Shin Soo Choo Leads Reds to Fifth Straight Win; Raul Ibanez Powers Seattle in Rout of Yankees

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 15, 2013

American League

Ibanez: 2HR, 6RBI

Well-traveled Raul Ibanez showed the Yankees why they shouldn't have traded him. Fortunately for the pinstripes, they won't have to see much of him for the rest of the season.

Ibanez, who began his career in Seattle and has returned home, has had stints with the Phillies, Royals and Yankees. In the first inning of Wednesday night's 12-2 rout, Ibanez capped a seven-run first inning with a grand slam off starter Phil Hughes, then further victimized Yankee pitching with a two-run homer in the fifth inning, cashing in a season-high six RBI.

Hughes didn't even make it though the first inning; Ibanez's slam sending him to a very early shower with two down in the first inning. Hughes allowed six hits, walked two and gave up seven runs, all earned.

The Mariners cranked out 16 hits, tying Oakland for second place in the AL West, seven behind Texas. Despite the loss, New York still leads Boston and Baltimore by two games in the East.

With a career spanning three decades, Ibanez is a .277 career hitter with 277 homers and 1900 hits.

The Yankees won game one of the series, which concludes Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. Game time is 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Shin Soo Choo

While Mike Leake and three relievers were scatteing 11 Miami hits in a 4-0 Reds' victory, leadoff hitter Shin Soo Choo was adding and padding his already impressive stats.

Choo accounted for the bulk of Cincinnati's scoring, going 4-for-5 with a pair of homers, two singles, two RBI and three runs, raising his average to .322., tied with Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt for sixth-highest in the National League, right behind teammate Joey Votto (.327).

The homers were numbers eight and nine for Choo, who has tallied 19 RBI, impressive for a leadoff batter. His 33 runs leads the NL and is tied with Detroit's Austin Jackson for most in the majors.

With their fifth straight win and eighth in their last 10, the Reds remained 2 1/2 behind the equally-hot Cardinals in the NL Central race. Tehy'll be looking to sweep the Marlins in Miami at 7:10 pm EDT Thursday night.

Today's Trvia: Here's a really old-school quizzer. Back in 1886, Toad Ramsey struck out 499 batters for the Louisville Colonels of the American Association, but was outdone by a pitcher who fanned 513, a single-season record which likely will never be broken. Who was this flame-thrower?

Yesterday's Answer: As of May 15, 2013, the active strikeout leaders are C.C. Sabathia (2268) and Andy Pettitte (2354), both of the Yankees.

Raul Ibanez Rallies Yankees; Chris Carpenter Shuts Down Nats; Seth Smith, Coco Crisp Down Tigers; Pablo Sandoval, Tim Lincecum Lift Giants

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 10, 2012

American League

Raul Ibanez

ALDS: NY Yankees 3 Baltimore 2 - Raul Ibanez, pinch-hitting for Alex Rodriguez, slugged a ninth-inning solo homer to tie game three with the Baltimore Orioles and then ended the game with another solo homer to right field leading off the 12th.

Coco Crisp

The Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Game four is slated to begin Thursday at 7:37 pm EDT in New York. Joe Saunders is scheduled to start for the Orioles against the Yankees' Phil Hughes.

ALDS: Oakland 4 Detroit 3 - The Oakland A's avoided elimination for the second straight night, coming from behind with three runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Tigers and tie the divisional series at two games apiece.

Seth Smith

The A's rocked Detroit closer, Jose Valverde, for four hits and three runs in just 2/3rds of an inning. With nobody out and runners on second and third, Seth Smith doubled into the right-center gap driving home both and tying the game. Two outs later, Coco Crisp delivered the game winner with a single to right field, scoring Smith from second.

Decisive game five commences at 9:37 pm EDT in Oakland.

Chris Carpenter

National League

NLDS: St. Louis 8 Washington 0 - St. Louis took a 2-1 lead in their divisional series with Washington, roughing up Nationals' starter, Edwin Jackson, and four relievers for 14 hits, including a three-run, second-inning homer by Cardinal shortstop Pete Kozma that put the Cardinals ahead, 4-0.

Chris Carpenter worked 5 2/3 innings on the mound, scattering seven hits without allowing a run. Carpenter walked two and struck out a pair, winning his 10th game against two losses in 16 post-season starts.

Game four goes off at 4:07 pm Thursday in Washington. The Cardinals can wrap up the series with a win. If necessary, game five will be played Friday in Washington.

Pablo Sandoval

Tim Lincecum

NLDS: San Francisco 8 Cincinnati 3 - Pablo Sandoval went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBI to pace the Giants offensively while Tim Lincecum came out of the bullpen to toss 4 1/3 innings of relief, holding the Reds to one run on two hits, fanning six.

Lincecum ended a two-out threat in the fourth, striking out Ryan Ludwig with runners on first and second, and worked through the eighth inning wihtout allowing a walk, throwing 42 of 55 pitches for strikes.

The win evened the series at two games apiece with the deciding game five set for 1:07 pm EDT in Cincinnati. Matt Cain gets the start for the Giants, facing the Reds' Mat Latos, the winner advancing to the seven-game league championship series.

Raul Ibanez Delivers for Yankees; Mat Latos Stops Cards, but St. Louis Snags Wild Card

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 2, 2012

American League

Raul Ibanez got the Yankees one step closer to the AL East pennant, tying the game with Boston at 3-3 with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, then delivering the game-winning, walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning for a 4-3 win over the Red Sox.

Ibanez came on as a pinch hitter in the ninth and stroked a two-run homer to right off Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey, tagging the reliever with his third blown save. Thanks got two aboard after two outs on consecutive walks to Francisco Cervelli and Curtis Granderson, setting up the heroic single to shallow left by Ibanez.

Raul Ibanez

The win left the Yankees one game better than the Orioles in the division with one game left to play. Baltimore slipped by Tampa Bay, 1-0, to remain close. Both teams are assured of a playoff spot; the team finishing second in the division getting of one of the two wild cards.

A Yankee loss and a Baltimore win would tie the division and force a one-game playoff on Thursday. All other scenarios would result in the Yankees winning the AL East pennant.

In the West, Oakland won their fifth straight overall and second straight over Texas, tying the Rangers for first place in the division with a 3-1 win.

The two teams meet Wednesday in Oakland to settle the division, the winner to take the West title, the loser, one of the two wild card spots. Game time is 3:35 pm EDT.

National League

Mat Latos

Despite a 3-1 loss to Cincinnati, St. Louis wrapped up the second wild card slot as the Giants beat the Dodgers, 4-3, eliminating LA from the post-season.

The Cardinals complete the playoff picture in the National League, and will face Atlanta in a one-game playoff, the winner advancing to face one of the division winners.

Mat Latos improved to 14-4 for the Reds, allowing one run on four hits over five innings in the win over the Cardinals. A parade of four Cincinnati relievers completed the game, with Aroldis Chapman working the ninth for his 38th save.

Latos threw 54 of 78 pitches for strikes and walked one in his final tune-up before the playoffs.

Yankees Extend AL East Lead on Raul Ibanez Grand Slam: Miguel Montero Leads D'Backs over Reds

Players of the Day for Monday, July 16, 2011

American League

The Yankees keep pouring it on, extending the largest lead in the majors to nine games as they opened a three-game series with the Blue Jays with a 6-3 victory.

Ibanez: Grand Slam

Their win, combined with Baltimore's 19-7 pounding in Minnesota, increased New York's advantage in the AL East to nine games.

Part of the reason the 55-34 Yankees have the best record in baseball is beacuse of their deep bench, which includes players like Raul Ibanez, a professional hitter in his 15th full season.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, Ibanez took a 3-1 offering from Toronto reliever Jason Frasor deep to right field for a grand slam, breaking a 2-2 tie and leading to the the win.

Playing regularly since injury sidelined Brett Gardner early in the season, Ibanez has 12 homers and 40 RBI and has been a key contributor from the middle and bottom of the lineup.

National League

Races in the National League are all close, with the Nationals; 2 1/2 game edge over Atlanta in the East the largest margin.

Montero: 3-4 4RBI

In the West, Arizona has quietly kept itself in contention as the Giants overtook the Dodgers and have forged a two game lead over LA, with Arizona six back after defeating the Reds in the opener of a four game series in Cincinnati by a 5-3 score.

Catcher Miguel Montero led the Diamondback hitters with a 3-for-4 effort, including a three-run double in the first inning and a solo homer - his 9th - off Cincy starter Bronson Arroyo.

Arroyo would last only three innings, allowing all five runs off eight hits.

Montero's four RBI gave him 49 on the season.

The Reds and Diamondbacks continue their series Tuesday at Great American Ball Park.

Rays, Red Sox Tied in Wild Card; Braves Holding One Game Lead over Cardinals

Players of the Day for Monday, September 26, 2011

American League

The AL Wild Card race is all tied up after the Orioles chunked the Red Sox, 6-3, and the Rays stung the Yankees, 5-2.

Robert Andino

In Baltimore, Robert Andino's inside-the-park home run keyed a four-run sixth inning, leading to the Oriole win. Chris Davis, a substitute corner infielder who was traded from Texas to Baltimore earlier in the year, got things started in the decisive inning with a double that drove home Vlad Guerrero, breaking a 2-2 tie before Andino laced a drive to center field that Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury could not handle and raced around the bases, with Mark Reynolds and Davis scoring ahead of him.

Andino had only the one hit in two official at-bats, but drove in three runs and sent Boston starter, Josh Beckett, to an early shower. The loss for Boston was the 8th in their last 10 games, making "collapse" sound like too mild a term for what they are going through in September, a month in which they've won only six games while losing 19. In the annals of blowing it, that's epic.

Boston has two games remaining at Baltimore, who've beaten them four of the last five. Tampa Bay faces the Yankees twice more at Tropicana Field.



National League

Shane Victorino

Shane Victorino tripled in the sixth inning and doubled in the eighth and Raul Ibanez singled him home each time, as the Phillies took a 4-2 win at Atlanta Monday night.

Raul Ibanez

Victorino's triple and the RBI single by Ibanez in the 6th broke a tie after Jimmy Rollins' solo homer in the fifth made it 2-2. The eighth inning triple by the Phillies' center fielder and subsequent single by Ibanez added insurance for Philadelphia's relievers, who came on after Cliff Lee went through six innings, allowing two runs on five hits while fanning six for his 17th win against eight losses.

The Braves have been doing their best impression of Boston in the NL, losing their third straight and sixth of their last eight, but managed to maintain their one game lead over the Cardinals in the wild card race. St. Louis dropped a 5-4 decision at Houston in 10 innings as they opened their final regular season series with the Astros.

Atlanta could clinch the wild card with a win and a St. Louis loss on Tuesday, or be tied with the Cardinals if those results are the reverse.

Phillies Clinch 5th Straight NL East Pennant; Rivera Ties Hoffman; Hamilton Slugs for Rangers

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 17, 2011

American League

Josh Hamilton went 4-for-5 with a home run, two singles and a double and drove in three runs, helping the Texas Rangers pad their lead in the AL West to 4 1/2 games over the Angels with a 7-6 win at Seattle.

Josh Hamilton

As hot as any team in the majors, the Rangers are 10-5 for the month of September and continue t keep the hungry Angels at bay in pursuit of their second straight division crown. Once they finish up in Seattle on Sunday, the Rangers face the A's in Oakland for three games, then return to Arlington for three more with the Mariners before finishing out the regular season with three games at Anahiem with the Angels.

Rivera: 601 Saves

In Toronto, the Yankees came back from a 6-1 deficit to defeat the Blue Jays, 7-6, allowing Mariano Rivera to record save #601, tying him with Trevor Hoffman as the career leader in that department. Rivera was the fifth in a parade of relievers working one inning apiece after starter Bartolo Colon lasted just four innings, allowing all six Toronto runs. Rivera didn't allow a baserunner and chalked up a strikeout for his 42nd save of the season, second best in the AL.

The Rays and Red Sox continued to contest the wild card in Boston, with the Rays coming out on top of a 4-3 score Tampa has taken two of three in Boston and play the series finale Sunday afternoon, but the battle doesn't end there. After a day off Monday, the Rays head to New York for a three game set with the Yankees, then return home for three with the Blue Jays and three more with New York to close out the season. The Red Sox have a series in New York sandwiched between a pair of home and away three game series with the Orioles, a less-daunting task.

National League

Shane Victorino

Oswalt: 7 Scoreless

The Phillies cooled off the red-hot Cardinals - winners of seven of their last eight - with a 9-2 win, clinching their fifth straight NL East title.

Shane Victorino walked with the bases loaded in the 4th inning, socked a solo homer in the 6th and singled in another run in the 8th to lead the effort. Raul Ibanez capped off the scoring with a grand slam later in the 8th inning to seal the victory. Roy Oswalt worked seven scoreless innings from the mound, allowing just five hits while fanning seven.

Ibanez: Slam Man

The win was the 98th for Philadelphia, easily the best in the majors and dropped the Cardinals 6 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the Central division. Milwaukee bombed Cincinnati, 10-1, as they cruise toward the division crown. Atlanta topped the Mets, 1-0, putting them 4 1/2 in front of St. Louis in the wild card race.

Out West, the Giants won their seventh straight, topping Colorado, 6-5, while the Diamondbacks dropped their third in a row, losing to San Diego, 3-1. Those results sliced Arizona's lead in the division to five games with 10 left to play. Arizona has one more game in San Diego before returning home for the remainder of the season. They host Pittsburgh for three games, then the Giants for a three game weekend series before closing out the season with three against the Dodgers.

Cabrera Socks for Tigers; Raul Ibanez Expected to Bounce Back in 2011

Players of the Day for Friday, March 11, 2011

American League

Miguel Cabrera

Roundly criticized for his drinking and off-field antics, Miguel Cabrera will likely get down to the business of baseball shortly and refrain from entertaining thoughts of becoming the summer version of Charlie Sheen.

The Detroit first baseman took some strides in the right direction with his first home run of the season in a 7-4 win over St. Louis. Cabrera also added a fine double in three at-bats, scoring three times for the Tigers and driving in a pair of runs.

Following a sensational season with 38 home runs and 126 RBI, Cabrera, in the prime of his career (he'll turn 28 on April 18), should be a stalwart in the middle of Detroit's lineup and help the Tigers in their quest for an AL Central title.

National League

Raul Ibanez

Almost a forgotten man in the midst of Philadelphia's power-laden lineup, Raul Ibanez singled, doubled and cracked his first Springtime home run as the Phillies took down Baltimore, 13-6.

Ibanez went 3-for-3, drive in three runs and scored twice in the win, boosting his batting average to a respectable .321.

In 2010, Ibanez had an off year, delivering only 16 home runs and 83 RBI, though with Jayson Werth gone to the Nationals, he'll likely be hitting behind Ryan Howard, so he'll get more opportunities at choice pitches. The Phillies are counting on a solid year form Ibanez and more production, beyond the 83 RBI he sent in last season.

Phillies Capture Game 1 in LA

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 15, 2009 Philadelphia 8 LA Dodgers 6 It took just three swings of Philadelphia bats to drive in all the runs the Phillies would need to win game 1 and take home-field advantage away from the Dodgers. Trailing 1-0, after James Loney homered for LA in the second inning off Cole Hamels, Carlos Ruiz took a high fastball from Clayton Kershaw deep to right field for a three run homer, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead. That was the first big swing. After Jimmy Rollins reached on a fielder's choice and took second and third on wild pitches by Kershaw, Chase Utley walked, setting up the second big swing, this time by none other than Ryan Howard, who laced a double into the right field corner, driving in both Rollins and Utley. All of a sudden, the Phillies led, 5-1. LA battled back in the bottom of the inning, finally getting to Hamels on an Andre Ethier fielder's choice which scored Russell martin from third, and a two-run blast off the bat of Manny Ramirez, which brought the Dodgers back to within a run. In the 8th, after Dodger reliever George Sherrill had walked both Howard and Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez delivered the final, devastating swing for the Phillies, depositing the ball in the right field stands for an 8-4 Philadelphia lead. Ibanez (right) finished the game 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and 2 runs. The Dodgers again responded, getting two runs off Philly reliever Ryan Madsen, but it was the closest they would come, as Brad Lidge struggled through the 9th, allowing a single and giving up a walk, but, helped by a double play (Utley-Rollins-Howard), closed out the inning, nailing down the save and the Philadelphia win. Game 2 is slated for Friday, at 4:07 pm EDT in LA. Pedro Martinez will take the hill for the Phillies against LA's Vicente Padilla.

Byrd 7-for-9 in Texas Two-Step; 5 Philly Homers Down Nats

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 8, 2009 American League The Texas Rangers continue to chase both the California Angels in the AL West and the Boston Red Sox in the wild card hunt. On Tuesday, the Rangers took both ends of a double-dip in Cleveland, taking the first game, 11-9, and the second by a score of 10-5, In the first game, Marlon Byrd, hitting in the cleanup spot, cashed a three-run homer in the 7th to break a 5-all tie, adding 3 singles for a perfect 4-for-4 appearance. In the nightcap, Byrd's bat remained red-hot, kicking in 3 more singles in 5 at bats, though he didn't drive in any runs, nor score, even though he was batting in the 3-hole and the Rangers put up 10 runs. Every regular had at least one hit in the second game, totaling 18 in all, and, with the 13 hits in game one, totaled 31. With the 7-for-9 day, Byrd's batting average leapt 10 points, to .286. His 16 homers and 72 RBI have been key to keeping the Rangers in the post-season chase. The pair of wins moved the Rangers to within 4 1/2 of the Angels and 2 games behind the Red Sox. Both of the teams the rangers pursue were also winners on Tuesday. The Rangers look for the sweep of the three-game set this afternoon. National League Continuing their quest for a third straight NL East pennant, the Philadelphia Phillies blasted five homers in their 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals, holding on in the 9th despite the reoccurrence of wildness from closer Brad Lidge. All of the homers were solo shots, with Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley each banging one out, while Raul Ibanez cranked out a pair, giving him 30 on the year. Along with Utley, Werth and Ryan Howard, the Phillies now have 4 players with at least 30 homers on the year, the 12th team to accomplish the feat. Ibanez also added an inconsequential single, to go 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Lidge almost gave the game away in the 9th, giving up a hit and a walk while only retiring one batter. Ryan Madsen was called on again to clean up the mess created by Lidge. Pedro Martinez picked up his 4th win as a Phillie without a loss, but it was Brett Myers, recently returned from the DL, who kept the Phils ahead and who may hold the key to the closer controversy. Myers relieved Pedro after Willie Harris homered to trim the lead to 4-3 with 2 out in the 7th. After giving up a single to Christian Guzman, Myers struck out Ryan Zimmerman to end the inning and cruised through the eighth unscathed. Myers, who has some experience as a closer, may emerge as the solution for Philadelphia's late-inning woes, as Lidge continues to struggle with his control and Madsen has been unreliable in the past.

Holliday Blasts A's Back to Win; Ibanez Helps Phils Win 9th Straight

Players of the Day for Monday, July 20, 2009 American League Oakland's Matt Holliday broke through with a grand slam in the 7th inning, tying the Minnesota Twins at 13-13, and then Jack Cust delivered the game-winner with a solo shot for the comeback 14-13 win. The Twins had led the game 12-2 in the 3rd inning, but starter Nick Blackburn and the Minnesota bullpen could not contain the A's attack. Holliday doubled twice and homered twice, driving in six runs and scoring four times in 5 at-bats. Minnesota's Justin Morneau drove in 7, with a pair of homers, one a grand slam. National League The Phillies won their 9th straight as Raul Ibanez belted his 25th home run, a 3-run, first-inning shot, to lead Philadelphia to a 10-1 win over the Cubs. The win pushed the Phillies to a 6 1/2 game lead over the Braves. The Cubs remained 2 games beind the St. Louis Cardinals, who lost to Houston, 3-2. NOTES: Apologies for the scant coverage lately. My father, Nick Gagliano, 84 years of age, passed away on Thursday and I have been dealing with the funeral and other matters as best as possible. Thanks for your understanding during this trying time. The burial is today, July 21. -- Rick Gagliano

Pena Knocks #19; Ibanez Blast Buries Mets in 10

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 11, 2009 American League While the Red sox were in the process of sweeping the Yankees (see notes below), Tampa Bay has been busy taking two of three from the Angels and moving back to .500 (31-31). With the Red Sox just 6 games ahead, the Rays may soon find themselves back in the thick of the division and wild card races. In Thursday's 11-1 thumping, Carlos Pena added to his resume with a 1-for-3 night which included a sac fly for one RBI, a walk and run scored and a three-run homer in the 8th inning to finish off the scoring. despite his horrific .229 batting average, Pena is otherwise having a solid season, with 19 homers and 47 RBI. He's on pace for his third straight 30+ homer and 100+ RBI season. National League The Phillies headed into New York on Tuesday with a 3-game lead over the Mets in the NL East. They departed with a 4-game bulge after back-to-back extra-inning wins and a decided psychological edge. After dropping the first game of the series 6-5, the Phillies responded with an 11-inning win on Chase Utley's home run on Wednesday for a 5-4 win and followed that up with a 3-run Raul Ibanez blast in the 10th inning of Thursday's game, posting a 6-3 result. Ibanez's game-winner was his only hit of the game, but it was his 21st of the season, one behind San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez in the NL, while the 3 ribbies pushed him to the league lead in that department with 58. NOTES: The Yankees were swept in Fenway by the Red Sox, making it 8 straight wins for Boston in the rivalry. The Yanks swaggered into Boston with a 1-game lead in the standings, but left with bowed heads, 2 games back. How big a deal is losing 8 straight to the Red Sox? Well, since it is the longest winning streak in the rivalry for Boston since the Yankees were called the Highlanders in 1911-12, even the NY Daily News is praising Boston's emergence as the powerhouse in the division. Are Mort Zuckerman's guys playing to Boston's ego, or is there a hidden agenda, something to get the Yankee juices flowing? We'll see what happens when the Yanks take on cross-town rivals next: the Mets.

Ibanez Tears Up Padres; Posada's Bat is Back

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 2, 2009 American League Jorge Posada, recently returned to activity after missing 22 games with a strained right hamstring, had an up-and-down experience in the Yankees' 12-3 romp over the Texas Rangers. In the top of the 4th, Posada ended the Yanks' MLB-record streak of errorless games at 18 when he overthrew second base trying to catch stealing Elvis Andrus. In the bottom of the inning, however, Posada began to make amends for his errant throw with an RBI single, scoring later on Hideki Matsui's 3-run blast during a 7-run Yankee uprising. A few innings later, in the 6th, Posada circled the bases with a 3-run homer, completing the Yankees' scoring. He also singled in the second inning, but was thrown out trying to go first-to-third on Matsui's single. In just 28 games this season, Posada is carrying a .312 batting average with 7 homers and 25 RBI. The Yankees are happy to have his potent bat back in the lineup. New York leads Boston by one game in the AL East. National League When the Phillies picked up Raul Ibanez during the off-season to replace departing Pat Burrell, they figured he'd supply a productive bat, but they didn't know he'd challenge not only for the team lead in home runs and RBI, but the league lead. In Tuesday's 10-5 mashing of the Padres, Ibanez went 3-for-5, with 5 RBI and 3 runs on an RBI double and score in the 1st and a pair of two-run homers, in the 3rd and 7th innings. Ibanez, who came over from the Mariners after a solid 2008 campaign (.293, 23, 110), is having an MVP season thus far with the Phillies, who have streaked (5 straight wins) to a 2 1/2 game lead over the Mets in the NL East. He is batting .340, with 19 homers and 51 RBI, ranking him 5th, 2nd and 1st in those respective categories.

Howard, Ibanez Slam Nats; Verlander Blanks Yanks

Players of the Day for Monday, April 27, 2009 American League It took him 5 starts, but Detroit's Justin Verlander finally got his first win of 2009 and regained some of the form he displayed in 2006 and 2007, when he was a combined 35-15. Verlander blanked the Yankees for 7 innings, handing them their 4th straight loss, in a 4-2 win at Detroit. The 6'5" righty allowed 7 hits, but did not walk a batter, while punching out 9 on strikes. His pitch count of 110 was punctuated with 79 being thrown for strikes. The win kept Detroit in sole possession of first place in the AL Central. NOTES: Cliff Lee and Tim Wakefield went toe-to-toe Monday night in Cleveland, with Wakefield allowing just one hit and 4 walks over 7 innings and Lee giving up 4 hits and one walk over 8. Both pitchers kept the opponent off the scoreboard, but Cleveland closer Kerry Wood was touched up for 3 runs in the 9th, which produced the 3-1 Red Sox win, their 11th straight. The Sox lead the AL East by one game over Toronto. National League The game was a hit-fest, and Philly's Ryan Howard (left) and Raul Ibanez (right) made the most of it, smacking grand slam homers to lead the Phillies from behind twice to top the Nationals, 13-11. Howard struck first, erasing a 6-2 Washington lead in the 5th with his blast. Ibanez, who also singled and doubled, waited until the 8th inning. After the Phillies had already scored twice, cutting the Nats' lead to 11-9, Ibanez delivered with a bases-loaded blow to right field. The Phillies are sharing the run-production democratically. Chase Utley lead the team with 17 RBI, followed by Ibanez with 16, Howard with 15 and Shane Victorio's 14. Philadelphia trails the Marlins by 1/2 game in the NL East. The Marlins, after their 11-1 start, have dropped 7 straight.

Reynolds Lifts Arizona; Ibanez Slams 6 RBI in 7th

Players of the Day from Monday, August 4, 2008 American League The Twins had finally caught and passed the White Sox on Sunday to take a slender 1/2 game lead in the AL Central, and were comfortably leading the Mariners, 6-1, until Raul Ibanez and his Seattle teammates spoiled the party with a 10-run 7th inning that ended in an 11-6 Seattle win, sending Minnesota into a tie with the White Sox. Ibanez (16 HR, 73 RBI), probably the best player the Mariners haven't traded, started the scoring in the inning with a grand slam homer, and finished it with a 2-run double, cashing 6 RBI in just one inning - a remarkable feat. Notes: While the loss wasn't devastating to the Twins, the win was just the 43rd of the season for Seattle, against 68 losses. Seattle is 27 games behind the runaway leaders in the AL West, the Angels, and are just playing out a long, long string. With much of the league idle on Monday, the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees all suffered losses, keeping the standings intact from Sunday. The Angels beat the O's, 6-5, for their 70th win against just 42 losses and an 11 1/2 game lead over the Rangers in the West. National League Third baseman Mark Reynolds singled twice and hit his 16th home run in 5 at-bats, driving in a run with each hit as the Diamondbacks banged out 18 hits in a 1307 drubbing of the Pirates. Arizona improved its lead in the NL West to 1 1/2 games over the idle Dodgers, who begin a 3-game series at St. Louis on Tuesday. Notes: The Milwaukee Brewers are apparently going into September swoon mode a little early this year, dropping a 6-3 decision at Cincinnati for their 2nd straight loss and 7th in their last nine games. There was also a dugout incident involving Prince Fielder apparently shoving a teammate. Bad behavior on a struggling team. It sounds so familiar for Milwaukee. The Brewers are 5 behind the Cubs in the Central, after having dropped four straight to them to end the month of July and are just 1/2 game clear of the Cardinals as the wild card race comes into focus.

Francoeur Powers Braves with 7 RBI; Ibanez on a Tear for M's

Saturday's Players of the Day, April 12, 2008 American League Seattle's take two straight from the Angels, due in large part to the hitting exploits of Raul Ibanez. The Mariners' rock-solid outfielder tripled and homered in four at-bats, driving in three runs in Seattle's 8-3 win over Los Angeles on Saturday. On Friday, Ibanez smacked two long balls and added a double in 4 at-bats, driving in 3 as the Mariners rolled to an 8-5 win. Some day, Ibanez will hit a single, and maybe then he'll have a shot at the cycle.

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Notes: The amazing Orioles continued to lead the AL East with a 3-2 win at Tampa. Boston topped New York and Toronto beat Texas to keep pace. Over in the Central, the Tigers - whom many picked to win the World Series - have secured the worst record in baseball after two weeks at 2-9. What makes matter worse for the Tigers is that their losses have not even been close, like last night's 7-0 whipping by the White Sox. Detroit could only muster a pair of singles off 3 Chicago pitchers. The Tigers' average loss is a 7-2 score. In their nine losses, they've been outscored 63-21. National League Atlanta took their second straight over the struggling Washington Nationals by a 10-2 score, as Jeff Francoeur drove in seven runs with a pair of homers (2-run and 3-run) and a 2-run single in five at-bats. An iron-man type of player, Francoeur has played in every game this season and all 162 the past two years. He's had 100+ RBI every year since becoming a regular, with 103 in 2006 and 105 in 2007. He should see plenty of good pitches this year, batting regularly behind slugger Mark Teixeira. Notes: The Nationals loss to Atlanta was their 9th in a row. Meanwhile the Arizona Diamondbacks won their 8th straight with a 10-3 romp over Colorado.

Ibanez Helps Mariners Sink Yanks; Hardy Leads Brew Crew; Lee at .422

Friday's Peak Performers and Fabulous Flops American League Raul Ibanez (right) stroked 4 singles in six at-bats, scored twice and drove in 2 runs, while teammate Jose Lopez cracked a 2-run homer, drove in 2 more with a single and scored twice in 5 at-bats as the Seattle Mariners knocked off the NY Yankees in New York, 15-11. The Mariners put together an 8-run 5th inning in which they retired starter Kei Igawa, and damaged the reputations of relievers Colter Bean and Luis Vizcaino, sending 13 batters to the plate. To make the night completely awful for the Yanks, Derek Jeter went 0-6, ending his 20-game hitting streak. Nick Swisher's 2-out, 3-run homer in the top of the 9th, snapped a 2-2 tie and the Oakland A's went on to win the first of a 3-game series at Tampa Bay, 5-2. Swisher had earlier knocked in another run with a double and finished 2-4 with 4 RBI. Dan Haren worked 7 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 earned runs while striking out 9 and did not walk a batter. Reliever Justin Duchscherer (3-1) got the win and closer Huston Street picked up his 8th save. Tim Wakefield threw 7 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits and 3 walks and the Boston bullpen finished the job for a 2-0 road win at Minnesota.

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Torii Hunter extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a pair of singles. For good measure, Hunter stole his 7th base of the season. Hank Blalock went 3-4 with a 2-run homer, drove in 3 and scored twice as the Texas Rangers defeated visiting Toronto, 7-1, in the first of their 3-game weekend series. Other AL Scores Baltimore 3 Cleveland 2, 10 innings LA Angels 5 Chicago White Sox 1 - Angels, 4 SB Detroit 6 Kansas City 3 National League The Brewers were feeling some heat from Pittsburgh and they responded with a 10-0 win in the 2nd of their 4-game set at Milwaukee. J. J. Hardy (right) provided more than enough offensive fireworks with a 4-5 night, including his 7th home run. Hardy drove in 3 and scored twice. Starter Claudio Vargas worked 6 scoreless innings, allowing just 4 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 4. A trio of Brewer relievers finished the whitewash as Milwaukee remained 5 games ahead of the Cubs and pushed the Pirates into 3rd place, 5 1/2 back in the AL Central. Derrek Lee extended his hitting streak to 12 games and raised his batting average to a gaudy .422 with a single and his 2nd homer in 3 at-bats as the Cubs knocked off the visiting Nationals, 6-4. Alfonso Soriano hit safely in his 13th straight game, going 2-5. John Smoltz shut out the Dodgers on 6 hits over 7 innings, striking out 6 and walking 2, to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 4-0 win over the visiting LA Dodgers.

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Smoltz improved to 4-1, and kept the Braves tied for first place with the Mets in the NL East. Jose Reyes singled 3 times in 4 at-bats, drove in a run, scored one and stole his major league best 18th base, helping John Maine get to 5-0 with a 5-3 win at Arizona. The win kept the Mets tied for first with the Braves in the NL East. Maine threw six innings, allowing 6 hits and 1 earned run, while striking out 7 and walking a batter. His ERA is a miniscule 1.37. Other NL Scores Colorado 6 Cincinnati 5, 11 innings Florida 5, San Diego 4 - H. Ramirez, 4-5 St. Louis 3, Houston 2 - A. Pujols, 12-gm. hit streak San Francisco 6 Philadelphia 2