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Griffin Canning RP | SD
Angels' Griffin Canning: Works in bulk relief again
Canning (7-4) earned the win over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 3.1 innings.
Chase Silseth started the contest for the Angels but couldn't get through the fourth inning, giving up three runs in that frame and five overall. Canning entered with two on and two out and got Randy Arozarena to ground out to end the threat, then tossed three more innings, during which he gave up just one run on a Jonathan Aranda solo homer. Canning looked good in the outing, racking up 10 swinging strikes among 52 pitches and punching out five Rays. It was the second straight time that he has thrown in long relief since being activated from the injured list Aug. 13, though it's not clear if that will be the norm for him moving forward or if Canning will eventually move back into the rotation.
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Dane Dunning SP | SEA
Rangers' Dane Dunning: Allows two homers in loss
Dunning (9-5) took the loss Saturday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over five innings against the Brewers. He struck out four.
Dunning surrendered a solo home run to Carlos Santana in the first and needed 26 pitches to get out of the inning. The right-hander would again get tagged for a solo shot in the sixth, this time off the bat of Willy Adames, marking just his third time allowing multiple home runs in a start this season. Dunning had logged three quality starts in a row coming in and still holds a 2.81 ERA in August to go along with a 33:5 K:BB. However, he's now lost four of his last five decisions and has allowed seven hits in two straight.
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Cristopher Sanchez SP | PHI
Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez: Quality start against Nats
Sanchez came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 12-3 win over the Nationals, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits over six innings. He struck out five without walking a batter.
The southpaw delivered his second straight quality start on an efficient 78 pitches (54 strikes), but Sanchez actually exited the game in line for his fourth loss as the Phillies didn't even get on the board until the top of the seventh inning. With Ranger Suarez (hamstring) on the shelf, Sanchez's spot in the rotation is secure for now, but he was already making a strong case to hang onto the assignment -- since the All-Star break, he's posted a 3.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 36:8 K:BB through 39 innings. His next turn is likely to come at home next weekend against the Cardinals.
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Hunter Greene SP | CIN
Reds' Hunter Greene: Activated ahead of start Sunday
The Reds reinstated Greene (hip) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Sunday against the Blue Jays.
Greene ended up spending just over the minimum 60 days on the IL, as he'll be returning to the Cincinnati rotation for the first time since June 17 after making a full recovery from right hip discomfort. The young right-hander assuaged any lingering concerns about his health by turning in a dominant four-start rehab assignment between the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Triple-A Louisville in which he compiled a 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB in 14 innings. Greene tossed 83 pitches and 5.2 innings in his final rehab outing Tuesday, so he's unlikely to face any major workload restrictions in his return from the IL.
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Freddy Peralta SP | TB
Brewers' Freddy Peralta: Earns fourth straight win
Peralta (10-8) earned the win Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over 5.2 innings against the Rangers. He struck out 11.
Peralta was mostly dominant Saturday, striking out four of the first six batters he faced before surrendering two hits and two walks in the third, which led to one run coming home for Texas. He allowed just two singles from that point on while racking up double-digit strikeouts for the third time in his last five starts. The right-hander has won each of his last four starts and now owns a 1.82 ERA in August to go along with a 37:7 K:BB.
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Yu Darvish SP | SD
Padres' Yu Darvish: Fans seven in Saturday's loss
Darvish (8-9) took the loss in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Diamondbacks, giving up four runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out seven.
The veteran right-hander didn't pitch poorly, but San Diego's hitters couldn't get anything going in an eventual 8-1 loss as Arizona used a bullpen day. Darvish remains winless in August, but his 3.60 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB through 25 innings on the month have been solid. He'll look for a better result in his next outing, likely to come next weekend in Milwaukee.
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Matt Waldron RP | WAS
Padres' Matt Waldron: Stuck with loss in matinee
Waldron (0-2) took the loss in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Diamondbacks, giving up five runs on five hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out five.
Making his second career start in the majors, Waldron had trouble putting Arizona batters away when it mattered and got tagged for runs in the first, third and fifth innings, with the big blow being a two-run shot from Tommy Pham in the right-hander's final frame. Waldron's usage of a knuckleball makes him a bit of a novelty in the modern game, and he has yet to allow a hit on the pitch, but through his first 9.2 big-league innings he's surrendered a .923 SLG on his mediocre low-90s fastball.
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Brady Singer SP | CIN
Royals' Brady Singer: Lasts just 3.2 innings in loss
Singer (8-9) took the loss Saturday, allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks over 3.2 innings against the Cubs. He struck out three.
Singer didn't have his best stuff Saturday, allowing runs in each of the first four innings before being relieved by Tucker Davidson. The 27-year-old right-hander lasted just 3.2 innings, marking his shortest outing since May 22, while he also failed to record at least four strikeouts for the first time in his last seven starts. Singer had logged three quality starts in a row prior to Saturday's loss, which marked his third time allowing multiple home runs in a game this season.
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Merrill Kelly SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Stumbles to win No. 10
Kelly (10-5) picked up the win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Padres, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out three.
The right-hander was far from sharp, serving up a pair of solo shots in the first inning to Ha-Seong Kim and Manny Machado and tossing only 56 strikes among his 102 pitches before exiting, but Kelly got enough run support to collect his first win since June 19. Ironically, this was his worst outing of the second half -- since returning from a calf injury in late July, he's posted a 2.88 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 36:12 K:BB through 34.1 innings. Kelly will look to keep rolling in his next start, likely to come at home next weekend against the Reds.
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Brandon Williamson SP | CIN
Reds' Brandon Williamson: Allows four runs in loss
Williamson (4-3) took the loss Saturday, allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk over 5.2 innings against Toronto. He struck out six.
Williamson allowed nine hits to Toronto, eight of which were singles, including a string of three consecutive run-scoring base knocks in the fourth inning. The one extra-base hit surrendered by the 25-year-old was a fifth-inning solo homer by Davis Schneider, which gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead and proved to be the difference. After a challenging start to his rookie campaign, Williamson has pitched well since the start of July, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 47:15 K:BB across 48 innings. He lines up to face Arizona on the road next week.