Michael Pineda Flirts With Perfection in 8-1 Yankee Win: Stephen Drew Helps Nats Deal Cards 14-6 Loss

Players of the Day for Monday, April 10, 2017

Pineda: nearing perfect

American League

Opening day is an American tradition like no other and there’s no place with more history than at one of baseball’s shrines, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

While the Yanks had thus far struggled to a 2-4 record on the road, Monday was the home opener for the Bombers, facing Tampa Bay in the first of a three game series.

Making his second start of the season, Michael Pineda took the mound for New York, facing Alex Cobb of the Rays. It wasn’t long before Pineda, a 6'7" righty, had the crowd on its feet, necks craning on every delivery, as he engineered a spectacular perfect game though six complete innings.

In the seventh, Pineda got the first two men, but Evan Longoria, forever the Yankee nemesis, lined a shot down the left field line and into the corner for a solid double, breaking up Pineda’s quest for perfection.

Unfazed, Pineda got Brad Miller for the final out of the inning and returned for the eighth. Maybe seven strong innings had been enough for Pineda, because Logan Morrison ended any contemplation of a shutout with a one-out solo homer to right field.

With the Yankees up, 3-1, Pineda was lifted after getting the next out, going 7 2/3 innings on two hits, one run, fanning 11 without surrendering a walk, having set down the first 20 batsmen in order.

Tyler Clippard threw one pitch to get out of the eighth inning. New York tacked on five more runs in their half of the eighth with Jason Shreve mopping up with a perfect ninth to win going away, 8-1.

Drew: Big day at plate

Both teams take a day off Tuesday before taking the field again on Wednesday for game two of the series, 1:05 pm ET.

National League

There's trouble in River City, that being St. Louis, and while trouble with a capital "T" might rhyme with "P" and stand for "pool," as the song from "The Music Man" suggests, the trouble in St. Louis starts with "O" which stands for "offense" and has lately been nil.

Starting off the season with a six-game home stand, the Cards went 2-4, scoring a total of just five runs in the losses, two of them shutouts by traditional rival, Cincinnati, not respected as a power-pitching team, but, nevertheless, capable of whipping the Cardinals in two of three games, just as the Cubs did to open the season in St. Louis.

On Monday, taking a trip to the nation's capitol to face the Nationals, it wasn't the offense so much as the pitching that plagued the Cardinals (yes, pitching starts with "P" and rhymes with "T") as six St. Louis hurlers combined to allow Washington to score more than a dozen runs in a 14-6 blowout for the Nats.

Bryce Harper lashed four singles in four at-bats drove in three and scored twice, but honors go to shortstop Stephen Drew, who doubled and singled twice in four at-bats, drove in four runs and scored thrice.

Drew joined the Nationals after the 2015 season, after short stints in Boston and with the New York Yankees. In his 13th year as a major leager, Drew carries a career .252 average but has always been a solid glove man, which is why the Nationals took up his contract.

As for the Cardinals, little has gone right thus far, but they'll try to make the best of a poor start when they face the Nationals in game two of the three-game set, Tuesday night at 7:00 pm ET.

Stephen Drew Leads Yankee Rout in Boston; Clayton Kershaw Goes the Distance as LA Completes Sweep of Giants

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 2, 2015

American League

Despite winning 10 of their last 12 games, the Toronto Blue Jays can't shake loose from the Yankees, who continue to dog the Jays, just 1 1/2 back after defeating the Bston Red Sox, 15-8, Wednesday afternoon.

Stephen Drew

Kershaw: CG, 1 ER

The Yankees have won five of their last six and took two of three in Boston.

Banging out 15 hits, the Yankees took control of the game early, scoring eight times in the second inning. Stephen Drew, who's been on a serious hot streak (9-for-12, with two doubles, two homers and seven RBI in his last four games), was 3-for-4 with a double and a three-run homer.

The Yankees open a 10-game homestead with three games against the Rays on Friday, followed by three with the Orioles and then host the Blue Jays in what could amount to the most important series for both clubs this season.

Toronto hosts Baltimore for three games beginning Friday, then heads to Boston for three before landing in New York next weekend.

National League

The LA Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants with their second straight 2-1 win Wednesday night in Los Angeles, sending the Giants hopes for the post-season into free fall.

The Giants had entered the series 3 1/2 games behind the NL West-leading Dodgers, but the three straight losses - and their fifth straight overall - have the Giants trailing by 6 1/2 after

Clayton Kershaw allowed five hits and just one run in a complete game victory, his 12th win against six losses. Kelley Tomlinson scored on Angel Pagan's single in the sixth for the lone Giant run.

Kershaw walked one and struck out a season-high 15, throwing 95 of 132 pitches for strikes.

While the Dodgers have a secure lead in the division with just 30 games left on the schedule, the Giants have imploded and have also fallen 6 1/2 games behind the pace of the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card spot.

San Francisco opens a four-game series at Colorado Thursday. The Dodgers embark on a ten-game road trip, beginning with four in San Diego starting Thursday.

Lucas Duda Powers Mets into First Place Tie with Nationals; Stephen Drew Carries Yankees Past White Sox

Players of the Day for Sunday, August 2, 2015

Lucas Duda

Stephen Drew

American League

The New York Yankees head back to home ground with a win at the end of a successful road trip, topping the White Sox, 12-3, Sunday as Stephen Drew provided the punch for starter Ivan Nova and a trio of relievers.

Drew singled, doubled, and tripled in five at-bats as the Yankees blew open a close game with five runs in the fourth inning and three more in the fifth.

The Yankee second baseman drove in four runs and scored twice. Nova allowed one earned run over six innings, striking out seven.

The Yankees took the series with the Sox, two games to one and completed a ten-game road trip with a 6-4 mark.

A day off is in store for the Yanks on Monday, before hosting the Red Sox for three games at Yankee Stadium beginning Tuesday.

The Yankees lead Toronto and Baltimore by six games in the AL East division.

National League

Socking three home runs in the third inning and getting another solid pitching performance from starter Noah Syndergaard, the New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals, Sunday, 5-2, tying them for first place in the NL East.

Curtis Granderson, Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda all connected for home runs in the third inning off Nationals' starter Jordan Zimmermann, posting five runs in the frame, erasing a 1-0 Washington lead. Granderson and Duda each had two-run shots. Murphy's homer was of the solo variety.

Syndergaard kept the Nats in check, allowing just one more run over eight innings of work. Both Washington runs came on solo homers. Anthony Rendon socked one to open the game in the first inning; Yunel Escobar added his sixth of the season in the sixth.

Sweeping the series from the vision Nationals, three games to none, the Mets took Friday night's contest by a 2-1 score in 12 innings and won Saturday, 3-2.

On Monday, the Nationals return home to face the Diamondbacks, while the Mets travel to Miami to open a series with the Marlins.

10-0 Yankee Win Features Stephen Drew, Michael Pineda; Royals' Ventura Throws 7 Innings of No-Hit Ball

Players of the Day for Friday, March 27, 2015

Grapefruit League

Drew: 3-3, 2RBI

The Yankees swamped the Phillies, 10-0, Friday, in exhibition baseball, but, even though the score was one-sided and out-of-hand, it could have been worse.

Pineda: CG W

The game was called on account of rain in the top sixth inning. The Yankees had scored seven in the fifth, plated three in the sixth, and were threatening to score more.

Stephen Drew, the former Diamondback and Red Sox player that many hoped would be the second coming of Derek Jeter (or maybe Willie Randolph) had a productive afternoon, going 3-for-3 with two singles and a double, driving in a pair of runs.

Yankee starter, Michael Pineda, scattered five hits over five innings without walking any hitters, striking out five. His effort was awarded with the win and the rare Spring training complete game, since Pineda completed all five innings against Phillies' batters.

Cactus League

Ventura: 7 Strong

Since their blistering, 10-1 start to the Cactus League season, the Kansas City Royals have tailed off a bit, but, with about a week left to the exhibition schedule, they're looking to finish strong after downing the Mariners, 5-1, Friday, for their second victory in a row.

Key to the win was the exemplary work of right-hander, Yordano Ventura, who, in his fourth start of Spring, got his first win, tossing seven innings of no-hit ball in the Royals' victory.

Ventura walked two and struck out four, after struggling in his previous starts. The excursion was a good sign that Ventura will be back on track for the regular season, after going 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA in 2014. Last season, Ventura was a workhorse, starting 30 games and lasting 183 innings.

The win kept the Royals firmly in the hunt in the Cactus League standings, tied with the Dodgers for second place, 1/2 game behind the Oakland A's.

* * * *

Stephen Drew, Mike Carp Power BoSox over Rangers, 17-5; Yasiel Puig Impressive As Dodgers Down Padres, 9-7

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 4, 2013

American League

There are plenty of reasons why the Red Sox are the top team in the AL East, but one of them is the overall plate aggressiveness of their lineup, and, not just a few guys, all of them.

Stephen Drew

For instance, take Boston's 17-5 beat-down of the Rangers Tuesday night. In a game in which two of Boston's best hitters - Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli - go 1-for-5 and 0-for-2, respectively, the Sox bang out 19 hits and score a season=high runs.

Mike Carp

Six different players had multiple hits, but shortstop Stephen Drew, who's been struggling (batting just .213 entering the game), came up with a 4-for-5 effort, including a single, two doubles and a home run, his fifth of the season, drove in two runs and scored three times. Mike Carp, stationed in left field, went 3-for-5 with a homer of his own, drove in three and scored three runs.

The victory kept the Red Sox 2 1/2 in front of the Orioles and Yankees, both of which were winners Tuesday. Texas, recently feeling the heat from the fast-charging A's, got a break as Oakland lost at Milwaukee, 4-3, in 10 innings.

Game two of this first-place fray comes 7:00 pm EDT, Wednesday.

National League

Yasiel Puig

While Arizona, Colorado and San Francisco battle for the top spot in the NL West, the Dodgers and Padres are meeting to determine which will be in or out of last place in the division, though the Dodgers, after their 9-7 win over the visiting Padres are still 1/2 game behind San Diego, but just 7 1/2 out of first place.

LA's win was largely the result of raw rookie Yasiel Puig, who had a super spring (.517, 3 HR, 11 RBI), but played in just his second game as a pro as the Dodgers scramble to overcome a rash of injuries.

Puig was 3-for-5 with a pair of homers, a double and five RBI, batting out of the leadoff spot. The 22-year-old Cuban outfielder had two hits in his debut game on Monday, and set of fireworks with his outstanding performance in his second start.

His first homer - a three-run poke - erased a 5-2 Padres lead in the fifth and his two-run belt in the sixth finished the Dodgers' scoring.

Puig figures to be in the starting lineup regularly, and surely in Wednesday's series finale at 7:10 pm PDT, where the Dodgers will be looking for the sweep and an escape for last place.

Today's Trivia: Who is the current active leader in career plate appearances? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Ubaldo Jiminez tied Ian Kennedy with 16 wild pitches for the NL lead in 2010, then had the same number of wild ones, leading the AL in 2012.

Andrelton Simmons' Two Homers Power Braves past Reds; Stephen Drew Leads Red Sox to 11-Inning Win over Twins

Players of the Day for Monday, May 6, 2013

American League

Stephen Drew

Six pitchers, 17 hits and 11 innings is what it took the Boston Red Sox to break a three-game losing streak and topple the Minnesota Twins, 6-5.

The Monday nighter at Fenway Park took 4:44 to complete, ending with Stephen Drew's two-out double off the left field wall in the bottom of the 11th that plated Jared Saltalamacchia with the winning run.

Drew's game-winner capped a 4-for-5 night at the plate for the Boston shortstop. Two of his other hits also produced runs. In the fifth, he singled in a run to get the Red Sox down by two, 4-2, and his seventh inning solo homer tied the game at 4-4. Dustin Pedroia had a solo shot in the eighth to put the Sox ahead by a run, but the Twins' Brian Dozier answered with a blast of his own to re-tie the game at five in the ninth.

The win left the Red Sox two games up on the idle Orioles and Yankees in the AL East and dropped Minnesota five games behind Detroit in the Central.

Game two of the four-game series is slated for 7:10 pm EDT, Tuesday night.

National League

Andreton Simmons

Atlanta keeps rolling along, holding a 2 1/2 game lead over Washington in the NL East after dusting the Reds, 7-4, Monday night.

The Braves split a four-game series with the Nationals and won one of two with the Mets before opening their three-game set in Cincinnati, their second straight win, spearheaded by shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

Simmons, who batted .279 in 49 games for the Braves in 2012, still qualifies as a rookie, his 3-for-4 effort one of his best of the season. He provided most of the mojo in the victory, socking a solo shot in the second inning to put the Braves up 2-0, singling in the third to drive in another run and putting the game away with a two-run blast in the eighth to Atlanta up, 6-2.

The two homers gave Simmons four on the season, with 15 RBI.

The loss sent the Reds into a second place tie with Pittsburgh, both trailing the Cardinals - winners of six straight - by three games.

The Braves and Reds meet again on Tuesday at 7:10 pm EDT.

Arizona's Drew, Seattle's Beltre Hit for Cycle; Lee Wins 20th

Players of the Day from Monday, September 1, 2008 American League Adrian Beltre provided a highlight for the suffering fans of the Seattle Mariners, going 5-for-6 and hitting for the cycle in Seattle's 12-6 win over Texas. Beltre drive in 3 runs and scored five times. His solo home run was his 24th of the season. The win didn't do anything for the Mariners. They have been hopelessly out of the pennant race since June. It did, however, aid the first place Angels, reducing their magic number for clinching the division to 8. Notes: The idle Twins tied the White Sox in the Central, as Chicago took one on the chin from Cleveland, 5-0, as Cliff Lee won his 20th game against just 2 losses. It was his 4th complete game and second shutout of the season. Besides being the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young award, Lee should also get Comeback Player of the Year. Last season, in 16 starts, he compiled a 5-8 record with a 6.29 ERA. Lee is the first major league pitcher to win 20, beating out Arizona's Brandon Webb, who is stuck on 19. National League Stephen Drew went 5-for-5, drove in a run and scored 3 times, hitting for the cycle as Arizona downed St. Louis, 8-6. The win kept Arizona 2 1/2 ahead of the Dodgers in the West. Notes: Elsewhere, the Mets beat Milwaukee, 4-2, while Philly was losing to the Nats, 7-4, giving New York a 2 game edge in the standings. Chicago suffered a 3-0 setback to Houston, but still lead the Brewers by 4 1/2 in the Central.