MLB Player News

Athletics starter Sonny Gray was fortunate to be credited with a no-decision on Saturday, as he allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks across 5 1/3 innings in a loss to Houston.

Gray continues to struggle and he may be losing his chances on an AL Cy Young crown. For those of you in the midst of your fantasy playoffs, Gray really let you down in a two-start week. Everything is falling apart for Gray, as he's allowing a ton of runs and not striking anyone out. Over his last eight games, Gray has just 31 whiffs. Considering how young Gray is, this may just be a case of too many innings and it's very possible Gray is wearing down. He could be in line for a bounce back next week though, when he hosts the Giants on Friday.

Mariners starter Vidal Nuno (1-3) had a rough outing on Saturday, as he allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks across 3 1/3 innings in a 10-1 loss to the Rangers.

Nuno had a sub 3.00 ERA coming into the game and left with a 3.64 ERA. His FIP indicated a regression coming, as it was above 4.50 coming into the start and this outing could've been seen from miles away as the Rangers are one of the hottest teams in baseball. With the mix-ups in the rotation, Nuno isn't expected to pitch until next Sunday against the Angels and that could be yet another rough game for the lefty.

Rangers starter Cole Hamels (4-1) was superb on Saturday, as he struck out 12 Mariners while allowing one run on seven hits in a 10-1 win.

Since the acquisition of Hamels, the Rangers are one of the best teams in baseball. This was by far the lefty's strongest performance for the Rangers and it comes as no surprise against a lefty-heavy lineup like the Mariners.

In his nine starts with Texas, he has gone at least six innings in each and Hamels is being the work horse that they were expecting. He'll look to continue his fantastic form against the Astros next Friday.

Red Sox starter Wade Miley allowed two runs on three hits and five walks while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings in Saturday's win over the Blue Jays.

Miley fought with his control, but kept the game tied before leaving with two outs in the seventh. It was his third straight quality start.

Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez will make his next start Monday in Tampa Bay, Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald reports. 

Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo said that Rodriguez will be limited to between 10 and 15 innings the rest of the season, which likely amounts to two starts.

The rookie has already covered 158 innings between Triple-A Pawtucket and the big leagues this season, but hasn't shown any signs of the workload overwhelming him. He struck out nine batters in just 5 1/3 innings his last time out against the Orioles.

Royals starting pitcher Johnny Cueto turned in a strong outing against the Tigers on Friday night, allowing two runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out four over seven-plus innings, but came away with a no-decision.

Cueto got off to a good start after coming over to Kansas City, but has struggled lately. He had lost five straight, compiling an ugly 9.57 ERA over that span, but was sharp in this one. Unfortunately, he was up against an equally sharp Justin Verlander, left the game with the score tied, and was in line for another loss when the bullpen allowed the runner he left on base to score.

Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander allowed two runs on five hits, walking one and striking out seven over 8.2 innings, but came away with a no-decision against the Royals on Friday night.

Verlander was spectacular, carrying a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning. Unfortunately, the bullpen gave the lead away and the Tigers wouldn't close it out until the 12th inning. He's had his ups and downs this year, but his second half performance suggests he is getting more comfortable pitching as more of a finesse pitcher after years of being a top power arm. Many really good ones make the adjustment.

White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale struggled again Friday night, allowing seven runs (one earned) on eight hits, walking three and striking out nine over seven innings of a 12-1 loss to Cleveland.

Sale (12-10, 3.47 ERA) pitched very well with the exception of the third inning where he gave up six runs. Thankfully for his fantasy owners, a Carlos Sanchez error made all six of those runs unearned, but Sale has not been as dominant lately as he was earlier in the year. He needed 116 pitches (75 for strikes) to cover the seven innings, and he wasn't consistently hitting his spots. He is still piling up strikeouts because his stuff is still dazzling, but he'll have to try and recapture his command to be the true ace he can be at his best.

Rays starting pitcher Drew Smyly allowed five runs on four hits, walking three and striking out six over 5.2 innings of an 8-6 win against the Orioles on Friday night.

Smyly (3-2, 3.64 ERA) picked up a win and did notch the six strikeouts, but it was another weak performance where he needed 107 pitches (69 strikes) and didn't make it out of the sixth inning. He pitched well early in the season, but was shut down in early May with a tear in his labrum (shoulder). He hasn't been the same since returning from the DL in mid-August, and is not recommended at this point in the season.

Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton didn't factor into the decision during Friday's win over Texas, giving up one run on six hits and four walks while striking out six over 4.1 innings.

Poor control was Paxton's Achilles heel as he weaved in and out of trouble on Friday, with 42 of his 88 pitches missing the strike zone. Paxton has walked seven batters in 7.1 innings since returning from a finger injury that cost him virtually the entire summer - a continuation of his poor command from earlier this season. In 12 starts this season, Paxton has a horrific 3.97 BB/9 ratio.