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We got the full Adam Duvall experience on Monday in Arizona.
Duvall walloped a mammoth two-run home run against the Diamondbacks in the Braves’ 11-4 victory. The long ball was measured at a whopping 483 feet, which is the longest home run of Duvall’s career (just edging out his 477-foot shot in Colorado earlier this month) and the third-longest bomb in baseball this season. It’s the second-longest homer hit by a Braves player in the Statcast era.
In his other four plate appearances, Duvall struck out three times and hit a lazy flyout. In other words, it was a very Adam Duvall night.
Duvall’s home run pushes his season total to 37, which is two behind Fernando Tatis Jr. for the National League lead. His RBI total is now up to 107, which leads the Senior Circuit. Both numbers are career highs for the 33-year-old.
In 44 games since being acquired by the Braves, Duvall has gone deep 15 times, or once every 11.9 plate appearances. He also has a 31.1 percent strikeout rate and just a 6.8 percent walk rate. The former is the seventh highest among 138 qualifiers, the latter the 108th highest.
Additionally, Duvall also has a 52.7 percent flyball rate, which is the second-highest mark in baseball and actually a drop from what he did from 2019-20. When you strike out that much and hit that many balls in the error, it’s virtually impossible to hit for a good average. It’s why Duvall’s sits at .231.
As Matt Snyder of CBS Sports points out, no one in the history of the game has ever had a season with 40+ home runs, 100+ RBI and a sub-.300 on-base percentage. Duvall already has the RBI covered, and the OBP which currently sits at .286 seems like a shoo-in. He’ll need three more home runs over the Braves’ final 12 games to reach 40. Something to shoot for?
Starting Pitchers with an EDGE
John Means vs. PHI – 6 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Means actually had the only extra-base hit for either side in this one, doubling in the seventh inning in his final plate appearance. His most important work came on the mound, though, as he limited the Phillies to just four singles and one walk while fanning six. He threw 105 pitches in the outing, which is the most he’s thrown in a start since his no-hitter back in early May (113 pitches).
Tyler Anderson vs. OAK – 7 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K
Anderson cruised for most of Monday night in Oakland, holding the A’s in check over seven frames in a game with major American League Wild Card implications. The left-hander’s seven strikeouts tie a season high and mark the first time he’s reached that number as a member of the Mariners. In 10 starts for Seattle, Anderson has posted a 3.38 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 46/10 K/BB ratio over 56 innings.
Framber Valdez vs. LAA – 7 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 6 K
Things got a little hairy in his final inning of work when back-to-back two-out walks loaded the bases, but Valdez escaped the threat to complete seven shutout frames in the Astros’ win over the Angels. It’s a pretty embarrassing lineup that the Halos are throwing out there these days, although it was the same one which roughed Valdez up his last time out.
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Hitters with an EDGE
Jazz Chisholm vs. WAS – 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, SB
Chisholm belted a pair of long solo home runs, added another RBI on a sacrifice fly and scored the winning run in the 10th inning on a wild pitch as the Marlins bested the Nationals on Monday. It’s the first career multi-homer game for Chisholm, who now has 17 home runs to go along with 22 stolen bases this season.
Joey Votto vs. PIT – 3-for-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
After hitting a pinch-hit home run in a rare day off Sunday, Votto followed that up with a two-run shot and a solo blast in the Reds’ win over the Pirates on Monday. He also added a single and a couple walks, reaching base in all five trips to the dish. With 33 home runs, the 38-year-old Votto is just four dingers shy of his career high.[[ad:athena]]
Salvador Perez vs. CLE – 3-for-6, HR, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R
Perez launched his 46th long ball of the season in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader in Cleveland. It’s a new record for a player whose primary position is catcher and also moved him into a tie with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the major league lead. Perez started the first game at catcher and the second one at designated hitter, reaching base twice in each contest.
Priority Pickup
Michael Fulmer, RP, Tigers – Available in 81 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues
Fulmer has found a home in the Tigers’ bullpen. The former All-Star starter boasts a 3.18 ERA and 69/18 K/BB ratio over 65 innings, and over his last 12 appearances he’s permitted just one earned run. Fulmer has accumulated three of his nine saves on the season during the latter stretch, and with Gregory Soto (finger) likely done for the season, more saves should be coming his way down the stretch.
Closing Time
With Fulmer evidently having the night off after pitching twice over the weekend, Alex Lange notched his first career save in the Tigers’ win over the White Sox on Monday. He needed just nine pitches in getting three groundouts to preserve the 4-3 victory.
Scott Barlow served up a solo homer but struck out a pair to record a save in the nightcap of the Royals’ doubleheader sweep of the Indians. Barlow is up to 14 saves on the season and has converted each of his last six opportunities.
Tyler Wells retired all three batters he faced on Monday in Philadelphia to close out the Orioles’ 2-0 win over the Phillies. He needed just seven pitches in the 1-2-3 frame to pick up his third save of the season. Cole Sulser, who has been sharing the O’s closer job of late with Wells, got the final out of the seventh inning with two men on before firing a perfect eighth.
Giovanny Gallegos needed a night off, so the Cardinals turned to Luis Garcia to close out Monday’s 5-2 win over the Brewers. He nailed things down with ease, needing just eight pitches to retire the side in order. Garcia has posted a dominant 2.60 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 27/5 K/BB ratio over 27 2/3 innings for the Cards and might be second-in-line for saves in the St. Louis bullpen.
Dietrich Enns struck out the only batter he faced to strand the bases loaded and preserve the Rays’ 6-4 win over the Blue Jays on Monday. Enns was the beneficiary of a generous 3-1 strike call from home plate umpire Ron Kulpa and then set Breyvic Valera down looking two pitches later.
Paul Sewald recorded a five-out save Monday in the Mariners’ win over the A’s. It was a dominant performance for the reliever, as he came on in the eighth with two on and one out and the Mariners nursing a two-run lead and got back-to-back strikeouts. Sewald then came back out with a 1-2-3 ninth, ultimately throwing 16 of 17 pitches for strikes.
Tuesday’s Matchup of the Day
Kevin Gausman (SF) vs. Joe Musgrove (SD)
The reeling Padres return home for a six-game homestand following a disastrous 2-8 road trip. They will have the right guy on the mound, as Musgrove has been the team’s most consistent starter this season and beat the Giants his last time out. Gausman is no slouch himself, of course. While the right-hander has a 4.70 ERA so far in four September starts, he also boasts a 32/3 K/BB ratio over 23 innings.
American League Quick Hits: Carlos Rodon was lifted from Monday’s start against the Tigers because of renewed soreness in his pitching arm … Shane Baz struck out five while allowing two runs over five innings versus the Blue Jays on Monday to get a win in his major league debut … Wander Franco (hamstring) could return from the injured list as soon as Friday … Chris Bassitt (face) is expected to rejoin the Athletics’ rotation later this week after getting through another bullpen session Monday … The Rays put Andrew Kittredge on the IL Monday with neck tightness … Yandy Diaz went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in Monday’s win over the Blue Jays … Brady Singer struck out seven while allowing two runs over seven frames on Monday in Cleveland … Marwin Gonzalez ripped a grand slam and added an RBI single on Monday in Anaheim …
National League Quick Hits: Jon Lester limited the Brewers to two runs over six frames to pick up his 200th career victory Monday as the Cardinals won their ninth straight … Jacob deGrom (elbow) threw off the mid-slope of the mound over the weekend and is expected to next progress to a full mound session … Nolan Arenado homered and reached base three times Monday in Milwaukee … Tyler Stephenson landed on the Reds’ injured list Monday … Jacob Stallings was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list Monday … Austin Riley went 3-for-5 with three doubles and three RBI on Monday against the Diamondbacks …