MLB Player News

Windle quieted Harrisburg with seven innings of two-hit ball. The left-hander finished with a season-best nine strikeouts. This outing represents a major improvement for Windle, who let up a combined 18 hits during his first two starts. The 23-year-old was acquired from the Dodgers this offseason as part of the Jimmy Rollins trade.

This was certainly one of the starts of all time. Facing a lineup of almost all right-handed hitters, his changeup was very inconsistent. It still forced six of his seven total swings-and-misses, but couldn’t carry him like he needed it to. Still, it’s not like any other pitch found its way to being effective either and the Guardians decided to give him a quick hook with just 70 pitches over five innings. He’ll take a 3.43 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 37:19 strikeout to walk ratio over 39 1/3 innings into a two-start week against the Angels and Reds.

Despite letting the tying run come to the plate, Smith disposed of the Royals rather easily here. The five swings-and-misses he forced in one inning of work nearly watched the seven Guardians’ starter Joey Cantillo mustered through five innings. After a bit of a rocky start to the season, Smith has now converted six consecutive save opportunities and has only allowed one run across his last 10 appearances. He belongs in conversations with the game’s best closers.

DeLauter has oddly flown under the radar since his four home run barrage over the first weekend of the season despite continuing to hit well. His two-run single in the fifth inning put the Guardians ahead and wound up being the only runs they’d need to dispatch the Royals. Earlier in the game, he hit his ninth double, which is tied for the 10th most in the American League. His .308 batting average and .941 OPS are up there with the league leaders, too.

In another slow night for the Royals’ lineup, Garcia did all he could to be a spark plug atop their order by reaching base three times. The first time, he was erased in a double play. Next, he was cut down by a fielder’s choice. Lastly, he was stranded on first base in the eighth inning when Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone got opportunities at the plate as the tying run. Alas, Garcia has a respectable .265 average and .745 OPS with three home runs and four stolen bases through 35 games.

Crow-Armstrong’s fourth home run of the season could not have come at a better time. After the Cubs’ bullpen imploded to turn a two run lead into a two run deficit in the top of the ninth, Crow-Armstrong took Graham Ashcraft deep for a two-run shot to tie the game. He did a good job of getting his bat head on a 90 mph slider that was darting below the zone and golfing it just barely beyond the fence in left-center field. It looked like a load was lifted off his back as he jetted around the bases and is now riding a 10-game on-base streak. Perhaps this was the moment he needed to get his season back on track.

Rea had his splitter working in this one. It forced seven of his 13 whiffs as he located it perfectly low and below the zone. With that pitch working, his often uninspiring fastball was forcing late swings and was rarely squared up. He ran into a bit of trouble during his third time around the order, but some help from Alex Bregman and Jacob Webb helped keep his line clean. Up next is a terrifyingly enticing two-start week against the Braves and White Sox.

Thrust into the closer role after Emilio Pagán’s injury on Tuesday, Ashcraft fell apart here. With his team headed for their sixth straight loss, they rallied in the top of the ninth to take a two-run lead. That wouldn’t be enough for Ashcraft though, who promptly gave up a game-tying, two-run home run to Pete Crow-Armstrong that barely stretched over the ivy in left-center field. Tony Santillan or Ashcraft remain the logical choices to get save opportunities in Cincinnati, unless this outing sours Terry Francona’s confidence in the latter.

Bleday was part of a furious ninth inning rally for the Reds as they desperately tried to break their losing streak. Entering the frame trailing by two, he followed up a Spencer Steer home run with a run-scoring hit of his own that tied the game before Elly De La Cruz put them ahead. They’d later blow that lead in the ninth inning and then fall in extra innings, but don’t let take away from what Bleday’s been doing lately.Scalding hot since being inserted into the starting lineup late last week, Bleday extended his hitting streak to five games as he makes his case to keep a starting spot in the Reds’ outfield.

Overall, Singer pitched well here. He just made a few crucial mistakes. Like a 3-1 cutter that sat in the heart of the plate which Ian Happ launched for a two-run homer. Or a hanging slider in the fourth that Seiya Suzuki hammered for a run-scoring double. Nevertheless, he navigated out of trouble in the fourth inning and completed six innings for the third time in his last five starts. He’s scheduled to face the Nationals and Guardians coming up in a two-start week.

Eovaldi absolutely has the Yankees’ number. Coming off a seven inning, seven strikeout, zero run gem against the last time out he managed to one up himself here. They barely ever threatened with just three hits and he didn’t walk a batter either. The only run he allowed came via an Aaron Judge solo homer and it was the first time he’s completed eight innings since… last August against the Yankees. That’s almost too crazy to be true. Nevertheless, Eovaldi’s splitter was dancing here and he’s finally been able to corrail it over these last two starts when his command of it was spotty over the first month of the season. His curveball was sharp here too, forcing eight of his 19 total swings-and-misses. Also, a new wrinkle he’s shown so far this year, he’s begun to lean more into his cutter against left-handed batters. It’s all been working and he’ll look to ride this positive momentum into a two-start week against Diamondbacks and Astros coming up.