Victorino Slugs Game-Winning Home Run
By Fred Guzman
Sometimes, we tend to forget just how good of a season Shane Victorino is having. His late-inning heroics on Monday night were simply a reminder.
Breaking out of a 0-for-11 hitting drought, Victorino slugged a tie-breaking, two-run blast off Homer Bailey in the top of the eighth inning, liftng the Philadelphia Phillies to 3-2 win over Cincinnati.
The homer was Victorino’s 15th of the season and helped the Phillies increase their lead in the National League West to 6.5 games over the idle Atlanta Braves. At 84-46, the Phillies own baseball’s best record.
The All-Star centerfielder from Maui is currently batting .308 with 79 runs scored and 53 RBI. His 14 triples rank second in the majors and he’s successfully stolen 17 bases in 20 attempts.
Further updating of players with Hawaii ties, Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki went 0-for-4 in a 2-1 loss to Cleveland as starter David Huff limited the offensively challenged Athletics to three hits in six innings. Suzuki is batting .233.
Seattle closer Brandon League registered his 32nd save of the season by preserving a 5-3 victory over the contending Angels.
League worked one scoreless inning, dropping his ER to 2.98. League ranks behind only Detroit’s Francisco Valverde and New Young Yankees legend Marino Rivera in saves among AL relievers.
Meantime, Jerome Williams struggled in his most recent start, lasting just 1.2 innings for the Angels on Friday night in a loss to Texas.
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