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.

Rangers Stop Royals as Ian Kinsler Goes 3-for-3; Justin Upton Socks a Pair, Drives in Six in Atlanta Rout

Players of the Day for Monday, March 18, 2013

Grapefruit League

When the Phillies and Braves have gotten together for a ball game n recent years, the usual expectation is of a pitcher's duel of some kind. Playing an exhibition game at the Braves' Springtime home at Champion Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida, was a little bit different.

Upton: 2HR, 6RBI

The Braves pounded Philly pitching for 19 hits - four of them home runs - in a 17-10 romp in which the Braves scored in every inning except the sixth.

Justin Upton led the assault with a pair of homers. He socked a two-run, first inning blast off starter Rodrigo Lopez, and later pounded a three-run shot in the third off reliever Colton Murray. Upton was not done, however, connecting for an RBI single in the fifth off Antonio Bastardo to give him six RBI on the day. He also walked and scored in the second.

Upton was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Braves during the off-season and brings a lively bat to the Atlanta lineup. He batted .280 in 2012 with 17 homers and 67 RBI. He is expected to patrol left field alongside his brother, B.J., who was acquired via free agency by the Braves after eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays.

With rising star, Jason Heyward, in right field, the 2013 Braves will field one of the fleetest and productive outfields in the major leagues.

Cactus League

Kinsler: 3-3, HR

With the Kansas City Royals running away with the Cactus League, the Rangers took a step Monday at putting their reign to an end, topping the Royals, 8-2, with their second straight win, improving to 12-10 in exhibition play.

At the top of the order, where he's been a mainstay for nearly a decade, Ian Kinsler went 3-for-3, with a home run and two RBI. Kinsler also scored twice and stole his second base of the Spring. He's expected to start the 2013 season at second base for the Rangers.

Derek Lowe worked three innings of scoreless ball, getting the win, his first of the exhibition season. The Royals were held scoreless until the ninth, when they plated their only runs of the game.

The loss reduced KC's lead in the Cactus to just 1 1/2 games over Seattle, winners of five straight.

Luiz Mendoza, Royals Blank White Sox; Chris Carter Socks a Pair for Houston

Players of the Day for Sunday, March 17, 2013

Grapefruit League

Carter: 2 HR, 5 RBI

Chris Carter has been working his way through the minors to the major leagues since 2006, and finally appears ready to make the roster of a parent team.

After playing 83 games with Oakland last season, posting a .239 average with 16 homers and 39 RBI, Carter may end up the starting first baseman for Houston, which acquired his rights during the off-season.

In Sunday's 11-2 mashing of Toronto, Carter showed off some of his impressive power, belting a pair of two-run homers, scoring three times while getting five RBI in a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Carter will have to work on compacting his big swing, as he's already struck out 14 times in 42 at-bats this Spring, but he's socked four homers and has 11 RBI for a team that is in desperate need of a run-producer.

Cactus League

Luis Mendoza

Kansas City continued its assault on the Cactus League, winning for the 17th time against just four losses as they pounded out 18 hits in a 10-0 blanking of the Chicago White Sox.

While the KC regulars were batting balls around Arizona's Surprise Stadium, Luis Mendoza and four relievers were limiting the Chicagoans to five hits and no runs.

Mendoza, who started 30 games last season for the Royals and finished with a respectable 8-10 mark, worked five full innings against the Sox, giving up four hits and a walk, while punching out four on strikes. He's 2-0 for the Royals with an 0.82 ERA in two exhibition starts this Spring.

Thw win gave the Royals a 2 1/2 game lead over Seattle.

Matt Harrison Shuts Down Dodgers in Texas Win; Shawn Hill Looks Solid for Tigers

Players of the Day for Saturday, March 16, 2013

Grapefruit League

Shawn Hill

Detroit moved into a tie for second place with Tampa Bay in the Grapefruit League with a 3-0 win over St. Louis, the shutout the work of Shawn Hill and three relievers, who combined to hold the Cardinals to just four hits.

Hill (shown here in a Toronto cap), acquired by Detroit from Toronto following the 2012 campaign, hurled four innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit and one walk while fanning three.

A ten-year veteran, Hill hasn't made a major league start since 2010 with the Blue Jays, but is hoping to fill out an already-solid Detroit staff. After being bombed for 10 hits and five earned runs in his first outing this Spring, Saturday's effort was a huge step toward that end.

Cactus League

Matt Harrison

The Texas Rangers have developed some promising starters over the past few seasons, but none is more impressive than Matt Harrison, who tossed five innings of one-hit ball in Texas' 4-0 win over the 7-11 Dodgers.

Harrison didn't walk a batter and struck out three, dueling with Dodger ace, Clayton Kershaw, who threw six innings of shutout ball. Neither starter received a decision, as the Tigers didn't score until the seventh inning, when they plated all of their runs.

Harrison started 32 games for the Rangers in 2012, going 18-11 with a 3.32 ERA.

Texas evened its exhibition record at 10-10.