MLB Player News

Sale (10-4) picked up the win in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Rangers, allowing six hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings while striking out 12.

Elvis Andrus was the only Texas hitter to get into scoring position against Sale, rapping out doubles in the first and sixth innings, but otherwise the left-hander was dominant through 110 pitches (80 strikes), He'll take a 2.23 ERA and 188:31 K:BB through 129 innings into the All-Star break.

Gonzales (10-5) tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits and struck out four in a win Wednesday over the Angels.

Gonzalez will go into the break riding a hot streak with quality start victories in each of his final three starts of the first half. He induced only three swinging strikes all night, but he was successful regardless thanks to his pinpoint control. For the fifth time in 19 starts, Gonzales didn't walk a single batter. He'll take a 1.8 BB/9 and a 3.41 ERA into the All-Star break of what has easily been the best season of his young career.

Carrasco (10-5) picked up the win in Wednesday's 19-4 rout of the Reds, giving up one run on five hits and a walk over five innings while striking out seven.

A nine-run third inning and six-run fourth put the game out of reach early, allowing Carrasco to hit the showers after a relatively light workload of 83 pitches (53 strikes). He'll take a 4.16 ERA and 1.18 WHIP into the All-Star break, but his 110:23 K:BB through 101.2 innings suggests he should be able to put together much better ratios in the second half.

McCullers (10-4) allowed six runs on four hits and five walks with one strikeout and lasted just four innings in a loss Wednesday to the Athletics.

McCullers started out shaky, as he allowed two walks to come around and score as part of a three-run first inning. He looked like he had calmed down through three innings, but Chad Pinder mashed a three-run home run in the fourth. Already at 87 pitches after four frames, McCullers' night was done before the sixth for the first time since May 26 against Cleveland. He owned a sharp 2.60 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 50 strikeouts through 45 innings in 45 innings between those two starts. After this rough outing, though, McCullers will take a 3.77 ERA into the All-Star break.

Bassitt (2-3) allowed three runs on five hits and a walk with one strikeout through five innings in a win Wednesday over the Astros.

Bassitt cruised through the Astros' order the first time but was shaky the second time around, as he was touched up for two runs in the fourth and a solo home run in the fifth after opening with three hitless innings. Basset has just two quality starts in his first four appearances with the Athletics, and his rotation spot could be in jeopardy after the All-Star break upon the return of some of Oakland's injured pitchers despite his 3.38 ERA.

Rodon (2-3) tossed 7.1 shutout innings and allowed just three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in a victory Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Rodon added 12 groundball outs to his nine strikeouts in a dominant outing, as the Cardinals only managed to get one runner to second base in the first seven innings. His changeup was particularly nasty, as Cardinals hitters whiffed at four of the 23 he threw (17.4 percent) and didn't manage a single hit on any of the seven changeups they put in play. Rodon has thrown quality starts in three of his last four outings and will take a 3.56 ERA into the All-Star break.

Bundy (6-9) took the loss Wednesday, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks while striking out three over four innings against the Yankees.

Bundy breezed through the first two innings without allowing a hit, but he was done in by a five-run third in which he walked two and allowed a grand slam. The righty has been hit hard in two starts since returning from a brief DL stint, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) over 7.1 innings with just five strikeouts versus five walks and a pair of homers. He'll wrap up his first half with a 4.35 ERA and could benefit from getting a bit of an extended rest with the All-Star break coming up.

Gray (6-7) got the win Wednesday, firing six shutout innings with eight strikeouts while allowing three hits and a walk against the Orioles.

Gray was staked out to a five-run lead by the top of the third, and a combination of the run support and facing one of the league's weaker lineups was enough to get the 28-year-old back on track. He'd allowed at least four runs in four of his previous five starts and still has a bloated 5.46 ERA and 1.51 WHIP following Wednesday's outing, but this was a step in the right direction. He may benefit from the extended time off coming with the All-Star break approaching next week.

Lynn (7-7) got the win Wednesday, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out six over five innings against the Royals.

Lynn labored in this one, needing 114 pitches just to get through five frames. To his credit, the righty recovered well from a rocky start as he found himself in a 3-0 hole just four batters into the game and only allowed one the rest of the way. It's been an up-and-down first half for Lynn, but after carrying an ERA north of eight into May, he's been able to lower that mark to 5.22. Control remains an issue -- his 5.4 BB/9 would easily surpass his previous career high -- but he's also striking out a batter per inning with 91 punchouts in 91.1 frames.

Paxton will start Thursday against the Angels rather than Friday against the Rockies as originally scheduled, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The Mariners will shift things around with Felix Hernandez out with a back injury. Paxton will remain on normal rest, having last pitched Saturday. The shift is great news for Paxton owners, as he'll end up avoiding the hitters' paradise of Coors Field.