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Luke Weaver RP | PIT
Yankees' Luke Weaver: Back on track with 21st hold
Weaver picked up a hold against the Rockies on Friday, walking one batter and striking out one in a scoreless inning of work.
After Carlos Rodon started and gave New York six scoreless frames, Weaver followed in the seventh and worked around a two-out walk to keep the shutout going. The hold was the righty reliever's team-leading 21st of the campaign after he entered the season without any holds over eight years that were mostly spent as a starter. Weaver has recorded five consecutive scoreless outings following a five-run implosion in a loss against Texas on Aug. 10.
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Jose Altuve 2B | HOU
Astros' Jose Altuve: Blasts 17th home run
Altuve went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Friday against the Orioles.
Altuve had one home run in July, but he went deep for the third time in his last 13 games Friday. He also has three stolen bases across 19 starts in August, and his 18 steals for the season match his highest mark since 2017.
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DJ LeMahieu 2B | NYY
Yankees' DJ LeMahieu: Clears concussion protocol
Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that LeMahieu's condition has improved and he's cleared concussion protocol, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
LeMahieu was scratched from the Yankees' lineup Friday after taking a ball off his face during pregame warmups, though he escaped with just bruising. He'll remain out of the lineup for Saturday's contest but should be able to return to action within the next few days.
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Aaron Judge RF | NYY
Yankees' Aaron Judge: Launches 49th homer
Judge went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday in a 3-0 win against Colorado.
Judge went deep off Kyle Freeland in the sixth inning to extend his streak of games with at least one long ball to four. The slugger is now one homer shy of reaching 50 for the third time in his career -- he'll be the fifth player in MLB history to accomplish that feat, joining Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez. Judge is on pace for 62 home runs this season, which would tie the AL record he established in 2022.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Sitting Saturday
Stanton isn't in the Yankees' lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies.
After recording a home run in back-to-back games, Stanton will now get a breather against Bradley Blalock and the Rockies. Aaron Judge will fill in as New York's designated hitter while Trent Grisham starts in center field.
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Lawrence Butler RF | ATH
Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Belts 14th homer
Butler went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 11-3 loss to the Brewers.
He drove the second pitch he saw from Aaron Civale deep to right-center field, giving the A's an early 1-0 lead, but things unraveled quickly for Oakland after that. Butler has cooled down significantly in August, slashing .203/.250/.359 through 19 games, but on the season the 24-year-old still sports a .760 OPS with 14 homers and 11 steals in 95 contests.
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JP Sears SP | SD
Athletics' JP Sears: Crumbles against Brew Crew
Sears (10-9) took the loss Friday, surrendering seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk over 3.2 innings in an 11-3 loss to the Brewers. He struck out three.
The southpaw saw his four-game quality start streak end with a resounding thud, as Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz took him deep in a five-run second inning for Milwaukee. Sears has given up three runs or fewer in eight of his last 11 starts, but he's been hammered for at least seven runs in each of the other three -- volatility that has left him with a 4.50 ERA in 62 innings over that stretch despite a 1.18 WHIP and 58:10 K:BB. Sears will try to shake it off in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next week in Cincinnati.
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Will Vest RP | DET
Tigers' Will Vest: Secures win Friday
Vest (3-4) tossed 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in Friday's 5-2 victory over the White Sox. He allowed one hit.
Vest came on with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, then worked through the seventh inning as well to earn the win when the Tigers scored twice in the top half to break a 2-2 tie. The veteran righty is having another quality season with a 3.11 ERA across 55 innings of relief. Vest is getting high-leverage work, though Jason Foley is seeing the bulk of the save opportunities for the Tigers, including in Friday's contest.
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David Festa P | MIN
Twins' David Festa: Folds against Cards
Festa (2-3) took the loss Friday, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks over 3.2 innings as the Twins fell 6-1 to the Cardinals. He struck out five.
The rookie right-hander tossed an inefficient 75 pitches (45 strikes) as he saw another early exit. The Twins are being cautious with Festa and the 24-year-old has yet to pitch more than five innings in any of his first eight big-league appearances (seven starts), but that babying hasn't led to impressive numbers. Through 36.1 innings, he's served up seven homers and been saddled with a 5.20 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, despite a 44:11 K:BB that highlights his potential. Festa will try to keep the ball in the yard in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against Atlanta.
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Matt Vierling CF | DET
Tigers' Matt Vierling: Drives in two Friday
Vierling went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double and two RBI in Friday's 5-2 win over the White Sox.
Vierling extended his hitting streak to three games and he's having a nice August, batting .286 for the month. The utility player is batting .255 overall with a .728 OPS. He's mostly been playing in the outfield lately, including his start in right Friday, though he's mixing in occasional time at third base. Vierling's versatility should continue to get him in on the field most days for the Tigers.