N.L. batting race still on
NEW YORK –The National League batting race is going to extra innings.
Matt Holliday went 1 for 3 Sunday on the final scheduled day of the regular season to leave his average at .340, three points higher than Chipper Jones’ mark for Atlanta. But Holliday’s Colorado Rockies forced a tiebreaker playoff against San Diego on Monday night that will count in the statistics.
In the American League, Magglio Ordonez finished with a flourish, going 3 for 4 to wind up at .363. Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki was second at .351.
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees won his fifth A.L. home run crown with 54, the third-most titles in A.L. history behind Babe Ruth (11) and Harmon Killebrew (six).
Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder won his first N.L. home run crown with 50.
Rodriguez led the A.L. with 156 RBIs, joining Ruth, Hack Wilson, Jimmie Foxx and Sammy Sosa as the only players with at least 50 homers and 150 RBIs in a season. Howard’s 136 RBIs lead the N.L., one more than Holliday
A-Rod scored 143 runs, the most in the A.L. since Rickey Henderson’s 146 in 1985. Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins led the N.L. with 139.
Suzuki had 238 hits, topping the A.L. for the fourth time, and Holliday’s 214 lead the N.L. Rollins also had 716 at-bats, breaking the record of 705 set by Kansas City’s Willie Wilson in 1980.
San Diego’s Jake Peavy has a 2.36 ERA going into today’s tiebreaker and was set to win his second N.L. ERA title and first since 2004. John Lackey of the Los Angeles Angels won the A.L. ERA title at 3.01.
Boston’s Josh Beckett went 20-7 to become the major leagues’ first 20-game winner since 2005. He could be joined by Peavy, 19-6 going into the tiebreaker.
Arizona’s Brandon Webb led the N.L. in complete games with four, the lowest total ever for a league leader.
Tampa Bay’s Scott Kazmir (239) led the A.L. in strikeouts and Peavy (234) will top the N.L. for the second time in three seasons.
Arizona’s Jose Valverde (47) and Cleveland’s Joe Borowski (45) led their leagues in saves for the first time.