Didi Gregorius 5-5, 7 RBI in Wild Yankee Win over Twins; Mets' Robinson Cano Socks Three HR

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 23, 2019

American League

Gregorius: 5-5, 7 RBI

It took more than five hours, 14 pitchers throwing 432 pitches, 35 hits, and a bases-loaded, circus catch by Aaron Hicks, but the Yankees finally prevailed over the Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, 14-12, in 10 innings.

Yankee shortstop Didi Gregorius had a career night, going 5-for-5 with two singles, two doubles, and a three-run homer. He collected seven RBI in total and scored twice, including the game-winning run.

The Twins built an early 8-2 lead after four innings, but the Yankees batted back with three in the fifth and a five-run eighth. They finally took the lead with two runs in the ninth on Aaron Hicks' two-run homer, but the Twins came back to tie it with a run in the bottom fo the frame.

In the 10th, Gregorius singled with one out, moved to second on Austin Romine's single, and scored on a single by Gleyber Torres. Romine scored an insurance run on a wild pitch.

Minnesota mounted a rally in the home half of the 10th, loading the bases on three walks, but the game ended when Aaron Hicks made a diving catch in center field on Max Kepler's line drive.

The win kept the Yankees 10 games up on both Boston and Tampa Bay in the AL East. Minnesota's loss was not damaging, keeping them three games ahead of the Indians in the Central. Cleveland dropped a 2-1, 10-inning decision in Toronto.

Tied at a game apiece, the two teams finish up their three-game series on Wednesday, 8:00 pm ET.

National League

Cano: 4-4, 3HR, 5 RBI

Both the Mets and Pardes fell out of their respective divisional races in June, but the games still have to be played.

On Tuesday night in New York, Robinson Cano made the most of it, going 4-for-4, belting three home runs and driving in all of the Mets' runs in New York's 5-3 win.

After singling in the first, Cano whacked a solo homer in the fourth off San Diego starting pitcher, Chris Paddack (6-5). In the sixth inning, he victimized Paddock again, lining a two-run homer in the sixth. Cano completed the trifecta with a two-run blast in the seventh off Logan Allen.

Acquired from the Mariners after the 2018 season, Cano has not been productive for the Mets, batting .254, with nine home runs and just 27 RBI. In his last 15 games, however, Cano has hit .316 with five home runs and nine RBI.

The Mets and Padres take up game two of their three-game set at 7:10 pm ET on Wednesday.

Seattle's Robinson Cano Steals All-Star Show With 10th-Inning Home Run in 2-1 AL Win

Player of the Day for Tuesday, July 11, 2017

2017 All-Star Game

Cano: Game-winning HR

Heading into Tuesday's All Star Game at Marlins Park in Miami, the record since 1997 was American League 16, National League 3, with one tie (7-7, 2002).

Trends being friends, especially, in this case to the American League, mark up another win for the AL, as Robinson Cano's 10th-inning home run provided the difference in the 2-1 decision.

Cano's bases-empty launch to right field came with no outs in the top of the first extra frame, and it was too bad for reliever Wade Davis, who mowed down the next three batters in order. Hailing from the Seattle Mariners, Cano was chosen to play as a replacement for Yankees' second baseman, Starlin Castro, who is on the disabled list.

Despite a two out walk to Joey Votto, Andrew Miller finished the bottom of the inning for the save and the fifth consecutive win for the American League without allowing a hit.

Since the game has no impact on the anything other than player and team pride, the result has no impact on the future, as opposed to the last 14 years, in which winning the game meant home field for that league in the World Series.

The National Leaguers certainly had their chances, with with baserunners in every inning except the fifth and eighth, but the AL turned three double plays, largely keeping the senior circuit in check. The AL struck first when Baltimore's Jonathan Schoop doubled and scored on Miguel Sano's bloop single down the right field line in the top of the fifth.

St. Louis Cardinal catcher, Yadier Molina, homered in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game.

The regular season resumes Friday, July 14.

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.

Robinson Cano Leads Seattle To 4th Straight Win; German Marquez, Rockies Shut Out Cubs, 3-0

Players of the Day for Wednesday, May 10, 2017

American League

Cano: 8 HR, 28 RBI

Seattle has clawed its way back to .500 (17-17) and into sole possession of second base in the AL West, though they are still six games behind division-leading Houston, by taking two straight from the Phillies in Philadelphia, winning Tuesday by a 10-9 score and thumping the Phils, 11-6, on Thursday.

Aiding the Mariners' cause was Robinson Cano, who went 4-for-5 in Thrusday's blowout and was 6-for-8 in the two wins over Philly with two homers and five RBI.

In the 11-6 win, Cano belted his eighth home run - a two-run blast - in the third inning, walked in the seventh with the bases loaded to force in another run and added three singles during the game. He's batting .296 and has driven in 28 runs, tied for second in the AL, one behind teammate Nelson Cruz.

The Mariners have won four straight and head to Toronto Thursday for the start of a four-game series with the Blue Jays. Game time is 7:07 pm ET.

National League

Marquez: 8IP, 3H, 0ER, 8K

Proving they are a team with which to be reckoned in the National League, the Colorado Rockies finished their three-game series with the Cubs by dousing the visitors 3-0, to take the series, two games to one.

Masterful on the mound and at the plate was Rockies' starter, German Marquez, who throttled the Cobs on three hits over eight innings, striking out eight while issuing one walk. Marquez started the game striking out Cub leadoff hitter, John Jay, and ended his stint by getting Jay to ground out to third. In between he struck Jay out three times.

Marquez was economical, throwing 69 of 99 pitches for strikes, improving to 1-2 on the season. The start was his fourth of the year and just the seventh of his MLB career. He was 1-1 in three starts last year for the Rockies.

At the plate, Marquez provided all the runs he would need with a seventh-inning single that plated two runs. The Rockies scored their other run in the third on a sac fly. Greg Holland cam in for a perfect ninth for his 14th save, which leads the majors by a mile. Boston's Craig Kimbrel has 10, and, in the NL St. Louis stopper, Seung-Hwan Oh, has nine.

The win kept the Rockies 1 1/2 ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West. Colorado has won four of their last five and stays home on Thursday to open a crucial four-game set with the Dodgers at Coors Field. Game time for game one is 8:40 pm ET.

Yadier Molina Helps Cards Hand Brewers Ninth Straight Loss; Robinson Cano Leads Mariners Past Rangers, 10-2

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 4, 2013

American League

Cano: 4 RBI

Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs as the Seattle Mariners opened a four game series in Texas with a 10-2 win over the Rangers.

Cano was right in the middle of a six-run Mariner uprising in the second inning, stroking a bases-loaded single up the middle, bringing home two runs. In the third, Cano drove in another pair of runs with a double, his 32nd of the season.

Having his usual solid season, Cano is tied for fourth in batting with Jose Abreu at .322. Cano has 12 homers and 75 RBI.

The victory kept Seattle 1/2 game behind Detroit for the second wild card, though the Mariners find themselves just three behind Oakland for the first wild card, which, until just a few weeks ago, was considered to be already sewn up.

Having just taken two of three from the A's in Oakland, the Mariners look forward to a three-game home series against the A's on September 12, 13 and 14. Of interest to the Mariners are also the seven remaining games they have against the Angels, who have a five-game lead in the division and are eight in front of Seattle. The Mariners begin an 11-game road trip with four games in Anaheim, but get the Angels in Seattle for three games to close out the regular season, a scenario which could benefit them should LA have clinched the division by then.

National League

Yadier Molina

There were only two games played in National League parks On Thursday, and only one of those was meaningful, but it was big, as the St. Louis Cardinals sent the Milwaukee Brewers to their ninth straight defeat, opening a crucial four-game series in Milwaukee with a 3-2 victory.

The Cardinals scored all of their runs in the first three innings, and used seven pitchers to keep Brewer bats at bay. Michael Wacha allowed a run in the first inning and Marco Gonzales gave up one in the sixth, but the St. Louis bullpen came up with the needed outs over the final three innings to seal the win. Trevor Rosenthal made it interesting by issuing two walks in the ninth, but did not give up a hit for his 42nd save of the year, tying him with Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel for the league lead.

Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday each had three hits and scored a run for the Cardinals. Yadier Molina drove in two runs with a single in the first inning.

The win put St. Louis up by four games in the NL Central, a division that was led by Milwaukee for almost he entirety of the season until last week, when the Brewers started a nine-game road trip with a win at San Diego, but followed up with eight straight losses - two to San Deigo, then three each to the Giants and Cubs.

Thursday's loss dropped the Brewers into a tie with Atlanta for the second wild card spot. Both teams trail San Francisco in the wild card standings by three games.

Ivan Nova, Robinson Cano Boost Yankees over O's, 2-0; Reds Continue Wild Card Chase as Brandon Phillips Leads 8-3 Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 31, 2013

American League

Robinson Cano

Ivan Nova

Baseball can be a fickle mistress, but playing at home - as the Yankees are proving - can be sweet.

Returning from a 2-4 road trip, the Yankees, looking listless and fading, have taken two straight from the Baltimore Orioles, passing them in the standings while closing in on a potential wild card playoff spot.

Their latest victory over the O's came Saturday afternoon, when Ivan Nova hurled a three-hit, complete game shutout for a 2-0 win.

Robinson Cano provided all the offense for the home team, driving in Brett Gardner with a single in the first inning and socking a solo homer - his 25th - in the eighth.

Nova used a mix of sliders, curveballs and and fastballs to keep the Orioles in check, giving up three harmless singles and a walk while striking out five. He threw 104 pitches, 67 of which went for strikes.

The win pushed the Yankees past Baltimore into third place in the AL East, eight games behind the Red Sox, but, perhaps more importantly, just 3 1/2 behind Tampa Bay for the final wild card position. The Rays have lost three straight and the Indians, who were in good position less than a week ago, have dropped five in a row and have been passed by the Yankees.

Game three of the series between New York and Baltimore is Sunday at 1:05 pm EDT with the Yankees looking for the sweep.

National League

Brandon Phillips

Cincinnati continues to trail both the Cardinals and Pirates in the Central division, but they are maintaining a healthy lead over the rest of the league in the race for the final wild card spot.

Brandon Phillips powered the Reds to an 8-3 win at Colorado, evening their series with the Rockies at a game apiece, keeping them six games up on their closest pursuer, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

All Phillips needed to hit for the cycle was a simple single, as he doubled, tripled and homered in five trips to the plate, driving in a pair of runs and scoring three times. Phillips has 99 RBI on the year, second in the league behind Paul Goldschmidt's 104.

The Reds and Rockies wrap up their series at 4:10 pm EDT on Sunday.

Today's Trivia: Who won more batting titles, Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: False. Johnny Bench led the NL in home runs twice, in 1970 (45) and 1972 (40).

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.

Robinson Cano Hoers Twice, Leads 10-4 Yankee Victory over Twins; Jayson Werth Drives in Five as Nationals Rip Brewers

Players of the Day for Monday, July 1, 2013

American League

Snapping a five-game losing streak, the Yankees opened a four-game series in Minnesota with a rousing, come-from-behind, 10-4 victory, spearheaded by the bat of Robinson Cano.

Cano: 2HR, 3RBI

Cano, who will captain the the AL home run derby team during all-star festivities, belted a pair of homers along with a double in four at-bats, scoring four times and driving in three. For much of the contest, Cano was the Yankee offense. His two homers were a solo shot in the first and a two-run drive in the third, as the two teams battled to a 3-3 tie.

Chris Parmalee's solo homer in the sixth made it 4-3 Twins, but Cano led off the eighth with a double, moved to third on a bunt single by Ichiro Suzuki and scored on a wild pick-off throw to first, tying the game. After that, Yankee bats came alive for six more runs, including four in the ninth, putting the game out of reach.

The game was just one of three in the AL on Monday, the Yankees picking up 1/2 game on idle division-leading Boston, though still six games out, in fourth place.

Game two of the series commences Tuesday night at 8:10 pm EDT.

National League

Werth: 2-5, 5RBI

Manager Davey Johnson shook up his lineup, putting slugger Jayson Werth into the second slot, the move producing five RBI from the lanky right fielder and a 10-5 Washington win over Milwaukee in the opener of a four-game series in the nation's capitol.

After Bryce Harper got the Nats on the board with his 13th homer of the season in the first inning, Werth drove in four run in a seven-run third inning, with a double, plating two and, after scoring, a single which knocked in another pair.

He was also credited with an RBI for reaching on an error in the eighth giving him five on the night in a 2-for-5 effort.

The Nationals gained 1/2 game on idle Atlanta, but still trail in the NL East by six games to the Braves. Milwaukee sank lower into last place in the Central, losing their sixth straight and falling 19 games off the Pirates' pace.

Game two is set for 7:05 pm EDT, Tuesday night.

Today's Trivia: Who holds the MLB record of 716 at-bats in a single season? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The major league record for doubles in a season is 67, set in 1931 by Earl Webb of the Boston Red Sox.

Paul Maholm Blanks Marlins, Justin Upton Socks 6th Homer for Braves; Robinson Cano Leads Yankees over Indians

Players of the Day for Monday, April 8, 2013

American League

Cano: 3-4, 2HR

Even though the Yankees roster has been decimated by injuries (Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, A-Rod), there's still plenty of pop in the lineup, as the Cleveland indians found out on Monday in an 11-6 loss.

The Yanks cranked out 13 hits in the win, scoring three in the first inning, before Cleveland tied it in the bottom of the frame, but then New York scored a run or more in each inning from the third through the seventh.

Smack in the middle of the offensive outburts was Robinson Cano, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers, a double, two RBI and four runs.

Off to a slow start, Cano doubled his hit output from three to six, raising his batting average from .130 to .222.

The Yankees are 3-4 and tied with Baltimore and Tampa Bay in second place in the AL East. The trio trails Boston by two games.

National League

Maholm: 7IP, 1H, OER

After a failed attempt at buying its way into the playoffs in 2012, Miami unloaded most of the expensive talent it had acquired and this season is feeling the effects of self-imposed austerity.

Upton: 6 HRs

Paul Maholm blanked the Marlins on one hit over seven innings, leading the Braves to a 2-0 shutout of Miami, the third time this season the Marlins have failed to score a run.

Justin Upton went 4-for-4 with his sixth home run, a sixth-inning solo whack, after singling and scoring in the fourth inning. Upton leads the NL with six homers in seven games this season and is batting .423 with eight RBI.

Improving to 2-0, Maholm was money on the mound, fanning seven with three walks, the only hit a single off the bat of Placido Polanco in the third inning. Maholm finished strong, getting 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, plunking Juan Pierre with two down in the fifth the only break in his hitless string. Maholm has allowed just seven hits and no runs over 12 2/3 innings to start the season.

The 6-1 Braves hold a one-game lead over the Mets in the NL East.

Yanks Take AL East Behind Robinson Cano; Brandon Moss LeadsA's Win AL West; Miguel Cabrera Captures Triple Crown; NL Winners

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 3, 2012

American League

The New York Yankees wrapped up another AL East title on the final day of the season with a resounding, 14-2 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Curtis Granderson

Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano powered the 15-hit assault on seven Red Sox pitchers, banging a pair of two run homers, two singles, scoring three times and driving in six runs, going a perfect 4-for-4.

Curtis Granderson chipped in with a three-run homer and a solo shot, giving him 43 home runs on the year, tied for second in that category with the Rangers' Josh Hamilton.

The two fell one short of Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, who ended the season tops in batting average, home runs, and RBI, at .330, 44, and 139, respectively. Cabrera, who had finished atop each of the individual categories at least once before, put it all together in a remarkable season that led the Tigers to the AL Central pennant.

Cabrera is the first player since Carl Yastrzemski accomplished the feat in 1967. No National Leaguer has accomplished the Triple Crown since Frank Robinson, playing for the Cincinnati Reds, did it in 1966.

Brandon Moss

Cabrera: Triple Crown

In the AL West, the Oakland A's completed a remarkable run to capture the division title, winning three straight in Oakland from the Texas Rangers, completing a season-ending six-game winning streak with a 12-3 triumph. Brandon Moss led the A's with a single and double in four at-bats, driving in three runs.

The three division races in the AL were all close, the East and West coming down to the final day of the season. The Yanks finished two games ahead of Baltimore in the East, the Tigers topped the white Sox by three games in the Central and Oakland finished one game better than Texas in the West.

Baltimore and Texas will play a one-game wild card playoff on Friday in Arlington, Texas at 8:37 pm EDT.

National League

Posey: .336 BA

With playoff positions already decided in the National League, a salute to the individual category winners:

Buster Posey won the batting title, hitting .336, tops in the majors, for the San Francisco Giants.

Braun: 41 Homers

Ryan Braun led the league in home runs for the second straight season, belting 41 for the Milwaukee Brewers.

San Diego's Chase Headley drove in 115 runs to lead the league.

Clay Kershaw of the Dodgers led all starters with a 2.53 ERA and was second in strikeouts to the Mets' R.A. Dickey, who finished with 230. Kershaw had 229.

Washington's Gio Gonzalez was the league's top winner, with 21.

The NL playoffs get underway on Friday, when the two wild cards, St. Louis and Atlanta, meet for one game in Atlanta at 5:07 pm EDT.

Robinson Cano Slams KC; Tyler Greene Belts a Pair in Cardinal Victory

Players of the Day for Sunday, May 6, 2012

American League

Robinson Cano

The Yankees left Kansas City with a 2-2 split in their four-game series, but with some hope that their slumbering bats have finally awakened.

Nick Swisher was back in the lineup after a short absence, hitting his seventh homer of the year and Alex Rodriguez delivered a three-run job, but Robinson Cano had the big blast, socking a grand slam in the second inning off KC starter Luke Hochevar, as the Yankees put up a six-spot in the second inning and turned the game into a rout, prevailing by a 10-4 score.

Cano's homer was just his second of the season. His 2-for-5 effort raised his batting average to .261.

New York is still hovering just above the .500 mark - at 14-12 - but they are still in fourth place in the division, four games behind the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore took 17 innings to defeat Boston on Sunday, but finally won, 9-6, on Adam Jones' three-run homer in the top of the frame. With Tampa Bay losing to Oakland, the O's were catapulted into first place, 1/2 game ahead of the Rays.


National League

Tyler Greene

Despite dropping two of three to Houston, the St. Louis Cardinals remained in first place in the NL Central with an 8-1 smack-down of the Astros, avoiding the sweep.

St. Louis got solid mound work from Adam Wainwright (7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 7 K), but it was the bat of the usually light-hitting second baseman Tyler Greene that turned the tables on the Astros.

entering the contest, Greene was batting an even .200, with one homer and four RBI on the season, but he belted a pair of wall-clearers and a double, driving in four runs from the bottom of the lineup to power the Cardinals to victory. Greene was 3-for-3 and scored three runs.

It was the first multi-homer game of Greene's major league career. He's hit only 8 homers in 359 major league at-bats, all with St. Louis.

Yankees Win, Rangers Ties Series with Rays; Phillies, Brewers Open Playoffs with Wins

Players of the Day for October 1, 2011

American League Divisional Series

Yankees 9, Tigers 3

Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano went 3-for-5 and drove in six runs as the Yankees took the completion of the suspended game from Friday night. Cano doubled in a run to break a 1-1 tie in the 5th inning, then socked a grand slam in the 6th and added another RBI double in the 8th to complete the Yankees' scoring. The Yankees lead the best-of-five series, 1-0.

Mike Napoli

Rangers 8, Rays 6

Mike Napoli keyed a five-run 4th inning for the Rangers with a bases loaded single, driving in two runs and scoring later in the inning. The Rangers' catcher also singled in the 6th and scored on Ian Kinsler's 2 RBI double, providing Texas with a cushion to tie the divisional series at 1-1.

Prince Fielder

National League Divisional Series

Brewers 4, Diamondbacks 1

Yovani Gallardo

The Milwaukee Brewers took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series with Arizona as Prince Fielder belted a two-run, 7th-inning homer to break the game open. Brewer starter Yovani Gallardo was the master of the mound, stopping Arizona on four hits and a walk over eight innings, yielding only one run while fanning nine.

Phillies 11, Cardinals 4

Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay was roughed up early, on Lance Berkman's three-run home run in the first inning, but maintained his composure to set down 21 batters in a row after Skip Shumacker led off the second inning with a single. Halladay left the game after working eight innings and picked up the win.

Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard belted a three-run homer in the 6th to put the Phillies ahead for good after the Cardinals had built an early 3-1 lead.

The Phillies lead the best-of-five series, 1-0.

Yankees Set MLB Record with Three Slams; McCann Homers Twice for Red-Hot Braves

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 25, 2011

American League

The New York Yankees are the stuff of legends. The Bambino, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle are the names associated with baseball's most prolific and storied franchise.

Robinson Cano

Curtis Granderson

Add three more names to the list: Russell Martin, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson, each of whom rocked grand slam home runs in the Yankees' most recent slaughter, a 22-9 blowout over the Oakland A's.

Over the first few innings, few in the stands or watching on TV would have suspected that history was about to be made. Rich Harden was on the mound for Oakland, and by the third inning the A's had raced out to a 7-1 lead.

But then Martin slashed a solo homer to right, just over the scoreboard and into the first rwo of patrons, giving the Yanks some hope.

In the 5th, Cano blasted his granny, cutting the A's lead to 7-6. Then, in the 6th, Martin delivered again, this time with the bases chucked. Two inning, two grand slams, a 10-7 lead for the aptly-nicknamed Bombers.

Exploding for six runs in the 7th, the Yankees put the game away without the aid of any homers. Cano, Martin and Granderson each added an RBI.

Russell Martin

After Brett Gardner singled in a run in the 8th, the bases were loaded for Granderson, and history was made, when he bopped his 36th of the season into the right-center stands, the third grand slam of the day for the Yankees, a major league record. Andruw Jones obliged with a solo shot, a fitting tribute to the Yankees' largesse.

Martin finished the day with a stat line that read: 5-for-5, three runs, six RBI, two homers, including a grand slam, a double and two singles. Dano went 2-for-5, with five RBI, and Granderson took over the major lead RBI lead with 103, going 2-for-4, knocking in five and scoring four times.

Despite the enormous win, the Yankees didn't gain any ground on the Red Sox, who flummoxed the Rangers, 6-0, and maintained their one-game edge in the division.

National League

These days, most National League teams just don't measure up well against the Atlanta Braves, who finished their four-game set with the Cubs by taking three of four, including Thursday's 8-1 triumph.

McCann: 2 HR, 4 RBI

The Braves dispatched Cubs' starter Matt Garza in five innings, getting eight hits and six runs (three earned) against the Chicago hurler. Atlanta catcher Brian McCann did most of the damage, giving the Braves the lead with a 3-run homer in the opening inning. He added a solo shot (his 22nd) in the 7th inning.

Atlanta cut down idle Philly's lead in the NL East to six games, and increase their wild card bulge to 9 1/2 over the Giants and 10 1/2 over the Cardinals, both losers on Thursday.

The Braves have been so hot, it's hard to imagine them not catching the Phillies. They're 14-4 since August 7, as the Phillies have gone 9-6 over the same span.

Cano, Swisher Propel Yankees to Twin Bird Kill; Howard Slashes Pirates with 21st Homer

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 30, 2011

American League

Robinson Cano

The Yankees made a mockery of the Baltimore pitching staff, pounding O's hurlers for 24 hits in a 17-3 victory in which they nearly batted around twice and scored a team record of 12 runs in the first inning.

Nick Swisher

Once the Yanks had their fill of first inning batting practice, the game devolved into a drawn out exercise in getting through nine innings without further embarrassment or injury.

Robinson Cano was having fun, however, at the Orioles' expense, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored. After his last hit, a single in the 6th inning which plated Curtis Granderson with the final Yankee run, he was mercifully replaced by pinch-runner Francisco Cervelli, taking his .295 batting average and 68 RBI on the season to the bench for the final three innings of the slaughter.

The Yanks took both ends of a day-night double-header from the Orioles, winning the first game by the relatively-modest score of 8-3. Nick Swisher had the big blow in game one, a 4th inning, two-run homer which broke a 2-2 tie and put the Yankees ahead for good. In the twin killing, Swisher homered in each game, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI in the day game and 3-for-6 with two runs and three RBI in the nightcap.

The two wins shaved 1/2 game off Boston's lead in the AL East, trimming the edge to two games as the Red Sox beat the White Sox, 10-2. The Yankees will have an opportunity to take back first place when they travel to Boston for a three game series, August 5, 6 and 7, following a four-game series in Chicago with the White Sox.

National League

Ryan Howard

The Philadelphia Phillies maintained their 5-game advantage over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East with a 7-4 victory over the upstart Pirates, taking the first two games of their three-game set with Pittsburgh.

Ryan Howard went 4-for-4, smacking his 21st home run and driving in three runs, to give him 81 on the year, one behind LA's Matt Kemp, who leads the league. It's the seventh straight season that Howard has hit at least 20 homers, dating back to 2005, when he hit 22 in 88 games. In 2004, Howard played in just 19 games with the Phillies, but managed a pair of bombs in those games, prior to becoming the Phillies' full time first baseman and winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2005.

The Phillies will look to complete the sweep of the Pirates Sunday afternoon, before embarking on a 10-day, 10-game road trip which includes four games at World Series champion San Francisco.

Yankees Rally to Steal Game One from Rangers

Players of the Day for Friday, October 15, 2010

American League

Texas isn't likely to get many better changes at beating the Yankees than the one they had in Game One of the ALCS Friday night in Arlington.

After getting to C.C. Sabathia with three runs in the first inning and two more in the 4th, the Rangers had everything in Game One going their way. C.J. wilson was working a shutout and there was no way the Yankees were going to come back from a 5-run deficit.

Oh, no? Think again. After Robinson Cano's solo homer in the 7th cut the lead to four, the Yankees rallied for five runs in a wild 8th inning which sent Wilson to the shower and went through four more Ranger hurlers before it was over, with the Yankees coming out on top of a 6-5 score.

It all started with Brett Gardner's head-first slide into first base, beating the toss from Jorge Cantu to Wilson, covering on the play. Wilson would later say he stepped on Gardner's hand as the two converged on the base.

Derek Jeter doubled home Gardner with the Yankees' second run, and that was it for Wilson. Then the floodgates opened. Walks to Nick Swisher and Mark Teixiera loaded the bases for Alex Rodriguez, who singled home a pair. After Cano singled home Teixeira with the tying run, Marcus Thames muscled a broken bat single to left, driving in Rodriguez from third with what proved to be the game winner.

Cano finished the night 3-for-4, with a homer and two ribbies. The Yankee bullpen deserves a great deal of credit for keeping the game within reach, limiting the Rangers to one hit over the final five innings, that off Mariano Rivera in the desperate 9th inning which came to no avail.

The Rangers must regroup quickly for Game Two, which starts at 4:07 pm ET. Colby Lewis goes to the mound for Texas, while Phil Hughes gets the nod for the Yankees.

Following that game, the Phillis and Giants open the NLCS in Philadelphia. The Gaints' Tim Lincecum faces off with Philly's fabulous Roy Halladay in what may prove to be a pitching match-up for the ages. Game time is 7:37 pm ET.

Cano, Sabathia Lead Yanks; Garcia's 3-Hit Shutout Great for Cardinals

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 22, 2010 American League The Yankees put slugger Alex Rodriguez on the DL, but they probably won't miss him much since Robinson Cano (left) appears intent on winning the AL MVP award this year. Cano went 2-for-5 in Sunday's 10-0 win over Seattle, but both of his hits came when he appeared at the plate with the bases loaded. In the 5th inning, Seattle walked Mark Teixeira to load 'em up for Cano, who crushed a grand slam home run. It was the third time this season that Teixeira was walked to load the bases and the next batter hit a grand slam. The other two times, that batter was Alex Rodriguez. In the very next inning, Cano came up again with the bases juiced, this time delivering a single which plated two more runs. Cano finished with six RBI, a career high, raising his total to 86 and making him part of the conversation for post-season trophies. He is tied for 8th in the AL in RBI, is 4th in batting with a .325 average, and his 25 home runs are good for 7th in the league. While the Triple Crown seems out of reach, 30 homers, 100 RBI and a batting average North of .320 all seem good bets. While Cano was racking up ribbies, C.C. Sabathia (right) threw six innings of shutout ball, winning his 15th straight decision at Yankee Stadium. He allowed just 3 hits while punching out 8 on strikes without allowing a walk. His 17-5 record ties him with National Leaguers Adam Wainwright and Ubaldo Jimenez for the most wins in the majors. Sabathia's 3.02 ERA and 1.22 WHIP are among the best in the league and his 151 strikeouts are 8th-best in the AL. The Yanks stayed a game ahead of Tampa Bay in the tight AL East race. National League The Cardinals snapped their 5-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Giants on Saturday, and finished up by taking two of three in the series with a 9-0 victory on Sunday. With a pair of aces in Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, anything the Cards get from Jamie Garcia is a huge plus, but the rookie left-hander has been delivering all season. On Sunday, Garcia put on his best performance of the season, blanking the Giants on three hits for his first career complete game and shutout. Garcia was on top of hitters all night, throwing 65 of just 89 pitches for strikes, fanning six and getting most of his outs on ground balls. The Cards turned a pair of double plays allowing Garcia to face just one batter more than the minimum. He improved to 11-6, with an ERA of 2.42 in 24 starts. The Cardinals remain 3 1/2 games behind Cincinnati in the NL Central, and two games behind the Phillies in the wild card.

Cano, Rivera Lead Yankee Comeback in LA; Tyler Colvin, Up-and-Coming Rookie?

Players of the Day for Sunday, June 27, 2010 American League Dodger manager Joe Torre has a very good team in LA. Playing against his old team, the NY Yankees, revealed what he doesn't have, by comparison. Where he has closer Jonathan Broxton, the Yankees still have Mariano Rivera (left). And Torre also has nobody to match up to this year's Yankee sensation, second baseman Robinson Cano (Torre normally starts either Ronnie Belliard or Blake Dewitt at second). These differences played a big part in New York's dramatic come-from-behind, 8-6, 10-inning win over the Dodgers Sunday night. With the Dodgers apparently cruising to an easy victory - leading by 4 runs at the end of eight innings - Torre called on Broxton to put the final nails in the Yankee coffin. The LA closer got Mark Teixeira on a called third strike, but the next batter, Alex Rodriguez, singled and moved to second on fielder's indifference. That's when Cano, hitless in his previous three at-bats, delivered a run-scoring double and opened the floodgates. Six more batters came to the plate before Broxton could extricate himself. The Yankees tallied four runs in the inning to tie the game at 6-all. After Mariano Rivera worked a perfect 9th inning of relief, it was Cano again, launching a homer to left with A-Rod aboard, to put he Yankees up 8-6, and, with Rivera still on the mound in the bottom of the 10th, it was game over, Rivera picking up his second win of the season. A win turned into a loss, or, from the Yankees' perspective, a loss that became a win. The Yanks kept their 2-game lead over Boston intact with the win, thanks to Cano, who is a shoo-in for his first All Star start. He currently leads Dustin Pedroia by about a million votes, and Pedroia just went on the DL, so pencil - no, pen - him in. Cano is having a spectacular season, with a league-leading .359 batting average, 15 homers and 53 RBI. As for Rivera, his excellence is evident, as usual. He's converted 17 of 18 save opportunities, allowed just 12 hits in 29 1/3 innings, with 6 walks and 29 strikeouts. Rivera's ERA is 0.92, with an 0.61 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting just .122 against him this season. Might as well mark him down for his 11th All Star appearance. Hey, Joe, need a closer? How about a second baseman? National League The season slipping away, with one more chance to snatch a win from their cross-town rivals, the Cubs finally rose to the occasion, taking the last of their three-game series - and last interleague game of 2010 - over the White Sox, by an 8-6 score. Without Tyler Colvin atop the Cubs' lineup, the White Sox may have won their 12th straight game, but the rookie provided an offensive spark, starting the scoring with a three-run homer in the 3rd inning, and ending it with an RBI single in the 8th. In between, he singled and scored in the 5th inning, going 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBI. Colvin is having a nice year for the Cubs and certainly deserves more playing time, but with Alfonso Soriano in left, Marlon Byrd having a career year in center and Kosuke Fukudome entrenched in right field, there's no place to put the kid. In just 134 at-bats, Colvin is hitting .296 with 10 homers, 9 doubles, 27 RBI and 24 runs. By comparison, Fukudome - the player he'd likely replace - is batting .270 with 6 homers, 8 doubles, 24 RBI and 24 runs in 189 at-bats. Will manager Lou Piniella make the move? Tough call, though Fukudome, with just 27 homers in nearly 2 1/2 seasons, doesn't have Colvin's power, plus, his career batting average is a sub-par .260. Colvin appears to have great upside, and with the Cubs languishing 8 1/2 games behind the Central division-leading Reds - with the Cards and Brewers also ahead of them - it might be time for Sweet Lou to shake things up. Colvin batted leadoff in Sunday's game, whereas Fukudome was in the top spot in the order in the Cubs' two prior losses to the White Sox Sox, going 1-for-7 with no runs and no RBI. Keep an eye on the Cubs for a full-time change, even though Colvin, a left-hander, may be a bit of a liability in right field, though that shouldn't sway the argument against him. More Streaking: The White Sox loss to the Cubs ended their 11-game winning streak tying them with Texas for the longest in the majors this season. Meanwhile, both Texas' Josh Hamilton and KC's Jose Guillen extended their hitting streaks to 21 games. Hamilton blasted a long, three-run homer in the Rangers' 10-1 win over Houston for his only hit of the game. Guillen had two singles in the Royals' 10-3 win over St. Louis. They are the longest hitting streaks in the majors, creating some excitement as baseball nears mid-season.

Cano Slam Powers Yankees; Matt Cain 1-Hits Diamondbacks

Players of the Day for Friday, May 28, 2010 American League With Alex Rodriguez getting a day off, manager Joe Girardi decided to put Robinson Cano in the cleanup spot as the Yankees welcomed Cleveland to the Bronx for the first of a four-game weekend series. It turned out to be the right move as Cano responded with a pair of singles and his 10th home run of the season, a seventh-inning grand slam which turned a contentious 4-2 game into an 8-2 rout and another win for Phil Hughes, who improved to 6-1. Derek Jeter singled to open the 7th and wound up at third base on Curtis Granderson's double. Mark Teixeira walked, loading the bases for Cano, who delivered with a blast into the right field seats. Looking every bit like a possible starter at second base for the all star game, Cano leads the Yankees in four offensive categories with a .351 batting average, his 10 homers, 34 RBI and 34 runs. In Detroit, Miguel Cabrera (left) socked three homers - a two run blast and a pair of solo shots, but that was all the offense the Tigers could produce in a 5-4 loss to the A's. Cabrera's homers were his 11th, 12th and 13th, good for third in the league in that department. His four RBI extended his league - and major league - best to 44. National League Arizona's Mark Reynolds doubled off Matt Cain with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. The next time he was at the plate, Cain plunked him. Next time, he struck him out. Reynolds' second-inning double was the only hit the Diamondbacks could produce of Cain, who - other than hitting Reynolds - set down the next 22 batters in a row for a 1-hit, complete game, 5-0 shutout. Cain was nearly perfect, throwing 83 of 122 pitches for strikes, fanning 9 in all without walking any. With a 2.05 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP, Cain's record is still only 3-4, largely due to lack of run support. Cain has started ten games for the Giants this season. In five of those outings, his teammates have managed to score two runs or less, resulting in 4 losses and a no decision. With San Diego falling to Washington, 5-3, the Giants climbed closer to the top of the NL West, currently 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Padres and a game behind second place Los Angeles.