MLB Player News

Darvish (7-4) took the loss Saturday against the Dodgers, allowing five runs on eight hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts in six innings.

Darvish had a tough first inning, surrendering solo shots to Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Justin Turner. The Dodgers got to Darvish for runs in the second and third frames as well before the right-hander finished off his start strong by retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced. While the 10 strikeouts were a season high, Darvish's quality start streak ended at four with the unsteady effort. He has a 3.53 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 85:18 K:BB through 94.1 innings in 15 starts overall, and he's lined up for a home start against the Giants next weekend.

Blackburn pitched 6.1 scoreless innings against Seattle on Saturday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out five. He did not factor in the decision.

Blackburn stranded three runners in scoring position over the first two innings before settling in and retiring 14 straight batters. The right-hander was pulled while ahead by a run with one out and one on in the seventh, but he had to settle for a no-decision when the Mariners tied the score in the following frame. This was Blackburn's first quality start since June 10 and only his second such performance over his past nine outings. He's slowed down a bit after a remarkable start to the campaign, but the veteran still has a strong 2.90 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 67:22 K:BB over 87 frames overall.

Anderson (9-1) allowed a run on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings, earning the win Saturday over the Padres.

Anderson had a rough go against the Rockies in his last start, and he'd allowed four runs in three of his previous four outings before righting the ship Saturday. The damage on his line came from a Trent Grisham sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. The 32-year-old southpaw has been good in 2022 overall with a 3.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 73:15 K:BB across 84.1 innings, though the recent results have been somewhat mixed. He'll look to build off this successful start when he makes his next projected start versus the Cubs next week.

Mahle (3-7) took the loss Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks over five innings against Atlanta. He struck out five.

With that, Mahle is now 0-5 at Great American Ball Park this season compared to 3-2 on the road. While Saturday's outing wasn't horrible, he did himself no favors with the four walks. Mahle entered Saturday's game with a 2.45 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over his previous six starts, so he's been pitching well overall, but he's difficult to trust at home against the game's better lineups.

Strider (4-2) earned the win Saturday, allowing one run on one hit and one walk over six innings against the Reds. He struck out 11.

Strider's rookie breakout continued with his second double-digit strikeout game of the season and arguably his best overall performance to date in the big leagues. He induced a whopping 24 swinging strikes on 93 pitches, and Cincinnati was only able to scratch a run across after a hit-by-pitch, a wild pitch and a single. Strider had a recent bump in the road against San Francisco (six earned runs in 3.2 innings), but he's flashing frontline starter potential.

Rasmussen (hamstring) did not factor into the decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out two.

In his return from the injured list, Rasmussen did fairly well to keep the Blue Jays' high-powered offense at bay. However, he issued two walks in the fifth inning and manager Kevin Cash would not let Rasmussen face Bo Bichette a third time. With that, Rasmussen fell short of qualifying for the win, but he should be available to add to his workload gradually in his subsequent starts after throwing 68 pitches (41 strikes) Saturday.

Civale (2-5) allowed four runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts in six-plus innings, taking the loss in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Yankees.

Civale received one run of support in the first inning. The Yankees covered that when Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton went back-to-back in the fourth, and they added some more production in the seventh after Civale put two on with no outs. Enyel De Los Santos couldn't stop the rally, taking away Civale's chance at a quality start. The 27-year-old has struggled mightily this year with a 7.04 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB through 46 innings across 10 starts. He's given up home runs at a 1.6 per nine innings rate, while his velocity is down just a bit at 90.8 mph. He lines up for a road start in Kansas City next week.

Cortes (7-3) allowed a run on three hits and no walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Guardians.

Cortes gave up a solo home run to Amed Rosario in the first inning and just a pair of singles in his last five frames. This was the first time in a month that Cortes has completed six innings after a shaky June saw him post a 4.15 ERA in 26 innings across five starts. The southpaw has a 2.44 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 91:19 K:BB in 85 innings through 15 starts overall, and he's projected for a road start in Boston next week.

Webb (7-3) took the loss during Saturday's 5-3 defeat at the hands of the White Sox, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts in six innings.

Webb began Saturday's start with three perfect innings but encountered trouble in the fourth and sixth, when he surrendered all but one of his baserunners and all five runs scored with the help of two errors. The 25-year-old fired 67 of 101 pitches for strikes with 14 of the swinging variety and is averaging over 103 pitches with 8.5 K/9 across his last five starts compared to just over 90 pitches and 7.6 K/9 in his first 11 turns. Webb is set to face off against San Diego in his next start, projected for midweek.

Cease (7-3) registered the win during Saturday's 5-3 victory over San Francisco, allowing one run on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in five innings.

Cease's lone run surrendered came on his second pitch as LaMonte Wade took him 424-feet deep to right center, but he proceeded to navigate five scoreless frames thereafter despite traffic on the bases in every inning. The 26-year-old induced a whopping 19 swinging strikes on 104 pitches, but tied his second lowest total of the season with only four strikeouts and still ranks second in the league with 125. On the other hand, the three free passes added to his league-leading total of 40 through 86 innings. Cease has allowed just two earned runs (and 10 more unearned runs) over 39.1 innings across his last seven starts and will look to keep things rolling against Detroit midweek.