MLB Player News

What a silly stat. Doval walked two hitters, and the big blow was a three-run blast by Luis Garcia Jr. that turned a 5-2 Giants lead into a tie score. The Giants were able to score four in the 10th, however, so Doval got his fourth win despite blowing his fifth save in 27 chances.

The Nationals were up 5-0 and then 6-3 in this game, but the Royals battled back and tied the game at eight apiece with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lile then drilled a two-out single to right field to score Luis Garcia Jr. and give the Nationals a one-run lead they would carry til the end of the game. Lile is now hitting a solid .262/.304/.393 in his debut season, but his defense in the outfield has left a little to be desired, and Dylan Crews (oblique) is set to come off the IL on Thursday, so it’s unclear what Lile’s role will be going forward.

Pasquantino had an RBI groundout in the first inning and then launched a 410-foot shot in the fourth inning to get the Royals back to within one run. It was Pasquantino’s 22nd home run of the season, and he now sits at 80 RBI and a .260/.321/.450 slash line. It’s been a quietly solid season for the Royals’ first baseman, even if he hasn’t truly broken out as people wanted.

Lowe gave the Nationals a huge cushion in the first inning with a grand slam off Seth Lugo that went 403 feet at 103.5 mph off the bat. He also hit a 104.5 mph groundball that led to an error and drew a walk, so he was seeing the ball well on Wednesday. Lowe now has 16 home runs and 68 RBI on the season to go along with an underwhelming .216/.292/.373 slash line. While the power is nice, the batting average has made it hard to roster him outside of the deepest formats.

Lugo struck out two but walked four and posted a 13 percent whiff rate and 22 percent CSW. Lugo has now allowed 19 runs in his last 18 1/3 innings over four starts. That happens to coincide with when Lugo signed his contract extension, but that’s most likely more coincidence than anything. He gets a tougher start next week against the Rangers, and we would understand benching Lugo in shallower formats, but we would not drop him yet.

Irvin was staked to a five-run lead before he even stepped onto the mound, but he wasn’t able to capitalize. He allowed three runs in his first three innings, and then a Vinnie Pasquantino three-run home run in the fourth inning sealed his fate. Irvin struck out three and walked four on the day while posting a 10 percent whiff rate and 23 percent CSW. He should be avoided next week in a start against the Mets.

Ferrer was called on with two outs in the eighth inning in a tie game, allowing a double to Vinnie Pasquantino before getting the third out of the inning. The Nationals would take the lead in the ninth inning, so Ferrer came back out in a non-save situation. Although things got dicey in the final frame, he only allowed an infield single and a bloop into center field before inducing a game-ending groundout. It feels like he has a firm grasp on the closer’s role in Washington.

Keller walked two and struck out five while posting a 21 percent whiff rate and 29 percent CSW. The 29-year-old was hit hard most of the day with a 92.6 mph average exit velocity allowed on balls in play. He threw both his fastball variations in the zone but failed to get many chases on his secondary pitches. He’ll now carry a 4.13 ERA into a tough start against the Blue Jays next week. We would not stream him there.

The Orioles haven’t ruled out a return before the end of the month, but it’s starting to see more likely that he won’t be back until September. With O’Neill and Colton Cowser out, the Orioles are currently using a Dylan Carlson-Greg Allen-Jeremiah Jackson outfield that’s probably worse than their current Triple-A group.

A Hunter Goodman home run gave the Rockies a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, so Vodnik quickly warmed up and then didn’t allow a baserunner in the ninth inning. He did allow a shot to the wall in left center field by Thomas Saggese, but no damage was done. Vodnik now has four saves on the season, but may need some time off after also getting five outs in a save chance on Tuesday.

Moniak launched a sixth-inning pitch off Michael McGreevy 413 feet at 107.1 mph off the bat. The former first overall pick had been off to a slow start to August, so this was a nice effort. He’s now hitting .264/.306/.521 on the season with 18 home runs and 46 RBI, and has emerged as a deep league fantasy option in his new home in Colorado.