MLB Player News

Flaherty took a no-decision Wednesday in Arizona after he gave up three runs on eight hits and two walks in five-plus innings. He struck out four.

The right-hander was staked a 2-0 lead but was unable to maintain the advantage, as the Diamondbacks tallied two runs in the third inning and another in the sixth. Flaherty has given up at least three runs in each of his past three starts and has a 5.29 ERA across 17 innings during that stretch. It was possibly his last start with the Cardinals since his next turn through the rotation won't come until after the trade deadline.

Suarez came away with a no-decision Wednesday against the Orioles, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk over six-plus innings. He struck out six.

The southpaw was nursing a 4-3 lead when he took the mound for the top of the seventh inning, but after James McCann greeted him with a leadoff double, Suarez got the hook and had to watch Seranthony Dominguez allow the inherited runner to score. After a brilliant June, Suarez hasn't picked up a win in five July starts, getting tagged for at least three runs in each one and posting a 6.11 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 23:13 K:BB through 28 innings on the month. Should the Phillies add starting pitching at the trade deadline, Suarez might well be the pitcher who gets bumped from the rotation.

Lugo (4-5) took the loss Wednesday, giving up two runs on three hits over seven innings as the Padres fell 3-2 to the Pirates. He struck out eight without walking a batter.

The right-hander generated an eye-popping 31 called or swinging strikes on only 84 pitches, but he got little run support and left the mound down 2-1 after solo shots by Ji-Man Choi in the second inning and Bryan Reynolds in the fourth. Lugo has delivered four quality starts in his last five outings, and since returning to the rotation in mid-June he's posted a 3.12 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 41:5 K:BB through 40.1 innings. He faces a tough challenge in his next start, however, which is likely to come early next week in Coors Field.

Oviedo (4-11) picked up the win in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Padres, allowing one run on three hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out five.

The right-hander tossed only 53 of 90 pitches for strikes, but he avoided serious damage and was able to collect his first win since May 19, having gone 0-8 in the 11 outings since. Oviedo will carry a 4.60 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 106:49 K:BB through 117.1 innings into his next start, likely to come at home next week against the Tigers.

Gonsolin (5-4) took the loss Wednesday as the Dodgers fell 8-1 to the Blue Jays, giving up five runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out five.

The right-hander continues to wilt in the summer heat. Gonsolin has been tagged for at least four runs in six of his last seven starts, stumbling to a 7,25 ERA over that stretch despite a superficially respectable 1.39 WHIP. The 29-year-old's 19.7 percent strikeout rate and 9.7 percent swinging strike rate on the season are career lows, as is his 92.6 mph average on his fastball, and Gonsolin could be tough to deploy even as a streaming option in the second half if he can't regain some of those lost whiffs. He's next set to take the mound at home next week against the A's.

Alcantara (4-9) earned the win Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk over nine innings against the Rays. He struck out seven.

Alcantara needed only 14 pitches to get through the first two innings before allowing a leadoff double to Josh Lowe in the third, which would lead to one run coming across for the Rays. The right-hander would allow just three singles and a walk from that point on en route to recording his second complete game of the season. It's been a disappointing year for Alcantara, though he's currently enjoying his best month of the season so far, posting a 3.31 ERA in July to go along with a 30:6 K:BB.

Strider allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters over 6.1 innings in a no-decision against Boston on Wednesday.

Strider cruised through five scoreless frames before Rafael Devers tagged him for a solo homer in the sixth. Strider got through the rest of that inning and continued into the seventh, when he surrendered another solo shot to Triston Casas before getting the hook after allowing a single to the following batter. The Red Sox turned out two more runs in the frame following the hurler's departure, saddling him with a no-decision. Despite the late struggles, Strider posted another big outing from a fantasy perspective, tallying double-digit punchouts for his fourth straight start. The right-hander has just one win and a so-so 4.01 ERA during that span, but he's posted a remarkable 44:3 K:BB across 24.2 frames during the stretch to boost his MLB-best strikeout total to 199 -- 37 more than his closest competition (Kevin Gausman).

Quintana (0-2) took the loss against the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out five batters over six innings.

Quintana made his second start of the campaign and went one more inning than in his season debut against the White Sox on July 20, when he allowed two runs over five frames. The left-hander picked up a quality start against the Yankees but got inadequate run support to drop to 0-2. Quintana worked up to 94 pitches Wednesday, so he appears to already be capable of managing a nearly full workload. Despite taking a loss in each of his first two outings, he's been fine with a 3.27 ERA and 1.36 WHIP.

Wood (5-4) picked up the win Wednesday over the Athletics, allowing one hit over three scoreless innings. He did not strike out or walk a batter.

Wood was the fourth pitcher in the game, working as a bulk reliever for the fifth time this season. The southpaw got the job done, quieting the Athletics' bats after Jakob Junis gave up three runs in the fourth inning. Wood has alternated wildly between strong and poor outings over the last couple of months, so it's tough to trust him on a week-by-week basis. He's at a 4.75 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 51:30 K:BB through 60.2 innings this season. Assuming he stays on a regular turn, he's lined up for a difficult home outing versus the Diamondbacks next week.

Stroman allowed seven runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out four over 3.1 innings in a no-decision versus the White Sox on Wednesday.

Stroman didn't pitch well, but Lance Lynn was just about equally poor for the Pale Hose. After an excellent first three months of the campaign, Stroman has struggled over his last six starts, allowing 28 runs (24 earned) over 27 innings with just one quality start in that span. The poor stretch has inflated his ERA from 2.28 to 3.51 and his WHIP from 1.02 to 1.20. He's added a 10-7 record and a 109:48 K:BB over 125.2 innings through 22 starts overall. He's tentatively lined up for a challenging two-start week next week, with potential matchups versus Cincinnati and Atlanta on the slate, assuming the Cubs hold onto Stroman through the trade deadline.