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Vinnie Pasquantino 1B | KC
Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino: Ends homer drought
Pasquantino went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Wednesday's 10-3 win over the White Sox.
Pasquantino hit an RBI single in the first inning before adding a two-run homer in the ninth. The long ball was his first since July 6, though the first baseman was still productive by batting .309 with 10 RBI over the 17 contests between homers. For the season, he's up to a .262/.320/.429 slash line with 12 homers, 72 RBI, 46 runs scored, 24 doubles and no stolen bases across 105 games.
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Brayan Bello RP | BOS
Red Sox's Brayan Bello: Fans seven in no-decision
Bello allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over 6.1 innings in a no-decision against Seattle on Wednesday.
Bello allowed a run in the fourth and fifth frames but nothing more. The right-hander notched his fifth quality start over his past eight outings after recording just two quality starts across his initial 12 appearances of the season. Bello's strikeout numbers have been up of late as well -- he's posted at least seven punchouts in four of his past six starts after reaching that mark just three times through his initial 14 appearances.
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Cedric Mullins CF | TB
Orioles' Cedric Mullins: On base five times in win
Mullins went 2-for-2 with three walks, a stolen base and one run scored in Wednesday's 10-4 win over the Blue Jays.
Mullins has hit safely in five straight games, going 7-for-14 with six walks in that span. Prior to Wednesday, he had walked multiple times in a game just once this year. The outfielder is now slashing .227/.282/.400 with 11 home runs, 19 steals, 38 RBI and 45 runs scored through 99 contests. Mullins' walk rate of 6.7 percent is the lowest he's posted in his last four years, so any gains he can make in that area should help him hold the starting job in center field.
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Colton Cowser CF | BAL
Orioles' Colton Cowser: Smacks homer in win
Cowser went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 10-4 win over the Blue Jays.
Cowser is riding a 13-game hitting streak, going 19-for-50 (.380) with four homers and 14 RBI in that span. The outfielder's surge has helped him take over the leadoff spot versus right-handed pitchers. He's also been in the lineup regularly versus southpaws, though the Orioles' additions of Eloy Jimenez and Austin Slater at the trade deadline give them a pair of right-handed-hitting outfielders. Cowser is up to a .245/.326/.458 slash line with 16 homers, 47 RBI, 45 runs scored and seven stolen bases over 347 plate appearances this season.
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Mauricio Dubon LF | ATL
Astros' Mauricio Dubon: Comes up clutch off bench
Dubon hit a two-run home run as a pinch hitter in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Pirates.
Dubon hit for Jon Singleton in the sixth inning and took Pirates reliever Colin Holderman deep to give the Astros their first lead of the game. It proved to be the difference Wednesday. Dubon had a rough July in a part-time role, going 9-for-51 (.176) with four RBI and a 2:16 BB:K over 19 contests. The utility man is slashing .270/.294/.390 with four homers, 33 RBI, 36 runs scored, two stolen bases and 19 doubles over 274 plate appearances this year.
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Luis Rengifo LF | SD
Angels' Luis Rengifo: Exits with wrist injury
Rengifo was removed from Wednesday's game against the Rockies due to a flareup of his right wrist injury, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Rengifo was having problems with his wrist after a swing in the eighth inning of Wednesday's contest. No plans are in place to take him in for imaging, though that could change if his wrist is still bothering him ahead of Thursday's series finale. The 27-year-old was forced to sit out for nearly three weeks after he first injured his wrist July 3.
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Josh Hader RP | HOU
Astros' Josh Hader: Bounces back for save
Hader allowed a hit and struck out one over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Pirates.
Hader melted down in a non-save situation in Monday's game versus the Pirates, but he was able to protect a one-run lead without trouble Wednesday. He'll end a tumultuous July with six runs allowed over 10.1 innings, including four home runs allowed, but he converted all nine of his save chances for the month. For the season, Hader has a 4.02 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 73:15 K:BB while converting 21 of 22 save chances through 47 innings.
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Framber Valdez SP | DET
Astros' Framber Valdez: Strikes out 10 in win
Valdez (10-5) allowed four runs on six hits and struck out 10 without walking a batter to earn the win Wednesday over the Pirates.
All of the damage came in the second inning, as Joey Bart tagged Valdez for a two-run home run and the Pirates put up another two runs before he could escape the frame. The southpaw bounced back well, allowing just one single over his last four innings, and the Astros' offense picked him up. Valdez finished July with a 2.90 ERA and 40:9 K:BB over 31 innings, winning four of his five starts for the month. Overall, he has a 3.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 108:38 K:BB through 116.1 innings over 19 starts. He's projected to make his next start on the road versus the Rangers.
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Andrew Heaney RP | LAD
Rangers' Andrew Heaney: Sputters in St. Louis
Heaney (4-11) took the loss against the Cardinals on Wednesday, allowing six runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two batters over 4.1 innings.
Heaney yielded a tolerable seven baserunners, but six of them came around to score. The southpaw surrendered three runs on three hits and a walk in the second inning, then gave up a hit to three of the four batters he faced in the fifth, with each of those baserunners eventually coming around to score. The six total runs tied a season-worst mark for Heaney, who had been pitching pretty well coming into Wednesday, posting a 2.78 ERA over his previous six starts. The veteran hurler will look to bounce back in his next start, which is tentatively slated to be at home against Houston.
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Tyler Mahle SP | ATL
Rangers' Tyler Mahle: Builds up to 74 pitches
Mahle (elbow) struck out four over 4.2 innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits and one walk in his rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Round Rock.
Making what could be his final rehab start before being activated from the 60-day injured list, Mahle tossed 74 pitches (48 strikes) and sported a four-seam fastball that sat around 92-93 mph for most of the night before dipping into the upper 80s in the fourth and fifth innings. Though Mahle's most recent two rehab starts weren't as sharp as his first four, he's likely done enough to prove that he's healthy again coming off Tommy John surgery and ready to join the big-league rotation. Mahle, who signed a two-year, $22 million contract this winter, could make his Rangers debut as soon as Monday versus the Astros in Arlington.