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Grayson Rodriguez SP | LAA
Angels' Grayson Rodriguez: Cruises to victory in rare Angels rout
Rodriguez (4-5) earned the win over Houston on Thursday, allowing two unearned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters over seven innings.
Rodriguez looked like he could be in for a rough night when he allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base via two walks and a single. An ensuing error by third baseman Vaughn Grissom resulted in a Houston run, but the right-hander settled down and allowed just one more run to cross the plate in the frame. That ended up being all the offense the Astros would post against Rodriguez, while the Angels exploded for a season-high 18 runs. The victory was the first for Rodriguez since July 10, as he struggled to a 6.75 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 0-3 record across his first six starts following the All-Star break. He's at a 6.41 ERA through 14 outings in his first campaign with the Angels, but Rodriguez will look to build upon Thursday's strong start in his next outing, which is set to come at home next week against the Guardians.
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Andrew Alvarez SP | WAS
Nationals' Andrew Alvarez: Gets no support from offense in defeat
Alvarez (2-5) took the loss against Texas on Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out five batters over five innings.
Alvarez struggled a bit with his control, throwing only 41 of 75 pitches for strikes and issuing three walks. However, he allowed just one run -- on a solo homer by Corey Seager. That was enough to send him to his second straight loss, however, since the Nationals couldn't muster any runs against Jacob deGrom or three Rangers relievers. Alvarez has been hurt by a lack of support of late -- he's gone at least five frames and given up two or fewer runs in each of his four starts so far in August, but he has an 0-2 record during that span. He'll look for a better outcome in his next outing, which is scheduled to be a favorable home matchup against Colorado.
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Jacob deGrom SP | TEX
Rangers' Jacob deGrom: Dominates with 10 Ks in six scoreless frames
DeGrom (9-8) tossed six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and issuing one walk while striking out 10 batters in a victory over Washington on Thursday.
DeGrom exited his previous start after just two frames due to right triceps fatigue, and he started Thursday on six days of rest. The arm issue didn't seem to be a concern at all for the veteran hurler, as he completed six innings for the first time since June 30 and tied a season-high mark with 10 punchouts while racking up 17 whiffs. His workload wasn't affected at all by the bout of triceps fatigue -- in fact, deGrom's 94 pitches were the most he's logged over his past five starts. Fantasy managers who roster deGrom should be able to take a sigh of relief after his dominant performance Thursday, and the right-hander is next lined up for a road tilt against the White Sox.
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Kyle Bradish SP | BAL
Orioles' Kyle Bradish: Hangs around until sixth inning
Bradish (7-12) took the loss against the Yankees on Thursday, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out five batters over 5.2 innings.
Bradish faced the minimum over the first two frames before giving up three runs on five hits in the third. He managed to bounce back for two scoreless innings thereafter, but the righty's outing came to an end after he served up a pair of solo homers in the sixth. Bradish had a modest streak of two straight quality starts come to an end, and he suffered his third defeat over his past four outings. His 7-12 record and season-long 3.70 ERA through 25 starts are both somewhat disappointing marks, though the big positive is that Bradish has managed to stay healthy after compiling only 14 outings over the previous two campaigns due to Tommy John surgery.
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Gerrit Cole SP | NYY
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Flashes vintage form again Thursday
Cole (7-6) earned the win over Baltimore on Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out eight batters over six innings.
Cole held the Orioles scoreless until Dylan Beavers tagged him for a solo homer in the fifth inning. That ended up accounting for Baltimore's only extra-base hit and lone run of the contest. Cole registered 15 whiffs among his 93 pitches and was constantly ahead in the count, throwing 22 of 23 first pitches for strikes. After missing all of last season and the beginning of the current campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery, the veteran righty appears to be rounding back into peak form. Since the All-Star break, he's recorded a quality start in six of seven outings while posting a 2.06 ERA along with a 53:9 K:BB across 43.2 innings.
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Gage Jump SP | ATH
Athletics' Gage Jump: Chased early in loss
Jump (5-8) took the loss against the Royals on Thursday, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts over four innings.
Jump allowed runs in three separate frames, throwing 55 of 86 pitches for strikes with only five whiffs. After a double-digit strikeout performance Aug. 8, the 23-year-old has posted an ugly 4:7 K:BB over his past two outings and now owns a 6.75 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break. He'll carry a 4.83 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 88:40 K:BB across 82 innings this season into a home matchup with the Twins next week.
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Randy Dobnak SP | KC
Royals' Randy Dobnak: Labors in no-decision
Dobnak did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Athletics, allowing six hits and four walks while striking out four over four scoreless innings.
Dobnak kept the Athletics off the board despite needing 96 pitches to complete just four innings. The 31-year-old has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of his nine outings this season, though he's completed more than five frames just three times. He'll take a 1.58 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 29:20 K:BB across 45.2 innings with the Royals into a road matchup with the Blue Jays next week.
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Robert Gasser SP | MIL
Brewers' Robert Gasser: Early hook in no-decision
Gasser did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Mariners, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts over 3.2 innings.
Gasser was given a 6-0 lead in the first inning but was inefficient, throwing 46 of 77 pitches for strikes while matching a season-high four walks. It marked the second time the southpaw was unable to complete at least four frames in 15 starts this season and ended a streak of five straight outings where he allowed three earned runs or fewer. He'll take a 4.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 72:23 K:BB across 77 innings into a road matchup with the Mets next week.
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George Kirby SP | SEA
Mariners' George Kirby: Hit hard in loss
Kirby (8-10) took the loss against the Brewers on Thursday, allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 3.1 innings.
Kirby surrendered all six runs in a nightmare first inning, when he allowed 12 hard-hit balls overall while generating just six whiffs on 84 pitches. It continued an inconsistent year for the 28-year-old, who has now allowed 11 earned runs over his past two starts after yielding just one earned run through his first two August outings. He owns a 4.18 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 117:33 K:BB across 140 innings this season and will aim to rebound in a home matchup with the Phillies next week.
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Ben Hess SP | NYY
Yankees' Ben Hess: Moved to 60-day IL
Hess (undisclosed) was transferred to the 60-day injured list at Double-A Somerset on Thursday, Conor Foley of YES Network reports.
Hess will miss the remainder of the season, finishing his 2026 campaign with a 4.45 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 65:30 K:BB across 56.2 innings spanning 16 starts. The 23-year-old was believed to have a chance to make his MLB debut this season, but injuries got in the way. Hess was the 26th overall pick in the 2024 Draft.