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Daniel Palencia slammed the door on the Red Sox in the ninth inning on Friday afternoon, preserving a three-run advantage to earn his 13th save of the season.
The 25-year-old right-hander allowed a leadoff single to Marcelo Mayer to begin the ninth inning, but he was quickly erased on a double play ball. He then got Abraham Toro on a fly ball to right to end it. Palencia has been outstanding for the Cubs this season, compiling a 1.53 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and a 39/11 K/BB ratio across 35 1/3 innings while converting 13 of his first 14 save opportunities.
Colin Rea notched his eighth victory of the season on Friday afternoon, limiting the Red Sox to just one run on four hits over his five frames.
Rea punched out five batters on the day while also issuing four walks. The lone blemish on his day came on an RBI double off the bat of Roman Anthony in the third inning. The 35-year-old right-hander generated 11 whiffs on 84 pitches in the ballgame, posting a CSW of 27 percent. He’ll look to keep the good times rolling as he brings an 8-3 record, 3.80 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 70/27 K/BB ratio (97 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Royals.
Roman Anthony went 1-for-3 with a double and plated the Red Sox’ lone run in Friday afternoon’s loss to the Cubs.
The 21-year-old phenom got the Red Sox on the board with a run-scoring double off of Colin Rea in the third inning that pulled them to within two runs at 3-1. That would be as close as they would get. He also drew a walk in the ballgame. He’s now hitting a respectable .266/.375/.413 with a pair of homers, 14 RBI, two stolen bases and a 28/16 K/BB ratio through his first 128 plate appearances in the big leagues.
Lucas Giolito struggled in a losing effort against the Cubs on Friday afternoon, giving up four runs on five hits over his 5 1/3 innings of work.
The 31-year-old right-hander punched out six batters on the afternoon while issuing a pair of free passes. Most of the damage done against him came in the opening inning as Seiya Suzuki tagged him for a three-run homer. Giolito settled in nicely afterwards and didn’t give up another run until the sixth inning where he exited with a man on second and one out and that runner ultimately scored. He got 14 swings and misses on 98 pitches on the day, registering a CSW of 27 percent. He’ll try to get back in the win column as he carries a 3.59 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 70/23 K/BB ratio (77 2/3 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Phillies in Philadelphia.
Tyler Smith amassed 21 points (6-of-13 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), five rebounds and four three-pointers in Friday’s loss to the Heat.
The 33rd overall pick in the 2024 draft, Smith finished his 2025 summer league experience with a solid offensive showing against the Heat. He appeared in 23 games as a rookie, averaging 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.3 minutes. Given the number of wings on the Bucks’ roster, Smith faces an arduous climb to earn consistent rotation minutes. While managers in deeper dynasty leagues may keep an eye on him, there won’t be a need for that in redraft leagues.
Vladislav Goldin tallied 18 points (7-of-10 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), 10 rebounds and four blocked shots in Friday’s win over the Bucks.
Goldin’s layup with 11 seconds remaining gave the Heat a one-point victory, capping a solid finish to his first summer league experience. The 7-footer out of Michigan was signed by the Heat to a two-way contract almost immediately after June’s draft concluded, and he was solid after moving into the starting lineup once Kel’el Ware was shut down. Goldin will likely spend most of his time with the Heat’s G League affiliate next season, making him a non-factor in fantasy leagues.