NLCS: Trea Turner Sets Up Nationals Sweep of Cardinals; ALCS: Astros Take 2-1 Lead over Yankees

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 15, 2017

American League

Houston Astros 4 New York Yankees 1

Behind Gerrit Cole's seven shutout innings, Houston took a two games to one advantage in the AL Championship Series, dumping the Yankees in game three, 4-1.

The leading candidate for the AL Cy Young award, Cole allowed four hits, walked five, and struck out seven. Staked to a 2-0 lead by Jose Altuve's home run on the first pitch of the game and Josh Reddick's second inning solo shot, Cole was able to relax and employ his entire repertoire to dominate the Yankees from the mound.

Game four is slated for Wednesday, 8:08 pm ET. Game five is Thursday, with the same start time.

National League

Washington Nationals 7 St. Louis Cardinals 4

Turner set the Nats' table

For the first time since 1933, a world series will be played in Washington, DC.

86 years ago, the American League's Washington Senators played the New York Giants in the fall classic, losing four games to one. This season's National League entrant, the Washington Nationals, are hoping for a better result after ousting the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight.

The final touches to complete the sweep actually occurred early in game four. In Washington's first at-bat, Trea Turner led off with a single, moved to third on an Adam Eaton double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Rendon.

A 1-0 lead for National's starter, Patrick Corbin, was a good start, but Washington was just getting going, eventually sending 10 men to the plate and scoring seven first inning runs, capped by Turner's second single of the frame, which plated a pair.

Dakota Hudson, the St. Louis starter, managed to retire just one batter before Adam Wainwright came on as a replacement with five runs already plated. Hudson was saddled with four earned runs (three were unearned) and the loss.

The Nationals did not score again in the game, but it was more than enough as the Cardinals were only able to muster a run in the fourth and three in the fifth inning. For the series, the Cardinals only scored six runs.

Champion of the National League for the first time in franchise history, the Nationals await the winner from the American League. Whether it's Houston or New York, the 2019 World Series will start at the home of the AL team.

Houston's Gerrit Cole Wins 15th Straight Decision; Trea Turner Leads Nationals to Two Wins Over Phillies

Players of the Day for Tuesday, September 24, 2019

American League

Cole: 15 straight wins

Winning his 15th straight decision, Houston's Gerrit Cole blanked the Seattle Mariners on two hits over seven innings, striking out 14 in a 3-0 Houston win.

Cole (19-5, 2.52) didn't issue any walks and threw 101 pitches in what should be his final start of the season. Houston would likely use him as the starter in the playoff opener next week. Cole leads the majors in strikeouts with 316, and hasn't been on the wrong end of a decision since May 22. He's 4-0 in five September starts.

The win put the Astros up 1 1/2 games over the Yankees for the best record in the American League. Houston is 103-54; the Yankees - 2-1 losers at Tampa Bay Tuesday - are 102-56.

Houston has won eight of its last nine. After closing out their series in Seattle Wednesday, the Astros finish the regular season with four games against the Angels in Anaheim. The Yankees also finish on the road. They have one more game in Tampa on Wednesday, Thursday off, and close out at Texas over the weekend.

In the wild card race, Oakland lost to the Angels, 3-2, while Cleveland slaughtered the White Sox, 11-0. The A's lead Tampa Bay by 1/2 game and Cleveland by one.

National League

Turner powers Nationals

Taking both ends of a double-header from the visiting Phillies, the Washington Nationals increased their lead in the NL wild card to one full game over the hard-charging Milwaukee Brewers.

Leadoff batter, Trea Turner, did it all for the Nationals, going 3-for-4 in the opener with a single and two doubles, scoring twice in the 4-1 win, and slugging a sixth-inning grand slam to lead Washington to a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.

Turner is having a solid season, batting .298 with 18 home runs, 55 RBI, 94 runs, and 34 stolen bases. He's stepped it up for the stretch run, batting a robust .406 with four homers, eight RBI and 10 runs in his last seven games.

Washington's taken three straight from the Phillies in their five-game series, but the damage has already been done, the National;s eliminating Philadelphia and their $200 million payroll from the playoffs. The Nats and Brewers each have five games remaining, the intrigue being whether the Brewers can catch the Cardinals in the NL Central, where they trail St. Louis by 2 1/2 games. St. Louis, a 3-2 loser in 19 innings at Arizona, has just four games left, three of them this weekend against the reeling Cubs, losers of seven straight.

Milwaukee has won five straight and is 16-2 since September 6. On Tuesday, they topped Cincinnati, 4-2, and will finish on the road, with two more against the Reds and three in Colorado over the weekend.

Nationals Top Reds, Trea Turner Drives In 4; Yankees' Gleyber Torres Bombs Orioles

Players of the Day for Monday, August 12, 2019

American League

Torres: 13 HR vs. Orioles

The Yankees routinely spank the Orioles, especially at Camden Yards in Baltimore, where they've won all ten games this season.

Opening a four-game series with a day-night double-header Monday, the Yankees took two more from the moribund O's, 8-5 in the opener and 11-6 in the night game.

The player who's been particularly damaging to the Orioles all season is Yankee shortstop, Gleyber Torres, who homered once in the opener and twice in the nightcap, reaching 13 home runs against the Orioles this season.

Torres' 13 homers against Baltimore tied Roger Maris' number in 1961 against Cleveland for the second-most against one team in a season for the Yankees, behind Lou Gehrig's record total of 14 in 1936, also against the Indians.

With a solo homer in the opener, Torres followed up with an evening encore, mashing a pair of three-run shots, one each in the fifth and sixth innings. He also singled in the first, scoring on Brett Gardner's bases-loaded triple.

Torres is batting .283, with 26 homers and 69 RBI.

The Yankees are 15-2 against Baltimore this season. They haven't lost against them since March 31. The season series concludes with games Tuesday and Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. For the Orioles, those games cannot come soon enough.

National League

Turner leads Nationals

Surging through the second half of the season, the Washington Nationals have themselves in position to challenge for the NL East title or the wild card. Presumably, the Nat would rather overtake the Braves in the division than face a one-game elimination in the wold card.

Opening a three-game series with the visiting Reds with a 7-6 win, the Nationals find themselves six games off the pace in the division race and with a one game edge on St. Louis in the wild card.

Trea Turner provided important offense for Washington, socking a three-run homer in the fourth inning and adding a run with an RBI single in the seventh.

Up 7-2 entering the eighth, Washington's bullpen barely held the lead, giving up two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Part of the Reds' late rally was a two-run blast by rookie Arisides Aquino, setting an MLB record with his eighth home run in his first 12 games.

Game two of the series between the wild card contenders - the Reds are 6 1/2 games back - is slated to start at 7:05 pm ET.

Marco Gonzales Hurls Seattle Over Angels; Trea Turner's Slam, 8 RBI Powers Nationals' Comeback Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 5, 2018

American League

Gonzales leads Mariners

Marco Gonzales stopped the visiting LA Angels on five hits and one run over six innings, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 4-1 win in the finale of their three game series. The teams had split the first two games.

Gonzales (9-5) walked two and struck out seven, throwing 102 pitches. A trio of relievers worked the seventh, eighth and ninth, the last inning by closer Edwin Diaz, who struck out the side for his major league-leading 34th save. Gonzales is 6-2 over his last nine starts.

With Houston escaping with a 4-3 win over the White Sox, Seattle remained 1 1/2 games behind the Astros in the AL West division.

Winners of nine of their last 10, the Mariners remain home to host the Colorado Rockies in a three-game series beginning Friday at 7:10 pm PDT.

National League

Blowing a 9-0 lead, the Miami Marlins managed to remain the worst team in the National League, dropping a 14-12 decision to the home-standing Washington Nationals.

The Marlins took the huge lead into the bottom of the fourth inning, but that's when Trey Turner started the Washington comeback, slugging a solo homer to put the Nationals on the board.

Turner: 2 HR, GS, 8 RBI

In the fifth, the Nats scored four more. Again, it was Turner sparking the rally. He grounded into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded, plating Daniel Murphy, and later scored on Juan Soto's two-run double.

Turner came to the plate with the bases full again in the seventh, this time blasting his second homer of the game, a grand slam that gave Washington a 10-9 lead.

In the eighth, Turner singled home two more runs for a 13-9 advantage. Soto singled home Brian Goodwin to finish Washington's scoring.

Turner finished with eight RBI, his 10th and 11th home runs and three runs, helping the Nationals break a five-game losing skid. The Nationals got back to .500, at 43-43, picking up 1/2 game on the idle Braves and Phillies. Atlanta leads the NL East, with Philadelphia one back. Washington is six games out, looking to take down the Marlins in game two of their four-game series, Friday at 7:05 pm EDT.

White Sox Top Yankees, 4-3 On Jose Abreu 2 RBI; Trea Turner's 4 SB Ties Nats' Record In 6-1 Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 27, 2017

American League

Abreu: Game-winner

Boston took over first place in the AL East with a 9-2 win over Minnesota, coupled with the Yankees losing at Chicago to the White Sox, 4-3, on Jose Abreu's two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth off New York reliever Dellin Betances.

It was Abreu's second hit of the game, in five at-bats, and his first since his third inning double gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead. The Yankees seemed to have the game in hand when they scored three times in the top of the eighth, but the Sox returned the favor with a run in the bottom of the frame, setting up Abreu's heroics.

Having a solid, if unspectacular season, Abreu is batting .299 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI. He is on pace for his fourth straight season with more than 100 RBI, which he's accomplished every year he's been a major leaguer.

Trailing in the AL Central, the White Sox aren't exactly done for the season as they trial Cleveland by seven games. The division is competitive and unpredictable, and Chicago has a young team, making them dangerous.

The four-game series - now tied at a game apiece - continues Wednesday with game three at 8:10 pm ET.

National League

Turner: 4 SB, Leads NL

Pitchers in the National League would be wise to keep a close eye on Washington's leadoff hitter, Trea Turner, who tied a team mark - Expos and Nationals - with four stolen bases in the Nationals' 6-1 win over the Cubs.

In the first inning, Turner singled, stole second and third and scored on Brian Goodwin's infield single to tie the game at one. While Max Scherzer was holding the Cubs to one run through six innings, Turner was terrorizing Cubs' starter Jake Arrieta and catcher Miguel Montero.

In the third, Turner walked and again swiped second and third, scoring when Daniel Murphy was ruled safe on a throwing error by Chicago second baseman Tommy La Stella. The run put the Nationals up 2-1. Scherzer took care of matters after that, picking up his ninth win against five losses, allowing just two hits, fanning six. After a La Stella double in the third inning, Scherzer set down 10 straight before retiring.

Turner finished the game with 32 stolen bases, catapulting him into the NL lead, past Cincinnati's Billy Hamilton (31) and Miami's Dee Gordon (29). Turner's been caught just five times this season and has scored 51 times, tied with teammate Murphy, sixth in the National League.

The win kept Washington 8 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta in the East division, while the Cubs remained a game behind Milwaukee in the Central.

With the series tied 1-1, game three of the four-game set is slated for Wednesday night, 7:05 pm ET at Nationals Park.

Oakland's Matt Olson Belts 2 HR, A's Down ChiSox, 10-2; Trea Turner, Michael Taylor Lead Nats' 18-3 Rout Of Reds

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 25, 2017



American League

Olson: 2HR, 4RBI

With a record of 33-42, and already 17 1/2 games behind division-leading Houston in the AL West, the Oakland A's may be thinking about the future, as in, next season.

One of their top prospects is 23-year-old right fielder, Matt Olson, who seemed to be rounding into major league form this season season with AAA Nashville in the Pacific Coast League.

In 58 games with the Sounds, Olson is batting .271 with 17 home runs and 43 RBI and has been up and down with the A's a few times this season.

In Chicago to play the White Sox, rookie Olson had a breakout game, socking his first two home runs, accounting for four RBI. Olson started and finished the scoring for the A's in their 10-2 romp, hitting his first two-run homer in the opening frame, then finishing off the Sox with another two-run blast in the seventh.

The win was only Oakland's 11th, against 25 road losses and dropped the White Sox to 15-14 at home. Oakland will be seeking the sweep of the three-game series on Sunday, when the teams meet at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, 2:10 pm ET.

Turner: 5-for-5, 4R, 2RBI

National League

What happens when the Washington Nationals run into a team with a weak and/or depleted pitching staff.

Maybe Washington's 18-3 win at Cincinnati can provide a suitable explanation.

The Nationals teed off on Reds' starter, Homer Bailey, who was making his first major league start of the year after Tommy John surgery in May 2015 and was limited to eight starts in 2016. Bailey lasted just 1 2/3 innings, giving up six hits, three walks and eight runs, all earned.

Taylor: 4-5, 2HR, 3RBI

Neither were the visiting Nationals particularly kind to the Cincinnati relief staff. They pounded three relievers for 13 more hits and 10 more runs in the blowout.

The Reds have the worst ERA in the NL, at the astonishing level of 5.27.

At the top of Washington's batting order, Trea Turner lashed five singles in five at-bats, scoring four times and driving in a pair, while #8 hitter, Michael Taylor, delivered the bigger blows, going 4-for-5 with a double and two home runs, driving in three, also scoring four times.

The win kept the Nationals nine games ahead of the rapidly-improving Atlanta Braves, winners of four straight and eight of their last 10.

Washington will be seeking a sweep of the the three-game series at Great American Ball Park on Sunday, 1:35 pm ET.

Ian Kinsler 4-for-5 In Detroit's 19-9 Rout Of Mariners; Trea Turner Hits For Cycle In 15-12 Washington Win

Players of the Day for Tuesday, April 25, 2017

American League

Kinsler: 4-5, 4 runs

While the Astros were taking down the Indians, 4-2, the Detroit Tigers were wreaking havoc on Seattle pitching, scoring nine times in the fifth on their way to a 19-9 romp over the West division visitors.

Having already led off the Tigers' half of the first inning with a double and scoring, and singling in the second and scoring again, Ian Kinsler was a main cog in the wheel that sent 13 Tigers to the plate. Kinsler singled with a man on and no outs, later scoring on a single by Nicholas Castellanos, then singled again in the latter part of the inning, driving in two runs.

Kinsler finished 4-for-5 with two RBI and four runs, taken out for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. A veteran with 12 years of major league experience, Kinsler is in his fourth year as a Detroit Tiger. Always a run-scoring machine, Kinsler has crossed home safely 16 times this season and has had six seasons in which he scored 100 or more runs.

With the win and Cleveland's loss, the Tigers took over sole possession of first place in the AL Central, a game to the good over both the Inidans and White Sox.

Detroit hosts Seattle again on Wednesday in game two of their three-game series at 7:10 pm ET at Comerica Park.

National League

Turner Hits for Cycle

It was nothing short of an old-fashioned slug-fest in Colorado Tuesday night as the Nationals and Rockies, leaders of their respective divisions, banged out 29 hits, eventually settling matters in favor of the Nationals, 15-12.

Of those 29 hits four of them came off the bat of Trea Turner, the 23-year-old Washington shortstop, who became the third player in Nationals' history to hit for the cycle.

Turner singled in the first, smoked a two-run double in the second, cracked a two-run homer in the sixth and finished up with a bases-loaded triple in the seventh, in the process of entering his name in the records books, driving in a career-high seven runs, also the most RBI for a player in a single game this season.

Turner's effort was the first for the Nationals since Cristian Guzman hit for the cycle in 2008.

Washington's win evened the series at a game apiece. Game three of the four-game series will be hosted at Coors Field by the Rockies at 8:40 pm ET on Wednesday.