MLB Player News

It wasn’t a save situation, but Ashcraft continued to pitch well. He lowered his ERA to 1.74 and needed just 12 pitches, throwing nine strikes. Pierce Johnson earned the Reds’ most recent save, but this feels unsettled, and Emilio Pagan (hamstring) will be out for a while.

Bailey was responsible for two of the Guardians’ six hits on the night. The Guardians were stifled by Michael Wacha for eight innings of scoreless ball on the night, but it was a decent night at the plate for Bailey, who has now hit safely in four of his last six games and is slashing .229/.345/.396 on the month.

The 23-year-old isn’t missing many bats or commanding the ball well enough to avoid walks. He allowed seven hard-hit balls and topped out at 95 mph. All of which is to say: Amazing moment for him to get his first big-league win, but we wouldn’t be rushing to start him against the Braves next week with the idea that he’s turned the corner.

Bibee found himself locked in a pitcher’s duel with Michael Wacha on Friday night. Both pitchers made it through four innings unscathed, but a leadoff double by Bobby Witt Jr. in the fifth inning wound up resulting in the first run of the night after Salvador Perez grounded out to bring Witt home from third two batters later. It was the only run Bibee would allow on the night before he was pulled in the seventh inning for Tim Herrin. Bibee has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last three starts, but has only one win to show for his efforts. He’ll look to pick up his sixth win of the season in his next start, which is set for Thursday at home against the Blue Jays.

Both of Freeman’s hits were line drive singles, and he also walked once. His RBI tonight was the 1,384th of his career, moving him past Hall of Famer Joe Medwick and into a tie with should-be Hall of Famer Dwight Evans for 82nd on the all-time list. He’s 107 ahead of Paul Goldschmidt for the RBI lead among active major leaguers.

Pérez was getting whiffs and limiting hard contact — he only had three hard-hit balls allowed all game — but he simply couldn’t command his pitches. He walked three straight Nationals to lead off the third, struck out the next two, then unraveled with a combination wild pitch/throwing error that scored two runs and a 445-foot Brady House homer. Nothing about this screamed avoiding Pérez in his next start against the Royals, he’s just been prone to this kind of game at times this year.

Skubal did not want to exit the game, but coming off his two highest pitch counts of the year (109 versus Milwaukee and 106 against Pittsburgh), manager Dave Roberts pulled him from a 1-1 game after 83 pitches tonight. Skubal lowered his Dodgers’ ERA to 3.00 in five starts. He’ll probably take his next turn Thursday against the Cardinals.

Scott bounced back from losses Tuesday and Wednesday against the Braves with an easy ninth tonight. Since it was his third appearance in four days, he might get Saturday off, potentially opening up a save chance for Edgardo Henriquez.

Anderson was one out away from qualifying for a win in a 1-0 game, but with the bases loaded and Max Muncy coming up, pulling him seemed like the right move. Drew Sommers struck out Muncy out to initially maintain the lead, but he went on to give up the tying run in the sixth. Anderson has a 2.82 ERA in five starts since moving into the Detroit rotation, though he’s totaled just 22 1/3 innings in those games. He’ll face the Twins next week.

Clark took a 99-mph fastball on the outer-third from Tarik Skubal and slapped it 105-mph the other way for the triple. It’s still very early, but he’s hit an impressive .286/.375/.571 in 32 plate appearances in lefty-lefty matchups. Unfortunately, he’s at just .226/.273/.339 in 67 plate appearances against righties.

Jensen pushed the Royals out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the ninth inning when he blasted a two-run homer off of Guardians reliever Craig Yoho. It was the 19th homer of the season for Jensen, who has struggled in August. He’s slashing a disappointing .167/.330/.333 on the month but has drawn 17 walks.