MLB Player News

Doval has made a habit out of making things interesting in the ninth inning as of late, and this outing was no different as he allowed a one-out single to Ozzie Albies to put the tying run on base. He battled back nicely though, getting Alex Verdugo on a called third strike and Drake Baldwin on a swinging third strike to end it. On the season, Doval has now converted nine of his first 12 save chances on the season and he continues to build job security after taking the role over from the struggling Ryan Walker.

Bader broke the game open for the Giants, extending the team’s lead with a grand slam off Jordan Leasure in the fifth inning on a 105.8 mph, 425-foot blast to center field. He later added a base hit in the seventh. The grand slam was his second in the last week and fifth home run of the season while slashing .178/.211/.389 with ten runs scored and 13 RBI across 95 plate appearances.

Schmitt put the Giants on the board with a sacrifice in the fourth inning to drive in a run. He followed with a two-run blast off Erick Fedde in the fifth inning. The home run was his tenth of the season, making him the first Giant to reach double-digits. The 27-year-old slugger is hitting .291/.331/.533 with 22 runs scored and 26 RBI across 178 plate appearances.

Houser had scattered three hits over four scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fifth. The White Sox started the fifth with three straight hits and a groundout to bring in two runs. Miguel Vargas followed with a double to drive in one more, and that would do it for Houser. He exited the game with two outs at 79 pitches. He struck out five. The 33-year-old right-hander holds a 5.30 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 31/19 K/BB ratio across 52 2/3 innings. He’s lined up for a start against the Rockies in Colorado on Friday.

Bryan Hudson had recorded the first four outs as the opener for the White Sox. Fedde followed by finishing out the second inning, then recorded a scoreless third before the Giants brought three runs in on five hits in the fourth. Casey Schmitt then got to Fedde for a two-run homer in the fifth. Fedde would leave with one out and the bases loaded at 85 pitches. Jordan Leasure took over and allowed all runners to score on a grand slam. Fedde ends his day with a 5.47 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and a 31/20 K/BB ratio across 49 1/3 innings. He’ll take on the Twins in Chicago on Thursday.

Crews put the Nationals on the board with a solo homer off Grant Holmes in the fourth inning. It was a 396-foot blast to left field for his first of the season. Crews is 4-for-20 at the plate with the one homer, two runs, and one steal through his first five games. There’s still plenty of doubt around his ability to hit at the major league level, but the 24-year-old outfielder still carries useful power and speed upside in all formats.

This is interesting. Taylor previously announced his retirement from baseball Saturday, but he’s reportedly changed his mind and will instead remain on the minor league injured list. There has been no reason given yet as to why Taylor changed his mind, but either way, it seems unlikely that we see the 35-year-old back in the majors any time soon; especially considering he’s dealing with the fracture he suffered after being hit by a pitch during Wednesday’s game for Triple-A Salt Lake.

Lovelady was summoned in the ninth inning with a two-run lead to close out the game against the Braves. Despite Gus Vardland being available, Lovelady got the call to face the heart of the Atlanta order, which featured two left-handed hitters in Michael Harris II and Matt Olson. He tossed a clean frame, striking out one for his fourth save. It seems the 30-year-old left-hander is firmly in the saves mix on a matchup basis.

Holmes recorded five of his first six outs via strikeout before the game went into a one-hour rain delay. He returned and stranded the bases loaded in the third, then gave up a solo homer to Dylan Crews in the fourth. Jorbit Vivas then took Holmes deep for a solo homer in the fifth. Holmes’ day would be done after the five innings. He generated an impressive 18 whiffs to strike out a season-high 10 batters. The 30-year-old right-hander will take a 3.78 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 48/24 K/BB ratio across 52 1/3 innings into a start against the Reds in Cincinnati on Friday.

Larnach enjoyed an excellent day at the plate, starting with a base hit and a run scored in the first inning. He added a double in the third, then singled and scored again in the fifth. Larnach collected his fourth hit of the day with a single in the sixth. The four-hit game raises his batting average from .248 entering the day to .271 with two homers and 20 runs scored over 141 plate appearances. A lower strikeout rate has come with a significant drop in his hard-hit rate this season, signaling a change to a more contact-oriented approach for the 29-year-old outfielder.

Andrew Morris started the ninth inning with a three-run lead for a save chance. He gave up a hit and walked three to bring in a run with two outs before Rogers was summoned for the final out. Rogers struck out the final batter to secure the win and pick up his second save. Despite Rogers’ save on Saturday, there remains very little clarity in the Twins’ save situation, with as many as five relievers in the mix.