-
Rafael Marchan C | PHI
Phillies' Rafael Marchan: Swats second homer
Marchan went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday in a loss to the Marlins.
Marchan belted a solo shot in the fourth inning to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. It was the backstop's second long ball over 30 plate appearances this season, which is as many homers as he hit across 224 plate appearances in the minors last year. Marchan has shown much more promise as a contact hitter than as a power hitter during his professional career, though three of his seven hits in the majors this year have gone for extra bases.
-
Jake Burger 1B | TEX
Marlins' Jake Burger: Homers among three hits
Burger went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in a 7-4 win against Philadelphia on Thursday.
Burger came up big late in the game, blasting a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning and providing an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth. The third baseman finished with his first multi-hit performance since June 15, and he had been struggling coming into Thursday with an .083 average (3-for-36) across his previous nine contests. Burger has just seven homers over 59 games this season after smashing a career-high 34 long balls in 141 contests last year.
-
Zack Wheeler SP | PHI
Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Goes 6.2 frames in no-decision
Wheeler allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five batters over 6.2 innings in a no-decision against Miami on Thursday.
Wheeler cruised through six scoreless frames before running into trouble in the seventh. In that inning, he retired the first two batters he faced before allowing back-to-back singles. The right-hander was then given the hook, and both runners came around to score following his departure. Wheeler nonetheless managed a quality start -- his seventh over his past eight outings. He's tied for first in the league with 13 quality starts on the season and has registered a 2.73 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 112:31 K:BB over 105.2 innings.
-
Tanner Scott RP | LAD
Marlins' Tanner Scott: Records 11th save
Scott earned a save against the Phillies on Thursday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.
Scott made quick work of Philadelphia in the ninth frame, retiring the side in order on nine pitches. The lefty closer has not given up a run in any of his past seven outings, tallying a win and three saves despite a mediocre 5:3 K:BB over seven innings during that span. Scott is 11-for-13 in save chances on the season and has an excellent 1.54 ERA across 35 frames.
-
Trevor Rogers SP | BAL
Marlins' Trevor Rogers: Picks up another quality start
Rogers allowed three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out four batters over six innings in a no-decision against Philadelphia on Thursday.
Rogers threw just 57 of 103 pitches for strikes and tied a season high with four free passes, but he still managed to record his third consecutive quality start. The southpaw doesn't have any wins in those outings, but he's posted a 3.26 ERA with a 12:5 K:BB over 19.1 innings during that stretch. Rogers' ERA on the season still sits at a much less alluring 4.87, though it's at 3.56 across five starts in June.
-
Porter Hodge SP | CHC
Cubs' Porter Hodge: Secures first career save
Hodge worked around a hit to toss a scoreless 10th inning and earn the save in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Giants. He struck out one.
Incumbent closer Hector Neris pitched a clean ninth inning, then Hodge closed the door in the 10th, giving the rookie his first career MLB save. The 23-year-old righty has been solid so far with a 1.80 ERA and 15 strikeouts across 10 innings. The veteran Neris should stick in the closer role for now, but Hodge seems to be a viable option if the need arises.
-
Shota Imanaga SP | CHC
Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Records quality start Thursday
Imanaga allowed three runs on five hits across six innings but did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 5-3, 10-inning win over the Giants. He walked two and struck out three.
This was a nice bounceback effort for Imanaga, who allowed 10 runs in his last outing against the surging Mets. The righty had a sparkling 1.89 ERA before that implosion, but he's still sitting with a solid 3.07 mark across his first 15 starts at the MLB level. While it was unlikely that Imanaga would continue his early season dominance, he should still be a strong fantasy option moving forward. He's tentatively lined up to start again Wednesday against a challenging Philadelphia lineup.
-
Ian Happ LF | CHC
Cubs' Ian Happ: Delivers big home run in win
Happ went 1-for-3 with two walks and a two-run home run in Thursday's 5-3, 10-inning win over the Giants.
Happ reached base twice via walks earlier in the contest, but it was his home run in the 10th inning that proved critical. The outfielder broke open a 3-3 tie with his 10th long ball of the year, and the Cubs held on for the victory. Happ has now reached double figures in homers in each of his eight MLB seasons, making him a steady if not spectacular fantasy contributor across his career.
-
Seiya Suzuki RF | CHC
Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Doubles, triples in win
Suzuki went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and an RBI in Thursday's 5-3, 10-inning win over the Giants.
Suzuki didn't rack up the counting stats, but he still had a solid effort in the win. He tallied his 11th double and second triple of the season, and he's now batting a solid .266 with a .796 OPS. Suzuki's game doesn't jump off the page, though he's been a steady contributor since he came over from Japan in 2022. The outfielder slashed .262/.336/.433 as a rookie, then followed that up with a .285/.357/.485 line last season. Suzuki is on pace for similar figures once again this year.
-
Nico Hoerner 2B | CHC
Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Goes deep, swipes bag in win
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and a stolen base in Thursday's 5-3, 10-inning win over the Giants.
Hoerner blasted his third home run of the season in the third inning with a runner on and also stole his 14th base of the year The infielder is not known as a big power threat, as his career best in homers for a season is only 10, but he is a capable baserunner. Hoerner swiped a career-high 43 bases last year, and he had 20 stolen bases in 2022. Fantasy managers will hope he continues to run frequently the rest of the way.