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Bryce Eldridge DH | SF
Giants' Bryce Eldridge: Walks it off with grand slam
Eldridge went 1-for-4 with a walk, a grand slam and a second run scored in Wednesday's 11-10 win over the Nationals.
Per Maria Guardado of MLB.com, the 21-year-old slugger's blast put him in the record books as the youngest player in history to hit a walk-off grand slam, breaking a mark that had been held by Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente since 1956. Eldridge has caught fire and bashed his way into an everyday role over the last couple weeks, slashing .426/.500/.766 across his last 13 games with seven doubles, three homers, 10 RBI and 15 runs.
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Matt Chapman 3B | SF
Giants' Matt Chapman: Goes yard twice in comeback win
Chapman went 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs, an additional run scored and three total RBI in Wednesday's 11-10 win over the Nationals.
The veteran third baseman launched solo shots off Foster Griffin in the sixth inning and Paxton Schultz to lead off the eighth, with the latter blast sparking a stunning rally from an eight-run deficit for the Giants. Chapman's bat has heated up with the weather, and while he has just six homers on the season, five of them have come in June. He's slashing a massive .469/.548/1.000 to begin the month, with 18 RBI in only 10 games.
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Robbie Ray SP | SD
Giants' Robbie Ray: Escapes with no-decision
Ray didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 11-10 win over the Nationals, giving up five runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.
A two-run homer by James Wood in the third inning was the only extra-base hit off Ray, but the veteran lefty unraveled in the top of the sixth as Washington strung together five two-out singles, with three steals mixed in. Ray was taken off the hook for his seventh loss of the year when the Giants erased an eight-run deficit over the final two frames, however. It's the third time in his last five outings that he's been tagged for at least four runs, a stretch in which he's been saddled with a 7.43 ERA, 1.87 WHIP and 17:16 K:BB in 23 innings. Ray could have a hard time righting the ship in his next start, which is set to come on the road next week in Atlanta.
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Daylen Lile LF | WAS
Nationals' Daylen Lile: Busy day on basepaths
Lile went 4-for-5 with a run scored, two RBI and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 11-10 loss to the Giants.
All four knocks were singles, but it was still a very productive effort from the 23-year-old outfielder. Lile has three multi-hit performances in nine games to kick off June, slashing a blistering .382/.462/.529 to start the month with one home run, three steals, five runs and seven RBI.
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Gus Varland RP | WAS
Nationals' Gus Varland: Can't close door Wednesday
Varland gave up three runs on two hits and a walk while failing to record an out during Wednesday's 11-10 loss to the Giants.
The right-hander entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning to protect a 10-6 lead after Paxton Schultz and Orlando Ribalta had combined to allow five runs in the eighth, and Varland continued the meltdown before handing the ball off to Mitchell Parker, who took the blown save when he served up a walk-off grand slam to Bryce Eldridge. It's the first time Varland has been tagged for multiple runs since May 10, but he has been scored upon in four of his last seven appearances, stumbling to a 10.80 ERA, 2.80 WHIP and 4:6 K:BB over five innings during that rough stretch. He does have a save and a hold in that time, but he only has a spot in the Nats' high-leverage crew because the team lacks better options.
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Foster Griffin SP | CLE
Nationals' Foster Griffin: Strong start wasted Wednesday
Griffin didn't factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits over six innings in an 11-10 loss to the Giants. He struck out five without walking a batter.
The 30-year-old southpaw produced his sixth quality start of the season on 100 pitches (72 strikes) in another sharp performance, but Griffin saw his eighth win of the year slip away when the Nationals' bullpen managed to blow an eight-run lead. After a couple bumpy outings in mid-May, Griffin has bounced back to post a 2.05 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 20:3 K:BB in 22 innings over his last four trips to the mound. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Royals.
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Carmen Mlodzinski RP | PIT
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Serves up grand slam
Mlodzinski allowed four earned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three across 3.2 innings Wednesday against the Dodgers.
He entered the game in the fifth inning, following Jared Jones. Mlodzinski had a routine opening frame, but he loaded the bases and served up a grand slam in the sixth inning. While it was a poor outing, Mlodzinski was bailed out of taking the loss by a late Pirates rally. This also marked the first time Mlodzinski has given up more than two earned runs over his last five outings, and he will likely continue to work roughly once a week in a long-relief role.
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Brandon Lowe 2B | PIT
Pirates' Brandon Lowe: Kicks off rally
Lowe went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a walk and a run scored Wednesday against the Dodgers.
Lowe kicked off the Pirates' dramatic late-game rally in the seventh inning by delivering a two-run double, and he later came around to score. He has only one multi-hit game across his last 13 starts-- he's hit .166 in that span -- but he's still managed to tally 10 RBI and nine runs scored during that stretch.
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Spencer Horwitz 1B | PIT
Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Smacks ninth homer
Horwitz went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run Wednesday against the Dodgers.
Horwitz provided needed insurance with his blast in the eighth inning, his ninth home run of the season. He's performed well across his last 15 starts, hitting .322 with five homers, seven RBI and 10 runs scored. Horwitz also continues to serve as Pittsburgh's primary leadoff hitter against right-handed pitchers.
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Chris Sale SP | ATL
Braves' Chris Sale: Takes loss despite strong outing
Sale (8-5) took the loss Wednesday against the White Sox, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six over 5.2 innings.
Sale turned in another great performance, throwing 66 of his 103 pitches for strikes while generating 13 whiffs. Both runs he allowed came in the fourth inning, and he exited in the sixth having received no run support from Atlanta's offense. While the veteran left-hander continues to pitch at an elite level, he has now failed to complete six innings in three straight starts after reaching that mark in nine of his first 10 outings this season. Through 78.1 innings, Sale ranks top six among qualified starters in MLB in ERA (2.30), strikeouts (92) and wins. The 37-year-old is currently lined up to face San Francisco in his next start.