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Nathan Eovaldi SP | TEX
Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi: Gives up one run in no-decision
Eovaldi didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Orioles after allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out two over 5.1 innings.
Eovaldi kept Baltimore off the board outside of Coby Mayo's RBI single in the second inning, though he wasn't especially dominant with just two strikeouts. The right-hander departed the contest with one out in the sixth and Texas still trailing 1-0, leaving him in line for the loss before Pederson's two-run homer later in the frame took Eovaldi off the hook. Eovaldi lowered his ERA to 4.21, though his lack of strikeouts limited his fantasy impact Friday. His next start is scheduled on the road against the Angels.
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Jose Soriano SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Jose Soriano: Inefficient in Jays debut
Soriano didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-4 win over the Phillies, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three.
The start of the game was delayed by two hours due to bad weather, and that combined with any nerves from debuting for a new team may have impacted Soriano's focus and efficiency. The right-hander tossed 62 of 94 pitches for strikes, and after a 1-2-3 first inning he dealt with traffic on the basepaths in every frame, including runners on second and third with nobody out in the fifth. Soriano rallied to fan Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner before being lifted, however. It wasn't the most impressive performance for Toronto's newest member of the rotation, but Soriano hasn't allowed more than three runs in six straight outings dating back to June 30, posting a 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB through 32.2 innings over that stretch. He'll look to provide more length in his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Red Sox.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Rangers' Joc Pederson: Powers Texas to victory
Pederson went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 2-1 win over the Orioles.
Pederson supplied all of the offense Texas needed in this low-scoring victory. After Elias Diaz opened the sixth with a single and Nicky Lopez moved him over on a sacrifice bunt, Pederson jumped on Shane Baz's first pitch, launching a two-run homer to right field and turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. It was Pederson's 21st homer of the season, and the veteran is now batting .252 with an .846 OPS through 351 plate appearances.
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Jacob Latz RP | TEX
Rangers' Jacob Latz: Records six-out save
Latz allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three over two scoreless innings to earn the save in Friday's 2-1 win over Baltimore.
Latz was asked to protect a one-run advantage for the final two frames and ultimately converted his 22nd save of the season, though the ninth inning provided some drama. Baltimore put the potential tying run in scoring position before Christian Franklin singled to right, but Brandon Nimmo threw Leody Taveras out at the plate. Latz clinched the save by striking out Christian Encarnacion-Strand to end the game. Latz has been reliable all season long for Texas, posting a 1.87 ERA and converting 22 of his 25 save chances.
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Shane Baz SP | BAL
Orioles' Shane Baz: Winless skid reaches nine games
Baz (4-11) took the loss Friday against the Rangers, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out nine over eight innings.
Baz was excellent for most of the night, but one mistake was enough to saddle him with another loss. The right-hander held Texas scoreless through five innings before Joc Pederson took him deep for a two-run homer in the sixth, accounting for all of the Rangers' scoring. Baz then retired the final eight batters he faced, but the offense couldn't support him with a turnaround. Despite his ugly 4-11 record, Baz owns a respectable 3.76 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. He's winless in his last nine starts, going 0-5 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over that stretch. He's scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Twins.
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Angel Genao 2B | CLE
Guardians' Angel Genao: Covers 2B against lefty
Genao started at second base and went 0-for-4 in Friday's 8-2 win over the White Sox.
The switch-hitting Genao got the start against left-hander Noah Schultz, replacing Travis Bazzana at the keystone. Bazzana, who has struggled against left-handed pitching (.537 OPS) in the majors, may lose opportunities against southpaws going forward, which should benefit Genao.
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Zach McKinstry RF | DET
Tigers' Zach McKinstry: Stays hot with two hits, RBI
McKinstry went 2-for-3 with an RBI in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Giants.
Detroit struggled to generate much offense as a team, but McKinstry did his part as he continued to swing a hot bat. The veteran utility player is now batting .421 across six games this month, and he's batting .378 across his last 15 contests dating back to July. McKinstry's overall .221 batting average reflects his slower start to the season, but he seems to be trending upward heading into the stretch run.
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Spencer Torkelson 1B | DET
Tigers' Spencer Torkelson: Knocks three hits Friday
Torkelson went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Giants.
This was Torkelson's sixth multi-hit effort over his last 11 games, a span in which he's hitting .378 (17-for-45). The first baseman has added just two extra-base hits and eight RBI in that span. For the year, he's batting .224 with a .733 OPS, 20 home runs, 58 RBI, 52 runs scored, 19 doubles and no stolen bases over 115 games.
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Kevin McGonigle SS | DET
Tigers' Kevin McGonigle: Reaches four times in loss
McGonigle went 3-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Giants.
McGonigle's three hits were all singles. He's now 9-for-26 (.346) with eight walks over seven games on the Tigers' current road trip, and he's added three home runs and seven RBI in that span. For the season, the rookie infielder is batting .289 with an .829 OPS, 12 homers, 44 RBI, 75 runs scored, 20 doubles, three triples and 11 stolen bases over 112 contests.
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Keider Montero SP | DET
Tigers' Keider Montero: Struggles against Giants
Montero (8-7) allowed five runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five over six innings to take the loss versus the Giants on Friday.
Montero wasn't able to take advantage of a favorable matchup, getting tagged for four runs over the first two innings. A Willy Adames homer in the fifth made it a five-run outing. Montero hadn't given up more than four runs in any game prior to July 27, but he's now been tagged for five or more runs in two of his last three starts. He's at a 3.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 86:28 K:BB across 122.1 innings through 25 games (19 starts) this season. Montero will look to get back on track at home versus the Guardians next week.