MLB Player News

Williams (1-5) took the loss against Texas on Saturday, allowing five runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 3.2 innings.

Williams started on short notice after Chris Bassitt landed on the COVID-19-related injured list Friday. The spot start wasn't entirely new for Williams -- he has been the opener for seven of his 15 appearances on the campaign -- but it may have contributed to the poor outing. Of the five hits Williams gave up, four went for extra bases, including three that left the park. Prior to Saturday, the veteran right-hander hadn't given up more than two long balls in any outing. He now has a 4.34 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over 45.2 innings this season.

Perez (7-2) earned the win over the Mets on Saturday, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four over 6.2 innings.

Perez was tagged for two homers in the contest, but those were the only hits that produced any runs for the Mets. He continues to go deep into games regularly -- this was the 13th time in 16 starts this season that he has completed at least six innings. Perez has tallied 12 quality starts among those outings, tied for fourth in the majors. The veteran southpaw has been one of the game's most pleasant surprises on the mound this season, posting a 2.34 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 7-2 record over 100 innings.

Sandoval (3-3) took the loss against Houston on Saturday, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out nine batters.

Sandoval had his swing-and-miss stuff working in the contest, as he racked up 18 whiffs and tied a season high with nine strikeouts. However, Houston got to him for five runs in the first two innings, creating a deficit that the Los Angeles offense couldn't overcome. To Sandoval's credit, he hung around for five frames and allowed only two hits over his final three innings, but the early damage resulted in his third loss of the campaign. This was the second time that the left-hander has allowed five earned runs in a game this season, but he's been good overall with a 3.09 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 74 strikeouts over 70 innings. His biggest issue has been walks -- his 4.1 BB/9 ranks in the bottom 10 percent among pitchers who have tossed at least 50 innings.

Keuchel (2-6) allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts over five innings, taking the loss Saturday versus the Rockies.

Keuchel didn't do that well in his first start for Arizona on June 26, and pitching at Coors Field was a tough ask for him in his encore. He got off to a rough beginning, yielding four runs, including a three-run home to Brendan Rodgers, in the first inning. Keuchel got into trouble again in the fourth, allowing a bases-clearing triple to Connor Joe. In 10 starts this year, Keuchel sports an 8.27 ERA, 2.10 WHIP and 30:26 K:BB across 41.1 innings between the Diamondbacks and the White Sox. The southpaw's spot in the rotation is far from secure, but he lines up for a home rematch with the Rockies next week if he gets another turn.

Urquidy (7-3) earned the win over the Angels on Saturday, pitching six innings and allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out eight batters.

Aside from a Taylor Ward solo home run in the third inning, Los Angeles was unable to put any runs on the board against the Houston hurler. Urquidy walked three but also racked up 17 swinging strikes and posted eight punchouts -- his most since May 22. The fourth-year pitcher has given up exactly one run in each of his past three contests, lowering his ERA to 4.15 on the campaign.

Gomber (4-7) allowed four runs on six hits and no walks with two strikeouts in 5.2 innings, earning the win Saturday over the Diamondbacks.

Gomber gave up two of the four runs on solo shots by Christian Walker and Ketel Marte. Back on June 19, Gomber lost his spot in the rotation, but he should stick in a starting role after Antonio Senzatela (shoulder) landed on the 15-day injured list Saturday. Gomber has an uninspiring 6.53 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 54:22 K:BB across 73 innings in 15 appearances (13 starts). He's projected for a road rematch in Arizona next week.

Kirby didn't factor in the decision against Oakland on Saturday despite allowing just one run over seven innings. He gave up three hits and one walk while striking out nine.

Kirby fell behind by a run in the first inning but held Oakland scoreless the rest of the way, retiring 16 of the final 17 batters he faced. The right-hander racked up 15 swinging strikes and tied his career high with nine punchouts, but he had to settle for a no-decision since Seattle wasn't able to get on the scoreboard until the eighth frame. This was a strong bounce-back outing for Kirby after he allowed a career-worst seven runs over four innings in his previous start. He is putting together a standout rookie campaign, posting a 3.75 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 58:8 K:BB over 60 frames.

Darvish (7-4) took the loss Saturday against the Dodgers, allowing five runs on eight hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts in six innings.

Darvish had a tough first inning, surrendering solo shots to Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Justin Turner. The Dodgers got to Darvish for runs in the second and third frames as well before the right-hander finished off his start strong by retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced. While the 10 strikeouts were a season high, Darvish's quality start streak ended at four with the unsteady effort. He has a 3.53 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 85:18 K:BB through 94.1 innings in 15 starts overall, and he's lined up for a home start against the Giants next weekend.

Blackburn pitched 6.1 scoreless innings against Seattle on Saturday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out five. He did not factor in the decision.

Blackburn stranded three runners in scoring position over the first two innings before settling in and retiring 14 straight batters. The right-hander was pulled while ahead by a run with one out and one on in the seventh, but he had to settle for a no-decision when the Mariners tied the score in the following frame. This was Blackburn's first quality start since June 10 and only his second such performance over his past nine outings. He's slowed down a bit after a remarkable start to the campaign, but the veteran still has a strong 2.90 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 67:22 K:BB over 87 frames overall.

Anderson (9-1) allowed a run on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings, earning the win Saturday over the Padres.

Anderson had a rough go against the Rockies in his last start, and he'd allowed four runs in three of his previous four outings before righting the ship Saturday. The damage on his line came from a Trent Grisham sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. The 32-year-old southpaw has been good in 2022 overall with a 3.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 73:15 K:BB across 84.1 innings, though the recent results have been somewhat mixed. He'll look to build off this successful start when he makes his next projected start versus the Cubs next week.