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Corbin Carroll RF | ARI
Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll: Provides insurance in win
Carroll went 1-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Cubs.
After Alek Thomas led off the fifth inning with a solo homer, Carroll followed two batters later with a two-run shot, his sixth homer of the season. It was also his fourth in the last nine games, a hopeful sign that he can make an impact over the second half. The Diamondbacks are still waiting for last season's version of Carroll; his 2024 OPS is 230 points lower than what it was in 2023.
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Charlie Morton SP | ATL
Braves' Charlie Morton: Collects quality start Saturday
Morton came away with a no-decision in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out four.
The matinee of the twin bill saw a pitchers' duel between two veteran right-handers, as both Morton and Kyle Gibson recorded one-run quality starts in an eventual 3-2 extra-inning win for Atlanta. Morton's quality start was his eighth of the year, but the 40-year-old isn't racking up the Ks like he used to -- he's fanned five batters or less in four of his last five starts, managing a 3.94 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 25:9 K:BB over 29.2 innings during that stretch. He lines up to make his next trip to the mound on the road next week against the Mets.
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Mike Siani CF | BAL
Cardinals' Michael Siani: Swipes two bags Saturday
Siani went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and two stolen bases in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader split with Atlanta.
After going 1-for-3 with no other production in the matinee as the Cardinals lost 3-2 in 10 innings, Siani made a bigger impact in a victory during the nightcap. It's the second time this season he's swiped multiple bags in a game, and the 25-year-old center fielder has gone 12-for-15 on the basepaths in 89 games, but Siani otherwise isn't making much of an impact on offense -- he's slashing .230/.269/.305 with two homers, 14 RBI and 29 runs.
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Kyle Leahy SP | STL
Cardinals' Kyle Leahy: Nabs save in nightcap
Leahy recorded his first career save in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader split with Atlanta, giving up a hit and striking out two over two scoreless innings.
The 27-year-old righty was called up to be the 27th man for the twin bill, and he surprisingly got the nod in a high-leverage spot with St. Louis winning 6-5 in the eighth inning. When the Cards tacked on three more runs in the top of the ninth. manager Oliver Marmol elected to leave Leahy on the mound to clean things up. He hasn't pitched poorly during his time on the big-league roster this season, posting a 3.90 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 22:7 K:BB through 32.1 innings over 19 appearances, but Leahy's likely headed back to Triple-A Memphis despite this performance.
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Sonny Gray SP | BOS
Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Carried by offense to 10th win
Gray (10-6) picked up the win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader split with Atlanta, giving up five runs on eight hits -- including four home runs -- over seven innings. He struck out 10 without walking a batter.
The Cardinals' offense gave Gray plenty of support in a 9-5 victory, so his issues keeping the ball in the park didn't come back to bite him. The veteran right-hander had served up only four homers over his last 11 outings combined, so the sudden gopheritis likely isn't going to be a long-term concern. Gray will carry a 3.54 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and stellar 131:24 K:BB through 106.2 innings into his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Nationals.
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Kyle Gibson SP | BAL
Cardinals' Kyle Gibson: Fans six in quality start
Gibson came away with a no-decision in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Atlanta, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out six.
The veteran right-hander needed exactly 100 pitches (66 strikes) to record his ninth quality start of the season, but Gibson saw his eighth win slip away after he left the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning in a game the Cardinals eventually lost in 10. Gibson hadn't lasted more than five frames in an outing in over a month, so the rest afforded by the All-Star break appears to have done him some good. He'll take a 3.99 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 102:43 K:BB through 108.1 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Nationals.
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Harold Ramirez DH | WAS
Nationals' Harold Ramirez: Goes deep in win
Ramirez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in a 5-4 win against the Reds on Saturday.
After Cincinnati tallied two runs in the top of the first inning, Ramirez knotted up the score with a two-run blast in the bottom of the frame. The long ball ended a 45-game homerless stretch for the veteran dating back to April 15. Ramirez went deep a career-high 12 times last season, but he's homered only twice through 61 games this year.
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Jacob Young CF | WAS
Nationals' Jacob Young: Swipes two more bags Saturday
Young went 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and two stolen bases in Saturday's 5-4 win against Cincinnati.
Young plated the winning run in the close contest with a single to left field in the eighth inning. He also stole a pair of bases for the second straight day, increasing his total to 24 on the campaign. Young was slumping entering the All-Star break, but he's come out hot to start the second half, going 4-for-6 with the four thefts through two games.
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Nick Lodolo SP | CIN
Reds' Nick Lodolo: Fans eight in no-decision
Lodolo allowed four runs on six hits and one walk while striking out eight batters over 6.1 innings in a no-decision against Washington on Saturday.
Lodolo carried a 4-3 lead into the seventh frame before exiting with one out and a runner on first base. That runner came around to score after his departure, costing the left-hander a quality start and a chance at a victory. Despite that outcome, there were plenty of positives in the outing for Lodolo -- this was his first time exceeding 4.2 innings across his past four starts, and he had much better control after walking four batters in two of his previous three appearances. Lodolo holds a 3.51 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 89:25 K:BB over 84.2 innings this season.
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Kyle Finnegan RP | DET
Nationals' Kyle Finnegan: Nabs another save Saturday
Finnegan earned a save against the Reds on Saturday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.
Finnegan earned a save in Washington's first game of the second half Friday, and he was back on the mound one day later to close things out again. The right-hander did so without much stress, retiring the side in order on 15 pitches. Finnegan is up to 27 saves on the campaign, third most in the majors and one short of the career-high mark he established last season.