Victor Martinez Grand Slam Leads Tigers over Red Sox; Ryan Howard Powers Phillies to 8-7 Win over Mets

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 22, 2013

American League

By virtue of having Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder in the middle of its lineup, Detroit lays claim to run-producing potency. If Victor Martinez gets into a groove, the rest of the league had better beware, because the Tiger offense will be a juggernaut, nearly impossible to contain for nine full innings.

Martinez: GS, 5RBI

That's what Boston found out the hard way on Saturday, as the Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the first inning for Martinez, who victimized starter, Allen Webster (0-2), with a grand slam homer, erasing a 2-0 Boston lead.

Detroit never trailed after that, piling on the runs in a 10-3 rout. Martinez added a double, going two for three on the day with five RBI. When he wasn't lashing balls to the outfield and beyond, Martinez was able to work out a couple of walks and scored three times.

A career .299 hitter with power to spare, Martinez has not fared well in 2013, batting just .231 and the home run and RBI totals are down, though his outburst against the AL East leaders shows that, at age 34, there's still plenty of pop in his bat.

Detroit's win kept them three games in front of Cleveland - winners of four straight - in the AL Central, while the Red Sox maintained their two-game edge over Baltimore in the East. The O's fell again to the red-hot Blue Jays, who have strung together ten straight wins and climbed out of last place, percentage points better than Tampa Bay, and are now just six games back.

Boston and Detroit conclude their four-game series on Sunday, the home-standing Tigers taking a 2-1 series lead into the 1:08 pm EDT finale.

National League

Howard: 2HR, 4RBI

Pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo, walk-off home run, as the Phillies downed the Mets, 8-7, at Citizens bank Park in Philadelphia, evening their three-games series at one win apiece.

Ryan Howard led the Philly assault, socking two solo homers and a two-run double to drive in four runs as the Phillies built a 7-1 lead, that the bullpen completely squandered.

The Mets scored four times in the seventh inning and twice in the top of the ninth to tie the game. The sixth Philadelphia pitcher, Jonathan Papelbon, gave up the two ninth inning runs (one earned), but was bailed out by Frandsen's homer in the bottom of the frame. The Mets also used six hurlers.

For the Phillies, an important win, as the division-leading Braves dropped their third straight and second-place Washington, fell to Colorado, 7-1, leaving the Nats five games backs and the Phillies 6 1/2 off the pace. The Mets are 11 1/2 off the lead.

Game three of the series commences at 1:35 pm EDT Sunday afternoon.

Today's Trivia: Who was the only player to ever win either a Cy Young or MVP award for the Montreal Expos? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Willie Mays won two MVP Awards (1954, 1965), while Hank Aaron won just once, in 1957.

Seth Smith Leads A's over Tigers; Chase Utley, Ryan Howard Help Phils Pound Mets, 16-1

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 20, 2012

American League

Seth Smith

If the Oakland A's make it to the playoffs (and it looks like they will), there will be plenty of players to thank, including Seth Smith, who helped the A's tie the idle Orioles for the top wild card Thursday night with a 12-4 win over Detroit.

Smith tied the game at 2-2 with his 14th homer of the season, singled and scored in the A's four-run sixth, then cleared the bases with a double in the ninth, putting his signature on the victory, going 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI.

National League

While the Nationals and Reds each clinched playoff spots, the Phillies continue clinging to slim hopes of reaching the post-season, helping themselves with a 21-hit bombing of the Mets Thursday at Citi Field in a 16-1 rout.

Chase Utley

Ryan Howard

Having fallen well off the pace early in the year due to the absence of two of their star players, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the Phillies have been one of the better teams in the second half, getting both off the DH and into a regular playing regimen.

Utley rapped out four hits in five at-bats (a double and three singles), and drove in four runs while Howard singled in a run as the Phills put up eight in the first inning, then polished off the Mets with his 14th homer of the year, a ninth-inning grand slam as the Phils added seven more runs.

Philadelphia has won three straight, leaving them four games behind St. Louis, winners of four in a row, for the second wild card. Also chasing the Cardinals are LA, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

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.

Halladay Gets 17th in Win Over Brewers, Howard Homers; Wade Davis Keeps Tampa in Race, Topping Red Sox

Players of the Day for Friday, September 9, 2011

American League

The final three weeks of the regular season are going to be exciting for the LA Angels and Tampa Bay Rays, especially if Boston - currently the wild card leader - continues to lose games and players down the stretch.

Wade Davis

In Tampa, the Rays took the first game of a critical three-game series from the Red Sox, 7-2, getting a complete game from Wade Davis (10-8), the second of his career, and the 15th complete game by Rays' starters this season, tops in either league.

Davis smoked the Sox on six hits, allowing just two runs in the top of the 6th, when Tampa already had built a 5-0 lead. The Rays got the runs back in the bottom of the frame and Davis cruised, striking out 8 Red Sox hitters without issuing any walks.

The win moved the Rays to within 5 1/2 games of Boston in the wild card race. In LA, the Angles got a walk-off sac fly from Maicer Izturis, plating pinch runner Jeremy Moore with the game winner in a 2-1 thriller to move to within five games of Boston and remain 2 1/2 back of Texas in the AL West division. With the Yankees losing, the Red Sox remained 2 1/2 behind them in the East.

Boston is hoping for the return of starters Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett, both of who are making progress with injuries. Third baseman Kevin Youkilis returned to Boston to have his sore hip examined by team doctors and undergo an MRI exam. He is listed as day-to-day, but the Red Sox hope he'll be back in the lineup soon, without having to go onto the DL.

The Rays will have every opportunity to make a late season charge. After the series with the Red Sox concludes in Tampa on Sunday, they fly to Baltimore for a three game series, then head to Boston for four games. After that, it's three games at Yankee stadium before returning home for three with the Blue Jays and three more with the Yanks to close out the regular season.

National League

The Milwaukee Brewers have the best home record in the majors - 50-21 - though the Phillies are trying to see to it that their 49-22 home mark becomes the best as the two battle in a three game series in Milwaukee.

Howard: 111 RBI

Halladay: 17 Wins

In Friday's opener, Roy Halladay stymied the Brewers for eight innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out eight for his 17th win against five losses in a 5-3 victory. Reliever Antonio Bastardo, who came on in the 9th in a non-save situation, nearly gave the game away, giving up a single and a walk before Ryan Madson came on to clean things up and record his 29th save.

Ryan Howard socked his 29th homer of the season, a three-run blast in the 1st inning, staking Halladay with an early lead. The three RBI gave Howard the lead in the NL with 111, three better than Prince Fielder, who singled and scored in the game, but did not drive in any runs.

Halladay, a Cy Young candidate in a crowded field, is third in the league in wins behind Arizona's Ian Kennedy (19) and LA's Clayton Kershaw, who won his 18th Friday night with a 2-1 win over the Giants.

The Dodger win and San Francisco loss worked out just fine for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who won their 15th straight home game and are 44-26 at home this season. They lead the Giants by a very comfortable 8 1/2 games and are cruising toward the NL West division title.

The Phillies have the smallest magic number in the majors, at nine, as they lead the Braves by 11 games in the East. Milwaukee may not want to look over its shoulder, because the Cardinals have trimmed their lead to seven games in the Central, as they downed Atlanta, 4-3, in 10 innings.

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.

Haren Outduels Verlander; Granderson Knocks a Pair; Howard Leads Phils; Jeter Two Hits Closer

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 5, 2011

American League

Well, Justin Verlander is human after all, as proven by Dan Haren and the LA Angels Tuesday night.

Haren: 2-Hitter

Haren (8-5) shut out the Tigers on two hits, and the Angels pushed across a run in the 2nd inning that held up for the 1-0 win. It was the first loss for Verlander after winning seven consecutive starting assignments dating back to mid-May.

Throwing 87 of 122 pitches for strikes, Haren issued no walks and struck out nine Tigers. The Angels have won four straight and remain tied with Texas atop the AL West with Seattle lurking, just 2 1/2 games back. The win was Haren's second complete game shutout of the year.

Granderson: 25 HR

In Cleveland, the Yankees pounded out 17 hits for a 9-2 win over the Indians. Curtis Granderson went 3-for-6, with two homers - his 24th and 25th - three RBI and three runs. Granderson's two-run shot in the 2nd inning and solo blast in the 4th put the Yankees up 6-0, as C.C. Sabathia improved to 12-4, throwing seven innings of shutout ball and striking out 11.

The Yankees maintained their 1 1/2 game lead over Boston in the AL East, while the Indians held onto the same edge over the Tigers in the Central.

National League

Howard: 71 RBI

It may not seem fair that the Phillies play a three-game series with the Florida Marlins, but the schedule dictates they play the games, no matter the expected outcome.

Tuesday's 14-2 Phillies' romp surprised nobody, as the Phillies kept their NL East lead over the Braves at four games and the Marlins sunk further into the depths of the division.

Ryan Howard went 4-for-5, including his 18th home run of the season, a two-run job in the 4th. Howard also singled twice and doubled, drove in four runs and scored three times.

Jeter: 2996 Hits

With 71 RBI, Howard tied Prince Fielder of the Brewers for the lead in the National League. LA's Matt Kemp is third, with 64.

JETER 3000 WATCH: Derek Jeter took two steps closer to the magic 3000-hit mark, going 2-for-6 in the Yankees' win at Cleveland. That puts him just four hits away with one more game to complete the series in Cleveland. Manager Joe Girardi has suggested that he might sit the Yankee captain for Wednesday's game, as Jeter is just off the DL and has played four straight games - two of them with Trenton on a rehab assignment - and Girardi wants to keep Jeter healthy.

Jeter said he wants to play Wednesday, as the team prepares to head back to Yankee Stadium for a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ryan Howard Has Grand Time vs. Mets; Matt Wieters Breaks Out for Orioles

Players of the Day for Friday, April 29, 2011

American League

Matt Wieters

Manager Buck Showalter has his hands full in Baltimore.

Since taking over late last season, Showalter has the team playing better baseball, but there are lots of moving parts and the AL East is an unfriendly environment overall. The O's started out hot, then lost seven straight, but have since played more consistently.

With Friday's 10-4 shearing of the White Sox, the O's have won three of their last four and are out of last place in the division.

Catcher Matt Wieters had the key hits in Friday's win. With the game tied at three, Wieters blasted his 4th home run of the season, a two-run shot off White Sox starter John Danks that put the O's up 5-3. After Chicago responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, Wieters pretty much finished them off with a two-run double in the 7th, part of a five-run rally in which he also scored Baltimore's 10th run.

Weithers went 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs. He's driven in 16 this season, but still hasn't quite found his groove, batting .260, generally out of the eight hole.

National League

Ryan Howard

The Phillies have had to play at a high level just to stay ahead of the streaking Florida Marlins. On Friday, they won for the seventh time in their last nine games with a 10-3 whipping of the Mets in New York.

The win kept them just 1/2 game ahead of Florida in the NL East, as Ryan Howard delivered with a pair of home runs - his 5th and 6th of the season.

Howard got the Phillies started with a two-run shot in the 4th and followed it up with a grand slam in the 6th that put the game out of reach as the Phillies built an 8-0 lead.

Besides guiding Philadelphia into first place, Howard his having his usual, exceptional time at the plate, batting .302 with six home runs and 27 RBI which leads not just the National League, but the entire majors.

DIAMOND NOTES: It wasn't supposed to work out this way, but Washington's Jason Marquis outdueld the Giants' Tim Linceum, shutting down San Francisco on five hits for a 3-0 Nationals' win. Marquis fanned seven and went the distance, driving in a run with a single in the 6th. He's now 3-0, while Lincecum faded to 2-3.

Ryan Howard Bombs for Phillies; Bartolo Colon Sharp in Comeback Bid

 Players of the Day for Friday, March 4, 2011

American League

Bartolo Colon

Bartolo Colon, attempting to make a comeback after a full year absence from baseball, worked three solid, scoreless innings in a tune-up against a former team, the Boston Red Sox. Though the Red Sox won the game by a 5-3 score, Colon appeared to have most pitches working, allowing two hits and no walks while fanning five batters.

Once one of baseball's most dominant pitchers, Colon has only started 48 games since 2005 and is a combined 14-21 over a span of four seasons. After going 3-6 with Boston in 2009, Colon worked in the Dominican Winter League in hopes of making it back to the majors. He was the AL Cy Young award winner in 2005, when he compiled a 21-8 record with the Anaheim Angels.

National League

Ryan Howard

Philadelphia improved to 4-3 in the Grapefruit League with a 7-4 win over Pittsburgh as slugger Ryan Howard went yard for the first time this Spring.

Howard broke a 2-2 tie with his solo shot in the 6th inning and singled home another run, going 2-for-3.

One of baseball's best power hitters, Howard had somewhat of a down year - for him - in 2010, hitting just 31 homera and driving in 108 runs. From 2006 to 2009, Howard averaged 49.5 home runs and 141 RBI.

Scutaro Homers Twice to Drop Rays; Phillies, Howard Retain 1/2-Game Lead

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 8, 2010 American League After theYankees won on Nick Swisher's 9th inning, walk-off home run, the Tampa Bay Rays knew they needed to beat the Red Sox again in order to keep the Yankees within a game and a half. Tampa didn't quite get the job done, and the Yankees can thank Boston's Marco Scutaro, as the Red Sox downed the Rays, 11-5, improving New York's lead to 2 1/2 games. Scutaro, batting leadoff for the embattled Boston squad, made the most of his five trips to the plate, collecting four hits, including two home runs (numbers 9 and 10), a double and a single. The scrappy shortstop drove in three of Boston's runs and scored three times as the Red Sox scored in six of the eight innings they needed to bat. Winning over the Rays was a bittersweet victory for Boston, which has been destroyed by injuries to a number of key players. They are more than likely out of any pennant race, trailing the Yankees by nine games, though they do play them six more times, including the final three games of the season, October 1-3, at Fenway. The Red Sox still may have a chance of catching the Rays for the wild card slot. They are 6 1/2 games behind them in that race, though they'll need help from other teams. They do not play tampa Bay any more this season. National League Rarely is Ryan Howard not in the lineup for the Phillies, but he missed a number of key games when he went on the Dl earlier this year. He went down on August 1st and returned on the 21st, but it took the big man a little time to get his swing back into a groove. It was ten games - on August 31 - before Howard hit a home run, but that was like throwing a switch. He's banged out four more since then. On Wednesday, with the Phillies having taken a 1/2-game lead in the NL East over the Braves, Howard provided all the power, going 3-for-5 with a two-run single in the first inning, a three-run homer (#28) in the 4th and another run-scoring single in the 7th. Thanks to Howard's six RBI, the Phillies maintained their lead over Atlanta - who won, 9-3, over Washington - with a 10-6 win over the Marlins. Howard is quickly catching up on the leading power hitters in the National League. His 28 home runs are 5th most, and the 95 RBI has him just five behind Carlos Gonzalez. PENNANT NOTES: San Diego and Colorado won, but the Giants lost, so the NL West has the Padres 2 games ahead of the Giants with Colorado 4 1/2 back. The Reds and Cardinals both lost (Cincy has lost four straight), so St. Louis still trails by 6 games. Texas snapped their five-game losing streak with an 8-1 win over Toronto and lead Oakland by 7 games in the AL West. Minnesota won their sixth in a row and the White Sox fell for the second straight day, increasing the Twins' advantage to 5 1/2 games.

Ryan Howard Keeping Phillies in NL East Race; Jose Bautista Socks a Pair, Leads Majors

Players of the Day for Tuesday, July 28, 2010 American League Even though the Blue Jays are 12 games behind the Yankees in the AL East, they are still over .500 (52-49) and night after night put a solid team n the field. One of the reasons Toronto has been successful is the number of home run hitters on their roster, led by Jose Bautista, who is having a career year. The Blue Jays lead the majors with 154 homers, well ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee, with 132. In Tuesday's 8-2 drubbing of Baltimore, Bautista smacked his 29th and 30th round-trippers of the season, giving him a comfortable lead not only in the American League, but the entire majors. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera is chasing him in the AL, with 24 dingers, and Joey Votto's 25 leads the NL. Bautista's 75 RBI are fifth-best in the AL. Bautista drove in five of Toronto's eight runs with the two blasts, a three-run shot in the 1st inning and a two-run drive in the 8th. He also singled twice and was walked once, going 4-for-4 on the night with three runs scored. National League The Atlanta Braves may be taking a few too many peeks in the rear view mirror, because their lead in the NL East has been shrinking fast and the Philadelphia Phillies appear larger with every look. As the Braves were losing their second straight and fourth of their last six in a 2-0 loss at Washington, the Phillies clubbed their way to their sixth straight win, a 9-5 laugher over the Diamondbacks. The Phillies have been closing the gap on the Braves and now trail them by just 3 1/2 games with the Mets 6 1/2 back and the Marlins 7 1/2 behind. Even though the Phillies haven't had great pitching outside of Roy Halladay, their hitters seem to be hitting their stride, especially Ryan Howard, who has been a model of consistency all season, but has lately pushed his game to another level. Howard smashed his 23rd home run of the season and drove in three runs, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. He singled in a run in the 3rd inning and walked and scored on Jayson Werth's home run in the 5th. After a rare throwing error in the top of the 6th that helped Arizona grab a 5-4 lead, Howard untied the 5-5 game with his two-run shot after which the Phillies never again trailed. Hoawrd's numbers are the stuff of MVP honors. His 23 homers are tied with Albert Pujols and Adam Dunn for 4th on the NL list, but his 81 RBI are tops in the National League. Pujols and Milwaukee's Corey Hart each have 70. Streak Notes: San Francisco's Buster Posey has really helped the Giants since joining the club in late May, but he's also on the verge of making some history in his rookie season. Posey singled home Aubrey Huff in the 4th inning of the Giants' 6-4 win over the Marlins, extending his hitting streak to 20 games and helping the Giants cut San Diego's division lead down to just 2 1/2 games. Posey has now tied Milwaukee's Corey Hart for the longest streak in the NL, and is one shy of tying for the longest streak in the majors, held jointly by Jose Guillen of KC and Texas slugger Josh Hamilton at 21 games, but Posey's is the only current streak of them all. He's also just two games shy of tying the Giant's franchise record of 22, held by immortal swatter Willie McCovey. One of the nice aspects of the streak is that they Giants have won 16 times in those 20 games. Posey is batting .366, but doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify as the official league leader, though he's well ahead of the current leader, Rafael Furcal, at .322. Posey would need about 4.5 plate appearances per game for the remainder of the season to qualify, but since he's young and durable, he might just make it.

Aybar Keeps Angles in Pursuit; Howard's 2 HRs to No Avail

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 15, 2010 American League In what's become a desperate chase of the Texas Rangers in the AL West, the LA Angels continue winning without making up any ground. After the Rangers won, 7-2, in Boston, the Angels took care of business at home, smacking the Mariners by an 8-3 score. Shortstop Erick Aybar got the Angels off to a quick start, singling and scoring in the first and sparking a three-run rally in the second inning by singling home a pair of runs, leading to a quick 4-0 lead. After the Mariners scored three times in the top of the 5th to close the gap to one run, Aybar again delivered a key blow, driving home another run, and then scoring on Bobby Abreu's double, finishing up 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and two runs scored. The Angels remain 4 1/2 behind the front-running Rangers. National League Getting his second half off to a rousing start, even if his teammates aren't yet on board, Ryan Howard belted a pair of homers and drove in four runs in a 12-6 loss to the Cubs. Howard started the scoring for the Phillies with a two-run blast in the 1st inning, but starter Jamie Moyer couldn't hold the lead, allowing two runs in the bottom of the 1st, another in the 2nd and three more in the 3rd. Chicago piled on 16 hits overall, and it wasn't until the 9th inning that the Phillies showed any life, scoring fur times in the frame, ending with Howard's second two-run bomb of the game. Howard has 19 homers to go with 69 RBI and a .298 batting average. The Phillies lost ground to the NL East-leading Braves, who won, 2-1, over Milwaukee, but remained 1/2 game behind the second place Mets, losers to Tim Lincecum and the Giants, 2-0. The Braves lead the Mets by 5 full games and Philly by 5 1/2. The Cubs are trying to get back into the NL Central race. They are tied for 3rd place with the Brewers, both teams 9 behind Cincinnati. Second place St. Louis is only 1/2 back of the Reds.

Cliff Lee Brilliant for Mariners; Ryan Howard Has 13 Total Bases in Philly Win

Players of the Day for Friday, June 18, 2010 American League When Cliff Lee was traded from Cleveland to Philadelphia last season, it was hailed as a solid move by the Phillies, but Lee didn't quite cut the muster against the Yankees in the World Series, so the Phillies went after Roy Halladay and Lee, a free agent, signed on with the Mariners. His first start didn't come until the last day of April, and though he pitched brilliantly (7 innings, 3 hits, 8Ks against the Rangers), he received no decision. Since then, he's been up-and-down, but lately, he's been mostly up. On Friday, he threw the second complete game in his last three outings, a nifty, 6-hit shutout against the visiting Reds, for a nail-biting, 1-0 win. Lee, demonstrating the kind of control which earned him the AL Cy Young award in 2008, didn't walk a batter while striking out seven, throwing 79 of 111 pitches for strikes. Improving his record to 5-3, Lee, an innings-muncher, has gone 7 innings or more in all but one of his starts. National League Most of the Philadelphia Phillies have been struggling at the plate, though one could make the case that Ryan Howard has continued to produce even while the players batting in front or behind him have faltered. The power outage began in on May 22nd, when the Phillies were blanked on one hit by Daisuke Matsuzaka. After that, they were swept by the Mets and the Braves, lost hold of first place and from the 22nd of May through the 15th of June went 6-15. But things may be turning around for the power-laded lineup. The team's won three straight, including Friday's 9-5 win over Minnesota. Chase Utley smacked his 11th home run and drove in four runs, and Howard, who has been going pretty well, doubled, tripled and knocked two balls out of the park in four at-bats, scoring 3 times and driving in an equal number of runs. Even though the Phillies have struggled, Howard's numbers are respectable: .293, 13 homers, 49 RBI. Considering there are only 15 players in the NL batting over .300, the average is solid, his 13 homers are just 4 off the pace set by Milwaukee's Cory Hart and just 2 behind Albert Pujols, and his RBI total is the 4th-best in the league. David Wright and Troy Glaus share the lead with 53, but there's a very good chance that the guys right behind them - Pujols, with 50. and Howard - will be battling for the RBI crown in September. The Phillies are 3 1/2 behind the Braves, with the Mets just 1/2 game behind Atlanta, but the Phillies endured a protracted slump and shortstop Jimmy Rollins, their regular leadoff hitter and shortstop, should be coming off the DL any day and his bat could be just the catalyst Philly needs.

A-Rod, Thames Crush Red Sox in 9th; Ryan Howard Getting Into the Swing

Players of the Day for Monday, May 17, 2010 American League When the Yankees and Red Sox get together, fans normally expect something of a wild time, so the opening of a two-game series at New York - a highly-anticipated event - did not disappoint as the hitters had their way with starting pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and New York's Phil Hughes. Matsuzaka lasted only 4 2/3 innings, while Hughes managed to get through five, with neither earning a decision. The Red Sox forged an early 6-1 lead and eventually knocked out 5 homers against Yankee pitching, but it was the home team's two home runs - both coming in the 9th inning off closer Jonathan Papelbon - which carried the day and extended the Yankee home winning streak over the Sox to eight straight with an 11-9 victory. With Boston clinging to a 9-7 lead, Alex Rodriguez (left), who had singled in a pair of runs earlier, tied the game with his 5th home run of the season, a 2-run shot to the deepest part of the park. Papelbon managed to get Robbie Cano, but plunked Fancisco Cervelli, setting the stage for Marcus Thames (right), who did what he does best, hammering a Pepelbon offering into the left field stands for a 2-run, walk-off homer. The blast was Thames' second of the season, in limited playing time. Both Thames and Rodriguez collected 4 RBI on the night. The Yanks kept pace with Tampa Bay, who also won, maintaining their 2-game lead on New York. Boston dropped 8 1/2 off the pace, mired in 4th place in the division. National League Ryan Howard hasn't been lighting up opposing pitchers too often this season, though he'd been having a decent year heading into the opener of a quick, two-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Monday, Howard broke out the good wood, singling twice - one driving in a pair of runs - before putting the game on ice with his 7th bomb of the year, a grand slam that completed the final score of 12-2, and another Philadelphia win, their 4th straight and 8th of their last 10. Howard, the 2006 NL MVP and a candidate for the award every year, is beginning to pick up the leaders in the power categories, with little doubt that he'll be among the top three or four in RBI and home runs by season's end. He's four behind Andre Ethier and Kelly Johnson in the HR race, and his 29 RBI have him tied with another power player, St. Louis' Albert Pujols. Both are chasing Ethier, who has amassed 38 in an early display of West coast domination. Ethier and the Dodgers have won 8 straight and are within 2 games of division-leading San Diego, with the Giants sandwiched in between, 1 1/2 out. The Phillies, meanwhile, are threatening to turn the NL East into their own private show, leading the rest of the division by 5 games. They've won the division three straight years.

Phillies Complete Playoff Picture

Players of the Day for Monday, October 12, 2009 American League There were no AL games on Monday. A preview of the ALCS between the NY Yankees and LA Angels will be posted on Wednesday. The series begins Friday in New York. National League Philadelphia Phillies 5 Colorado Rockies 4 Just when it looked like the Rockies and Phillies would be heading back to Philadelphia for Game 5, the top of the Phillies batting order changed everything, propelling the Phillies to their second straight NLCS, in which they will face the LA Dodgers beginning Thursday, October 15, in Los Angeles. Starters Ubaldo Jimenez and Cliff Lee staged an impressive pitcher's duel through the first seven innings, with the Phillies ahead 2-1 on solo homers by Shane Victorino (1st inning) and Jayson Werth (5th). The Rockies came through in the 7th after a throwing error - charged to Jimmy Rollins - by Chase Utley, allowed Dexter Fowler to reach second base safely on a dribbler by Todd Helton. Lee was replaced by Ryan Madsen, who induced a fly ball out from Troy Tulowitzki. Jason Giambi followed with an RBI single, and Yorvit Torrealba doubled both Helton and Giambi home with a doubled to the right center gap. All of a sudden, the Rockies led, 4-2. The Phillies, however, were far from done. The team that led the league in come-from-behind victories during the regular season got going on a ground single by Jimmy Rollins with one in in the ninth off closer Huston Street. Rollins was forced out at second on Victorino's fielder's choice, but then, with two outs, Street couldn't close out Chase Utley, walking him to put runners on first and second. Ryan Howard, the Phillies best RBI man, laced a Street offering off the wall in right field, sending both runners scampering home, tying the score. With Howard on 2nd, Werth dropped a soft liner into shallow right center, and Howard arrived with the winning run. The Rockies responded in the 9th, putting runners on 1st and 2nd off Scott Eyre, but Brad Lidge came on to get Troy Tulowitzki on a swinging thrid strike to end the game and the series, with the Phillies taking 3 of 4. Philadelphia will head to Los Angeles for the start of the seven-game NLCS, beginning Thursday. Baseball on Deck will post a series breakdown later today.

Angels KO Red Sox; Yankees Sweep; Phillies Give Rockies Cold Shoulder

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 11, 2009 American League LA Angels 7 Boston Red Sox 6 - After 7 innings of game 3, it looked like the red Sox were about to embark on one of their patented post-season comebacks. Trailing the Angels, 2 games to none, Boston took a 5-2 lead into the 8th inning, but were undone by the LA bats, especially Vlaimir Guerrero and Bobby Abreu (left), who both scored on Juan Rivera's clutch single in the top of the inning cutting Boston's lead to 5-4. Boston came back with a run in the bottom of the frame, but the Angels erupted for 3 in the 9th off Jonathan Papebon, who gave up Rivera's single in the prior inning. Papelbon got the first two outs of the inning, but could not escape, as Abreu doubled home one run and galloped home with the game winner behind Chone Figgins on Guerrero's single to center. Abreu finished 3-for-5 for the game, with an RBI and 2 runs. After walking 4 times in game 1, Abreau went 5-for-9 over the next two games for a .556 batting average. Brian Fuentes set down the Red Sox in order in the 9th, sending the Angels to the AL Championship for the first time since 2005. NY Yankees 4 Minnesota Twins 1 - The NY Yankees completed their sweep of the Twins, closing out the series - and the Metrodome - with a classic pitching performance from Andy Pettitte and key contributions from his battery-mate, Jorge Posada. Pettitte blanked the Twins for the first five innings, but was touched up for a run in the 6th, the only Minnesota score or the game. After Joe Mauer singled home Denard Span, Pettitte quickly disposed of Michael Cuddyer with a strikeout, ending the threat and the inning. In the top of the 7th, Alex Rodriguez and Posada each hit solo homers for a 2-1 Yankee lead, allowing Pettitte to start the 7th by fanning Jason Kubel. With the win in hand, Pettitte was relieved by Joba Chamberlain, who finished the inning. Phil Hughes ran into trouble in the 8th, but, as is the usual case, Mariano Rivera came in to slam the door shut and worked the 9th after the Yankees tacked on another couple of runs on RBI singles by Posada and Robby Cano. Thus, the Yankees advance to the AL Championship to face the LA Angels. New York, by virtue of the best record in baseball, has home field advantage in the 7-game series which begins on Friday in New York. Pettitte earned his 15th post-season win, tying him with John Smoltz for the most all-time. National League Philadelphia Phillies 6 Colorado Rockies 5 - Ryan Howard drove in Jimmy Rollins with a sac fly in the top of the 9th, giving the Phillies a one-run lead, and Brad Lidge, despite issuing a couple of walks, made it stand up as the Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series at Colorado. With temperatures below the freezing mark through most of the game, players had a tough time just keeping warm, but Howard, who had singled home a run in the 4th inning, had the hot bat at the right time. Rockies' pitchers had a difficult time keeping Chase Utley off the bases as well. Utley hit a solo homer in the first and added a pair of singles in 4 at-bats. He also walked once and scored two of Philadelphia's runs. Game 4 is set for 6:07 pm EDT Monday. Ubaldo Jiminez goes to the mound for the Rockies to face the hero of game 1, Cliff Lee. Temperatures are expected to moderate into the 50s by game time.

Lidge Wastes Howard's Heroics; Guillen, Tigers Rock Cleveland

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 23, 2009 American League The Detroit Tigers don't seem too concerned about Minnesota being only 2 1/2 games back in the AL Central race, as long as they're playing the pushover Cleveland Indians. Detroit maintained their lead in the division with their second straight win ovr the Indians, a lopsided 11-3 victory which the Tigers led from start to finish. Leading the hit parade was Carlos Guillen, who had 3 of the Tigers' 15 hits. Guillen's knocks were all of the extra-base variety - a double and two homers in four at-bats. After reaching on an error in the Tigers' four-run 1st, Guillen cracked a two-run homer in the 3rd, balted a solo shot in the 5th and doubled in another run in the 6th, finishing with 4 RBI and a pair of runs. Guillen, who played in only 12 games from may through July due to injury, has been a fairly steady bat in the Tiger lineup, hitting 9 homers and driving in 24 runs since returning to regular play August 1st. National League As long as Ryan Howard is anchoring the lineup, it's very likely that the Phillies will clinch the NL East before the calendar flips over to October, though the slugger and Philadelphia's starting pitchers surey aren't getting any help from the bullpen. Howard doubled and homered in 4 at-bats Wednesday at Florida, driving in 4 runs, but his heroics were overshadowed and wasted by the continuing saga of 0-8 closer Brad Lidge, who blew his 11th save in Philadephia's 7-6 loss to the Marlins. After Cole Hamels left the game in the 7th with a 6-4 lead, thanks to Howard's 3rd inning 2-run double and 7th inning 2-run homer (his 42nd), the Phillies' bullpen once again managed to give away the game. Ryan Madsen allowed a run in the 8th and Lidge managed to get just 2 outs in the 9th while allowing a walk and 3 hits, the last of which - Brett Carroll's single to left - plated Hanley Ramirez with the winning run. Howard moved into 2nd place in the RBI race with 130, sandwiched in between Prince Fielder (131) and Albert Pujols (129). His 42 homers are third behind Pujols (47) and Arizona's Mark Reynolds who has hit 43 bombs this season. The Florida win meant that Phialdephia's magic number remained stuck at 5. They have a 6 1/2 game lead on the Marlins as the number of remaining games dwindles down to single digits. NOTES: The Cardinals lost, 3-0, to Houston, but the Cubs also were on the wrong end of the score in a 3-2 loss to the Brewers, so St. Louis can clinch the NL Central with a win tonight or a Cubs loss. The Yankees won their first series in Anaheim since 2004, taking two of three from the Angels and improving to 97-56. The Wednesday 3-2 win puts the Yankees in position for home field advantage throughout the playoffs as their record is the best in the AL. Should the Yankees make the World Series, they would also have the home edge, since the AL won the All-Star game. Even though Colorado lost and the Marlins, Giants and Braves all won, the Rockies still hold a 4-game edge on San Fran and Atlanta, with Florida another half game back.

Kansas City Stars; Howard's 40 Homers

Players of the Day for Friday, September 18, 2009 American League It's been a while since the Kansas City Royals have played October baseball, and it's going to be at least another year before the lowly Royals get a taste of post-season fun, but they've been doing some damage to other teams in their division lately, Heading into the final two weeks of the season, the goals for the Royals seem to be: a. Avoid losing 100 games (87 currently), b. get out of last place (only a game behind Cleveland), and, c. damage the reputations of as many AL Central teams as possible. On that last count, the Royals seem to be up to the task this September. Since the 8th of the month, they've gone 8-2, including taking 2 of 3 from Cleveland and 5 of 6 from division-leading Detroit. On Friday, they made the White Sox their latest victim, pounding the former division contender into pretender status with an 11-0 whitewash. Leading the charge was starting pitcher Luke Hochevar (left), who hurled the second complete-game and first shutout of his major league career. Hochevar, though only 7-10 with a 5.79 ERA, nevertheless had the stuff to down the White Sox on 3 hits and a walk while striking out 5. Besides handling his young battery-mate behind the plate, catcher Miguel Olivo (right) mashed White Sox pitching for 6 RBI, on a bases-loaded walk, two 2-run homers and a sac fly. A .251 hitter, Olivo went 2-for-4, upping his home run and RBI totals for the year to 23 and 64, respectively, both career highs. National League Ryan Howard blasted his 39th and 40th home runs, putting him in the 40+ homer club for the 4th straight year (out of five that he's been in the bigs), as the Phillies topped the Braves, 9-4, abruptly ending their 7-game win streak and dropping them into third place in the NL East and 4th place in the wild card. Howard went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI. Howard's heroics kept the big man in the hunt for both the home run and RBI title, though a guy named Pujols will probably be taking home most of the iron this fall. Howard trails Pujols by 7 in the dinger category (Mark Reynolds has 42) and his 121 RBI trail only Prince Fielder (126) and Pujols (127). The power struggle won't end with the regular season, however, as both the Phillies and Cardinals are fast approaching clinching their respective divisions. Philly's magic number is down to 8, while the Crds reduced theirs to 6 with a wolk-off homer by Matt Holliday getting them past the Cubs, 3-2. NOTES: It's nice to clinch at home, but the Cardinals will almost certainly make their NL Central crown official on the road. Following their three-game series with the Cubs which ends Sunday in St. Louis, the Cardinals don't return home until October 2nd, for a season-ending three-game set with the Brewers. Prior dates include three games each in Houston, Colorado and Cincinnati. The Phillies also will probably do their celebrating on the road, as they don't return to the City of Brotherly Love until the 28th of this month. Currently in Atlanta, their next stop is Florida for three with the Marlins and then a 4-game stop in Milwaukee. Their magic number is 8. As for pennant races, the closest one is in the AL Central, as the Tigers seem to be struggling to get to the wire after leading the division for most of the season. Detroit has dropped 8 of their last 11, the latest Friday night in Minnesota, where the Twins dumped them, 3-0, closing the gap to just 3 games. Minnesota can get closer as the two teams play Saturday and Sunday in the Metrodome. The Tigers may get a little bit road-weary this week. Following the Minnesota series, they have three games each in Cleveland and Chicago this week. When they return home on the 28th, waiting for them will be the pesky Twins again, for a 4-game series, and if that's not enough, the Tigers close out at home with a three-game series with Chicago, currently 6 1/2 back. Boston is cementing their lead in the wild card - now at 7 games - mostly thanks to the Rangers, who have dropped five in a row. The NL wild card is much more interesting, with the Giants now just 2 1/2 behind the Rockies and the Marlins and Braves trailing by 4 and 4 1/2.

Walk-Off Wonders: Ortiz, Howard Blast Teams to Wins

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 26, 2009 American League David Ortiz has had his share of ups and downs in 2009. There was the April-May slump in which his batting average fell to .185 and talk of benching the Boston slugger. When Ortiz did get his swing back in June and July, the good feelings were tinged by allegations of banned-substance use. But since his early August news conference in New York helped to clear the air and his good name, "Big Papi" has gotten his groove back, busting out with 6 homers and 15 RBI in his last 9 games. On Wednesday, with the Red Sox in the heat of a three-way wild card race, Ortiz came all the way back to hero. On the day in which Boston fans honored the late Ted Kennedy, Ortiz delivered a pair of solo home runs, the second of which was a one-out, bottom of the 9th job just inside the right field foul pole, sending the Red Sox to a 3-2 win over the White Sox and the Boston crowd into a frenzy. The pair of bobs gave Ortiz 22 on the season, to go with his 77 RBI. More importantly, the win gave Boston a 2 1/2 game lead over the Rangers in the wild card and a 4-game edge over the Rays as Texas was beaten by the Yankees and the Rays lost to Toronto. National League After Cole Hamels pitched 8 innings of shutout ball against the Pirates, the Phillies, in such desperate need of a closer, turned to Ryan Madson for the ninth inning. Unfortunately, Madson's form as a closer was predictably bad (9 saves, 18 blown saves since 2004) and the inevitable occurred, pinch hitter Brandon Moss smacked a leadoff homer off Madson, tying the game at 1. However, Madson was able to get through the rest of the inning without allowing another run and after Ryan Howard's 3-run blast in the top of the 10th, had a cushion with which to work. Madson kept the Pirates off the board and the Phillies escaped with the 4-1 win, though Hamels was likely disappointed in not getting the decision for one of his best-pitched games of the season. Howard's homer was his 35th of the season and he has 107 RBI, tying him with Albert Pujols for second place in the RBI category. Both are chasing Milwaukee's Prince Fielder, who has 112. Pujols leads the NL with 40 dingers, followed by Arizona's Mark Reynolds with 38 and Howard's 35. The win left the Phillies with the second-largest division lead in the majors, at 7 games. St. louis Leads the Central by 9.

Howard Powering Phils In NL East; Bryd's Homers Lift Rangers

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 20, 2009 American League The chase continued for the Texas Rangers on Thursday, as they notched an 11-1 win over Minnesota, earning a 2-2 split in their 4-game series. Continuing what looks to be a battle to the finish with Boston for the wild card, the Rangers remain a game behind, as Marlon Byrd led the way with a pair of homers - a solo shot in the second and a two-run bomb in the 3rd - and a sac fly in the 6th. The Rangers get their runs from a variety of contributors, and Byrd's been a player lately, driving in 7 runs in his last four games. National League Is it all over in the NL East? Well, according to the way the Phillies are playing, it certainly looks that way. The Phils won their 4th straight and 8th in their last 10, blasting Arizona by a 12-3 score as Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz all homered. The Phillies have been knocking balls out of parks with increasing regularity, led by their biggest bopper, Howard, who opening the scoring onslaught with an RBI double in the first and pretty much ended it when he launched a 3-run shot (his 32nd) in the 6th inning. Howard's 4 RBI gave him 98 on the season and he also scored three times. Howard has been a terror of late, smashing 6 homers in his last 7 games and driving in at least one run in 9 of his last ten games, with 19 overall during that span. The win upped Philadelphia's lead to 6 1/2 games over the suddenly-struggling Marlins, who have lost two straight. The Braves, with their second straight win, are now tied with Florida in second place.

Howard Brings Phillies Back; Youkilis Cranking for Red Sox

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 11, 2009 American League With the Yankees out on the coast, taking a daily beating from the Angels, Kevin Youkilis and the Boston Red Sox are increasing their AL East lead. The Yanks were throttled 14-9 Satuday, while the Red Sox were beating up on the Royals, 15-9, increasing their breathing space to 2 games over New York and 5 1/2 over Tampa Bay. Youkilis, the steadiest Red Sox player all season, singled and mashed a pair of homers - solo and one-run variety - drove in four runs and scored four in the rout. Batting .296, Youkilis upped his home run total to 16 and his RBIs to 52. The Red Sox and Royals close out their four game series on Sunday. A win would give the Sox a 3-1 series edge. The Yankees play the Angels Sunday afternoon with LA seeking the 3-game sweep and at least a 1/2 game advantage over Texas in the AL West. National League Ryan Howard had a perfect night at the plate in Philly's 8-7 comeback win over the Pirates. After singling and walking twice each, Howard saved his big hit for last, trailing by three with one out and two on in the bottom of the ninth, homering to deep center to tie the game at 7-all. Four batters later, Paul Bako completed the Philly revival, knocking in Raul Ibanez from third with the game-winner. Howard finished 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs. He has 22 homers, tying him for 4th in the league with teammate Ibanez and Milwaukee's Prince Fielder. His 66 RBI are third-best in the National League. It was home run #199 in Howard's short career. Philadelphia's 4th straight win boosted their NL East lead to 4 games ahead of Florida, 5 over the Braves and 6 1/2 over the injury-plagued Mets. NOTES: The Phillies have established some space between themselves and the rest of the NL East by finally winning some home games. Before starting their current 10-game homestand, the Phillies were a shabby 13-22 on their own turf. Since then, they've won 8 of their last 9 at home and will look for 9 of 10 Sunday against Pittsburgh, which would be a nice way to head into the All-Star break. The NL West continues to get more interesting by the day. The Giants sliced LA's lead to 6 games with a 2-1 win over the Padres Saturday while the Dodgers were being handled, 6-3, at Milwaukee. Speaking of the Brewers, they remain 2 behind St. Louis in the NL Central. They are followed by the Cubs, Astros and Reds, 3 1/2, 4 and 4 1/2 out, respectively. Alex Rodriguez launched two homers on Saturday, career numbers 569 and 570, which moved him past Rafael Palmeiro into 10th place all time. Next up on the chart for A-Rod are #9 Harmon Killebrew (573), #8 Mark McGwire (583) and #7 Frank Robinson (586).