Monday 5/20/2007: Chavez and Guillen win Player of the Week award
The American League's best player of the week was Oakland's Eric Chavez, who wins the award for the 2nd time in his career. Chavez helped his team with an average of .500 and 7 RBI in 24 at bats. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 8 games. Jose Guillen wins his 1st Player of the Week award. National League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Jose went 12 for 23 (.522), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 12 RBI. Jose managed to drive in at least one run in every game he played this week.
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Sunday 5/19/2007: Sean Henn turns in great performance against Houston
PITTSBURGH - It was a great day for Pittsburgh's lefty Sean Henn. The 26-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Houston on Sunday. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' Henn (6-1) struck out 6 and walked 3, throwing 69 of 123 pitches for strikes. Ryan Langerhans provided Pittsburgh with the offense Henn needed as he finished with 1 hit in 3 AB, blasting a homerun, and driving in 4 runs. Pittsburgh scored 9 runs on 8 hits.
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Friday 5/17/2007: Vladimir Guerrero on fire, hits for cycle
INDIANAPOLIS - St. Louis' rightfielder Vladimir Guerrero accomplished a difficult feat in a game against Indianapolis, hitting for the cycle to improve his career batting average to .323! A single in the 3rd off Richard Stahl accounted for his 1st hit. A pitch from Ryan Snare in the 4th inning left his bat for a triple. In the 7th inning he belted a double off Cliff Politte. A pitch from Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning left his bat for a solo homerun, landing 402 feet from home plate in left-center. The game was tied, 8-8, after the blast. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Vladimir did drive in one while scoring 3 runs on his own. He is hitting .350 this season, with 10 HR and 30 RBI. 32 players in league history have so far hit for the cycle, including Vladimir. On 5/15/2007, Kazuo Matsui was the last player to hit for the cycle.
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Friday 5/17/2007: Oakland's Miguel Tejada ropes five hits
CLEVELAND - 'Wow, five hits in one game is something special, isn't it?' said Oakland's shortstop Miguel Tejada after the 6-1 win over Cleveland. His 2nd hit, a solo homerun off Juan Cruz in the 3rd inning, cleared the fence in center field. Hit number 5 followed in the 8th inning, a two-run triple. He had singles in the 1st , in the 5th inning and in the 7th inning . Miguel did drive in 3 while scoring 2 runs on his own. He is hitting .291 this season, with 8 HR and 30 RBI.
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Wednesday 5/15/2007: Kazuo Matsui punishes St. Louis with five hits, cycle
ST. LOUIS - Kazuo Matsui led Los Angeles to a 17-9 win over St. Louis by squeezing five hits out of his bat. That's not the best part, though. He hit for the cycle as well! A pitch from Randy Wolf in the 1st inning left his bat for a solo homerun, landing 407 feet from home plate in left-center. A single in the 2nd off Randy Wolf accounted for his 2nd hit. A pitch from Jason Simontacci in the 5th inning left his bat for a RBI double. A pitch from Mike Crudale in the 7th inning left his bat for a RBI triple. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! In the 8th inning he unloaded a two-run triple off Jorge Julio. Kazuo did drive in 5 while scoring 4 runs on his own. This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 60 hits in 175 at bats, resulting in a .343 batting average. 31 players in league history have so far hit for the cycle, including Kazuo. On 7/19/2006, Willie Bloomquist was the last player to hit for the cycle.
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Monday 5/13/2007: Player of the Week honors go to Teixeira and Chasse
Mark Teixeira from Texas wins his 4th Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the American League. Mark pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .462 with 3 HR and 15 RBI while slugging .923. Pittsburgh's rightfielder Jerry Chasse had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National League Player of the Week. In 26 at bats he hit .423 with 5 HR and 12 RBI. He now has homered in 3 consecutive games as well! Jerry is hitting .292 this year, with 42 hits in 144 at bats. He has driven in 40 runs, slugging .688. He's 1st in the National League in RBIs and 1st in homeruns!
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Sunday 5/12/2007: Pittsburgh's Pat Burrell has great day, hits three longballs
HOUSTON - Pittsburgh's second baseman Pat Burrell flexed his muscles and displayed his tremendous power, homering three times in a 20-6 win over Houston. Number 1 in the 1st inning, a shot estimated at 384 feet, cleared the wall in right field. In the 4th inning he unloaded a two-run homerun off Christopher Sells. A 385 foot drive to right-center marked his 3rd bomb, a three-run homerun off Ugueth Urbina in the 7th inning. Pat stroked 4 hits in 5 AB, scoring FOUR times and driving in 6 runs. Pittsburgh scored 20 runs on 20 hits.
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Saturday 5/11/2007: Dennis Tankersley blanks Baltimore with a 2-hitter
BALTIMORE - Good things can happen when you throw strikes. And Dennis Tankersley did so today, in a 2-hit shutout against Baltimore. 'I felt early that I was on top of my game. Fortunately I was able to keep that feeling the entire game.' Tankersley (4-1) was overpowering, fanning 11 while walking 2, throwing 125 pitches. The hitting star for New York (A) was designated hitter Alex Rodriguez, he got 3 hits in 5 AB, hitting two dingers, scoring twice with 3 RBI. New York (A) improved its record to 25-12, scoring 14 runs on 16 hits.
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Wednesday 5/8/2007: Brooklyn's Olmedo out for 4-5 weeks
BROOKLYN - Brooklyn's season has taken a hit after one of their best players, shortstop Ranier Olmedo, injured himself while rounding a base. He is likely to miss 4-5 weeks. After being taken to a local hospital, Olmedo was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Torn Groin Muscle. Olmedo has hit for a .262 average this season. He has 14 extra base hits along with 55 total bases, resulting in a .534 slugging percentage.
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Wednesday 5/8/2007: Donald Wilcox fires 2-hitter against Minnesota
MINNESOTA - Chicago (A)'s right-hander Donald Wilcox will never forget this day. The 26-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Minnesota on Wednesday. 'Hey, that's my job! Everytime I take the mound I give the best I can. And my best stuff was too much for them today.' Wilcox (4-1) was overpowering, fanning 11 while walking 1, throwing 127 pitches. Albert Pujols provided Chicago (A) with the offense Wilcox needed as he finished with 1 hit in 5 AB, hitting a homerun, and driving in 2 runs. Chicago (A) improved its record to 14-18, scoring 4 runs on 13 hits.
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Wednesday 5/8/2007: Billy Traber pitches 2-hit shutout against Baltimore
BALTIMORE - Baltimore's bats were sleeping, and Carolina's Billy Traber gave them no chance to wake up. He gave up just 2 hits in recording his 1st shutout of the season. 'I was able to keep´em off balance. That certainly helped.' Traber (4-3) struck out 9 and walked 1, throwing 59 of 97 pitches for strikes. Lou Collier helped Traber at the plate, he finished 3 for 3, hitting a homerun, stroking a double, and driving in 2 runs. Carolina improved its record to 10-24, scoring 6 runs on 13 hits.
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Monday 5/6/2007: Glaus (NYA) and Talamantez (SD) win P.O.W. award
It's the 2nd time that the American League Player of the Week award goes to New York (A)'s third baseman Troy Glaus. He had an on base percentage of .533 and hit .517, while driving in 12 runs. Troy is hitting .352 this year, with 43 hits in 122 at bats. He has driven in 29 runs, slugging .689. He's 8th in the American League in batting, 8th in homeruns and 4th in RBI! The Player of the Week award in the National League goes to San Diego's Miguel Talamantez this time, as the shortstop displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Miguel went 9 for 22 (.409), while hitting 4 HR and collecting 7 RBI. He got at least one hit each game this week and is on a 7 game hitting streak right now. Miguel is hitting .299 this year, with 23 hits in 77 at bats. He has driven in 16 runs, slugging .584.
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Friday 5/3/2007: Chin-Hui Tsao fires 2-hitter against St. Louis
COLORADO - Chin-Hui Tsao took the mound and never left. And St. Louis hitters couldn't touch him at all. Colorado's right-hander gave up just 2 hits in his 1st shutout of the season. He now has 3 career shutouts in 50 games started. Tsao (4-1) struck out 8 and walked 1, throwing 67 of 104 pitches for strikes. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today.' The hitting star for Colorado was second baseman Felipe Lopez, he finished 2 for 4, doubling once, scoring 2 runs and collecting 2 RBI. Colorado improved its record to 20-9, scoring 5 runs on 5 hits.
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Friday 5/3/2007: New York (A)'s Alex Rodriguez belts 500th career homerun
NEW YORK (A) - New York (A)'s shortstop Alex Rodriguez already had some highlights in his career, and today he added a historic one, unloading for his 500th career homerun. In the 6th inning he unloaded his 500th blast off Kyle Snyder. Perhaps his best year so far was 2004 where he hit .356 with 62 homeruns and 181 RBI. Alex hit 30+ homeruns in a season 10 times, hitting 40 bombs 9 times. 'Good things happen when you put the bat on the ball.' The Hall of Fame already has reserved a place for this great player.
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Thursday 5/2/2007: New York (N)'s Austin Kearns mashes five hits
INDIANAPOLIS - 'You know, in batting practice I didn't really feel that comfortable about my stroke today, but baseball is more than hitting. Then, when you're not trying to force a hit, you slug them in droves,' says Austin Kearns after his 5 hit game, which New York (N) won 15-3 against Indianapolis. In the 3rd inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Jake Westbrook. His 4th hit, a two-run homerun off Ryan Snare in the 6th inning, landed an estimated 415 feet from home plate. He had singles in the 1st inning , in the 4th and in the 9th inning . Austin did drive in 3 while scoring 3 runs on his own. He's having a very good season so far, batting .306.
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Wednesday 5/1/2007: Rekar and Gagne receive Pitcher of the Month award
Boston's Bryan Rekar had a terrific April, and it earned him the American League Pitcher of the month award. His record of 3-1 in 6 was among the leagues best this month. In 42.1 innings of work he allowed just 28 hits while striking out 41, compiling an ERA of just 1.06. Winner of this months National League Pitcher of the Month award is Los Angeles' Eric Gagne. He struck out 39 hitters in his 7 starts, putting together a record of 7-0 while pitching 39 innings. His ERA in April was 1.33.
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Wednesday 5/1/2007: Houston's Branyan named Batter of the Month
Justin Morneau of Minnesota wins his 1st Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the American League. He had an on base percentage of .496 and hit .398, while driving in 21 runs. Russell Branyan of Houston wins his 1st Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the National League. He hit .344 with 23 RBI and slugged .774 in 93 at bats.
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Monday 4/29/2007: Troy Glaus collects five hits against Boston
BOSTON - On Monday, New York (A)'s third baseman Troy Glaus displayed his sensational ability to handle the bat against Boston, punishing their pitchers with five hits. A double off Raul Valdovinos in the 3rd inning accounted for his 1st hit. In the 5th inning he belted a RBI double off Raul Valdovinos. In the 6th inning he belted a two-run double off Jose Paniagua. Number 4 in the 7th inning, a shot estimated at 434 feet, cleared the wall in right field. In the 9th inning he belted a three-run double off Hector Melendez. Troy scored 2 runs, and he collected 9 RBI as well! He's having a very good season so far, batting .330. The final score of the game was 22-3.
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Monday 4/29/2007: Sosa (OAK) and Feliz (SF) win P.O.W. award
Sammy Sosa wins his 7th Player of the Week award. American League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Sammy was on fire, hitting .571 with 2 HR and 9 RBI. Sosa has hit for a .341 average this season. He has 12 extra base hits along with 53 total bases, resulting in a .582 slugging percentage. The National League Player of the Week award goes to Pedro Feliz, San Francisco's starting third baseman. In 20 at bats he hit .400 with 5 HR and 12 RBI.
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Sunday 4/28/2007: Laurence Henderson shuts out Cincinnati on one hit
CINCINNATI - All you need to win is a dominating pitching performance. And Arizona's Laurence Henderson did so today, in a 1-hit shutout against Cincinnati. 'Hey, that's my job! Everytime I take the mound I give the best I can. And my best stuff was too much for them today.' Henderson (4-1) showed excellent control, walking nobody and fanning 5. Ben Davis provided Arizona with the offense Henderson needed as he collected 3 hits in 5 trips to the plate, homering once, and driving in 2 runs. Arizona improved its record to 12-13, scoring 6 runs on 14 hits.
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Friday 4/26/2007: A.J. Burnett quiets San Francisco bats with shutout
SAN FRANCISCO - All you need to win is a dominating pitching performance. And Philadelphia's A.J. Burnett did so today, in a 2-hit shutout against San Francisco. Burnett (3-3) fanned 9 and walked 2, throwing 114 pitches. 'Winning is the most important thing. And I gave my team all the support it needed!' The hitting star for Philadelphia was second baseman Felipe Crespo, he stroked 1 hit in 3 AB, hitting a homerun, and collecting 2 RBI. Philadelphia scored 3 runs on 3 hits.
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Thursday 4/25/2007: San Francisco's Pedro Feliz slams three taters
HOUSTON - Pedro Feliz was in a groove, and the results spoke for themselves. He powered San Francisco to a 11-9 win over Houston by homering three times. A 348 foot drive to left field marked his 1st bomb, a solo homerun off Wade Miller in the 1st inning. A pitch from Wade Miller in the 5th inning left his bat for a three-run homerun, landing 396 feet from home plate in right-center. His 3rd blast, a two-run homerun off Ugueth Urbina in the 9th inning, landed an estimated 369 feet from home plate. Overall he stroked 3 hits in 5 AB, scoring three times and driving in 6 runs. His homerun total this year is 8, along with 23 RBI.
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Tuesday 4/23/2007: Cincinnati's Edmonds out for 6 weeks
CINCINNATI - Cincinnati's Jim Edmonds suffered a serious injury Tuesday in a game against San Diego. Edmonds fell down while running the bases and couldn't get up without help. He will miss probably 6 weeks. After being taken to a local hospital, Edmonds was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Torn Calf Muscle. Jim has gone 15 for 52 (.288) this season, hitting 3 bombs and driving in 8 runs. He has scored 16 runs on his own.
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Monday 4/22/2007: Anaheim's Amezaga wins Player of the Week award
Anaheim's second baseman Alfredo Amezaga had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American League Player of the Week. In 23 at bats he hit .478 with 3 HR and 12 RBI. Gabe Gross wins his 2nd Player of the Week award. National League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Gabe went 13 for 24 (.542), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 10 RBI.
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Monday 4/15/2007: Pittsburgh's Hart wins Player of the Week award
The American League Player of the Week award goes to Aubrey Huff, Chicago (A)'s starting third baseman. In 31 at bats he hit .516 with 2 HR and 13 RBI. While compiling an on base percentage of .462, Aubrey hit .451 and slugged .647. He has collected 14 runs batted in this year. He's 2nd in the American League in batting and 2nd in RBI! It's the 4th time that the National League Player of the Week award goes to Pittsburgh's first baseman Jason Hart. He had an on base percentage of .586 and hit .520, while driving in 10 runs. Jason has gone 15 for 49 (.306) this season, hitting 3 taters and driving in 11 runs. He has scored 13 runs on his own.
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Sunday 4/14/2007: Chicago (A)'s Aubrey Huff has great day with six hits
KANSAS CITY - Chicago (A)'s designated hitter Aubrey Huff once again displayed his tremendous ability to make contact with that little white ball. He tore up Kansas City's pitching staff with a 6 hit performance on Sunday. Number 4 in the 5th inning accounted for a two-run double. Number 5 in the 8th inning accounted for a two-run double. He collected singles in the 1st inning , in the 3rd inning , in the 5th and in the 9th inning (one RBI). Aubrey scored 5 runs, and he collected 5 RBI as well! This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 23 hits in 51 at bats, resulting in a .451 batting average. Chicago (A) scored 22 runs on 27 hits.
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Tuesday 4/9/2007: New York (A)'s Tankersley out for 7 weeks
NEW YORK (A) - New York (A)'s right-hander Dennis Tankersley suffered a severe injury on Tuesday and will be out for at least 7 weeks. In the 2nd of the game against Baltimore he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. Tankersley was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Strained Bicep Muscle.
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Monday 4/8/2007: Detroit's German wins Player of the Week award
Franklyn German of Detroit wins his 1st Player of the Week award for dominating American League's hitters the entire week. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 0.00 while going 2-0. He hurled a shutout as well. The Player of the Week award in the National League goes to Los Angeles' Kazuo Matsui this time, as the shortstop displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Kazuo went 15 for 27 (.556), while hitting 2 HR and collecting 8 RBI.
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