MLB Player News

Cease (5-6) suffered a loss Sunday against the Brewers after allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven in seven innings.

Cease notched his highest strikeout total since July 22 and reached seven innings for the first time all year. The Brewers manufactured a run on a sacrifice fly in the second after kicking off the inning with back-to-back singles and then tacked on another in the fifth while the White Sox were blanked until the ninth. Cease registered an elite 39 percent CSW rate in the outing but still managed to come out on the losing end for a third time in his last four tries. He now owns a 4.32 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 157:61 K:BB in 133.1 innings and lines up for a start in Coors Field next weekend.

Dunning allowed just one run on seven hits and no walks while striking out a career-high 12 batters in seven innings Sunday against the Giants. He did not factor into the decision.

Believe it or not, Dunning was actually in line for the loss when his day was done, but the Rangers were able to push the game to extras after scoring in the ninth. The only blemish on the day for him was a solo home run allowed to Michael Conforto in the second. The 28-year-old had set a career-best with 11 strikeouts Aug. 2 against the White Sox and turned in yet another masterpiece Sunday. He now has three 10-plus strikeout games over his last nine starts after having just one in his first 70 career starts. Dunning also became just the eighth pitcher in franchise history to throw at least 12 strikeouts without walking a batter. He now holds a 3.10 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 97:34 K:BB in 127.2 innings and lines up to face the Brewers his next time out.

Urquidy (2-3) suffered the loss Sunday against the Angels but pitched well, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out seven over five innings.

The lone run scored against Urquidy came off an RBI double from Mickey Moniak in the third inning. The Astros were unable to deliver much offensive production Sunday, leaving Urquidy in line for an unlucky loss. The 28-year-old struck out a season-high seven batters and registered 15 whiffs while gearing up to 80 pitches. Astros pitching coach Josh Miller said Urquidy was capped at 90 pitches, so it seems likely he'll be stretched out enough to potentially go six-plus innings in his next start , which is tentatively lined up to be against the Mariners this weekend.

Gray (6-5) earned the win Sunday, allowing two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings against the Phillies. He struck out seven.

It's Gray's fifth consecutive quality start -- he's now 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in that span (31 innings) while racking up 33 strikeouts. Overall, the veteran right-hander's ERA is down to 3.04 with a 1.22 WHIP and 140:47 K:BB across 11 starts (136.1 innings) this season. Gray's currently scheduled to make his next start at home against the Pirates.

Waldichuk did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing a run on seven hits and a walk over five innings in an 8-7 loss against Washington. He struck out four.

Waldichuk pitched well Sunday, allowing just one run in the opening inning before blanking Washington over his final four frames. However, the A's bullpen imploded in the ninth, allowing six runs to blow a 7-2 lead and leave Waldichuk with a no-decision. The 25-year-old southpaw has held opponents to two runs or fewer in three of his last four starts, though he still sports an unsightly 6.07 ERA with a 1.70 WHIP and 51:24 K:BB across 48.2 innings this season.

Whitlock (5-3) earned the win in Sunday's 6-3 triumph over the Tigers. He allowed one unearned run while striking out three over two hitless innings.

It was an impressive return for Whitlock, who'd been sidelined since July 4 with a bone bruise in his elbow. The 27-year-old right-hander made 10 starts for the Red Sox earlier this year, though he figures to work out of the bullpen going forward. Overall, Whitlock sports a 5.03 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and 50:7 K:BB across 53.2 innings this season.

Bibee (9-2) earned the win Sunday, allowing two runs on seven hits and zero walks over seven innings against the Rays. He struck out five.

Bibee received plenty of run support early, then held the Rays in check to earn his ninth win. He has now won seven consecutive decisions, with his last loss coming June 13. The rookie has also not allowed more than three earned runs in his last 10 starts, holding a 2.03 ERA over that stretch. Bibee is scheduled to take the hill at home next weekend in a favorable matchup against the Tigers.

Eflin (12-7) took the loss Sunday, allowing six runs on nine hits and one walk over three innings against Cleveland. He struck out three.

The Guardians were all over Eflin, who allowed multiple hits in each of his three innings, including four extra-base hits, two of which left the yard. It's been a bit of an up-and-down bag for Eflin over his past six starts, as he's allowed one or fewer runs over six or more innings in three of the appearances while allowing at least five runs over four or fewer innings in his other three games. He'll look for a rebound next weekend, as he's lined up for a road matchup with the Angels.

Cole did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over six innings against the Marlins. He struck out six.

Cole did his part in earning a quality start and leaving with a five-run lead, but the bullpen imploded in the ninth, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Cole remains a strong candidate to win his first Cy Young with 10 wins, a 2.76 ERA that ranks second among qualified starters in the American League, and a 1.05 WHIP. A minor concern to track is a slightly regressed 9.6 K:9 and 4.0 K:BB that represent his lowest marks since his last season in Pittsburgh back in 2017. The reliable Cole is lined up to face the rival Red Sox next weekend in the Bronx.

Rodriguez (8-6) allowed six runs on 10 hits across five innings to take the loss Sunday against the Red Sox. He walked one and struck out eight.

Rodriguez struggled in his matchup with Boston, the team he played for from 2015 through 2021 before joining the Tigers in free agency. The lefty was coming off of two good starts in which he allowed just two runs across 13 innings, and he still owns a strong 3.13 ERA for the season. This may be a blip on the radar for Rodriguez, who will look to get back on track in his next scheduled start, which is currently penciled in for Saturday against the Guardians.