Mets' Noah Syndergaard Blanks Nationals Over 7; Tommy Pham Leads Rays to 5th Straight

Players of the Day for Monday, September 2, 2019

Pham: 3-for-3, 3 RBI

American League

Three teams are vying for two wild card spot in the American League. Cleveland, Oakland, and Tampa Bay have been engaged since the all-star break as two will make the playoffs and one will go home.

On Monday, Tampa Bay took their fifth straight game, doing so in dramatic fashion, as Tommy Pham singled home Joey Wendle with the game-winner with two outs in the bottom of the 10th for a 5-4 Rays' win over visiting Baltimore.

Pham's walk-off single was the end of a solid day for Pham, who went 3-for-4 and doubled in two runs for the Rays in the fifth inning, putting Tampa up, 4-0. The Orioles battled back to tie the game, sending it into extras, setting up Pham's dramatic poke.

On a youthful team with no superstars, Pham has been stalwart, batting .278, with 20 home runs and 61 RBI. The 31-year-old has also swiped 18 of 21 bases this season.

The Rays lead the wild card chase by 1/2-game over Cleveland, with Oakland 1 1/2 back. The Rays host a double-header with the Orioles on Tuesday, but the wild card battle looks like it will go down to the final weekend of the season.

National League

Syndergaard: 7IP, 3H, 10K

Threatening to run away with the top wild card spot - ensuring home field for the one-game playoff - the Washington Nationals hosted the Mets in the first of a three-game series on Monday.

Winners of four straight and nine of their last ten entering the game, the Nationals were met by Noah Syndergaard, who blanked them for seven innings while his teammates mounted a sizable lead that led eventually to a 7-3 victory.

Syndergaard stopped the Nationals on three hits, striking out 10. Improving to 10-7, the hurler known as "Thor" was aided by Jeff McNeil's two-run homer and a three-hit, two RBI effort from J.D. Davis.

The game result left the Nationals with a 3 1/2-game lead over the Cubs in the wild card and the Mets clinging to playoff hopes, four games behind Chicago. After six straight losses, the Mets have rebounded to win three of their last four.

Game two of the series is Tuesday, 7:05 pm ET.

Gerrit Cole Fans 12 As Houston Tames Tigers; Noah Syndergaard 2-Hits Indians for Mets' Sweep

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 22, 2019

American League

Cole: 15-5, 3.20, 238 Ks

While the Oakland A's were busy wrapping up a three-game sweep of the Yankees with 5-3 win, Gerrit Cole and the Houston Astros were doing their best to remain atop the AL West with a 6-3 win over Detroit.

The win wrapped up the series with the visiting Tigers, with Houston taking three of four.

A leading Cy Young candidate, Cole worked seven innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs. He fanned 12 Tigers, marking the fifth time this season he's struck out at least 12 in a game.

Cole was serving up the whiffs right from the start, fanning two in each of the first and second innings before striking out the side in the third. He gave up one walk and finished with 238 strikeouts, one behind teammate Justin Verlander, who leads the majors.

Cole is 15-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 26 starts and he's won 11 straight, his last loss coming on May 22, a 9-4 loss to the White Sox.

Houston's win kept them seven up on the Athletics in the division. With the Yankees losing four straight, Houston has crept to within one game for the overall best record in the league, which would ensure home field throughout the playoffs.

The Astros host the Angels for three over the weekend with game one starting at 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Syndergaard Stops Tribe

Completing a three-game sweep of Cleveland, the New York Mets continue to amaze the baseball world, winning their fifth straight with a 2-0, rain-shortened win over the Indians.

Noah Syndergaard took a no-hitter into the sixth, gave up a pair of singles, but closed out the inning without allowing Cleveland a run.

Jeurys Familia and Paul Sewald set down the Indians in the seventh and eighth. The game was called with the Mets batting, two on base and no outs in the eighth.

Syndergaard improved to 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA and his best performance since one-hitting the Rockies over seven innings on June 9th.

The Mets have earned their way into the playoff race. They are 27-10 since the all-star break and are 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card slot. Washington leads the wild card, 1 1/2 ahead of the Cardinals.

NL East's first place team, the Atlanta Braves, visit Citi Field and the Mets this weekend for a three-game series. Game one is Friday at 7:10 pm ET.

Chris Young Slams vs. Rangers in 21-5 Yankee Romp; Mets Closing In on First Place after Noah Syndergaard Gem

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Young: GS, 5RBI

American League

When starter Chris Capuano couldn't get out of the first inning and the Texas Rangers put up a five-spot on the NY Yankees, the situation looked dire for the Al East leaders.

But, the feeling didn't last long, as the Yanks put up 11 runs in the second inning and four more in the third on Chris Young's grand slam en route to a smashing, 21-5 victory.

Young, who walked and scored in the second inning, followed up his slam with a pair of doubles and another RBI, finishing the evening with a line score of 3-for-6 with four runs and five RBI.

The game was the second of a four-game series at Texas. The Rangers have the worst pitching staff (highest ERA) in the league and the Yankees are certainly taking advantage of the Rangers' weakness, taking the first game by a 6-2 score.

Noah Syndergaard

Game three of the set begins Wednesday night at 8:05 pm EDT at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.


National League

Opening a three-game series with the visiting Padres, the Mets gained to within one game of the first place Nationals, whipping the Padres, 4-0, while the Nats were held down by the Marlins, 4-1.

New York got an excellent pitching performance from starter Noah Syndergaard (5-5), who went eight innings, allowing just three hits and no earned runs.

The 6'6" rookie out of Mansfield, Texas, goes by the nickname "Thor," and he certainly looked like the god of thunder on the mound Tuesday night, tossing a perfect game through six innings before Will Venable led of the seventh inning with a sharp single up the middle.

Syndergaard allowed an infield single to the next hitter, Yangervis Solarte, but escaped the frame with the shutout intact. Yonder Alonso started the eighth with a single for the Padres, but Syndergaard shut down the side in order after that.

Tyler Clipart came on in the ninth in a non-save situation.

The Mets host the Padres for game two of the series on Wednesday, 7:10 pm EDT at Citi Field.