MLB Player News

Rodriguez (13-8) pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout to earn the win Sunday over Washington.

With a playoff spot on the line, manager Alex Cora took no chances, turning to Rodriguez in the eighth inning after the southpaw threw five shutout innings Friday. Rodriguez delivered a solid relief appearance, and Boston took the lead in the ninth to put him in line for the win. The 28-year-old ended the regular season with a 4.74 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 185:47 K:BB across 157.2 innings, primarily as a starter. He was marginally better after the All-Star break with a 3.76 ERA in 67 innings across his last 14 starts, which bodes well for his chances of being in the postseason rotation should Nathan Eovaldi and Boston beat the Yankees in Tuesday's AL Wild Card Game.

Sale gave up two runs on four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in 2.1 innings, taking a no-decision versus Washington in Sunday's regular-season finale.

With Boston needing a win to clinch a playoff berth, manager Alex Cora was quick to give Sale the hook once he pitched into a jam in the third inning. The southpaw ended the regular season with a 3.16 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 52:12 K:BB in 42.2 innings across nine starts. Should Boston get through Tuesday's AL Wild Card Game versus the Yankees, Sale would line up for a start versus the Rays in the ALDS.

Anderson (7-11) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks across 1.2 innings, taking the loss to the Angels on Sunday.

Anderson surrendered a leadoff home run to Shohei Ohtani in the first inning, and the Angels mustered a pair of runs in each of the first two frames. The right-hander was quickly pulled after just 37 pitches, as Seattle was fighting for a wild card spot. However, the Angels maintained the lead and Anderson was stuck with the final loss of the season. The 31-year-old finished with a 4.81 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 63.2 innings.

Adon allowed two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out nine over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus Boston on Sunday.

The 23-year-old gave up a few too many baserunners, but he left the game in line for the win before Washington's bullpen gave up the lead. Adon logged a 4.97 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 122:40 K:BB across 105 innings across three different levels of the minors, although 17 of his 21 starts came at High-A Wilmington. He'll likely need more time at Triple-A Rochester to begin 2022, barring a standout performance in spring training.

Detmers allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two across 1.2 innings in the win over the Mariners on Sunday. He did not factor into the decision.

Detmers started the season finale after his previous appearance came back on Aug. 21. He failed to last two innings, allowing all three of his hits in the second frame. The rookie struggled in his five starts this season, carrying a 7.40 ERA and 1.79 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.

Civale (12-5) threw six shutout innings to earn the win over Texas on Sunday. He allowed three hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The right-hander endured a rough return to action in September after missing over two months with a sprained finger. He turned in just two quality starts in his last six outings, with Sunday's arguably the best of the bunch. Civale sported a 3.32 ERA through his first 15 starts this year, but the uneven final month bumped that mark up to 3.84 in 124.1 innings. The 26-year-old added a 1.12 WHIP and 99:31 K:BB in 21 starts.

Dunning (5-10) took the loss Sunday versus Cleveland, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk in three innings. He struck out three.

Cleveland had little trouble putting traffic on the bases, and Dunning couldn't escape trouble, as he allowed three runs in the third inning. The right-hander ends the season with a 4.51 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 114:43 K:BB over 117.2 innings in his first full season. He should be good to go for a full starter's workload in 2022 after working abbreviated appearances after a stay on the COVID-19 injured list in late August and early September.

Urquidy allowed three earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three across six innings in the win over the Athletics on Sunday. He did not factor into the decision.

Urquidy surrendered home runs to Seth Brown and Tony Kemp, giving him five long balls allowed in his last three starts. The 26-year-old finished the season with a 3.62 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 90 punchouts in 107 innings. He will be a key pitcher in Houston's postseason run.

Cease allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five in four innings during Sunday's loss to the Tigers. He didn't factor into the decision.

Cease exited his last start due to a bruised right triceps, but he was sharp in his return to the mound Sunday. The right-hander recorded a 0.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 24:2 K:BB in 14.1 innings across his final three starts of the regular season, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him factor into the team's postseason rotation plans.

Irvin allowed four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four across six innings in the loss to the Astros on Sunday. He did not factor into the decision.

Irvin allowed home runs to Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers and Kyle Tucker. It was just his second start this season during which he surrendered three long balls. He went 1-7 over final 11 starts, finishing the season with a 4.24 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. The 27-year-old had just 125 strikeouts in 178.1 innings.