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Brad Boxberger RP | CHC
Marlins' Brad Boxberger: Nabs second hold
Boxberger struck out one in a perfect eighth inning to record his second hold of the season in a win over the Nationals on Friday.
The veteran right-hander has emerged as a reliable bridge to closer Brandon Kintzler. Boxberger has only been scored upon once in nine appearances, posting a 2.35 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB over 7.2 innings, and his fastball velocity has returned -- he topped out at 94.4 mph in Friday's outing. If anything were to remove Kintzler from the saves picture, Boxberger appears to be the likely next man up in the ninth for the Marlins.
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Kyle Finnegan RP | DET
Nationals' Kyle Finnegan: Continues to impress
Finnegan struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Friday during a 3-2 loss to the Marlins.
The 28-year-old rookie, signed out of the Oakland system in the offseason, has been a find for the Nats. Finnegan has a 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 9:2 K:BB through nine innings to begin his career, and while he started out in a low-leverage role, he's quickly become a key part of manager Dave Martinez's bullpen, picking up his first career hold Tuesday.
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Andrew Chafin RP | CIN
Diamondbacks' Andrew Chafin: Will wear splint
Chafin will wear a splint on his left index finger for the next week, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.
The plan calls for the Diamondbacks to remove the splint at the end of next week and get a better sense of how the finger is doing and what the next steps will be. The left-handed Chafin has allowed six runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out 10 over 6.2 innings.
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Emilio Pagan RP | CIN
Padres' Emilio Pagan: Converts first save
Pagan pitched a scoreless inning and allowed just one walk to earn the save in Friday's 4-3 win over the Astros.
Pagan has been far from consistent in 2020 with four blown saves and six holds in 12 appearances. He has a 6.75 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 12 innings. The 29-year-old Pagan is in line to see the majority of the save opportunities with Kirby Yates (elbow) and Drew Pomeranz (shoulder) sidelined.
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Javy Guerra RP | ATL
Padres' Javy Guerra: Collects win in long relief
Guerra (1-0) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one walk and striking out three to earn the win Friday versus the Astros.
Starter Garrett Richards lasted only 2.1 innings Friday, but Guerra was able to come in and deliver quality pitching in the win. The right-hander had allowed eight runs over his last three appearances, so it was surprising to see him keep a scoreless line over multiple innings. Guerra still carries an 11.17 ERA and 2.38 WHIP with 14 strikeouts and two holds in 10 appearances.
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Elieser Hernandez RP | ATL
Marlins' Elieser Hernandez: Earns first win of 2020
Hernandez (1-0) allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six as he earned the win Friday against the Nationals.
Hernandez kept the Nationals' bats relatively quiet Friday, but he gave up home runs in the second and third innings. However, he got early run support from the Marlins' offense, and the bullpen was effective in the final four innings. As a result, Hernandez was rewarded with his first win of the season. The right-hander now carries a 2.29 ERA and 25:3 K:BB over 19.2 innings to begin the season. He'll look to remain effective on the road Wednesday against the Mets.
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Genesis Cabrera RP | PHI
Cardinals' Genesis Cabrera: Stuck with loss
Cabrera (1-1) gave up three unearned runs and a walk while striking out two in one inning in a loss to the Reds on Friday.
Cabrera got two outs in the sixth inning before two errors allowed Eugenio Suarez to get to third base. A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases and ended Cabrera's outing, but Tyler Webb gave up a grand slam to Reds pinch hitter Matt Davidson. That was enough to give Cabrera the loss. With all three runs being unearned, his ERA dropped to 6.23 with eight strikeouts and three walks through 4.1 innings this year.
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Dakota Hudson SP | LAA
Cardinals' Dakota Hudson: Fans six in no-decision
Hudson allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out six over 4.2 scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Reds on Friday.
Hudson had a good performance, but he threw only 74 pitches (49 strikeouts) and came up one out short of potentially being eligible for a result. The Reds' Matt Davidson made that a non-issue with a sixth-inning grand slam off Cardinals reliever Tyler Webb. Hudson has yet to pitch into the sixth inning this season. He has a 3.46 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings across three starts. The 25-year-old is expected to make his next start Wednesday versus the Royals.
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Raisel Iglesias RP | ATL
Reds' Raisel Iglesias: Locks down third save
Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout to earn the save in Friday's 4-2 win over the Cardinals.
Iglesias blew a save in Thursday's game, but he was able to get right back into action with a clear outing Friday. The 30-year-old is now 3-for-4 in save chances this year. He's pitched to a rough 6.75 ERA with 14 strikeouts in eight innings and will likely remain in the closer role despite some mild inconsistency.
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Emilio Pagan RP | CIN
Padres' Emilio Pagan: Could serve as interim closer
Pagan could see increased save opportunities after Drew Pomeranz (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday.
The right-hander saw work in the ninth inning Thursday while Pomeranz dealt with shoulder soreness, but he blew his second save in his last three appearances. Although Pagan has had some struggles this season, he could serve as the Padres' closer in the coming games by default. After he posted career-best marks in ERA and WHIP with the Rays last season, he carries a 7.36 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 11 innings with the Padres in 2020. If he continues to struggle, Jose Castillo could see some save opportunities as well.