Guardians option down Daniel Espino

Whether it’s been with the Nationals or Yankees, García Jr. has not stopped raking all season long. In this game, he was part of rallies in each the first and seventh innings before putting the finishing touches on this victory with a two-run shot in the eighth. It was his fourth home run in his last six games and he now has a .306/.354/.569 slash line since being acquired at the trade deadline.

Suárez, a free agent at season’s end, has hit .208/.295/.410 with 19 homers and 57 RBI in 410 plate appearances and is a below average third baseman at this point, but some team might be willing to pick up the approximately $3 million he’s still owed in order to add his power. The Mariners and Diamondbacks are both very familiar with him, and the Phillies are short of right-handed power and have time available at both first and third. If Suárez goes unclaimed, he’ll presumably finish out the season as a regular with the Reds.

Friedl, formerly the Reds’ starting center fielder, is batting just .158/.242/.234 in 253 plate appearances this season. He’s owed only about $750,000 for the rest of this season, with no commitment beyond that (though a team could keep him in arbitration). That might entice some team to pick him up as a bench guy. If that happens, the Reds could recall Noelvi Marte to help out in the outfield.

Rodríguez looked the part in his return to the Yankees’ rotation. He came out blazing 99 mph sinkers early and they held firm at 97, about two ticks higher than his average velocity in the majors this season. His curveball had a few extra inches of depth too and was wicked below the zone forcing six swings-and-misses plus a good bit of soft contact. Those two pitches were enough to get through the Astros’ lineup twice as Rodríguez spent most of this start in complete control. While his Triple-A workload lets us know he’ll be limited to around 90 pitches per outing, Rodríguez could be a valuable asset down the stretch if he sticks in the Yankees’ rotation. Max Fried is potentially due back for a double-header this weekend though, so he may only have one more turn to prove his worth.

Varsho’s solo home run in the fourth inning briefly tied this game up before the Yankees jumped ahead in the bottom of that frame and pulled away later on. Nevertheless, he’s begun to pull the nose up after a rough start to his Astros tenure now riding a six-game hitting streak with four extra-base hits over that span.

Lambert was fortunate to have just two earned runs on his ledger here. The Yankees had constant traffic on the bases against him and were really able to zero-in on his fastball. That pitch didn’t have the same vertical action it has had for much of this season – its improved shape was the key reason for Lambert’s breakout – and it was hit hard as a result. His changeup was nasty though with a nearly 50% chase rate, seven whiffs, and a fantastic 65% strike rate while working as his primary pitch. It was responsible for getting him out of the many jams he worked himself into. Nevertheless, he’s lined up for a two-start week coming up against both the White Sox and Diamondbacks at home.

Four at-bats and four line drives from Encarnacion-Strand, with three of them leaving his bat at 103-106 mph. He also homered and knocked in three on Tuesday, and he’s now up to 27 RBI in 26 starts and five pinch-hit appearances for the Orioles. That he’s been in and out of the lineup makes him a tough play in mixed leagues, but his play this series figures to ensure that he stays in the lineup this weekend for a series against the A’s in Sacramento that offers big-time scoring potential.

Bradish allowed only a Nolan Gorman solo homer through four before giving up two singles, two walks and two doubles in the fifth. None of the hits were particularly impressive — the two that were hard-hit were both grounders — but those free passes really hurt. It’s the first time this season Bradish has allowed more than five runs, and his ERA crept back over 4.00 for the first time since mid-June. He’s still a reasonable bet in mixed leagues for now, but some late-season fatigue is possible in his first full year back from Tommy John.

It’s Kittredge’s first save since Aug. 11, as he blew his previous chance on Aug. 15. It’s possible he’ll wind up with more saves, but with Yennier Cano also in the mix and Félix Bautista potentially returning next month, his value is pretty limited right now.

McGreevy survived a five-run first and a two-run second to finish up with three solid innings and give the Cardinals a chance to get back into the game, which they did before eventually losing 8-7. It’s the first time in five starts this month that the Cardinals lost with McGreevy on the mound. He’ll take a season-high 3.86 ERA into next week’s start against the Dodgers.