MLB Player News

Liberatore (7-11) earned the win over the Athletics on Wednesday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over 5.1 scoreless innings.

Liberatore came into Wednesday with no victories over his past nine starts. He snapped that winless stretch in impressive fashion against the A's, recording his first scoreless outing since June 29. The southpaw also notched seven punchouts, his most since he struck out eight Pirates on May 6. Liberatore still hasn't completed six frames since that June 29 start, however, which was also the date of his most recent win prior to Wednesday.

Nola (3-8) took the loss Wednesday against Milwaukee, allowing six runs on five hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out six.

Nola struggled mightily this year before going on the injured list with rib and ankle injuries in mid-May, turning in a 6.16 ERA through nine starts, and he's fared worse since returning from the three-month absence. The veteran right-hander has yielded at least four runs in three of his last four starts, and he's served up four home runs over that span. Nola's 6.78 ERA and 1.51 WHIP for the season would both easily be career worsts if they stand, and things won't figure to get much easier in his next scheduled outing against a Mets team with an .870 OPS since the beginning of August.

Quintana (11-5) notched the win Wednesday against Philadelphia, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks in 6.1 innings. He struck out six.

After tying a season high in runs allowed his last time out versus the Diamondbacks, Quintana bounced back with a quality start Wednesday. The six strikeouts were his most since Aug. 6 in Atlanta, and the quality start was the veteran southpaw's fourth in his last six outings. Quintana owns a steady 3.72 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 83:46 K:BB over 121 innings, and his next appearance lines up for a road tilt against the Rangers.

Elder (6-9) notched the win Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing one unearned run on four hits and no walks in seven innings. He struck out six.

It was the first start of the season with zero earned runs allowed for Elder, who issued no walks for the first time since his June 7 outing in San Francisco. The right-hander has been quite a boom-or-bust fantasy option over his last eight starts, during which he's permitted two runs or fewer in five outings and conceded five runs or greater in his three other appearances. Elder will be searching for some consistency in a scheduled rematch with the Cubs next week. He carries a 5.54 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 105:43 K:BB across 131.2 innings this year.

Horton didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing no hits and one walk in five shutout innings. He struck out six.

Despite being pulled with just 75 pitches, Horton was brilliant while submitting his eighth scoreless start since the beginning of June. The Cubs have been cautious about the rookie right-hander's workload this year, as Horton has reached the 90-pitch threshold just four times over 19 outings, but he's delivered a masterful 0.77 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 44:14 K:BB over his last 47 innings since the All-Star break. Horton has a very promising 2.78 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 87:32 K:BB through 103.2 innings overall, and he's slated for a rematch with Atlanta next week.

Collins went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in a 6-3 win over the Phillies on Wednesday.

It was the ninth homer of the year and the third game with at least three hits for Collins. The switch hitter had a .635 OPS as of May 31, but he's made a huge impact for the Brewers since the start of June. Collins is slashing .296/.391/.487 with 25 extra-base hits, 47 RBI, 40 runs scored and nine stolen bases over his last 273 plate appearances to push his OPS up to .804 for the campaign.

Woodford walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his third save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Rangers.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo continues to mix and match at the back of his bullpen, as Andrew Saalfrank worked the eighth inning against the heart of the Texas order before Woodford handled the ninth. The 28-year-old right-hander still has two of the Diamondbacks' last three saves, with Taylor Rashi getting the other and all three of Woodford's saves have come since Aug. 23. His ratios don't make a compelling case for consistent high-leverage usage however, and over 20 innings since the beginning of August, Woodford's posted a 4.95 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 11:6 K:BB.

Koenig secured the save in a 6-3 win over the Phillies on Wednesday, throwing a clean ninth inning with one strikeout.

Koenig got the call to earn his first save of the season Wednesday. With the possibility of having to face superstar lefties Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the frame, the southpaw likely received the nod over righty Abner Uribe for matchup-related reasons. Closer Trevor Megill (elbow) is targeting a return by mid-September, so Koenig will likely revert back to a setup role before long. Koenig has a decent 3.32 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 57 innings while recording 25 holds this year.

Gallen (11-13) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing four hits and a walk over six scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory over the Rangers. He struck out five.

The veteran righty continues a late-season turnaround, delivering his sixth quality start in seven trips to the mound since the beginning of August. Over that stretch, Gallen has a 4-1 record with a 2.20 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 33:10 K:BB through 41 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in San Francisco.

Holmes (11-7) took the loss Wednesday, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks over 4.2 innings as the Mets fell 6-2 to the Tigers. He struck out six.

The six Ks were his highest total since Aug. 5, but the three free passes were the most he's issued since July 2. Holmes has failed to complete five innings in three of his last seven starts, as the converted reliever is showing signs of fatigue toward the end of a long season. During that span he's posted a 4.32 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 29:15 K:BB over 33.1 innings. Holmes figures to get some extra rest before his next outing as the Mets juggle their rotation, but he could take the mound next week on the road in Philadelphia.