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Rich Hill SP | KC
Red Sox's Rich Hill: Expected to be called up
The Red Sox selected Hill's contract from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Hill made just one appearance with Worcester after inking a minor-league contract in mid-August, tossing two scoreless innings on Aug. 23. The 44-year-old threw 28 pitches in the appearance, so he's not ready to be used as a traditional starter initially. Hill posted a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 146.1 innings with the Pirates and Padres in 2023.
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Ronel Blanco SP | HOU
Astros' Ronel Blanco: Falls short of quality start
Blanco came away with a no-decision in Monday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Phillies, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
The right-hander blanked Philly through four innings before giving up single runs in the fifth and sixth, and Blanco left the mound after 91 pitches (61 strikes) just short of his 13th quality start of the season. He's taken a big step back since the All-Star break, managing only one QS in seven trips to the mound while posting a 4.98 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 41:15 K:BB through 34.1 innings, and his career-high workload of 143.1 frames likely has something to do with that. Blanco will look for his first win since July 9 in his next outing, which lines up to come at home this weekend against the Royals.
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Jose Ramirez 3B | CLE
Guardians' Jose Ramirez: XBH barrage in twin bill
Ramirez went 4-for-8 with a walk, four doubles, two runs scored and an RBI in Monday's doubleheader against the Royals.
The Guardians dropped both games of the twin bill, but that was through no fault of Ramirez -- the only other extra-base hit any Cleveland batter managed in either contest was a solo shot by Daniel Schneemann in the nightcap. Ramirez's barrage of two-baggers brought him to 31 doubles on the season, to go with 33 homers and 32 steals. It's the second time in his career he's produced a 30-30-30 campaign, and per Zack Meisel of The Athletic, it's a feat only one other player in Cleveland history (Grady Sizemore in 2008) has accomplished.
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Logan Taylor Allen RP | CLE
Guardians' Logan Allen: Hit hard in spot start
Allen (8-5) took the loss in the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Royals, coughing up five runs on eight hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out one.
Called up to make a spot start in the twin bill, Allen tossed only 43 of 76 pitches for strikes, and when he did get the ball over the plate, Kansas City hitters tended to hit it hard -- four of the eight hits off the southpaw went for extra bases, including solo homers by Paul DeJong in the second inning and Salvador Perez in the fifth. The Guardians are still looking for a reliable fifth starter with Alex Cobb (finger) sidelined, but Allen doesn't appear to be a solution given his 5.73 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 2.03 HR/9 over 97.1 big-league innings this season.
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Salvador Perez DH | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Huge day in twin bill
Perez went 5-for-7 with two walks, two doubles, two home runs, three runs scored and six RBI across both games of Monday's doubleheader sweep of the Guardians.
The veteran slugger was behind the plate for the first game and DH'ed in the second, but Perez tore the cover off the ball no matter what his defensive responsibilities were. Both long balls came in the nightcap, as he launched a solo shot off Logan Allen in the fifth inning to snap a 4-4 tie before destroying a Tim Herrin curveball in the sixth for a grand slam. Perez has reeled off three straight multi-hit performances, boosting his August slash line to .302/.361/.616, and the 34-year-old is up to 25 homers on the season -- the fourth time in his career he's reached that threshold.
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Bobby Witt SS | KC
Royals' Bobby Witt: Slugs winning homer in matinee
Witt went 2-for-6 with three walks, a double, a solo home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Monday's doubleheader sweep of the Guardians.
The AL MVP candidate took Hunter Gaddis deep in the eighth inning of the matinee to break a 3-3 tie and set the Royals on their way to winning both games. Witt has hit safely in 14 of the last 15 games, slashing .351/.448/.737 over that stretch with five homers, two steals, 10 RBI and 14 runs, and the 24-year-old is closing in on his second straight 30-30 campaign with 27 home runs and 27 stolen bases through 132 contests.
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Daniel Lynch IV RP | KC
Royals' Daniel Lynch: Snags three-inning save
Lynch picked up his first career save in the second game of Monday's doubleheader sweep of the Guardians, giving up a hit and a walk over three scoreless innings of relief. He struck out one.
The southpaw was called up from Triple-A Omaha earlier in the day to provide some length to the Royals' bullpen, and Lynch finished up a 9-4 win in the nightcap with a 34-pitch outing. He's been effective in Triple-A since being sent down in mid-June, posting a 2.80 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 61:19 K:BB through 12 starts and 74 innings, but Kansas City doesn't have room in its big-league rotation for the 27-year-old at the moment.
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Lucas Erceg RP | KC
Royals' Lucas Erceg: Collects eighth save
Erceg recorded his eighth save of the season in the first game of Monday's doubleheader sweep of the Guardians, walking one batter in a scoreless ninth inning.
The right-hander got only seven of his 14 pitches over the plate, and Erceg got some help from his defense when Maikel Garcia made a leaping grab on a one-out David Fry liner that might have brought home the tying run. Erceg has converted all five of his save chances since joining the Royals, and he hasn't walked a batter since July 21, going 14.1 innings between free passes with a 0.00 ERA, 0.42 WHIP and 18 strikeouts.
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Triston Casas 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Triston Casas: Multiple hits again
Casas went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays. He was 0-for-2 with a walk in the afternoon game.
The afternoon game was the resumption of a June 26 contest suspended by rain. Casas, who was on the injured list at that time, took over at first base for the departed Dominic Smith. The two hits in the nightcap gave him six multi-hit efforts in the 10 games since coming off the IL. Casas is batting .359/.419/.538 with three extra-base hits (two home runs), six RBI and six runs scored since he was activated Aug. 16.
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Justin Slaten RP | BOS
Red Sox's Justin Slaten: Returns to mound Monday
Slaten struck out one over a scoreless inning in the second game of Monday's doubleheader against Toronto.
Slaten, who was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day, made his first appearance for the Red Sox since July 7. He came on in the fourth inning and worked around an infield error. The Red Sox have felt Slaten's loss, and they hope the right-hander can stabilize what has been a shaky bullpen in the second half.