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Elijah Morgan RP | KC
Guardians' Eli Morgan: Secures second win
Morgan (2-0) allowed a hit and struck out two over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Royals.
Morgan has allowed five runs (four earned) over 13 innings since he was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 4. The right-hander got the job done in the sixth and seventh innings Wednesday, and he became the pitcher of record following the Guardians' seventh-inning rally. Morgan has maintained a 2.36 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB over 26.2 innings in the majors this season, mainly working in a low-leverage role in Cleveland's ultra-competitive bullpen.
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Devin Williams RP | NYM
Brewers' Devin Williams: Nabs save in return
Williams (shoulder) struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Giants.
Williams hadn't pitched in a week due to shoulder soreness. His last outing was a blown save last Wednesday versus the Cardinals that saw him walk three batters. For the year, Williams is at a 2.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB with six saves in seven chances across 9.2 innings. Barring any additional injury concerns, Williams is poised to be the Brewers' full-time closer over the final month of the season.
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Dedniel Nunez RP | NYM
Mets' Dedniel Nunez: Forearm issues return
Nunez wasn't available for Wednesday's 8-5 loss to the Diamondbacks due to forearm tightness, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
Nunez returned from the injured list Friday after spending nearly a month on the shelf due to a right forearm strain. He went 1.2 innings and struck out three batters during his first appearance back Saturday, but manager Carlos Mendoza said the 28-year-old reliever hasn't recovered properly from the outing and is once again experiencing forearm problems. He's considered day-to-day for now, though the Mets will likely want to take a closer look at him to determine if he'll need to make another trip to the IL.
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Robert Suarez RP | ATL
Padres' Robert Suarez: Rare stumble Wednesday
Suarez (8-2) allowed a run on three hits and struck out one over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Wednesday versus the Cardinals.
It wasn't a blown save -- Suarez was called upon to keep the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he couldn't get the job done. Nolan Arenado hit a walk-off single to hand Suarez his first loss since June 18. With five runs allowed over his last 8.2 innings, Suarez is amidst one of his shakiest stretches of the season, though he's converted all five of his save chances in that span. He's now at a 2.04 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 50:10 K:BB through 53 innings while racking up 29 saves in 32 chances this year.
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Ryan Helsley RP | BAL
Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Collects win Wednesday
Helsley (6-4) earned the win Wednesday over the Padres, allowing a hit and striking out two over a scoreless inning.
Helsley kept the game tied at 3-3 in the ninth inning, and the Cardinals walked it off with a Nolan Arenado single in the bottom of the frame. This was Helsley's seventh scoreless outing in a row, a span in which he's allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven. He's at a 2.43 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 62:22 K:BB through 55.2 innings overall, and he's the only pitcher in the majors at the 40-save mark this year, which is impressive given the Cardinals are 66-67 after Wednesday's win.
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Grant Anderson RP | MIL
Rangers' Grant Anderson: Snags first save
Anderson retired the only batter he faced to earn the save in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the White Sox.
Anderson got Lenyn Sosa to fly out for the final out of the game after Andrew Chafin struggled in the ninth inning. Kirby Yates had pitched earlier in the day, earning the save in a game that was suspended Tuesday and finished Wednesday. Anderson has a 7.92 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB over 25 innings in the majors this year, adding a save, a hold and a blown save. He's likely resume a multi-inning role over the final month of the campaign after this rare chance to close.
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Kirby Yates RP | PIT
Rangers' Kirby Yates: Grabs 24th save
Yates walked one and struck out two over a scoreless and hitless inning to earn the save in a 3-1 win over the White Sox on Wednesday in a game that was suspended due to weather Tuesday.
Yates has allowed just one walk while striking out seven over four hitless innings in his last four appearances since a blown save Aug. 18. The closer is up to 24 saves in 25 chances this year while pitching to a 1.25 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 73:23 K:BB across 50.1 innings. Yates has thrived in a full-time closing role for the first time since 2019 despite the Rangers' overall mediocrity.
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Jason Foley RP | SF
Tigers' Jason Foley: Snags 19th save
Foley pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to record the save the in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Angels.
Foley has recorded the save each of the last two days against Los Angeles, giving him 19 for the season. That's easily a career high for the righty, as he came into the year with just seven saves across his first three MLB campaigns. The Tigers have used Tyler Holton and Shelby Miller on occasion to close out games, but Foley has established himself as the top option in Detroit's bullpen.
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Lucas Erceg RP | KC
Royals' Lucas Erceg: Saddled with loss, blown save
Erceg (2-4) took the loss and a blown save Wednesday against Cleveland, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out one in a single inning.
Erceg was called upon to protect a two-run lead in the seventh with two runners on base and nobody out. Erceg allowed three RBI singles in the inning, resulting in a blown save and eventual loss. The 29-year-old had not allowed an earned run since July 21 before Wednesday's appearance, a 15-inning scoreless streak during which he notched six saves and seven holds with an elite 18:1 K:BB. Erceg's dominance over that stretch has granted him ample breathing room as the Royals' closer, even after Wednesday's lackluster appearance.
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Emmanuel Clase RP | CLE
Guardians' Emmanuel Clase: Notches 39th save
Clase pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his 39th save of the season Wednesday against the Royals, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Clase allowed a one-out single to Bobby Witt, but he retired the next two batters to secure the 7-5 win for Cleveland. The 26-year-old has not allowed an earned run since all the way back on July 7 as he continues his historically dominant season. Clase owns a microscopic 0.58 ERA and 0.67 WHIP, with a 54:8 K:BB in 62.1 innings, converting 39-of-42 save opportunities. Clase's 0.58 ERA would be the second-lowest mark ever recorded in a single season (minimum 50 innings pitched), behind only Zack Britton (0.54) in 2016, per StatMuse.