Cardinals Rip Brewers As Paul Goldschmidt Drives in 7; Gerrit Cole 17-5 After Houston Downs Royals

Players of the Day for Friday, September 13, 2019

American League

Cole's 292 Ks leads majors

Gerrit Cole notched his 17th win against five losses, blanking the Royals over seven innings as the Astros inched closer to the AL West crown with a 4-1 win in Kansas City.

Cole was cruising along until the Royals scored an unearned run in the eighth inning, but George Springer made the difference, socking a three-run homer in the top of the ninth. Roberto Osuna came on in the ninth to complete the task, earning his 33rd save with a scoreless inning of relief.

Cole won his 10th straight, fanning 11. It was the sixth straight start in which Cole hit double digits in strikeouts and the 18th time this season. He leads the majors with 292 strikeout victims.

Houston maintained its 7 1/2-game lead over Oakland, as the A's out-slugged Texas, 14-8. The Astros' magic number to clinch the division is seven.

Kansas City hosts the Astros in game two of the three-game series Saturday at 7:15 pm ET.

National League

Goldschmidt: 2 HR, 7 RBI

Late August, St. Louis took command of the NL Central division, winning nine of 10, bypassing the Cubs and Brewers as they vaulted into first place. Maintaining their lead since August 27, the Cards have cooled off a bit, going 10-6, but they solidified their hold on first place Friday with a 10-0 romp over Milwaukee, snapping the Brewers' seven-game winning streak.

Adam Wainwright hurled six scoreless innings and Paul Goldschmidt smashed two homers and drove in seven runs as the Cardinals opened their final series of the season with Milwaukee with a no-doubt-about-it conquest.

Wainwright (12-9) allowed just two hits and fanned seven, while Goldschmidt socked a third-inning grand slam and mashed a three-run homer in the sixth. Acquired from San Diego in the off-season, Goldschmidt has provided power to the middle of the St. Louis lineup. He has 31 homers and 89 RBI on the year.

The win left the Cardinals four in front of the Cubs in the division, dropping Milwaukee to five off the pace.

The Cardinals lead the season series with the Brewers, 10-7. They'll wrap it up Saturday and Sunday in in St. Louis.

Mookie Betts' 3 Homers Power Red Sox Past Yankees; Paul Goldschmidt Blasts Cardinals into 1st Place

Players of the Day for Friday, July 26, 2019

American League

Betts: 4-5, 3 HR, 5 RBI

In the first two games of their four-game set at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox have made the New York Yankees look like also-rans, rather than the team leading the AL East.

After bombing them 19-3 on Thursday, the Red Sox came out swinging again, as Mookie Betts got the hit parade going with a leadoff homer. J.D. Martinez followed with a two-run blast, putting Boston up, 3-0, after one, en route to a 10-5 victory.

Betts homered in his second and third at-bats, stroking a solo shot in the third and a two-run rip in the fourth. All three of his home runs were over the Green Monster in left field. For good measure, Betts tattooed the wall in his fourth at-bat, driving in another run with a double in the sixth inning. He finished up 4-for-5 with five RBI and four runs.

Boston's hard-hitting lineup has taken the measure of New York's below-average starting pitching and depleted bullpen. They mangled Yankee starter, James Paxton, for nine hits and seven runs over four innings.

Despite giving up 10 hits, Boston's Andrew Cashner (10-5) took the win, limiting the Yanks to three runs over 6 2/3 innings.

New York has lost four of their last six games while the Red Sox have won four of their last five. The Yankees still lead Tampa Bay by 8 1/2 games, with Boston another 1/2-game back.

Game three of the series starts at 4:05 pm ET, Saturday.

Goldschmidt: 5 Games, 5 HR

National League

Paul Goldschmidt's eighth-inning, three-run homer turned the tables on Houston, leading St. Louis to their sixth straight win, 5-3 over the visiting Astros.

It was the fifth straight game in which Goldschmidt has gone yard, one game short of the club record shared by Matt Carpenter and Mark McGwire.

After Matt Wieters tied the score at 2-2 in the seventh and the Astros responded with a run in the top of the eighth, Goldschmidt provided the winning margin, sending St. Louis to first place in the NL Central, a position they have not held since May 7. Losing 3-2 to Milwaukee, the Cubs dropped into second place, one game back. Milwaukee is just two games off the pace.

The win was the sixth straight for St. Louis. They are 12-3 since the all-star break. During that period, Goldschmidt has batted .269, with seven dingers and 19 RBI.

St. Louis will have the opportunity to extend their streak and maintain sole possession of first place when they take on the Astros in game two of their three-game series. First pitch is slated for 7:15 pm ET, Saturday night.

Houston remained eight games ahead of Oakland in the AL West, as the A's were dropped by the Rangers, 5-2.

Ivan Nova Throws Complete Game in 9-1 White Sox Win; Paul Goldschmidt Slam Leads Cards Past Pirates

Players of the Day for Monday, July 22, 2019

American League

Nova: 9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 K

Pitching has changed with the times in the major leagues.

With the advent of pitch counts, closers, holders, and more recently, "openers," complete games have become rarities.

Bucking the trend on Monday night was White Sox hurler, Ivan Nova, who threw 112 pitches en route to a complete game, 9-1, win over the visiting Miami Marlins.

Nova (5-9, 5.49) allowed four hits, giving up the single run on a solo homer by Jorge Alfaro in the second inning. The 32-year-old hurler was helped by two double plays. He struck out five and did not allow a walk.

Nova, acquired by the Sox from the Pirates in the off-season, was able to relax on the mound as his teammates belted four home runs, building a sizable lead.

The complete game was Nova's first since 2017 and ninth of his career.

The White Sox (45-52) are 3-8 since the all-star break and host the Marlins in game two of their three-game series on Tuesday, at 8:10 pm ET.

Notes: The Minnesota Twins turned a triple play in the first inning of their 8-6 win over the Yankees. The win kept the Twins three games ahead of Cleveland - 7-3 winners at Toronto - in the AL Central.

National League

Goldschmidt: Grand Slam

Squeezing out a 10-inning, 6-5, win at Pittsburgh, St. Louis moved into second place in the NL Central, as the Milwaukee Brewers dropped a 6-5 decision to the Reds. With the Cubs losing, 5-4, at San Francisco, the Cardinals find themselves just 1 1/2 games off the division lead.

Paul Goldschmidt socked a grand slam in the 10th to put the Cardinals comfortably ahead, but the St. Louis bullpen, a sore spot all season, nearly gave the game away, giving up three runs before finally closing the book on the Pirates.

The slam was Goldschmidt's only hit of the game. It was his 19th home run of the season, to go with 48 RBI and a .248 average, numbers well short of what the Cardinals thought he would produce when they acquired him from Arizona in the off-season.

Despite Goldschmidt's struggles (he's currently mired in a deep slump, batting .174 over the past seven games), the Cardinals have kept pace in the most contentious division in the majors. St. Louis is also holding the second wild card spot, 1/2-game behind the Nationals and 1/2-game ahead of the Phillies.

Pittsburg hosts St. Louis in game two of their four-game series in the Steel City, Tuesday, at 7:05 pm ET.

Martin Maldonado Powers Houston Back Into 1st Place; Clay Buchholz, Paul Goldschmidt Lead Arizona Past Angels

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 22, 2018

American League

Houston took back sole possession of first place in the AL West with a 10-7 win at Seattle while the A's were losing, 4-2, to Texas.

Martin Maldonado

The Astros nearly gave the game away. After leading 8-0 after four, they allowed the Mariners to score multiple runs and end the sixth inning down 9-7. Tyler White, who was 3-for-5, socked a solo homer in the ninth to finish the scoring.

Martin Maldonado, acquired from the Angels in late July, singled, doubled and homered in four at-bats, leading the Astros with three RBI. In August, Maldonado is hitting .303, with three homers, eight RBI and 11 runs.

Houston had been stumbling with two of its stars, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, on the bench earlier in the month, but both have returned to the 2017 champs. The Astros are just 9-9 in August, but have won two straight and three of their last four. They open a three-game series at the LA Angels Friday.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

Arizona won its third straight, knocking off the visiting LA Angels, 6-1, maintaining a 1 1/2-game lead over the Rockies in the NL West. Colorado took down the Padres, 6-2.

On the mound, Clay Buchholz was solid, hurling seven innings of shutout ball for his seventh win against two losses.

Clay Buchholz

Buchholz, who spent much of the season on the DL, won for the sixth time in his last seven starts, allowed four hits, no walks, and struck out seven.

Offensively, Paul Goldschmidt got the Diamondbacks started with his 29th homer of the season in the first inning, a two-run shot. He later added a single and double, going 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs and two RBI.

The Diamondbacks have won six of their last seven and are beginning to open some space in the contentious division race. The Dodgers, 3-1 losers to the Cardinals, are in third place, 4 1/2 games back.

Arizona has Thursday off and hosts a three-game series with Seattle over the weekend.

Paul Goldschmidt Homers Arizona Over Reds; Chris Sale Shuts Down O's, Boston Sweeps

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 12, 2018

Sale: 5 IP, 1H, 0ER, 12K

American League

The Boston Red Sox, with the best record in the majors, don't make a lot of headlines because all they do is win, including Sunday's 4-1 win at Baltimore, which saw the return off the DL of Chris Sale, Boston's ace starter.

Sale allowed one hit and no runs over five innings of work, striking out 12. Sale improved to 12-4 and dropped his ERA to 1.97.

The Red Sox continue to lead the AL East by an eye-popping 9 1/2 games over the Yankees.

The Sox took four straight in Baltimore and head to Philadelphia on Tuesday for a two-game series with the Phillies.

National League

After losing the first two games of their three-game series in Cincinnati, Arizona retained control of the NL West with a 9-2 romp over the Reds Sunday.

Goldschmidt: 2 Homers

Paul Goldschmidt connected for his 25th and 26th home runs and drove in three runs. Goldschmidt socked a two-run homer in the sixth inning, then added a solo shot in the ninth as the Diamondbacks tacked on four more runs.

Goldschmidt carries a .284 batting average and has driven in 64 runs this season.

The Diamondbacks lead the NL West by one game over the Dodgers. LA took a 4-3 defeat at Colorado on Sunday, dropping out of a tie for the division lead.

Arizona heads next to Texas for a pair of games with the Rangers, starting on Monday, 8:05 pm EDT.

Sonny Gray Goes Five In Yankee Win; Paul Goldschmidt, Zack Greinke Lead Diamondbacks

Players of the Day for Monday, March 26, 2018

Gray: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 7K

Grapefruit League

Lest season, the Yankees acquired Sonny Gray from the Oakland A's just prior to the trade deadline, thinking he would fill out the starting rotation and help the Yanks make the playoffs.

New York did reach the playoffs, but not because of Gray, who earned a decision in each of his 11 starts down the stretch, going 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA. Gray was signed to a full contract and will be in the starting rotation, as he's settled down into a nice groove this Spring, winning two games without a loss, including Monday's 5-1 victory over the Braves.

Gray tossed five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. He struck out seven and did not surrender any walks, lowering his ERA to a very respectable 1.98 over 13 2/3 innings.

Greinke: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

Gray never trailed, as Didi Gregorius and Giancarlo Stanton each belted two-run homers. Gregorius launched his in the first inning; Stanton hit his third HR of the preseason in the third.

Cactus League

Goldschmidt: 3-4, HR, 2 RBI

Paul Goldschmidt singled, doubled and homered in four at-bats and Zack Greinke allowed one lonely hit over six innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks dumped the Cleveland Indians, 7-0.

Greinke set down the first ten batters he faced before giving up a one-out, fourth-inning single to Rajai Davis, the only hit Cleveland would produce all day. Grienke fanned four, didn't walk a batter and improved to 2-1 for Spring, with a 1.04 ERA.

Last season, Greinke and Goldschmidt led Arizona to the playoffs as a wild card. Greinke was 17-7 with an ERA of 3.20. Goldschmidt batted .297 with 36 home runs and 120 RBI.

The Diamondbacks evened their record at 15-15, trailing Milwaukee by for games with one game left to play before the regular season begins Thursday.

Paul Goldschmidt Sets Tone As Diamondbacks Win Wild Card, 11-8, Over Colorado

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 4, 2017

National League

Arizona advanced to the NLDS with an 11-8 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Goldschmidt: 3-run HR

The game included 30 hits - 17 by the Diamondbacks - four home runs and a record four triples by Arizona. Colorado never led, as Arizona starter, Zack Greinke, kept the Rockies off the board for the initial three innings as his teammates built a 6-0 lead. That would change in the fourth, when the Rockies posted four runs and chased Greinke to the bullpen.

Paul Goldschmidt got the run parade started with a three-run homer in the first after David Peralta and Ketel Marte each singled to start the game. In the second, Peralta singled again, this time driven home by Marte's triple to the right-center gap. Arizona tacked on two more in the third on Daniel Descalso's home run with Jake Lamb on base.

The Rockies chipped away in the latter innings, but Arizona responded with two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth. 14 pitchers appeared in the slug-fest. Obviously, none of them fared particularly well. Oddly enough, Andrew Chafin took the win, getting just one out, inducing a fly ball to center from Charlie Blackmon in the fourth with two out and a man aboard.

After a day off Thursday, the Diamondbacks open the best-of-five NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday at 10:30 pm ET.

The Nationals host the Cubs earlier in the day, their best-of-five series starting at 7:30 pm ET.

American League

There were no AL games on Wednesday. The ALDS best-of-five series between the Yankees and Indians begins on Thursday at 7:30 pm ET.

Boston opens their NLDS at Houston Thursday. Game time is slated for a 4:08 pm ET start.

Paul Goldschmidt Belts 3 HR, Arizona Drops Cubs, 10-8; Corey Kluber Goes Distance In Cleveland's 5-1 Win Over Yankees

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 3, 2017

Kluber 3-hit, CG Win

American League

Corey Kluber was in complete control, throwing his third complete game of the season - and 13th over the last four seasons - defeating the New York Yankees, 5-1, before 28,124 fans at Cleveland'sProgressive Field.

Kluber allowed just three hits, one a solo home run by Yankee DH, Gary Sanchez, a seventh-inning dinger that cut into the Cleveland lead only briefly. The Indians were leading 4-0, but added another run in the bottom of the inning for the final, 5-1 score.

Kluber walked one and fanned 11. It was the 11th time this season that the Cleveland ace has registered 10 or more strikeouts in a game. With 172 strikeouts on the year, Kluber ranks third among AL hurlers, behind Tampa's Chris Archer (182) and Boston's Chris Sale (216).

Other than the Sanchez homer, all the Yankees could muster offensively were a fourth inning double by Cliff Frazier and a fifth inning single by Ronald Torreyes. Kluber improved to 9-3, with a 2.77 ERA. Impressively, Kluber has a 0.95 WHIP over 123 2/3 innings, second only to Sale (0.91).

The victory kept Cleveland 2 1/2 games ahead of the Royals in the AL Central. The Yankees third straight loss dropped them two games back of Boston in the East as the Red Sox topped the White Sox, 9-5.

Game two of the four-game series is Friday, 7:10 pm ET.

Goldschmidt: 3 HR, 6 RBI

National League

Chicago Cub catcher, Willson Contreras, belted two home runs and drove in six runs, but, on the other side of the diamond, in the dugout of the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, Paul Goldschmidt was getting the last laugh, as he socked not two, but three home runs, the final one breaking an 8-8 tie, as Arizona outlasted Chicago, 10-8.

Goldschmidt got the Diamondbacks off to a quick start with a three-run homer in the first, then blasted a two-run shot in the fifth, upping the Arizona lead to 6-1. Arizona's pitchers could not contain Contreras and the Cubs, eventually giving up the lead in the seventh, though the Diamondbacks regained it in the eighth and the Cubs tied the game in the bottom of the inning.

In the ninth, Goldschmidt delivered his third homer - and 25th of the season - of the game, for a 9-8 lead. J.D. Martinez made it a back-to-back deal with his solo jam and a 10-8 lead. Goldschmidt finished 3-for-4 with six RBI and four runs.

Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for Arizona, giving up a pair of walks, but eventually fanning three for his 24th save.

Arizona's closed out the series at Chicago winning two of three and maintained their second place slot in the NL West, though they are 14 games behind the Dodgers. They lead the Rockies by 1/2 game in the division and the wild card race. Chicago lost their second straight but still lead the Brewers by 1 1/2 in the Central.

The Cubs remain home over the weekend, starting a three-game series with Washington Friday. Arizona heads to San Francisco on Friday for three games with the Giants.

Robinson Cano's 6 RBI Tame Tigers, Mariners Win, 9-6; Paul Goldschmidt Drives Home 4, Arizona Downs Rockies, 10-3

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 22, 2017

American League

Cano: 2HR, Slam, 6 RBI

With the Astros blowing away the opposition in the race to the AL West title - Houston won its 50th game Thursday, a 12-9 win at Oakland - there's growing attention to the wild card race. Essentially, any team with a .500 record, or close to that, is in the hunt, and that list includes the Seattle Mariners.

Seattle - 23-14 at home - stuck its head above breakeven with a 9-6 win over visiting Detroit. As the Astros are 12 1/2 ahead of the second place Mariners, the wild card has some appeal. At 38-37, Seattle is fourth, behind Boston, Tampa Bay, and Minnesota.

Robinson Cano was primarily responsible for Seattle's victory, socking a pair of home runs - numbers 12 and 13 - with six RBI. Cano belted a two-run shot in the third inning, putting Seattle up by a 5-1 score, but the Tigers clawed their way back, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth, cutting the Mariner lead to 5-3.

Cano put any thoughts of a comeback to rest in the seventh, when he slugged a grand slam, clearing the wall in right field. The Tigers scored three more, but Cabo's blasts were too much to overcome, sending Detroit to its sixth consecutive loss. The sweet-swinging second baseman - a career .306 hitter - is batting .284 with 48 RBI.

Seattle swept the four games from the Tigers and have won five straight as they prepare for a three-game visit from the Astros starting Friday at 10:10 pm ET.

National League

Goldschmidt:
64 RBI leads NL

In the dogfight that is the NL West, Arizona took it to the home-standing Rockies for the second straight time, taking the series at Coors Field, two games to one with a 10-3 pasting of Colorado.

Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with a pair of singles and his 17th home run, driving in four runs to take over the NL RBI lead with 64, displacing teammate Jake Lamb (61). Goldschmidt's 18th homer put the Diamondbacks up by a 9-1 tally in the fourth inning. The game was out of hand early as Arizona swamped the Rockies with a run in the second and four runs in the second and third innings.

A lock for his fifth straight appearance in the all star game, Goldschmidt is having an MVP season, batting .335 (4th in the NL). His home run total is tied with four other players, eighth overall.

The win was Arizona's 12th in their last 14 and tied them with the Rockies for second place in the division. The Dodgers lead by 1 1/2 after completing a four-game sweep of the Mets with a 6-3 win.

Arizona should have every opportunity to continue their red hot play. The team heads home Friday for a 10-game home stand, playing four with the Phillies, followed by three with St. Louis and three with Colorado before heading to LA for three games against the Dodgers, starting July 4.

The Rockies open a three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angles Friday night, 7:10 pm PT.

Paul Goldschmidt, Kendrys Morales Each Homer Twice As Arizona Downs Rockies, Toronto Rocks Tampa Bay

Players of the Day for Friday, May 5, 2017

American League

Kendrys Morales

Having gotten off to an 11-2 start, the worst of any major league team, Toronto still finds itself mired in last place in the AL East due to a combination of poor play and injuries to key players, such as Troy Tulowitzki and Josh Donaldson.

One player who hasn't been injured and is having a decent season is Kendrys Morales, who helped the Blue Jays defeat the Rays, 8-4 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs.

Down 3-1, Morales got the Jays even with a two-run blast in the seventh, then helped put the game out of reach with a three-run homer, highlighting a five-run eighth inning.

The home runs were numbers five and six for Morales, acquired from Kansas City during the off-season, and the five RBI gave him an even 20 on the year. Toronto took the opener of their three-game series in Tampa and will try to make it two straight when the teams meet on Saturday. Game time is 4:10 pm.

While the Blue Jays are still just 10-19, once they get healthy, they will probably make it tough on the front-runners in the AL East and throughout the majors.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

It should come as no surprise that Paul Goldschmidt is among the NL leaders in RBI. After all, he's driven in 205 runs in the past two seasons and has been an all-star for Arizona each of the past four seasons.

On Friday, Goldschmidt cranked out a pair of home runs (#6 and #7) against the Rockies and drove in another run with a single, as Arizona pulled to within 1/2 game of first place Colorado with a 6-3 victory.

The game was the first of a three-game series in Denver, but Goldschmidt took advantage early on, socking a solo shot in the first inning, then adding a three-run belt in the third, putting Arizona up 5-0. In the seventh, Goldschmidt knocked in his fifth run of the game with a single to center, plating David Peralta.

Finishing 3-for-3 with a walk, Goldschmidt raised his average to .330, good for eighth in the National League. His 26 RBI are fourth-best in the NL.

The Rockies will try to retain first place when they meet the Diambondbacks in game two, Saturday night at Coors Field. First pitch is slated for 8:10 pm ET.

Josh Donaldson - First to 100 RBI - Helps Blue Jays Crush Angels; Paul Goldschmidt Powers Arizona

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 22, 2015

American League

Donaldson: 100 RBI

The American League East appears to be headed for a stretch duel between the Yankees and Blue Jays, both teams winning on Saturday to keep the Yankees up by a mere 1/2 game over the relentless Toronto squad.

Josh Donaldson singled, doubled, crushed a pair of homers, drove in six runs and scored three times in six at-bats as the Blue Jays blistered the Angels, 15-3, in the second of their three-game series at Anaheim.

Donaldson raised his batting average to .301, became the first player in the majors to reach 100 RBI, leading the AL, and his 34 homers have him tied with Baltimore's Chris Davis in second place behind Seattle's Nelson Cruz, who has 37.

Goldschmidt: 4-5 2HR

The Toronto third baseman is having a remarkable season and is one of the prime reasons the Blue Jays are in a contending position. Even if they don't catch the Yankees for the division crown, they appear a lock for the first wild card spot, with a 4 1/2 game edge on the Rangers, who have surged into the second spot with two straight victories.

The Orioles, Angels, Twins, and Rays are all within 1 1/2 games of the Rangers, so the race to the post-season is on, with wings, in the AL.

The Blue Jays seek to sweep the Angels on Sunday when the teams meet at 3:35 pm EDT.

National League

With the NL Wild Card ostensibly looking increasingly like an exclusively Central Division event since the Pirates and Cubs have a substantial lead over the rest of the contenders (the Cubs are five games up on the Giants for the second spot), the most viable option for the Arizona Diamondbacks might be to win the West division.

With an 11-7 win at Cincinnati Saturday, the Diamondbacks find themselves in third place, six games back to the Dodgers, with the second place Giants 1 1/2 out. Chasing the D'Backs - winners of three straight - are the suddenly surging Padres, who have strung together five straight victories.

Arizona's triumph was fueled by one of the league's best hitters and underrated stars, Paul Goldschmidt, who went 4-for-5 with a pair of singles and a pair of two-run homers (23, 24), driving in four and scoring three times.

Goldschmidt is the engine that powers Arizona, his 93 RBI leading the league.

The Diamondbacks will have ample opportunity to catch the Giants and/or Dodgers in September, with a total of 13 games against those two division foes.

Arizona will be seeking the series sweep on Sunday, when they when they meet the Reds at 1:10 pm EDT at Great American Ball Park.

Paul Goldschmidt, Adam Jones Homers Lead D'Backs, Orioles to Victories

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 19, 2014

American League

Jones 2-5, 5 RBI

Oakland took the first game of their three-game set in Baltimore by a 5-4 tally Friday night, but it didn't take long for the Orioles to impress upon the AL West leaders that they weren't going to take it lying down.

Adam Jones cracked a three-run homer off A's starter, Jason Hammel, and J.J. Hardy followed with a solo shot for a 4-0 lead in an eventual, 8-4, Baltimore victory.

Jones added a two run single in the fourth, driving home Nick Markakis and Steve Pearce. Markakis had four hits on the night, Pearce went 3-for-4, while Jones was 2-for-5 with five RBI, two stolen bases and two runs. His homer was his 17th of the season.

The rubber game of the series is scheduled for 4:05 pm ET Sunday at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

After winning the series opener, 5-4, on Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks out-slugged the visiting Chicago Cubs, 9-3, Saturday, led by all-star first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt.

Chicago had a 3-1 lead after four innings, but from the fifth on, it was literally, all Arizona. Miguel Montero doubled in three runs in the fifth and then Goldschmidt took over, doubling in a run in the sixth and belting his 18th homer in the eight to drive in another pair of runs.

Goldschmidt finished 3-for-3, with three runs and three RBI. His 65 RBI on the season have him tied with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the RBI lead in the NL.

Arizona will be looking for the sweep on Sunday. Game time is 4:10 pm ET.

Robinson Cano, Jayson Nix Power Yankees to DH Win over Blue Jays; Patrick Corbin, Paul Goldschmidt Lead Arizona's 5-2 Win at Cincinnati

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 20, 2013

American League

Robinson Cano

Jayson Nix

The Yankees have gotten hot at an opportune time, taking a double-header from the Blue Jays on Tuesday to creep to within 6 1/2 games of the new leader in the AL East, Tampa Bay.

Robinson Cano has been a mainstay for the Yanks, one of the few regulars that hasn't missed time due to injury, and he was the catalyst for the 8-4 win the afternoon contest, going 4-for-4 with his 200th career homer, his 23rd of the year, a three-run, third inning blast. He also singled twice and doubled in a run in the seventh inning. Cano is hitting .307, seventh in the AL, with 81 RBI, also seventh in the league.

Cano also went 2-for-4 in the nightcap, driving in the Yankees' first run with a single in the third inning, but game two turned into a personal highlight reel for Jayson Nix, filling in at shortstop for the injured Derek Jeter. Nix tied the score at 2-2 with a solo homer in the seventh, then delivered the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth, singling home Ichiro Suzuki for the 3-2, walk-off win.

The Yankees resume their four-game series with the Jays on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Patrick Corbin

Right now, the Arizona Cardinals are on the outside looking in, trailing the Dodgers by 7 1/2 games in the NL West and five games behind the Reds for the second wild card spot, but they are still in contention with the month of September coming up fast.

In Tuesday's 5-2 win at Cincinnati, Patrick Corbin handled all the mound requirements, going the distance for his second complete game of the season, fanning ten without issuing a walk.

Paul Goldschmidt

Corbin didn't allow a run until the eighth inning, after Paul Goldschmidt's grand slam put the Diamondbacks up, 5-0. Chris Heisey socked a two-run homer off Corbin in the bottom of the frame, but that was all the Reds could muster as Corbin held them to six hits.

Making a quiet case for the Cy Young award in just his second season, Corbin has a 13-3 record with a 2.45 ERA and 150 strikeouts, all those figures among the leaders in the National League, tied for fourth in wins, fourth in ERA and 16th in strikeouts.

Goldschmidt tied the Pirates' Pedro Alvarez at 31 home runs, extending his RBI lead to eight over Brandon Phillips, the four ribbies giving him an even 100 on the year.

The four-game series is tied at 1-1, with game three scheduled for 7:10 pm EDT at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Today's Trivia: Who led the National League in home runs more times, Hank Aaron or Willie Mays? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: While Mickey Mantle led the AL in home runs four times, Harmon Killebrew did it six times, leading three in a row from 1962-64 and tying for the league lead twice, in 1959 (Rocky Colavito, 42) and in 1967 (Carl Yazstremski, 44). Killebrew won it for his final time in 1969, when he belted 49.

Yankees Trip Up Angels, 14-7 on Alfonso Soriano's Two Homers, Six RBI; Paul Goldschmidt's Two Homers Lead D'Backs over Orioles in 11

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 13, 2013

American League

On a day which saw six games go into extra innings, the New York Yankees needed only 8 1/2 to tear up the LA Angels, 14-7, taking the second straight in the four-game series in the Big Apple.

Alfonso Soriano

Alfonso Soriano, picked up from the Cubs by the Yankees, just prior to the trading deadline, provided the bulk of the offense, smashing a pair of home runs and a single in six at-bats. Soriano's first homer came in the fifth inning, his two-run blast turning a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 Yankee advantage, one they would not relinquish, as they put up four runs in the sixth, four more in the seventh and two in the eighth.

Soriano singled in another run in the sixth and scored on Alex Rodriguez's double, then launched a three-run shot in the seventh to give the Yanks a commanding, 12-3 lead.

Adding some punch and variety to the injury-riddled Yankee lineup, Soriano has 10 RBI in eight games in pinstripes this season. He was originally brought up to the majors by the Yankees in 1999 and played full time for the Bombers from 2001 to 2003.

Trailing the Red Sox by 9 1/2 in the AL East, New York is also 5 1/2 behind Tampa Bay for the final wild card spot. The series with the Angels continues Wednesday night at 7:05 pm EDT in the Bronx.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

It was home run derby in Arizona's 4-3, 11th-inning win over visiting Baltimore Tuesday, all of the runs save one coming off long balls.

Baltimore's Chris Davis belted his major league-leading 44th of the year in the fourth inning, to put Baltimore up 2-0. An inning later, J.J. Hardy made it 3-0 with his 22nd of the season.

Arizona didn't respond until the seventh, when Martin Prado got a run in on a ground-out and Gerardo Parra homered to cut the Orioles' lead to one.

After that, Paul Goldschmidt took over, making his case for NL MVP by hitting a solo homer leading off the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, then winning it in walk-off fashion with another solo belt leading off the 11th inning.

Goldschmidt earlier had a single to go 3-for-5 on the night, raising his average to .297. His two homers moved him past Pittsburgh's Pedro Alvarez to the NL lead, with 29 on the season. Goldschmidt also leads the league in RBI, with 93.

The Diamondbacks need every win they can muster as they try to run down the Dodgers in the West. LA leads them by 7 1/2 games. Arizona is also 5 1/2 behind Cincinnati for the second wild card slot. The Orioles have lost two straight and find themselves in thrid place in the AL East, six games behind Boston and two games behind Tampa Bay for the last wild card. The AL Wild Card race has six teams all within 5 1/2 games of each other, vying for two spots.

Arizona has taken two straight from the O's and will be seeking the series sweep at 3:40 pm EDT on Wednesday.

Today's Trivia: Who led the AL in saves each season from 1982 to 1985? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The major league record of 1252 games by a pitcher is held by Jesse Orosco, who played 24 seasons on eight different teams. Eight of them were with the Mets and five with the Orioles.

Paul Goldschmidt, Jason Kubel Power Arizona Past Reds, 11-5; Red Sox Down Tigers on 4-for-5, 5 RBI Output from Shane Victorino

Players of the Day for Friday, June 21, 2013

American League

Expanding their lead to two games over the Orioles in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox evened their series with the visiting Tigers with a 10-6 victory Friday night.

Victorino: 5 RBI

Recently returned from a stint on the DL, Shane Victorino went 4-for-5, getting things started with a solo homer in the first inning off Tiger starter, Doug Fister, followed by three one-base raps which kept the merry-go-round of Red Sox runners on the base paths going.

Victorino singled home two in the fourth, another in the sixth and grounded into a fielder's choice to tally his fifth RBI of the game in the eighth inning. Miguel Cabrera went 4-for-4 and smashed his 20th homer of the season - a three-run belt - in the fifth, to draw the Tigers within a run at 6-5, but Victorino and the Sox just kept hitting and scoring, knocking out 17 hits off five Tiger hurlers.

With the Orioles losing to Toronto, 7-6, on Rajai Davis' RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, the Red Sox may soon have to concern themselves with the Blue Jays, who are still in last place, but have pulled themselves to the .500 mark with nine straight wins and are just seven games back.

The O's and Blue Jays play a 1:07 pm EDT day game at the Rogers Centre. The Red Sox continue their series with the Tigers at 7:15 pm EDT on Saturday.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

Arizona got all over Cincinnati starter, Johnny Cueto, knocking him out in just 4 1/3 innings on 11 hits and seven earned runs, en route to an 11-5 win in the the opener of a weekend series at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Jason Kubel

Paul Goldschmidt tied Philly's omonic Brown for second place in NL home runs with his 18th and 19th of the season and drove in three runs, going 3-for-5. Goldschmidt, the NL leader in RBI, upped his total to 65.

Jason Kubel added to the 15-hit Arizona assault, banging out a double and three singles in five at-bats, scoring three runs and driving in one.

The win kept the Diamondbacks in first place in the NL West, 2 1/2 clear of San Diego, winners of eight of their last ten. The Reds dropped into third place, 1/2 game behind the Pirates, who trail the Cardinals by three games in the Central division.

Cincinnati will try to even the series when the two teams take the field at 4:15 pm PDT, Saturday.

Today's Trivia: Who won more MVP awards, Willie Mays or Hank Aaron? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Hall of Famer Wade Boggs won the AL batting title five times. In 1983 he hit .361, followed by four straight titles from 1985 to 1988, in which he hit .368, .357, .363 and .366, respectively.

Mike Napoli's GS, Daniel Nava's 4 Hits Lead Boston Rout of Yankees; Paul Goldschmidt's Grand Slam Lifts Arizona

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 1, 2013

American League

Did somebody designate June 1 as MLB Grand Slam Day?

It sure felt like it as bases-loaded shots cleared the fences in three different stadiums on Saturday.

Mike Napoli

Early on, Miguel Cabrera - who else? - made his contribution to the cause by sending one deep in the fourth inning of Detroit's 10-3 win over the home-standing Orioles. The Tigers scored eight runs in the frame, sending four balls out of Camden yards - three solo shots and Cabrera's big blast.

Daniel Nava

Leading the AL in batting with a .369 average, Cabrera added to his league-leading RBI total, which now stands at 65, and is two behind Baltimore's Chris davis in homers, with 17. Better yet, the win kept the Tigers 1/2 game ahead of Cleveland in the Central division.

Mike Napoli's third-inning grand slam fueled an 11-1 Boston barrage at Yankee Stadium in which the Red Sox ripped 18 hits off three Yankee hurlers and improved their AL East lead over the Bombers to two games. While Napoli was going 3-for-5, the real deal was leadoff hitter Daniel Nava, who stroked four singles, drove in four runs and scored a pair himself, getting his batting average close to the magic .300 mark, at .296.

Along with Cleveland's 5-0 win over the Rays, the AL East remains pretty tight. Baltimore is just 2 1/2 back of Boston and the rays three games out.

The Yankees and Red Sox play the rubber game of their three-game series at 8:00 pm EDT. The game will be nationally-televised by ESPN.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt added to the festivities with his 13th home run of the year, an eighth-inning grand slam that broke a 4-4 tie and led directly to the Diamondbacks' 12-4 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Goldschmidt added a single, going 2-for-5 on the day, and scored three times.

Slightly overshadowed by Cabrera and Davis in the AL, Goldschmidt is having a memorable season in Arizona, batting .332 (6th in the NL) with 45 RBI, which is tied with Justin Upton for the most in the league. His 13 homers is fourth-best in the NL. In just his second full season, Goldschmidt is developing into one of the most-respected batters in either league.

With the Cardinals taking a pair from the Giants - 8-0 and 7-1 - Arizona's win has them suddenly 2 1/2 up on both San Francisco and Colorado in the NL West.

After dropping Friday's game to the Cubs, 7-2, the Diamondbacks will be looking to take the series, Sunday at 2:20 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: The career mark for World Series on-base percentage is a stunning 70%. Who holds the record? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Cy Young, who holds the major league mark of 511 career wins, also lost the most ever by a pitcher. Young was on the wrong end of the score 316 times.

Kelly Johnson Leads Rays in 12-10 Win over Orioles; Paul Goldschmidt Surging as Arizona Ties for NL West Lead

Players of the Day for Friday, May 17, 2013

American League

Kelly Johnson

Opening an important series at Baltimore Friday night, Tampa Bay took a 12-10 win in a game that nearly got away.

Continuing to lurk just behind the leaders in the AL East, the Rays led 12-4 after six innings and had to hold off a furious Oriole rally as the O's put up six runs in the bottom of the eighth.

With Jeremy Hellickson - who still earned the win - blowing up and reliever Kyle Farnsworth unable to get anybody out (three hits, two earned runs), Joel Peralta came on to get the final out in the eighth and shut down the Orioles in order in the ninth.

Despite the theatrics, the Rays emerged a game above .500, 4 1/2 behind division leading New York. Kelly Johnson delivered for the Rays, socking a three-run homer in the third inning, singling home another in the fifth and doubling and scoring a run in the sixth.

Johnson was 3-for-5 with four RBI, with his sixth home run and 23 RBI.

The Rays and Orioles face off in the second game of the series at 4:05 pm EDT at Camden yards. In third place just 2 1/2 back, the O's lead the Rays by two games in the standings.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

With their third straight win and a 10-9 loss by the Giants at Colorado, the Diamondbacks regained a tie for first place in the NL West with San Francisco.

Paul Goldschmidt led Arizona's 9-2 win at Miami - the opener of a three-game series - with four hits in five at-bats, his third multi-hit game in his last four.

Goldschmidt blasted his 11th and 12th homers of the season in the first and third innings, both coming off Miami starter Kevin Slowey and both with a man aboard. Later, he singled and doubled, scoring both times, as the Diamondbacks padded their lead.

With his recent surge at the plate, Goldschmidt is challenging in the important statistical categories. His .338 batting average is fourth in the league; his 12 homers second-most and he's second in RBI with 35, one behind Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips.

Arizona and Miami meet again on Saturday at 7:10 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Which starting pitcher led the majors with 21 wins in 2012?

Yesterday's Answer: Hank Aaron was on 21 All Star rosters, one better than Willie Mays and Stan Musial.

Paul Goldschmidt's Two Homers Send Dodgers to 7th Straight Loss; Minnesota Rides Ryan Doumit's Bat to 15-8 Win at Boston

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 8, 2013

American League

Ryan Doumit

While the Baltimore Orioles were winning their fourth straight - a 5-3 victory over visiting KC - Boston was being pummeled by the Twins, taking a 15-8 beating at Fenway, the end result a tie between the Orioles and Red Sox for first place in the AL East.

After the Twins scored four first inning runs - two of them on Ryan Doumit's home run - the Red Sox came back to take the lead in the bottom half of the frame, putting up a five-spot, but that proved to be short-lived as Minnesota piled on seven more runs in the second inning and were never headed.

Minnesota banged out 20 hits, DH Doumit and right fielder Oswaldo Arcia each going 4-for-5, with four other starters having multiple hits. Doumit singled three times after his first-inning blast, scoring three times to go with his two RBI.

Boston has dropped two of their last three to the Twins and will try to salvage a split of the four-game series Thursday night at 7:10 pm EDT while the Orioles try to sweep their series with the Royals.

National League

Paul Goldschmidt

At the start of the season, the Dodgers were the pundits' pick to contend in the NL West, but after being swept three straight by the Arizona Diamondbacks and extending their losing streak to a season-high seven games, LA has found the cellar of the division, 6 1/2 games behind leading San Francisco.

The Diamondbacks, however, have put together a 19-15 start to their season, Wednesday's 3-2 win in LA getting them to within one game of first place, with the Rockies sandwiched - 1/2 game back - between them and the Giants.

Much of Arizona's success this season has been due to the play of first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, who accounted for all three of the D'Backs' runs with a pair of home runs - his eighth and ninth of the year.

The Dodgers had taken a 2-0 lead with a pair of fourth-inning runs, but Goldschmidt evened the score, taking Dodger starter, Clayton Kershaw, deep with a man aboard, then won the game in the eighth with a solo shot off reliever Kenley Jansen.

Having an all-star season with a .320 batting average, nine homers and 30 RBI, Goldschmidt has put the Diamondbacks in a position to challenge for a post-season spot. He is 11th in the NL in batting, tied for fourth in home runs and leads the league in RBI.

Angels Blast Texas Behind Kendrys Morales Two Homers; Arizona Gains in NL West Behind Paul Goldschmidt, Chris Johnson Homers

Players of the Day for Monday, July 30, 2012

American League

The Rangers and Angels opened a crucial four game series in Arlington Monday night, and the result moved the two AL West contenders closer together as the Angels romped in a 15-8 slugfest.

With neither manager willing to deplete their respective bullpens, only five pitchers were employed in the contest, the worst of it taken by Texas starter Roy Oswald, who allowed eight earned runs on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Kendrys Morales

The biggest blows came in the Angels half of the sixth inning, when LA sent 11 batters to the plate and knocked Oswalt out of the game, scoring nine times. After an Albert Pujols' leadoff double, Kendrys Morales went deep for a two-run homer, and finished the inning off with a grand slam that put the Angels up by a 12-3 score.

Morales's two homers and six RBI gave him 11 and 45, respectively. Mike Trout, who drove in four runs himself, and Maicer Izturis also homered for the Angels.

The result left Texas with a four game lead over the Angels, though Oakland, 4-3 winners in 15 innings over Tampa Bay, is just 3 1/2 behind the Rangers and can benefit from the head-to-head play between their two main rivals.

The series continues Tuesday in Texas, with an 8:05 pm EDT start.



National League

Chris Johnson

For the Arizona Diamondbacks, the time to make a move on the Giants and Dodgers in the NL West is now, as they opened a three game series in LA, 4 1/2 games behind the division co-leaders.

Paul Goldschmidt

It didn't take long for the D'Backs to take advantage of their opportunity. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt hammered a three-run homer in the first inning, and third baseman Chris Johnson banged a grand slam in the fifth, accounting for all of the scoring in a 7-2 victory for the Diamondbacks.

Johnson was playing in his first game for Arizona, having been acquired in a trade from Houston on Sunday. He flied out to right in his first at-bat and grounded into a bases-loaded double play the next time up, but quickly made amends with his 8th homer of the season.

The win, coupled with San Francisco's 8-7, 10-inning loss to the Mets, improved Arizona's position to just 3 1/2 back with a pair of games remaining against the Dodgers.

Arizona has ridden an 8-3 stretch to make up ground in the division and has finally gotten past the .500 mark at 52-51.

The series in LA continues Tuesday with a 7:05 pm PDT start and a 12:05 afternoon contest to close it out.

Rangers Oust Rays; Yankees Survive; Goldschmidt Slam Leads Arizona; Ben Francisco Homer Stops Cards

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 4, 2011

American League

Rangers 4 Rays 3

Adrian Beltre

Texas became the first team to win a divisional series and await the winner of the Yankees-Tigers series in the next round of the MLB playoffs. Adrian Beltre socked three solo home runs to lead the Rangers to a 4-3 win over the Rays, taking the series, three games to one. The only run Beltre was not responsible for in the victory was Ian Kinsler's first inning solo home run.

The Rangers only had six hits in the game, but four of them were homers, enough to spoil the mood of the crowd at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida.

Yankees 10 Tigers 1

Getting an unusually strong pitching performance from A.J. Burnett, the Yankees piled on Rick Porcello and defeated the Tigers in Detroit to send the series back to New York for a conclusive game five on Thursday.

AJ Burnett

Burnett, 11-11 on the season with an ERA over five, worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and four walks, striking out three, The only run off Burnett was a 4th inning solo homer by Victor Martinez. Burnett left the game as the Tigers batted in the bottom of the 6th inning, comfortably ahead, 4-1. The Yankees broke the game wide open in the 8th when they batted around, scoring six runs in the frame.

Game time Thursday for game five is 8:07 pm EDT. Detroit's Doug Fister will face the Yankees' Ivan Nova.

National League

Phillies 3 Cardinals 2

Ben Francisco

Ben Francisco broke a 0-0 tie with a three-run bomb in the seventh inning to put the Phillies out in front of the Cardinals en route to a game three victory, puttng the Phillies ahead, two games to one, in the divisional playoff series.

Francisco was inserted as a pinch hitter for starter Cole Hamels, who hurled six scoreless innings on five hits, but had thrown 117 pitches. Hamels walked three and struck out eight.

The Cards and Phils get right back to action on Wednesday when game five begins in St. Louis at 6:07 pm EDT.

Diamondbacks 8 Brewers 1

Josh Collmenter

Grand Slam
Goldschmidt

Arizona staved off elimination from the playoffs with an offensive outburst against four Milwaukee pitchers, but it was rookie Paul Goldschmidt's grand slam in the 5th inning off Milwaukee starter Shawn Marcum that really broke the game wide open.

Goldschmidt singled home Miguel Montero in the first inning. He went 2-for-4 with five RBI.

Another Arizona rookie, starting pitcher Josh Collmenter, held the Brewers in check over seven innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits. Collmenter walked a pair and struck out six, earning his first career playoff win.

The Diamondbacks were down two games to one when the series shifted to Arizona for game three. Their victory kept them in the playoffs, forcing game four in Phoenix on Wednesday at 9:37 pm EDT. Randy Wolf goes for Milwaukee against Joe Saunders for the Diamondbacks.