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Describing Thursday night’s slate of game as wild would be an understatement. Three teams scored 15 runs or more, Rougned Odor set a major league record for walks in a game and the three best active pitchers in terms of ERA all won on the same day for the second time of their careers.
Boston scored 15 runs at home against the Yankees in a game Aaron Boone came under fire for how he deployed his bullpen. New York presently does not have someone who can start Saturday on the roster and desperately need a strong outing by Luis Severino tonight. Texas crossed the plate 17 times versus the Orioles in what could be a high scoring match-up this weekend and the Dodgers plated 21 runs on seven home runs by five different players.
Odor entered June with a .252 on-base percentage, had walked a total of 113 times during 2,482 career plate appearances (4.6 walk percentage) prior to last night. He became the first player to walk five times in a game, none intentional, and homer in it. The five walks represent 18.5 percent of his walks this year. After this game, and a torrid July in which Odor slashed .341/.410/.625 with six home runs and six stolen bases, his on-base percentage reached .348 following last night’s performance.
Clayton Kershaw , Madison Bumgarner and Max Scherzer all won on the same day for the first time since May first, 2016. Let this sink in for a moment. Scherzer recorded his 76th double digit strikeout game of his career whiffing 10 in six innings, has won five straight games along with a five-game hit streak as a batter and has struck out 10 or more in 12 of his 23 starts this year. He’s aging like a fine wine. Kershaw talled his fifth win to even his record this season striking out seven in six innings limiting the Brewers to two earned runs. Bumgarner only lasted five innings giving up seven hits and three walks but only one earned run. It’s his fourth win of the year.
That Just Happened
Boston targeted Steve Pearce to add a right-handed bat to combat its struggled with left-handed pitching. So far, so good. Pearce hit three home runs while batting third against the Yankees driving in six runs. He’s 15 for his last 50 with four home runs and 11 RBI, helped by last night’s outing in the counting statistics.
The top five hitters in the Red Sox lineup each had at least three hits and scored at least two runs. Ian Kinsler , another new addition, went 3-for-6 with two runs, a double, two RBI and stole his 10th base. Over his last 15 games, Kinsler’s hitting .414 with 15 runs, six doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI.
Brian Johnson became the first pitcher with at least 11 strikeouts, allowing at least three home runs and pitch no more than five innings to get the win. Johnson yielded six hits, five runs (four earned) and two walks with 11 strikeouts. He did generate 13 swinging strikes and 20 called of his 104 pitches en route to the victory.
Didi Gregorius did the heavy lifting for the Yankees offense launching two home runs reaching the 20 home run plateau for the third straight season. Aaron Hicks added his 18th home run and Giancarlo Stanton his 25th in the loss. Tough night for Jonathan Holder who became the 15th pitcher to face at least seven hitters without recording an out and allow seven earned runs. He joins Dylan Bundy this year in this dubious achievement.
Washington’s offense continues to surge. Juan Soto ’s three walk time marks the 19th time a teenager has done this in major league history. Others? Mickey Mantle, Jimmie Foxx and Bryce Harper are among them. Soto’s slashing .306/.419/.554 with 13 home runs, 43 walks and 48 strikeouts his first 63 games in the majors.
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Trea Turner and Bryce Harper each homered in the Nationals win as well. Turner also swiped two bases in the game and has done so in four of his last five contests. He went 2-for-4 with his 14th home run and four RBI, has hit safely in six of his last seven with a .412 average in this stretch. As for Harper, he finished two for three hitting his 26th home run with two RBI and walked twice. He’s recorded 11 RBI the last eight games with 10 runs, four doubles, two home runs and seven walks while hitting .379 in them.
Cincinnati’s Eugenio Suárez provided the offense hitting his 25th home run, a two run shot. He’s driven in 83 runs and leads the National League in RBI despite a stint on the disabled list. Over the last 365 days, Suarez has played 144 games with 89 runs, 34 home runs, 112 RBI and a .288/.383/.542 slash line.
Not so nice of an evening for Raisel Iglesias who entered the game to get work having not given up an earned run his previous eight appearances. Iglesias proceeded to serve up the home runs to Turner and Harper resulting in three runs on three hits with a strikeout. Less than ideal for his owners.
Speaking of which, Kyle Barraclough pitched his way out of the closer role blowing his sixth save of the season, and third in a row in Philadelphia. Barraclough allowed two hits, four earned runs and two walks in two-thirds of an inning culminating in Maikel Franco ’s walk-off three run homer. As for Barraclough, he’s allowed runs in three straight, four of his last five and Drew Steckenrider should get the next save chance for the Marlins. Plan accordingly.
No decision for Nick Pivetta and only one win his last four outings, but, his 5.35 ERA in these games masks a 2.04 xFIP and a 35:3 K:BB in them. Be patient. Rhys Hoskins launched his 22nd home run and he’s hitting .367 (18-for-49) the last 12 games with six doubles, eight home runs and 14 RBI. Franco’s three run tater was his 18th this season and he’s been hot the last 34 games with a .342 average in 120 at-bats with eight doubles, nine home runs and 20 RBI.
It seems as though Ronald Acuna Jr. enjoys hitting leadoff. He went 2-for-3 last night with two runs, a triple, walk and stolen base. In 12 games hitting first, Acuna’s scored 11 runs with four home runs, eight RBI, six walks, four stolen bases and a .377/.460/.767 slash line. Ozzie Albies chipped in with two hits, an RBI and his 11th stolen base. A.J. Minter ’s showing the upside many hoped for in the preseason. He notched his seventh save, in as many chances this year, has been scoreless the last six games with eight strikeouts his last four outings and only given up runs in two of his last 20 appearances.
While many seem to be giving up on Jurickson Profar , he’s still developing. Profar went 2-for-5 with his 11th home run and four RBI in a blowout. He’s 12-for-his-last-36 in 11 games and hitting .313 the last 23 games to raise his average 19 points in the process. Joey Gallo launched his 27th home run and hitting .243 the last 10 games with five home runs, 10 RBI, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts. Elvis Andrus extended his hit streak to 13 games with three more hits last night and batting .389 in the streak.
One bright spot in the second half so far for Baltimore, Trey Mancini . He racked up two more hits and his 15th home run in the loss and in 12 games in the second half has scored seven runs with three home runs, seven RBI and a .347/.373/.571 slash line.
Keeping up fantasy owners searching for catching help, Austin Hedges hit his seventh home run among his three hits in four at-bats last evening. Since returning from the disabled list on June 24th, he’s slashing .306/.366/.529 with five home runs. Keep tabs on Wil Myers who left the game due to a foot contusion.
Christian Yelich carried the meager Brewers offense on Thursday going 3-for-4 with his 16th home run. He’s hit safely in 21 of the last 23 games with a .430 average, five home runs and 23 RBI. On the year, Yelich remains on pace for 108 runs, 23 home runs, 84 RBI and 19 stolen bases.
Since the Dodgers hit seven home runs, here’s the streamlined version of last night’s barrage:
Joc Pederson : 2-for-6 with three runs, two home runs (15,16) and four RBI
Justin Turner : 1-for-2 with three runs, his sixth home run, two RBI and a walk
Cody Bellinger : 2-for-4 with two runs, his 18th home run, a grand slam, five RBI and a walk
Brian Dozier : 2-for-5 with two runs, his 18th home run, second game in a row as a Dodger, four RBI
Yasiel Puig : 3-for-5, three runs, two home runs (13,14) and four RBI.
David Peralta returned to the lineup for the Diamondbacks with four hits in five at-bats. He seems alright. Teammate Jake Lamb will miss the rest of the season requiring rotator cuff surgery in his shoulder.
Nelson Cruz launched two home runs in a loss and has hit three home runs in a two game span twice the last week. He’s up to 28 home runs on the season pacing towards 40-plus for potentially the fourth time the last five years. Plus, Cruz has hit .305 (57-for-187) with 35 runs, 20 home runs and 46 RBI the past 53 games.
What to Watch For
Only one day game on Friday with the Padres trying to remain pesky against the Cubs. José Quintana will try to keep them in first place.
Chris Archer will make his debut for the Pirates at home against the Cardinals.
Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom seeks his sixth win versus Atlanta.
Mike Trout sat out on Thursday with a sore wrist, will he return on Friday in Cleveland?
Can Luis Severino bounce back in Boston? His team desperately needs him to pitch deep into this game. If the Red Sox get to the bullpen, it could get ugly.
Two rookies match-up in Arlington, DFS players know what to do.
Last, a World Series rematch happens this weekend with Houston heading to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers.
Be sure to stay with Fantasy Alarm tonight and all weekend to stay ahead of your competition.