-
MacKenzie Gore SP | TEX
Nationals' MacKenzie Gore: Sharp in seventh win
Gore (7-10) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks over five innings in a 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out two.
The young southpaw got tagged for a solo homer by Davis Schneider but otherwise held Toronto's offense in check, tossing 69 of his 106 pitches for strikes. Homers continue to be an issue for Gore, who's served up 10 of them in eight starts and 42.2 innings since the All-Star break, but he still sports a respectable 4.01 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 39:16 K:BB over that stretch. He's next set to take the mound at home early next week against the Mets.
-
Darius Vines SP | CIN
Braves' Darius Vines: Officially starting Wednesday
Vines will start for Atlanta on Wednesday in Colorado, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Vines was called up Monday and available in relief for a couple days, but after he wasn't needed out of the bullpen he's officially been tapped for Wednesday's start in what will be his major-league debut. The 25-year-old has come back from a shoulder injury to pitch well this season at Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 2.86 ERA and 25:11 K:BB over 28.1 frames. Vines could end up making additional starts until Kyle Wright (shoulder) is ready to return from the 60-day injured list.
-
Charlie Morton SP | ATL
Braves' Charlie Morton: Picks up 14th victory
Morton (14-10) earned the win Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over six innings against Colorado. He struck out eight.
Morton turned in another strong outing Tuesday and has now strung together a handful of impressive starts, posting a 0.38 ERA and 33:11 K:BB over his last four appearances (24 innings). He'll look to keep the ball rolling in his next start, which is tentatively lined up to come against the Dodgers this weekend.
-
Luis Ortiz SP | CLE
Pirates' Luis Ortiz: Impresses in long relief
Ortiz (3-4) earned the win Tuesday against Kansas City. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings.
Ortiz followed opener Colin Selby on Tuesday, dealing five innings of one-run baseball to pick up his first win since June 23. After giving up four or more runs in each of his last three appearances, the 24-year-old bounced back Tuesday and yielded just three hits on the day. Though Ortiz doesn't hold a permanent spot in the Pirates' rotation, he'll likely stick around for more work at least until Max Kranick (elbow) is ready to go.
-
Corbin Burnes SP | ARI
Brewers' Corbin Burnes: Impressive despite loss
Burnes (9-7) took the loss Tuesday, allowing one run on eight hits and two walks over seven innings against the Cubs. He struck out seven.
Burnes took advantage of favorable wind conditions at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, yielding just one run across seven frames, though he was ultimately stuck with his seventh loss of the campaign. The 28-year-old is winless across his last seven appearances, a stretch in which he owns a 3.71 ERA and 42:16 K:BB. Burnes is tentatively scheduled to take on the Pirates in Pittsburgh his next time out.
-
Michael Lorenzen SP | TOR
Phillies' Michael Lorenzen: Notches quality start, win
Lorenzen (3-1) earned the win Tuesday, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks over six innings against the Angels. He struck out five.
The 31-year-old right-hander allowed individual runs to score in four consecutive innings, with Luis Rengifo launching solo home runs in the second and fourth innings, and Shohei Ohtani hitting run-scoring singles in the third and fifth. Fortunately for fantasy managers in leagues that reward quality starts, one of Lorenzen's runs was unearned due to his own throwing error. In three starts since throwing 124 pitches in his no-hitter Aug. 9, he has unsurprisingly struggled, posting a 7.80 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and 10:6 K:BB while yielding five home runs across 15 innings. Lorenzen's next start is tentatively scheduled to take place in San Diego early next week.
-
Justin Steele SP | CHC
Cubs' Justin Steele: Nabs another quality start
Steele (15-3) earned the win Tuesday, allowing six hits and one walk over six scoreless innings against the Brewers. He struck out eight.
Steele collected his third straight quality start Tuesday, holding the Brewers scoreless across six innings of action while fanning eight batters. Though the southpaw has only gone deeper than 6.1 innings twice this season, he's surrendered three or fewer earned runs in 14 consecutive appearances. Steele boasts a 2.69 ERA and 141:31 K:BB across 144 innings on the year and is expected to take on the Reds at Great American Ball Park for his next outing.
-
Merrill Kelly SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Struggles against Dodgers
Kelly (10-6) allowed seven runs on 12 hits and three walks while striking out one over five innings, taking the loss Tuesday versus the Dodgers.
Kelly exited his previous start with a hamstring cramp but suffered no further restrictions. His exit Tuesday appears to be solely based on poor performance, though he was able to complete five frames for the 23rd start in a row, the lone exception in 2023 being his season debut. The right-hander is now at a 3.31 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 147:52 K:BB through 141.1 innings this season. He's projected for a more favorable home start versus the Rockies early next week.
-
Clayton Kershaw SP | LAD
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Cruises to 12th win
Kershaw (12-4) allowed a run on three hits and three walks while striking out five over five innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers took control of this game early, so Kershaw was pulled with 79 pitches (42 strikes). He wasn't at his sharpest, but he was good enough to collect his second win in four starts since returning from a shoulder injury. The southpaw has allowed four runs over 17 innings in that span. He's now at a 2.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 120:29 K:BB through 112.1 innings over 20 starts this season. If the Dodgers keep giving him ample run support, he may continue to see shorter outings down the stretch to stay fresh for the postseason. Kershaw is lined up for a challenging home start against Atlanta this weekend.
-
Sandy Alcantara SP | MIA
Marlins' Sandy Alcantara: Falls to Tampa Bay
Alcantara (6-12) took the loss Tuesday, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks over 5.2 innings against the Rays. He struck out four.
Alcantara held Tampa Bay to just one run through five innings, but the floodgates opened in the sixth when three hits and a hit-by-pitch resulted in three runs and Alcantara's removal from the game. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner seemed to be regaining his form in the second half of the season, but his last three starts have left a lot to be desired -- Alcantra has posted a 5.40 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and pedestrian 13:6 K:BB across 18.1 innings during that span.