MLB Player News

Schwarber went 1-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Cubs.

The 32-year-old slugger swiped his fifth bag of the year in the first inning on a double steal before coming around to score, and Schwarber then obliterated a Ben Brown fastball in the third, sending it 431 feet to right field with an exit velocity of 109.6 mph. Schwarber's .921 OPS so far this season would be his best performance in that category since he posted a career-high .928 in 2021, and through 68 games he's left the yard 21 times, putting him on pace for a shot at his first career 50-homer campaign.

Luzardo (6-2) picked up the win in Wednesday's 7-2 victory over the Cubs, allowing one run on five hits over six innings. He struck out 10 without walking a batter.

The left-hander made a slight mechanical adjustment to try and avoid tipping pitches after getting hammered for 20 earned runs in only 5.2 innings over his prior two starts, a collapse that saw his ERA soar from 2.15 to 4.46. The tweak paid immediate dividends, as Luzardo fanned double-digit batters for the fourth time this season and didn't issue a walk for only the second time. He racked up 30 called or swinging strikes among his 99 pitches (70 total strikes), and he seems back in elite form heading into a potential revenge game in his next outing, a road start scheduled for early next week in Miami.

Brown (3-5) took the loss Wednesday as the Cubs fell 7-2 to the Phillies, coughing up six runs on eight hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.

Half of the hits off Brown went for extra bases, including a massive 431-foot solo shot to right field by Kyle Schwarber and a triple by Nick Castellanos that missed leaving the yard by an inch or two, both in the third inning. It's the third time in his last five starts that Brown has been tagged for at least six runs, and while the other two outings in that time were quality starts, his ERA has swollen to 5.71 as a consequence. The right-hander will look for a better result in his next trip to the mound, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Brewers.

Liberatore (3-6) took the loss against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts over five innings.

Liberatore started strong before allowing five runs over his final three frames. While it was encouraging to see the 25-year-old reach 90 pitches after exiting early with fatigue Thursday, he generated just eight whiffs and allowed 12 hard-hit balls. He'll carry a 3.93 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 62:11 K:BB across 73.1 innings into a favorable matchup with the White Sox next week.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Marlins.

The 38-year-old launched a hanging splitter from Cal Quantrill to center field in the fifth inning, giving Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead. The homer was the sixth of the season for McCutchen, and his 241st in a Pirates uniform -- passing the immortal Roberto Clemente on the franchise's all-time list and putting him into third place behind two other Hall of Famers, Ralph Kiner (301) and Willie Stargell (475). Through 60 games this season, McCutchen is slashing .263/.354/.405 with 21 runs and 25 RBI.

Bednar struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his ninth save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Marlins.

The right-hander fanned Kyle Stowers and Xavier Edwards to lock down his sixth straight successful save conversion since May 20. Over that 10-appearance span, Bednar has delivered a 0.96 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB in 9.1 innings, and the 30-year-old appears to have fully regained the elite form he seemed to have lost during a rough 2024, and an even worse beginning to 2025.

Falter (5-3) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and a walk over 5.1 innings during a 5-2 victory over the Marlins. He struck out three.

The left-hander blanked Miami through five innings before serving up a solo shot to Heriberto Hernandez to lead off the sixth, and he quickly got the hook one batter later after just 71 pitches (50 strikes). It was the first long ball Falter had given up since May 3, and over his last eight outings he's compiled an impressive 1.61 ERA and 0.96 WHIP across 44.2 innings despite a mediocre 24:16 K:BB. He faces a tougher test in his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Detroit.

Acuna went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Brewers.

Acuna extended Atlanta's lead to 5-1 with a 416-foot blast in the fourth inning. The superstar thrived in Milwaukee, going 7-for-12 with two homers, four RBI and three runs scored during the three-game set. On the season, he's slashing .353/.436/.647 with six long balls, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored across 78 plate appearances.

Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Pirates.

The 25-year-old rookie spoiled a shutout bid from Bailey Falter by taking the southpaw deep to lead off the sixth inning. It was Hernandez's first career big-league homer in his ninth MLB contest, and he's supplied the Marlins with some surprising offense so far, batting .417 (10-for-24) with two doubles, three runs and three RBI -- a huge improvement on the .220/.319/.454 slash line he was sporting at Triple-A Jacksonville prior to his promotion.

Quantrill (3-7) took the loss Wednesday, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks over five innings as the Marlins were downed 5-2 by the Pirates. He struck out six.

It's the first time since April 30 that the right-hander has been tagged for more than three runs. Quantrill has found a few more whiffs lately, recording at least six strikeouts in four of his last seven trips to the mound while posting a 3.58 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 30:9 K:BB in 32.2 innings over that span. With Ryan Weathers (lat) back on the 60-day IL, Quantrill's rotation spot seems secure heading into his next outing, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Phillies.