MLB Player News

Pasquantino went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI, a walk and two runs scored in Saturday's 13-1 win over the Reds.

Pasquantino has picked up five RBI over his last three games, going 6-for-14 in that span. The first baseman contributed an RBI double in the Royals' seven-run third inning in this blowout win. Aside from a four-game dry spell from Aug. 9-13, Pasquantino has been dialed in during the second half. He's up to a .264/.318/.454 slash line with 18 home runs, 89 RBI, 57 runs scored, 27 doubles and a stolen base through 501 plate appearances.

Eovaldi (8-7) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and no walks while striking out six batters over seven-plus innings to take the loss against Minnesota on Saturday.

Eovaldi didn't give up a run until Trevor Larnach tagged him for a solo homer in the fourth. The right-hander cruised through the next three innings without giving up another score and carried a 2-1 lead into the eighth. However, Eovaldi allowed three straight singles in that frame before being pulled with the bases loaded and no outs. All three baserunners then came around to score after his departure. It was a tough finish for Eovaldi, who was hit with his third straight loss. During that span, he's allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over 15 frames despite a strong 17:3 K:BB.

Sands earned a save against the Rangers on Saturday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning of work.

Minnesota carried a three-run lead into the ninth inning, and manager Rocco Baldelli elected to call upon Sands with primary closer Jhoan Duran having pitched on three consecutive days. The decision proved to be the right one, as Sands cruised to a save by retiring the side in order on just nine pitches. The right-hander has registered a career-high four saves on the campaign, though his opportunities in that regard are highly unpredictable with Duran having a firm grasp on the closer role and Griffin Jax typically second in line with eight saves on the season.

Festa allowed two runs on six hits and no walks while striking out six batters over five innings in a no-decision against Texas on Saturday.

Festa racked up 15 whiffs in the outing as he continues to show good swing-and-miss stuff against big-league hitters. While the rookie right-hander hasn't tossed more than five innings in any of his seven appearances with the Twins, that's largely due to a managed workload -- he's yet to toss more than 82 pitches in an outing. After a pair of rough starts during his initial MLB cup of coffee in late June and early July, Festa has looked much better since rejoining the big club July 24, posting a 2.38 ERA and 31:8 K:BB over 22.2 frames.

Henderson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Red Sox on Saturday.

Henderson accounted for Baltimore's only run in the loss with his sixth-inning solo blast. The long ball was his third in his past four contests on the heels of a 23-game stretch during which he went deep just once. While Henderson's power numbers waned in the weeks following the All-Star break, he appears to be rounding back into form in that area and is still tied for sixth in the majors with 32 long balls on the season.

Devers went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 5-1 win against the Orioles.

Devers provided the Red Sox with a pair of insurance runs with his two-run blast in the eighth inning. The long ball was the third baseman's second in as many days following an 11-game stretch without a homer. Devers is up to 27 home runs and 77 RBI on the campaign, putting him within reach of the fourth 30-homer, 100-RBI season of his career.

Bello (11-5) earned the win over Baltimore on Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out six batters over six innings.

Bello tossed five scoreless frames before serving up a game-tying solo homer to Gunnar Henderson in the sixth inning. That was the hurler's final frame, but Boston scored in the top of the seventh to move him in line for the victory. Bello has shown considerable improvement since the All-Star break, notching five quality starts across seven outings and posting a 3.57 ERA across 40.1 innings. The improvement in ERA is particularly promising after the right-hander recorded a 5.40 ERA over 83.1 frames during the first half of the season.

Blanco went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and seven RBI in Saturday's 13-1 rout of the Reds.

Blanco was probably the last KC starter anyone would have expected to notch a multi-homer game, as he entered Saturday with just one long ball over 105 plate appearances on the season. However, the 31-year-old hit two long balls in the span of two innings, smacking a two-run homer in the second frame and adding a grand slam in the third. For good measure, Blanco notched an RBI single in the fourth inning for his seventh RBI of the game -- two more than he had accumulated over those 105 plate appearances coming into the contest.

Wacha (10-6) earned the win over Cincinnati on Saturday, allowing four hits and issuing one walk while striking out nine batters over six scoreless innings.

The Royals built a 10-run lead through three frames, so Wacha didn't face much pressure in the contest. Still, he didn't let down his guard, yielding just four hits -- all of which were singles -- while tossing six scoreless frames for his fourth consecutive quality start. Wacha's nine punchouts were a season high, and he reached the double-digit win mark for the fifth time in his 12-year career.

The Orioles will option Povich to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Povich was brought up to the big-league club to start Saturday's game against the Red Sox and give the other members of the Orioles' rotation an additional day of rest. The 24-year-old was dealt the loss but pitched well, completed 6.1 innings and striking out six batters while allowing two runs on six hits and no walks. He'll head back to Norfolk for the time being but should be first in line to join the rotation if a spot opens up at some point down the road. After Saturday's loss, Povich has a 1-6 record to go along with a 5.77 ERA and 31:23 K:BB across 43.2 innings in the big leagues.