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Eduardo Valencia C | DET
Tigers' Eduardo Valencia: Pops another home run Saturday
Valencia went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox.
While he's stuck behind Dillon Dingler on the depth chart, Valencia has managed to carve out some standalone fantasy value with his bat. The 26-year-old rookie has gone deep twice in his last three games and has six home runs overall through 18 contests to go along with a robust 1.291 OPS. Dingler has been excellent in his own right, so Valencia is highly unlikely to surpass him as Detroit's top catcher anytime soon. The Tigers could find more opportunities to get both sluggers into the lineup by using one as the DH, however.
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Henry Bolte CF | ATH
Athletics' Henry Bolte: Accounts for offense in loss
Bolte went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and a double in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Rangers.
It took a review to confirm, but Bolte opened the scoring with a three-run blast in the second inning. That would be all for the Athletics' scoring in the contest, but the outfielder had a strong individual performance, marking his third three-hit game in August. He's batting .314 (16-for-51) in August, lifting him up to .261 on the year with a .702 OPS, six homers, 25 RBI, 29 runs scored, 10 doubles and 14 stolen bases over 80 games.
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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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Wyatt Langford LF | TEX
Rangers' Wyatt Langford: Hits go-ahead homer
Langford went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Athletics.
Langford had gone 19 games without a multi-hit effort entering this contest. He hit just .119 with four extra-base hits and a 10:22 BB:K in that span. The outfielder's biggest hit Saturday was his go-ahead homer in the sixth inning, which ended up being the difference. Langford is batting .256 with a .789 OPS, 14 homers, 33 RBI, 41 runs scored, 14 doubles, two triples and nine stolen bases over 72 games.
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Jacob Latz RP | TEX
Rangers' Jacob Latz: Works two innings for save
Latz allowed a walk and struck out two over two scoreless and hitless innings to earn the save in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Athletics.
Latz has been shaky at times since the All-Star break, allowing four runs (three earned) over 11.1 innings in his last nine games. He was sharp Saturday, protecting a one-run lead in the eighth inning before staying on for the ninth after the Rangers' offense gave him some extra cushion to work with. Latz has converted 24 of 27 save chances this season while posting a 1.77 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 58:15 K:BB across 56 innings.
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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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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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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Knocks in lone run in win
Schanuel went 3-for-3 with one RBI in Saturday's 1-0 win over the Angels.
Schanuel had an RBI single in the eighth inning to provide the lone run of the game. The first baseman has gone 13-for-47 (.277) over 14 contests in August, providing steady hitting in the heart of the order. He's batting .279 with a .748 OPS, seven home runs, 47 RBI, 41 runs scored, 22 doubles and one stolen base over 104 contests this year.
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Ben Joyce RP | LAA
Angels' Ben Joyce: Tidy work for second save
Joyce struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 1-0 win over the Royals.
Joyce has collected saves in both of his last two appearances. He's posted a 6:1 K:BB over five scoreless innings since returning from a shoulder injury. Joyce should have decent fantasy value over the remainder of the season as long as he can stay healthy, though save chances may ultimately be sparse on a last-place team.
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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.