Ryan Zimmerman's 2 HR, 6 RBI Lift Nats Over Cubs; Marcus Semien Goes Yard Twice As A's Rout Angels, 7-0

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 12, 2018

American League

Semien: 3-5, 2HR, 4RBI

The Oakland A's are charging hard in the AL West and they're getting help from the Seattle Mariners.

Seattle dumped worst-place Houston for the third straight time, winning, 3-2, at Houston. Meanwhile, the A's were making the Angels pray for help in a 7-0 win, and are 3 1/2 back of the Astros in the division. Seattle is five out.

With starter Edwin Jackson blanking the Halos on three hits over 7 1/3 innings, leadoff hitter Marcus Semien was sending balls toward the heavens, socking a pair of homers and driving in four runs.

Semien got things started right away, singling and scoring in the first inning before smashing a three-run homer in the second and a solo shot in the fourth.

Batting .259 on the year, Semien's homers were his eighth and ninth. He has 43 RBI and has scored 65 runs.

Winners of eight of their last 10, the Athletics wrap up their series in Anaheim on Sunday, 4:07 pm EDT. The Angels won the first of the three-game set. On Monday, the A's return to Oakland for a nine-game home stand with three each against division rivals Seattle, Houston, and Texas.

National League

Zimmerman: 2HR, 6RBI

One of the reasons that the Washington Nationals are 5 1/2 behind the Phillies and trail Atlanta by 4 1/2 in the NL East might be attributed to the mid-season absence of Ryan ZimmermanRyan Zimmerman, who was on the DL from May 9 until July 20 and has only recently been playing regularly.

Facing the Cubs Saturday in Chicago, Zimmerman displayed his ability, smacking a pair of home runs and driving in six, powering the Nationals to a 9-3 victory.

The Cubs took the first game of the series, 3-2, on Friday, but the Nationals came back with a vengeance, scoring all of their runs in the first four innings, rocking Chicago starter, Jon Lester, for eight earned runs on 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Zimmerman's blasts came in the first with one aboard and in the fourth, with two runners on base. Both homers were hit with two outs in the frame. In between, Zimmerman knocked in another run with a sac fly in the third.

The homers were just the eighth and ninth of the season for the Washington third baseman, but he's hit three this month, along with 11 RBI off a .409 August batting average (9-for-22).

The series with the Cubs is the first meeting between Chicago and Washington. The rubber game is Sunday night, 8:00 pm EDT, and will be televised nationally by ESPN. The two meet again in Washington for four games, September 6-9.

NLDS: Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper HRs Power Nationals' Comeback Win Over Cubs

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 7, 2017

National League

The two most prominent features of baseball this season have been home runs and strikeouts, so it may be fitting that in Saturday's game two of the NLDS between the Cubs and Nationals, all of the runs were scored via the long ball, including the tying and winning runs.

Harper: 2-run HR

Washington rallied for five runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Cubs, 6-3, evening the series at a game apiece.

Jon Lester, the Chicago starter, put in a strong performance, limiting the Nats to one run on just two hits over six innings, but, the Cubs' relief staff could not hold the lead as the game entered the latter stages.

In the eighth, Bryce Harper tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run homer to right and later in the same inning, Ryan Zimmerman belted the game-changing three-run shot into the left field stands.

Zimmerman: 3-run HR

The victimized relievers were Carl Edwards, Jr., who allowed two hits, a walk and was credited with giving up three earned runs, retiring only one batter in the inning. Mike Montgomery came on with one out and allowed two more hits, including Zimmerman's blast.

Harper, who missed half of August and almost all of September due to injury, still managed a solid season, batting .319 with 29 homers and 87 RBI. Zimmerman, who has played all 13 years of his major league career with the Nationals, is almost a no-doubter for NL Comeback Player of the Year, swatting 36 home runs and driving in 108 runs with a .303 batting average during the regular season. In 2016, he hit .218 with 15 HRs and 46 RBI.

The teams get a day off Sunday, resuming the series Monday in Chicago.

Los Angeles took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five divisional series with an 8-5 victory over the visiting Diamondbacks.

Yasiel Puigled the Dodgers, going 3-for-4, driving in a pair of runs. Logan Forsythe was 3-for-5, scoring three times with an RBI.

The series shifts to Arizona on Monday. First pitch is slated for 7:08 pm ET.

American League

There were no games in the American League on Saturday, but Sunday's games are do-or-die for the two teams from the AL East, Boston and New York. Both the Red sox and Yankees are down two-games-to-none and face elimination as they return to their home fields.

Boston hosts the Astros at 2:38 pm ET in game three. Brad Peacock starts for the Astros. Doug Fister goes to the mound for Boston. The Yankees welcome the Cleveland Indians to Yankee Stadium at 7:38 pm ET. Masahiro Tanaka will try to keep the Yankee hopes alive, facing Cleveland hurler, Carlos Carrasco.

Cleveland Notches14th Straight Behind Carlos Carrasco; Ryan Zimmerman Leads Nationals

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 6, 2017

American League

Carrasco: CG, 9 Ks 1 ER

Tying a franchise record with their 14th straight win - the longest in the majors this season - the Cleveland Indians topped the White Sox, 5-1, in Chicago.

Carlos Carrasco went the distance for the tribe, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out nine. Chicago's only run came on an Adam Engel home run with two down in the bottom of the ninth inning. Prior to that, Carrasco had given up singles at the start of the fifth and sixth innings. Both were wiped away on double plays.

The 30-year old hurler was highly efficient, throwing 78 of 97 pitches for strikes while facing 28 batters, one one the minimum. Carrasco matched his career high in wins with his 14th of the season, against six losses. Carrasco is tied for third in wins with four other pitchers, including teammate Cory Kluber. His 192 strikeouts are the fifth-highest total in the league.

Cleveland's late-season streak has virtually sewn up the division. The Indians lead the Twins by 11 games in the AL Central with 21 games to play. The Indians wrap up their series at Chicago on Thursday. Game time is 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Zimmerman socks 31st HR

With all the streaking going on in the NL West (Arizona's won 13 straight, the Dodgers have lost six in a row), almost without notice, the Washington Nationals have expanded their lead in the East to the largest in the majors: 18 games after downing the Marlins, 8-1.

Washington completed the sweep in Miami with their third straight over the Marlins, taking the series with a combined score for the three games of 17-4.

Ryan Zimmerman, who's having a remarkably productive season, singled twice and whacked his 31st home run, scoring three times and driving in two, giving him 93 RBI on the year.

With just 23 games left on their schedule, the Nationals could clinch the division title by the weekend. A magic number of five means that any combination of five Washington wins or five losses by the Marlins would be enough to clinch.

The Nationals open a four game series against the Phillies in Washington on Thursday.

Ryan Zimmerman Leads Nats With 2 HR In 10-1 Win; Justin Verlander Brilliant in Tigers' 10-0 Victory

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

American League

Verlander: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

Detroit probably won't be seen in October, but they're still playing in August, racking up a 10-0 win over the visiting Pirates Wednesday night.

Justin Verlander didn't allow a hit until Pittsburgh's Josh Bell blooped a two-out double to left in the sixth inning, finishing with eight innings of one-hit ball, striking out six and walking three. Following Bell's two-bagger, Verlander (8-7) didn't allow another baserunner, setting down the last seven batters he faced in order.

Shane Green finished up the whitewash in the ninth.

Ian Kinsler singled, doubled, homered, drove in four runs and scored four times; Nicholas Castellanos singled twice, tripled and drove in five.

The Tigers and Pirates face off again on Thursday, 1:10 pm ET, at Comerica Park in Detroit.

National League

The Washington juggernaut rolls along.

Zimmerman: 2 HR, 5 RBI

Ryan Zimmerman singled, doubled, smacked a pair of home runs, scored four times, and drove in five runs in five at-bats, leading the Nationals to a 10-1 rip over Miami, their nearest rival in the NL East.

Zimmerman's two home runs gave him 26 on the year, to go along with his .310 batting average and 81 RBI. His home run total is his best since 2013, and the RBI number is his highest since 2012, when he drove in 95, and there are still 50 games left to the regular season.

Zimmerman has never batted higher than .307 for a full season, which he did in 2010.

So, it's safe to say that some of the success of the 2017 Nationals can be credited to Ryan Zimmerman having something of a career year.

As for the Marlins, while they are the team closest to the division-leading Nationals in the NL East, they are a distant 14 games back.

Washington leads the current four game series in the nation's capitol, two games to one, with the finale Thursday, at 7:05 pm ET.

Eddie Rosario Socks 3 HRs, Twins Batter Mariners, 20-7; Ryan Zimmerman Socks Two HRs In Nationals' Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 13, 2017

American League

Rosario: 3 HR, 5 RBI

After dropping the opener of their four-game series with the visiting Mariners by a 14-3 score on Monday, the Minnesota Twins delivered some payback in game two on Tuesday, setting a franchise record with 28 hits in a lopsided, 20-7, romp.

All of the starters had at least one hit, and all but Joe Mauer had at least two. Kennys Vargas was 4-for-6, Eduardo Escobar was 5-for-6, Jason Castro was 4-for-5, but Eddie Rosario, batting in the ninth spot in the order, went 4-for-5 with three home runs, three runs and five RBI.

The game took only 3:04 to play, though it was completely out of hand by the third inning, when the Twins had established an 11-3 lead. Seattle starter, Christian Bergman, lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing nine runs on 10 hits.

Minnesota, with the victory in hand, continues to lead the AL Central by two games over the Indians. Game three of the series, which has already seen 44 runs scored, starts Wednesday, 8:10 pm ET at Target Field.

National League

Zimmerman Leads NL
in AVG, HRs

Starting with his .372 batting average, Ryan Zimmerman is having a stats-busting season.

Not only is the Washington first baseman leading the league in batting by 20 points over Buster Posey (.352), but he leads the league in home runs after belting a pair in the Nationals' 10-5 win over the Braves.

Zimmerman socked a solo homer in the first and a two-run shot in the sixth, the second belt giving the Nats a 6-5 lead. In the seventh, he singled and scored on Daniel Murphy's double. Zimmerman went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. He is fifth, league-wide in RBI, with 52. Arizona's Jake Lamb leads with 57.

Washington increased its lead in the NL East to 9 1/2 games over the Mets, as the Cubs downed the New Yorkers, 14-3.

The rubber game of the Atlanta-Washington series is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, 4:05 pm ET.

Ryan Zimmerman Homers As Nats Sweep Braves; Steven Souza Jr. A Single Short Of Cycle For Rays

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 20, 2017

American League

Souza Jr: Single Short

Normally, when one comes close to hitting for the cycle, it is the triple or home run that's the elusive part.

For Steven Souza Jr., a simple single kept him out of the record books in Tampa Bay's 8-1 trouncing of the Detroit Tigers.

Batting in the leadoff spot for the Rays, Souza countered Ian Kinsler's leadoff homer for the Tigers in the first inning by doubling and scoring in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1-1. He followed up by tripling in a pair of runs in the second, putting the Rays ahead, 3-1.

After flying out in the fourth and striking out in the sixth, with a 5-1 lead, Souza wasn't likely thinking about the cycle, but he managed to come as close as one can by socking a solo homer in the eighth inning to complete the scoring for the Rays. He finished 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI.

Souza ended the day batting .349 with three homers and 15 RBI.

Ryan Zimmerman

Sweeping the three-game series from the Tigers, the Rays are 9-8 and remain home for a three-game set with Houston, starting on Friday night at 7:10 pm ET

National League

Thanks largely to the effort of Ryan Zimmerman, Washington's Stephen Strasberg pitched just well enough to win his second game without a loss and keep the Nationals the clear leader in the NL East.

Strasberg allowed six hits and two runs over seven innings, striking out 10, but Zimmerman's two-run homer in the sixth inning - his fifth of the year - off Atlanta's R.A. Dickey helped give Strasberg the 3-2 win, sweeping the Braves three straight, while leaving the Nationals atop the NL East by two games over the idle Miami Marlins. Zimmerman also doubled in the second inning, scoring the Nationals' first run on a sac fly by Michael Taylor. He finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.

Zimmerman, a stalwart at either first or third base for the Nats since entering the majors in 2005, is batting .389, with six doubles and 13 RBI and is yet another reason the Nationals are looking more and more like the class of the National League.

With the sweep, the Nationals have the best record in the league at 10-5, and begin a three-game series with the Mets on Friday. Game time is 7:10 pm ET.

Kendrys Morales Sparks Royals 15-7 Win over Tigers; Ryan Zimmerman Drives in Four for Nationals

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 3, 2015

American League

Zimmerman: 3-3, 4 RBI

Morales: 4-5, 4 RBI

Despite 14 hits and seven runs, the Detroit Tigers lost badly to the Kansas City Royals, who dominated their AL Central foes with a 15-7 triumph.

The Royals totaled 20 hits, led by Kendrys Morales' four hits in five at-bats. Kansas city took the three-game series, two games to one.

Morales singled thrice and doubled, driving in four runs and scoring three.

In his first season with the Royals, Morales, always a solid run producer, has 98 RBI on the season, second in the AL. He's batting .293 with 17 home runs.

With the AL's best record (82-51), the Royals have a 13-game lead over second place Minnesota in the division and can begin counting down toward their second straight playoff appearance, this time with the division crown in hand. Their magic number for clinching outright is 17.

Detroit has seen better days. After finishing atop the Al Central for four straight seasons, the Tigers have slumped to last place in the division, 21 games out.

Kansas City opens a three-game series with the visiting White Sox Friday.

National League

In Washington's 15-1 trouncing of the Atlanta Braves, Bryce Harper recorded a baseball's odyssey, scoring four times without a hit or even an official at-bat.

Harper walked all four times he appeared at the plate and managed to come around to touch home plate every time. In addition, he was credited with an RBI in the second inning, when he walked with the bases loaded, scoring starter Jordan Zimmermann.

Meanwhile, Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-3 with two doubles, driving in four runs and scoring twice.

With the Mets idle, the Nationals closed to within six games of first place with their second straight win. With Atlanta in town for three more games this weekend, the Nats have an opportunity to gather momentum for a showdown with the Mets when the New Yorkers visit Washington for a three-game set beginning Monday.

Atlanta is 54-80 and has lost nine straight.

Ryan Zimmerman Slam Boosts Nationals over Padres; Evan Gattis Powers Houston to 15-1 Win over Yankees

Players of the Day for Tuesday, August 25, 2015

American League

Evan Gattis

After losing Monday's opener at Yankee Stadium on a walk-off sac fly by Carlos Beltran, 1-0, the Houston Astros exacted their revenge early and often against the Yankees on Tuesday night, smothering the home team by a 15-1 tally.

Houston scored five runs in the first inning off Yankee starter, Ivan Nova, and finally chased the starter in the fifth inning when Evan Gattis belted his 20th homer of the season with one aboard and nobody out.

Ryan Zimmerman

Gattis also singled home a pair of runs in the seventh inning, delivering four RBI on the night, walking twice and scoring three times in four at-bats.

The win helped out the Astros, increasing their lead over Texas in the AL West to 4 1/2 games, while sending the Yankees one game back of Toronto in the AL East. The Blue Jays have won four straight and retaken first place in the division.

Houston and New York play the third - and final - game of the series when they take the field at Yankee Stadium Wednesday afternoon at 1:05 pm EDT.

National League

Ryan Zimmerman had just one hit in five at-bats, but it was a loud one: a sixth inning grand slam that turned a 4-2 Washington lead into an 8-3 victory over the visiting San Diego Padres.

Zimmerman's smash was just his 10th of the season. The All-Star third baseman has been saddled by injuries the past two seasons, playing in just 61 games in 2014 and 82 this season. He has only 15 home runs over the past two years, well below his former production.

Zimmerman's woes mirror those of the rest of the team, riddled with nagging injuries and underperformance that has the Nationals ten games behind the Cubs for the second wild card spot, the chances of making the post-season almost hopeless at this point.

The Nationals have won three straight and gotten back over .500, but the Cubs have won six in a row and have been the hottest team in the National League this month, with a mark of 17 wins and four losses.

Washington will try to keep pace when they play game two of their three-game series with the Padres at 7:05 pm EDT on Tuesday.

Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman Lead Nationals Over Rockies; Elliot Johnson's Big Sixth Inning Rallies Royals

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 13, 2013

American League

Elliot Johnson

When second baseman Elliot Johnson came up to the plate leading off in the top of the sixth inning, there was no score between the Royals and Rays. By the time the inning was over, it was 8-0 Kansas City, and Johnson had gone around the bases twice.

Johnson got things started in KC's big inning with a simple single to right off Tampa starter Jeremy Hellickson and came around to score two batters later on Alex Gordon's single.

The Royals ended up sending 11 men to the plate, and Johnson made the most of his second crack of the inning, launching a three-run homer to right field, finishing off Hellickson, who took the loss as the Royals went on to the 10-1 win.

Adding a single in the eighth inning, Johnson finished up 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, helping the Royals (31-33) to their eighth win in their last nine games. picking up 1/2 game on idle second place Cleveland and first place Detroit.

The Royals are five games back and just 1/2 game behind the Indians in the division, and will look to make it two straight in Tampa when they face the Rays at 7:10 pm EDT Friday night.

National League

Ian Desmond

Ryan Zimmerman

After losing the opener of their three-game series in Colorado, 8-3, the Nationals fell below .500 and need to get their season back on track against the red-hot Rockies.

Taking the second game, 5-1, the Nats felt confident going into the rubber game; veterans Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond led the way to a 5-4 victory, a 33-32 record and second place in the NL East, 5 1/2 behind the runaway Braves.

Zimmerman doubled and homered in four at-bats, driving in three of Washington's runs, while Desmond stroked four singles in four at-bats, stole a base, scored a run and drove in another.

Starting the month of June with a 1-4 mark, including back-to-back rain-outs against the Mets and Minnesota, the Nationals have turned the corner, going 4-1 in their last five.

Washington remains on the road, heading to Cleveland for a three-game series beginning Friday at 7:05 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who was the last player to hit two inside-the-park home runs in one game? (hint: it was in 1986) (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: In 1894, the Philadelphia Phillies batted .349, the highest ever by a National League team.

Joe Mauer Goes 4-for-5 in Twins' Win; Ryan Zimmerman Drives in Four for Nationals

Players of the Day for Monday, April 15, 2013

American League

Mauer: 4-for-5

Not much has been heard from Minnesota this season, probably because until Monday, they had only won four games, but Joe Mauer made a bit of noise with four hits in five at-bats in the Twins' 8-2 win over the Angels.

Speaking of quiet, the Angels aren't exactly blowing off firecrackers at 4-9.

Mauer rapped out a couple of singles, a double and a homer, scored twice and drove in three runs, raising his batting average to .346, which is about where he's likely to finish at the end of the season.

Mauer won the AL batting title in 2006, 2008 and 2009, batting .327, 3.48 and .365, respectively.

The Twins improved to 5-7 and have two more games at home with the Angels, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Ryan Zimmerman

National League

After being swept by the Braves, the Washington Nationals needed to get back to winning, so there probably was no better place to do that than in Miami, where the Marlins have won only once in seven games this season.

Jordan Zimmermann tossed a complete game for his third win without a loss and Ryan Zimmerman drove in four runs as the Nats hammered the Marlins, 10-3.

Zimmerman had been off to a slow start, batting just .208 entering the game, but went 2-for-5 with his first home run of the season in the fourth inning with a man aboard and also singled in a run. He got one more home with a sac fly.

The Nationals are 8-5, tied with the Mets for second place in the NL East. Both are trailing the 11-1 Braves by 3 1/2 games.

Ryan Zimmerman's Three Homers Lead Nationals; Yovani Gallardo Stops KC

Players of the Day for Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Grapefruit League

Ryan Zimmerman

Opening Day is less than a week away, so players are making sure to get their best swings in as the exhibition season winds down.

One fellow who got a number of good at-bats on Wednesday was Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, who socked a trio of homers in the Nationals' 11-2 win over Atlanta.

Zimmerman was 3-for-4 with a pair of solo shots and a two-run donk, raising his RBI total to nine in 16 Spring games along with a .308 average.

Washington, NL East champions in 2012, haven't exactly been tearing up the Grapefruit League, tied with the Yankees near the bottom of the standings, at 13-17.

Cactus League

Yovani Gallardo

Somebody had to slow down the runaway KC Royals, so, leave it to one of the top National League hurlers, Yovani Gallardo, to apply the brakes to Kansas City hitters.

Blanking the Royals over the first three innings, Gallardo went on to record his first victory of Spring (against two losses), going 6 1/3 innings, giving up a single earned run on two hits and three walks while fanning two.

The Brewers banged out 16 hits, winning, going away, 9-1.

At 11-17, Milwaukee is still 11 games back of the Cactus League leading Royals, who need only win one more game to claim the exhibition championship, a feat they haven't done in the regular season since the days of George Brett back in 1985, when they won the World Series.

Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann Lead Nats; Adam Jones Goes 4-for-4 for Baltimore, J.P. Arencibia's Grand Slam Spoils Nightcap for O's

Players of the Day for Monday, September 24, 2011

American League

Adam Jones

Splitting a double header with the Blue Jays at Camden Yards, Baltimore lost a little ground on the Yankees in the AL East race, but actually picked up 1/2 game over the A's, as Oakland lost to Texas, 5-4.

Arencibia: GS 5RBI

Adam Jones was 4-for-4 in the opener, won by Baltimore, 4-1, socking his 32nd home run, a furth-inning, two-run blast that gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Jones' three other hits were all singles. In the sixth inning he singled and scored Baltimore's final run of the game.

In the nightcap, Jones went 2-for-5, but failed to drive in any runs or score. He is enjoying his finest season as a pro, batting .292 with 81 RBI. Jones finished 2011 with 25 homers and 83 RBI.

Toronto's 9-5 win in the second game was courtesy of J.P. Arencibia, going 3-for-3 with five RBI on a pair of singles, a sac fly and a seventh inning grand slam that increased Toronto's 5-4 lead to 9-4.

The Yankees topped Minnesota, 6-3, increasing their lead in the division to 1 1/2 games over the O's.

Baltimore and Toronto meet again on Tuesday night with the Yanks playing at Minnesota.

National League

Washington has already qualified for the playoffs, but needs any combination of five wins or five Atlanta losses to secure the NL East, which they currently lead by five games.

Jordan Zimmermann

Ryan Zimmerman

In the meantime, they are seeking home field advantage with the best record in baseball, a game better than the Reds, and playing wild card spoiler with a 12-2 win over Milwaukee.

Ryan Zimmerman provided enough offense - going 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs - for starter Jordan Zimmermann, who improved to 12-8, allowing one run on four hits, two walks and seven Ks over 6 2/3 innings. The pitcher went 2-for-3 at the dish, driving in a run and scoring once in support of his cause. Ryan Zimmerman belted a three-run homer in the fourth inning as the Nationals put up a six-spot.

Milwaukee's loss dropped the Brewers into a tie with Los Angeles, 3 1/2 games behind the Cardinals for the second wild card. St. Louis bettered Houston, 6-1, behind Lance Lynn's seven innings on the mound. Lynn gave up one run on five hits and two walks, fanning nine as he improved to 17-7.

The Cardinals have eight games left on their regular season schedule. Their closest pursuers, LA and Milwaukee, each have nine remaining.

Ryan Zimmerman's Two Homers Give Nats Split with Braves; Bobby Wilson, Albert Pujols Lead Angels Pat Texas

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 22, 2012

American League

In order to pick up some ground on NL West leader Texas, the LA Angels needed to take at least two out of three as they hosted the Rangers over the weekend.

Albert Pujols

After Jered Weaver delivered a 6-1 win in the first game, the Rangers came back to even the series with a 9-2 victory on Saturday, setting up Sunday night's rubber game.

Bobby Wilson

Catcher Bobby Wilson and Albert Pujols combined to drive in five runs as the Angels pulle to within five games in the division with a 7-4 triumph.

Pujols was 2-for-5 with a first inning, RBI double and his 18th home run, a seventh inning, two run blast that put the Angels ahead for good, at 6-2. Wilson had previously homered in the inning, socking a solo shot, his first homer of the season. He also singled in a run in the second and doubled and scored in the eighth, scoring the Angels' last run in a 3-for-4 effort.

As the Angels continue their pursuit of the Rangers, the win also gave them a 1/2 game lead over Baltimore in the wild card standings.


National League

Ryan Zimmerman

Having led the NL East for most of the season, the Washington Nationals were feeling the heat as they dropped the first two games of their home series with Atlanta, the Braves drawing to within 1 1/2 games as of Friday night.

The Nats fought back with a 5-2 win on Saturday and evened the four-game series with a 9-2 thumping Sunday afternoon. pushing their lead back to a more comfortable 3 1/2 games.

Ryan Zimmerman, who's really been heating up of late, extended his hitting streak to six straight with a two-run homer and a pair of singles in five at-bats, driving in three runs and crossing the plate three times to lead the Nationals.

Zimmerman was 9-for-17 through the four game series with the Braves, boosting his batting average from .259 to .274. With four homers in his last five games, he's hit 14, with 50 RBI in just 53 games this season.

Ryan Zimmerman's 4 RBI Lead Nationals; Shelley Duncan Helps Indians Past Orioles

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 1, 2012

American League

Concluding their four game series in Baltimore with a 6-2 win over the Orioles, the Cleveland Indians took three of four and find themselves just 1 1/2 games back of the White Sox in the AL Central.

Shelley Duncan

Shelley Duncan was 3-for-4, banging a second inning solo home run (6) to put the Indians up 1-0, then doubling and scoring in the fourth as the Indians added three more runs.

The Indians keep coming up with different heroes with each win; Sunday was Duncan's turn to carry the day. He doubled again to lead off the eighth and was pulled for pinch runner Michael Brantley, though the Indians left the potential run stranded.

The schedule gets a little tougher for the Indians as they host three games with the Angels and four with Tampa Bay prior to the all star break.

The Orioles, who maintained their hold on second place in the AL East, but trail the Yankees by six games, travel to Seattle for three games, followed by four at the Angels. The Orioles have lost nine of their last 12.

National League

Ryan Zimmerman

The Washington Nationals continue to cruise along in first place in the NL East, wrapping up a three game set in Atlanta with an 8-4 win over the Braves Sunday to earn a 2-1 split and improve their lead over the Mets to 3 1/2 games and 4 1/2 over the Braves.

Ryan Zimmerman had a big day at the plate, singling, doubling and socking a fifth inning home run (his 6th). Zimmerman drove in four and scored twice, getting things started for Washington with a two-run double and later scoring in the first inning as the Nationals tallied four times and would never trail in the contest.

With the best record in the National League, the Nats - winners of four of their last six - next host the Giants and Rockies in a pair of three game series after an off day Monday.

Nelson Cruz's 8 RBI Lead Texas Rout of BlueJays; Ryan Zimmerman Doubles Twice as Nats Extend NL East Lead

Players of the Day for Friday, May 25, 2012

American League

The last time Toronto's Brandon Morrow took the mound, he threw a 3-hit, complete game shutout against the Mets. On Friday, Morrow took to the bump against the Texas Rangers and lasted just 2/3 of an innings, as the Rangers blasted him for six runs off five hits and three walks in the shortest outing of his career, en route to a football-like, 14-3, beating in the opener of a three-game set at Arlington.

Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz was at the center of the Rangers' offensive outburst with a grand slam and eight RBI. Crus cleared the bases in the first with a bases-loaded double, singled home Josh Hamilton in the sixth and powered the slam in the eighth. He went 4-for-5 and scored two runs.

With the victory, the Rangers improved their edge in the AL West to six full games over second-place Oakland. Toronto dropped back to fourth place in the AL East, five games behind Baltimore and a 1/2 game behind the Yankees.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday.

National League

Ryan Zimmerman

The race in the NL East loosened up a bit for the Nationals, as they increased their lead over the Braves to two games with a 7-4 win at Atlanta.

Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and drove in three runs for the Nats, helping send the Braes to their fifth straight loss.

The division standings are incredibly compact, with the Mets and Marlins just 2 1/1 out. Philadelphia is four back, though the Phillies have won three straight and are now 24-23, making the NL East the only division in the majors in which all teams are over .500.

Washington's win over Atlanta came in the first game of their three-game weekend series, which continues Saturday.

Carlos Gonzalez Homers to Hit for Cycle and Win; Slowey Leads Twins to 7th Straight Win; Zimmerman Blasts Phillies in 9th

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 31, 2010 American League Kevin Slowey threw eight innings of shutout ball at the Seattle Mariners, allowing just three hits, pacing the Minnesota Twins to their 7th straight win, with a 4-0 victory. Slowey (10-4) fanned five and didn't allow a walk, giving up hits in just the 1st, 5th and 8th innings before turning the ball over to reliever Jose Mijares, who allowed a hit and stuck out one in a scoreless, non-save situation 9th. Minnesota is determined not to let the White Sox get too far ahead in the AL Central. Their seven-game win streak has drawn them to within 1/2 game of Chicago while the Detroit Tigers continue to slump, limping along in third place, six games off the pace. National League The Cubs and Rockies have been scuffling along of late, so, the two of them getting together might be a boost for one club or more of the same for both. The Rockies had lost eight straight before a 9-3 over the Pirates and a blasting of the Cubs, 17-2, in the series opener, Friday. With that merciless beating, the Cubs entered Saturday's contest losers of three straight. Colorado opened a 4-0 lead with three runs in the 2nd and another in the 3rd, only to see the Cubs rally back to tie the game with 3 runs in the 8th on a Derrick Lee homer at 5-all. Meanwhile, Carlos Gonzalez had put together a single, double and triple, scored once and driven in a run on a sac fly in the 7th. When Gonzalez came to the plate to lead off the 9th, needing a homer to finish the cycle, the stage was set for unusual drama. All it took was one Sean Marshall fastball, which Gonzalez deposited into the right field seats to send the crowd into a frenzy and the Rockies to their third straight win, 6-5, over the visiting Cubs. The win left the Rockies seven games off the pace set by the Padres in the NL West, while Chicago's loss dropped them 12 behind the Cardinals in the Central.

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Being perpetually in last place doesn't seem to matter to most of the players on the Washington Nationals. Sure, they're in a tough division - the NL East - where the other four teams ahead of them are all over .500, but they seem to accept their fate in stride and play on, despite their record. Actually, the Nats' 46-58 record (.442) is the best of all divisional last-place teams, so there's reason for optimism, though not necessarily this season. Still, the Nationals have won three straight including the first two of their three-game series against the visiting Phillies, who are attempting to run down the first place Braves. On Friday, Washington thumped the Phils, 8-1, but on Saturday, it looked like they might give one back, down 5-4 to open the bottom of the 9th. Of course, the Phillies are legendary for their bullpen issues, and Brad Lidge came on to hopefully record the final three outs. All he got was one, and that was a Niger Morgan sacrifice bunt which put Michael Morse, who singled to lead off the inning, on second base. Lidge then managed to walk light-hitting Adam Kennedy, bringing the Nationals' best hitter, Ryan Zimmerman, to the plate. After fouling off a pitch, Zimmerman sent the next one over the center field wall for his 18th homer of the year and stunning 7-5 win for the Nationals and capping a 2-for-4 night at the plate for Zimmerman, who helped the Nats' to a 3-0, 1st inning lead with a single and a run. Lidge quietly made his way back to the clubhouse while the Nationals once again became the happiest last place team in the majors. The Nationals will try for the sweep on Sunday.

Luke Scott Slams Seattle; Zimmerman Scales Rockies; Latos Tosses 1-Hitter at Giants

Players of the Day for Thursday, May 13, 2010 American League Break up the O's! For the fourth time this season, the Orioles are on a winning streak (2 straight), courtesy of the visiting Seattle Mariners' generous bullpen. After the O's evened their 3-game series with a 5-2 win on Wednesday, Seattle ace Felix Hernandez seemed to have a win pretty well gift-wrapped after holding the O's to one run over 7 innings while his teammates were scoring 5 runs in support. With a 4-run lead, Brandon League came on to start the 8th and that's when the fireworks began. Corey Patterson lifted a fly over the scoreboard in right field to cut the lead to 3, but League came right back and struck out Adam Jones on a swinging third strike wild pitch. Jones scampered down the line, ending up safe at first. Then it really got interesting. Nick Markakis singled to left, with Jones advancing to second. Miguel Tejada grounded into a fielder's choice, with Markakis out at second. Ty Wigginton walked, loading the bases for Luke Scott, who cashed his 6th homer of the season to deep left center, putting to O's up by a run. League got the next two batters, but the damage had been done. Alfredo Simon came on in the 9th to record his 5th save as the O's won, 6-5. Scott's slam upped his RBI total to 14, well below his expectations at this point in the season. He hit 23 homers in 2007 and 25 in 2008, so he's on track to better those totals in 2009, but the batting average has suffered. Despite his homer and earlier single in 4 at-bats, Scott's average is still only .213, part of the reason the O's have struggled so mightily this season. Baltimore looks to extend their streak to 3 games when they host the first of a 3-game series with Cleveland on Friday. A win would equal their longest win streak of the season, when they swept Boston, April 30-May 2. National League Beating the Rockies, 14-6, in 8 innings, the Nationals posted what appears to be a mercy rule score, but the game was actually called due to rain before the final frame. Not that it mattered very much. Washington's back-end relievers have been absolutely nails this season, so the chances for the Rockies to get back into it were roughly slim to none. Colorado pitchers had a difficult time keeping Washington players off the basepaths, especially Ryan Zimmerman, who admittedly wasn't on them all that much, banging a 2-run and a 3-run homer in the 1st and 5th innings, respectively, before driving in another run and scoring as part of a 7-run uprising by the Nats in the top of the 8th. Zimmerman's 3-for-6, 6 RBI, 3 run effort gave the slugging 3rd baseman 8 dingers on the year with 22 RBI and a .319 batting average. Better yet, it kept the Nationals in second place in the NL East, just one game behind the idle Phillies. The Nats banged out 16 hits in the win, the first of a 4-game set at Colorado. Each of the starting position players had at least one hit, except catcher Ivan Rodriguez. San Diego's Mat Latos (right) twirled a 1-hit shutout and singled in the game's only run as the Padres topped the Giants, 1-0, completing the road sweep of their closest competitor in the NL West. with the three-fer, San Diego has opened up a 3 1/2 game lead on San Fran, with the dodgers looming in 3rd place, 5 games back. Latos (3-3) was nearly perfect, setting down the first 15 Giants in order before giving up just the lone single to Eli Whiteside, leading off the 6th inning. After getting the Gaints' catcher on a fielder's choice - which was almost a double play - Latos proceeded to put down the remaining 11 would-be hitters in order without walking a single batter and striking out six overall. QUICK HITS: The Yankees have probably seen enough of Detroit for this season, as the Tigers finished up their 4-game series by blanking them, 6-0, behind a strong 6 1/3 innings by starter Justin Verlander, who walked 4 and fanned 4 while keeping the Yanks off the scoreboard. Two relievers finished up the job, resulting in the Tigers taking 3 of 4 from the World Champs. That outcome pushed the Tigers to within 2 1/2 of Minnesota in the Central while dropping the Yankees 2 games back of Tampa Bay in the East. Both the Twins and Rays, respective division leaders, were idle on Thursday.

Posada's 3-for-5 Lifts Yanks; Zimmerman Leads Nats to 5th Straight

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 6, 2009 American League The showdown in the AL East between the Red Sox and Yankees opened Thursday night at Yankee Stadium, but the rivalry qucikly turned into a laugher as the Yanks pounded Boston starter John Smoltz for eight runs in 3 1/3 innings to win going away, 13-6. Jorge Posada provided the Yankees with a boost, as he singled, doubled and homered in his first three at-bats, snapping out of a 1-for-14 skein, scoring twice and driving in 3 runs, all on his 4th inning homer to center field. Posada, sidelined most of May, has played in just 75 games this season, but walloped his 14th home run and upped his RBI total to 50. The Yankees increased their lead in the division to 3 1/2 games and play the Red Sox three more times this weekend. Idle Tampa Bay dropped another 1/2 game off the pace. They are 6 back. National League The Washington Nationals extended their season-high win streak to five games and Ryan Zimmerman hit safely for the 10th straight game, as the Nats hooked the Marlins, 12-8. Zimmerman finished just a double short of hitting for the cycle, going 4-for-4 with a pair of singles, a triple, and a 2-run homer as the Nationals rallied from a 6-0 deficit for the victory. Zimmerman finished with 3 RBI and 3 runs. He is batting an even .300 on the year, with 23 home runs and 73 RBI. Florida's loss dropped them to 7 games behind the NL East leading Phillies, who got their second straight quality effort from Cliff Lee, beating the Rockies, 3-1. Lee was acquired just before the trading deadline in late July and has already produced two wins for his new team. Florida is now just 1/2 game ahead of the Braves, who lost at LA, 5-4.

Buehrle One-Hits Tigers; Zimmerman Streak Reaches 25; Man-Oh-Manny! 50 Games in the Hole

Players of the Day for Thursday, May 7, 2009 American League Mark Buehrle (5-0) tossed a 1-hitter over 8 innings in Chicago's 6-0 win over Detroit. Perfect through 6 innings, the White Sox lefty allowed the only detroit baserunners in the seventh inning, when he gave up a one-out double to Placido Polanco, walked Clete Thomas, and after getting Miguel Cabrera to fly out, walked Magglio Ordonez to load the bases. Cather Gerald Laird lined out, however, to end the Tigers' only scoring threat. That was all Buehrle would allow, one hit and a pair of walks. Paul Konerko reached on a two-out error in the 8th, but Buehrle ended his night getting A.J. Pierzynski to ground out to first before giving way to Bobby Jenks for the ninth. Buehrle struck out 5 on the night, and is sporting a 2.61 ERA and a WHIP of 1.08 National League The Dodgers may have won 13 straight at home to open their season, and the news about Manny Ramirez being suspended for 50 games (violating MLB's substance abuse policy), but the real feel-good story was over on the Washington side of the diamond as Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 25 games with a single in his first at-bat. The rangy third baseman collected another hit and a walk in five at-bats, scoring twice to help the Nats knock off the Dodgers, 11-9, ending their major league record home win streak. Zimmerman got 2 hits for the tenth time during his streak. He has had 4 hits just once, and hasn't compiled three hits yet. He is batting .336 with 5 home runs and 20 RBI for the last place Nationals. NOTES: The suspension on Manny Ramirez sent shock waves through both leagues on Thursday. His 50 game suspension is one of the stiffest penalties ever imposed on a player for violating the substance abuse policy. Two things aer very clear right now: 1. Steroid use in Major League Baseball has been extremely widespread, with even players who were thought to have been clean - Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez - having been found out; and 2. MLB is not going to allow any leeway on the issue any longer. After years of looking the other way, it now appears that the league is taking a no-nonsense, zero-tolerance policy toward banned substances. It's about time.

Lester's 1-Hitter tops Jays; Zimmerman Leads Nats over Braves

Players of the Day from Tuesday, April 29, 2008 American League The Boston Red Sox went into Tuesday's game riding a five-game losing streak and to break out, they knew they'd have to beat Toronto's Roy Halladay, who was seeking his 4th straight complete game. Technically, Halladay got his complete game, but it wasn't the way he wanted it as Boston starter Jon Lester hurled 8 innings of 1-hit ball and Kevin Youkilis knocked home David Ortiz from second with two out in the bottom of the 9th for the game's only run in Boston's 1-0 triumph over the Blue Jays. Lester walked four and stuck out six, surrendering only a 3rd inning double to Toronto's Scott Rolen. Of the remaining out, Lester got 15 on ground balls and just 3 on flies, but didn't get the decision. He remained at 1-2 as Jonathon Papelbon came on to work a perfect ninth for his first win of the season without a loss. Notes: Halladay has pitched four straight complete games but has lost 3 straight. Boston's win kept them tied with the O's for first place in the AL East. Tampa Bay dropped a game off the pace, losing 7-4 to Baltimore. National League Ryan Zimmerman cracked his third homer of the season and broke a 2-2 tie with a 2-run double in the 7th inning as the Nationals topped the Braves, 6-3, in Washington.