Hanley Ramirez Leads Dodgers to 13-6 Rout and 2-1 Edge in NLDS over Atlanta

Players of the Day for Sunnday, October 6, 2013

American League

There were no AL games on Sunday. Both divisional series resume Monday, as the Tigers host the A's at 1:07 pm EDT and Boston plays at Tampa Bay at 6:07 pm EDT.

National League

Scoring 10 runs in the first four innings, the LA Dodgers took a two-games-to-one lead in their National League divisional series with a 13-6 thumping of the Atlanta Braves.

Hanley Ramirez

The Dodgers trailed briefly when the Braves scored a pair of runs in the first inning, but LA came back with four in the bottom of the second. Atlanta re-tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the third, but after that, it was all Dodgers, scoring two in the third and four more in the fourth.

Hanley Ramirez continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with a single, double, triple, three runs and two RBI. The LA shortstop is batting a crisp .538 through three games, with a home run, triple, four doubles and eight RBI.

Rookie Yasiel Puig also had a big game, rapping out three singles in four at-bats, scoring three runs and driving in a pair. Carl Crawford smashed a three-run homer in the fourth, and also singled, driving in three and scoring three times.

Neither starting pitcher was particularly effective. Atlanta's Julio Teheran gave up eight hits and six runs in 2 2/3 innings, while LA's Hyun-Jin Ryu lasted just three innings, allowing four runs on six hits.

The series resumes Monday at 9:37 pm EDT, the Dodgers looking to close out the series at home.

In the other NLDS, Pittsburgh took a 2-1 edge in the best-of-five series with a 5-3 win over St. Louis. Pedro Alvarez broke a 3-3 tie with a single in the eighth inning, followed by a single to left by catcher Russell Martin, which added an insurance run for the Pirates.

Pittsburgh will be looking to close out the series at home when they hook up with the Cardinals in game four, Monday at 3:07 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who threw more complete games, Juan Marichal or Ferguson Jenkins?

Yesterday's Answer: While Mickey Mantle was quick, he was no match for Willie Mays in steals. Mays finished his career with 338 stolen bases; Mantle swiped 153.

Boston Grabs 2-0 ALDS Lead as David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury Power Red Sox; Oakland Ties Series with Detroit on 1-0 Win

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 5, 2013

American League

Jacoby Ellsbury

Taking a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series, the Boston Red Sox took one step closer to the AL championship with a 7-4 win over Tampa Bay.

David Ortiz socked a pair of solo home runs and Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-4 to pace Boston.

Ellsbury scored three runs for the Red Sox, including their first, reaching on a single to right in the bottom of the first, stealing second and taking third when Rays' catcher, Jose Molina threw the ball errantly into center field. Ellsbury, who led the AL in steals with 52 during the regular season, scored on Dustin Pedroia's sac fly. The next batter, Ortiz, made it 2-0, staking starter John Lackey to a quick lead.

In the third, Ellsbury doubled in a run and scored again, this time on a ground out fielder's choice by Pedroia. Ellsbury scored again in the fifth, when he singled and raced around from first on a double to left by Pedroia.

David Ortiz

Ortiz smashed his second homer of the game in the eighth - a towering drive just inside the right field foul pole - accounting for Boston's final run. With 30 homers and 103 RBI during the regular season, Ortiz ranked eighth and seventh in those respective categories in the AL.

It was the first time Ortiz had gone yard twice in a post-season game.

The Red Sox will be looking for the sweep and advancing to the ALCS when they play the Rays in game three at Tropicana Field, Monday at 6:07 pm EDT.

In Oakland, the A's got a run in the bottom of the ninth when Stephen Vogt singled with the bases loaded to score Yoenis Cespedes with the only run of the game and a 1-0 win for the Oakland A's.

Starters Justin Verlander and Sonny Gray engaged in an old-fashioned pitcher's duel through much of the game. Verlander allowed just four hits and fanned 11, lasting seven innings. Gray also allowed four hits and fanned nine, working through eight innings. A's closer, Grant Balfour, took the win, getting the Tigers out in order in the top of the ninth.

The series, now tied, 1-1, moves to detroit on Monday for game three, at 1:07 pm EDT.

National League

There were no National league games on Saturday. Both divisional series are tied at a game apiece and resume on Sunday. The Cardinals visit the Pirates at 4:37 pm EDT and the Braves play the Dodgers in LA at 8:07 pm EDT.

Today's Trivia: Who stole more bases during their major league career, Mickey mantle or Willie Mays? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Tom Seaver and Tommy Agee were the two former rookies of the year that played on the World Champion NT Mets of 1969. Seaver won the award in 1967 as a Met, Agee was AL ROY in 1966, playing for the Chicago White Sox.

Shane Victorino Leads Red Sox in 12-2 Win over Rays; Rookie Hurler Gerrit Cole Stuffs Cardinals in 7-1 Pirate Victory

Players of the Day for Friday, October 4, 2013

American League

Banging out 14 hits, the Boston Red Sox stopped the Tampa Bay road show at Fenway Park with a 12-2 win in the opening game of their best-of-five divisional series.

Victorino: 3-for-4

The Rays had won in Texas on Monday to get into the playoffs and then handled Cleveland on Wednesday night, taking claim of the wild card playoff, but the party ended in the bottom of the fourth when the Red Sox plated five runs after Tampa had taken an early 2-0 lead. The Sox tacked on three more in the fifth and four more runs in the eighth, turning the game into a romp for the team which finished with the best record in the AL.

All nine Red Sox batters had at least one hit; Shane Victorino had three, all singles, in four at-bats, with two RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. Boston didn't have any home runs. Nine of their 14 hits were singles; Tampa Bay pitchers issued five walks. Jon Lester took the win, going 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on just three hits, and three walks, whiffing seven Rays batters.

Game two is Saturday at Fenway, 5:37 pm EDT.

In the other AL divisional series, the Tigers got off to a good start by taking game one at Oakland by a 3-2 score. Max Scherzer got the win, striking out 11 over seven innings, walking two and allowing two runs on three hits. Game two is Saturday at 9:07 pm EDT.

National League

Gerrit Cole

Rookie hurler, Gerrit Cole, limited the St. Louis Cardinals to just two hits - one of them a fifth-inning, solo homer by Yadier Molina - over six innings, as the Pittsburgh Pirates evened the divisional series at a game apiece with a 7-1 victory at Bush Stadium.

Cole, who was 10-7 during the regular season and making his first post-season start, stymied the Cardinals throughout his six frames. After Carlos Beltran doubled with one out in the first inning, Cole set down the next 11 consecutive batters, retiring the side in order in the second, third and fourth innings. Molina's homer led off the fifth, but Cole got the next three batters and retired after an uneventful walk to Matt Carpenter in the sixth.

Manager Clint Hurdle made the move in the top of the seventh, pinch-hitting for Cole with a 6-1 lead. Three Pittsburgh relievers mopped up, each throwing a scoreless inning.

Tied at 1-1, the series moves to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Game time is 4:37 pm EDT.

Hanley Ramirez drove in all of the runs for the Dodgers, but he could have used some help as the Braves tied the series with Los Angeles at a game apiece with a 4-3 win at Turner Field in Atlanta. Mike Minor got the win for Atlanta, scattering eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run. The series shifts to Los Angeles on Sunday at 5:07 pm PDT.

Today's Trivia: The Amazin' Mets, who captured the 1969 World Series, fielded two players who had won rookie of the year awards. Who were they? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The three prior rookies of the year on the 1977 Yankees were Lou Pineilla (1969, KC), Thurman Munson (1970, Yankees), and Chris Chambliss (1971, Cleveland).

Adam Wainwright, Clayton Kershaw Lead Cardinals, Dodgers to Game One Wins in NLDS

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 3, 2013

American League

There were no American league games on Thursday.

AL Divisional Series begin on Friday, as the Tampa Bay Rays play at Boston, 3:07 pm EDT, and the Oakland A's host the Detroit Tigers at 9:37 pm EDT

National League

Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright remained unbeaten in the post-season, limiting the Pirates to three hits and one run over seven innings while his teammates piled on multiple runs for a 9-1 victory in game one of the NLDS.

Wainwright cruised through the Pittsburgh lineup, the only hiccup a fifth-inning, leadoff homer by Pedro Alvarez after the Cardinals had plated seven runs in the third inning. A 19-game winner - tied with Washington's Jordan Zimmermann for the most in the NL - Wainwright fanned nine and walked one, throwing 71 of 105 pitches for strikes. It was Wainwright's walk, leading off the third inning, that got the Cardinals started, scoring the first St. Louis run when Carlos Beltran belted a three-run homer.

Wainwright is 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA in post-season play.

Pittsburgh starter, A.J. Burnett, didn't record an out in the third inning, officially giving up seven earned runs on six hits and four walks.

Game two of the best-of-five series continues Friday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Game time is 1:07 pm EDT.

Clayton Kershaw

In the other divisional series, Clayton Kershaw allowed three hits and one run to the Atlanta Braves over seven innings, as the visiting LA Dodgers took game one of the NLDS by a 5-1 score.

Kershaw, who led the majors with a 1.83 ERA and 232 strikeouts, fanned 12 while walking three on a night in which he clearly did not have his best stuff, needing 124 pitches to get through the seven frames.

Adrian Gonzalez touched off a two-run homer in the second inning to provide an early cushion for Los Angeles. The Dodgers takced on two more in the third and single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.

Game two of the series is slated for a 6:07 pm EDT start in Atlanta.

Today's Trivia: The World Champion New York Yankees of 1977 fielded three players that had previously won rookie of the year honors. Who were they?

Yesterday's Answer: Five LA Dodger rookies captured consecutive rookie of the year awards from 1992-1996. They were Eric Karros (1992), Mike Piazza (1993), Raul Mondesi (1993), Hideo Nomo (1994), and Todd Hollandsworth (1995)