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Hunter Harvey RP | CHC
Nationals' Hunter Harvey: Collects fourth hold
Harvey gave up two runs on two hits and two walks over 1.2 innings while striking out three in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Guardians, but he still recorded his fourth hold of the season.
The right-hander entered the game in the top of the sixth inning with the Nationals ahead 3-0 and gave up runs in consecutive frames, punctuated by a Josh Bell solo shot in the seventh, but he still exited with his club ahead on the scoreboard. Harvey's control has begun to desert him and he's walked four batters in his last three appearances, but through 7.2 innings he still sports a respectable 3.52 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Manager Dave Martinez hinted this spring that the Nats might use some sort of closing committee, and while Harvey has yet to see a save chance in 2023, Kyle Finnegan's 11.81 ERA and 3:4 K:BB in 5.1 innings is leaving the door wide open for someone else to see ninth-inning duty on the rare occasions the team has a late lead to protect.
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Matt Brash RP | SEA
Mariners' Matt Brash: Records first win Friday
Brash (1-1) notched the win against the Rockies on Friday, firing two-thirds scoreless innings while issuing a walk and recording two strikeouts.
Brash came in to get the last two outs of the fifth inning and was reasonably sharp, and the fact he was on the hill when that frame came to a close led to his first victory. The right-hander has been busy out of the bullpen early with nine appearances in the Mariners' first 14 games, impressively ringing up 14 strikeouts across 6.2 innings along the way.
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Josh Winckowski RP | TOR
Red Sox's Josh Winckowski: Earns win Friday
Winckowski (1-0) allowed one run on four hits, one walk and a hit batsman over three innings Friday, earning a win over the Angels.
Winckowski has been stellar out of the Boston's heavily used bullpen. The 24-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs in 12 innings over six relief appearances. He came through the system as a starter but is expected to remain in a multi-inning relief role for now. Winckowski's a strike-thrower and not afraid to pitch to contact.
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Jose Cisnero RP | LAA
Tigers' Jose Cisnero: Earns first 2023 win
Cisnero (1-0) allowed an unearned run in an inning of relief to earn the win in Friday's 11-inning contest against the Giants. He gave up two hits and struck out one.
Cisnero worked the top of the 11th inning and allowed the automatic runner on second base to score via a pair of singles with no outs, but he limited the damage from there. The righty then picked up the win on Nick Maton's walkoff three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning. Cisnero now has a 5.40 ERA across five innings this season, and he should continue to work in front of regular closer Alex Lange most days. Lange did not pitch Friday.
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Andres Munoz RP | SEA
Mariners' Andres Munoz: Plays catch Friday
Munoz (shoulder) played catch prior to Friday's game against the Rockies and felt no pain or discomfort, the team's official site reports.
The fireballing reliever continues to enjoy a smooth stint on the injured list, helping corroborate an earlier MRI that suggested his strain was minor. Munoz will continue to do some light throwing while sidelined but appears to be a strong candidate to be activated when first eligible.
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Camilo Doval RP | SF
Giants' Camilo Doval: Stuck with tough loss in extras
Doval (0-2) took the loss Friday as the Giants fell 7-5 to the Tigers in 11 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on only one hit over 1.2 innings. He struck out three.
The closer kept Detroit off the board in the bottom of the 10th inning, but when San Francisco grabbed a 5-4 lead in the top of the 11th, Doval remained on the mound. The right-hander watched second baseman David Villar make a poor decision on defense by trying to get the phantom runner at third base on a slow chopper to lead off the bottom of the frame, and after he struck out the next two batters -- which would have ended the game, had Villar taken the easy out at first base -- Nick Maton turned on a 96.8 mph fastball up in the zone and slugged a walkoff home run on Doval's 21st pitch of the night. He's got more losses than saves (one) right now and an ugly 6.35 ERA, but Doval's 33.3 percent strikeout rate through his first 5.2 innings suggests there's little cause for concern in the long run.