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Michael Massey 2B | KC
Royals' Michael Massey: Hits 10th homer in win
Massey went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 7-6 win over the Angels.
Massey opened the scoring with a solo shot in the first inning before adding an RBI single in the seventh. The 28-year-old is now hitting .282 with four extra-base hits in 11 August contests, though that production comes with a 0:11 BB:K. On the year, he's slashing .264/.296/.430 with 10 homers, 41 RBI, 41 runs scored and two steals across 337 plate appearances.
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Brayan Rocchio SS | CLE
Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Powers up in loss
Rocchio went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Friday's 7-5 loss to the Padres.
Rocchio swatted his 10th home run of the season in the second inning and ended a 21-game stretch without going deep. After a promising first half of the season, Rocchio has hit the skids in the second half; he entered Friday with a .173/.221/.235 slash line over the previous 25 games. Per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt took ownership of Rocchio's struggles, attributing them to a decision to move the shortstop around the batting order while the team dealt with injuries. Rocchio was returned to his familiar ninth spot in the order for the last four games and currently has a modest three-game hit streak (4-for-12).
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Jac Caglianone RF | KC
Royals' Jac Caglianone: Powers offense in win
Caglianone went 3-for-4 with a home run, five RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 7-6 win over the Angels.
Caglianone drove in runs on each of his hits, highlighted by a two-run blast in the fifth inning. It continued a scorching-hot August for the 23-year-old, who's hit safely in 12 straight games this month with nine extra-base hits and a whopping 18 RBI over that span. On the year, he's slashing .273/.325/.495 with 22 homers, 58 RBI, 56 runs scored and five steals across 443 plate appearances.
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Seiya Suzuki RF | CHC
Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Hits critical home run Friday
Suzuki went 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run home run in Friday's 3-0 victory over the Cardinals.
Suzuki provided all of Chicago's offense Friday when he launched his 21st home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning with two runners on. The outfielder has gone deep three times in 12 games this month and is sporting a robust .952 OPS in August. Overall, Suzuki has an .849 OPS, which would be a new career best, and he's once again delivering strong offensive production across the board for fantasy managers.
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Grayson Rodriguez SP | LAA
Angels' Grayson Rodriguez: Labors in no-decision
Rodriguez did not factor into the decision in Friday's 7-6 loss to the Royals, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts over four innings.
Rodriguez allowed runs in the second and third innings, throwing just 53 of 89 total pitches for strikes with 12 whiffs. Despite exceeding 80 pitches for the sixth straight start, he lasted just four innings for the fourth time in seven outings since returning from the injured list July 10. The 26-year-old owns a 7.17 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 55:28 K:BB across 59 innings this season and lines up for a road matchup with the Astros next week.
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Jose Ramirez 3B | CLE
Guardians' Jose Ramirez: Expected back Saturday
Ramirez will return to the lineup Saturday after sitting out Friday as part of planned maintenance since he returned from a hamate injury, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Ramirez bypassed a rehab assignment and returned directly from the injured list to the Guardians' roster July 22. Manager Stephen Vogt knew he would need to be mindful of how much Ramirez plays and when. The third baseman has started 16 of 21 games and posted a .197/.333/.197 slash line since his return .
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Jacob Webb RP | CHC
Cubs' Jacob Webb: Secures another save Friday
Webb worked around a hit to toss a scoreless ninth inning and record the save in Friday's 3-0 victory over the Cardinals. He struck out one.
After 6.2 sparkling innings from starter Clay Holmes, Webb followed Ryan Rolison and Ryan Zeferjahn in shutting the door on St. Louis. Webb now has nine saves this season to go along with a strong 2.33 ERA and 10.2 K/9 across 54 innings. He appears to be Chicago's closer of choice at the moment, and he's pitched well enough that he could hold onto the role even after Daniel Palencia (elbow) returns from the injured list in the near future.
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Seth Lugo SP | KC
Royals' Seth Lugo: Early hook in no-decision
Lugo did not factor into the decision in Friday's 7-6 win over the Angels, allowing five runs on seven hits and no walks with four strikeouts over 4.2 innings.
Lugo was mostly undone by a four-run third inning and departed after 86 pitches in the fifth after allowing a game-tying single with two outs. It's been an uneven second half for the veteran, who's posted four quality starts in six outings while also succumbing to two five-run blowups. He owns a 4.59 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 108:46 K:BB across 139.1 innings this season and lines up to face the Athletics at home next week.
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Clay Holmes SP | CHC
Cubs' Clay Holmes: Sharp in win Friday
Holmes (5-5) tossed 6.2 scoreless innings to earn the win in Friday's 3-0 victory over the Cardinals. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three.
Holmes' second start with the Cubs was much better than his first -- he allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in four innings in his team debut. The righty dazzled Friday and retired the first 16 batters he faced before Jose Fermin dumped a soft single into right field in the sixth inning to break up the potential perfect game. While Holmes has just 49 strikeouts in 63.1 innings this year, he's still has been effective with a 2.56 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, and he should get more run support than he got with the Mets now that he's backed by a strong Chicago lineup. He'll look to keep things rolling in his next outing, which is currently lined up for Wednesday against the cross-town rival White Sox.
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Steven Cruz RP | KC
Royals' Steven Cruz: Secures fourth save
Cruz earned the save in Friday's 7-6 win over the Angels, allowing one hit and no walks with one strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning.
Cruz was called on with a one-run lead in the ninth inning and closed things out on 12 pitches. The 27-year-old has converted each of his four save chances since the All-Star break, posting a 2.57 ERA over 14 appearances during that span. On the year, he's tallied four saves and four holds to go along with a 4.17 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 51:18 K:BB across 45.1 innings.