MLB Player News

The Braves scored four runs in a loss Saturday at Pittsburgh. Second baseman Jace Peterson was responsible for three of them with one swing of the bat.

Peterson cut the deficit from 6-1 to 6-4 with a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning to drive starter Charlie Morton from the game. He added a single in ending a hitless streak that had reached 17 at-bats and lowered his average from .284 to .264, its lowest point in three weeks.

He has certainly hit in the clutch. He entered Saturday hitting .321 with two home runs with runners in scoring position and is now 7-for-11 with the bases loaded. He has an explanation.

"You kind of put a little more grit into it," he told MLB.com. "When you've got runners out there, you want to get them in."

Hot-and-cold Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez is hot again. He ran his hitting streak to five games in a Saturday victory over Atlanta with two hits.

Alvarez doubled in two in a five-run first and added a single to give him seven hits in his last 10 at-bats. He has six RBI during that stretch after enduring a 2-for-17 slide.

Giants third baseman Matt Duffy stayed hot at the plate in Saturday's 7-5 win over the Rockies. Duffy filled up the boxscore by going 3 for 4 with a double, a solo home run, two RBI and three runs scored.

Duffy's home run, his seventh of the season, was a solo shot in the fifth inning to bring the Giants to within a run. They would tack on three more in the seventh to claim their seventh win in the last 11 contests.

Duffy has been right in the middle of the success in that 11-game stretch, as he is hitting .355 with two home runs and 10 RBI.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado was an offensive terror on Friday night, as he went 2 for 4 with two home runs and four RBI in the 8-6 win over the Giants. 

Arenado blasted a three run shot in the sixth inning off Tim Hudson to give the Rockies a 4-1 lead. Then Arenado added a solo shot in the ninth inning to make the score 8-3.

The star third baseman is up to 22 home runs on the year now, and he has an astounding six home runs over his last five games. 

The Nationals are going to have to play a long stretch of games again without second baseman Anthony Rendon, who is headed back to the disabled list due to a left quadriceps strain. The Nationals announced Friday that Rendon was placed on the 15-day disabled list, with the move retroactive to June 25.

Manager Matt Williams said an MRI on Rendon's quad showed "some pretty good changes in there." Rendon said he can continue to swing a bat while on the disabled list.

Rendon began the season on the disabled list due to a left knee sprain and left oblique strain. He missed the first 52 games.

Rendon hit .290 (20 for 69) with five doubles and five RBI in 18 games since making his season debut. The Nationals will likely turn to Danny Espinosa to man second base in Rendon's absence.

Reds shortstop Eugenio Suarez went 2 for 5 with a walk in Thursday's win over the Pirates.

With the multi-hit performance, Suarez extended his hitting streak to six games. Over that stretch, he is hitting .440 with 11 hits, two doubles and two RBI. 

Giants third baseman Matt Duffy had two hits, including his second triple of the season in Thursday's 13-8 win over the Padres. 

Duffy went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored, bringing his average up to .288 on the year. He snapped an eight-game hit streak on Wednesday, but his bat has been hot all month, as he is batting .284 in 21 June games.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado has been unstoppable at the plate over the last few weeks, and that continued on Thursday against the Diamondbacks.

Arenado extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going 1 for 3 with a walk, a home run and two runs scored. He hit his 20th home run of the year off Diamondbacks starter Rubby De La Rosa in the sixth inning.

Over his last 12 games, Arenado is hitting .370 with 17 hits, five home runs and 13 RBI.

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon was not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Braves, reports The Washington Post. Rendon was replaced by Yunel Escobar at third. 

Rendon has been dealing with a sore left quad and Matt Williams said he gave Rendon the day off to rest, reports MASNsports.com. Over his last six games, Rendon is batting .333 with two RBI.

The Nationals are favored (-155) over the Braves on Thursday. 

Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu hit a home run in Tuesday's win over Arizona. The homer was his first since May 31 and fourth of the year. 

LeMahieu went 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. He drove in his 33rd run.