MLB Player News

Gausman gave up one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out six in 6.2 innings Thursday against the Mariners. He did not factor in the decision.

The Mariners ended up tagging the Giants bullpen for seven earned runs, so Gausman was unable to get the win, despite a strong first start of 2021. He only threw 90 pitches (62 strikes) and almost made it through seven innings. Gausman lines up to start in San Diego on Wednesday.

Kershaw (0-1) allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and one walk while striking out two across 5.2 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Rockies.

Kershaw had little trouble working through two scoreless innings to begin the game. However, he struggled from there and surrendered at least one run in two of his final three frames. Uncharacteristically, he had only 12 called strikes and five swinging strikes across 77 total pitches. While not an ideal way to start the season, Kershaw's next start at Oakland on Tuesday should give a fairer read of his form after a tough draw opening the season at Coors Field.

Marquez allowed one earned run on six hits and six walks while striking out two across four innings Thursday against the Dodgers. He didn't factor into the decision.

Marquez avoided a complete disaster, as he kept the ball in the yard and didn't allow an extra-base hit. However, he racked up 92 pitches and allowed 12 baserunners in his short outing because he couldn't find the strike zone with consistency. Given that he walked more than two batters in only three of his 13 starts in 2020, Marquez should showcase better control moving forward. His next opportunity to take the mound will come Tuesday at home against Arizona.

Flaherty gave up six runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four over 4.1 innings in a no-decision against the Reds on Thursday.

The Cardinals staked Flaherty to a six-run lead before he even took the mound, yet he couldn't secure the Opening Day win. Inefficiency and a couple long balls led to manager Mike Shildt turning to his bullpen in the fifth inning as Flaherty's pitch count ticked up to 94. A road matchup in Miami next week looks like a great spot for Flaherty to get right -- on paper, anyway.

Castillo (0-1) allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits and two walks over 3.1 innings in a loss to the Cardinals on Thursday. He did not record a strikeout.

This was about as ugly as it gets for an ace-level pitcher. Castillo just did not have it on a cold Opening Day in Cincinnati, and the defense behind him let him down; Eugenio Suarez's return to shortstop did not go well, with a pair of errors in the first two innings helping dig the early hole. It was a painful reminder that Castillo faces an uphill battle with the defense behind him, and his velocity was down, which bears watching. He lines up to face the Pirates at home next week.

Darvish allowed four earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out six across 4.2 innings Thursday against the Diamondbacks. He did not factor into the decision.

Darvish allowed three singles and an earned run in the first inning, but he went on to hold the Diamondbacks scoreless for the next four frames. However, his outing was derailed in his final inning of work when he allowed a solo homer and a two-run shot. Darvish also induced only nine swinging strikes on 93 total pitches. We can likely just chalk this up to an Opening Day hiccup, and Darvish will look to bounce back in his second start of the campaign Tuesday against the Giants.

Fried allowed two earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out eight across five innings Thursday against the Phillies. He did not factor into the decision.

Fried allowed seven baserunners and both of his earned runs in the first three innings, particularly struggling with his control. However, he turned it on from there, punching out four hitters across his final two frames while keeping the basepaths much cleaner. His encouraging performance was backed by 19 swinging strikes on 94 total pitches. Fried currently lines up to make his second start of the season Tuesday at Washington.

Nola allowed two earned runs on six hits and no walks while striking out six across 6.2 innings Thursday against the Braves. He did not factor into the decision.

Nola held a shutout through 6.2 innings, but he allowed a walk and then a home run to Pablo Sandoval prior to being pulled. That cost him the opportunity to earn a win, though his effort was otherwise outstanding, as he needed only 84 pitches to work deep into the game. On an Opening Day that saw many aces hit hard around the league, Nola appeared ready to replicate his outstanding 2020 campaign.

Woodruff didn't factor into the decision in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Twins. He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks while fanning five across four innings.

Woodruff started on Opening Day for the second straight year but wasn't very effective, lasting just four innings despite tossing 50 of his 78 pitches for strikes. He found a way to limit the damage, however, and that bodes well for the 28-year-old right-hander as he looks to build on a 2020 campaign in which he posted career highs in ERA (3.05), WHIP (0.99) and K/9 (11.12).

Hendricks (0-1) allowed three earned runs on four hits and three walks across three innings to take the loss Thursday against the Pirates. He struck out four.

Hendricks didn't come close to matching his 2020 Opening Day start, in which he recorded a complete-game shutout of the Brewers. The righty got off to a rough start, allowing a two-run home run to No. 2 hitter Ke'Bryan Hayes, and he was eventually pulled after 63 pitches. There will be better days ahead for Hendricks, and he'll look to turn things around when he takes the hill again Wednesday against Milwaukee.