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Erick Fedde RP | CHW
Brewers' Erick Fedde: Takes 13th loss in Brewers debut
Fedde (4-13) was saddled with the loss Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs on eight hits and no walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out two.
Piggybacking off opener Aaron Ashby, Fedde functioned as a long reliever in his Brewers debut and poured in 52 of his 71 pitches for strikes. Quinn Priester was originally tabbed to start earlier in the day before being pushed back, so it's unclear how Milwaukee will choose to deploy Fedde going forward. Fedde will likely be unavailable out of the bullpen for at least a few days following Wednesday's showing, and his unsightly 5.71 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 78:60 K:BB across 129.1 innings leave him without much fantasy appeal.
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Colin Rea SP | CHC
Cubs' Colin Rea: Trampled by Giants
Rea (10-6) took the loss against San Francisco on Wednesday, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out two batters over 4.2 innings.
Rea fell behind quickly, as Rafael Devers knocked his seventh pitch of the game over the outfield wall for a solo homer. Rea managed to get through a scoreless second frame, but things unraveled for him in the third, when the Giants got to him for three runs despite managing just two hits. The right-hander gave up three more runs (two of which were earned) in the fifth and was pulled before he could finish the frame. The poor outing snapped a string of four straight starts in which Rea had surrendered two or fewer earned runs. He's been middling overall this year with a 4.23 ERA through 132 innings, but he's been prone to blow-ups, giving up five or more earned runs on five different occasions.
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Carson Whisenhunt SP | SF
Giants' Carson Whisenhunt: Picks up win Wednesday
Whisenhunt (2-1) earned the victory over the Cubs on Wednesday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three batters over five innings.
All three runs Whisenhunt allowed came on a second-inning homer off the bat of Nico Hoerner. Following that long ball, Whisenhunt settled in to retire nine of the final 12 batters he faced. The southpaw completed five frames for the first time over his past three starts, though he has yet to complete six innings in any outing this season. That partly has to do with a lack of control -- Whisenhunt has issued multiple free passes in all five of his MLB appearances on the campaign and has a poor 16:12 K:BB through 23.1 frames. Nonetheless, he has a 2-1 record and seems set to remain in San Francisco's rotation, with his next start scheduled to take place in Colorado next week.
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Noelvi Marte RF | CIN
Reds' Noelvi Marte: Tags Ohtani for homer
Marte went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in a loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday.
A day after making his first career start in center field, Marte served as the Reds' right fielder Wednesday. He accounted for Cincinnati's only run of the contest when he swatted a solo homer off Shohei Ohtani in the third inning. Marte came into the game in a 3-for-19 stretch at the plate, which was on the heels of an 11-game hitting streak during which he batted a robust .447.
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Michael Conforto DH | CHC
Dodgers' Michael Conforto: Snaps homer drought Wednesday
Conforto went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-1 win against the Reds on Wednesday.
Conforto gave Los Angeles an insurance run with his solo blast in the eighth inning. It was his first homer since July 27 -- a span of 25 games during which he slashed a paltry .164/.260/.224. It's been a rough season for Conforto overall, as his .631 OPS is on pace to be the lowest of his career by far. The Dodgers have mostly stuck with him, though Hyeseong Kim (shoulder) has been playing left field during his current rehab stint and could cut into Conforto's playing time at the position once activated from the IL.
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Nick Lodolo SP | CIN
Reds' Nick Lodolo: Done in by fourth inning in return
Lodolo (8-7) took the loss against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out six batters over 4.2 innings.
Lodolo made his first start since Aug. 4, as he spent over three weeks on the injured list due to a finger blister on his pitching hand. The southpaw began his outing in fine form, retiring the first nine batters he faced, but hit a roadblock in the fourth frame, when Los Angeles tallied four runs on five hits against him. Lodolo did manage to rack up 14 whiffs and six punchouts, so this wasn't an entirely disheartening outing. He still carries a strong 3.22 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 130:25 K:BB over 134.1 innings on the season, and his next start is slated to come against the Blue Jays next week.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Completes five innings, nabs win
Ohtani (1-1) earned the win over Cincinnati on Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out nine batters over five innings.
Ohtani gave up a solo homer to Noelvi Marte in the third inning, but the Reds otherwise weren't able to do much against him. The two-way star got 14 whiffs on his 87 pitches and fanned a season-high nine batters. Of note, Ohtani threw 23 curveballs Wednesday -- per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, which blew away his previous career-high total of 16. It's equally important that Ohtani was allowed to finish the fifth inning -- it was the first time this season he's gone that deep, which by rule means it's the first time he was able to qualify for a victory. That's a significant development for fantasy managers, as the Japanese superstar should be able to help in that category moving forward while potentially building upon his already impressive 44:7 K:BB through 32.1 frames.
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Sonny Gray SP | BOS
Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Saddled with loss
Gray (12-7) took the loss Wednesday against Pittsburgh, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks across seven innings. He struck out seven.
Gray was incredibly efficient, needing just 87 pitches to complete seven innings -- a feat he has accomplished three times in five starts this month. The 35-year-old snapped a streak of seven consecutive starts in which he surrendered a home run. During August, Gray has a 3.48 ERA and a 35:8 K:BB across 31 innings. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Athletics early next week.
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Carmen Mlodzinski RP | PIT
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Goes three innings in start
Mlodzinski didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Cardinals, allowing one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts across three innings.
Mlodzinski drew his 11th start of the season, though he threw just 46 pitches before handing the ball off to Bubba Chandler. Mlodzinski has been excellent in August, owning a 2.04 ERA and a 22:6 K:BB across 17.2 innings spanning seven appearances. Unless the Pirates look to give a starter an additional day of rest or move to a six-man rotation, Mlodzinski should move back to his typical relief role.
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Bubba Chandler SP | PIT
Pirates' Bubba Chandler: Logs first big-league win
Chandler (1-0) picked up the win Wednesday against the Cardinals, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
Chandler served as a long reliever for a second straight appearance, taking the mound to start the fourth inning and firing four scoreless frames. Chandler has now logged a save and a victory in his first two MLB appearances, and he's allowed no runs on three hits with six strikeouts across eight innings during that stretch. The highly touted prospect has looked as advertised through two appearances.