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Kevin Gausman SP | CHC
Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman: Early exit in no-decision
Gausman escaped with a no-decision in Saturday's 10-8 win over the Twins, coughing up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and two walks over three innings. He struck out six.
The right-hander had given up only two earned runs across his prior four starts, but Gausman's luck deserted him Saturday as Minnesota scored three times in the first inning on some soft singles and shoddy defense, and the adjustments he tried to make in the next two frames only made matters worse. The Jays were able to rally late to take Gausman off the hook for his fourth loss, however. He'll carry a 4.95 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 37:10 K:BB through 36.1 innings into his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Rays.
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Edouard Julien 2B | COL
Twins' Edouard Julien: On base three times in loss
Julien went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 10-8 loss to the Blue Jays.
The 25-year-old Canadian put together a solid performance in Toronto as the Twins' leadoff hitter. The multi-hit performance was Julien's first since April 27, snapping a slump that had seen him hit just .097 (3-for-31) over the prior 12 games, while the steal was his fourth of the season, establishing a new career high after he swiped three in 109 games last year as a rookie.
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Carlos Santana 1B | ATL
Twins' Carlos Santana: Goes yard again Saturday
Santana went 2-for-4 with a double, a three-run home run and a second run scored in Saturday's 10-8 loss to the Blue Jays.
His third-inning homer off Kevin Gausman gave the Twins a 7-1 lead, but things went south for the visitors after that. Santana has gone deep in back-to-back games, giving him six home runs and 15 RBI in his last 16 games as he digs his way out of an early-season hole.
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Kerry Carpenter RF | DET
Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Goes deep twice in victory
Carpenter went 2-for-5 with two homers and three total RBI against Houston in an 8-2 win Saturday.
Carpenter capped a seven-run second inning for Detroit with a two-run shot to right field and added a solo homer in the fourth. The pair of long balls snapped an 18-game homerless stretch for the outfielder, who belted 20 home runs in his first full MLB season last year. Saturday's multi-homer game was the third of Carpenter's career.
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Mark Canha LF | TEX
Tigers' Mark Canha: Belts grand slam in victory
Canha went 1-for-3 with a grand slam and two walks Saturday in an 8-2 victory versus the Astros.
Canha set the tone early for the Tigers with a second-inning grand slam off Houston starter Cristian Javier. It was a much-needed big hit for the veteran slugger, who had gone 2-for-24 without an RBI while striking out nine times over his previous six games. The grand slam was the third of Canha's career.
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Simeon Woods Richardson RP | TOR
Twins' Simeon Woods Richardson: Hit hard in no-decision
Woods Richardson came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 10-8 loss to the Blue Jays, surrendering five runs on eight hits and a walk over 4.1 innings. He struck out two.
The Twins spotted the right-hander a 4-0 lead by the top of the second inning, but Woods Richardson quickly ran into trouble of his own as half of the eight hits off him went for extra bases, including homers by Bo Bichette and Davis Schneider. Woods Richardson has failed to complete five innings in two of his last three starts, but he'll still carry a respectable 3.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB through 25 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Cleveland.
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Cristian Javier SP | HOU
Astros' Cristian Javier: Shelled in return
Javier (neck) dropped to 2-1 on the season in Saturday's 8-2 loss to the Tigers after allowing seven runs on five hits and four walks with no strikeouts over 1.1 innings.
Javier was activated off the 15-day injured list Saturday to make his first start for the Astros since April 14, but the right-hander didn't look quite right in his return from a neck injury. In addition to getting knocked around for seven runs and throwing only 21 of 50 pitches for strikes, Javier's final two fastballs clocked in at 89.7 miles per hour and 90.2 miles per, well below his typical velocity. It's unclear whether his struggles Saturday are an indication that Javier isn't fully recovered from the neck issue or if he was simply rusty, but he's currently penciled in to make his next start at home against Oakland next Thursday.
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Tarik Skubal SP | LAD
Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Improves to 5-0
Skubal (5-0) earned the win over Houston on Saturday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over 6.1 innings.
Skubal continued his run of excellence, recording his fifth straight quality start and picking up his fifth win without a loss on the season. The left-hander has built upon last year's breakout campaign to emerge as one of MLB's top hurlers and Detroit's undeniable staff ace. Skubal ranks seventh among qualified starters with a 2.02 ERA and fourth with a 0.86 WHIP. He's tied for fourth with 60 punchouts over 49 innings.
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Randy Arozarena LF | SEA
Rays' Randy Arozarena: Homers, plates four
Arozarena went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI in Saturday's victory over the Yankees.
Arozarena made a baserunning blunder following a walk in the first inning when he overslid the second base bag while trying to advance on a flyout. He immediately made up for it in his next plate appearance with an opposite-field, three-run homer. Arozarena later doubled in another run and scored again to cap off a big night. While Arozarena has still been striking out too much this month (30.8 percent), he now has four home runs in his first nine May contests.
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Yandy Diaz DH | TB
Rays' Yandy Diaz: Three hits, homer in win
Diaz went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's win over the Yankees.
Diaz jumped on Nestor Cortes' first pitch of the bottom of the first inning, sending it over the left-field wall for his second long ball of the season. He didn't stop there, doubling twice (with one of them plating another run) and finishing with three runs scored. Diaz already has five multi-hit games this month, elevating his average from .220 to .250.