NLDS: Russell Martin, Dodgers Power Past Nationals; Braves Rally Over Cardinals

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 6, 2019

National League

Martin: 2-for-4, HR 4 RBI

LA Dodgers 10 Washington Nationals 4

Taking a two games to one lead in their divisional series, the LA Dodgers let their bats do the talking in game three, banging out 14 hits against six beleaguered Nationals' hurlers.

On a team loaded with youthful stars, it was 36-year-old Russell Martin who did much of the damage for the Dodgers. Going 2-for-4 with four RBI, Martin doubled in a pair of runs and came around to score in the sixth inning, putting the Dodgers up 3-2, and it was off to the races after that. LA scored seven runs in the frame.

Martin finished off the Nationals with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth. Max Muncy and Justin Turner also homered for the Dodgers.

Game four is Monday, 6:40 pm ET.

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Atlanta Braves 3 St. Louis Cardinals 1

Adam Wainwright tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings and Andrew Miller got the Cardinals out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning, but the Braves scored three runs in the top of the ninth off closer Carlos Martinez, erasing St. Louis' 1-0 lead.

Adam Duval had the key hit, singling home two runs after the Braves had tied the score.

Atlanta takes a 2-1 lead in the series, which resumes Monday at 3:07 pm ET.

American League

There were no American League games on Sunday. Minnesota hosts the Yankees, and Tampa Bay hosts Houston on Monday. New York leads their series two games to one, as does Houston. Game three in Tampa starts at 1:07 pm ET; the Yankees and Twins take the field in Minnesota at 8:40 pm ET

Francisco Liriano, Russell Martin Lead Pirates to First Post-season Win Since 1992

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 2, 2013

American League

There were no games in the AL on Tuesday.

The AL Wild Card playoff is slated for an 8:07 pm EDT start in Cleveland, with the Indians hosting the Tampa Bay Rays.

Russell Martin

National League

Francisco Liriano

Francisco Liriano held the Reds to one run on four hits over seven innings and catcher Russell Martin socked a pair of home runs to lead the Pirates to a 6-2 win over Cincinnati in the NL wild card playoff.

It was the first post-season win for the Pirates since 1992, and it propelled them into the NL divisional series with St. Louis, which begins on Thursday at Bush Stadium.

Liriano walked one and struck out five, keeping the Reds off the scoreboard every inning except the fourth, when Cincinnati pushed a run across. The Pirates countered in the bottom of the inning with two more, however, making it a 5-1 game.

When he finished the seventh inning after throwing 90 pitches, Liriano was replaced on the mound by reliever Tony Watson, who allowed a solo homer by Cincinnati leadoff batter, Shin Soo Choo, in the eighth. It was not even close to being sufficient, as the Reds were dismissed from the playoffs after Jason Grilli set them down in order in the ninth.

Martin's two homers were both solo shots, one in the second inning and one in the seventh. He added a single to go 3-for-4. Marlon Byrd also had a solo homer in the second as the Pirates built their lead.

Today's Trivia: In the 2000s, which two players won the Rookie of the Year award and then won the MVP award the following season? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Randy Johnson won the NL Cy Young award four straight seasons, from 1999-2002, pitching for Arizona. Johnson also won the AL Cy Young in 1995 when a member of the Seattle Mariners.

Miguel Cabrera Homers as Tigers Sweep Braves; Pittsburgh's Russell Martin Cranks a Pair of Homers in 9-0 Rout of Cardinals

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 28, 2013

American League

Miguel Cabrera

In a game played during a relentless rain event, the Detroit Tigers completed their three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with an 8-3 victory, sending the Braves to their fourth consecutive loss while the Tigers won their third straight and closed to within 1/2 game of AL Central leader, Kansas City.

Reigning AL MVP, Miguel Cabrera, turned a close game into a no-doubter with his third home run of the season, a seventh-inning, three run blast that completed the scoring for the Tigers.

Following Cabrera's homer, Al Alburquerque and Jose Valverde slammed the door shut on the Braves, each turning in hitless inning stints. Cabrera's home run was his first since April 16, though his batting average (.375, tied for second in the AL with teammate Torii Hunter) and run production have not suffered. He has 26 RBI on the season, third in the AL behind Chris Davis (28) and Mike Napoli (27).

Cabrera also doubled in three official at-bats, scoring a tie-breaking run in the sixth inning on a sac fly by Victor Martinez.

National League

Russell Martin

Russell Martin homered twice as the Pittsburgh Piratestook over first place in the tight NL Central with a 9-0 slaughter of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Martin, who came to the Pirates during the off-season after two seasons with the Yankees, cranked a first-inning solo homer to get Pittsburgh on the board in the second inning and launched a two-run jack in the ninth to complete the rout. In between, he doubled, going 3-for-5 on the day, with three RBI. Martin, who averages just 13 homers per year, has hit five already this season.

While the Pirates were piling up 13 hits on four St. Louis pitchers, Pittsburgh starter Jeff Locke was humming, stifling the Cardinal bats on three hits over seven innings to get to 3-1 on the year. Reliever Justin Wilson closed folded the Cards with two innings of hitless ball.

The win put the Pirates 1/2 game up on the Cardinals with their second straight win over the redbirds after dropping the series opener in St. Louis with a 9-1 beating.

The division remains the most contentious in the majors. Following the Cardinals are Cincinnati, 1 1/2 back and Milwaukee, a mere two games behind the Pirates.

Mark Teixeira, Russell Martin Lead Comeback Win over Angels; Ryan Braun Powers Brewers past Pirates

Players of the Day for Friday, July 13, 2011

American League

The hits just keep coming for the New York Yankees.

Mark Teixeira

Following a successful first half, the Bombers picked up after the all star break right where they left off with a come-from-behind, 6-5 win over the LA Angels.

Russell Martin

Getting the first five runs off the bat of Mark Teixeira, who socked a two-run homer in the third inning and followed up with a three-run blast in the eighth which turned a 5-2 Angels' lead into a 5-all tie, catcher Russell Martin finished the proceedings with an RBI single later in the inning.

Teixeira managed five RBI on the night, but Martin's only hit was the game-winner, and, in the top of the ninth, the Yankee backstop threw out Howie Kendrick at second to end the game, his third thrown out runner of the game.

The win improved New York's lead in the AL East to eight games, the biggest bulge in the majors, while dropping the Angels five back of Texas in the West.


National League

Ryan Braun

Friday the 13th certainly wasn't unlucky for Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers, as they opened the second half of the season with a 10-7 win over visiting Pittsburgh.

Braun was 4-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs, a stolen base, three runs and three RBI, helping the Brewers creep to within seven games of the Pirates, who are now tied for first place in the NL Central with the Reds, 5-3 winners over St. Louis.

The Brewers hope to make up more ground as they host the Pirates for the next two games of the three-game series, Saturday and Sunday in Milwaukee.

Andy Pettitte, Russell Martin Lead 7-0 Win over Rays; Atlanta's Tim Hudson, Dan Uggla Top Marlins, 11-0

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 5, 2012

American League

Andy Pettitte

It's all tied up again atop the AL East as Baltimore took an 8-6, 10-inning win at Boston and Andy Pettitte shut out the Rays over 7 1/3 innings, propelling the Yankees to a 7-0 win over Tampa Bay.

Russell Martin

The O's and Rays share the lead, with the Yanks one half back, Toronto two out and Boston back in last place, but only three games from the lead.

Pettitte allowed just two hits, fanned 10 and walked a pair en route to his third win against two losses since joining the Yanks in mid-May.

Pettitte's battery mate, Russell Martin, went 3-for-4 with a grand slam homer in the fourth inning against Rays' stater James Shields, pacing the offense.

Game two of the three-game set is scheduled for 7:05 pm EDT, Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.


National League

Uggla: 4-5 2HR 5 RBI

Bryce Harper singled home Jose Flores with the winning run in the bottom of the 12th innings, as Washington held onto first place in the NL East with a 7-6 win over the Mets.

Earlier in the evening, Atlanta did themselves and the Nats a favor, knocking off the Marlins, 11-0, in Miami. The results left Washington with a one game lead over Miami, with the Mets 1 1/2 back, Atlanta two behind and Philadelphia, the only team in the division under .500, five down.

Tim Hudson

Second baseman Dan Uggla socked a pair of home runs, singled, doubled, scored three times and drove in five runs for the Braves, who took the opener of their three-game series with the Marlins. Uggla went 4-for-5, raising his RBI total to 37 on the season, good for fifth in the NL, behind LA's Andre Ethier, who leads with 46. Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez has 45.

Tim Hudson pitched a complete game, five-hitter for the Braves, his fourth win vs. two losses. His 25th career complete game and 13th shutout, Hudson walked three and struck out the same number.

The Braves and Marlins square off Wednesday night in Miami at 7:10 pm EDT.

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.

Longoria Launches Rays; Dodgers, Phillies Establish 2-0 Leads

Players of the Day from Thursday, October 2, 2008 American League Tampa Bay 6 Chicago White Sox 4 Fittingly, rookie Evan Longoria led the effort in the Rays' first ever playoff game, belting a pair of homers in Tampa Bay's 6-4 opening win over the Chicago White Sox. Longoria, the favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year honors, hit solo homers in the second and third inning, and also singled in another run in the 5th inning. White Sox pitchers could not keep him off the bases. In addition to his 3-for-3 effort, Longoria also walked and stole a base. The best-of-five series continues at Tropicana Field on Friday at 6:07 pm. Mark Buehrle takes the mound for the Sox to face the Rays' Scott Kazmir Notes: The Angels and Red Sox resume their series on Friday evening in Anaheim. With Boston leading 1-0, it will be up to Ervin Santana to outduel Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka. Game time is 9:07 pm ET. National League Phillies 5 Brewers 2 The Brewers sent their stopper, C.C. Sabathia, to the hill Thursday, but that didn't faze Shane Victorino, who was a one-man wrecking crew for the Phillies. Victorino went 3-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, a grand slam home run, two stolen bases and four RBI. His stats would have included more than his one run scored if the hitters behind him - Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell - hadn't gone a collective 0-for-10. That the 3, 4, and 5 hitters in Philly's lineup didn't hit wasn't an issue as the Phillies chased Sabathia off the mound with two outs in the 4th inning. Working on three days rest, the Brewer starter simply seemed out of gas and the Phillies took advantage. With their 5-2 win over the Brewers, Philly holds a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series with game three set for late Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee (6:07 pm ET). Jamie Moyer gets the start for Philadelphia, facing the Brewers' Dave Bush. LA Dodgers 10 Chicago Cubs 3 Just like the Phillies, the Dodgers took a 2-0 series lead over the Cubs as Russell Martin delivered a key bases-clearing double in the second inning, giving the Dodgers an early 5-0 lead en route to a 10-3 thrashing of the worried Cubs. Manny Ramirez homered for the second straight game with a solo shot in the 5th, also adding an 8th inning RBI single. Leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal singed three times in 6 at-bats, scored twice and drove in a pair. It was the second straight easy win for Joe Torre's Dodgers as the series now shifts to LA. Game three is Saturday night (10:07 pm ET). The Cubs will try to stay alive by sending Rich Harden to the mound to face rookie Hiroki Kiroda. Harden was acquired mid-season in a trade with Oakland. Kiroda (9-10) was brilliant at times. He tossed a 4-hit shutout against the Cubs on June 6 and twirled a 1-hit shutout over Atlanta on July 7.

Damon Ties Records with 6 Hits; Martin, Kemp Power Dodgers over Cubs

Players of the Day from Saturday, June 7, 2008 American League so many players had big nights on Saturday, it was tough to pick just one for POTD in the AL, but Johnny Damon's 6-for-6 performance took the prize as the Yankees outlasted Kansas City, 12-11, in the Bronx. Damon's six hits - five singles and a double - tied both the Yankees' and AL records for hits in a game. Setting Damon's feat apart was his ninth inning single which plated Wilson Betemit with the winning run. Damon drove in four runs total, scored once and stole a base as well.

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Nearly outdoing the Yankee outfielder was KC's Jose Guillen, who hit a two-run homer in the first, singled in another run in the third and blasted a grand slam in the 7th, which, at the time, gave the Royals a 10-6 lead. Guillen finished 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and seven RBI. Notes: Also putting up big numbers Saturday were Baltimore's Jay Payton (2 singles and a double, five RBI in a 9-5 O's win over Toronto), Edgar Renteria (3-for-4 with a grand slam in Detroit's 8-4 win over the Indians) and Joe Crede, who followed up his 2-homer night on Friday with a pair of 3-run blasts Saturday to propel the White Sox to an 11-2 thrashing of the Twins. It was not a good night to be on the mound in the AL. National League Russell Martin (left) singled twice and homered, driving in three runs, and teammate Matt Kemp singled and cranked a three-run homer in the 7th to send Cubs' starter off the mound and into a rage, as the Dodgers dropped the Cubs for the second straight night, 7-3. Both Kemp and Martin also added a stolen base each, furthering Zambrano's (8-2) frustration. Notes: Complicating matters for the Cubs was St. Louis' 8-4 win over the Astros, which put the Cardinals just 2 1/2 behind Chicago in the Central division. The Phillies won their third straight to maintain their 3 1/2-game lead over Florida in the East. The D-Backs won as well, keeping the Dodgers 4 behind in the West.

Overbay Shoots Down Angels; Martin's 4-4 Leads LA Past Mets

Players of the Day from Friday, May 30, 2008 American League Lyle Overbay belted a pair of solo home runs, drove in another run with a single and scored three times, sparking Toronto to a 10-4 win over AL West leader Los Angeles. The Blue Jays, winners of 3 straight and 8 of their last 10, remain 3 games behind the Rays and 2 back of Boston in the AL East. Though usually not noted for their hitting prowess, the Jays have scored 22 runs in their last two games. Their pitching staff, however, is the stingiest in the league, with a 3.32 team ERA. Notes: The woes of the Royals continue. On Friday, Kansas City blew a 4-1 lead and failed to score after the 4th inning, dropping their 12 straight, a 5-4 decision to Cleveland. When the losing streak started, the Royals were just one game under .500, at 21-22. That was on May 18, before being losing four straight at Boston, four more at Toronto, dropping three straight home games to Minnesota and last night's defeat at the hands of the Indians. Of all the teams in the AL, the Royals are the only one that has not cracked the 200 barrier in runs (197) or RBI (187). Their team ERA of 4.60 is 11th of 14, with only the Rangers, Tigers and Mariners posting worse numbers. National League The National League's spot behind the plate at this season's All-Star Game should be occupied by the Dodgers' Russell Martin, batting a brisk .326 after a 4-for-4 night on Friday. Martin singled twice, doubled and hit a solo home run, drove in three and scored three times as the Dodgers whipped the Mets, 9-5, Friday. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Dodgers, and with Arizona losing their 5th in a row, puts LA 2 1/2 behind the Diamondbacks, the closest they've been since early in the season. Notes: While the Dodgers are closing ground in the West, the Phillies overtook Florida in the East with a 12-3 thumping of the Marlins in Philly. Chase Utley smacked his league-leading 18th home run. Teammate Ryan Howard notched his 15th bomb of the season as the Phillies took a 1/2-game lead in the East. Absolutely scorching, the Phillies have won five straight and 8 of their last 10. They've scored 60 runs in their last 5 games. Not surprisingly, they lead the NL in home runs with 82 and are second in RBI and Runs.

Crawford Scores for Rays; Russell Martin Everywhere

Players of the Day for Friday, April 25, 2008 American League Carl Crawford went 3-6, with two triples, an RBI, stole his 8th base and scored 3 times - including the game-winner - in Tampa Bay's 5-4, 11-inning win over Boston. It was the Rays' 4th straight win and Boston's third straight loss. Crawford, a career .297 hitter who has topped .300 for the season each of the last three years, is currently on a 12-game hitting streak in which he's raised his batting average from .204 to .314 with 5 extra base hits. Crawford, mainly a singles hitter, is doing what he does best, though, scoring runs. During his streak he's crossed the plate 13 times and his 23 runs overall leads the AL. Notes: Law of Averages. The Cleveland Indians won their 4th straight game on Friday, a 6-4 home win over the Yankees, and have reached second place in the AL Central, 2 games back of the White Sox. At 11-12 Cleveland sports an unusual stat. While the team batting average is an unhealthy .250, Grady Sizemore leads the team at a mere .264. That means a lot of guys are going 1-for-4 every night. Kansas City and Texas both won, each ending a 7-game losing streak. National League The LA Dodgers are still under .500 at 10-13 and are chasing the runaway Arizona Diamondbacks, but the season has just begun. On Friday night, Russell Martin put in overtime, as he reached base in all 6 plate appearances in the Dodgers' 8-7, 13-inning win over Colorado. If it seemed like Martin was everywhere, it's because he was, going 4-for-4, walking twice, stealing a base, scoring a run and driving in two, including the walk-off game winner on a bases-loaded sac fly. He also caught for 8 innings before putting in 5 more over at third base. Notes: Florida and Milwaukee dueled through 9 scoreless innings before the Marlins erupted for three runs in the 10th. Florida starter Scott Olsen lasted 7 1/3 before being lifted after giving up 4 hits and 5 walks without a strikeout. Olsen's (3-0) been hot lately, having allowed just one run over his last 21 1/3 innings. Streaks: Houston has won 6 straight while the Padres have been on the losing end five in a row.