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Aroldis Chapman RP | BOS
Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman: Slams door for 23rd save
Chapman secured the save in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader against Baltimore, allowing one hit and one walk in a scoreless ninth inning.
Chapman threw only six of his 13 pitches for strikes and failed to record a strikeout, so he didn't have his best stuff on the hill Wednesday. Even so, the veteran southpaw successfully converted his seventh consecutive save and hasn't given up a run in six straight outings. Through 32.2 innings this year, Chapman has a 1.93 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 40:16 K:BB with 23 saves in 25 attempts.
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Luis Campusano C | SD
Padres' Luis Campusano: Playing time trending up
Campusano will start at catcher and bat sixth in Wednesday's game versus Atlanta.
It's the second straight start and fourth start in six contests coming out of the All-Star break for Campusano, who might be emerging as the preferred option at catcher for the Padres. Campusano has put up an .865 OPS in 12 games this month since coming off the injured list.
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Jake Bennett SP | BOS
Red Sox's Jake Bennett: Narrowly misses quality start
Bennett (6-3) earned the win in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Orioles, allowing three runs on nine hits and no walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out four.
While Bennett did fall one out shy of logging a quality start, he pitched deep enough into the game to claim the win. The 25-year-old southpaw was staked to an early 4-0 lead Wednesday, pounding the zone for 64 strikes (84 pitches), and the three runs allowed were his most since his June 10 start in Tampa Bay. Bennett, who has worked at least five innings in all 10 of his outings, is set to bring an impressive 2.58 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 42:9 K:BB over 59.1 frames into a tough test in Sacramento against the Athletics.
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Dean Kremer SP | MIN
Orioles' Dean Kremer: Can't slow down Boston on Wednesday
Kremer (1-3) took the loss against the Red Sox, allowing six runs on eight hits and one walk in six innings during Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader. He struck out five.
Kremer was unable to cool down the surging Red Sox, surrendering four runs in the first inning and never quite fully settling in afterwards. The 30-year-old right-hander registered season worsts in both runs and hits allowed, and he's now given up multiple runs in five of his first six starts. Although Kremer has a rough 5.06 ERA through 32 innings, his 34:8 K:BB and 1.19 WHIP are much more encouraging figures.
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Freddy Fermin C | SD
Padres' Freddy Fermin: Getting passed over by Campusano
Fermin is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Atlanta.
Fermin started the first game of the series at catcher, but it's been Luis Campusano behind the dish the last two days. With just two starts to Campusano's four since returning from the injured list, Fermin looks to have been passed on the Padres' catching depth chart.
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Dominic Smith DH | ATL
Braves' Dominic Smith: Losing out on playing time
Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.
Smith will retreat to the bench for the third game in a row, with his latter two absences coming while the Padres have sent right-handed starting pitchers to the hill. The 31-year-old has held down a strong-side platoon role for much of the season, but he's been squeezed for playing time in the wake of Mike Yastrzemski's return from the injured list. The lesser role comes while Smith has provided a poor .468 OPS over 13 games since the start of July, though he could still see at least semi-regular starts until Ronald Acuna (hamstring) completes his rehab assignment.
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Pedro Pages C | STL
Cardinals' Pedro Pages: Late scratch with illness
The Cardinals scratched Pages from the lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Angels due to a stomach virus, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Jimmy Crooks will draw the start at catcher and bat ninth in place of Pages, who can be considered day-to-day. Since tying a season high with three hits in a 9-6 win over the Twins on June 13, Pages has gone just 3-for-26 (.115 average) with a 39.3 percent strikeout rate.
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Jimmy Crooks C | STL
Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Late addition to lineup
Crooks will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Angels.
The young backstop had been slated to sit for the second day in a row, but he'll end up receiving a turn behind the plate in the series finale after Pedro Pages (illness) was scratched just minutes before first pitch. Crooks is hitting .176 with three home runs, nine RBI and four runs in 28 games since St. Louis called him up from Triple-A Memphis on May 29.
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Rafael Marchan C | PHI
Phillies' Rafael Marchan: Filling in for resting Realmuto
Marchan will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
He'll draw his first start since July 10 while top backstop J.T. Realmuto receives a rare day off in the series finale. Marchan is valued for his defense but has been an easy out at the plate this season, posting a lowly .322 OPS across 89 plate appearances.
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J.T. Realmuto C | PHI
Phillies' J.T. Realmuto: Resting up Wednesday
Realmuto is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
The Phillies are off Thursday, so Realmuto will take a seat Wednesday and effectively get two days of rest before likely returning to the starting nine in Friday's series opener versus the Yankees. Realmuto has put together a seven-game hitting streak, during which he's driven in five runs and scored four times.