MLB Player News

Giolito (6-7) took the loss Friday as the Angels fell 4-1 to the Blue Jays, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out five.

Acquired from the White Sox on Wednesday, Giolito didn't pitch poorly in his debut for his new squad, but he got little run support and left the mound with the bases loaded after 73 pitches (45 strikes). Fortunately for his final line, Jose Soriano struck out two batters after relieving him to escape the jam. Giolito did serve up two more homers Friday, and his 22 long balls allowed on the season tie him for sixth-most in MLB, but he's been able to maintain palatable ratios with a 3.85 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 136:43 K:BB through 126.1 innings. The right-hander will look for his first win since June 28 in his next start, likely to come at home next week against the Mariners.

Dunning (8-4) yielded three runs on five hits and three walks over five innings Friday, striking out four and taking a loss in San Diego.

Dunning allowed two runs through four innings before Fernando Tatis drilled a solo homer in the fifth. In five July starts, Dunning posted a 5.06 ERA and a lackluster 17:9 K:BB through 26.2 frames. His season ERA has jumped to 3.28 after entering the month at 2.69. Dunning's next outing is projected to be at home against the White Sox.

Musgrove (10-3) allowed four hits and two walks over six shutout frames Friday, striking out five and earning a win over Texas.

Musgrove gave up two extra-base hits and had to work around some tight spots but still turned in his fourth scoreless appearance of the year. It took him about a month to shake off the early season rust, but he's been incredible since then; over his last 12 starts, Musgrove is 9-1 with a 1.84 ERA. On the year, his ERA sits at 3.05 to go with a 97:21 K:BB. His next start is projected to be in Colorado.

Rodriguez did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing three hits and two walks over 6.1 scoreless innings against the Yankees. He struck out four.

Rodriguez went toe-to-toe with Gerrit Cole, and the Orioles eventually came out on top thanks to late-game heroics from Anthony Santander. It was the rookie's first scoreless outing since April 29 and just his third of the season. It's been mixed results for the 2018 first-round pick in his first big-league season, but the talent is evident. When Rodriguez limits the walks and keeps the ball in the park, he can certainly turn heads with his strikeout numbers, but that hasn't always been the case this season. He's been solid since being recalled in mid-July, posting a 3.12 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, but he's not guaranteed a spot in Baltimore's rotation during the stretch run.

Cole did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing three hits over seven scoreless innings against the Orioles. He struck out five.

Cole notched his first outing with at least seven scoreless innings since his complete-game shutout versus Minnesota on April 16. However, it wasn't good enough for the win, as Baltimore's pitching staff blanked the Yankees' offense. Cole has been spectacular of late, posting a 2.20 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 36:5 K:BB while completing at least six innings in five straight games. Cole will look to stay hot during his next start, which is lined up for a matchup against Tampa Bay.

Garrett did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one unearned run on five hits and one walk over six innings in a 6-5 victory over the Tigers. He struck out six.

Garrett didn't allow an earned run versus the Tigers after surrendering 16 over his previous four starts. The long ball had been the left-hander's primary issue. He'd given up six home runs over five contests coming into Friday's matchup, including three last time out versus Colorado. Garrett has shown flashes of being an elite big-league pitcher, but he struggles to put everything together on a consistent basis. Regardless. He's already set a career high with 111 strikeouts this year and will continue to add to that total as long as he stays healthy.

Olson did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing four runs on eight hits over six innings against the Marlins. He struck out two and did not record a walk.

Olson made his third straight start following the All-Star break and completed at least six innings for the first time this season. However, the right-hander continues to struggle with the long ball, having now allowed four over his past three starts and eight across 11 total appearances. Olson has been able to eat up innings at the big-league level, but overall, his results have been subpar and his role remains in flux.

Wheeler (8-5) earned the win Friday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over 6.2 innings against the Pirates. He struck out 11.

Wheeler completed at least six innings for a fourth straight game and recorded his third outing of the season with at least 11 strikeouts. The right-hander hasn't been perfect this year, but he sports a solid 3.74 ERA and a stellar 145:24 K:BB across 21 starts (125 innings). Wheeler is under contract through 2024, but if he keeps pitching like he has recently (33:2 K:BB over last four appearances), the 33-year-old could start thinking about another long-term deal soon.

Keller (9-7) took the loss Friday, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks over 5.2 innings against the Phillies. He struck out eight.

Keller recorded at least eight strikeouts for the ninth time across 22 starts this season, but he finished one out away from a quality start and suffered his seventh loss. The right-hander came into the contest having allowed 14 runs over his past two starts, so Friday's outing was certainly a bounce-back performance, though still not good enough to pull out a win against Zack Wheeler and the Phillies. At one point, Keller was in the midst of a breakout campaign and the Pirates were contending for a division title, but his recent struggles have marred some of the excellent work he did earlier in the campaign. Either way, with 145 strikeouts he's already eclipsed the career-high mark he set last year (138) and is poised to continue adding to that total despite Pittsburgh falling completely out of the playoff picture.

Singer did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over five innings against Minnesota. He struck out 10.

Singer has established a new season high in strikeouts in back-to-back outings, having fanned nine his last time on the mound. He has a 19:3 K:BB in his last two starts spanning 11 innings. While his season numbers are still entirely underwhelming (5.46 ERA, 1.46 WHIP), this recent jump in strikeouts makes him interesting where he's available. Singer was serviceable last year and is better than he's shown overall this season. The soon-to-be 27-year-old tentatively lines up for a home start against the Mets next week.