No matter how one feels about how teams handle enforcing the unwritten rules, baseball cannot be happy to see its two hottest hitters forced the leave their respective games after being hit by a pitch. It all started with Miami’s Jose Urena hitting Ronald Acuna Jr. on the elbow in the bottom of the first. Urena ended up being ejected for the act, which if one watches catcher J.T. Realmuto , it did not seem intentional by the team. However, Atlanta jumped up to protect their surging young hitter emptying the benches with cooler heads ending up prevailing. In an interesting fun fact, Acuna did not lose his five-game home run streak as a result:


As for Acuna, his X-ray returned negative showing a fracture but he also received a CT scan with results pending. For now, Acuna will be able to extend his home run streak upon his return and since moving to leadoff, he’s hitting a robust .358/.419/.821 in 24 games with 25 runs, 12 home runs and 24 RBI.

Prior to being hit with a pitch, Matt Carpenter extended his major league leading active on-base streak to 32 games with a walk. This streak dates back to July eighth and he’s recorded 39 hits, seven doubles, 17 home runs, 30 RBI and 26 walks in it. Like Acuna, Carpenter’s X-rays were negative regarding a fracture and he opened a jar of his salsa with his right hand in an effort to prove he’s alright. For now, crisis seems to be averted for nervous fantasy owners.

 

That Just Happened

Two Phillies made their home debuts in a win over Boston. Justin Bour hit second in the lineup, made a couple of nice plays at first base and went 2-for-5 with a run. Bour’s power could play in his new home park, but will he be in a timeshare at first base or will Carlos Santana still play the majority of games? It’s worth tracking going forward. Wilson Ramos returned from the disabled list by racking up three hits with a double, triple, scored three runs and drove in three. Despite his time missed, Ramos ranks third in RBI for catchers with 54 and tied for fourth in home runs with 14 this season.

It’s been an up and down season for Brandon Nimmo , but he’s heating up again. Nimmo went 5-for-5 last night in Baltimore scoring three runs with two doubles, a triple and three RBI. He’s nine for his last 12 with seven runs, three doubles, two triples, a home run and four RBI. Wilmer Flores added his 11th home run among his three hits and has hit .308 in August over 14 games with four doubles, two homers and eight RBI. Todd Frazier moved his hit streak to eight games going 3-for-6 with his 12th home run and four RBI. During the streak, Frazier’s hitting .382 with five runs, two home runs, nine RBI and two stolen bases.

Bounce back game for Mallex Smith who entered last night’s play hitless over his previous 10 at-bats. Smith finished three-for-five with two runs, a double, his second home run and two RBI. Smith leads the American League with seven stolen bases this month and since July first, he’s hitting .373 with eight doubles, five triples, two home runs and 13 RBI in 33 games (29 starts).

Miguel Andujar launched his 19th home run accounting for the Yankees only run. He’s recorded eight extra-base hits the last nine games going 14-for-37 (.378) with nine runs, three doubles, five home runs and 11 RBI.

Remember when José Peraza slipped in drafts this preseason? Peraza hit three doubles, in five at-bats last night, has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 going 17-for-56 (.303) with eight runs, five doubles, a triple, a home run and four RBI.

Fantasy owners searching for speed, here’s three names for the weekend:

  • Greg Allen , Cleveland - Allen went 2-for-4 last night and stole his 10th base. Over his last 10, Allen’s hitting .382 with seven runs and four steals.

  • Rafael Ortega , Miami - Not only did Ortega steal his fourth base in Atlanta, he’s swiped them all in the last four games, he’s hitting leadoff for the Marlins and should have the green light going forward.

  • Travis Jankowski , San Diego - Has hit safely in his last three starts, can be streaky but swiped four bases on Sunday and has five steals his last three starts.

Not a dominant outing, but Kevin Gausman won his second straight for Atlanta. Gausman pitched six innings giving up four hits, two earned runs and two walks with two strikeouts. He’s 2-1 since his acquisition with a 2.84 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through 19 innings. Teammate A.J. Minter notched his 11th save in a clean ninth with two strikeouts. He’s only yielded runs in four of his last 26 outings with a 1.93 ERA in them.

Gerrit Cole won his first game since July 14th striking out 12 Rockies over six innings allowing five hits and one earned run. Cole generated an eye popping 21 swinging strikes and 13 called of his 86 pitches. This translates to a 24.4 swinging strike percentage during this start. Cole extended his American League leading strikeout total to 219 as a result.

Snapping a zero-for-20 stretch, Evan Gattis hit his 22nd home run, then added his 23rd later in the game. Perhaps he feels some pressure from teammate Tyler White , who also left the yard twice last night. White’s hitting .333, since José Altuve landed on the disabled list on July 29th, with five home runs and 12 RBI.

Speaking of double home run affairs, Salvador Pérez continues to rake since his return from the disabled list. Perez went 3-for-4 with two home runs (20, 21) and three RBI. He’s the fifth Royal to record four consecutive 20 home runs seasons and only the ninth catcher in history to do so. Since July 11th, Perez has 10 home runs, 24 RBI and a .293/.331/.603 slash line.

Fueling the Cardinals win streak, good pitching and timely hitting. Austin Gomber won his third straight decision, and second as a starter, lasting six shutout  innings giving up three hits and four walks with six strikeouts. Harrison Bader made an unbelievable catch in this game along with three hits in four at-bats. Bader’s scored a run in seven straight games going 8-for-20 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBI and a stolen base in them.

Could the Nationals sell off some veterans? Losers of four straight to fall seven games back of the Wild Card and nine out of first in the National League East, time is of the essence for Washington. If they do, think of the fit Daniel Murphy could be in the American League East? Murphy hit his sixth home run last night, in on an eight-game hit streak and hitting .392 with a .578 slugging percentage his last 30 games.

 

Roster Updates

After last night’s win, Tampa Bay sent Jacob Faria back to Triple-A and promoted Tommy Pham . Pham should return to the lineup this afternoon in New York.

Houston will activate George Springer on Friday. They optioned Derek Fisher after last night’s game to make room on the roster.

Reports out of Boston confirm Ian Kinsler will be back on Friday.

 

What To Watch For

This afternoon in the Bronx, Blake Snell will try to improve upon his rough past against the Yankees when he faces homer prone Masahiro Tanaka .

The Mets head to Philadelphia for a doubleheader with Corey Oswalt and the return of Steven Matz .

Jon Lester , struggling of late, will pitch in Pittsburgh, where he made the worst start of his career last July giving up 10 runs and recording only two outs.

Be sure to check back tonight for Fantasy Alarm’s Closing Bell for injury updates and any tangible roster news to stay ahead of the competition.

 

Statistical Credits:

MLB.com

Fangraphs.com

BaseballSavant.com