels allowed three hits and one earned run over eight innings, giving up one walk while whiffing 10. Hamels improved to 12-5 with his third win in his last four starts. Hamels is carrying around some gaudy numbers this season, especially considering the exploits of teammates Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. His ERA is an impressive 2.62, along with a 0.96 WHIP and 134 strikeouts.

Jair Jurrjens One-Hits Orioles; Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre Power Rangers

Players of the Day for Friday, July 1, 2011

American League

Adrian Beltre

Nelson Cruz

As interleague play winds down into final series, the Texas Rangers are counting the blessings of the schedule, having drawn a three-game set with the Marlins in Texas to complete their cross-league encounters for the season.

In the opener, the Rangers took full advantage of Florida's frailties, smashing 15 hits in a 15-5, one-sided romp.

At the heart of the Texas tornado were Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre, who together accounted for five hits and ten RBI.

Beltre went 3-for-4, with two doubles, a single and four RBI, while Cruz, recently returned from the disabled list, had a three-run homer in the 3rd inning (his 19th) and produced a bases-loaded triple in the 8th for a six RBI night.

The Rangers increased their lead in the AL West to two games over the Angels, who lost to the Dodgers, 5-0, and remained 3 1/2 better than the Mariners, 6-0 winners over the Padres.

National League

Jurrjens: 1-Hitter
and 1.89 ERA

Jair Jurrjens flirted with a perfect game for five innings and a no hitter for 6 1/3, eventually walkng Mark Reynolds to lead off the 6th, then giving in to Adam Jones, who singled to center, the Orioles' only hit of a game.

After Jones' hit, Jurrjens simply cruised through the final eight Baltimore batters, finishing with a one-hit shutout, the first blanking of his career, and his second complete game of the season, as Atlanta won, 4-0, remaining four games behind the Phillies in the NL East.

The walk to Reynolds was the only free pass issued by Jurrjens, who took over the NL lead in wins with his 11th, against just three losses.

The Atlanta ace struck out eight, lowered his WHIP to 1.06 and reduced his already-league-leading ERA to a minuscule 1.89.

INTERLEAGUE TALLY: The American League took back the lead with 8 wins on Friday, giving them a two-game edge over the NL, 113-111.

Nelson Cruz Slams Rangers Past Reds; David Wright Leads 23-Hit Mets Onslaught

Players of the Day for Thursday, March 24, 2011

American League

Nelson Cruz

Two of the most potent offensive teams faced off on Thursday, as the Texas Rangers played the Cincinnati Reds. The result was a not-unexpected slug-fest, featuring 34 hits, including four homers and eight doubles and a final score of 15-13, with the Rangers on top.

The game also served as a coming-out party for Nelson Cruz, who had been struggling along this Spring with an average under .200 and no homers. No problem for Cruz, who found his stride just in time to jack a grand slam, single and double and drive in a game-high six runs.

Despite the slow start to his exhibition season, Cruz is healthy and surely will add punch to the Rangers' attack. Despite a few stints on the DL over the past two years, Cruz still managed to hit 54 home runs with 154 RBI in 246 games. Given a full season of good health, Cruz could easily swat 40 and drive in well over 100 runs in 2011.

National League

David Wright

The New York Mets rocked Jamie Garcia for 14 hits and 10 runs (though only 3 were earned) over four innings, and then beat up three relievers with nine more hits en route to a 16-3 bombing of St. Louis.

Five different players had two or more hits, but third baseman David Wright had his way all day, going 4-for-4 with a pair of singles, a double, homer, two runs and 3 RBI.

Wright bounced back from a 2009 season in which he hit only 10 homers and drove in just 72 runs with 29 jacks and 103 RBI in 2010, apparently rediscovering his power stroke. He's labored without a great deal of support the past two seasons, with Carlos Beltran spending most of the time on the DL and the departure of slugger Carlos Delgado to retirement.

Wright is batting .333 in the Spring and appears ready for another solid season.

Hamilton, Cruz Batter Boston Bullpen; Dickey 1-Hits Luckless Phillies

Players of the Day for Friday, August 13, 2010 American League The Texas Rangers probably don't need any help in order to win the AL West division, but they'll take it when offered, like they did Friday night, from the imploding Boston pitching staff and bullpen. The Red Sox traveled to Arlington a night after blowing a 9th-inning, 5-2 lead in a 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays, evidence that Red Sox arms are tiring in the heat of the summer, but they got no rest in Texas, using eight pitchers in a 10-9, 11-inning loss to the Rangers. Boston scored seven times in the top of the 4th to take an early 8-2 lead, but starter Josh Becket, who hasn't been his usual self all season (3-2, 6.51 ERA), lasted only five innings, allowing single runs in the 1st and 2nd, two in the 4th and two more in the 5th as the Rangers began their rally. Boston scored another run in the top of the 7th, but Texas countered with two more in the bottom of the frame and eventually tied the game when Vlaimir Guerrero singled home Josh Hamilton (left), who crossed the plate for the 4th time in the 8th. Hamilton went 4-for-5 with a solo home run, two singles and a double, raising his outrageous league-leading batting average to .362. There was no further scoring by either team until the bottom of the 11th, when Nelson Cruz (right) took the first offering from Tim Wakefield into the seats in left field for a walk-off, game-winning home run, his 16th of the year. Cruz had been an earlier contributor as well, finishing the night 3-for-6 with two RBI and two runs. The Rangers banged out 17 hits against the worn-out Boston staff, who face Texas twice more this weekend before getting a day off. Boston didn't lose any ground to the Yankees or Rays, both losers Friday. They trail New York by six games and are four behind the second-place Rays. Texas sports an 8 1/2 game lead over the Angels, with the A's another 1/2 game back in the AL West. National League Playing in New York at Citi field simply does not agree with Phillies' hitters. Pitcher Cole Hamels would rather not see the Mets again soon either. Hamels, who had the only hit off Mets' starter R.A. Dickey, lost his second straight 1-0 decision to the Mets. Last Saturday, he struck out 11 and allowed just one run over seven innings but was victimized by Johan Santana. On Friday, Dickey allowed only a 3rd inning walk to Wilson Valdez and Hamels' 6th inning single as the Mats blanked the Phillies for the 4th straight time at Citi Field. Back in May they shut them out three straight, outscoring them 16-0. Dickey, a knuckleballer, had the Phillies completely off-balance, striking out seven and getting eight groundouts and eight more outs on fly balls, mostly pop-ups and weak fliers. The Mets scored their only run on back-to-back doubles by David Wright and Carlos Beltran in the 6th inning and regained third place in the NL East, nine games behind front-running Atlanta. The Phillies dropped three games off the pace as the Braves topped the Dodgers, 1-0 in Atlanta. Dickey (8-5, 2.43) recorded his first shutout and complete game since 2003, when he was a starter for the Texas Rangers.

Nelson Cruz Delivers for Rangers in 14th; Mark Reynolds Knocks Around Mets Pitching

Players of the Day for Monday, July 19, 2010 American League For 14 innings, the Tigers and Rangers - two teams with distinct possibilities for post-season play - battled over the first game of their three-game series in Detroit. 32 hits, 12 walks and five errors all culminated in one blast off the bat of Nelson Cruz, who delivered a two-run homer - his 12th of the year - in the top of the 14th, for an 8-6 Texas victory. Cruz had put the Rangers up 6-5 in the 7th inning with an RBI single, only to have the Tigers tie the game back up in the bottom of the 8th. He finished 3-for-6 with 4 RBI and also stole his 11th base of the season. The two contenders used a total of 13 pitchers in the marathon event, seven by the Rangers and six for the Tigers. The late-night finish put the Rangers five games ahead of the idle LA Angels in the AL West, while the Tigers dropped to 2 1/2 behind the sprinting White Sox, who hammered Seattle, 8-1. Minnesota fell to red-hot Cleveland (5 straight wins), 10-4, remaining tied with the Tigers in second place in the Central division. National League Poor Arizona. While the other four teams in the NL West are all above .500, the Diamondbacks have struggled down in last place, 20 games behind the division-leading Padres. Still, a few Arizona players are having excellent years, like Mark Reynolds. In Arizona's 13-2 defeat of the visiting Mets, the third baseman singled, tripled and homered, driving in four runs and scoring three times, as the Diamondbacks collected 18 hits off Mets' starter, Mike Pelfrey and four relievers. While the win did nothing for Arizona's prospects, the loss vy the Mets dropped them another 1/2 game behind idle NL East leader, Atlanta, now 5 1/2 clear of the second place New Yorkers, with Philadelphia another 1/2 game behind. In a development worth watching, Reynolds may become a prime trade candidate, especially in the case of the Reds, who might lose Scott Rolen shortly to the DL, as he took a cortisone shot in his right hamstring before the Monday's 7-2 win over the Nationals. The Reds' brain trust will decide within a few of days whether to put him on the 15-day DL or allow the All Star to play through whatever pain he might be suffering.