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Kyle Schwarber DH | PHI
Phillies' Kyle Schwarber: Turns tide with grand slam
Schwarber went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in a 9-5 win against the Marlins on Wednesday.
Schwarber struck out in three of his five plate appearances, but he also had the biggest hit in the game, crushing a grand slam in the fourth inning that turned a three-run Phillies deficit into a one-run lead. The long ball was his first in six games since Schwarber slugged three homers against the Dodgers on Aug. 7, and it also snapped a four-game hitless stretch during which he went 0-for-14. Of Schwarber's last 13 hits, nine (six home runs and three doubles) have gone for extra bases.
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Edward Cabrera SP | CHC
Marlins' Edward Cabrera: Falters against Phillies
Cabrera (2-4) took the loss against Philadelphia on Wednesday, allowing six runs on six hits and four walks while striking out two batters over four innings.
Cabrera was handed an early 3-0 lead but couldn't hold it. The big blow against him was a Kyle Schwarber grand slam in the fourth inning that turned a three-run lead into a one-run deficit. Cabrera had been pitching well coming into Wednesday, posting 12 scoreless innings over his previous two starts. However, walks have been an issue for him this season -- he's issued multiple free passes in 10 of his 13 starts and has handed out 35 walks across 59.1 frames overall. It's an issue that has plagued Cabrera throughout his career, as he has posted a BB/9 lower than 5.0 in just one of his four MLB campaigns.
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Tyler Phillips SP | MIA
Phillies' Tyler Phillips: Continues to struggle Wednesday
Phillips allowed five runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out four batters over 4.1 innings in a no-decision against Miami on Wednesday.
Phillips fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and gave up two more runs in the fourth. The right-handed rookie avoided a loss thanks to a productive Phillies offense, but he continued his string of recent struggles. After turning heads to begin his MLB career with a 1.80 ERA, three wins and a 19:2 K:BB over his first four outings, Phillips has since given up 17 runs with an 8:5 K:BB across 11 innings over his subsequent three starts. His time in the Phillies' rotation could be nearing an end, as Ranger Suarez (back) is expected to return during the team's Aug. 23-25 series in Kansas City.
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TJ Friedl CF | CIN
Reds' TJ Friedl: Belts two homers in win
Friedl went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in Wednesday's 9-2 victory versus St. Louis.
Both Friedl and teammate Jonathan India went deep twice in the contest as Cincinnati completed a three-game sweep. It was the first multi-homer performance of the campaign for Friedl as he continued a recent power surge that has seen him slug four homers over his past eight games. Prior to that span, Friedl had gone deep five times across his first 37 contests of the campaign.
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Jonathan India 2B | KC
Reds' Jonathan India: Enjoys big day at plate
India went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in a 9-2 win against the Cardinals on Wednesday.
India tormented St. Louis starter Kyle Gibson, touching up the veteran hurler for a three-run homer in the third inning and a solo shot in the fifth. The power outburst came on the heels of a rough stretch for India during which he batted a paltry .138 with only one homer over his previous 24 contests. In fact, the second baseman had been in a five-game, 0-for-20 slump prior to breaking out Wednesday.
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Kyle Gibson SP | BAL
Cardinals' Kyle Gibson: Roughed up by Reds
Gibson (7-5) took the loss against Cincinnati on Wednesday, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out six batters over 4.2 innings.
Gibson was particularly hurt by the long ball, as the Reds scored their first six runs by way of four homers, including two by Jonathan India. Prior to Wednesday, Gibson had been pretty good at keeping the ball in the park, posting a 1.0 HR/9 on the season and surrendering just two homers over his previous six starts. Gibson's problem with home runs Wednesday may thus prove to be just an aberration, and he'll look to bounce back in his next start, which tentatively lines up to be at home against Milwaukee.
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Jorge Soler DH | LAA
Braves' Jorge Soler: Won't play Thursday
Manager Brian Snitker said after Wednesday's 13-2 win over the Giants that Soler (hamstring) will not play in Thursday's series finale in San Francisco, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Soler injured his hamstring while running to first base in the fourth inning of Wednesday's contest, and while the overall concern level regarding his injury seems low, Atlanta will take a cautious approach and hold him out for at least one game. The slugging outfielder is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday, per Toscano, which will help Atlanta determine if Soler will need to miss any more time.
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Carson Spiers RP | CIN
Reds' Carson Spiers: Works 2.2 frames in bulk relief
Spiers pitched 2.2 innings in bulk relief Wednesday against the Cardinals, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks while striking out four batters.
Spiers didn't actually enter the contest until the fourth inning, as Emilio Pagan was able to cover two scoreless frames as the opener and Sam Moll followed with a perfect inning. When Spiers came into the game, the Reds had already built a 4-0 lead, and they extended that to 7-0 through five frames. That may have given Spiers a bit too much comfort, as he allowed four straight hits resulting in a pair of runs to begin the sixth. The right-hander was at least able to bounce back by striking out the final two batters he faced before exiting the contest having thrown 60 total pitches. Spiers had worked as a traditional starter in his eight previous appearances prior to Wednesday, but it's unclear if he'll move back to that role his next time out or again work behind an opener.
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Jameson Taillon SP | TOR
Cubs' Jameson Taillon: Halted by Guardians
Taillon (8-7) took the loss against Cleveland on Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters over six innings.
Taillon got through three scoreless frames before the Guardians touched him up for two runs in the fourth. Cleveland scored twice more in the fifth, and the Cubs' offense managed only one run in the contest to send Taillon to his seventh loss of the campaign. The right-hander had a nice run of successful outings between mid-June and late July, but over his past four starts he's given up at least four earned runs on three occasions to push his season ERA up to 3.62.
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Francisco Lindor SS | NYM
Mets' Francisco Lindor: Four straight two-hit games
Lindor went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and two total run scored in Wednesday's 9-1 win over the Athletics.
Lindor logged multiple hits for the fourth game in a row and the sixth time during his active eight-game hitting streak. He also snapped a power drought with his first homer since July 25. The star shortstop is up to a .263/.336/.465 slash line, 23 homers, 69 RBI, 79 runs scored, 24 stolen bases and 30 doubles across 120 contests, providing well-rounded production out of the leadoff spot.