Ivan Nova Throws Complete Game in 9-1 White Sox Win; Paul Goldschmidt Slam Leads Cards Past Pirates

Players of the Day for Monday, July 22, 2019

American League

Nova: 9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 K

Pitching has changed with the times in the major leagues.

With the advent of pitch counts, closers, holders, and more recently, "openers," complete games have become rarities.

Bucking the trend on Monday night was White Sox hurler, Ivan Nova, who threw 112 pitches en route to a complete game, 9-1, win over the visiting Miami Marlins.

Nova (5-9, 5.49) allowed four hits, giving up the single run on a solo homer by Jorge Alfaro in the second inning. The 32-year-old hurler was helped by two double plays. He struck out five and did not allow a walk.

Nova, acquired by the Sox from the Pirates in the off-season, was able to relax on the mound as his teammates belted four home runs, building a sizable lead.

The complete game was Nova's first since 2017 and ninth of his career.

The White Sox (45-52) are 3-8 since the all-star break and host the Marlins in game two of their three-game series on Tuesday, at 8:10 pm ET.

Notes: The Minnesota Twins turned a triple play in the first inning of their 8-6 win over the Yankees. The win kept the Twins three games ahead of Cleveland - 7-3 winners at Toronto - in the AL Central.

National League

Goldschmidt: Grand Slam

Squeezing out a 10-inning, 6-5, win at Pittsburgh, St. Louis moved into second place in the NL Central, as the Milwaukee Brewers dropped a 6-5 decision to the Reds. With the Cubs losing, 5-4, at San Francisco, the Cardinals find themselves just 1 1/2 games off the division lead.

Paul Goldschmidt socked a grand slam in the 10th to put the Cardinals comfortably ahead, but the St. Louis bullpen, a sore spot all season, nearly gave the game away, giving up three runs before finally closing the book on the Pirates.

The slam was Goldschmidt's only hit of the game. It was his 19th home run of the season, to go with 48 RBI and a .248 average, numbers well short of what the Cardinals thought he would produce when they acquired him from Arizona in the off-season.

Despite Goldschmidt's struggles (he's currently mired in a deep slump, batting .174 over the past seven games), the Cardinals have kept pace in the most contentious division in the majors. St. Louis is also holding the second wild card spot, 1/2-game behind the Nationals and 1/2-game ahead of the Phillies.

Pittsburg hosts St. Louis in game two of their four-game series in the Steel City, Tuesday, at 7:05 pm ET.

Max Kepler Leads Twins In Walk-Off Win Over A's; Walker Buehler Blanks Marlins in 9-0 Dodger Victory

Players of the Day for Sunday, July 21, 2019

American League

Kepler: Game-winner

With the Cleveland Indians bearing down upon them, the Minnesota Twins needed some magic in the final game of their four-game series with the tough Oakland A's.

They got just enough tricks from leadoff hitter Max Kepler to come away with a walk-off, 7-6, victory and a split in the series.

After doubling and scoring the game's first run in the opening frame, Kepler uncorked a three-run bomb in the second - his 24th home run of the year - to give the Twins a commanding 4-0 lead. Oakland battled back, and, by their at-bat in the bottom t=of the eighth, Minnesota found themselves down, 6-5. Oakland maintained the lead through the eighth and into the ninth, but closer Liam Hendriks could not contain the Minnesota hitters.

Luis Arraez got things started with a one-out single in the ninth, followed by Ehire Adrianza's triple to right field, tying the score. After Jason Castro struck out swinging, Kepler delivered a scratch single to left center, bringing home Adrianza with the winning run.

Kepler was 3-for-6 with four RBI and two runs. The Twins maintained their three-game lead over Cleveland, who topped Kansas City, 5-4.

Minnesota remains home to open a three-game series with the Yankees on Monday. Game time is 8:10 pm ET.

National League

9-1 Buehler: 7 scoreless

Looking very much like the team with the best record in baseball, the LA Dodgers dismantled the Miami Marlins in the finale of their three-game series, completing the sweep with a 9-0 win.

Starting pitcher, Walker Buehler, improved to 9-1 with seven innings of five-hit, shutout ball. Buehler fanned 11, didn't walk a batter and threw 71 of 94 pitches for strikes. The Marlins were flailing away at his tosses all day.

In just his second full season, Buehler has an ERA of 3.23. He's struck out 131 batters in 117 innings while issuing just 17 bases on balls.

Since the all-star break, the Dodgers have seven wins against three losses and lead the NL West by a whopping 16 games. At 67-35 on the season, they've outclassed and outpaced the rest of the league. The Braves have the league's second-best record, at 59-41. In the AL, the Yankees are 64-34; the Astros, 64-37.

With Monday off, the Dodgers host the crosstown rival Angels for two games starting Tuesday.

Red Sox Rout O's, 17-6, Behind Jackie Bradley Jr.; Javier Baez Leads Cubs Past Padres, 6-5

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 20, 2019

Bradley Jr.: 2 HR, 6 RBI

American League

After dropping the opener of their three-game series in Baltimore, 11-2, Friday, the Boston Red Sox roared back with a 17-6 romp at Camden Yards in game two, socking five home runs, two of them by center fielder, Jackie Bradley Jr.

Appreciated primarily for his defense, the fleet-footed Bradley whacked a pair of three-run homers, driving in six runs as the Red Sox took advantage of the small dimensions in Baltimore.

Since the all-star break, Boston is just 5-4, and they're still in third place in the AL East, 11 games behind the runaway Yankees and a game behind struggling Tampa Bay. They're also three games behind Oakland for the second wild card, so the defending world champs have work to do down the stretch.

After Sunday's series finale (1:05 pm ET), the Red Sox will enter a crucial stretch in which they play 14 straight games against Tampa Bay and New York, six against the Rays and eight against the Yankees from July 22 through August 4.

National League

Baez: 3-4, HR, 3R, 3RBI

Opening up a three-game lead in the contentious NL Central with a 6-5 win over San Diego, the Chicago Cubs have a golden opportunity to put some space between themselves and their closest pursuers, Milwaukee and St. Louis.

Chicago leads Milwaukee by three games and St. Louis by 3 1/2.

Javier Baez singled, doubled, and mashed a three-run homer to left field in the fourth inning that put the Cubs on top to stay.

Jose Quintana (8-7) allowed five runs in five innings, but four Chicago relievers blanked the Padres over the final four.

It was the second straight 6-5 win for the Cubs over visiting San Diego, and Chicago's fourth straight win overall. They're 7-1 since the all-star break and are looking to distance themselves in the division.

Baez, who came close to being the NL MVP last season with 40 doubles, 34 home runs and 111 RBI, is on pace to equal or exceed those figures. He's batting .292 with 25 doubles, 24 home runs and 67 RBI.

The Cubs will be seeking the series sweep when they take the field Sunday against the Padres. Game time is 2:20 pm ET.

Oscar Mercado 5-for-5 as Indians Win 6th Straight; Paul DeJong Rallies Cardinals Past Reds, 12-11

Players of the Day for Friday, July 19, 2019

Mercado: 5-for-5

American League

With a 10-5 win over visiting Kansas City, the Cleveland Indians gained another game on Central division-leading Minnesota, as the Twins dropped a 5-3 decision to Oakland Friday night.

Their sixth straight win left the Indians a mere three games off the pace, keyed by rookie center fielder, Oscar Mercado's 5-for-5 effort.

Mercado stroked four singles and a double, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs. In 51 games, the fleet 24-year-old, who hails from Tampa, Florida, is batting a brisk .299 with seven homers, 25 RBI, 35 runs and eight stolen bases. Over his last seven games, Mercado has blazed a .455 average with three homers and eight RBI.

Batting second in the order, behind perennial all-star, Francisco Lindor, Mercado has added speed, power, defense and consistency to the Indian offense.

The win came in the opener of a three-game series with the Royals. Game two is Saturday, 7:10 pm ET.

DeJong: 2-4, HR, 4 RBI

National League

No matter if the score is 1-0 or 19-6, a win is a win in baseball and that's all the St. Louis Cardinals needed Friday night to stay relevant in the wild card and Central division races.

Chalking up a 12-11 win over the Reds in the second of a four-game set at Cincinnati, the Cardinals erased an early 7-0 deficit with 10 runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh. A sore spot all season, the Cardinal bullpen nearly gave it all back, allowing the Reds two runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings.

In the middle of the fray was St. Louis shortstop, Paul DeJong, who doubled, drove in two, and scored in the sixth, then stroked a two-run homer (his 15th) in the seventh.

DeJong has been steady this season, batting .254 with 15 homers and 44 RBI. St. Louis is 6-2 since the all-star break, keeping them close in the Central division. Their win moved them past Milwaukee (a 10-7 loser at Arizona), into second place, 2 1/2 back of the Cubs. They are tied with the Phillies for the second wild card spot, a game behind the Nationals.

Game three of the series starts at 7:10 pm ET, Saturday in Cincinnati.