MLB Player News

Flaherty (8-7) took the loss Wednesday, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks over five innings as the Orioles fell 8-2 to the Astros. He struck out eight.

The right-hander's second start with Baltimore didn't go nearly as well as his first, as Kyle Tucker launched a two-run homer off Flaherty in the first inning, but he settled down after that and kept the game close until the O's bullpen unraveled late. Flaherty has an impressive 16:4 K:BB through his first 11 innings with his new squad, and since the beginning of July he sports a 3.10 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 42:14 K:BB through 40.2 frames and seven outings. He'll look for a better result in his next start, likely to come early next week in San Diego.

Montgomery (7-10) took the loss Wednesday, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk over six innings against the Athletics. He struck out five.

Montgomery did a good job of pitching his way out of jams for most of the afternoon, with the first run coming off a sacrifice fly from Jonah Bride. The lefty then allowed a leadoff homer to Zack Gelof to open the sixth but was able to get through the inning without allowing any further damage. Montgomery has now logged three consecutive quality starts, though he's just 1-2 over that stretch. He's also given up at least six hits in four of his last five outings and at least one long ball in four straight.

Javier (8-2) picked up the win in Wednesday's 8-2 victory over the Orioles, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out three.

Incredibly, Javier's last win came all the way back on June 3, as over his prior nine starts he'd gone 0-1 with a 6.91 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. Homers have been his biggest concern of late, as the right-hander has served up nine in his last 34.2 innings -- including a two-run shot by Austin Hays on Wednesday -- but he was able to avoid any other damage in this one. Javier will attempt to put together an actual win streak in his next outing, likely to come early next week in Miami.

Greene (hip) said Sunday he is expected to make two more rehab starts before he's activated from the injured list, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Greene made his second rehab appearance Saturday, throwing 46 pitches over 2.2 innings. He's scheduled for a third rehab start Thursday, when he's expected to work four innings.

Flexen did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings against the Brewers. He struck out four.

Flexen looked good early, striking out two of the first three batters he faced before hurling three scoreless innings. However, he began to struggle with his command in the fourth, allowing three runs on three hits while needing 30 pitches to get out of the inning. The right-hander then surrendered back-to-back home runs with two outs in the fifth before being relieved by Daniel Bard to open the next frame. Flexen has now allowed five runs in two of his three starts since joining the Rockies and has surrendered two long balls in each contest.

Houser did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk over five innings against Colorado. He struck out five.

Houser got off to a solid start, needing only 16 pitches to get through the first two innings. Things unraveled for him in the fourth, however, beginning with a leadoff home run from Jurickson Profar and ending with a two-run single from Harold Castro before the right-hander was finally able to escape the inning. It was only Houser's fourth time this season in which he allowed at least four runs, though two of those occurrences have come over his last three starts. On a positive note, he's now recorded at least five strikeouts in four of his last five outings.

Cueto did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk over five innings against the Reds while striking out five.

Cueto cruised through the first three innings before surrendering three consecutive hits with two outs in the fourth, two of which left the park to put the Reds up 3-1. The right-hander did manage to get out of the inning, however, and was able to log at least five innings for the fourth straight start. Over that stretch he's recorded a solid 22:5 K:BB, though he's now allowed five home runs over his last three outings. Cueto will look to grab his first win of the season next week when the Marlins take on the Astros at home.

Ashcraft did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over seven innings in a 5-4 loss against the Marlins. He struck out seven.

Ashcraft surrendered a leadoff home run to Josh Bell in top of the fourth but was otherwise dominant, allowing only two other hits in the game, both of which came in the first inning. The right-hander threw 17 first-pitch strikes, and it was his third start this season in which he allowed just three hits. Ashcraft has now given up two earned runs or fewer in eight consecutive starts and has allowed one run or fewer in five of those eight starts. With Thursday's performance he lowered his season ERA to 4.95 and WHIP and 1.41.

Severino (2-7) took the loss against the White Sox on Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two batters over two-plus innings.

The Yankees moved Severino behind an opener (Ian Hamilton) in an attempt to fix his first-inning struggles, but the adjustment didn't make much of a difference. Severino came on in the second frame and fell behind 3-0 after the fourth batter he faced, Oscar Colas, tagged him for a two-run homer. Severino allowed another run in the third and was pulled after issuing a leadoff walk in the fourth. The right-hander has struggled massively since the start of July, posting an 11.71 ERA and 2.39 WHIP while serving up 10 home runs over 27.2 innings. New York may need to do more than just place Severino behind an opener to help solve the problems that have led to him posting an ugly 8.06 ERA though 14 starts this season.

Clevinger (5-5) earned the win over the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out six batters over six innings.

Clevinger was staked to a 4-0 lead early and cruised to his fifth victory. The only run against the right-hander came on a Giancarlo Stanton RBI groundout in the fourth frame. Clevinger finished with his first quality start since May 17, and this was his longest outing since he was activated July 29 following a lengthy stay on the injured list. The veteran hurler has pitched well since his return, posting a 2.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB over 16 innings covering three starts.