MLB Player News

Whitlock struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Monday's 5-2 win over the Angels.

Whitlock was called upon with Boston holding a three-run lead in the top of the ninth and made quick work of the bottom of the Angels' lineup. He tossed nine of his 15 pitches for strikes and retired all three batters he faced en route to earning his third save of the season. Despite the save, Whitlock should continue as the Red Sox's preferred setup option behind star closer Aroldis Chapman, who wasn't available Monday after pitching three times in the previous four days. Whitlock lowered his ERA to 1.88 with Monday's excellent outing and has held the opposition scoreless in eight of his last nine relief appearances dating back to Aug. 15.

Bello (6-7) earned the win Monday against the Angels after allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven over five scoreless innings.

Bello returned to the rotation for his first start since June 4 and delivered five shutout frames. His biggest test came in the third when Los Angeles loaded the bases with two outs, but Bello retired Moises Ballesteros to escape without damage. The right-hander recorded his seventh career scoreless start, but it remains to be seen whether he'll stay in the rotation since he'd been thriving out of the bullpen as well. Bello owns a 2.03 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 62 innings as a reliever, yet he's stretched out enough to mix between both roles down the stretch if the Red Sox need him to do so.

Gimenez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an RBI double in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Athletics.

Gimenez supplied the RBI double during Toronto's seventh-inning rally. He also homered to tie the game in the ninth, but the Athletics were able to walk it off in their half of the frame. Gimenez hasn't gone hitless in consecutive games since late July, providing a steady bat in the bottom third of the order. He's hitting .244 with a .652 OPS, nine homers, 54 RBI, 36 runs scored, 21 doubles, one triple and 20 stolen bases over 134 contests this season.

Kirk went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Athletics.

Kirk has gone 10-for-35 (.286) over his last eight games, adding two homers and six RBI in that span. The catcher's blast got the Blue Jays on the board in the second inning. Kirk is batting .276 with a .767 OPS, nine homers, 35 RBI, 21 runs scored, seven doubles and a stolen base over 66 games this season.

Okamoto went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Athletics.

Okamoto went deep in the seventh inning as the Blue Jays started their comeback push. The third baseman has gone 7-for-23 (.304) over six games in September. For the season, he's hitting .232 with a .754 OPS, 29 homers, 82 RBI, 74 runs scored, 23 doubles and one stolen base over 139 contests.

Cease allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out six over five innings in a no-decision versus the Athletics on Monday.

Cease had posted a 1.71 ERA over 58 innings spanning nine starts since the All-Star break. He found some trouble in Sacramento, though the Blue Jays' offense did enough to prevent him from taking a loss. Cease is at a 2.40 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 227:67 K:BB across 161.1 innings over 27 starts this season. The right-hander is projected to make his next start at home versus the Orioles.

Gelof went 1-for-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored in Monday's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays.

Gelof has upped his speed game with four steals over his last five contests. He also has three home runs in September, producing some balance in the counting stats while maintaining a near-everyday role down the stretch. Gelof is hitting .257 with a .788 OPS, 17 homers, 14 steals, 44 RBI, 65 runs scored, 15 doubles and two triples across 94 contests this season.

Bolte went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, three walks, three stolen bases and three runs scored in Monday's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays.

Bolte is batting .346 (9-for-26) with three homers and five steals over seven games in September. The rookie outfielder had appeared to hit a wall in July, but he's gotten back on track and maintained a starting role late in the year. Overall, he's batting .275 with a .753 OPS, nine homers, 19 steals, 32 RBI, 46 runs scored, 13 doubles and one triple over 102 contests.

Harris (4-2) allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out one over 1.1 innings, taking a blown save but earning the win over the Blue Jays on Monday.

Harris served up a game-tying solo shot to Andres Gimenez in the ninth inning, but he was able to get the win when the Athletics answered back in their half of the frame. This outing ended a 6.2-inning scoreless streak for Harris, who earned three saves and two holds in that span. He's at a 3.45 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 83:39 K:BB with 15 saves in 22 chances and 12 holds over 62.2 innings this season. Harris and Elvis Alvarado have shared the closing duties for the Athletics recently.

Lopez allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out one over six-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Blue Jays on Monday.

Lopez had a quality start going, but he was left in too long and faded in the seventh inning. This marks the first time since July 7 where he's given more than two runs in an appearance. The 28-year-old southpaw is now at a 4.78 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 104:53 K:BB through 111 innings over 24 appearances (21 starts) this season. Lopez is projected to make his next start at home against the Mariners.