The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
Wander Franco looks unstoppable at the plate right now. As the calendar flips to September, the Rays extended their commanding AL East division lead to a whopping eight games on Tuesday night with a decisive 8-5 victory over the division-rival Red Sox. Once again, Tampa Bay’s precocious future franchise cornerstone was at the epicenter of their relentless offensive onslaught, reaching base safely in half of his four plate appearances in the one-sided affair, carving his name into the record books in the process.
The highly-touted 20-year-old rookie sensation extended his surreal on-base streak to 31 games when he deposited a hanging slider from Red Sox spot starter Brad Peacock into shallow right field for an RBI single in the third inning. He also drew a leadoff walk in the fifth inning. Not only does Franco own the longest active on-base streak in the majors, but it also represents the longest by any hitter under the age of 21 since Hall of Fame third baseman Frank Robinson strung together a 43-game streak in 1956.
After hitting .197 (12-for-61) across 15 games after being called up on June 22, Franco has rapidly evolved into an on-base machine in the second half, recording a sublime .303/.366/.484 triple-slash line with 47 hits, 17 extra-base hits (four home runs), 26 RBI and a 19/14 K/BB ratio across 39 games since the All-Star break. Not only has he displayed elite plate skills over the life of his remarkable on-base streak, but he’s also hitting for power as well, which is even more remarkable considering that he’s literally the youngest everyday position player in the majors right now. He’s certainly lived up to the pre-season billing as the consensus top prospect in baseball.[[ad:athena]]
Starting Pitchers with an EDGE
Blake Snell vs. Diamondbacks
7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
34% CSW, 19 swinging strikes
Snell generated 19 swinging strikes, recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed just two walks over seven sparkling frames on Tuesday in a dominant performance against the Diamondbacks. He didn’t allow a hit, yet was lifted from the contest after needing 107 pitches (67 strikes) to complete seven frames. The 28-year-old left-hander has rounded into form at the perfect time for the playoff-hopeful Padres, closing out the month of August with a pristine 1.78 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 54/12 K/BB ratio across 36 2/3 innings over six starts. He’ll look to keep the momentum going on Tuesday when he squares off against the Angels in a favorable home matchup.
Hitters with an EDGE
Amed Rosario vs. Royals
5-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR (9, 10), 5 RBI
Rosario tallied five hits, including a pair of home runs, on Tuesday night in Cleveland’s victory over the Royals. He easily legged out an inside-the-park home run off righty Jakob Junis in the opening frame, slapped a two-run single in the fifth inning and also belted an over-the-fence two-run homer to center field against righty reliever Kyle Zimmer in the seventh inning. It was his first multi-homer effort of the season. The 25-year-old shortstop has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the second half, slashing .345/.373/.532 with 27 runs scored, five home runs, 24 RBI and four stolen bases across 40 games since the Midsummer Classic.
Matt Chapman vs. Tigers
2-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR (22, 23), 3 RBI
Chapman put the Athletics ahead with a two-run dinger to left-center field off southpaw Tarik Skubal in the third inning and capped off the multi-homer effort with a solo shot to center field off lefty reliever Derek Holland in the ninth inning. The 28-year-old slugger has gone deep nine times over his last 14 games since August 14.
Leody Taveras vs. Rockies
1-for-3, R, HR (2), RBI, BB, 2 SB (3, 4)
Taveras blasted a 409-foot solo homer to left-center field -- his second long ball of the season -- off southpaw Austin Gomber in the fourth inning and also swiped a pair of bases in the Rangers’ win over the Rockies on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old outfielder has shown some signs of life at the dish lately, launching two homers and swiping four bases across his last five games. Given his power/speed combo potential, he’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues and AL-only formats.
Closing Time
Edwin Diaz vs. Marlins
1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (27th save)
Diaz came through with a much-needed clean seventh inning, preserving a two-run lead on Tuesday evening against the Marlins to net his 27th save of the season. The 27-year-old righty hasn’t been perfect, especially in non-save situations, but he’s been scored upon just once in his last 14 appearances and has converted 27 of his 31 save opportunities this season.
Liam Hendriks vs. Pirates
1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (30th save)
Hendriks tossed a scoreless ninth inning on Tuesday evening, protecting a two-run lead against the Pirates to reach the 30-save plateau. He allowed a one-out single to Kevin Newman, but was able to coax a game-ending double play off the bat of Hoy Park to extinguish the threat. The 32-year-old righty has converted 30 of his 36 save chances, while compiling a stellar 3.14 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 92/7 K/BB ratio across 57 1/3 innings.
Andrew Kittredge vs. Red Sox
0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (5th save)
Kittredge was summoned to slam the door on the Red Sox in the ninth inning on Tuesday evening, striking out Travis Shaw and Rafael Devers to preserve a three-run victory and collect his fifth save of the season.
Spencer Patton vs. Rockies
1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (2nd save)
Patton was called on to preserve a one-run lead in the ninth inning on Tuesday night against the Rockies and managed to keep the lead intact with a perfect frame. The 33-year-old righty could wind up with the occasional save over the final month of the regular season.
Rowan Wick vs. Twins
1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (1st save)
Someone has to close for the Cubs, right?
Cole Sulser vs. Blue Jays
1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (6th save)
Figuring out the Orioles’ murky closer situation has been nearly impossible, but Sulser has been one of their more reliable options this season.
Raisel Iglesias vs. Yankees
1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (29th save)
Iglesias fanned Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner before inducing a game-ending ground ball from DJ LeMahieu to close out the Angels’ two-run victory over the Yankees on Tuesday night. The 31-year-old righty has been one of the most reliable closers in baseball, converting 29 of his 34 save chances this season.
Mark Melancon vs. Diamondbacks
1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (36th save)
Melancon made things interesting in the ninth inning on Tuesday night, but managed to work around a pair of two-out singles from Carson Kelly and Christian Walker to preserve a three-run lead against the Diamondbacks. The 36-year-old righty has converted four of five save chances over the last month and 36 of 41 overall this season.
Kenley Jansen vs. Braves
1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (30th save)
Jansen came on to face the middle of the Braves’ lineup, protecting a one-run lead in the ninth inning on Tuesday night, and got Austin Riley to pop out before whiffing Travis d’Arnaud and Dansby Swanson to end the contest. The 33-year-old veteran stopper has reached the 30-save plateau in seven of the last eight seasons, dating back to 2014.
EDGE Priority Pickup
Kyle Freeland, SP, Rockies
Freeland has been on a roll of late, allowing three earned runs or fewer in 11 of his last 12 starts since June 22, and will look to carry the momentum into a tasty matchup on Wednesday afternoon against the rebuilding Rangers at Globe Life Field. The 28-year-old lefty hasn’t missed a ton of bats in recent years, but he’s piled up at least six strikeouts in seven of his last 12 outings, including 17 whiffs over his last two outings combined against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. He’s a fantastic streaming option for fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues and figures to be worth a roster spot over the final month of the 2021 campaign.
Reynaldo Lopez, SP, White Sox
With veteran right-hander Lance Lynn landing on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation, Reynaldo Lopez is slated to re-enter the White Sox’ starting rotation this weekend. The 27-year-old former top prospect has been phenomenal, recording a microscopic 1.59 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 37/7 K/BB ratio across 34 innings (13 appearances, four starts). He’s an extremely attractive streaming option for fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues on Saturday evening when he takes on the free-falling Royals at pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium. It seems unlikely Lynn will miss more than one start at this point, but Lopez has pitched so well that he’s worthy of a roster spot in all fantasy formats, regardless of his role over the final few weeks of the regular season.
Editor’s Note: Drafting is only half the battle! Get an edge on your competition with our MLB Season Tools - available in our EDGE+ Roto tier for $3.99/mo. (annually) or $9.99/mo. (monthly) - that are packed with rankings, projections, a trade evaluator, start/sit tools and much more. And don’t forget to use promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Wednesday’s Matchup of the Day
Chris Sale (Red Sox) vs. Drew Rasmussen (Rays) - 7:10 PM ET
After dominating the lackluster Twins, Rangers and Orioles, Sale will face his first legitimate test since returning to the Red Sox’ rotation on Wednesday evening against the Rays at Tropicana Field. The Rays will counter with Rasmussen, who has allowed just two runs over 13 innings of work across three starts since August 12.
American League Quick Hits: Blue Jays signed OF Gregory Polanco to a minor-league contract … Xander Bogaerts was removed from Tuesday’s contest against the Rays after testing positive for COVID-19 … George Springer was pulled from Tuesday night’s game against the Orioles for “precautionary reasons” … Lucas Giolito made an early exit from his start on Tuesday night against the Pirates after allowing two runs over 4 1/3 innings due to a left hamstring injury … Astros placed Zack Greinke on the COVID-19 injured list. He will miss his next scheduled start against the Padres this weekend … Tim Anderson (legs) remained out of the White Sox starting lineup on Tuesday … Adalberto Mondesi (oblique) has completed a minor-league rehab assignment and could be activated on Wednesday … Triston McKenzie (shoulder) is scheduled to return on Thursday against the Royals … Diego Castillo (shoulder) will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday … Zack Britton will undergo surgery on his left elbow next week … Blue Jays designated LHP Brad Hand for assignment … Shohei Ohtani stole a pair of bases and Jared Walsh clobbered a three-run homer in the Angels’ victory over the Yankees … Abraham Toro went 2-for-3 with a grand slam to power the Mariners past the Astros … Yasmani Grandal and Jose Abreu homered in the White Sox’ win over the Pirates … Randy Arozarena belted a solo homer in the Rays’ victory over the Red Sox … Josh Harrison went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and a stolen base in the Athletics’ blowout victory over the Tigers … Nate Lowe went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and a pair of RBI in the Rangers’ win over the Rockies … Cedric Mullins walked and stole a base in the Orioles’ win over the Blue Jays … Bobby Bradley tattooed a two-run homer in Cleveland’s win over the Royals … Anthony Rizzo and Gary Sanchez went deep in the Yankees’ loss to the Angels … Vladimir Guerrero Jr. launched his 39th round-tripper of the season in the Blue Jays’ loss to the Orioles … Kyle Schwarber went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI in the Red Sox’ loss to the Rays … Derek Hill went 3-for-5 with a solo homer in the Tigers’ defeat at the hands of the Athletics … Zach Plesac recorded seven strikeouts and scattered a pair of hits over seven scoreless frames in a win over the Royals … Jordan Lyles struck out seven batters and gave up three runs on three solo homers over 6 2/3 innings in a win over the Rockies … Keegan Akin notched five strikeouts and allowed one run over five innings in a win over the Blue Jays … Ryan Yarbrough posted three strikeouts and gave up two runs over six innings in a win over the Red Sox … Yusei Kikuchi spun seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Astros … Lance McCullers Jr. tossed five scoreless frames in a no-decision against the Mariners … Cole Irvin gave up three runs over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Tigers … Jaime Barrie gave up two runs over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Yankees … Jameson Taillon struck out six batters and surrendered six runs over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Angels … Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Orioles … Tarik Skubal was tagged for six runs over five innings in a loss to the Athletics … John Gant struck out five batters and allowed two runs over five innings in a loss to the Cubs … Jakob Junis gave up three runs over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to Cleveland … Brad Peacock was torched for five runs over 2 1/3 innings in a loss to the Rays.
National League Quick Hits: Wednesday’s scheduled game between the Marlins and Mets has been postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on September 28 … Tuesday’s game between the Cardinals and Reds was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up on Wednesday afternoon as a doubleheader … Ozzie Albies was carted off the field from Tuesday night’s game against the Dodgers with an apparent knee injury. X-rays came back negative and there’s optimism that he merely sustained a severe contusion … J.T. Realmuto (ankle) remained absent from the Phillies’ lineup on Tuesday against the Nationals … Ke’Bryan Hayes (hand) was held out of the Pirates’ starting lineup on Tuesday … Willy Adames (quad) returned to the Brewers’ lineup on Tuesday night … Clayton Kershaw (forearm) will throw a two-inning simulated game on Saturday … Jon Gray (forearm) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and is on track to start on Thursday against the Braves … Luke Weaver (shoulder) will return to the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation on Wednesday against the Padres … Nationals optioned OF Victor Robles to Triple-A Rochester … Brandon Nimmo tallied five hits, including a two-run homer, as the Mets swept a doubleheader against the Marlins … Mookie Betts slugged a solo homer in the Dodgers’ victory over the Braves … Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBI to lead the Phillies past the Nationals … Ian Happ and Frank Schwindel launched solo homers in the Cubs’ win over the Twins … Manny Machado slugged a two-run homer in the Padres’ victory over the Diamondbacks … Lorenzo Cain went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a pair of RBI in the Brewers’ win over the Giants … C.J. Cron went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the Rockies’ loss to the Rangers … Brandon Belt and Wilmer Flores homered in the Giants’ loss to the Brewers … Joc Pederson left the yard in the Braves’ loss to the Dodgers … Carter Kieboom swatted a two-run homer in the Nationals’ lopsided defeat at the hands of the Phillies … Ben Gamel went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in the Pirates’ loss to the White Sox … Brandon Woodruff recorded eight strikeouts and yielded one run over six innings in a win over the Giants … Walker Buehler struck out five batters and yielded two runs over seven innings in a no-decision against the Braves … Charlie Morton notched eight strikeouts and allowed one run over six innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers … Taijuan Walker fanned six batters and gave up three runs over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Marlins … Elieser Hernandez allowed one run over five innings in a no-decision against the Mets … Trevor Williams was charged with one run (zero earned) over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Marlins … Zach Davies allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Twins … Matt Moore surrendered five runs over 3 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Nationals … Edward Cabrera surrendered three runs over four innings in a loss to the Mets … Austin Gomber walked six batters and coughed up four runs in a loss to the Rangers … Zac Gallen walked four batters and allowed three runs over six innings in a loss to the Padres … Bryse Wilson allowed four runs over five innings in a loss to the White Sox … Johnny Cueto was lit up for six runs over 3 2/3 innings in a loss to the Brewers … Patrick Corbin was rocked for six runs over five innings in a loss to the Phillies … Jose Quintana notched six strikeouts over 3 1/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance against the Brewers.
