Francisco Lindor 4-for-5 As Indians Whip Blue Jays; Nick Markakis Helps Atlanta Overcome Arizona

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 6, 2018

American League

Lindor: 4-5, 2HR, 4RBI

The only game in the American League was Cleveland's 9-4 win at Toronto.

Francisco Lindor set the tone early, leading off the game with his 32nd home run of the season. In the third, he stroked another solo shot for a 2-0 Cleveland lead. The Blue Jays eventually took the lead, 4-3, but Lindor's two-run single in the fifth had the Indians back on top.

In the ninth, Lindor singled again - his fourth hit of the game - and scored on Jason Kipnis' three-run homer.

Lindor, 24, is already in his fourth full season in the majors and is about to set new career marks. In 2017 he batted .273 with 33 homers and 89 RBI. This year he's at .289 with 33 HRs and 84 RBI. In 2016 and again in 2017, Lindor scored 99 runs. He already has crossed home plate 117 times this season, tops in the majors.

The Indians extended their major-league-best lead in the AL Central to 16 1/2 games over the Twins. Their magic number to clinch the division is 8.

Game two of the four-game series in Toronto is scheduled for Friday at 7:00 pm EDT.

National League

Markakis: 4-5, 2 RBI

There were only three games played in the National League Thursday. The Cubs outlasted the Nationals, 6-4, in 10 innings, the Padres downed the Reds, 6-2, and the Braves blew a 4-0 lead only to come back for the win in 10 innings, defeating the Diamondbacks, 7-6, on a wild pitch by Yoshihisa Hirano.

Dansby Swanson scampered home with the winning run in the top of the 10th. Reliever Brad Brach worked a hitless bottom of the frame, earning his first save for Atlanta.

Nick Markakis earns the star for Player of the Day, going 4-for-5 with two RBI, boosting his batting average to .309. He is tied for fourth in batting in the NL with Milwaukee's Lorenzo Cain.

Atlanta's win snapped a three-game skid, keeping them in first place in the NL East by 3 1/2 over the Phillies.

The Braves and Diamondbacks resume the four-game series with game two in Phoenix, Friday, 9:40 pm EDT.

Braves Shuffle Cards, 11-4, On Nick Markakis Slam, 5 RBI; Red Sox Hammer Yankees, 11-0, as Chris Sale, Rafael Devers Dominate

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 30, 2018

American League

Sale: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

The biggest series of the weekend has to be the one at Yankee Stadium in New York, where the Red Sox and Yankees are battling for first place in the AL East.

The first two games, however, have hardly lived up to the hype for what's supposed to be a fierce rivalry. On Friday, the Yankees dominated, getting the offense started quickly in an 8-1 win.

Devers: 5-5, GS, 4RBI, 3R

Saturday's game was equally lopsided, though this time it was Boston doing all the scoring. Rafael Devers' grand slam in the opening frame was more than enough run support for Red Sox ace, Chris Sale, who allowed just one hit over seven innings, fanning 11 flailing New York batters.

Devers finished 5-for-5 and scored three runs in the 11-0 rout. In addition to the slam, the Red Sox third baseman doubled, singled three times and scored three runs.

Sale improved to 8-4 on the year, dominating by throwing 72 of 101 pitches for strikes. Sale's 164 Ks are tops in the AL. Washington's Max Scherzer leads the National League with 165.

Yankee starter, Sonny Gray, acquired for Oakland last season just before the trade deadline, allowed six runs on seven hits over just 2 1/3 innings and looks to be expendable for the Yankees. Since joining the franchise, he's 9-13. This season's ERA has ballooned to 5.44.

The rubber game of the series is scheduled for 8:00 pm EDT Sunday as the nationally televised ESPN game.

National League

Markakis: Slam, 5 RBI

While the Phillies were taking one from Washington, 3-2, the Atlanta Braves held their three-game lead in the NL East, shuffling the Cards by an 11-4 score.

It was the second game of a three-game series in St. Louis. The Braves won, 5-1 on Friday and will be looking for a sweep when the teams meet on Sunday, at 2:15 pm EDT.

Doing the most damage for Atlanta was right fielder, Nick Markakis, who is having an outstanding season and looks to be a starter for the NL in the all star game, July 17. Markakis leads all NL outfielders with nearly two million votes as of the latest release.

After doubling and scoring the Braves' first run in the second inning, Markakis blew open a 3-0 game in the fifth inning with a grand slam and for good measure hit a sixth inning sac fly to send Ozzie Albies to the plate for a 10-0 advantage. The veteran outfielder tallied five RBI for the game.

Markakis played nine years for the orioles before switching to Atlanta and the National League in 2015. Along with his .326 batting average, Markakis has nine homers and 56 RBI, fifth in the league.

Julio Teheran, Nick Markakis Lead Braves In 13-0 Rout Of Washington; Alex Cobb Tames Red Sox; Rays Win 1-0

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 8, 2017

American League

Cobb stymies Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox might have recently pulled away from the rest of the teams in the AL East, but, thanks to a trip to Tampa, they're not expanding their lead in the division. On Saturday, the Rays took the measure of Boston, 1-0, as Alex Cobb tossed a scoreless 7 2/3 innings for his seventh win against six losses. All the other teams in the division also were winners on the day, including the Yankees, who enjoyed a three-run, bottom of the ninth inning homer by Clint Frazier to secure their 5-3 win over Milwaukee.

In the Tampa game, Cobb was touched for just two hits, but they were harmless two-out singles in the first and third innings. After that, he put down 11 straight Red Sox batters, until Mitch Moreland reached on an error in the seventh. Cobb got through that inning and worked into the eighth, leaving with a man aboard on the only walk he allowed - to Sonny Leon - with two down in the frame.

Alex Colome came on and retired the next batter, but ran into trouble in the ninth, eventually putting two on before getting Hanley Ramirez on strikes, then intentionally loading the bases to get Chris Young on a pop up for the final out and his 24th save.

Cobb threw 111 pitches, walked one and struck out three, lowering his ERA to a respectable 3.75 in the process.

Tampa's victory moved them closer to the Red Sox and on pace with the Yankees. Boston leads New York by 3 1/2 and Tampa by 4 1/2 in the hotly-contested division.

Now that Tampa Bay has taken two of the first three in the series, the Red Sox and Rays will take the field for game four at Tropicana Field, 1:10 pm ET. All teams break for the all-star game following Sunday's contests.

National League

While having possibly convinced many baseball reporters and writers that they are the best team in the NL East, the Atlantas Braves are not convinced that the Washington Nationals are so far superior in the division.

Markakis: 3-4, 4R, 2RBI

The Braves hammered the Nats, 13-0, Saturday at Nationals Park, taking a 2-1 edge in their four-game series.

Teheran: 7IP, 0ER, 2-2, 3RBI

While Julio Teheran, Rex Brothers, and Akeel Morris were keeping the Nationals off the base paths and the scoreboard, Braves batters were lighting up Stephen Strasburg and the Washington relief staff for 15 hits. Strasburg lasted only three innings, allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits and a pair of walks. He did not strike out a single batter.

Nick Markakis had a field day, going 3-for-5 with a single, double and a solo home run, driving in two, scoring four times. The Braves right fielder seemed to be always on base, scoring in the second, third, seventh and ninth. His home run was in the seventh inning, his fourth of the season.

Teheran also pitched in at the plate, going 2-for-2 with three RBI. He worked seven scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks, fanning five. His record stands at 7-6.

With the win, Atlanta moved a game closer to the Nationals who now lead Atlanta by 8 1/2. With the all-star break following Sunday's games, the Braves will be looking to creep a little closer when the teams take the field at 1:35 pm ET.

Trey Mancini Lifts Orioles Over Pirates In 11; Nick Markakis Drives In Five In Braves' 14-1 Romp

Players of the Day for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

American League

Mancini: 2 HR, 5 RBI

While the Yankees and Red Sox were splitting the first two games of their three-game series in New York, the Baltimore Orioles were busy making life miserable for the Pittsburgh Pirates, taking two straight from the visitors to Camden Yards, both in extra innings.

The pattern was the same for both games, with the O's falling behind, then rallying to tie the game in the ninth inning and winning in extra frames. On Tuesday, it was Jonathan Schoop who belted a two run homer to tie the game, leading to Mark Trumbo's RBI single in the 10th.

Wednesday's contest was even more dramatic, with rookie Trey Mancini - pinch-hitting for leadoff hitter Seth Smith - socking a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at six, then launching his 15th belt of the season, a three-run shot, for the 9-6 game-winner.

Pittsburgh had built a 6-1 lead after seven innings, but the Orioles rallied for one run in the eighth and four in the ninth. Seven Pirate pitchers contributed to the losing effort, keeping Pittsburgh in last place in the NL Central, a game behind St. Louis, losers of six straight, and 5 1/2 behind surprising division leader, Milwaukee.

For the Orioles, they can't complain about the split in New York, as they have gained a game on both the Yankees and Red Sox. New York leads the AL East by two over Boston, with the Orioles another 1/2 game back.

Baltimore heads down I-95 to play the Nationals on Thursday, a make-up for a May 11 postponement, before heading to Yankee Stadium Friday for a three-game series with the Bombers.

Pittsburgh heads home to open a four-game series with the Marlins on Thursday.

National League

Markakis: 2 2B, 5 RBI

With the Nationals romping to an 11 1/2 game lead in the National League East, there isn't much to say about the rest of the division's teams, but the Atlanta Braves soldier on in second place, tied with the Mets after dropping the Phillies, 14-1, after losing the
first two games of their four-game series in Atlanta.

Highlighting the effort was outfielder, Nick Markakis, who doubled three times in five at-bats and drove in five runs.

Markakis sent his first two-bagger into the left-center gap in the fourth inning, driving in his first run. He doubled in two in the seventh inning and did the same in the eighth. The Phillies didn't score until their final chance, in the ninth.

Always a reliable performer, Markakis, in his third year with the Braves, is batting .289 with 31 RBI.

Game four of the series is scheduled for Thursday night, 7:35 pm ET, in Atlanta.

Nick Markakis, Orioles Eliminate Yankees; KC, Oakland Even in Wild Card; Justin Turner Gets Dodgers Closer to NL West Title

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 23, 2013

American League

The race in the Central division and AL wild card got a whole lot more interesting Tuesday night, except for the Yankees, who were eliminated from post-season contention in a 5-4 loss to the Orioles.

Nick Markakis

The Orioles banged out 17 hits against five New York hurlers, including 11 off starter Brandon McCarthy. Nick Markakis, Nelson Cruz and Kelly Johnson each homered for the O's. Cruz's solo shot in the fifth inning was his 40th of the season, which lead the majors. Houston's Chris Carter has 37; Miami's Giancarlo Stanton lead the National league with 37.

Markakis was the slugging star of the night, though, with a two-run, fourth-inning blast that put the Orioles up, 4-0. In the second inning, he singled home a run and later added two more singles to go 4-for-5 with three RBI. Other than the home runs, all of the other Oriole hits were singles, 14 of them.

The important action elsewhere in the league took place in Detroit, where the Tigers held their one-game lead in the Central with a 4-3 win over the White Sox; in Cleveland, the Royals topped Cleveland 7-1 to reach a tie for the wild card spots with Oakland, 2-0 losers to the Angels.

In Toronto, the Blue Jays walloped the Mariners for the second straight night, with a 10-2 win. Seattle is just three games behind the wild card leaders, but there are only five games left to play. Cleveland is 4 1/2 back and could be eliminated as early as Wednesday night, when they meet the Royals in the conclusion of their three-game series.

Justin Turner

National League

With a 4-2 win over second place San Francisco, the LA Dodgers are within a hairs-breath of capturing the NL West division.

LA leadoff hitter, Justin Turner, belted a pair of solo homers off Giants' starter Madison Bumgarner (18-10) to propel the Dodgers to victory, their 90th of the season, against 68 losses. Turner led off the game with his first belt, then finished Bumgarner's night on the mound with his second solo with one down in the eighth. Zack Greinke (16-8) went eight innings for the Dodgers to earn the win.

Kenley Jansen worked the ninth to pick up the save, his 44th, tying him with St. Louis' Trevor Rosenthal and Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel for the league lead.

LA can wrap up the division with a win Wednesday night in the final of their three-game series with the Giants. They may meet their Norther California rival again in the playoffs, however, as the Giants and Pirates both have qualified for the playoffs, and are the likely wild card teams. Pittsburgh holds a one-game edge over San Francisco in the wild card and are 1 1/2 behind St. Louis in the NL Central.

Jason Heyward Leads Streaking Braves Over Slumping Pirates; Nick Markakis Homers, Powers Baltimore to 8-2 Win over ChiSox

Players of the Day for Monday, August 18, 2014

American League

Nick Markakis

Threatening to run away with the AL East title, the Baltimore Orioles won the second straight and are 11-5 in the month of August, winning the opening of a three-game series in Chicago with the White Sox in an 8-2 blowout.

Nick Markakis slugged a two-run homer as part of a five-run eighth inning to blow open the game. Markakis also singled twice, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs.

Batting a solid .298, Markakis is one of the primary catalysts for the Orioles' August surge. He's riding a 10-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 15 of Baltimore 16 games this month, with eight multiple-hit games.

The Orioles now have a 7 1/2 game lead over the Yankees in the AL East and lead Toronto by eight games.

Game two of the series is Tuesday, at 8:10 pm EDT.

National League

Jason Heyward

Just a short while ago, Pittsburgh was in a position of a serious contender to capture the NL Central, but, six consecutive losses have put the Pirates at a severe disadvantage and the condition didn't get any better as they opened a three-game series against Atlanta with a 7-3 loss to the Braves.

Atlanta, possibly positioning themselves for the wild card with four straight wins, took the initiative in the opening inning, scoring six runs off Pittsburgh starter Vance Worley.

Moving Jason Heyward into the leadoff spot may have been just the tonic the Braves needed. Heyward led off the game with his 10th home run, collected two more hits in four at-bats, and drove in Atlanta's final run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

The result left Atlanta six back of Washington in the East division, but 2 1/2 behind the Cardinals in the wild card chase, and, just one game behind the Giants for the second wild card.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, slumped six games behind Milwaukee in the Central and now find themselves a game behind the Braves in the wild card, the series pivotal to both teams.

Game two is set for a 7:05 pm EDT start, Tuesday, in Pittsburgh.

Chris Davis, Nick Markakis Lead 11-5 Rout of Yankees; A.J. Burnett Tosses 1-Hitter for Pirates; Neil Walker Drives in Five

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 31, 2012

American League

Chris Davis

After the Yankees scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Baltimore Orioles were a dejected bunch. After all, Yankee starter, Ivan Nova, had set down the first three O's in order and the New York batters had given him a comfortable, working lead.

All of that changed as the Orioles sent 10 men to the plate in the top of the second and put up 7-spot on Nova, highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of DH Chris Davis that turned a 5-3 deficit into a 7-5 Baltimore lead.

Nick Markakis

Davis' 18th home run of the season was a high bomb to left center that bounced off the top of the wall and into the Yankee bullpen. It was the only hit by Davis on the night, but certainly a big one.

Nick Markakis went 3-for-5, scored twice and drove in the final two Baltimore runs with his 11th homer, an 8th-inning shot that all but sealed the win for the O's, sending the Yankees to their fourth straight loss as the Orioles prevailed, 11-5.

Baltimore has taken the first two games of the series and will be looking to sweep Wednesday afternoon (1:05 pm EDT) at Yankee Stadium. The Orioles are in second place, 5 1/2 games back. Baltimore has won three straight and are 10-9 since the all star break. The Yankees are just 8-10 since the break.


National League

Burnett: 1-hitter

Neil Walker hit a first inning grand slam and A.J. Burnett took a no-hitter all the way to two outs in the eighth inning as the Pirates beat the Cubs, 5-0, keeping pace with the streaking Reds - 15-3 since the all star break - in the NL Central.

Walker: GS, 5RBI

Burnett didn't give up a base hit until pinch hitter Adrian Cardenas singled with a man aboard in the eighth. As he improved to 13-3, Burnett allowed just two walks and a hit batsman before surrendering the lone hit for the Cubs. He struck out David DeJesus to end the eighth and retired the three batters in order in the ninth for his first complete game of the season and first shutout since 2006, when he was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Throwing 73 of 108 pitches for strikes, Burnett fanned eight, upping his strikeout total for the season to 102 while lowering his ERA to 3.27.

Walker drove in all of Pittsburgh's runs, adding a sac fly in the seventh. He has 55 RBI on the year.

The win left the Pirates three games back of the Reds in the division. They conclude their series in Chicago with the rubber game Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley field.

After a day off Thursday, the Pirates head to Cincinnati for what promises to be a hotly-contested, three-game weekend series with the Reds.

Markakis Leads Orioles Past Tigers; Rookie Belt Socks Pair of Homers for Giants

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 14, 2011

American League

The race in the AL Central got a little bit tighter, thanks to the Baltimore Orioles, fueled by their stalwart right fielder, Nick Markakis, who drove in four of Baltimore's eight runs.

Markakis: 4 RBI

While the Indians were being rained out in their series finale with Minnesota and the White Sox were getting past the Royals, 6-2, Markakis and his teammates were unloading on Detroit starter Doug Fister, banging out 12 of their 14 hits against him, knocking him out with two down in the 6th inning.

Markakis, who had been 0-for-8 in the first two games of the series, put together a 3-for-5 night at the plate, with a first inning, two run homer and a pair of run-scoring singles as the Orioles built an 8-1 lead.

The Tigers scored four runs in the ninth when closer Kevin Gregg failed to get anyone out, giving up four hits, two walks and all four earned runs for the 8-5 final.

No immediate make-up date for the Indians-Twins game was announced, though the game will probably become part of a day-night double header when the two meet in late September.

Sunday's results reduced the Tigers' lead over Cleveland to 2 1/2 games and four over the White Sox.

National League

Belt: 2 HRs

Sparingly used rookie Brandon Belt notched two solo homers as the Giants hit four round-trippers to help Ryan Vogelsong improve to 10-2 and remain two games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

Belt connected in the 6th and 8th innings after Cody Ross's two-run shot in the 3rd and Nick Schierholtz's solo blast in the 4th put the Giants up, 3-1.

Vogelsong held the Marlins to one run until there were two down in the eighth, when Florida cut the lead to three runs. A trio of San Francisco relievers slammed the door shut the rest of the way for the final, 5-2, score.

Belt has played in just 32 games for the Giants, used primarily as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement at first base. The pair of homers were his third and fourth of the season, as he upped his RBI total to nine.

Belt got the rare start due to injury to Carlos Beltran and a needed day off for regular first baseman Aubrey Huff. It was the third time he's been elevated from Triple A this season.

While the Giants didn't gain any ground on Arizona, they did pick up another game on Atlanta in the wild card race, trimming the Braves' lead to four games, with St. Louis five out.

STREAKS: Dan Uggla's 33-game hitting streak came to an abrupt end in Atlanta Sunday, where he went 0-for-3 with a sac fly in the Braves' 6-5 loss to the Cubs. Uggla came close to extending the streak to 34 games, but second baseman Darwin Barney's full extension diving catch in the fifth inning robbed Uggla of a bloop single.

Still streaking are the Diamondbacks and Astros, the former winning their sixth straight while Houston lost for the sixth consecutive time.

Markakis, Arrieta Lead Orioles to 7-0 Win; Chipper Jones Has Braves on Warpath

Players of the Day for Friday, June 10, 2011

American League

Jake Arrieta

Languishing in their usual position at the bottom of the AL East division, the Baltimore Orioles are actually not that bad a team. At 30-31, they are only six games behind the front-running Red Sox, and have a better record than five other AL teams. There are signs of good things to come.

Nick Markakis

With Friday's 7-0 whitewash of the Rays, Baltimore won its fourth straight and has a chance to get to .500 with a win Saturday. The victory was nearly the exclusive product of two players. One was starter Jake Arrieta, who shut out the Rays for seven innings, allowing just two hits and three walks.

Arrieta had a no-hitter through five innings spoiled by a double and single to lead off the 6th, the only hits he allowed. An inning-ending double play got him out of the inning without a run being scored. He also struck out the side in the 3rd, even though he only had four Ks for the game. The win improved his record to 8-3, tying him with Boston's Jon Lester for the most wins in the league.

While Jake was throwing up goose eggs on Tampa, Nick Markakis was taking care of the run-producing aspect of the game with a grand slam in the 2nd and a two-run double in the 8th, driving in all but one of the Orioles' runs with two swings of the bat. Markakis, one of many players who got off to abnormally slow starts this season, is batting just .241 with five homers and 25 RBI.

National League

Chipper Jones:
Still swinging at 39

Chipper Jones is alive and well and has the Atlanta Braves challenging for the top spot in the rugged NL East.

Jones socked his 6th home run of the season to help the Atlanta Braves win their fourth straight game and remain two games behind the Phillies in the division.

He also singled twice, drove in two runs, scored three times and stole a base. Not a bad night for a 39-year-old player many expected to call it quits after last season.

Others got involved for the Braves, as they pounded out 14 hits in an 11-4 rout of the punchless Houston Astros. With three more games in Houston over the weekend, the Braves have a prime opportunity to string together more wins and maybe run down the Phillies, who have led the division almost all season.

Jones will keep swinging. One look at his career stats assures that he's a first round Hall of Famer. 442 home runs, 1525 RBI and a career .305 batting average.

JETER 3000 WATCH: After losing three straight at home to the Red Sox, the Yankees took out their frustrations on the visiting Cleveland Indians, piling up 15 hits in an 11-7 win. With everyone swing the bats, Jeter came up with just one hit in five at-bats, leaving him nine away from the 3000 club.

The Yankees have a pair of day games in the Bronx scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, both against the Indians.

Markakis Alone Not Enough to Stop Yanks; Cliff Lee Shuts Out Nationals, Fans 12

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 14, 2011

American League

Nick Markakis

Nick Markakis singled, doubled, homered, drove in three runs and scored twice, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Yankees from taking their second straight over the Orioles, as New York rallied for a 10-inning, 6-5, victory.

Baltimore, thanks mostly to Markakis, had built a 5-0 lead after 4 1/2 innings, but the Yankees scored a run in the bottom of the 5th, two more in the 6th and another in the 7th, cutting the lead to a single run. When Jorge Posada homered in the bottom of the ninth, the O's were caught and the Yanks overtook them with a Nick Swisher sac fly in the bottom of the 10th, plating Mark Teixeira with the game winner.

The loss exposed the weakness of Baltimore's bullpen, which allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings, and the strength of the Yankees', which gave up just four hits and no runs over the final 5 2/3 after starter Phil Hughes lasted only 4 1/3 innings.

With the win, the Yankees assume the position they feel is rightfully theirs, forever and for all time, atop the AL East, with a one game lead over the O's and 1 1/2 edge over Toronto.

Now that the Yankees are in first place, they host the top representative from the AL West, the Texas Rangers, who hold a two-game bulge over the Angels, for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday night.

National League

Cliff Lee

OK, seriously, barring injuries, the Philadelphia Phillies are already the de facto champions of the NL East. They've assembled a powerful lineup, but also have what appears to be the best starting pitching staff the league has seen in many years.

Proof of how good the Philly starters are was on display Thursday as Cliff Lee took to the mound against the Washington Nationals. All Lee did was toss a complete-game, three-hit shutout, strike out 12 batters - including a string of 7 of 8 in succession between the 6th and 8th innings - for a 4-0 Philadelphia win, his sixth shutout in the last four years.

After losing their first meeting, 7-4, the Phillies came back to take the remaining two games of the series at Washington and now head home to face another divisional foe, the Florida Marlins, in a three-game series beginning Friday.

Lee walked one batter as he improved to 2-1 on the season.

Carpenter Tough in Debut; Markakis Energizes O's with 2 Dingers, 4 RBI

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 1, 2011

American League

The Baltimore Orioles raked Tampa Bay starter Andy Sonnanstine for 6 hits and 6 runs over two innings en route to a 12-6 rout of the reconstituted Rays.

Making matters worse, five of those six hits were homers, as Nick Markakis went yard twice off Sonnanstine, ending up with a super stat line: 3-for-3, two homers, 4 RBI and 2 runs.

The O's may do some damage this season to opposing pitchers, especially if Vladimir Guerrero - acquired from Texas via free agency - retains his form, and players such as catcher Matt Weiters and outfielder Adam Jones play up to their potential.

That Markakis will perform is a given. The five year pro has had enough hits in each of the last four seasons to land him in the top ten of the AL each of those years. He's a .298 career hitter and was fifth in the AL with 187 hits in 2010.

National League

The St. Louis Cardinals will be looking to rebound from a sub-par season and get back into the playoffs in 2011, and, judging by their performance in a 7-1 beat-down of the Marlins on Tuesday, they have the bats and the arms to make them a contender. St. Louis banged out 14 hits in the win and starter Chris Carpenter worked 2 2/3 solid innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, while fanning a pair.

Carpenter was 16-9 with a 3.22 ERA for the Cards last season and will be vital to their interests this time around, with fellow starter Adam Wainwright sidelined the entire season after elbow surgery. Carpenter is nursing a strained hamstring and is expected to miss a start during the Spring, though the injury doesn't seem to be one which will land him on the DL.

Markakis Drives in 5 as O's Beat Boston; Halladay Stumps Mets on 3-Hitter

Players of the Day for Saturday, May 1, 2010 American League Nick Markakis has been hitting well of late, and maybe that's one of the reasons his Baltimore Orioles have won 3 of their last 5, and two straight, after a disastrous 3-16 start. Markakis scored his 6th multiple-hit game in his last nine, taking advantage of Daisuke Matsuzaka's first 2010 start by banging out a pair of RBI singles in his first three at-bats. When he scored on Matt Weiters 5th-inning 3-run homer, Matsuzaka was gone, but Markakis returned an inning later with two aboard and took a Tim Wakefield - who had relieved Dice-K - offering over the Camden Yard right field wall for a three-run homer. Ty Wiggington launched a pair of solo homers, giving the O's four for the game in a 12-9 win. Markakis finished up 3-for-4 with 5 RBI and 2 runs, boosting his batting average to .302. The O's will be looking for the sweep on Sunday against the flagging Red Sox. National League The Mets are still in first place in the NL East, but their lead is only 1/2 game after Roy Halladay stopped their winning streak at 8 and moved the Phillies past Washington, back into 2nd place in the division. The Nationals dropped a 7-1 decision to the Marlins. Halladay was in complete control throughout the game, and didn't allow a hit or a walk over the final 5 innings, throwing a 3-hit, one walk complete game shutout, his second of the season, upping his record to 5-1 as the Phillies cruised to the 10-0 victory. The Phillies roughed up Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey with a 6-run 4th inning, capped by Shane Victorino's 3-run homer. The two teams play the rubber game of their 3-game set Sunday night in a nationally-televised (ESPN) cable broadcast. NOTES: While Roy Halladay was his usual exceptional best, Giants' hurler Matt Cain may have actually been better, as he shut down the Rockies on 1 hit and 3 walks over 8 solid innings, putting down the last 15 batters he faced in order. Troy Tulowizski's leadoff double in the 4th was the only hit off Cain, who got his first win of the season. Cain finally put up a W in his fifth start, though his other outings were all good. He's 1-1, with a 2.84 ERA and a WHIP of 1.01. The Rockies managed a run off Guillermo Mota in the 9th, but it wasn't nearly enough, as the Giants won for the 4th time in the last 5 games, 6-1.

Markakis Spoils Washburn's Detroit Debut; Pujols, Kemp Mash Opponents

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 4, 2009 American League Jarrod Washburn, acquired by the Tigers from Seattle last week, was supposed to fill out the Tigers' rotation, but, in his first start for Detroit, Washburn was roughed up by the Baltimore Orioles and especially by Nick Markakis, who singled in a run in the first inning and helped send Washburn to the showers with a two-run homer - his 13th - in the top of the 6th which gave the O's a 5-1 lead. The Orioles went on to an 8-2 victory, ruining Washburn's debut and helping to narrow Detroit's tenuous lead in the AL Central. As both the White Sox and Twins were winners on Tuesday, Detroit now holds a 1 game lead over the Sox and a 2 1/2 game edge over Minnesota. As for Markakis, he also doubled in his five at-bats, scoring twice and driving in three runs. He's batting an even .300 with 76 RBI after the nice effort. He's also riding a 7-game hitting streak, which is not unusual for the O's outfielder. He had a 17-game hitting streak earlier in the year which ended May 2. National League The monumental feats of Albert Pujols (left) cannot be understated, but Matt Kemp's (right) night at the plate in LA's 17-4 beating of the Brewers was equally impressive, so the two share Tuesday's POTD honors. Pujols, the leader in practically everything under the sun, tied the National League record for grand slams in a season, previously held jointly by Ernie Banks and Jim Gentile, with his fifth, in the 10th inning of St. Louis' 12-7 victory over the Mets. The Cardinals had taken the lead when Mark DeRosa was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Next up was Albert the Great, who ensured the Cards a win with his 36th home run of the season, clearing the bases with an over-the-wall shot to right-center. Pujols had also homered earlier - a solo shot off Johan Santana in the 8th, as the Cards rallied from a 7-4 deficit. Pujols finished with 4 hits in 5 at-bats, with 3 runs scored and 5 RBI. The major league record for grand slams in a season is 6, held by two AL players, Don Mattingly and Travis Hafner. Pujols will have plenty of opportunities to equal or exceed that as the season grinds on. The win kept St. Louis in a tie for first with Chicago in the NL Central and 5 games clear of both the Astros and Brewers, both losers on the night. Pujols leads the NL in home runs and retook the NL RBI lead from Prince Fielder, upping his total to 97. Fielder has 94. with his .321 batting average - sixth best in the league, Pujols is vying for the very rare triple crown, last accomplished in the NL by another Cardinal, Hall of Famer Joe Medwick, who did it in 1937. The last triple crown winner in the majors was Carl Yastrzemski, who did it in 1967 for the Boston Red Sox. A year earlier, Baltimore's Frank Robinson accomplished the feat. Later, in Los Angeles, Matt Kemp was raking for the Dodgers, matching Pujols in everything but homers, going 4-for-5 with a double, his 15th home run, two singles, 3 runs and 5 RBI. Kemp, who was NL POTD this past Sunday, has been on a legendary tear his last three games, going 9-for-14 with two homers and 11 RBI, raising his batting average to 323. The Dodger win kept them 6 1/2 clear of the Rockies, with the Giants another 1/2 game back. All three NL west leaders were winners on Tuesday. NOTES: In the close-but-no-cigar category, Arizona's Yusmeiro Petit took a no-hitter into the 8th inning, but allowed a single by Ronny Cedeno with no outs in the inning to spoil his bid. He finished the inning, allowing just the one hit and three walks while striking out four. Reliever Leo Rosales mopped up with a perfect ninth inning for the 6-0 win at Pittsburgh.

Markakis, O's Top Rays; Howard's Grand Slam Lifts Phillies

Players of the Day for Monday, May 4, 2009 American League Nick Markakis singled, doubled and homered to lead the Orioles to just their 9th win of the season (against 16 losses) in an 8-4 win at Tampa Bay Monday night. Markakis got the O's started with his 4th homer of the season - a three-run shot off Rays' starter Scott Kazmir and continued his barrage, going 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and a pair of runs scored. His single in the 7th, with Brian Roberts already on first base, sent Kazmir to the showers. The duo greeted reliever Joe Nelson with a double steal. Both scored in the inning. While the Orioles may be last in the AL East, Markakis is a standout. His .370 batting average and 27 RBI have him amongst the AL leaders. National League Ryan Howard's fifth-inning grand slam broke open a tight game, sending St. Louis starter Kyle Loshe (3-1) to his first loss of the season and the Phillies on their way to a 6-1 triumph over the Cardinals. Howard's blast, his 5th of the season was more than enough for Philly starter Joe Blanton and a trio of relievers, as the Phillies inched to within 1/2 game of the NL East-leading Marlins. Howard also singled and scored the Phillies' first run of the game, on Jayson Werth's homer in the 4th inning. The slugging first baseman's four RBI gave him 19 on the season.

Braun's 5-for-5 Night Wasted; Markakis Goes 4-for-4 in O's Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 21, 2009 American League The Baltimore Orioles have a bevy of good, young hitters, but maybe none better than Nick Markakis, who went 4-for-4 (double, 3 singles), drove in a pair of runs - giving him 18 RBI on the season - and scored three times as the Orioles soiled the White Sox, 10-3, Tuesday night. Markakis, in his 4th season as an Oriole regular, has a .302 lifetime average and is batting .389 in 2009, tops on the team. His 18 RBI put him at the top of the major league leaders. National League Why are the Milwaukee Brewers in last place in the NL Central with a 4-9 record - the second-worst in the league? Much of the problem has to do with the lack of hitting, and not just in situations, but overall. The Brewers are not putting men on base, thus, they are not scoring many runs. Shortstop J.J. Hardy is the most obvious example, with his .125 batting average. The Brewers' master masher, Prince Fielder is batting an unimpressive .163. In Tuesday's 11-4 loss at Philadelphia, the Brewers managed 11 hits, but 5 of them came off the bat of Ryan Braun, who hit a solo homer in the first inning, added a 2-run shot in the 5th and singled home another run in the 7th, accounting of all of Milwaukee's runs. His 5-for-5 performance was largely wasted as Milwaukee failed to capitalize in numerous situations with men on base, stranding 9. Braun, who regularly bats third in the order, increased his RBI total to 9, an indicator of the team's total inefficiency, and upped his batting average to .300.

Markakis Rakes for O's'; Utley Drives in 6 in Philly's 20-run Outburst

Players of the Day from Monday, May 27, 2008 American League First, Nick Markakis kept the O's and Yankees deadlocked at 0-0, rifling a strike to the plate to nail Johnny Damon in the third inning. Later, in the sixth, he broke the scoreless tie with a solo home run, and in the seventh, he singled home another run and later scored on Aubrey Huff's 3-run homer.

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The Orioles snapped their five game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the Yankees. With the win, Baltimore escaped last place, for now. They are just 1/2 game better than the Yankees, but the two teams play twice more on Tuesday and Wednesday. Notes: At the other end of the AL East standings, the Tampa Bay Rays retained the top spot over Boston by 1/2 game, downing the Rangers, 7-3, while the Red Sox were beating Seattle, 5-3. The Rays have won 4 straight, and, at 31-20, have the best record in the majors. National League The Phillies took it to the Rockies, 20-5, on Monday, with Chase Utley leading the charge with 6 RBI. Utley smacked his 16th home run in the first inning, tying him for the NL lead with Lance Berkman and Dan Uggla. The three-run shot complemented his two RBI singles and a ground out that drove in another run. Utley also scored twice and stole his fifth base of the season. Notes: Two other players registered big numbers for the Phillies. Pedro Feliz went 4-fot-6 and drove in 4 runs. Catcher Chris Coste singled, doubled and homered in 6 at-bats, also collecting 4 RBI.