MLB Player News

Surprising Rangers right-hander Nick Martinez remained on a roll Saturday. It's easy to get a win when your team scores 15 runs, but he continued to mow down the host Yankees.

Martinez pitched shutout ball until Carlos Beltran homered in the sixth. He allowed another solo blast to Didi Gregorius in the seventh, but he finished having yielded two runs on five hits in seven innings with two walks and five strikeouts. He raised his record to 4-0 with the effort, but his ERA actually slid up a bit to 1.96.

He did overcome two walks in the first inning before settling down.

"The first inning, I don't know how to explain it," he told MLB.com. "I just didn't have it. But after that, I locked in and went on the attack."

The performance marked the first time since his second start that he pitched through the seventh inning.

He will try to stay hot when he pitches against Boston next Thursday.

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney has been struggling so mightily when entering one-run games lately that some have called for his job. But he certainly calmed the critics Saturday.

Rodney entered and exited with the score 3-2 in snagging his 12th save. He struck out Danny Valencia and Chris Colabello in retiring the Blue Jays in order.

"He gets those one-run leads, I think he's a little bit more focused," manager Lloyd McClendon said to MLB.com. "Three-run lead, he's a little more relaxed. It's just the animal that most closers are. It's not just him. I've seen it with other guys, too. It gets within one or two, and they tighten down."

That ended a streak of four poor performances and five of six in which Rodney allowed at least one run to raise his ERA to a disturbing 6.61.

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney has allowed at least one run in five of his six appearances in May, resulting in a 9.00 ERA this month. Despite some shaky outings, Rodney has converted nine straight saves since his only blown save of the season April 14.

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon doesn't appear worried at all about Rodney's high ERA (6.61).

“I don’t think you worry about his ERA much,” McClendon said prior to Saturday’s game, per MLB.com. “A lot of that is inflated from (two early season games). My old skipper told me this a long time ago. Your responsibility as a manager is to get the ball to your closer in the ninth inning. After that, what are you going to do? He either wins it or loses it.”

Rodney entered Friday's game against the Blue Jays with a three-run lead. He allowed two runs on two hits, including a home run, before recording his 11th save.

“He gets those one-run leads, I think he’s a little bit more focused,” McClendon said. “Three-run lead, he’s a little more relaxed. It’s just the animal that most closers are. It’s not just him. I’ve seen it with other guys, too. It gets within one or two and they tighten down."

Yankees reliever Chris Martin (elbow) had thrown one bullpen session and is expected to throw another one Saturday, manager Joe Girardi told reporters. Martin could be pitching in a game by next week.

Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore (elbow) threw 36 pitches in two innings during an extended spring game Saturday. He allowed two runs on five hits -- which included one triple and two doubles -- while striking out one.

"It was good," Moore said of his outing, per MLB.com. "It was nice to have an umpire, just to have that element. That much closer to a regular game. ... I was happy with how I felt."

Moore has not pitched this season as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery last year.

"I heard everything was good," manager Kevin Cash said. "I actually had a voicemail from [trainer Ron Porterfield]. He was down there watching. ... Velo was good. Got his work in. We're moving in the right direction."

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney picked up his 11th save of the season in Friday night's 4-3 win over the Blue Jays. 

However, Rodney made things quite interesting with his performance. With the Mariners up 4-1, Rodney allowed two runs on a two-run home run from Chris Colabello in the ninth inning.

Rodney was able to escape the inning with the Mariners' win intact but it wasn't something Seattle had hoped for. 

Rodney's ERA is now at 6.61 for the year. 

White Sox pitcher David Robertson picked up his ninth save of the season in Friday night's 3-2 win over the Twins. 

Robertson pitched the ninth inning and struck out two batters, improving his ERA to 0.98 for the season. This is the fourth time Robertson has earned a save in his past five appearances. 

His two strikeouts snaps a two-game streak where he didn't record one. 

Astros pitcher Collin McHugh surrendered a season-high nine hits over seven innings of work during Friday's 6-2 loss to the Tigers.

"I was pretty bad," he said, per MLB.com. "I was pretty bad with the fastball command. Too many cutters. Too many hard-hit balls. I was behind too many batters. They had nine hits in seven innings. Every mistake I made, they were hitting hard. No, I didn't feel very good about it."

The nine hits led to three runs, which all came on a home run by J.D. Martinez in the third inning. McHugh has pitched at least seven innings in five of his last seven starts. His ERA now stands at 3.43.

"I thought McHugh battled tonight," manager A.J. Hinch said. "He made one or two mistakes. It seemed like every mistake was hit with some authority. They worked him the other way, obviously the big blow from Martinez with the home run in that inning, and they tacked on a few more runs [in the eighth inning]. For McHugh, seven innings, three runs, it was a matter of one swing that took a lot out of his night."

His next expected start is scheduled for Wednesday at Baltimore.

Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman is returning to the major-league rotation Saturday against the Rays to fill in for the injured Drew Pomeranz, who is on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury.

Graveman struggled in his first stint in the rotation before being demoted to the minors, but he said his time at Triple-A Nashville helped him with his fastball location, per InsideBayArea.com. He added he was able to increase the miles per hour between his fastball and changeup.

The right-hander went 2-1 with a 1.85 ERA in four starts for Nashville. He had 14 strikeouts and nine walks in 24 1/3 innings.

Despite the fact that Red Sox rookie pitcher Matt Barnes was drafted as a starter, he has made 11 relief appearances in his brief Major League career, which started in 2014. Barnes has yet to start a big league game, and he may wind up being a reliever long-term for the Red Sox. But Barnes would be just fine with that.

“Right now, I’m not sure about (starting) because I’ve been doing one thing and I’m satisfied with what I’m doing right now,” said Barnes, per the Boston Herald. “I’m available to do anything and I’ll do anything the team needs me to do.”

Barnes, who was drafted 19th overall in 2011, is 2-0 and has allowed just one earned run in six appearances this year. And though he is currently blocked by Koji Uehara as a potential closer, manager John Farrell hasn't shied away from using Barnes as a late-inning option out of the bullpen.

“We brought him into high-leverage situations and there’s a reason we brought him into those situations," Farrell said. "Late in the game, you are looking at guy who can ideally control the running game and he’s got the ability to get a strikeout.”