Tim Lincecum No-Hits Padres as Giants Triumph, 9-0; Tampa Bay's Luke Scott is Red Hot

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 13, 2013

American League

Who's the hottest team in the American League?

Luke Scott

Why, that would be the Tampa Bay Rays, who keep closing ground on AL East leader, Boston, evening their series with Houston at a game apiece and winners of 13 of their last 15, Saturday, with a 4-3 win over the visiting Astros.

As hot as the Rays have been, breathing down Boston's back, 3 1/2 games out, the hottest player on the Rays has to be Luke Scott, who pretty much won Saturday's game by himself, driving in three of Tampa's four runs with a two-run homer in the fifth inning and an RBI single in the sixth.

Scott's riding a nine-game hitting streak in which he's gone 14-for-32 (.438), with three homers and eight RBI.

The Rays and Astros will settle their three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

Tim Lincecum

National League

Hunter Pence drove in five runs to back the no-hit pitching of Tim Lincecum, as the Giants blasted San Diego, 9-0.

Lincecum, having an off year with just five wins against nine losses, came up with by far his best performance of the season when the Giants needed it; San Francisco is in fourth place in the NL West, trailing Arizona by 6 1/2 games.

Fanning a season-high 13 batters, Lincecum issued four bases on balls and hit one batter. San Diego stranded five base-runners, only one of whom reached second base. Everth Cabrera walked, stole second and moved to third on a Lincecum wild pitch, but was left there as the Giants' hurler got Carlos Quentin to line out to short, ending the threat. At one point, between the second and fourth innings, Lincecum struck out six straight potential hitters, fanning the side in the third.

Lincecum threw an astounding 148 pitches, 96 for strikes. The no-hitter was the ninth complete game and sixth shutout of his seven-year baseball career, all with San Francisco.

Today's Trivia: Who was the last National League player to league the league in RBI three straight seasons? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The last Al player to lead the league in RBI three straight seasons was Cecil Fielder, who led the league in 1990, 1991 and 1992.

Raul Ibanez Rallies Yankees; Chris Carpenter Shuts Down Nats; Seth Smith, Coco Crisp Down Tigers; Pablo Sandoval, Tim Lincecum Lift Giants

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 10, 2012

American League

Raul Ibanez

ALDS: NY Yankees 3 Baltimore 2 - Raul Ibanez, pinch-hitting for Alex Rodriguez, slugged a ninth-inning solo homer to tie game three with the Baltimore Orioles and then ended the game with another solo homer to right field leading off the 12th.

Coco Crisp

The Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Game four is slated to begin Thursday at 7:37 pm EDT in New York. Joe Saunders is scheduled to start for the Orioles against the Yankees' Phil Hughes.

ALDS: Oakland 4 Detroit 3 - The Oakland A's avoided elimination for the second straight night, coming from behind with three runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Tigers and tie the divisional series at two games apiece.

Seth Smith

The A's rocked Detroit closer, Jose Valverde, for four hits and three runs in just 2/3rds of an inning. With nobody out and runners on second and third, Seth Smith doubled into the right-center gap driving home both and tying the game. Two outs later, Coco Crisp delivered the game winner with a single to right field, scoring Smith from second.

Decisive game five commences at 9:37 pm EDT in Oakland.

Chris Carpenter

National League

NLDS: St. Louis 8 Washington 0 - St. Louis took a 2-1 lead in their divisional series with Washington, roughing up Nationals' starter, Edwin Jackson, and four relievers for 14 hits, including a three-run, second-inning homer by Cardinal shortstop Pete Kozma that put the Cardinals ahead, 4-0.

Chris Carpenter worked 5 2/3 innings on the mound, scattering seven hits without allowing a run. Carpenter walked two and struck out a pair, winning his 10th game against two losses in 16 post-season starts.

Game four goes off at 4:07 pm Thursday in Washington. The Cardinals can wrap up the series with a win. If necessary, game five will be played Friday in Washington.

Pablo Sandoval

Tim Lincecum

NLDS: San Francisco 8 Cincinnati 3 - Pablo Sandoval went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBI to pace the Giants offensively while Tim Lincecum came out of the bullpen to toss 4 1/3 innings of relief, holding the Reds to one run on two hits, fanning six.

Lincecum ended a two-out threat in the fourth, striking out Ryan Ludwig with runners on first and second, and worked through the eighth inning wihtout allowing a walk, throwing 42 of 55 pitches for strikes.

The win evened the series at two games apiece with the deciding game five set for 1:07 pm EDT in Cincinnati. Matt Cain gets the start for the Giants, facing the Reds' Mat Latos, the winner advancing to the seven-game league championship series.

Lincecum Fans 12 as Giants Slip Past Minnesota, 2-1

Players of the Day for Thursday, June 23, 2011

American League

There were four interleague games on Thursday, and the National Leaguers won them all, limiting their AL opponents to just five runs, so there was no AL Player of the Day.

National League

How do you stay in the race in the NL West?

Tim Lincecum

Simple. Put Tim Lincecum on the mound and let him do his thing, which is exactly what the San Francisco Giants did Thursday afternoon, and Lincecum surely didn't disappoint, hurling seven innings of shutout ball at the Twins in a 2-1 win for the Giants, their second straight against the previously-streaking Twins.

The 2008 and 2009 NL Cy Young award winner stopped the Twins cold, allowing just three hits and two walks while fanning 12. Lincecum struck out six straight form the 4th through 6th innings, including the side in order in the 5th. He has 113 strikeouts on the year, currently good for 4th in the NL.

Minnesota pushed across a run in the 9th off closer Brian Wilson, who picked up his 21st save.

Lincecum improved to 6-6, and the Giants remained 1/2 game behind the Diamondbacks in the division race.

INTERLEAGUE TALLY: The four wins by the National League cut the AL lead down to just two, with the score now 64 for the American and 62 for the National. With a full slate on tap for the weekend, anything can happen, though neither league can claim dominance at this point.

Lincecum Goes Distance in 3-0 Win; Bautista Homers Twice for Toronto

Players of the Day for Saturday, May 21, 2011

American League

Jose Bautista

Jose Bautista isn't exactly on record-setting pace, though he's awfully close.

With two more homers in Toronto's 7-5 victory over Houston, Bautista blasted numbers 17 and 18, which would translate into 61-65 homers, depending on how healthy he remains and how many games he plays.

Trailing 4-0, Bustista's three-run shot in the 6th inning got the Blue Jays back within striking distance. In the 7th, Toronto added three more runs to take the lead for good, punctuated by Bautista's second homer of the game, a trademark solo shot to left in the 8th inning. He also singled and stole a base, raising his league-leading average to .364.

The win kept the Blue Jays in the hunt for the AL East lead. Tampa Bay and the Yankees are tied for first with Boston 1/2 game back, as their seven-game win streak was ended in a 9-3 loss to the Cubs. Toronto is 1 1/2 out of first place, at 23-22. Baltimore trails in the division, but are only four games off the pace.

National League

Tim Lincecum

After giving up nine hits, six walks and seven runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings in Monday's 7-4 loss to Colorado, Tim Lincecum was looking to bounce back with a better performance against crosstown rival Oakland as the two Bay-area teams matched up in an interleague series.

The Giants took the first of the three-game set Friday, 2-1, in 10 innings, on stingy pitching and Aubrey Huff's walk-off RBI single. In Saturday's 3-0 win, Lincecum displayed the determination that has made him one of baseball's premiere power pitchers.

Lincecum yielded only three harmless singles - in the 1st, 8th and 9th innings - putting down 21 straight batters in between - going the route to even his record at 4-4. It was his first complete game and first shutout of 2011, equalling last season's totals.

Throwing 133 pitches (84 for strikes), Lincecum did not allow a walk and fanned six. Better yet, it was the Giants' fourth straight win and put them up 2 1/2 games on Colorado, 3-2 losers at Milwaukee.

DIAMOND NOTES: The National League won eight of the 14 interleague games on Saturday, keeping them in the lead, 17-11, over the American League. A consideration for MLB: how about interleague games counting for home field advantage in the World Series, instead of basing it on just one game - the All-Star game - as it is now?

Team Report: San Francisco Giants

After winning the World Series over the Texas Rangers, the Giants kept the most important element of their team - the starting rotation - intact from last season's historic run. From top to bottom, Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez, RHP Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Madison Bumgarner looks like the best rotation in the majors (Philly may argue), especially with Lincecum and Cain the only righties.

While those two combined for 29 wins, the lefties logged lots of innings and will be expected to go deep in each outing. San Fran's pitching was what got them to the playoffs and through the championship season. Having Brian Wilson backstopping all efforts is a great comfort. His 48 saves and 1.81 ERA will be hard to match in 2011, but the closer has 127 saves over the past three seasons, a good reason to believe the Giants will win a lot of close games.

The major departures were in the infield, where aging vets Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria (WS MVP) were released, though sending Renteria to the Reds is a sketchy move, considering that he may be around for the playoffs and is one of baseball's best players in the clutch. The Giants opted for free agent Miguel Tejada, who will start at short and brings a lively bat. Turning 37 this year (May 25), Tejada will be expected to provide the pop needed in the middle of the lineup, though third baseman Pablo Sandoval may get back to 2009 form and take over the #5 spot.

Working the middle infield opposite Tejada will be Freddy Sanchez, who blossomed into a dependable #2 hitter late last year. Aubrey Huff returns at first base will bat third, in front of NL rookie of the year Buster Posey, who remains the main catcher.

In the outfield, center fielder Andres Torres will bat leadoff. The Giants probably won't run him often (he swiped on 26 bases in 2010), but will be looking for improvement on his .268 average and .343 OBP. Flanking him will be Pat Burrell in left and Cody Ross, the surprise of the post-season, in left. Ross was a valuable contributor after arriving from Florida, and Burrell, who has been bouncing around the past few years, may have found a home.

Following San Diego's late-season collapse and the under-performance of the year from the Dodgers, the Giants may not have much competition in the NL West, though Colorado looks like the other contender in the division. Should the Giants reach the playoffs again, they're certain to be a tough out, due to strong starting pitching and capable, and now tested veterans in the field.

Young Puts Texas Up 2-0; Berkman Drives Yanks past Twins; Lincecum 2-Hits Braves

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 7, 2010

American League

Michael Young broke open a close game with a 3-run homer in the top of the fifth inning, leading the Texas Rangers to a 6-0 win and a two-games-to-none lead in their best-of-five series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rangers had already scored a run in each of the 3rd and 4th innings to grab a 2-0 lead, but Young's blast off Chad Qualls, who had just entered the game in relief of Rays' starter James Shields, essentially put the game away right there.

Tampa Bay has been unable to get to Ranger pitching. In the two games - both played at Tropicana Field - Rays' hitters have produced only one run on eight hits, getting only two on Thursday off starter C.J. Wilson and a pair of relievers.

Needing just one more win to move to the championship round, the Rangers host the Rays for game three on Saturday, starting at 5:07 pm ET.

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Even though the Twins keep making the playoffs with some degree of regularity, they continue to disappoint in terms of wins.

The Yankees sent the Twins to their 11th straight post-season loss with a 5-2 win at Minnesota, erasing their home field advantage by sweeping the two games at spacious Target Field.

Andy Pettitte delivered seven solid innings for the Yankees, allowing two runs on five hits. The Yankees' mid-season acquisition, Lance Berkman, who came over from the Houston Astros in late July, provided the fireworks with a solo homer in the 5th inning that put the Yankees up 2-1.

After Orlando Hudson tied the game at 2-2 with his own solo shot, Berkman doubled home Jorge Posada with a double off his shoe-tops and later came in to score on Derek Jeter's scratch single to right.

The Yankee win was their 8th straight over the Twins. New York can wrap up the series with a win in game three, scheduled for Saturday at 8:37 pm at Yankee Stadium.

National League

Giants' pitching is what got them through the regular season, and it was on full display in the opener of the best-of-five NLDS with Atlanta.

Tim Lincecum, who took home the Cy Young award in the NL the past two seasons, was in exceptional form as he masterfully mowed through the Atlanta lineup, allowing just two hits while fanning 14 in a complete game, 1-0 shutout.

Braves batters were no match for Lincecum's changing speeds and wide-armed delivery. Known as the "freak" for his whirling moound movement, he struck out every batter in the starting lineup except leadoff hitter Oman Infante at least once, including Derek Lee three times.

The Giants scored their only run of the contest in the 4th inning when Buster Posey walked, stole second and came around on Cody Ross's single to left.

Lincecum threw 119 pitches and walked just one batter in his first post-season appearance, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead in the series which resumes Friday at 9:37 pm ET at San Francisco's AT&T Park.

A-Rod Gets His 30; Lincecum Brilliant as Giants Approach Pennant

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 29, 2010

American League

The Yankees lost, 8-4, at Toronto, and Alex Rodriguez only had one hit in five at-bats, but it was the accomplishment that mattered. The lone hit by A-Rod happened to be his 30th home run of the season, a 6th-inning solo blast to left, making him the only player ever to hit at least 30 homers and drive in at least 100 runs for 13 consecutive seasons.

He also tied Barry Bonds for the most seasons with 30 homers at 14. The pair are right behind Hammerin' Hank Aaron, who holds the all-time record with 15 seasons with 30 or more dingers.

The accomplishment was somewhat in doubt just a week ago, when Rodriguez was stock on 25, but he smacked five in his last six games to reach the historic milestone. His 123 RBI are second-most in the American League, behind Detroit's Miguel Cabrera's 126.

The Yankees' loss was somewhat inconsequential, as they remained 1/2 game behind the Rays, 2-0 losers to Baltimore, though the Yankees would certainly like to take the division, ensuring home field for at least the first playoff round.

Both the Yankees and Rays have already qualified for the playoffs. The only thing left to determine is which team takes the division and which will be the wild card. They are currently locked in a battle for the best record in the league with Minnesota. The Rays are 94-64; the Yankees, 94-65; Minnesota's record is 93-65. One game separates all three.

National League

Tim Lincecum struck out 11 Diamondback batters, crafting a 3-1 win for the Giants as he improved to 16-10 on the season. The win kept the Giants two games in front of the Padres, 3-0 winners over the Cubs.

After giving up a first-inning run on steven Drew's leadoff homer, Lincecum kept Arizona off the scoreboard the rest of the night, allowing six hits and four walks in seven innings. Brian Wilson worked the 9th, giving up one hit, for his 47th save, tops in the majors. San Diego's Heath Bell is second with 45.

With just four games left to be played, the Giants are in the driver's seat for the NL West crown. San Diego trails Atlanta in the wild card by 1 1/2 games. Atlanta, winners of three straight, has only three games left, but they are all with the Phillies, who have already clinched the East.

Should the Padres miss the playoffs, it will be a monumental collapse for the team that led the NL west for most of the season, but fell apart in late August, embarking on a ten-game losing streak that extended into the first week of September and allowed the Giants to gain.

The Padres and Giants exchanged the lead a number of times down the stretch, but the Giants have wrested control with outstanding pitching and timely hitting.

The Giants play Arizona again on Thursday while the Padres host the Cubs in their series finale. The two teams will decide the NL West in a 3-game series beginning Friday in San Francisco.

Lincecum Delivers for Giants; Guerrero Leading Rangers to AL West Title

Players of the Day for Friday, September 24, 2010

American League

Is Vladimir Guerrero entirely responsible for the Rangers winning the Al West? It appears that a case could be made that the trade which sent Guerrero from the LA Angels to the Rangers between the 2009 and 2010 season was the magic potion that put the Rangers over the top.

Texas moved closer to clinching the division with a 10-3 win at Oakland, increasing their lead to eight games over the A's, 10 in front of the Angels, dropping their magic number to two.

Here was a win that was largely Guerrero's doing. He hit his 28th home run in the second inning, putting the Rangers ahead, 1-0. After the A's scored to make it a 2-1 game, Guerrero doubled home three runs in the Rangers' 5-run 7th inning to essentially put the game away. He also singled, going 3-for-5 with 4 RBI and 2 runs.

Batting .303 with 28 homers and 111 RBI, one could easily assume that Vlad was responsible for at least five wins - five wins which the Angels did not achieve. If you take Vlad out of the Rangers' equation and plug him instead into the Angels, subtracting five wins from Texas _ turning those into losses - and adding five wins for the Angels, reducing their losses by the same amount, the two teams would be tied right now.

Five wins? Guerrero was probably worth ten, maybe more, turning his off-season trade into what may go down in baseball history as one of the best/worst deals ever made.

National League

Two time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum hasn't produced the kind of season which would have landed him a third straight Cy Young, but he has come through in the clutch, keeping the Giants in the hunt for either the NL West or the wild card spot.

Lincecum (15-10) twirled a 2-hit gem over eight innings, beating the pesky Colorado Rockies, 2-1, while retaining their 1/2 game lead over the Padres. Lincecum outdueled Colorado starter, Jhoulys Chacin, fanning nine without walking a batter, allowing the Rockies' lone run in the bottom of the 6th inning.

The Giants scored their deuce in the top of the 7th, and Lincecum held the lead until turning the ball over to Brian Wilson, who recorded his 45th save with a perfect 9th inning. Wilson leads the majors in saves, but is just one ahead of San Diego's Heath Bell and Tampa Bay's Rafael Soriano.

Lincecum took over the NL strikeout lead with 220. He currently leads St. Louis' Adam Wainwright and Philadelphia's Roy Halladay - the league two 20-game winners - by seven.

PENNANT NOTES: San Diego won on Friday, remaining 1/2 game behind the Giants, but improved to 1/2 game ahead of Atlanta in the wild card race. The Braves lost their 4th straight, an 8-3 loss to the Nationals, nearly conceding the NL East to the Phillies, winners of their 11th straight. The Phillies' magic number is suddenly just two, while the Braves have gone - in the short span of two weeks - from leading their division to on the verge of being eliminated from post-season play.

The Red Sox took down the Yankees in the opener of their three-game series, 10-8, while the Rays beat the Mariners, 5-3, putting Tampa back atop the AL East by 1/2 game. Boston closed to within 6 1/2 of the Yankees in search of the wild card. They have five games remaining with the defending world champions and need to win them all in order to have any kind of chance.

Lincecum Stops Rockies, 2-0; Morales One of 7 Angels Over .300

Players of the Day for Friday, August 28, 2009 American League Kendry Morales went 5-for-5 with two doubles and two homers, drove in 6 runs and scored twice as the LA Angels bombed the A's, 11-7. Morales upped his home run total to 29 on the season to go with his 91 RBI. His .307 batting average is just one of seven LA regulars with an average over .300. As a team the Angels lead the majors at .289. The win boosted the Angels' lead in the AL West to 5 games over Texas as the Rangers dropped a 3-2 decision in Minnesota. National League If the San Francisco Giants are going to reach the post-season, it will likely be due to the pitching of Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. The two aces have a combined record of 25-8 thus far in the season, and have been dominating mound presences all year. On Friday, Lincecum notched win #14 against just 4 losses with an 8-inning shutout performance over the Rockies and a 2-0 Giants win. Lincecum allowed just 4 hits, while walking 3 and fanning 8. He leads the league in strikeouts with 222 and is second in ERA at 2.33. Lincecum is also tied for second in NL wins with Chris Carpenter and Jason Marquis. The trio is one behind league leader Adam Wainwright of St. Louis. The win was critical for the Giants to stay in the wild card and NL West races. As the first of a three-game series by the bay, the Giants got to within two games of the Rockies, who lead the wild card race. In the division, San Fran is 6 behind the Dodgers and 2 behind the Rockies. Two more crucial games are set for Saturday and Sunday.

Martinez, Peralta Shine for Tribe; Lincecum Fans 15; Willingham Slams Twice

Players of the Day for Monday, July 27, 2009 American League The Cleveland Indians recently emerged from last place in the AL Central and extended their winning streak to five games on Monday, with a stunning 8-6 victory over the LA Angels courtesy of Victor Martinez's (left) 3-run ninth inning homer and Jhonny Peralta's (right) all-around excellence. Martinez slugged his 15th round-tripper against closer Brian Fuentes and Peralta added a solo shot on his final trip to the plate. The homers were back-to-back and provided the winning margin. Peralta also singled twice, doubled and drove in 3 while scoring twice in five at-bats. The Cleveland third baseman has been on something of a hot streak, hitting safely in each of his last six games, including multiple-hit games in his last four. In those four games he's gone 11-for-19 (.579) with 10 RBI and 2 homers. National League Tim Lincecum fanned a career-high 15 in a complete game, four hit, 4-2 gem over Pittsburgh. The 2008 Cy Young winner continued his quest for a repeat, improving to 11-3 and dropping his ERA to a minuscule 2.30, as the two Pirates' runs were unearned. He also extended his major-league leading strikeout total to 183. In Milwaukee, Josh Willingham stroked a pair of grand slam homers, becoming only the 13th in the majors to accomplish the feat, as the Nationals extended their win streak to three games with a 14-6 slaughter of the Brewers. The Nats remain in last place, but the loss dropped the Brewers 4 games behind the Cubs, who beat the Astros, 5-1, in 13 innings. Willingham's homers were his 15th and 16th on the year, and his 8 RBI tied the franchise record. He also stroked his 20th double of the season.

Lester Leads Red Sox over O's, 4-0; Lights Out Lincecum

Players of the Day for Monday, June 29, 2009 American League If the Red Sox keep getting the kind of starting pitching they have been of late, there won't be a pennant race in the AL East. Boston could wrap up the division by mid-September. On Monday, the latest Boston pitcher to throw lights out was Jon Lester, who set down the Orioles on five hits over seven innings in a 4-0 Boston dusting. Lester (7-6) struck out 8 while getting 7 more outs on ground balls and 6 via the fly. He did not walk a batter and never allowed a base runner past second. To say he was in command would be an understatement. The O's never had any offensive threat all night against Lester's array of out pitches. The win put the Red Sox 3 1/2 ahead of the idle Yankees, winners of 5 straight and 5 games better than the Rays, who have won 6 in a row. Toronto has tailed off into 4th place with 3 straight losses. National League If you're looking for Cy Young candidates in the National League, you'd better take a serious look at Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants, because this 29-year-old is looking to surpass the stats he put up in 2008, when he won the award. On Monday night in St. Louis, Lincecum (8-2) tossed his second complete game shutout of the season in a 10-0 waltz past the Cardinals, and the numbers were mind-blowing: 2 hits, no walks, 8 Ks. The only hits were Rick Ankiel's 5th inning single and Albert Pujols' double in the 7th. Lincecum put down the first 14 and last 8 batters in order, using just 95 pitches, 60 of which went for strikes. With the season approaching the midpoint, Lincecum is on pace for a repeat of 2008. Last year he went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 265 strikeouts in 33 starts. So far in 2009, he's had 16 starts, is 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 132 Ks. While the Cardinals were being shut out, Milwaukee was cruising past the Mets, 10-6, and into first place in the NL Central by one game over St. Louis.

Hochevar Stuns Reds; Lincecum Wins with Arm and Bat

Players of the Day for Friday, June 12, 2009 American League No, that wasn't Zack Greinke tossing a three-hit, complete game for the KC Royals, it was second-year starter Luke Hochevar downing the Cincinnati Reds, 4-1. Hochevar (2-2) struck out three and walked just one in his most dominant start of the season. Of the three hits allowed, two were off the bat of Jonny Gomes, seemingly the only Red player who had Hochevar figured out. Gomes doubled to lead off the 3rd inning, but was left stranded and homered in the fifth for the Reds' only run. Brandon Phillips had the only other Reds' hit. Hochevar needed only 80 pitches (57 strikes) for the win, getting 15 batters on ground outs and 9 on fly balls. National League Tim Lincecum is a do-it-yourself kind of guy. Not only did the Giants' ace shut out cross-town rival Oakland, 3-0, on seven hits, he drove in the game's first run with a single in the fifth inning. Lincecum (6-1) sparkled, throwing 76 of his 110 pitches for strikes, fanning 8 and allowing just one extra base hit - a double by Jack Cust - for his first complete game and first shutout of 2009. Having won 6 straight decisions, Lincecum is a large part of the reason why the Giants are contending in the NL West, now just 7 games behind the Dodgers and one game behind the Cardinals in the wild card chase. In just his third season, Lincecum is off to a tremendous start with a career record of 31-11. He was named to the NL All-Star team last season and was the 2008 NL Cy Young award winner with an 18-5 record, 2.62 ERA and 265 strikeouts, which was tops in the league. NOTES: Interleague play began its second iteration on Friday, with some regional rivalries on display, but none bigger than the subway series at Yankee Stadium between the Yanks and Mets. In a wild game, the finish was even wilder, as Francicso Rodriguez, attempting to nail down the save, had Derek Jeter on second and issued an intentional ball four to Mark Teixeira, putting Alex Rodriguez at the plate with two out in the bottom of the ninth. K-Rod seemingly got the better of A-Rod, inducing a towering pop-up toward short right field, but, to the amazement of just about everyone, the ball kept drifting, twisting toward the foul line, as Luis Castillo struggled to get under it and eventually drop it. Jeter and Teixeira, running all the way, scored the tying and winning runs for the strangest 9-8 win of this season and maybe of all time. In Toronto, a less-traditional rivalry had the Marlins in town to face Roy Halladay and his gaudy 10-1 record. The AL's best starter wasn't doing all that well, having allowed five hits and an earned run through three, but warming up to start the 4th, he felt a twinge in his groin and was forced to leave the game. The Marlins didn't exactly seize the moment, falling behind 2-1 and not scoring again until the 7th inning. After tying the game, Cody Ross delivered with a grand slam that put the game out of sight for a 7-3 Marlins win. Raining zeros in Texas? The Rangers' staff hasn't allowed a run in two consecutive games. Kevin Millwood tossed 7 2/3 innings of shutout ball in a 1-0 win Thursday night against Toronto, and Vicente Padilla and two relievers combined for an 8-hit shutout of the Dodgers on Friday, winning, 6-0.

Greinke Gets 8th Win; Lincecum Shuts Out Braves Over 8

Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 26, 2009 American League Kansas City clawed back into second place in the AL Central, 3 games behind the Detroit Tigers, as Zack Greinke improved his record to 8-1, taming the Tigers in a 6-1 Royals win. After allowing a first-inning run on a Placido Polanco double and a Magglio Ordonez run-scoring single, Greinke toyed with the Tigers the rest of the way, hurling his 5th complete game of the season. Over the nine innings, the Royals' rightie allowed six hits while striking out eight. He threw 116 pitches, of which 79 went for strikes and did not issue any walks. Greinke's league-leading ERA stands at 0.84, slightly better than his astounding WHIP of 0.88. National League Tim Lincecum got his first decision in three weeks, shutting out the Atlanta Braves for 8 innings as the Giants beat Atlanta, 4-0, taking the first two games of the series and moving to within one game of .500 at 22-23. Lincecum (4-1) struck out 8, walked two and allowed just 5 hits before giving way to reliever Bob Howry, who pitched a perfect ninth inning. The San Fran ace also walked and scored a run in the Giants' second inning, the only inning in which any runs were produced. In just his third year in the majors, Lincecum, who turns 25 on June 15, has become one of the best pitchers in either league, having compiled a record of 29-11 during his short stay. This season, he's sporting a 3.03 ERA and a WHIP of 1.19. He's struck out 84 batters in 65 innings.

Rodriguez Breaks Saves Mark; Morneau Ties Hamilton; Lincecum a Cy Young Candidate

Players of the Day from Saturday, September 13, 2008 American League Justin Morneau has been on an RBI tear. On Saturday, he ran down Texas slugger Josh Hamilton to tie for the AL RBI lead with a pair of RBI in each of the Twins' wins over Baltimore, topping the Orioles 12-2 in the opener and 12-6 in the nightcap. Morneau has driven in 15 runs in his last 8 games, He and Hamilton have 124 each. Hamilton has no RBI over his last six games. The twin killing of the O's put Minnesota into a tie with the White Sox, who have been rained out for two straight days. They will play a double-dip with the Tigers on Sunday. In the East, the Rays split two with the Yankees, as did Boston with Toronto. The Red Sox trail the Rays by 2 games in the division, but have a 5-game bulge over both Chicago and Minnesota in the wild card. Notes: Of course, out West, the Angels have already sewn up the division, but some unfinished mound work was taken care of as the Angels beat Seattle, 5-2, with Francisco Rodriguez earning his record-breaking 58th save, topping the major league mark of 57, set by Bobby Thigpen of the White Sox in 1990. Rodriguez' appearance wasn't his prettiest. Despite allowing a walk and a hit, K-Rod kept the Mariners off the board, getting two of the three outs in the ninth via strikeouts. National League Tim Lincecum isn't about to concede anything, especially not the Cy Young award. The NL competition is pretty much down to just him and Arizona's Brandon Webb, but Lincecum (17-3) boosted his stock considerably with a 4-hit, 12 strikeout, complete game shutout over the Padres on Saturday, as the Giants won, 7-0, at San Diego. Considering that Lincecum has accounted for 1 of every 5 Giants wins this season and also leads the NL in strikeouts (237) and ERA (2.43), he's going to be considered right up there with Webb, the NL's only 20-game winner. As for the NL West pennant race, the Dodgers continued to separate themselves from the competition, winning their 4th straight and 13th of their last 14 with a 5-1 triumph at Colorado. The Diamondbacks lost to the Reds, 3-2, and now trail by 4 games. The Dodgers' magic number is 11. Notes: In the Central, the Cubs and Astros were shut down again due to Hurricane Ike. At least two of their 3-game series is now scheduled for Sunday and Monday in Milwaukee. The 3rd game will be played at the conclusion of the regular season, if necessary. That game may not be needed, as the Brewers dropped their second straight to the Phillies, 7-2. The Brewers are now 6 games behind the Cubs. In the East, the Mets split with Atlanta, so the Phillies gained to within 2 1/2 games of the lead, but the Phillies are also just 2 games behind Milwaukee in the wild card race. The Phillies and Brewers play a double-header today in Philadelphia.

Lester Blanks Rays, Red Sox Close; Lincecum Stymies Diamondbacks

Players of the Day from Monday, September 8, 2008 American League Jon Lester already has two complete game shutouts this season, and he almost had a third Monday, stopping the Tampa Bay Rays over 7 2/3 innings for a 3-0 Red Sox win. When he ran into some trouble in the 8th, Jonathan Papelbon came on to put the Rays away and pick up his 36th save. Lester (14-6) allowed 6 hits, two walks and fanned 9 as the Red Sox closed to within 1/2 game of the Rays and the AL East lead. Tampa Bay has lost 4 straight and is in danger of surrendering the division to the Sox. In the Central, Chicago and Toronto were rained out and the Twins were idle, so the White Sox still lead Minnesota by 2 1/2 games. Notes: The Angels moved to within 2 games of clinching the AL West with a 12-1 thumping of the now-dead Yankees. The Angles could clinch today or tomorrow, a fitting conclusion if they do it at home against New York, a team they've owned all season. National League Maybe nobody really wants to win the NL West, or maybe the talent pool is just spread so thin, no team has an outright advantage. On Monday, both of the leaders - LA and Arizona - were taken down by teams at the bottom of the division. While the Dodgers were being shut out 4-0, Tim Lincecum was cruising to his 16th win against just 3 losses as the Giants bettered the Diamondbacks, 6-2, leaving the standings unchanged, with the Dodgers up by 1 1/2 games. Lincecum is having a Cy Young-worthy season. Working 8 1/3 innings against Arizona, he allowed 7 hits and one earned run, walking 2 and striking out 9. That effort lowered his ERA to a league-leading 2.60 and boosted his strikeout total to 216, also best in the NL. Maybe Arizona's Brandon Webb isn't the only Cy Young candidate out there.

Angels No-Hit Dodgers, Lose; Lincecum Goes to 9-1

Players of the Day from Saturday, June 28, 2008 American League Jered Weaver (6-8) didn't allow a hit to the Dodgers on Saturday. He did, however, give up a run, and that cost him the game, as the Dodgers won a strange one, 1-0, over the Angels. In the 5th inning, Weaver threw wildly to first, attempting to throw out Matt Kemp, who reached on the error, stole second and went to third on catcher Jeff Mathis' throwing error. Kemp then scored on Blake DeWitt's sac fly to right. And that was it, as Jose Arredondo worked hitless 7th and 8th innings, while Chad Billingsley and a pair of Dodger relievers shut out the Angels on 5 hits. Notes: According to published reports, it's only the fifth time since 1900 that a team has won a game without getting a hit. Incidentally, the Dodger win kept them at 2 1/2 behind the Diamondbacks, the closest they've been since early April. The Angels, despite losing straight, are still 3 1/2 clear of the A's in the AL West. National League Here's your National League starter for the All Star game. Tim Lincecum improved to 9-1 on Saturday, with 7 innings of shutout ball as the Giants downed Oakland 1-0. Lincecum allowed just five hits while fanning 11. The second-year starter has compiled one of the best records in baseball (9-1, 2.38 ERA, 114 Ks), pitching for arguably one of the worst teams in the National League. Lincecum has accounted for almost a third of their 35 wins, has posted five straight wins since losing to Colorado, 3-2, back on April 29. Lincecum's record could actually be much better. Four times this season, he's left games after allowing either 0 or 1 earned runs without getting a decision. Notes: Just how bad are the Giants? Well, in a year in which the NL is sporting some pretty feeble squads, San Fran is an enigma. They, along with Arizona, are the only teams in the NL West with winning records against divisional foes. They're also the worst home team in the majors, with a disappointing 14-24 record by the Bay. An average hitting team (.260), they are dead last in the majors in home runs (52) and only the Padres and Nationals have scored less runs (324) in the NL. Thanks to the Dodgers and Giants winning 1-0 games, the NL actually took the day's interleague games, 8-6, bringing the totals since June 13 to AL, 129; NL, 78.