Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso Lead Mets Past D'Backs; Robinson Chirinos Leads Astros in 15-0 Win Over A's

Players of the Day for Monday, September 9, 2019

American League

Chirinos: 2 HR, 6 RBI

On Sunday, the Astros hammered the Mariners, 21-1 and on Monday, opened a four-game series with the A's, in Houston, so, OK, maybe the score would be a little closer.

It was, but not by much. Houston clobbered Oakland, 15-0, putting themselves that much closer to the AL West pennant and showing the wild card contender what they might be dealing with should they reach the playoffs.

The Astros belted seven home runs, all but one coming in the first two innings, as Houston built an 11-0 lead. Zack Grienke, the Houston starter, was the beneficiary of the big advantage, tossing six innings of shutout ball to go 5-1 in an Astros uniform.

Robinson Chirinos and Yordan Alvarez each socked two home runs. While Alvarez was banging out solo shots, Chirinos was doing it with men aboard, mashing a two-run homer in the first and a three-run rip in the seventh. His single in the second innings plated another run, giving him six RBI for the game.

The win left Houston with a 10 1/2 game lead over the A's and a magic number of seven to clinch the division for the third straight season. Game two is set for 8:10 pm ET, Tuesday, in Houston.

deGrom: 7IP, 3H, 1ER, 10K

National League

With three weeks left in the regular season, the wild card race in the National League is shaping up for excitement.

In New York, two contenders for the second and final wild card spot took to the field as the Mets opened a huge four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Jacob deGrom was at his best for New York, tossing seven innings of three-hit ball, allowing in one run in the Mets' 3-1 victory, pulling them closer to the pack and to Arizona. Striking out 10, deGrom surrendered Arizona's only run in the fifth inning, when Wilmer Flores went deep for his eighth home run of the year.

Alonso's 47 HRs lead NL

Seth Lugo also came up big, fanning four in a hitless six-out save spanning the final two innings.

Aiding the cause was rookie sensation Pete Alonso, who cranked out a pair of solo homers. Alonso leads the league in home runs, with 47 and is fifth in RBI at 109. No rookie has led the National League in home runs since Ralph Kiner socked 23 for Pittsburgh in 1946. Only five players have led their league in home runs in their rookie season, the most recent being Aaron Judge, who hit 52 for the Yankees in 2017.

The Mets gained to within four games of the Cubs for the second wild card, but they have plenty of competition. The Brewers are two games back, the Diamondbacks, 2 1/2, the Phillies, three out. Washington leads all, two games up on Chicago.

The Mets host Arizona Tuesday in game two of the series at Citi Field, starting at 7:10 pm ET.

Rafael Devers First to 100 RBI as Boston Rips O's; Mets Win, Pete Alonso Sets NL Rookie HR Record

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 18, 2019

Devers first to 100 RBI

American League

Rafael Devers became the first player in the majors to knock in 100 runs this season, going 4-for-5 with four RBI in Boston's 13-7 romp over the Orioles.

Devers has been "el Fuego" of late, riding an eight-game hitting streak in which he's batting a robust .540 (20-for-37) with four home runs and 14 RBI. That streak includes an August 13, 6-for-6 effort in a 7-6 win at Cleveland which started Boston's current five-game winning streak.

Devers singled, doubled twice, and socked his 27th home run as the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Orioles. He has 101 RBI and is third in the batting stats, at .332.

Boston remained 6 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for the second wild card spot, as the Rays defeated Detroit, 5-4. While the odds that the Red Sox will reach the playoffs are slim, they do play at Tampa Bay four more times and have a favorable schedule coming up. After hosting two games against the contending Phillies Tuesday and Wednesday, they embark on an eight-game road trip, with three in San Diego, two at Colorado, and three in Anaheim against the Angels. All of those teams have sub-.500 records.

National League

Alonso sets rookie mark

There's little doubt who the NL rookie of the year is going to be. The Mets' Pete Alonso has been having an incredible first year, providing a power punch in the middle of New York's lineup.

On Sunday, Alonso watched a milestone, setting a new National League record for home runs by a rookie with his 40th dinger as the Mets punched out the Royals, 11-5, tying Philadelphia and Milwaukee in the wild card standings.

Alonso, home run was an add-on solo shot in the ninth, but he contributed earlier, walking and scoring in the first inning on Michal Conforto's three=run homer, singling in the sixth, doubling in a run and scoring in the Mets' six=-run seventh.

His two RBI have Alonso at 95, closing in on the leaders, three of which are tied at 98 (Freddie Freeman, Eduardo Escobar, and Josh Bell). He's batting .271.

The previous rookie HR record was held by Cody Bellinger, who socked 39 for the Dodgers in 2017 and was named rookie of the year. Alonso is just one homer short of the Mets' franchise record, held jointly by Carolos Beltran and Todd Hundley. Mark McGuire's MLB record of 49, set with the Oakland Athletics in 1987, may be too much to ask of the 24-year-old slugger.

24-10 since the all-star break, the Mets are the success story of the second half. They've gotten themselves into the wild card hunt, just two games behind the Cubs and/or Cardinals, who are the holders of the second spot but are tied for the lead in the NL Central.

Their work cut out for them with a brutal schedule ahead - a nine-game home stand with three games each against the Indians, Braves, and Cubs - the Mets open on Tuesday with a 7:10 pm ET game against Cleveland.

Cleveland Rips Yankees, 19-5, as Jose Ramirez, Greg Allen Star; Mets Pound Braves Behind Amed Rosario, Pete Alonso

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 15, 2019

American League

Greg Allen

Jose Ramirez uncorked a first-inning grand slam, added a two run blast in the second, and Greg Allen went 4-for-5, scored four times and drove in four as the Indians pummeled the Yankees, 19-5, in New York.

Jose Ramirez

The two Ramirez homers gave him 19 on the year, 11 of which he's hit in his last 30 games. Allen singled twice, doubled and socked his fourth home run of the season.

The game was the opener of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Cleveland's visit to the Big Apple also include a trio of game against the Mets, next Tuesday through Thursday.

Putting the game away in the opening frame, the Indians scored seven runs in the first inning and added more as the hit parade carried forward. Cleveland eventually rocked five Yankee pitchers for 24 hits.

Cleveland remained 1/2-game behind Minnesota in the Central division, as the Twins punched out a win at Texas, 13-6. The Yankees dropped a half game on second place Tampa Bay, idle on Thursday.

Game two is Friday, 7:05 pm ET.

National League

Amed Rosario

Staying alive in the wild card race - and on the fringes in the division - the NY Mets managed to avoid being swept by the East-leading Braves, knocking around Atlanta ace, Julio Teheran for six runs in the first two innings en route to a 10-8 road win.

Pete Alonso

The Mets banged out 23 hits, five each by Amed Rosario and rookie phenom Pete Alonso.

Batting in the leadoff spot, Rosario went 5-for-6, with three singles, a double and a triple, scoring four times, driving in one. Alonso was an unstoppable 5-for-5, with four singles, a first-inning, three-run homer, and six RBI.

Alonso's home run was his 39th, which tied him with Milwaukee's Chistian Yelich, one behind NL leader, Cody Bellinger, who smoked #40 in the Dodgers' 13-7 loss at Miami. Alonso is also in the league's top ten in RBI, with 91. Rosario has been recently getting it done as the Met spark plug. In his last 30 games, Rosario is batting .366 (45-for-123) with three homers and 21 runs.

The Mets are in fourth place, nine games behind the Braves in the AL East, but are just two games out of the second wild card spot, currently claimed by the Cubs. Washington holds the top wild card, 1 1/2 ahead of Chicago.

The Mets will complete a six-game road trip with three in Kansas City over the weekend. Friday's game is 8:15 pm ET.