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Ethan Pecko SP | HOU
Astros' Ethan Pecko: Potentially in line for call-up
Pecko was scratched ahead of his scheduled start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday, potentially signaling that the Astros are planning to call him up, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
No injury was behind the decision to scratch Pecko, who has yet to make an appearance in the big leagues. The Astros seemingly have a spot available in the rotation for Pecko, as Ronel Blanco was used in long relief during Saturday's 10-5 loss to the Mariners and has submitted a 7.71 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in five appearances (four starts) since returning from the injured list in late July. Regarded as one of the organization's top pitching prospects, the 23-year-old Pecko has submitted a 4.94 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 71:28 K:BB over 74.2 innings this season in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
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Justin Wrobleski SP | LAD
Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski: Gives up two more homers Saturday
Wrobleski (11-5) yielded four runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings in a loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.
Wrobleski was mostly effective, racking up 15 whiffs on 107 pitches and allowing as many baserunners as innings pitched (six). However, two of the hits he allowed left the park, and both were two-run shots. Wrobleski has now given up 11 home runs over 19.2 innings across his past four starts while taking three losses during that span. He made his first career All-Star team on the strength of a 2.69 first-half ERA, but that number has increased by nearly a run (to 3.56) due to what has been a rough second half. On most staffs, Wrobleski's impressive pre-break performance would be enough to keep him comfortably in a starting role despite his recent struggles, but that's not a guarantee with the Dodgers. With Blake Snell recently returning from injury, Tyler Glasnow (back) nearing activation from the IL, Shohei Ohtani throwing bullpens as he looks to return to the rotation and Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Eric Lauer all healthy, there is a chance Wrobleski ultimately gets squeezed.
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Jacob Misiorowski SP | MIL
Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski: Tames champs for 12th victory
Misiorowski (12-5) earned the win over the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings.
Misiorowski set the tone quickly, leading off his outing by firing six straight fastballs of over 102 mph to Shohei Ohtani, who ultimately popped out. Ohtani got some revenge with an RBI triple in the third, but that was the only run Misiorowski ended up allowing. The All-Star hurler finished with a modest (for him) six punchouts, but not for a lack of swing-and-miss stuff -- he induced 17 whiffs over 98 total pitches. Misiorowski has now logged three consecutive quality starts, though this was his first victory during that span. He continues to lead qualified MLB pitchers by wide margins with a sterling 1.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 210 punchouts to further strengthen his already-strong case for his first Cy Young Award.
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J.T. Ginn SP | ATH
Athletics' J.T. Ginn: Fades in sixth inning
Ginn (8-7) allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out seven without walking a batter over six innings to take the loss Saturday versus the Rangers.
Ginn had allowed just one run through five frames, but he faded in the sixth. Wyatt Langford's two-run home run ultimately cost Ginn not only a chance at the win but also took him out of contention for a quality start. Ginn has allowed 10 runs (eight earned) over 18 innings since he returned from a finger blister. On the year, he has a 3.53 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 114:53 K:BB through 127.1 innings over 25 games (22 starts). His next outing is projected to be on the road in Kansas City.
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Grant Holmes SP | ATL
Braves' Grant Holmes: Scoreless streak comes to crashing halt
Holmes (7-5) took the loss against Arizona on Saturday, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three batters over 3.2 innings.
Holmes came into Saturday with back-to-back outings of six scoreless frames, and he looked good in recording two strikeouts in a perfect first inning. The wheels fell off thereafter, however, as the Diamondbacks tagged him for three runs in each of the following two frames. Holmes was allowed to return for the fourth inning but was pulled after issuing back-to-back two-out walks. The outing was tied for his second-shortest appearance of the season, behind only a two-inning, three-run performance that was cut short by rain against San Francisco on June 16. Holmes will look to bounce back in his next start, which is projected to be a road matchup against the White Sox.
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MacKenzie Gore SP | TEX
Rangers' MacKenzie Gore: Collects seventh win
Gore (7-9) allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Athletics on Saturday.
Gore wasn't as sharp as he has been lately, but he did well enough to pick up his first win in five starts. The damage on his line came from a Henry Bolte three-run home run in the second inning. Gore has earned quality starts in two of his last four appearances, allowing seven runs over 24 innings in that span. For the season, he has a 4.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 154:51 K:BB through 139.2 innings over 26 starts. The strikeout upside is encouraging, and the Rangers will need Gore to stay sharp as they battle for a playoff spot. His next start is projected to be at home in a favorable matchup versus the Angels.
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Eduardo Rodriguez SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez: Continues resurgent campaign
Rodriguez (12-4) earned the win over Atlanta on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.
Rodriguez had a rough first inning, allowing two runs on three hits, including a Ronald Acuna homer. However, the veteran hurler bounced back impressively thereafter, at one point retiring 11 straight batters and yielding just two additional baserunners. Meanwhile, Arizona exploded for six runs across the second and third frames, sending Rodriguez to his 12th victory of the campaign -- tied for seventh most in the majors. He's at a 2.71 ERA and 1.21 WHIP through 149.1 innings spanning 25 starts this season, with the ERA being by far the best mark of his 11-year career.
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Randy Dobnak SP | KC
Royals' Randy Dobnak: Fans six in no-decision
Dobnak allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six over 5.2 scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Angels on Saturday.
Dobnak came up an out shy of a quality start, but it was still a good performance. The six strikeouts were a season high for the right-hander, who has been a steadying presence since joining the Royals' rotation in July. He's pitched to a 1.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 25:16 K:BB over 41.2 innings across eight games (six starts) so far. The 3.5 BB/9 is a little too high to project Dobnak for regular success over the course of the rest of the season. His next start is projected to be at home versus the Athletics.
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Randy Vasquez SP | SD
Padres' Randy Vasquez: Struggles in bulk relief
Vasquez completed five relief innings against Cleveland on Saturday, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters in a no-decision.
Vasquez was the Padres' third pitcher, following Wandy Peralta (one inning) and Kyle Hart (one inning). Vasquez had pitched well as a traditional starter in his previous two appearances, giving up just two runs over 11 combined frames, so it's unclear why he was transitioned back to bulk relief Saturday. Regardless, that decision didn't work out, as the right-hander yielded two runs in the fifth inning and another two in the seventh. It remains to be seen how Vasquez will be deployed moving forward, but he logged a starter's workload of 90 pitches Saturday, so he'll presumably remain on his regular rest schedule, which puts him on track to next take the mound next weekend at home against Minnesota.
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Reid Detmers SP | LAA
Angels' Reid Detmers: Dazzles in win
Detmers (4-8) allowed two hits and struck out 11 without walking a batter over eight shutout innings to earn the win over the Royals on Saturday.
Detmers needed just 93 pitches (59 strikes) in this gem, though the Angels opted to have Ben Joyce come on for the save with a one-run lead to protect in the ninth inning. Prior to Saturday, Detmers came up winless in nine straight starts with a 4.60 ERA over 47 innings in that span. He has looked better since the All-Star break, giving up just seven runs over his last 34.1 innings with a 44:8 K:BB during that stretch. Overall, the southpaw has been a bright spot on a bad team with a 3.78 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 167:43 K:BB through 143 innings over 25 starts this season. Detmers is projected to be on the bump for a road start versus the Rangers his next time out.