Big Unit Joins 300-Win Club; Twins' Kubel Hammers Indians

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 4, 2009 American League Jason Kubel moved into the 4-spot behind slugging Justin Morneau and had himself a whale of a night at the plate in the Twins' 11-3 pounding of Cleveland. With the two guys in front of him - Joe Mauer (3-for-4, 4 runs) and Morneau (3-for-3, 3 runs, 3 RBI) - were on base consistently, Kubel did a nice job picking them up, driving in six runs with a three-run homer in the first and another in the second inning. He also added a double, completing a 3-for-4 performance. Not noted for his power - the two homers gave him 7 on the season - Kubel is hitting for average, checking in at .322, which puts him in third place on his team. Mauer is blazing at .436, while Morneau is belting at a .348 clip. The Twins are in second place in the AL Central, trying to chase down the Tigers, 2 1/2 games ahead. Detroit has lost 3 straight. National League The youthful San Francisco Giants swept a double-header from Washington, winning 5-1 and 4-1, the second game a rain-sortened 6 inning affair, but it was the elder statesman on the squad, Randy Johnson, who stole the spotlight, racking up win #300 in the opener. Johnson, 45, was in vintage form, allowing just two hits and an unearned run over 6 innings, walking two and striking out a pair. The Nationals' sole run came in the 6th, with the Giants nursing a 2-0 lead, on a rare throwing error by Edgar Renteria. After the run scored, however, Johnson, unflappable as always, got out of the inning with minimal damage. While the relief corps took over, Johnson had to wait it out, but when the Giants scored 3 more runs in the top of the ninth, the Big Unit's place in baseball history was assured. In 1988, Johnson broke into the majors with the Montreal Expos, but really didn't begin to gain notoriety until 1991 with the Seattle Mariners, when his blazing fastball and diving slider began to baffle batters around the American League. Eventually, Johnson would lead his league in strikeouts 9 times, win 5 Cy Young Awards (1 with Seattle, 4 with Arizona) and put up Hall of Fame stats: 300 wins, 164 losses, 3.28 ERA. 1.17 WHIP, 4845 strikeouts in 4097 1/3 innings. And he's not done yet. With their twin killing of the Nats, the Giants pushed past the .500 mark (27-25) and into sole possession of second place in the NL West, 8 games behind the LA Dodgers. Somewhat of a surprise, the Giants have held their own in the division (13-15), and have winning records against the East (8-5) and Central (5-3)

Johnson Gets Win #296; Lester's 7 Shutout Innings Lift BoSox

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 19, 2009 American League Jon Lester (1-2) earned his first win of 2009, hurling 7 shutout innings at the Baltimore Orioles, leading to a 2-1 Boston win. The win was Boston's 4th straight, evening their record at 6-6, in the upside-down AL East, where the Blue Jays are in first and the reigning AL champion Tampa Bay Rays are last. Lester was in complete control during his outing, allowing four hits, two walks and striking out 9. The lefty was a bright spot for the Red Sox last season with a 16-6 record, a 3.21 ERA and two complete game shutouts, one of which was a no-hitter. National League Randy Johnson picked up his 296th career win with a 7-inning 1-hit performance over his former team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Johnson, who will turn 46 on September 10, is seeking the magical 300-win plateau, got just enough support from his San Francisco teammates in a 2-0 triumph. The 8th and 9th innings were worked - in perfect order, not allowing a baserunner - by 36-year-old Bob Howry and 27-year-old Brian Wilson (no, not the Beach Boy), who earned his second save of the season. Johnson, who walked 2 and struck out 7, allowed only a 6th inning double by Augie Ojeda.

Ortiz Smacks a Pair; Big Unit On Track

Players of the Day from Sunday, May 18, 2008 American League Don't look now, but Big Papi, David Ortiz is getting into his mid-season groove. Boston's RBI guy knocked two balls out of the park and doubled in five at-bats on Sunday to lead the Red Sox to an 11-7 win and a three-game sweep of Milwaukee, with a 4-RBI game. Ortiz, who has not gotten off to a great start, has been ramping it up of late. The two Sunday homers gives him 10 on the season, to go with 37 RBI and a .250 batting average. In the sweep of the Brewers, Ortiz went 5-for-10 with three dingers and 8 RBI. Notes: Chicago has won five straight and leads the Central division by 1 1/3 over Cleveland, with surprising KC another 1/2 back. The Royals have won 6 of their last 7 and are just a game under .500 (21-22). National League Randy Johnson only started 10 games in 2007, but this season he's returned to solid form, posting his 4th win against just one loss on Sunday in Arizona's 4-0 win over the struggling Tigers.

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Johnson allowed six hits and no earned runs, walked one and struck out five over seven innings for the W. With 288 wins under his belt, Johnson should - if he stays healthy - come close to winning his 300th later this season. He's already had 7 starts, and should get about 25 more. While his ERA (4.42) and WHIP (1.40) are up this year, his last outing was his best and may indicate that he's ready to go on a roll. Johnson turns 45 on September 10. Win #300 would be a nifty birthday gift. Notes: While everyone's waiting for Junior to smack #600, the Reds have won six in a row and departed last place in the NL Central. Milwaukee has lost five straight and is a game behind the Reds, 7 back of division-leader Chicago. Griffey, however, has been mired in a homerless slump, stuck at #597 since April 23, 20 long games ago. Assuredly, fans are getting a little antsy in anticipation of the milestone.