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Colin Rea SP | CHC
Cubs' Colin Rea: Pitches well in bulk role Sunday
Rea allowed just one run on three hits across 5.1 innings but did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Nationals. He struck out six.
Rea was the second Chicago pitcher to enter the game, following opener Drew Pomeranz, who lasted an inning. The former pitched well after having allowed nine earned runs across 8.2 innings in his previous two appearances, and he lowered his ERA to 4.20 with the improved effort. With Jameson Taillon (groin) and Michael Soroka (shoulder) both currently on the shelf, Rea figures to remain in the rotation as the Cubs' fifth starter. He lines up to take the hill again Saturday against the Rays.
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Tyler Phillips SP | MIA
Marlins' Tyler Phillips: Tallies three Ks as opener
Phillips allowed one run on one hit and one walk over 2.2 innings while not factoring into the decision in Sunday's 5-4 victory over the Phillies. He struck out three.
The Miami right-hander opened this bullpen game for his club, firing 41 total pitches, 24 of which were strikes. The lone blemish on Phillips' line came in the second when Nick Castellanos plated a run on a triple to left. Sunday had originally been Adam Mazur's scheduled start day; however, it appears the Marlins opted to go with a bullpen game instead of leveraging Mazur. In 68.1 total innings, Phillips has now pitched to a 3.16 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 46:22 K:BB and should continue to serve in a bullpen role.
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Carson Kelly C | CHC
Cubs' Carson Kelly: Goes deep twice Sunday
Kelly went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Nationals.
Kelly went deep for the second time in his last four games as he registered his third multi-homer performance of the season. The Chicago catcher is up to 16 long balls this year, which is two away from his career high of 18 home runs that he set back in 2019 while playing for the Diamondbacks. Kelly has been a pleasant surprise all season for the Cubs with his .800 OPS, and he should continue to start most days behind the plate moving forward.
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Jack Dreyer RP | LAD
Dodgers' Jack Dreyer: Picks up third save
Dreyer earned the save in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Orioles, allowing one hit while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning.
The Dodgers came into the day with a depleted bullpen, thus setting up Dreyer for the save chance. The 26-year-old left-hander preserved a three-run lead, picking up his third save this season, and his first since Aug 15. Dreyer has turned in five straight scoreless innings, striking out eight in that span. Overall, his ERA sits at 2.74 with a 1.06 WHIP and 65 strikeouts across 69 innings this season.
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Lake Bachar SP | PIT
Marlins' Lake Bachar: Survives for third save
Bachar allowed one run on a hit and two walks and picked up the save in Sunday's 5-4 win against Philadelphia. He struck out two.
The 30-year-old righty worked around three baserunners to notch his first save since Aug. 6. Bachar conceded a run on a Kyle Schwarber single after issuing two free passes earlier in the frame. This save appears to have been an anomaly for Bachar, as usual closer Calvin Faucher was deployed in the sixth (and allowed two runs) in this bullpen game for Miami. The Marlins bullpen has been a puzzle all season, so if the team strays from Faucher as the main saves option, Bachar, with his 4.04 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 across 62.1 innings, could enter the mix.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Homers twice in win
Ohtani went 2-for-2 with a pair of solo home runs and three walks in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Orioles.
Ohtani led off the game with a 411-foot blast off Tomoyuki Sugano before extending the Dodgers' lead to 2-0 with his second long ball of the day in the top of the third. The two-way phenom had been stuck in an abbreviated slump coming into Sunday, going just 1-for-11 in his previous three games. Overall, he's slashing .279/.389/.612 with 48 home runs, 90 RBI, 127 runs scored and 17 stolen bases across 643 plate appearances this season.
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Clayton Kershaw SP | LAD
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Strikes out eight in win
Kershaw (10-2) earned the win over the Orioles on Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk across 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.
It was an impressive outing from Kershaw, who logged a season-high eight strikeouts en route to his sixth win in his last seven starts. The 37-year-old Kershaw has lowered his ERA to 3.27 through 19 starts (99 innings) this season with a 1.16 WHIP and 69:26 K:BB. Kershaw is currently lined up to face the Giants on the road his next time out.
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Taijuan Walker SP | LAA
Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Suffers eighth loss
Walker (4-8) conceded four runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings to take the loss Sunday at Miami. He struck out one.
The Philadelphia right-hander coughed up all four runs in the opening frame, highlighted by a 424-foot, three-run long ball from Otto Lopez. Walker did not fool the Marlins lineup, generating just four whiffs out of his 87 total pitches, and he's now winless over his last six starts. Over that span, the 33-year-old has produced an unsightly 5.23 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 16:11 K:BB in 32.2 frames, morphing back into a pitcher best left for the waiver wire. Walker currently lines up to make his next start at home against Kansas City next weekend.
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Alexis Diaz RP | TEX
Braves' Alexis Diaz: Claimed by Atlanta
Atlanta claimed Diaz off waivers from the Dodgers on Sunday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Thursday, and it's not a surprise he was claimed off waivers, given his previous success in the majors. Diaz has struggled to a 7.80 ERA in 15 outings in the big leagues with the Dodgers and Reds this season, and he hasn't been much better at the Triple-A level with a 6.08 ERA. He will report to the major-league club.
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Otto Lopez SS | MIA
Marlins' Otto Lopez: Goes deep twice in win
Lopez went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Sunday's 5-4 victory over the Phillies.
The Marlins shortstop batted cleanup and produced his first career multi-homer performance in this contest. Lopez slugged a 424-foot, three-run homer off Philadelphia starter Taijuan Walker in the first before returning in the seventh to launch a 417-foot solo shot off reliever Jose Alvarado. The 26-year-old has been hot over his last 17 games dating back to Aug. 18, batting .306 (19-for-62) with three homers, 14 RBI and eight runs scored.