MLB Player News

The Cardinals will recall pitcher Carlos Martinez to start Thursday's scheduled game against the Dodgers, MLB.com reports. Jake Westbrook was the scheduled starter Thursday, but he threw 4 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 13-4 loss to the Dodgers after Wednesday starter Shelby Miller threw just two pitches before exiting with an elbow injury.

Martinez, who has made 10 relief appearances for the Cardinals, has allowed just one earned run on five hits and six walks while striking out seven in 10 innings in his two starts since rejoining Triple-A Memphis.

Dodgers pitcher Ricky Nolasco picked up his eighth win in his team's 13-4 victory over the Cardinals Wednesday night, giving up three runs, none earned, on seven hits and one walk while striking out five in five innings.

Nolasco hasn't completed six full innings in any of his last five starts, yet he has surrendered three earned runs or fewer in each start during that stretch. He takes an 8-9 record, 3.65 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 117:36 K:BB ratio into Monday's matchup with the Mets.

The Phillies failed to give starting pitcher Cole Hamels much in the way of support yet again Wednesday against the Cubs, as his winless streak stretched to five starts.

Hamels tossed seven strong innings in the game, allowing just two runs on six hits. Unfortunately, the Phillies' offense mustered little support for Hamels, who exited the game stuck in a 2-2 tie.

Hamels struck out three batters and walked none, while tossing 61 of 82 pitches for strikes. The Phillies would go on to lose the game, 5-2, with Hamels settling for a no-decision.  He is now 0-2 over his last five starts, despite lasting at least seven innings in four of five starts and posting a 2.43 ERA over that span.

Hamels remains 4-13 on the season with a 3.81 ERA through 24 starts. He will try to win for the first time since July 9 when he takes the mound Monday against the Braves. 

Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton moved to 4-3 in his team's 4-2 win over the Marlins Wednesday, allowing just two earned runs on six hits while striking out five and walking none in seven innings.

Morton needed just 86 pitches to complete seven innings but was removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh. The seven-inning effort matched his longest of the season. He brings a 3.88 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 43:12 K:BB ratio into Tuesday's start against the Cardinals.

After a poor start, Diamondbacks pitcher Wade Miley has been able to turn his season around, according to MLB.com.

Miley has posted a sub-2.00 ERA since July. A big part of that success has been a calmer approach on the mound. "Earlier I was getting upset with myself over one or two minor mistakes and it caused things to escalate," Miley said after Tuesday's win against the Rays. "Now I'm doing a better job of staying under control and recognizing when I need to regroup." Manager Kirk Gibson agreed, saying Miley wasn't overthinking things on the mound anymore.   

In 141 2/3 innings, Miley has a 3.56 ERA.

Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley (9-8) turned in a dominant performance as he picked up his ninth win of the season Tuesday night at home against the Rays. The left-hander permitted one run on five hits and two walks while striking out five over seven innings pitched in a 5-1 win.

Miley has won three straight starts and has allowed only two earned runs combined over that span (21 innings). He is scheduled to make his next start Sunday at home against the Mets. He tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his previous meeting against the Mets on July 1. 

Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (10-7) tossed a quality start but was hit with the loss Tuesday night against the Cardinals. The left-hander yielded two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings pitched in a 5-1 defeat.

Kershaw has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last four starts. He is scheduled to make his next start Sunday at home against the Rays. He is 6-4 with a stellar 1.59 ERA in 13 starts at Dodger Stadium this season.

Marlins starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez continued his strong pitching Tuesday against the Pirates, though he had to settle for a no-decision in a 4-3 loss.

Alvarez tossed a quality start for the fifth outing in a row, as he limited Pittsburgh to three runs in seven innings of work. Alvarez actually had an early 3-0 lead after the top of the third inning, but allowed three runs in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game.

Alvarez exited with the game tied after seven innings, having allowed three runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out a season-high six batters, while throwing 62 of 90 pitches for strikes.

Alvarez's ERA rose to 2.80 in 45 innings, while he record stayed static at 2-1. His next start is scheduled for Sunday against the Braves.

Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran (9-5) stayed sharp as he picked up his ninth win of the season Tuesday night against the Nationals in Washington. The right-hander yielded one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings pitched in a 2-1 victory.

Teheran has allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of his last 10 starts. He has not lost a decision since July 14. He is scheduled to make his next start Monday at home against Philadelphia. He is 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 11 starts at Turner Field this season.

Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright was quality on Monday night at home against Los Angeles. On this night against the Dodgers, it wasn't enough.

Zack Greinke picked up his 100th career victory and Wainwright suffered the defeat to fall to 13-7 on the season. Wainwright allowed three earned runs on seven hits and two walks over seven innings Monday. He threw 105 pitches and struck out five batters for the Cardinals.

With an excellent 2.66 ERA, Wainwright will make his next scheduled start Saturday at home versus the Chicago Cubs.