MLB Player News

Sanchez (10-3) picked up the win Tuesday, scattering three hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings in an 8-0 rout of the Pirates. He struck out nine.

The southpaw became the first starting pitcher in the majors this season to reach double-digit wins, although the Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski joined him later Tuesday night, and Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby has an MLB-leading 11 victories. Sanchez fired 66 of 92 pitches for strikes in a dominant performance that wasn't even derailed by a small cut on the top of his left thumb he picked up in the second inning. Over 11 starts and 76.2 innings since the beginning of May, Sanchez has dialed up a 1.53 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 86:10 K:BB to emerge as one of the frontrunners for the NL Cy Young Award. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Kansas City.

Chandler (3-8) took the loss Tuesday, giving up five runs on seven hits and two walks over 6.1 innings as the Pirates were blanked 8-0 by the Phillies. He struck out six.

The right-hander kept things close until running out of gas in the seventh inning after 97 pitches (65 strikes), but Chandler had no margin for error with Cristopher Sanchez locked in for Philly. It's the first time since June 2 that Chandler has been tagged for more than two earned runs, and over six starts on the month he posted a 4.28 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 27:12 K:BB in 33.2 innings. He'll look to bounce back in his next outing, which is set to come on the road this weekend against the Nationals.

De La Cruz batted leadoff and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-2 loss to Milwaukee.

Fresh off the injured list a week ago, De La Cruz endured a four-game stretch in which he had one hit in 14 at-bats but has turned that around. He's hit in three straight games since, going 4-for-13 with a home run, a double, two RBI and three runs scored. De La Cruz has served as the leadoff hitter the last four games since Blake Dunn (elbow) landed on the injured list.

McLain entered Tuesday's game as a pinch hitter and played an inning in center field. He went 0-for-1 and caught a line drive in a 7-2 loss to the Brewers.

McLain pinch hit for center fielder TJ Friedl in the eighth inning before finishing the game in the outfield -- his first time playing there as a major-leaguer. Normally an infielder, McLain did pregame drills in the center field the last two days and could get more work in games there as the Reds cope with injuries to Blake Dunn (elbow) and Dane Myers (shoulder).

Kepler went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 8-2 win over the Giants.

Kepler, who recently completed an 80-game suspension, was hitless in his first nine at-bats with Arizona before snapping that run of futility with a first-inning double. He later singled and scored in the fourth. Kepler has started four of his five games with the club, taking over the strong side of a platoon in left field with Lourdes Gurriel, who's been the team's primary designated hitter since Kepler's arrival.

Velazquez went 2-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 5-3 win over Atlanta.

Velazquez put the Cardinals on the board with a solo homer off Martin Perez in the fourth inning. It was his third homer of the year. Since being recalled May 29, the slugger is batting .316 (12-for-38) while starting almost exclusively against southpaws. He is unlikely to earn everyday at-bats, but the Cardinals should continue rotating him into the lineup in place of Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar or Nathan Church whenever they face a left-handed starter.

Stewart went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and two RBI in Tuesday's 7-2 loss to the Brewers.

Stewart accounted for all of Cincinnati's offense Tuesday. In the first inning he opened the scoring with a solo homer off Brandon Sproat, and he doubled home Elly De La Cruz in the sixth to chase Sproat from the game. The young first baseman is batting .317 over his last 10 games while recording five multi-hit performances and driving in 12 runs during that stretch.

Bauers went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Reds.

After collecting singles in each of his first two at-bats, Bauers led off the sixth inning by crushing the first pitch he saw from Rhett Lowder for a 425-foot solo homer. The blast was his 15th of the season. He is now batting .310 over his last nine games, including three multi-hit performances. Through 74 contests this year, Bauers is slashing .272/.377/.508 with 15 home runs, 12 doubles, one triple, 50 RBI, 49 runs scored and five stolen bases.

Lowder (3-6) took the loss Tuesday against the Brewers, allowing six runs on 11 hits and one walk while striking out eight over 4.2 innings.

Lowder flashed electric stuff early, coming one pitch shy of an immaculate inning in the first and recording another strikeout-filled frame in the third. However, things unraveled in the fourth, as he surrendered six singles -- five consecutively -- leading to four runs. The right-hander returned for the fifth, but Jake Bauers greeted him by sending the first pitch over the fence for a solo homer. While the eight strikeouts established a new career high, so did the 11 hits allowed. Lowder has not completed six innings since April 20 and has posted a 0-5 record with a 7.22 ERA across 33.2 innings since. He is set to face Baltimore at home his next time out.

Conine went 4-for-5 with a double, a walk, a run and two RBI in a 14-3 romp over the Rockies on Tuesday.

Conine got the scoring started for Miami with a run-scoring double in the first inning. He went on to reach base four more times before the night was over, finishing with the first four-hit game of his career. Conine has reached base safely in five of his past six games, batting .400 (8-for-20) with a home run, two doubles, six RBI and a 4:6 BB:K over that stretch, and he's been getting steady playing time against right-handed pitching since coming off the IL on June 21, while bouncing between four different positions (DH, right field, left field and first base).