Kevin Pillar Leads Giants To 9-8 Win Over Cardinals; Mookie Betts Homers Twice In Red Sox Victory

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 4, 2019

American League

Betts: 4-for-5, 2HR, 5RBI

Realists may believe Boston's chances for reaching the playoffs are fading fast, but apparently nobody told Mookie Betts.

The Red Sox's leadoff hitter absolutely tore up Minnesota's starting pitcher, Jose Berrios, leading off the bottom of the first with a solo home run, then mashing a three-run shot in the second. After Berrios went to the showers in the sixth, Betts responded to the relief staff with a single and his fifth RBI of the game, won by Boston, 6-2. The run was changed to Berrios.

Betts finished 4-for-5, with two homers - his 24th and 25th - two runs and five RBI, giving him 75 on the year. Betts leads the league in runs, with 125.

With Cleveland topping the White Sox, 8-6, Minnesota's loss left them 5 1/2 ahead of the Indians in the AL Central. Boston trails Oakland and Cleveland for the second wild card slot. Tampa Bay holds the top position, though only by 1/2 game over the A's and Indians.

The rubber game of the series is set for Thursday in Boston, at 7:10 pm ET. On Friday, the Red Sox welcome in the Yankees for a "make-or-break" four-game series over the weekend and into Monday.

Pillar powers Giants

National League

Kevin Pillar and the San Francisco Giants found a way to slow down the charging Cardinals, but just barely, as they out-slugged St. Louis in a 9-8 win.

Pillar's two-run homer in the eighth inning provided the difference, turning a 8-7 deficit into a 9-8 lead that was secured by the Giants' bullpen for the win.

The two teams combined for 28 hits and used 13 pitchers. Pillar went 4-for-5 with three singles in addition to his 21st home run of the year, driving in three runs.

At 67-72, the Giants have almost no hope of reaching the playoffs. The win snapped a four-game losing streak.

Even with the loss, the Cardinals remain one of the hottest teams in the majors, having won 14 of their last 18.

St. Louis continues to lead the NL Central, but dropped 1/2-game to the second place Cubs, who were idle on Wednesday and trail now by 2 1/2 games.

The Giants and Cardinals wrap up their four-game series in St. Louis on Thursday. Game time is 1:15 pm ET, after which the Giants head to Los Angeles for three games with the Dodgers. On Friday, the Cardinals begins a six-game road trip with three each in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

Mike Yastrzemski's 3 HR Lead Giants Over Arizona; James McCann Slams, White Sox Top Angels

Players of the Day for Friday, August 16, 2019

American League

McCann Slams Again

Lately, James McCann is having quite a bit of success with the bases loaded. For the second time in three games, McCann uncorked a grand slam, breaking open a one-run game with his seventh-inning round-tripper in Chicago's 7-2 victory over the Angels at Anaheim.

Just two days ago, on the 14th, McCann buried the Astros with an eighth-inning slam, leading the White Sox to a 13-9 win.

McCann, who has five career grand slams, has 14 home runs this season. The win put the White Sox into third place in the AL Central, though neither they nor the Angels have any hop of making the post-season this year.

In more meaningful games on Friday, the Yankees recovered from Thursday's 19-5 drubbing to take game two of their four-game series with the Indians, 3-2. The Yanks upped their lead in the East to 10 1/2 games, as Tampa Bay dropped a 2-0 decision to the Tigers. Cleveland's loss left them 1 1/2 out in the AL Central. Minnesota slipped by Texas, 4-3.

In Oakland, the Athletics won their second straight over the Astros, with a 3-2, walk-off win in 13 innings when Robbie Grossman singled home Corban Joseph with the game winner. That left the A's 7 1/2 games behind Houston in the division, but just 1/2-game behind Tampa Bay for the second wild card.

National League

In San Francisco's 10-9, 11-inning win at Arizona, the two teams combined for 12 home runs, six by each team, four of them smacked in extra innings. After Kevin Pillar had put the Giants ahead, 9-7, with a two-run homer in the top of the 10th, the Diamondbacks responded with solo shots from Wilmer Flores and Nick Ahmed.

Yastrzemski: 3HR, 4RBI

Leading off the 11th against Arizona reliever Yoan Lopez, Mike Yastrzemski sent a towering fly out to center field, eventually landing over the wall, 438 feet away, his third home run of the game. Giants' relievers, Burch Smith and Trevor Gott combined to close out the Diamondbacks in the final frame.

Yastrzemski's two other homers came in the third and seventh innings, a solo shot and two-run rake, in the desert air.

The grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, the rookie is having a solid season, socking 16 homers with 45 RBI with a .272 batting average in 239 at-bats. His three-homer game matched his grandpa, who did it once in his 23-year career with the Boston Red Sox. The elder Yaz is 79 and was entered into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

The win put the Giants into second place in the NL West, though they trail the Dodgers by a seemingly-insurmountable 19 1/2 games. They are, however, just 2 1/2 back of the Cubs and Phillies for the second wild card spot. Washington continues to hold the top wild card, with a 2 1/2-game lead.

The 12 home runs were the second most by two teams in major league history. The Diamondbacks and Phillies hold the record of 13, set on June 10 this season at Citizens Bank Park.

San Fran has taken the first two of the four-game series in Arizona. Games three and four are Saturday and Sunday.

Elsewhere, St. Louis ripped the Reds, 13-4, taking sole possession of first place in the NL Central. The Cardinals lead the Cubs - losers of four straight - by one game and Milwaukee by two.

In that game, rookie slugger, Aristides Aquino, became the first player in major league history to hit 10 home runs in his first 16 games. Aquino socked a two-run shot in the sixth inning.

Gio Urshela's 2 HRs Lead Yankees Over Blue Jays; SF's Madison Bumgarner Shuts Down Phillies

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 8, 2019

American League

Urshela: 3-4, 2HR, 4RBI

A near lock to make the playoffs as the pennant winner in the AL East, the New York Yankees opened a four-game series in Toronto by doubling up the Blue Jays, 12-6.

At the center of the blowout was third baseman Gio Urshela, who whacked a pair of home runs for the second straight game.

After tearing up Baltimore on Wednesday, Urshela unleashed a two-run homer in the opening frame and added another in the third inning. He also singled and scored in the ninth as the Yankees pounded Blue Jay pitching.

Called up early in the season as a replacement for injured Miguel Andujar, Urshela has proven to be much more than an ordinary replacement. In 94 games (303 at-bats), Urshela is batting .323, with 16 home runs and 59 RBI. He's delivered an inordinate number of big hits as the Yankees - with numerous injuries to key players - haven't skipped a beat en route to the top of the division.

New York holds a 10 1/2 game lead over Tampa Bay and recently swept the Red Sox four straight, ending their hopes for the post-season. The Yankees have won nine straight.

Game two of the series is Friday at 7:07 pm ET.

National League

Bumgarner: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

Straight from the "too little, too late" department, San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner had his best game of the season, shutting out the Phillies for seven innings on one hit in the Giants' 5-0 win Thursday.

After setting down the first ten batters in order, Bumgarner walked Rhys Hoskins with one out in the fourth, then set down the next five batters before Cesar Hernandez broke up the no-hit bid with one gone in the sixth inning.

With the Giants holding a safe lead, Bumgarner (7-7, 3.74) worked through the seventh before sitting down, having thrown just 85 pitches, striking out three, allowing just the one hit.

This effort was of little solace to Giants' fans, as San Francisco is in third place in the NL West, trailing the Dodgers by 19 1/2 games. They also have slim hopes of making the playoffs as a wild card, five back of the current leader, Washington.

Losing seven of their last ten games, the Giants have been unable to gain any ground.

The Giants host game two of their four-game series with Philly Friday at 10:15 pm ET.

Brandon Crawford Drives in 8 in 19-2 Giants' triumph; Rays Down Yanks, 5-4, with 3 HRs by Travis d'Arnaud

Players of the Day for Monday, July 15, 2019

American League

Trailing the Yankees by six games in the race for the AL East crown, the Tampa Bay Rays opened a crucial four-game series in New York on Monday.

d'Arnaud: 3-3, 3HR, 5RBI

Thanks to the efforts of catcher Travis d'Arnaud, the Rays managed a 5-4 win, all of their runs coming off three homers by d'Arnaud.

The Rays' backstop mashed solo shots in the first and third innings, giving the Rays a lead, but, two homers by Edwin Encarnacion and one by Urshela, left the Rays down 4-2 heading into the ninth.

d'Arnaud stepped into the spotlight with two aboard in the ninth, cracking his third homer of the game into the right field stands for a 5-4 edge that Rays relievers made stand, completing a perfect night with three homers, a pair of walks and five RBI in three official at-bats.

The win left the Rays five behind the Yankees. Game two of the series is Tuesday at 7:05 pm ET in New York.

National League

Crawford: 5-6, 2HR, 8RBI

San Francisco may be in last place in the NL West, but they sure didn't look the part Monday, walloping the Rockies, 19-2 in the opener of a four-game set in Denver.

Of their 21 hits, the Giants banged out 10 for extra bases, including a pair of homers by Brandon Crawford, who went 5-for-6, driving in eight runs, scoring three times.

Crawford also helped the Giants take both ends of the day-night double-header, socking a solo shot in San Fran's 2-1 win over the Rockies in the nightcap.

The power performance has come suddenly for the 32-year-old Crawford, of his nine homers this year, six of them have come in his last 30 games.

If the Giants continue beating the Rockies, they won't remain in last place for long. With the Dodgers running off with a 15-game lead over Arizona in the division, San Francisco is 17 games back, Colorado 16 games back. In between them, the Padres are 16 1/2 out.

The Giants and Rockies resume their rivalry on Tuesday. Game three is slated for an 8:40 start, ET.

Pablo Sandoval Drives In 5 As Giants Top Cards; Nathan Eovaldi Keeps Tampa Bay Alive With 1-Hit Effort

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 8, 2018

Eovaldi: 7IP, 1H, 0ER, 9K

American League

Tampa Bay keeps experimenting with different pitching strategies, often using five or six relievers to get through a given game, but they may have found a hidden gem in Nathan Eovaldi, who tossed seven scoreless innings against the Mets for a solid, 9-0 win at New York's Citi Field.

Not only did Eovaldi lank the Mets, but he allowed just one hit, fanned nine and didn't allow any walks. Taking a perfect game into the seventh inning, Eovaldi's day was spoiled by Brandon Nimmo, who singled to lead off the frame after seeing 18 consecutive Mets fail against the 28-year-old right=hander.

Eovaldi avoided further damage, getting the next three batters in order. Andrew Kettridge finished up, allowing one hit over the final two innings.

The Rays improved to 45-44 with the win and keep hanging around the fringes of the wild card race, though they have a long way to go even think about playoffs.

Tampa took two of three from the Mets and return home to open a three-game series with Detroit, starting Monday at 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Sandoval: 3-5, HR, 5 RBI

Pablo Sandoval socked a fifth-inning, three run homer, and added a two-run single in the sixth as the Giants smothered the visiting Cardinals, 13-8.

The Giants' third baseman came around to score in the five-run sixth as well as scoring again to secure the game in the ninth. Sandoval was 3-for-5 with three runs and five RBI.

The decision sent the Cardinals 7 1/2 back of Milwaukee in the NL Central, while the Giants were the only contender to win on the day. As Arizona, LA, and Colorado were each defeated, the Giants managed to move into a tie for third place in the division with the Rockies, 3 1/2 off Arizona's pace.

The portly Sandoval, who checks in at 268 pounds, is having a sub-par season, batting .257 with eight homers and 34 RBI, though those numbers have been achieved in just 191 at-bats.

San Francisco split the four=game series with St. Louis and will open a three-game set with the Cubs at home, starting Monday, 10:10 pm EDT.

Jose Ramirez Socks Two HRs As Cleveland Dumps Baltimore; Johnny Cueto Hurls Giants Past Angels

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 22, 2018

American League

Ramirez: 2 HR 3 RBI

With the Twins losing three straight and Cleveland triumphant in their last two, the Indians are back where they feel most comfortable, in first place in the AL Central division.

In Sunday's 7-3 win at Baltimore, Manny Machado smashed two solo homers off Cleveland starter, Cory Kluber, but Cleveland third baseman, Jose Ramirez, also socked a pair, as Cleveland pieced together the win and a 1 1/2-game lead over Minnesota in the division.

Ramirez had a solo shot in the third, and provided some breathing room with a two run homer in the ninth. The score was 4-3 before Ramirez struck.

The two homers gave Ramirez seven on the season, but his .236 batting average has limited him to just 12 RBI. Last season, he whacked 29 homers and drove in 83 runs, batting .318.

If Ramirez is beginning to heat up, the rest of the division - and the league - should be on notice.

Having taken two of three in Baltimore, the Indians and Orioles will complete their four-game series on Monday at 7:05 pm EDT.

Cueto: 6 IP, 2 H 0 ER, 7 K

National League

San Francisco hasn't gotten off to the best of starts (9-12), but the team took a collective step in the right direction, winning two of three against the Angels in LA, their first series win of the season.

Sunday's 4-2 victory was the product of starter Johnny Cueto, who held the Angels scoreless over six innings as the Giants forged a 3-0 edge.

Victimized by his own team's lack of hitting and porous bullpen work, Cueto's 0.35 ERA is tops in the majors, but Sunday's win was just his second of the season.

In his first 2018 start, on March 30, Cueto one-hit the Dodgers for seven innings, but he didn't get a decision in the 1-0 win as the Giants scored after he had departed. On April 17, his seven-inning, two hit, 11 strikeout performance was wasted as Arizona's Patrick Corbin matched him with a one-hitter and the Diamondbacks scored the only run of the game in the eighth inning.

Johnny was luckier on Sunday, as his teammates backed him with three runs in the third and one in the fifth inning. The bullpen nearly gave it away, surrendering two runs in the eighth.

Striking out seven, Cueto threw 64 of 98 pitches for strikes and got first pitch strikes on 18 of the 23 batters he faced. The two hits he allowed were singles and he walked a pair.

The Giants head home Monday to meet up with the Washington Nationals. Game time is 7:15 pm PDT.

Astros Finish 2nd As Carlos Correa Socks Grand Slam; Giants' Chris Stratton Blanks A's

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Grapefruit League

Correa: Grand Slam

In the Spring Training finale for both teams, Carlos Correa's first-inning grand slam propelled the Houston Astros to an 8-1 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.

Ironically, Milwaukee ended up in first place in the Cactus League, while the Astros, despite winning their last three games, finished 1/2-game behind the Boston Red Sox in the Grapefruit League. Closing out the preseason with a 4-2 win over the Cubs, the Red Sox won their last five and nine of their last 10 to capture the flag from Florida.

Correa crushed his third homer of the season off Milwaukee starter Zach Davies, who suffered the loss. The Houston shortstop finished the Spring with an even .300 average. In 2017, Correa batted .315 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI, leading the Astros to their first World Series championship.

In the post-season, Correa was instrumental to Houston's success, batting .288 with five homers and 14 RBI.

Milwaukee lost its last three games but still managed to hold on for a 1/2-game edge over Cleveland in the Cactus League.

Stratton tosses 5 scoreless

Cactus League

The Giants were rude hosts to their crosstown rival as they shut out the Oakland A's 3-0 in a Spring Training close-out game.

Chris Stratton threw five scoreless innings against the A's, evening his record at 1-1. He fanned three, walked one and allowed four hits.

A call-up last season, Stratton appeared in 13 games, 10 of them starting assignments. His 4-4 mark in 2017 was good enough to secure the fifth spot in the rotation for the Giants heading into 2018.

A 6'2" right-hander, Stratton fanned 51 batters in 58 2/3 innings last season, though he did walk 28 over that span.

The Giants open the regular season at Los Angeles Thursday against the Dodgers, while the A's host the Angels.

Francisco Lindor, Indians Win 19th Straight, 11-0; Denard Span, Giants Hand Dodgers 11th Straight Loss

Players of the Day for Monday, September 11, 2017

American League

Lindor: 3B, 4 RBI

The Indians won their 19th straight in dominant fashion, dumping the Tigers, 11-0, in the opener of a three-game series in Cleveland.

While starter, Carlos Carrasco, was blanking Detroit on seven hits over six innings, fanning nine for his 15th win against six losses, Francisco Lindor was stoking the offense, going 2-for-4 with a single, triple and four RBI.

Lindor's three-bagger came with the bases full in the second inning, clearing the deck en route to a five run frame.

He scored in the fourth after singling when Jose Ramirez socked a two-run homer. His forth RBI came in the fifth inning on a fielder's choice.

Lindor is batting .275, with 29 homers and 77 RBI, astounding for a leadoff hitter. Riding a five-game hitting streak, Lindor is 10-for-21 (.476) with three home runs and seven RBI over that span.

Cleveland's streak has pushed their led in the AL Central out to 13 1/2 games over Minnesota. With 18 games to play, their magic number to clinch the division is five.

The Indians will be looking for their 20th straight win - which would tie the 2002 Oakland A's for the fifth-longest MLB winning streak - on Tuesday in game two (7:10 pm ET). The 1884 St. Louis Maroons and Providence Grays each won 20 games that season. The longest winning streaks of all time are:

1. 1916 NY Giants (26)
2. 1880 Chicago White Stockings (21)
2. (tie) 1935 Chicago Cubs (21)

National League

Span: HR, 3 RBI

The LA Dodgers' losing streak reached 11 straight on Monday with the Giants hosting another loss for the NL West leader in an 8-6 nail-biter.

The Giants took a 4-0 lead into the fourth, but the Dodgers tied the game with four of their own. The game was also tied at five and six before the Giants punched through single runs in the sixth and seventh and the bullpen held the Dodgers off the board in the final three innings.

Denard Span singled, homered, drove in three runs and scored twice, the second time he crossed the plate supplied an insurance run in the seventh inning on a Buster Posey double.

Span's home run was his 14th. He's batting .268 with 41 RBI.

LA's 11th straight loss marked the longest losing streak for the club since moving to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958. The first place team has lost 16 of their last 17 after reaching their zenith at 91-36 on August 25th with a 3-1 win over Milwaukee. What was projected to be a 110+ win season has morphed into a titanic struggle for wins down the stretch. Losing to the last place Giants, 36 games off the pace at 57-89, shows the depth of the Dodger desperation.

The Dodgers are still nine games up on Arizona in the division. The Diamondbacks lost to Colorado, 5-4, on Monday.

The streak surpassed a pair of 10-game LA losing streaks in 1961 and 1992. In 1944, Brooklyn lost 16 straight games.

LA will try to end their skid Tuesday in game two of the three-game series at san Francisco's AT&T Park. Game time is 10:10 pm ET.

Giants' Jeff Samardzija Tosses 3-Hit Shutout; Rays' Austin Pruitt Extends KC Scoreless Streak

Players of the Day for Monday, August 28, 2017

American League

Pruitt: 6 IP, 1 H, 6K

With a 12-0 shutout over the Royals, the Tampa Bay Rays extended the agony for Kansas City to 43 innings in which they have not scored a single run, five shy of the MLB record. It was the fourth straight game the Royals have been shut out.

Kansas City hasn't scored since the second inning of a 3-2 loss to Colorado last Thursday, and they were shut out over the course of a three-game series at Cleveland. The 1968 Chicago Cubs and the 1906 Philadelphia Athletics hold the major league record at 48 innings.

Rookie starter, Austin Pruitt, kept the Royals off the board for the first six innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, fanning six. Pruitt is 7-4 with a 5.27 ERA. His winning effort was in his eighth start of the season. Matt Andriese finished the job, allowing one more hit over the final three frames. Both hits were doubles by Lorenzo Cain.

Game two of the series is Tuesday, 8:05 pm ET in Kansas City. Alex Cobb (9-8, 3.69 ERA) will be looking to shut out the Royals for the first five innings, which would tie the major league mark.

The loss was the fifth straight for the Royals, sending them plummeting in the AL Central and wild card races. They are 10 games behind Cleveland in third place in the division and were passed by the Rays Monday in the wild card, three games behind the Twins for the second spot. Tampa Bay is 2 1/2 out.

National League

Samardzija: 3-hit Shutout

For the San Francisco Giants, the 2017 was a complete bust. The team that plays its home games near the West coast bay and Golden Gate bridge was supposed to be a contender in the NL West, but, a horribly slow start (12-24 through May 11), numerous injuries, a complete lack of hitting and inconsistent pitching have San Fran in last place in the division and hopelessly out of contention for the wild card at 53-80.

Jeff Samardzija put on a display Monday at San Diego, however, that was a reminder of how the season was supposed to be, throwing a three-hit complete game shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Padres.

Samardzija, who stuck out five and walked none, was solid throughout. Of the three hits, only one left the infield, an eight inning single to right field by Cory Spangenberg. At 9-12, Samardzija is one of the few San Francisco hurlers that has not been injured during the season. In 27 starts, Samardzija has struck out 175 batters in 176 2/3 innings, but carries an ERA of 4.43.

The Giants got all of their runs on long balls, a fourth inning solo homer by Brandon Crawford and an eighth inning two-run belt by Joe Panik, with Crawford aboard.

Elsewhere, division leaders Washington and Chicago were both winners, the Nets shutting down Giancarlo Stanton and the Miami express, ending their four-game winning streak with a 11-2 win. The Cubs downed Pittsburgh, 6-1. The Dodgers, and much of the National League, were idle.

Madison Bumgarner Goes Yard Twice As Giants Fall to D'Backs; Rays' Evan Longoria Victimizes Yankees Again

Players of the Day for Sunday, April 2, 2017

American League

Evan Longoria

The NY Yankees may have been the best team in Spring Training, but it certainly didn't translate well into games that actually count.

In MLB's first regular season game, the Yankees got whipped by a team that's always been trouble for them, and, by a player that's been a thorn in the collective Yankee sides since he came onto the scene in 2008, third baseman, Evan Longoria.

In the first inning, Longoria knocked in leadoff DH (seriously, who but Tampa uses the DH as their leadoff guy?) Corey Dickerson with a Sac fly, and, as Yankee ace Masahiro Tanaka struggled along, socked a two-run line-shot homer into the left field corner of Tropicana Field, putting the Rays ahead 5-2. Tampa had scored two earlier runs in the first on Logan Morrison's two-run double, and Morrison added a solo shot in the third to make it 6-2 helping the Rays cruise to the 7-2 blowout.

Tampa Bay starter, Chris Archer, yielded two runs on seven hits over seven innings. The Rays and Yankees resume their three-game series on Tuesday, at 7:10 pm ET.

National League

Madison Bumgarner hit the record books hard on Sunday, but his imprimatur will be for his efforts at the plate, not for his prowess on the mound.

Bumgarner Homers Twice

Bumgarner pitched well enough to win but didn't, leaving the game after giving up three runs in the sixth inning, which tied the game at 3-3. Prior to his departure, however, MadBum, as some call him, socked a fifth-inning solo homer to put the Giants briefly ahead, 2-0, and came back to bat in the top of the seventh and did it again, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to stroke two homers on opening day.

The last Giant pitcher to even hit a homer on opening day was Johnny Antonelli, in 1956.

While his exploits at the plate will forever be recorded in the annals of baseball history, the 11 strikeouts he recorded in San Francisco's 6-5 loss at Arizona won't likely receive much notice.

The Giants and Diamondbacks resume their four-game series on Tuesday night.

Boston's David Ortiz Hits 500th Homer; Mike Moustakas Drives in 9 for Royals; Giants' Madison Bumgarner 1-Hits Padres

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 12, 2015

American League

Ortiz: 500 HR

There were some big games by some big names in the American League on Saturday, but none more deserving of attention than that of David Ortiz, who belted a pair of home runs in Boston's 10-4 win at Tampa Bay, giving him an even 500 for his career in the majors.

Moustakas: GS, 9 RBI

Big Papi, as Ortiz is well known, cranked a three-run blast in the first inning and followed up with a solo shot in the fifth, both off Tampa starter Matt Moore, who was shelled by the Sox for eight runs (six earned) on nine hits over five innings.

Ortiz also singled going 3-for-4 with four RBI on the night. The only downside to his historic feat (he's the 27th player to reach the 500-homer milestone) is that he didn't do it at Fenway Park. There surely will be a hero's welcome for Ortiz when the team returns to Beantown, though that won't be until next Monday (Sept. 21) when the Red Sox open a four-game series with the Rays.

Elsewhere, the Royals continued their slugfest series with the Orioles at tiny Camden Yards with a 14-6 victory after being out-gunned, 14-8, in Friday night's opener.

While the Royals managed to bang out another win, the bulk of the load was carried home by Mike Moustakas. The burly third baseman didn't really get going until the sixth inning, when he singled in a pair of runs, but then smacked a grand slam in the seventh inning and added a three-run belt in the ninth, giving hime nine RBI for the game.

Moustakas has 18 homers on the year, with 71 RBI and a .284 batting average. He turned 27 on Friday.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak and losses in six out of the Royals' last seven games, but they are still 11 games better than the Twins in the AL Central with just 21 games to play, putting their magic number to clinch the division at 10.

Bumgarner: 1-Hitter

The Royals evened the series, with game three set for Sunday night at 8:00 pm EDT.

National League

With almost no chance of reaching the playoffs, it hasn't been the greatest of seasons for the reigning world champion San Francisco Giants.

For starter Madison Bumgarner, however, it's been a full tilt joy ride.

Bumgarner tossed a near-perfect game against the San Diego Padres, allowing just one hit, resulting in an 8-0 win, the second straight in the series in San Francisco.

The Padres didn't get a player to first base until the eighth inning, Bumgarner tossing a perfect game until Melvin Upton Jr. slapped a single to center in his pinch-hitting role for reliever Frank Garces. Bumgarner took the break-up of his perfecto unfazed, getting the final four outs in order for a still-stellar one-hit shutout.

Throwing 75 of 111 pitches for strikes, Bumgarner fanned nine and didn't walk any batters, upping his strikeout total to 212 (third in the league), and improving his record to 18-7, chasing Chicago's Jake Arrieta, who has 19 victories on the year.

Arrieta and Bumgarner are the only pitchers in the league with 17 or more wins, leaving them as the only ones with a chance to reach 20 wins this season. In the AL, Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Houston's Dallas Keutchel each have 17 wins.

The Giants seek the sweep when they conclude their series with the Padres, Sunday at 1:05 pm PDT.

Gerardo Parra Goes 5-for-6 in Orioles' 18-2 Romp; Giants Sweep Nats on Madison Bumgarner's 3-Hit Shutout

Parra: 5-for-6

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 16, 2015

American League


The AL East continues to be the most intriguing race in the majors, with the Yankees failing to sweep the Blue Jays in Toronto on Sunday, dropping a 3-1 decision, and reducing their lead over Toronto to a mere 1/2 game.

While the two leaders were battling, the Orioles were sending baseballs all over and out of Camden Yards, accumulating 26 hits in an 18-2 rout of the visiting Athletics.

Of those hits, seven went for two bases and four for home runs, two of them by center fielder Adam Jones, who contributed three RBI.

Catcher Caleb Joseph was 3-for-4 with a single, double, home run and four ribbies, but, outfielder Gerardo Parra stole the show with a 5-for-6 day at the plate, getting the O's started with a first-inning home run, followed by a double and three singles, scoring three times and driving in three runs.

Bumgarner: 3-Hit Shutout

Parra, acquired by Baltimore just prior to the trading deadline, has been a solid addition to the Orioles' lineup, batting .295 with three homers in 14 games.

The Orioles finished the weekend just four games from the first-place Yankees, and 1/2 game better than the Angels for the final wild card spot. Baltimore can finish off the sweep of Oakland when the two meet on Monday in the finale of their four-game series. Game time is 7:05 pn EDT.

National League

The San Francisco Giants completed their sweep of the visiting Washington Nationals, with a 5-0 victory on Sunday, thanks to another outstanding outing by Madison Bumgarner, who joined the Cubs' Jake Arrieta, Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole and the Cardinals' Michael Wacha as the league's fourth 14-game winner.

Bumgarner notched his third straight win with a superb three-hit shutout of the Nationals, walking one while striking out a 14, matching his season high.

It was Bumgarner's third complete game and first shutout of the season. At 14-6, Bumgarner is well-entrenched in the Cy Young award vote gathering. The shutout lowered his ERA to 2.98 and his strikeout total was upped to 174, third-best in the league behind Clayton Kershaw (205) and Max Scherzer (194).

The Giants kept pace with the Dodgers - winners of three straight - in the NL West, 2 1/2 games back, but 3 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the second wild card spot.

The Giants open a three-game series in St. Louis on Monday, while the Nationals, trailing the Mets by 4 1/2 in the East, opens a series in Colorado on Tuesday.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Leads 26-Hit Boston Assault; Matt Duffy Powers Giants over Nationals, 12-6

Duffy, 2 2B, 4 RBI

Bradley Jr. 5-6, 2HR, 7RBI

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 15, 2015

American League


While the Yankees expanded their lead in the AL East to 1 1/2 games over the Blue Jays with a 4-1 win in Toronto, the Red Sox and Jackie Bradley Jr. were teeing off against the Mariners, to the tune of 26 hits and a 22-10 win.

Bradley was simply amazing, socking a pair of two-run homers and three doubles in six at-bats, scoring five times and driving in seven runs, becoming the first Red Sox to get five extra-base hits in a game.

Batting at the bottom of the lineup, Bradley anchored the last four spots in the Boston order, which was a combined 13-for-19 with 13 RBI and 18 runs.

The score was the most ever against the Mariners and it started with their ace, Felix Hernandez, on the mound. Hernandez lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing 12 hits and a whopping 10 earned runs.

On Friday, the Red Sox battered the Mariners, 15-1. Boston will be seeking the series sweep when they take the field at Fenway Park, Sunday, at 1:35 pm EDT.

National League

To the delight of the NY Mets and their fans, the Giants are laying waste to the Washington Nationals, taking three straight in San Francisco, including Saturday's 12-6 mop-up.

The win kept the Giants 2 1/2 back of the Dodgers in pursuit of the top spot in the NL West, simultaneously keeping the Nats 4 1/2 back of New York in the East, as the Mets dropped a 5-3 decision to the Pirates in 14 innings.

Some credit for the Giants' success has to go to rookie third baseman, Matt Duffy, who, on Friday, was 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, and on Saturday had a pair of doubles and four RBI in five at-bats.

Duffy's first two-bagger came in the second inning with the Giants down 2-1 and the bases full. All three runners scored, giving the Giants the lead at 4-2. Duffy scored on a single by Brandon Belt as the Giants eventually put up a five-spot in the inning.

Things were already out of hand in the eighth when Duffy doubled again, knocking in Gregor Blanco to make it an 11-5 game. Buster Posey knocked in Duffy later in the frame.

A serious candidate for NL rookie of the year honors, in 103 games, Duffy is batting .310 (7th in NL), with 23 doubles, five triples, 10 homers and 59 RBI.

San Francisco can complete the sweep of the four-game series with a win in Sunday's finale, which starts at 1:05 pm PDT.

Chris Davis' Grand Slam Lifts O's over A's in 10; Madison Bumgarner Solid as Giants Keep Pressure on Dodgers

Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 5, 2015

American League

Bumgarner: 12-6

Davis: Grand Slam in 10th

With time beginning to be a "front-of-mind" factor in all major league races, the Baltimore Orioles - and quite a few others - have to be thinking about making a move right about now.

The O's in particular, are just out of the wold card race, two behind the Angels and one game back of fellow AL East club, Toronto, but, the Orioles have to be thinking more about catching the Yankees and taking down the division crown, as they did last season.

With that in mind, Baltimore got a boost from their big slugger, Chris Davis, defeating the A's, 7-3, in 10 innings and taking two of three on the road.

Davis scored the tying run in the sixth, when he scored from second on a single by J.J. Hardy, and then delivered the decisive blow in the 10th, a grand slam, putting the O's up by the final score.

Following Daivs' blast (his 28 homer of the season, to go with 79 RBI, 3rd in the AL), Zach Britton - who came on in relief with two down in the eighth - put down the Athletics in order in the bottom of the tenth, sealing an important victory for Baltimore.

The Yankees feel to Boston, 2-1, on Wednesday, while the Blue Jays outlasted Minnesota, 9-7, putting the Yankee lead over Toronto at 4 1/2, and 5 1/2 ahead of the Orioles.

Baltimore gets a day off Thursday, traveling to Anaheim, where they open a three-game weekend series with the Angels on Friday.

National League

The Giants continue to keep the pressure on the Dodgers in the NL West, where they trail their southern cousins by two games after Madison Bumgarner improved to 12-6 with a 6-1 triumph over the home-standing Atlanta Braves.

Bumganer didn't give up a run until the seventh, but it was all the Braves would get. Manager Bruce Bochy pulled his starter after the run scored with one down in the eighth inning, calling on deliver Hunter Strickland after Eury Perez reached on an infield single. Strickland walked one but completed the inning without any damage. Santiago Casilla mopped up with a hitless ninth inning for the win.

Bumgarner is having his usual solid season for the Giants. He threw 116 pitches, allowed seven hits and struck out nine, giving him 148 on the year, fifth in the National League. His ERA is 3.28 with a 1.10 WHIP.

The Giants took two of three on the road from Atlanta and head to Chicago, where they open a four-game series with the Cubs on Thursday. The Dodgers whipped the Phillies, 4-3, on Wednesday and finish up their series on Thursday.

Orioles, Angels Magic Numbers: 5; Mike Trout Leads Angels to Ninth Straight; Madison Bumgarner Stifles Dodgers, Giants within One

Players of the Day for Friday, September 12, 2014

American League

While the East and West became nearly sorted out on Friday, the Central division and two wild card sport remain up for grabs in the American League.

Mike Trout

Baltimore took both ends of a day-night double-header, winning the first game by a 2-1 score in 11 innings and taking the second with a 5-0 skunking of the power-deficient Yankees, who saw their slim hopes of reaching the post-season take a dismal turn for the worse. The Orioles have won six straight, have an 11 1/2 game lead over Toronto and a magic number for clinching the division of five.

In LA, the Angels dropped their magic number to five as well, cruising to their ninth straight win, an 11-3 spanking of the Astros, to take an 11-game division lead.

The Angels were led by potential league MVP, Mike Trout, who doubled and tripled in four at-bats, scored twice and drove in two runs, expanding his AL RBI lead to four over Nelson Cruz and Miguel Cabrera. Trout has 105 RBI on the season and is tied with Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins for the MLB lead.

Detroit won and Kansas City lost, putting the Tigers 1/2 game ahead in the topsy-turvy Central division. The wild card scenario continued to tighten, as the A's lost and Seattle won, leaving Oakland 1/2 game ahead of both Seattle and Kansas City. Cleveland and Toronto are another four back, the Yankees five away from the second wild card.

National League

Bumgarner: 18-9

Opening a three-game series in San Francisco, the white-hot Giants pounded their West coast rivals, the LA Dodgers, with a 9-0 beating, led by home runs from Brandon Crawford and Travis Ishikawa and seven innings of shutout ball from Madison Bumgarner, who became the fourth NL pitcher to notch 18 wins.

Bumgarner (18-9) allowed just three hits and walked two for the win. He struck out nine, giving him 208 Ks on the year, trailing Stephen Strasburg (223), Johnny Cueto (220), and Clayton Kershaw (210).

Along with Bumgarner, Kershaw, Cueto and the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright also have 18 wins for the year.

Juan Gutierrez finished the whitewash of the Dodgers with two perfect innings in relief.

The win pushed the Giants to within one game of the Dodgers for the lead in the NL West. San Francisco, winners of four straight, is well-positioned for the post-season, with a four-game lead over Pittsburgh in the wild card race. The Pirates have won three in a row and lead Milwaukee by 1 1/2 and Atlanta by 3 1/2 for the final wild card berth.

The Dodgers and Giants take the field for game two of their series at 6:05 pm PDT on Saturday.

Josh Donaldson Sets A's Straight with Five Hits in 11-2 Win; Giants Close Gap on Dodgers as Yusmeiro Petit Hurls Complete GameD

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 9, 2014

American League

Donaldson: 5-for-6

Despite having won just three times in their last 12 games, the Oakland A's have maintained their hold on the first wild card spot, though their grip has been tenuous of late, at best.

Winning, 11-2 over the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday, the A's managed to hammer out 18 hits, five of them coming off the bat of third baseman, Josh Donaldson, who was also responsible for driving in four runs and scoring twice in his six at-bats.

Donaldson's hits were all singles, except for a fifth-inning double that plated two teammates and put the A's up 4-0. His two other RBI came in the ninth inning off a single, when the A's added five runs.

With a .257 batting average, Donaldson leads the team in RBI with 93.

The A's win came at an opportune time, as Seattle had closed to within one game in the wild card race. As of Tuesday's results, Oakland leads either Detroit or Kansas City (the two are tied for first place in the Central) by 1 1/2 games with Seattle two back. Further back, six games out, is Toronto, winners of three straight, having bypassed the Yankees and Cleveland in the race for the wild card spots.

Petit: 4H, CG, W

With the four-game series tied at a game apiece, Oakland and the White Sox go at it Wednesday at 8:10 pm EDT and finish up Thursday with a day game, scheduled for 2:10 pm EDT.

National League

Winners of 10 of their last 13 games, the San Francisco Giants continue to hound the first-place Dodgers in the NL West, their 5-1 victory over Arizona Tuesday, combined with LA's 6-3 loss to San Diego, has them just 2 1/2 games off the front-runner's pace.

Yusmeiro Petit threw his first complete game of the season, having started just nine times this year. Petit allowed four hits and one run - that coming on a fourth-inning solo homer by Arizona's Ender Inciarte - struck out nine and issued no walks, completing the nine innings with a judicious 84 pitches, 68 of them thrown for strikes. Petit improved to 5-3.

The Giants got most of their production from the top of the order. Leadoff hitter, Angel Pagan, was 4-for-5 with three runs. Joe Panic went 5-for-5 but only kept rallies going, neither scoring nor driving in any runs. Buster Posey went 0-for-4 but drove in two, increasing his RBI total to 81 on the year.

San Francisco hosts Arizona in the second of their three-game series on Wednesday, 7:00 pm PDT, and hosts the Dodgers in a crucial three-game series over the coming weekend.

Jose Altuve Extends Hit Steak to 11 with 4-for-5 Effort in Win over Angels; Buster Posey Stays Hot, Leads Giants to 12-7 Win over Rockies

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 2, 2014

American League

Jose Altuve leads
AL in BA, Hits, SB

Having gone 14-5 since August 12, overtaken the A's by sweeping them in a four-game series while winning six straight, the LA Angels have built a comfortable lead in the AL West and are cruising toward the division title.

Their 8-3 loss in the opener of a two-game series in Houston is more than likely a small bump in the road, but it did manage to shine the spotlight for a little while on Jose Altuve, who is having a remarkable year at the plate.

Altuve went 4-for-5 in the win over the Angels, with two singles, a double, a solo homer, two runs, two RBI and his 50th stolen base of the season. It was the second straight game in which Altuve had four hits, upping his major league-leading total to 193. He also leads the majors in batting average, at .340, and the American League in steals. He's currently riding an 11-game hitting streak.

While Altuve needs to hold off possible challenges for the batting title from Victor Martinez (.332) and Adrian Beltre (.323), as far as the hits are concerned, he's all alone. The player closest to him in total hits is Melky Cabrera, with 170. He also leads the AL by a wide margin in steals, over NY's Jacoby Ellsbury, who's second, with 37.

The Astros won't be going to the post-season, but the Angels, despite the loss, maintained a 4 1/2 game lead over Oakland, 6-5 losers to Seattle.

National League

Posey: 3-5, HR, 4RBI

Buster Posey is the hottest hitter on the planet and the San Francisco Giants are riding the crest of his hitting wave toward the playoffs.

With his fifth multiple-hit game in his last seven, Posey powered the Giants to a 12-7 win at Colorado, in the second of their three-game series, after dropping the opener by a 10-9 score on Monday.

Posey went 3-for-5, with two doubles and his 19th home run of the season - a solo, sixth-inning shot. Posey had four RBI, raising his total to 76 on the year, and scored three times.

The Giants have wrested control of the wild card race over the past two weeks and are quickly bearing down on the Dodgers, who lead the NL West by two games. The Giants have gone 12-5 since August 16 and lead the wild card race by 2 1/2 games over the Brewers. Losers of seven straight, Milwaukee has given up the lead in the NL Central to the Cardinals - who now lead by two games - thanks in part to the Giants, who concluded the month of August with a three-game sweep of the Brewers, outscoring them, 31-8.

The Giants play an afternoon game in Denver, at 3:10 pm EDT on Wednesday, prior to flying to Detroit for a three-game series with the Tigers.

San Francisco hooks up with the Dodgers twice in September, hosting a three-game series on the 12th, 13th and 14th, and playing three games in LA on September 22, 23 and 24. Outside of the Dodger games, the Giants may have the easiest path to the playoffs. After their series in Detroit, they have six games with the Diamondbacks and seven with the Padres.

Matt Holliday Powers Cards to Top in NL Central; Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence Rip in 15-5 Giants' Win; Clay Buchholz Goes Distance

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 31, 2014

American League

Buchholz: 3-hit ShO

Sadly, Clay Buchholz's 3-hit shutout of the Rays will not be remembered in the annals of great Boston performances, as the Red Sox have long since fallen out of contention, their 60-76 record leaving them 19 1/2 back and in last place in the AL East.

Buchholz did everything right in Boston's 3-0 victory, getting 23 first-pitch strikes on the 29 batters he faced, throwing 69 of 98 pitches for strikes, fanning six without walking a batter.

It hasn't been the best of season for either the Red Sox or Buchholz, who improved to just 6-8 while lowering his ERA to 5.40.

Buchholz allowed hits in the first, fourth and sixth inning, but, after Jose Molina singled, leading off the sixth, Buchholz mowed down the remaining Tampa hitters in order, getting the last 12 in a row, to finish with a flourish.

Elsewhere in the division, Baltimore extended their lead - the largest in the majors - to nine games over the Yankees with a 12-8 win over the Twins while the Bombers were losing to Toronto, 4-3. In case anyone wants to start counting, the Orioles' magic number to clinch the AL East outright is 19.

Hunter Pence

National League

Matt Holliday

It's getting crowded at the top in the NL Central, West and wild card races.

The Giants completed the three-game sweep of the Brewers with a 15-5 trouncing, pounding a parade of weary Milwaukee pitchers for 16 hits and five bases on balls, dropping the Brewers into a tie for first place in the Central division with the Cardinals, 9-2 winners over the Cubs.

Pablo Sandoval

Leading the Giants were Hunter Pence, who singled, doubled twice, tripled, drove in two runs and scored three times in five at-bats, and Pablo Sandoval, who went 3-for-3 with a single, triple and a two-run homer, driving in three. Both players scored three times in the rout, the Giants' sixth straight win, leaving them 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the West but atop the wild card race, with a game edge over either the Brewers or Cardinals. Atlanta trails San Francisco by 2 1/2 in the wild card. Pittsburgh is three out.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals rode the bat of red-hot Matt Holliday, who singled, homered, doubled and drove in four runs in the Cardinals second straight win over the Cubs, splitting the series, two games apiece.

Holliday homered twice on Saturday, has four homers in his last five games and has nine RBI in just his last two games. He has 16 homers and 78 RBI on the season. He's hit safely in nine of his last ten games, going 13-for-40 (.325) with 16 RBI.

As the calendar turns to September, on Monday, all NL contenders oen three-game series. St. Louis stays home to host the Pirates, Milwaukee heads to Colorado, the Brewers go to Chicago to play the Cubs, while the Dodgers host NL East-leading Washington.

The Giants could end the day riding an eight-game win streak, as they will be finishing a game with the Rockies that was suspended with the score tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the sixth inning, from May 22, prior to their regularly-scheduled start. The additional game due the Giants could - in the case of a win - put additional pressure on the Dodgers and the teams battling for the wild card.

Chris Davis Grand Slam Sends O's to 9-1 Win over Twins; Buster Posey 5-for-5 in Giants' 13-2 Rout of Brewers

Players of the Day for Friday, August 29, 2014

American League

Davis: Grand Slam

Baltimore's Chris Davis isn't having the kind of season he had in 2013, when he led the league in home runs (53) and RBI (138), but he's been picking his game up lately and the Orioles are happy to see that.

Davis has hit three homers and driven in seven runs in his last five games, four of which came in Friday's 9-1 mauling of the Twins, the opener of a four-game series at Camden Yards.

With the bases full in the fourth and the O's already up, 1-0, Davis unloaded on Minnesota starter, Trevor May, launching a 415-foot bomb over the right field wall. It was Davis' 24th homer of the season and upped his RBI count to 67 on the season.

Filling in at third base frequently since Many Machado's injury, Davis has helped the Orioles remain in first place in the East, where they currently hold a seven-game edge over the Yankees, who beat Toronto, 6-3, Friday, but are looking more and more like a possible wild card, rather than contenders for the division title.

Game two of the series in Baltimore is Saturday, at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Posey: 5-for-5

The meeting between the Giants and Brewers in San Francisco this weekend had more than enough intrigue, but the tenseness was dispelled early by Buster Posey and the San Francisco batters, who hammered Milwaukee starter, Wily Peralta, and scored all of their runs in the first five innings of a 13-2 rout.

Peralta lasted only three innings, giving up the first six runs on nine hits and a pair of walks. The Giants weren't exactly hospitable to the next Brewer hurler either, hammering Marco Estrada for seven more runs over the next two innings.

Buster Posey went 5-for-5 with four singles and a triple, scoring three times and driving in three before heading for the bench after six innings. As a team, the Giants were 19-for-42. Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence each collected three hits. Joe Panik went 4-for-6.

Recently, Posey's been on fire, hitting safely in eight of his last nine games, with multiple hits in six of them. Over that span, he's 20-for-40, with four homers and 13 RBI. Winners of four straight and seven of their last ten, the Giants have moved past St. Louis to claim the #1 wild card position, as the Cardinals fell to the Cubs, 7-2, Friday, their third straight loss.

The NL wild card race is still incredibly tight. St. Louis is 1/2 game behind the Giants, Atlanta, 1/2 back and the Pirates are just two games off the pace.

Game two of the Brewers-Giants three-game series is slated for a 6:05 pm PDT start, Saturday in San Francisco.

Alex Avila Lifts Tigers over Yankees; Jordan Shafer Helps Twins Down Royals in 10; Yusmeiro Petit Sets MLB Mark in Win over Rockies

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 28, 2014

American League

Alex Avila

Tightening the race in the Central division, Alex Avila delivered a walk-off, game-winner for the Tigers, banging one off the wall in right center with two down and two aboard in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 Detroit win over the visiting Yankees in an afternoon contest.

Jordan Schafer

Avila, who had just the one hit in three at-bats, did drive in the Tigers' first run, with a second-inning sac fly, scoring Nick Castellanos from third base. The Tigers took two of three from the Yankees on their final visit of the season to Motown.

In the evening, Minnesota scored six runs in the 10th inning to upend the Royals, 11-5, leaving Kansas City just 1 1/2 games up on the Tigers. Left fielder, Jordan Schafer, who spent the first half of the season in Atlanta, playing part-time for the Braves, went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs, including two in the extra inning. He also came around to score in the 10th on Brian Dozier's double.

Riding an eight-game hitting streak, Schafer is blooming with more playing time for the Twins, batting .328 with the Twins while going 12-for-27 (.444) during his hit streak.

Minnesota, in last place in the AL Central, avoided being swept at home with the win. The Royals close out August with three home games with Cleveland, beginning Friday, while the Tigers travel to Chicago for four games with the White Sox, including a double-header on Saturday.

National League

Petit: 46 Straight

Setting a major league record by retiring 46 straight batters, Yusmeiro Petit went six innings, striking out nine, as the Giants took their third straight over the faded Rockies, 4-1.

Petit retired the first eight batters he faced, before allowing a double to the opposing pitcher, Jordan Lyles. The Rockies scored their only run of the game when the next batter, Charlie Blackmon, singled home Lyles from second.

The record (previously set by Mark Buehrle in 2009) out of the way, Petit got back to business, allowing allowing just two more hits while keeping the Rockies off the scoreboard.

Petit's record run covered eight games, six of which were in relief.

The Giants gained a half game on the idle Dodgers in the West, and now trail LA by 4 1/2 games. San Francisco gained to within 1/2 game of the Cardinals in the wild card, and have a 1 1/2 game edge over the Braves for the second spot. Atlanta defeated the Mets, 4-1, Thursday.

On Friday, the Giants open a crucial series with central division-leading Milwaukee, hosting the Brewers for three games at AT&T Park.