Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox Pound Yanks, 19-3; Daniel Murphy Leads Rockies in Comeback Win

Players of the Day for Thursday, July 25, 2019

Bogaerts: 4-6, 2HR, 4RBI

American League

Entering their four game series at Boston, the New York Yankees held a 10-game lead over Tampa in the division and an 11-game bulge over the Red Sox.

That would be hard to believe after the events of the first game, in which the Red Sox hammered starter Masahiro Tanaka for seven runs in the first inning, en route to a 19-3 demolition of the first place Bombers.

The Red Sox amassed 23 hits off four Yankee hurlers, 13 of them for extra bases. Xander Bogaerts was one of the leaders of the assault, going 4-for-6 with four RBI and four runs. Bogaerts' first-inning, three-run homer set the tone, and Boston hitters just kept piling on the division leaders with impunity.

Bogaerts added a pair of singles and an eighth-inning solo homer. While the Red Sox are just 8-6 since the all-star game, their relatively tame performance cannot be tied to Bogarts and his hot bat. He's batting .419 with six home runs and 17 RBI over his last 15 games.

Friday's game two is scheduled for a 7:10 pm start at Fenway Park.

Murphy: 3-5, HR, 2 RBI

National League

Daniel Murphy is heating up, and that should be good news for the Colorado Rockies.

One of the best hitters in the majors, Murphy's been boosting his batting average, upping it to .287 with a 3-for-5 effort in Colorado's 8-7 comeback win at Washington.

The Nationals held a 7-5 lead entering the eighth inning, but Murphy cut the lead in half with his third hit of the game, a solo homer into the right field seats.

After Ian Desmond tied the game in the ninth with a solo shot of his own, Murphy knocked in the game-winner on a fielder's choice ground out, getting Charlie Blackmon home from third.

Murphy drove in two runs and scored three times. Over his past 15 games, Murphy has been on fire, batting .327 with three homers.

Colorado's victory left them mired in last place in the NL West. They are 6 1/2 games away from the wild card spot.

The Rockies open a three-game series in Cincinnati, Friday at 6:40 pm.

Xander Bogaerts Slams Royals In Boston Win; Brian Anderson Leads Marlins Past Phillies

Players of the Day for Monday, April 30, 2018

American League

Returning to the friendly confines of Fenway Park on Monday, the Red Sox opened their three-game series against the Royals in typical Boston fashion, banging out 13 hits in a 10-6 victory, highlighted by Xander Bogaerts' third inning grand slam.

Bogaerts: Grand Slam

The Royals thought they were looking good after scoring three runs in the first inning, but the Sox took little time getting to starter Jason Hammels. After Mitch Moreland socked a solo homer in the second inning and walked with the bases-loaded in the third, Bogaerts unloaded, with a tape-measure, 430-foot blast over the Green Monster in left field.

That put the Red Sox up 6-3, and, for all intents and purposes, sealed the victory early in the affair.

Bogaerts added a couple of singles, finishing 3-for-5 with four RBI. He's batting a brisk .412 in 51 at-bats, his playing time limited to just 12 games this season due to an early injury that set him down for three weeks.

In his third game back from the DL, Bogaerts is 7-for-13 (.518) and the Red Sox have won their last two games, leaving them three in front of the Yankees in the LA East, after Houston downed the Bombers, who had won nine straight, 2-1, Monday night.

Game two of the series starts Tuesday at 7:10 pm EDT.

National League

Anderson: 3-4, HR, 4 RBI

Off to their best start in many years, the high-flying Phillies would have figured to do well on a trip to Miami, engaging the lowly Marlins in a three-game series which began on Monday.

The Phillies had taken two of three from the Marlins in Philadelphia earlier in the season, one of them a humiliating 20-1 rout, but Monday's outcome would be different, as Brian Anderson led the Marlins to an 8-4 decision.

A rookie right fielder, Anderson singled, doubled and homered in four at-bats, driving in four runs and scoring twice.

In the third inning, Anderson laced a double to right center, breaking a 2-2 tie by driving in a pair of runners. He would score later in the inning on a ground out by Miguel Rojas.

By the end of the fourth inning, the Phillies had closed to gap to 6-4, but Anderson's wo-run homer in the seventh put the game out of reach as relievers Tayron Guerrero and Brad Ziegler held the Phillies hitless and scoreless over the final two innings.

The win was the 10th of the season for Miami, the Phillies loss dropping them two games behind the Mets, who are leading the NL East. The Braves hold second place, 1 1/2 out.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Tuesday, 7:10 pm EDT.

Phillies Hammer Marlins, 20-1, As Maikel Franco Drives in 6; Xander Bogaerts Leads Red Sox To 7th Straight Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, April 7, 2018

American League

Bogaerts: GS, 6 RBI

After the Rays scored two runs in the top of the first, the Red Sox responded with four of their own, highlighted by Xander Bogaerts two-run double to take an early lead.

In the second, Bogaerts put another ball out of reach, mashing a grand slam to left-center, putting Boston up for good in their 10-3 rout at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox won their seventh straight after opening the regular season with a loss and lead the AL East by 2 1/2 games over the Yankees and Blue Jays.

Bogaerts tally of six RBI left him one shy of the AL lead, with 10. Toronto's Justin Smoak and the Yankees' Didi Gregorius each have driven in 11 runs.

For Tampa Bay, their losing streak equals Boston's winning skein as Tampa Bay won their home opener against Boston, but has lost every game since, including two at Yankee Stadium earlier in the week.

The Rays will try to stop the rampaging Red Sox on Sunday in the finale of their three-game series. Start time is 1:05 pm EDT.

National League

Franco: GS, 6 RBI

Vince Velazquez allowed four hits and one measly run over six innings and Jake Thompson blanked the visiting Marlins on one hit over the final three innings in Philadelphia's 20-1 smackdown of Miami.

With the Phillies' pitching more than adequate, Maikel Franco led a 20-hit assault against six Miami hurlers, socking a first-inning grand slam and a two-run double in the fourth to drive in six runs.

Philadelphia scored five runs in the first, four in the third and eight in the fourth, outdistancing their opponent early in the game.

For Franco, the home run was his second in as many games, the six RBI tying him for the league lead with Atlanta's Freddie Freeman and Pittsburgh's Gregory Polanco, each with 11.

The win was the second straight for Philly over the Marlins, and they will be looking for the series sweep Sunday afternoon, at 1:35 pm EDT.

John Lackey, Addison Russell Lead Cubs To NL Central Title; Xander Bogaerts Powers Red Sox

Players of the Day for Wednesday, September 27, 2017

American League

Bogaerts: 3-5, HR, 4 RBI

Xander Bogaerts went 3-for-5, scored twice and drove in four runs as the Boston Red Sox outslugged the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-7, taking one step closer to winning the AL East division.

Bogaerts' third inning, three-run homer - his 10th of the season - capped a five-run rally by the Red Sox which largely put the Blue Jays away. In the second inning, Bogaerts singled in the tying run at 3-3, and scored the go-ahead run on Dustin Pedroia's single. The Blue Jays re-tied the game with a run in the top of the third, but the bottom of the frame proved decisive.

Boston's win kept them three games up on the Yankees in the division race. With four left to play, the magic number is two for the Red Sox, who open a four-game series at home with the Houston Astros, who are still fighting with Cleveland for the league's best record. Houston is one game behind the Indians in the race, so the upcoming series at Boston should be hard-fought.

Russell: 3-run homer

National League

John Lackey held St. Louis to one run over six innings and Addison Russell's seventh inning, three-run homer off Cardinal starter, Michael Wacha, led the Cubs back to the post-season.

The 5-1 win in St. Louis clinched the second consecutive NL Central pennant for the Cubs. In 2016, they won the division by 17 1/2 games and rode their wave of success all the way to a World Series championship over Cleveland.

Lackey: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER

Lackey (12-11) has not been consistent all season, but dueled until Russell broke up Wacha's shutout performance. The Cubs added two more runs in the frame, both debited to the S.t Louis starter. Lackey allowed only two hits, the Cardinals scratching out their lone run in the second inning as Paul DeJong doubled home Jedd Gyorko.

Russell's home run was his 12th of the season, but none were bigger than Wednesday's game-winner for the Cubs' third-year shortstop.

The Cubs will enter the post-season with the third-best record of the division winners meaning they'll play the them with the second-best record, the Washington Nationals, and will open the series on the road. The Dodgers - who clinched the league's best record and home field advantage - will face the winner of the wild card game.

Chicago finishes up its series in St. Louis on Thursday and end the regular season with a three-game home stand with Cincinnati.

Rockies' Nolan Arenado Hits For Dramatic Cycle; Xander Bogaerts Leads Boston To 6-5 win At Houston

Players of the Day for Sunday, June 18, 2017

American League

Bogaerts: 3-4, 2HR, 4RBI

With the Yankees losing their sixth straight, dropping a 4-3 decision at Oakland, the Boston Red Sox have finally caught them for first place in the AL East. The two teams are .002 apart, with the Yankees at 38-29 and the Sox at 39-30.

Boston got a big game from Xander Bogaerts Sunday night in their 6-5 win at Houston.

Bogaerts hit two home runs and singled in what would prove to be the difference-maker in the seventh inning, going 3-for-4 with four RBI. The first homer was a first inning solo shot, followed by a two-run belt in the fourth that gave Boston a 3-2 edge.

In the seventh, Bogaerts singled home Mookie Betts, giving Boston a 6-4 advantage, but Houston rallied for a run in the eighth when Carlos Beltran singled with one out, plating George Springer. Jose Altuve was thrown out at home by Andrew Benintendi.

Boston took the series two game to one, and heads to Kansas City Monday for a three-game series with the Royals. Houston remains atop the AL West by 11 games. They begin a seven-game road trip Monday, with four at Oakland and three at Seattle. The Yankees will try to stop their slide when they return home Tuesday for a three game series with the Angels.

National League

The NL West continues to amaze, with Colorado continuing to lead Arizona and the Dodgers by one game, the teams now having combined for 15 straight wins.

Arenado hits for cycle

The Rockies did their part by winning their fifth straight on Sunday, as Nolan Arenado hit for the cycle in Colorado's 7-5 win over the Giants.

Hitting for the cycle is a mighty feat, but the way Arenado did so was dramatic, bordering on the surreal. After tripling in the first and singling in the fourth, there was still no score, but that changed when Carl Crawford hit a two-run homer in the top of the fifth for the Giants. Arenado countered with an RBI double in the sixth, but Colorado still trailed, 2-1.

Afgter taking a 3-2 lead in the seventh, Arenado struck out to end the inning, but that would not be the last the fans at Coors field would see of their all-star third baseman.

The Giants rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for Arenado, who stepped to the plate with two men aboard, and a run already in. Completing the cycle in the most dramatic way imaginable, Arenado sent a blast to left, homering for the walk-off, 7-5 win.

Arenado finished the game 4-for-5 with four RBI, and is creeping up on the leaders in offensive categories with a .299 average, 15 homers (tied for 16th) and 55 RBI (tied for 3rd).

It was the eighth cycle in Rockies history and the 17th at Coors Field. It also was the first walk-off cycle in the majors since Carlos Gonzalez did it July 31, 2010, against the Cubs.

Colorado gets a needed day off before hosting the Diamondbacks for three games at Coors Field beginning Tuesday. Then they play three in LA with the Dodgers over the weekend.

Red Sox Oust Rays from Playoffs with 3-1 Win as Xander Bogaerts Scores Twice without a Hit

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 8, 2013

American League

Bogaerts: 0 AB, 2R

As much as fine pitching and bombastic home run hitters generally decide the outcome of games, baseball is also replete with oddities and quirks which make it statistically astonishing at times.

The Boston Red Sox won their best-of-five divisional series with the wild card Rays three games to one with a 3-1 victory at Tampa's Tropicana Field Tuesday night. Here is some of the quirky scoring:

Boston starter Jake Peavy - aided by two double plays - allowed one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings, but did not get the decision, the win falling to reliever Craig Breslow, who allowed one hit over 1 2/3rd innings, getting four of his six outs via the strikeout. Koji Uehara, who got the final four outs, fanned two without allowing a hit, earning his second save of the series, a night after giving up the home run that forced game four.

Rookie Xander Bogaerts, Boston's speedy sometime shortstop, scored two runs without having an official at bat, walking both times he appeared at the plate. The first instance was in the seventh inning, when he pinch-hit for Stephen Drew, eventually scoring on a wild pitch by Tampa reliever, Joel Peralta. Remaining in the game at short, Bogaerts walked again in the top of the ninth, this time scoring on a sac fly by Dustin Pedroia, giving the Red Sox an insurance run before Tampa's final at-bat.

Despite not having an official at-bat in the series, Bogaerts scored three runs.

In Detroit, the Tigers evened their series with the A's at two games apiece with an 8-6 win, sending the series back to Oakland for a deciding game five on Thursday, at 8:07 pm EDT. The Red Sox will have home field advantage over whichever team comes out on top in the AL Championship Series.

National League

Thre were no NL games on Tuesday. The Pirates play at St. Louis, Wednesday, in the deciding game five of the NLDS at 8:07 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Which National League team has won the most World Series? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The Oakland A's - formerly the Philadelphia A's - have won nine World Series championships.