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Tomoyuki Sugano SP | COL
Orioles' Tomoyuki Sugano: Nabs win despite seven runs allowed
Sugano (6-4) came away with the win against the Rays on Friday, allowing seven runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out two across five innings.
It was far from a pretty outing for Sugano, who gave up home runs to Jonathan Aranda, Josh Lowe and Brandon Lowe as part of a six-run second inning. Sugano was still able to complete five innings, which qualified him for the win as the Orioles' batters lit up the Rays' pitching staff for 22 runs, the team's most since Sept. 28, 2000. Sugano posted a 3.04 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over his first 12 major-league starts, but he has struggled on the mound as of late with an 8.15 ERA and 2.04 WHIP across his last four outings, as Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun notes. Sugano is slated to face the Rangers on the road next week.
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Gunnar Henderson SS | BAL
Orioles' Gunnar Henderson: Four hits, triple in huge win
Henderson went 4-for-6 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a triple in Friday's 22-8 victory over the Rays.
The triple was Henderson's third of the year, and he piled up a season-high four knocks. The star shortstop got off to a rough start at the plate following a delayed beginning to the year due to an intercostal injury, as he was batting .220 and slugging .380 through April 18, but he's rounded into form since. Over his last 264 plate appearances, Henderson is slashing .292/.375/.459 with 21 extra-base hits, 24 RBI, 35 runs scored and seven stolen bases.
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Andres Gimenez SS | TOR
Blue Jays' Andres Gimenez: Trio of hits, RBI in easy win
Gimenez went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a walk in Friday's 9-1 win over the Red Sox.
Gimenez has struggled for the most part since coming off the injured list with a quadriceps injury, hitting .212 with one home run, two doubles, seven RBI and five runs scored over his last 66 at-bats. Despite that dry spell, Gimenez has remained Toronto's primary second baseman.
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Byron Buxton CF | MIN
Twins' Byron Buxton: Continues to mash in victory
Buxton went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk, a stolen base and an additional run scored in Friday's 4-1 win over the Tigers.
Buxton went deep for the 18th time this year, and his slow start to the season continues to become a distant memory. The speedy center fielder was batting just .203 and slugging .377 as of April 18. Over his most recent 207 plate appearances since and including April 19 (47 games), however, Buxton is slashing a robust .307/.382/.631 with 25 extra-base hits, 41 RBI, 36 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.
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Jhoan Duran RP | PHI
Twins' Jhoan Duran: Slams door for 12th save
Duran picked up the save in Friday's 4-1 win over the Tigers, throwing a clean ninth inning. He struck out one.
The hard-throwing right-hander quickly dispatched the opposition, hurling seven of his nine pitches for strikes en route to his 12th save of the year. Duran has been quite reliable as the Twins' closer, successfully converting 12 of his 14 chances while posting a 1.69 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 42:14 K:BB across 37.1 innings. Duran has also yet to give up a single home run in 2025.
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Lance McCullers SP | MIL
Astros' Lance McCullers: Will start Saturday
McCullers (foot) will come off the 15-day injured list Saturday and start against the Cubs, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers landed on the 15-day injured list in mid-June due to a right foot sprain. He resumed throwing shortly after his move to the IL and showed enough progress during his bullpen sessions to forgo a rehab assignment. McCullers has posted a 3.20 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 35:10 K:BB in 25.1 innings across five starts this season.
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Jeremy Pena SS | HOU
Astros' Jeremy Pena: Avoids serious injury
Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters after Friday's 7-4 win over the Cubs that imaging on Pena's ribs came back negative and did not show any fracture, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Pena took a pitch to his left ribs in the second inning of Friday's game and was eventually replaced by Mauricio Dubon in the fifth. Pena should be considered day-to-day, and he could be available to pinch hit off the bench if he's not in Saturday's lineup. He went 0-for-2 before exiting Friday's contest.
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Jordan Westburg 2B | BAL
Orioles' Jordan Westburg: Aggravates finger injury
Westburg aggravated his left index finger injury during Friday's 22-8 win over the Rays and is considered day-to-day, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Westburg had missed three games earlier in the week due to the injury, but he was able to return to the lineup. He aggravated the injury while sliding into second base on a double, but the good news is that X-rays came back negative. His status for Saturday's matinee is up in the air, and Ramon Urias -- who came in to pinch hit in the second inning -- would stand to see more time at the keystone if Westburg were to be sidelined.
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Mitch Spence RP | KC
Athletics' Mitch Spence: Yields two earned runs in loss
Spence (2-3) took the loss against the Yankees on Friday, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and four walks while striking out five across five innings.
Spence retired the side in the first , but he gave up one run in each of the next three innings, including a solo homer to Jazz Chisholm in the second. It was a solid outing for Spence, as he generated 13 whiffs while tossing 89 pitches (54 strikes), but he couldn't avoid the loss as the A's were blanked by Will Warren and the Yankees' bullpen. Spence has made five starts since moving into the Athletics' rotation in early June, going 1-2 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB across 24.2 innings. He's tentatively slated to face the Rays on the road next week.
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Sawyer Gipson-Long SP | DET
Tigers' Sawyer Gipson-Long: Struggles with hard contact in loss
Gipson-Long (0-1) took the loss Friday against the Twins, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks in 5.1 innings. He struck out five.
Gipson-Long worked as a traditional starter for the second time in five outings this year, throwing a season-high 77 pitches. The 27-year-old swingman tied a season high with five strikeouts, but three of his four hits allowed went for extra bases. Gipson-Long has had trouble with hard contact at times, as evidenced by his 4.70 ERA through 23 frames, but he does own a more palatable 1.09 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB. His next appearance lines as a road matchup against the reeling Nationals, who entered Friday with a .615 OPS versus right-handed pitching since the start of June.