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Bryce Elder SP | ATL
Braves' Bryce Elder: Brilliant in eighth win
Elder (8-6) notched the win Wednesday against Miami, allowing one run on one hit and two walks in seven innings. He struck out three.
Elder was magnificent Wednesday, keeping the Marlins out of the hit column until Jakob Marsee doubled during the fifth inning and then for the remainder of his outing. The right-hander has looked far better on the mound overall since Atlanta skipped his turn in the rotation prior to the All-Star break, delivering a 2.57 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over his past five outings (28 frames). Elder is set to take a 3.69 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 104:42 K:BB across 126.2 innings into a favorable home matchup against the last-place Mets.
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Eury Perez SP | MIA
Marlins' Eury Perez: Mixed bag in ninth loss
Perez (5-9) took the loss Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out nine.
Most of the damage came during the second inning, when Atlanta plated three runs, but Perez was dominant at times Wednesday. The hard-throwing right-hander generated 18 whiffs on the way to matching a season high in strikeouts, and he's now posted a 2.30 ERA and 0.96 WHIP to go with a 49:14 K:BB over his last eight starts (47 innings) since returning from the injured list. Perez will take a 3.61 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 121:42 K:BB across 109.2 frames overall into his next scheduled outing against Pittsburgh.
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Carson Whisenhunt SP | SF
Giants' Carson Whisenhunt: Struggles continue Wednesday
Whisenhunt (2-3) took the loss Wednesday, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks over 3.1 innings as the Giants were downed 6-0 by the Rangers. He struck out four.
The lefty got no help from his offense, but Whisenhunt created his own problems by allowing three extra-bases hits in the third inning, leading to all four Texas runs against him. Since rejoining the big-league rotation in late July, Whisenhunt has been tagged for 14 runs in just 11.2 innings over three outings while surrendering 17 hits with a 14:9 K:BB. The Giants don't have any healthy alternatives, however, so he likely has more job security than those numbers would suggest. Whisenhunt lines up to make his next trip to the mound at home early next week against the Astros.
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Sean Burke SP | CHW
White Sox's Sean Burke: Stumbles in sixth loss
Burke (7-6) took the loss Wednesday against the Red Sox, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out four.
Wednesday's outing disrupted an exceptional stretch of play for Burke, who entered the day on a streak of five consecutive starts of at least six innings while yielding two runs or fewer. The right-hander labored Wednesday, needing 91 pitches to record 13 outs, and the four punchouts were his fewest since May 8 versus Seattle. Burke is set to carry what's still an outstanding 3.08 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 144:39 K:BB over 128.2 innings into a home matchup with the Reds.
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Derek Hill CF | PHI
Phillies' Derek Hill: Collides with wall, exits game
Hill was removed from Wednesday's game against the Nationals after colliding with the outfield wall, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Hill leaped headfirst into the fence in center field while trying to make a catch in the 11th inning. After remaining on the ground for a few minutes, he was able to walk off the field under his own power. He'll presumably undergo further evaluation -- possibly for a concussion -- and the Phillies may provide more details on his status in the near future.
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Sonny Gray SP | BOS
Red Sox's Sonny Gray: Notches league-leading 14th win
Gray (14-2) earned the win Wednesday against the White Sox, allowing no runs on three hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out eight.
The veteran right-hander had his entire pitch arsenal working Wednesday, registering an impressive 17 whiffs en route to recording his most strikeouts in an outing since the end of June. Gray has excelled, especially since coming off the injured list with a hamstring strain in early May, logging 12 quality starts in his past 16 appearances. He'll bring a tidy 2.78 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 106:32 K:BB over 119.2 innings into his next scheduled start in Toronto.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes yard twice at Wrigley
Ohtani went 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Cubs.
In a battle between NL MVP contenders, Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong each left the yard twice, but it was the latter who came out on top. Ohtani remains limited to DH duties due to knee and bicep issues, but they are hardly slowing him down at the plate. He's hit safely in nine straight games, batting .457 (16-for-35) during that blistering stretch with four of his 26 homers on the year.
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Eric Lauer SP | LAD
Dodgers' Eric Lauer: Mauled by Cubs in Wednesday's loss
Lauer (6-6) took the loss Wednesday, coughing up six runs on 11 hits over four innings as the Dodgers fell 7-6 to the Cubs. He struck out one without walking a batter.
Six of the 11 hits off the southpaw went for extra bases, including a pair of homers by Pete Crow-Armstrong. It's the first time Lauer has failed to complete five innings since June 2, while the 11 hits allowed were a career worst. Since being picked up from the Blue Jays in May, Lauer has put together a 3.72 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB over 55.2 innings in 10 appearances (nine starts), and even with Blake Snell (elbow) poised to come off the IL within the next week, he seems likely to stick in the Dodgers' six-man rotation while Shohei Ohtani is limited to hitting. Lauer is scheduled to make his next start at home next week against the Royals.
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Hunter Brown SP | HOU
Astros' Hunter Brown: Fans eight in quality start
Brown didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Blue Jays, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out eight.
The right-hander had a shutout going through five frames but faded in the sixth, with a two-run homer by Jesus Sanchez tying the game. Brown exited after 93 pitches (54 strikes), having to settle for his fifth quality start of the season. He'll take a 3.53 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 63:32 K:BB through 58.2 innings into his next outing, which is set to come on the road early next week in San Francisco.
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Ernie Clement 2B | TOR
Blue Jays' Ernie Clement: Pops game-winning homer
Clement went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Astros.
The All-Star second baseman took Bennett Sousa deep in the top of the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie. It was Clement's first long ball since the All-Star break, snapping an 18-game drought, and on the season he's produced a .285/.310/.415 slash line with nine homers, four steals, 38 RBI and 48 runs in 112 contests.