MLB Player News

Soroka did not factor into the decision against the Phillies on Thursday, tossing 4.2 innings and giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out six.

Soroka was actually in line for the win but fell one out short when he was pulled in the fifth inning after throwing his 100th pitch. All four of the runs he allowed came in the first inning and all nine of the hits against him were singles. Despite the rocky outing, the rookie All-Star enters the break with an impressive 9-1 record complemented by a 2.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 73:21 K:BB in 89.1 innings.

Eflin (7-8) suffered the loss against Atlanta on Thursday, pitching three innings and giving up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out three.

Eflin simply had no way of stopping the Braves' offense, giving up a pair of runs in both the first and second innings and three more in the third. Five of the seven hits he allowed went for extra bases, including home runs off the bats of Danby Swanson and Ozzie Albies. The 25-year-old has been mostly effective this season but has seen his numbers skewed by three different starts in which he has given up six earned runs. Overall, he has posted a 3.78 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 83:26 K:BB in 100 innings.

Ryu (10-2) picked up the win Thursday after holding the Padres scoreless over six innings. He struck out five while allowing three hits and three walks.

Ryu bounced back from a rough outing at hitter-friendly Coors Field by shutting out the Padres to improve his record at Dodger Stadium to 7-0. The 32-year-old issued three free passes, matching as many as his last seven starts, but prevented them from causing any damage. Ryu has been dominant for the Dodgers this season, posting a 1.73 ERA, 0.91 and 99:10 K:BB. He'll take the mound next as the National League starter in this year's All-Star Game.

Martinez picked up the save against the Mariners on Thursday, working around a hit to toss a scoreless ninth inning and close out the Cardinals' 5-4 victory. He struck out one and walked none.

It was the third save of the year for the right-hander, who has assumed the closer role with Jordan Hicks out for the season with a UCL tear. Martinez has posted a 2.37 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and a 19:6 K:BB over his 19 innings and should continue to soak up most of the save opportunities during the second half of the season.

Wacha didn't factor into the decision against the Mariners on Thursday, giving up four earned runs on six hits over 3.1 innings in the Cardinals' 5-4 victory. He walked two and didn't record a strikeout.

The right-hander continues to struggle with the long ball, as he gave up homers to J.P. Crawford and Tim Beckham in this contest to bring his total up to 18 on the season. It's been an erratic first half for Wacha, as he'll take a 5.54 ERA through 76.1 innings into the All-Star break after posting a 3.20 mark over 84.1 innings in his injury-shortened campaign last season.

Lyles (5-5) allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out seven across four innings to take the loss Thursday against the Cubs.

Lyles stumbled immediately, allowing a solo home run to Kris Bryant -- the third batter of the game -- in the first inning. Things didn't improve from there as he allowed two more home runs prior to being pulled with runners on first and second base in the fifth frame. The one positive from the performance was Lyles' ability to generate swings and misses: He had 14 on 78 total pitches. He enters the All-Star break with a 4.36 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 78 strikeouts across 74.1 innings.

Quintana (6-7) allowed three earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six across seven innings to earn the win Thursday against the Pirates.

Quintana yielded all three of his earned runs between the second and third innings but bounced back to retire the final 11 batters he faced. The appearance marked the second time he's completed seven innings of work in his past 13 starts. After a poor stretch for much of June, Quintana has turned in consecutive solid efforts, allowing three earned runs across 13 innings while striking out 10. He'll head into the All-Star break with a 4.19 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 84 strikeouts across 101 innings.

Castillo (8-3) earned the win after allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out nine batters over 7.2 frames to beat the Brewers on Thursday.

If possible, the incredible pitching line actually underrates Castillo's performance, as his lone walk was charged to him despite being finished by David Hernandez after Castillo was taken out during a rain delay. Thursday's start was the fourth time all season Castillo has done his work without allowing a single run. His 2.29 ERA is second-best in the National League.

Woodruff (10-3) pitched well Thursday against the Reds, allowing just one run on seven hits in six innings while striking out six, but he took the loss as the Brewers couldn't manage a single run all game.

The Reds strung together four hits in the first inning for their only run of the game, but Woodruff settled in for a strong performance after that. Only one runner even reached second base in the next five innings. Woodruff will enter the break with a strong 3.67 ERA and a 28.8 percent strikeout rate and is currently tied for the National League lead with 10 wins.

Nicasio was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a left groin strain, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Nicasio has been nursing the injury over the last few days and will head to the injured list after struggling through one-third of an inning Wednesday. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but the 32-year-old will be eligible to be activated shortly after the All-Star break.