-
Zack Littell RP | ARI
Rays' Zack Littell: Allows two runs in no-decision
Littell did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings against the Twins. He struck out five.
Thursday represented a return to form for Littell, who held the Twins to single tallies in each of the second and third innings. Littell had posted a 7.71 ERA and 2.07 WHIP with four homers given up across three starts in June entering Thursday, including a season-worst six earned runs allowed in just two frames during his previous start. Although he was touched up for a homer for the seventh consecutive outing, it was also the first time in five starts he didn't allow at least three earned runs. He tentatively lines up for a home matchup with the Mariners next week.
-
Luis Castillo SP | CHW
Mariners' Luis Castillo: Allows five earned runs in loss
Castillo (6-8) suffered the loss Thursday, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings against the Guardians. He struck out four.
Castillo entered the fifth with a 3-2 lead, but with two outs a walk preceded a home run by Andres Gimenez, then another walk paved the way for a Josh Naylor double that saddled Castillo with five runs allowed and left him on the hook for the loss. Following Castillo's start June 2, he was on a 10-game stretch of allowing no more than two earned runs. However, his last three starts have been more of a mixed bag, as he's allowed 12 earned runs over his last 16 innings (6.75 ERA) including five runs allowed in two of his last three starts. He'll look to put things back together during his next start, scheduled to take place next week when the Mariners travel to Tampa to take on the Rays.
-
Cole Irvin RP | LAD
Orioles' Cole Irvin: Struggles in no-decision
Irvin did not factor into the decision in a win over the Yankees on Thursday, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks over 4.2 innings while striking out two.
Irvin had a hard time with the Yankees' lineup for much of the afternoon, allowing runs in three of the five innings in which he appeared before being relieved by Bryan Baker. Irvin surrendered two home runs in the contest, something he hadn't done in any of his previous 13 outings, while he also matched his season high with five runs allowed. Irvin had gone at least five innings in four consecutive starts prior to Thursday's game and will look to bounce back next week when the Orioles take on the Guardians in Baltimore.
-
Luis Gil RP | NYY
Yankees' Luis Gil: Lit up for seven runs
Gil (9-2) was hit with the loss against the Orioles on Thursday, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings.
Gil struggled out of the gate, surrendering a leadoff double to open the contest before eventually allowing one run in the first. However, things would get much worse for the right-hander in the following frame, as he failed to retire nine of the next 10 batters he faced, leading to his shortest outing of the campaign. Gil gave up a season-high seven runs on the afternoon and failed to make it through six innings for the third consecutive start. It also marked his first loss since April 15 against Toronto.
-
Jose Soriano SP | TOR
Angels' Jose Soriano: Lands on injured list
Soriano was placed on the 15-day injured list with an abdomen infection Thursday.
Soriano was scratched from his start Monday and was expected to miss another turn through the rotation. It was originally anticipated that he would avoid the injured list, so it's unclear how long he may be sidelined. The move was retroactive to Monday, so Soriano will be eligible to return in early July.
-
Logan Taylor Allen RP | CLE
Guardians' Logan Allen: Earns eighth win
Allen (8-3) earned the win Thursday against the Mariners, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks across six innings. He struck out two.
Allen did not start off well, allowing a leadoff single to J.P. Crawford followed by a homer to Dylan Moore, but he allowed just one more run the rest of the way to earn his eighth win and complete his fifth quality start of the season. Allen, who also hit a batter on the day, continues to struggle with missing bats, having struck out just eight batters over the last three starts spanning 17 innings after having struck out 51 across 58.2 innings during his first 12 outings. Despite the dearth of strikeouts during this most recent stretch, Allen's ERA stands at 3.17 over the last three games as opposed to 5.83 during the 12 games prior. Things will not get easier for his next start as he's currently scheduled to take on the Orioles in Baltimore.
-
Robert Gasser SP | MIL
Brewers' Robert Gasser: Elects for surgery
Gasser will have surgery Monday to repair UCL damage in his left elbow, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
It's unclear whether Gasser is undergoing Tommy John surgery or the internal brace procedure, but he will be out for at least the next 12 months. It's tough timing for the promising young pitcher, as he had pitched well across his first five big-league starts, maintaining a 2.57 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 28 innings.
-
MacKenzie Gore SP | TEX
Nationals' MacKenzie Gore: Struggles through five
Gore (6-6) suffered the loss Thursday, allowing four runs on 10 hits and two walks in five innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out seven.
Gore was unable to match his opponent's efficiency on the mound, allowing 12 baserunners and needing 103 pitches to complete five frames. The Diamondbacks meanwhile needed only 87 pitches for the entirety of the contest including just 70 in seven innings by starter Ryne Nelson. Gore was done in by a lot of dink and dunk, as nine of the 10 hits he allowed were singles. It was just the second time all season Gore has allowed more than three runs and the fifth time he's eclipsed the 100-pitch plateau. The performance raised Gore's ERA from 3.24 to 3.49, while his WHIP lifted from 1.32 to 1.39. His next opportunity to toe the rubber is set for early next week when the Nationals travel to San Diego to take on the Padres.
-
Landon Knack RP | LAD
Dodgers' Landon Knack: Starting Friday
Knack will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start against the Angels on Friday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Knack has been extremely effective in the majors this season, posting a 2.61 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 20.2 innings through his first four starts. He'll now return to Los Angeles to fill the opening in the Dodgers' rotation left by Yoshinobu Yamamoto's (shoulder) trip to the injured list, though there's a good chance Knack's time in the majors is limited to only Friday's outing.
-
Ryne Nelson SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Highly efficient in win
Nelson (5-5) earned the win Thursday, allowing two runs on three hits in seven innings against the White Sox. He struck out two.
Nelson needed just 70 pitches to complete a highly efficient seven frames, including 10 or fewer pitches in four of his seven completed innings. While he did allow a couple of batters to leave the yard, he never faced a stressful inning, as only one other batter made it as far as first base. Nelson likely had more in the tank, as he had thrown at least 80 pitches during each of his last eight starts, but the bullpen needed just 17 pitches over the final two innings to seal the victory. Nelson has three quality starts over his last four outings, allowing two runs or fewer in each of those three performances. He'll look to keep things rolling during his next start, likely to take place in the middle of next week when the Twins make the trip to Arizona.