Yasiel Puig, Cody Bellinger Power Dodgers Over Brewers In NLCS Game Seven

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 20, 2018


National League

NL Championship Series Game 7: LA Dodgers 5  Milwaukee Brewers 1

Puig: 3-for-4, 3-run HR

The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the World Series with a 5-1, game seven win over the Brewers in Milwaukee Saturday. Cody Bellinger socked a two-run home run in the bottom of the first and Yasiel Puig's sixth-inning, three-run homer sealed the deal for Dodger starter, rookie Walker Buehler, and five relief pitchers.

Bellinger: 2-run homer

Buehler worked 4 1/3 innings and did not get the win. That went to Ryan Madsen, the only reliever to allow a hit, for his 1 2/3 innings in the sixth and seventh. Dodger relievers allowed one hit over the final 4 2/3 innings, striking out seven. Buehler gave up six hits and the only run for the Brewers - Christian Yelich's first-inning solo shot - while fanning seven. 14 of the 27 Milwaukee outs were strikeouts.

Kenley Jansen struck out three in 1 1/3 hitless innings, and Clayton Kershaw closed out the win with a perfect ninth inning, fanning two of the three batters he faced.

The Dodgers will be off until Tuesday when they open the World Series at Fenway Park in Boston. Game one is slated for a 8:09 pm ET start at Fenway Park. Every game of the World Series will be televised exclusively on FOX. Game two is also in Boston, while games three, four, and five (if necessary) will be played in Los Angeles. Should the series extend to games six and seven, they would be back in Boston.

Yasiel Puig's 3 HR Put Dodgers Back In First Place; Yonder Alonso, Jose Ramirez Power Indians To Clinch AL Central

Players of the Day for Saturday, September 15, 2018

Jose Ramirez

American League

The Cleveland Indians clinched the AL Central division outright, doing it in style with a 15-0 blowout of the visiting Detroit Tigers.

Jose Ramirez and Yonder Alonso each had three hits, three scores and two RBI in the rout.

Yonder Alonso

Ramirez, singled, doubled and tripled in four at-bats. Alonso got to the place officially six times, delivering a pair of singles and his 23rd home run of the year.

Mike Clevinger was outstanding on the Cleveland mound, allowing one hit over six innings.

Cleveland is the first team in the majors to clinch a division title and they did it with 14 games left in the regular season.

The Tigers and Indians tangle again in Cleveland, Sunday, 1:10 pm EDT.

National League

Puig: 3 HR, 7 RBI

There was some outstanding work at the plate by the Dodgers in LA's 17-4 hammering of the Cardinals in St. Louis Saturday.

Max Muncy drove in four runs, Cody Bellinger had three hits, one of them a home run, and drove in six, but Yasiel Puig did them all better, smashing three homers and driving in seven runs.

Puig, who was sidelined to open the season and again in mid-July with minor injuries, began his assault on the St. Louis bleachers with a bases empty, 423 bomb to center in the fourth inning, then cracked a three-run homer to left in the fifth, followed by another three-run blast in the eighth.

Puig hit two dingers in the Dodgers' win over St. Louis Monday and is hitting a cool .407 for the month of September. He has 21 homers and 58 RBI on the season.

The third straight win at St. Louis pushed the Dodgers into first place in the NL West, as Colorado dropped its second straight at San Francisco, 3-0. The result also put the Rockies back into the wild card race, now 1/2-game to the good over St. Louis for the second spot.

LA will be looking for a four-game sweep of the Cardinals when the teams hit the field on Sunday, 8:00 pm as the featured game on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

Yasiel Puig Guides Dodgers To Win At Colorado; Masahiro Tanaka Throws 8 Scoreless For Yankees

Players of the Day for Friday, September 7, 2018

American League

Tanaka: 8IP, 3H, 0ER, 10K

In their quest to keep up with or catch the Red Sox, the New York Yankees have gotten the best from starter Masahiro Tanaka when it has counted the most.

Tanaka notched his second straight win in September, tossing eight innings of shutout ball to lead the Yankees to a 4-0 win over host Seattle.

Improving to 11-5, Tanaka fanned a season-high 10 batters, allowed just three hits and didn't issue any walks. It was his second straight strong outing, having won on September 1 against the Tigers, giving up one run on seven hits in seven frames.

Two-run homers by Andrew McCutchen and Gleyber Torres accounted for all of the Yankees' scoring.

With Houston rallying to defeat the Reds Sox, 6-3, New York closed to within 8 1/2 of Boston in the Al East while maintaining a 3 1/2-game lead over Oakland in the wild card. The A's topped Texas, 8-4.

Game two of the three-game series in Seattle is slated for a 6:10 pm PDT start Saturday.

Puig: HR, 2 RBI

National League

Pressures are building in the run to the post-season in the National League, especially in the West division and wild card race.

Yasiel Puig socked a solo homer in the second inning and added an insurance run with an RBI single in the fifth as the Dodgers defeated the Rockies in Colorado, 4-2. Clayton Kershaw (7-5) picked up the win, holding the Rockies scoreless after they put up a pair in the second inning. Kershaw lasted through the sixth, and five relievers from the Dodger bullpen did the rest.

Puig's homer was his 16th. He's batting .261 with 49 RBI.

The result left the Rockies ahead by only 1/2-game over the Dodgers with Arizona 1 1/2 out. LA also moved closer to the second wild card spot, as the Cardinals dropped a 5-3 decision in Detroit. St. Louis is holding on by one game over the Dodgers and two over Arizona. Milwaukee, a 4-2 winner over the Giants, holds the top spot, 1 1/2 ahead of the Cardinals.

LA's win came in the opener of a three-game series in Denver. Game two is Saturday, 8:00 pm EDT.

Yasiel Puig Helps Dodgers Blast Brewers, 21-5; Steve Pearce's 3 Boston Homers Crush Yankees, 15-7

Players of the Day for Thursday, August 2, 2018

American League

Pearce: 3-5, 3HR, 6 RBI

Feasting on Yankee pitching, Steve Pearce belted a trio of home runs as the Red Sox opened a four-game series with the Yankees at Fenway Park with a 15-7 blowout.

Pearce's homers were all to left field, over the fabled Green Monster.

New York took an early lead with three runs in the first inning and one more in the second, but their joy was short-lived as the Red Sox banged out 19 hits.

Pearce socked a solo homer in the third inning and his three-run blast in the fourth gave the Red Sox the lead, 6-4, as the rout developed. Acquired by the Red Sox from Toronto in late June, Pearce capped his great night with a two-run homer in the sixth, racking up six RBI for the game.

The Red Sox took a 6 1/2 game edge over the Yankees in the AL East with the win.

Game two of the series is scheduled for a 7:10 start on Friday.

National League

Puig: 2HR, 3RBI, 3R

Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig each hit two home runs and Cody Bellinger cranked out a grand slam as the Dodgers sent a message, downing the Brewers in LA, 21-5.

Bellinger finished 2-for-4 with five RBI, Pederson, 2-for-6 with four ribbbies, and Puig was 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs.

The win produced a 2-2 split in the four-game series between the two contenders. The Dodgers captured first place in the NL West as Arizona lost and dropped one game back. Colorado trails the Dodgers by two games.

The Brewers remained a game behind the Cubs in the NL Central. Chicago dropped a 6-1 decision to San Diego on Thursday.

On Friday, the Dodgers open an three-game interleague series when Houston visits. Milwaukee returns home to host the Rockies.

Justin Verlander, Carlos Correa Lead Astros Over Yankees; Yasiel Puig Propels Dodgers In NLCS Game One

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 14, 2017

American League

Verlander: 9 IP, 1 ER, 13 K

Justin Verlander went the distance for the Astros, as Houston forged a two games to none lead in the AL Championship Series with their second straight 2-1 victory over the visiting New York Yankees.

Verlander struck out 13 in the complete game win, touched up for the sole Yankee run in the fifth inning when Aaron Hicks and Todd Frazier hit back-to-back doubles. Hicks doubled into the left-center gap with two outs, and Frazier stroked a ground rule double to the same area, scoring Hicks. The run tied the game after Carlos Correa's solo homer in the fourth put the Astros up, 1-0.

Correa: HR, 2 RBI

Verlander allowed just five hits, winning his third game in this post-season. He's tossed 16 strikeouts in 17 innings, with a 2.04 ERA.

Correa also drove in the game-winning run, as Jose Altuve raced home from first on Correa's one-out double in the bottom of the ninth off Yankee reliever Aroldis Chapman. The 23-year-old shortstop has three homers and nine RBI in the 2017 post-season.

With the two-game lead in hand, Houston heads to New York where games three, four, and five (if necessary) will take place. Game three is Monday at 8:08 pm ET at Yankee Stadium.

National League

The Cobs and Dodgers began the National League Championship Series (NLCS) Saturday with Los Angeles taking the opener, 5-2, rallying from a 2-0 fourth-inning deficit.

Puig: HR, 2 RBI

Clayton Kershaw worked five innings as the starter for LA, but was dinged on a two-run homer by Albert Almora Jr. in the fourth. Following the fifth inning, five Dodger relievers held Chicago scoreless, while Yasiel Puig keyed the comeback with a fifth-inning RBI double and a seventh inning solo homer.

Chris Taylor also belted a solo shot in the sixth, breaking the 2-2 tie.

Puig is batting .467 (7-for-15) in the post-season, with six RBI and one home run.

Game two of the series is Sunday, 7:38 pm ET at Dodger Stadium.

Curtis Granderson, Yasiel Puig Power Dodgers Past Pirates; Adam Jones 2 HRs Lead Orioles

Players of the Day for Monday, August 21, 2017

Jones: 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI

American League

Adam Jones lifted a pair of home runs out of Camden Yards as the Orioles got back on the winning track with a 7-3 victory over the Oakland A's in the first of three.

Jones added two singles, going 4-for-4 on the night. His first homer was a solo blast in the fourth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie. The second came back-to-back with Jonathan Schoop's three-run belt, another solo shot in the fifth as the Orioles scored four runs.

Jones' homers were his 23rd and 24th of the year. He has 63 RBI and is batting .281. The Orioles are 3 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the second wild card spot, but the field is loaded, with eight teams vying for that single spot. The Yankees continue to hold the first wild card by 2 1/2 games.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Tuesday at 7:05 pm ET.

Granderson: Grand Slam

National League

The Dodgers picked up Curtis Granderson from the Mets last week, and the veteran outfielder is apparently enjoying the cross-county move, socking a pair of home runs in his first three games in Dodger blue, the latest a grand slam in LA's 12-inning, 6-5 win at Pittsburgh.

Granderson's fifth inning slam put the Dodgers up, 5-3, but the Pirates - still fighting for contention in either the NL Central or the wild card race - came back to tie the game with two runs in the eighth.

Puig's HR won game

Neither team could come up with a run until the 12th inning, when Yasiel Puig launched his 22nd home run of the season, a solo shot that proved to be the game-winner. Ross Stripling, the eighth Dodger pitcher, gave up a hit and a walk in the bottom of the inning, but managed to keep the Pirates off the scoreboard, earning his second save.

The win left the Dodgers 20 1/2 games up on Colorado in the NL West with the best record in the majors, an amazing 88-35 (.715). At their current pace, the Dodgers would end the season at 116-46 and would clinch the division sometime around September 10.

Pittsburgh fell seven games behind Chicago in the NL Central and 8 games out of the second wild card.

The four-game series resumes Tuesday at 7:05 pm ET with game two.

Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall Power Indians To 1st In AL Central; Yasiel Puig Displays Power In Dodger Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, June 17, 2017

American League

Ramirez: 2HR, 4 RBI

Last season's AL entrant into the World Series, the Cleveland Indians, have gone on a roll, winning four straight, including the sweep of Saturday's doubleheader at Minnesota, winning 9-3 in the first game and continuing with a 6-2 victory in the nightcap. The result of winning the first three games of their four-game series (Friday was an 8-1 Cleveland win) landed the Indians alone in first place in the AL Central, with homesteading Minnesota a game back in second.

Winners of four straight, the Indians are putting it all together while Minnesota has given up control of the division, dropping three straight.

In the opener, Jose Ramirez pretty much won the game all by his lonesome, socking a two-run double sandwiched by a pair of solo home runs. Ramirez his home run number 10 in the first innings, doubled in two runs in the fourth and sent home run #11 over the right field wall in the sixth inning. The Twins were never in the game, as Cleveland built and early 4-0 lead and never was challenged. Ramirez is batting .306 with 19 doubles, 11 homers and 34 RBI this season.

Chisenhall: 2HR, 4RBI

The nightcap saw Lonnie Chisenhall in right field, and the part-timer responded with another sensational game, slugging a pair of home runs for four RBI. In the fourth, Chisenhall poked his 9th - a solo shot - which broke a 1-1 tie. Later, in the sixth inning, Chisenhall smashed his 10th homer with two aboard, putting Cleveland up, 5-1, essentially putting the game away.

Chisenhall has been on a tear recently, slugging three home runs and driving in 11 runs in his last four games. Appearing as a pinch-hitter in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, he was 0-for-1. With that, he's 6-for-12 in the last four.

Minnesota will have an opportunity to stem the tide and re-tie the Indians for the top spot in the division when the two teams meet in game four, Sunday, 2:10 pm at Target Field.

National League

Puig 2 HR, 3 RBI

There's no disputing that the liveliest race in the National League is in the West, where the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Dodgers have the three best records in the league, with Colored at 45-26, and LA and Arizona a game back at 43-26.

Colorado has won four straight, Arizona six straight and the Dodgers took their second straight at Cincinnati, hammering the Reds, 10-2, Saturday.

After building a 7-2 lead through five innings, Yasiel Puig finished off the Reds with a pair of tape-measure home runs in the sixth and eighth innings and a sac fly to complete the scoring in the ninth.

Puig's homers were solo shots, the first traveling 413 feet, the second going 423. The flamboyant right fielder from Cienfuegos, Cuba, has 12 homers on the year, with 37 RBI.

The win kept the Dodgers in the mix, with the series finale set for Sunday, 1:10 pm ET at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The Dodgers begin a none-game home stand on Monday, beginning with the Mets for four games, then a three-game series with the Rockies, followed by two with the Angels.

The Reds have lost a season-high eight straight, dropping to last place, 6 1/2 games out in the NL Central division.

Yasiel Puig Rallies Dodgers; Troy Tulowitzki Finds New Home Atop Blue Jays' Lineup

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 29, 2015

American League

Yasiel Puig

Troy Tulowitzki

In the AL East, everybody's chasing the Yankees.

Following Wednesday's results, which included a 5-2 loss by New York to the Rangers, the Orioles are in second place, six games back; Toronto is third, seven behind, and the Rays are 7 1/2 out.

Toronto made a roster move just prior to the trade deadline (Friday at 4:00 pm EDT), picking up Troy Tulowitzki from the floundering Rockies.

In his first game with the Blue Jays, Tulo appears to have found a new home - batting leadoff for the Jays, going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a two-run homer. Toronto topped the Phillies, 8-2 and get Thursday off before hosting a three-game weekend series with the Royals.

It's an important series for both teams, as the Royals will be starting a new player - Johnny Cueto - who arrived via Cincinnati and is expected to bolster an already solid Kansas City rotation.

National League

The tightest race in the majors is currently the one between the LA Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, where the Giants trail their southern neighbors by a mere 1/2 game, after Jake Peavy led the Giants to a 5-0 win over Milwaukee and the Dodgers held onto first place with a come-from-behind, 10-7, win over the visiting Oakland Athletics.

The A's had taken a 6-3 lead in the top of the seventh with a four-run outburst, but the resilient Dodgers came back with five runs in the bottom of the frame, keyed by Yasiel Puig's run-scoring single. Puig earlier put the Dodgers on the board with a two-run homer (his 7th) in the fourth inning.

Puig, who is batting .254 with 25 RBI, has been rumored to be available for a trade by the Dodgers. Thus far there have been no takers.

Both the giants and Dodgers have Thursday off, but resume play on Friday, the Giants traveling to Texas for a weekend series, while the Dodger host the Angels.

Logan Morrison Homers in Ninth for Mariners; Dodgers Rally to Whip Cubs, Lead NL West

Players of the Day for Thursday, September 18, 2014

American League

Logan Morrison

Felix Hernandez tolled seven scoreless innings for the Mariners to no avail, as his teammates could muster but four hits against Angel pitching through eight innings.

Hernandez would receive no decision, but the Mariners eventually broke through for a 3-1 victory, on Logan Morrison's three-run homer in the top of the ninth, getting Seattle to within one game of Oakland in the quest for the second wild card.

Called on to pitch the ninth for the Angels, Kevin Jepsen managed to get the first two outs of the inning on routine ground balls, but surrendered a single to Kendrys Morales. An intentional walk to Kyle Seager after pinch-runner James Jones took second on a Jepsen pick-off attempt set the stage for Morrison, who delivered the ball to the right field stands, his ninth homer of the year.

With Oakland losing 7-2 to Texas and the Royals on a day off, the race for both wild cards has the Royals, A's, and Mariners all within 1 1/2 games. With only two spots available and 10 games left (KC has 11 remaining), it's put up or go home time in the American League.

Yasiel Puig

National League

The LA Dodgers opened their four-game series in Chicago with the Cubs with a come-from-behind, 8-4 win, picking up 1/2 game on the idle Giants in the race for the NL West.

Down 4-1, Yasiel Puig finished the scoring of a five-run seventh inning with an RBI single, putting the Dodgers up by a run. Puig was 3-for-5 on the night and scored the Dodgers' final run on a sac fly in the ninth.

LA's lead over San Francisco is 2 1/2 games. The Dodgers have nine remaining on the schedule, their magic number to clinch the division is now eight. With three games remaining at Wrigley Field this weekend, the Dodgers should make hay against the Cubs before returning home for a three-game series with the Giants. After that, they host the Rockies for three to close out the regular season.

Jose Bautista's Two Homers Wasted as Yankees Topple Blue Jays; Yasiel Puig Legs Out Three Triples in Dodger Victory

Players of the Day for Friday, July 25, 2014

American League

Bautista: 2HR, 4RBI

Jose Bautista socked two homers - a three-run shot in the first inning and a solo job in the third - both off Yankee starter, Hiroki Kuroda - doubled later and accounted for all of Toronto's scoring, in a 6-4 loss at Yankee Stadium.

After the second Bautista home run, Kuroda (7-6) settled down, lasting 5 2/3rds innings for the win, moving the Yankees into sole possession of second place in the AL East, three games off the pace being set by the Baltimore Orioles (2-1 winners at Seattle). Toronto fell to four games out.

The pair of shots gave Bautista 20 homers on the year, marking the fifth straight season he's had at least 20 home runs. The Toronto slugger also has 60 RBI and is batting .297.

The Blue Jays will try to even the series at a game apiece, Saturday at 1:05 pm EDT.

National League

Puig: 3 Triples

The Dodgers opened their three-game series at San Francisco with a resounding, 8-1, triumph, clawing to within half a game of the NL West-leading Giants.

Yasiel Puig tied a 113-year-old franchise record with three triples and the team tied a franchise mark with five triples in the game, the most by a Dodger team since 1921.

Puig's extreme night of cardio work matched the effort of Jimmy Sheckard, a left fielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1901. Puig, playing his first game this season as the LA center fielder, added a double, drove in two runs and scored a pair.

Puig has eight triples on the season, is batting.315 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI.

Game two of the series is slated for a 6:05 pm PDT start on Saturday.

Angels Win, 1-0, as Jered Weaver Dazzles Twins;

Players of the Day for Wednesday, July 24, 2013

American League

Jered Weaver

Jered Weaver gave up two hits over eight innings as the LA Angels defeated the Minnesota Twins, 1-0.

Weaver was on his game, striking out nine while walking just one over eight innings, before handing the ball over to closer, Ernesto Frieri, who picked up his 25th save of the season, though it was not without some nail-biting moments. Frieri put two men aboard via walks, but eventually escaped his own jam, preserving the win for Weaver, a sub-par, 5-5, on the year.

The Angels managed to regain a tie for third place in the AL West, as Seattle dropped a 10-1 decision to Cleveland, ending an eight-game win streak.

National League

Yasiel Puig

Sparked again by rookie Yasiel Puig, the LA Dodgers won their sixth straight with a come-from-behind, 8-3, 10-inning win over the Blue Jays.

Puig - a heavy favorite to capture the NL rookie of the year award - went 3-for-5, with a double and his ninth home run of the season, scored the tying run in the ninth inning off a Colby Rasmus error, adding his homer in the tenth after the Dodgers had already plated two of their five running in the extra frame.

Mark Ellis hit a two-run shot before Puig's solo homer and the Dodgers sent home two more on Andre Ethier's double to the lef-center gap, completing the sweep of the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Today's Trivia: Who won the AL batting title in 1976? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Mike Schmidt led the NL in home runs eight times, including three in a row, from 1974-1976. In 1984, he tied for the league lead with Dale Murphy and in 1980 hit 48, his high mark for a single season.

Michael Brantley's 4 RBI Drive Indians Past Orioles, 5-2; Dodgers Down Giants, 3-1, on Yasiel Puig's 2 RBI

Players of the Day for Monday, June 24, 2013

American League

Michael Brantley

In one of just two AL games played Monday, the Cleveland Indians got four RBI from Michael Brantley, sending the Orioles to their fourth straight loss, as the Tribe won the opener of a four-game series at Camden Yards, 5-2.

Down, 2-1 in the sixth, Brantley put the Indians in front with a two-run single and then padded the lead with a two-run homer in the eighth. Ubaldo Jiminez (6-4) took the win, allowing eight Oriole hits and two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Cleveland used a parade of four relievers over the final 3 2/3 innings to hold down Batlimore bats.

Brantley's homer was his fifth of the season and helped the second-place Indians pick up 1/2 game on the idle Tigers, who lead the AL Central by 3 1/2 games. Baltimore fell into a tie for second with the Yankees in the AL East, 2 1/2 games behind Boston.

The series resumes Tuesday at 7:05 pm EDT.

National League

Yasiel Puig

The classic West coast rivalry opened for a three game series in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers took a 3-1 decision over the invading Giants.

As has been the case for much of the last month, Yasiel Puig - who appears headed for the NL rookie of the year award - was the difference-maker, going 3-for-4 with a first-inning homer and two RBI, enough to support the one-run pitching of Hyun-Jin Ryu, who allowed eight hits and walked four over 6 2/3 innings, but received no decision.

Puig's single in the eighth inning drove in Nick Punto, breaking a 1-1 tie. Hanley Ramirez knocked in Mark Ellis with an insurance run later in the frame.

Puig, who began his major league career on June 2, played in his 20th game. He has hit safely in 17, going 34-for-77 (.447) with seven home runs, 14 RBI and 12 multiple-hit games.

Even with Puig and the recently-returned Ramirez, the Dodgers remain stuck in last place in the NL West. Monday's victory left them eight games off the pace being set by the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Francisco dropped into fourth-place in the division 3 1/2 off the lead, with the Padres and Rockies a half game ahead of them.

The second of the three-game set begins Tuesday at 7:10 pm PDT.

Today's Trivia: What was the highest batting average ever recorded by a rookie?

Yesterday's Answer: Sandy Koufax won the Cy Young Award in 1963, 1965 and 1966.

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.

Yasiel Puig Turns Heads as Dodgers Top A's; Luke Scott Slams as Rays Rip Tigers

Players of the Day for Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Grapefruit League

Luke Scott

Luke Scott whacked a grand slam off Detroit starter, Doug Fister, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to an 11-4 victory over the Tigers.

Scott, who also had a double and scored in his only other official at-bat, raised his batting average to .375 in nine exhibition games. Scott's slam was his third homer of the exhibition season, four more of his nine hits have been doubles and he's driving in runs, with eight RBI.

After joining the Rays as a free agent from Baltimore in 2012, Scott produced a disappointing season with a .229 batting average, 14 homers and 55 RBI. He will likely fill the DH slot for the Rays should he continue his progress this Spring.

The Rays improved to 14-9 with the win and trail the Orioles by 1 1/2 games in Grapefruit League standings.

Cactus League

Yasiel Puig

There probably isn't room in the Dodger outfield (Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier) for newcomer Yasiel Puig, but the Cuban right fielder is certainly making his case.

Puig led the Dodgers to a 7-1 win over the Oakland A's Tuesday, as LA banged out 13 hits against four A's hurlers. Puig had four of them in four at-bats, and came up a double shy of hitting for the cycle.

Puig smashed his third exhibition homer, singled twice and tripled, making up for his lack of a double by stealing a base, his fourth swipe of the Spring. He drove in two and scored twice.

With three homers and 10 RBI, Puig has made an impression on LA coaches, going 23-for-46 for a stunning .500 batting average.

Whether he makes the roster or not, Puig is a player to watch as he develops. His only US baseball experience prior to this Spring is 23 minor league games.