MLB 2024 | Morejón nails down first career save; Yordan hits his 22nd home run; Chapman equals his own record by hitting 105.1 mph against the Padres

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources

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Adrián Morejón came to the Padres' rescue on Wednesday night, securing the final three outs to maintain a one-run lead in the 10th inning earning his first career save.

Adrián Morejón earned a save against the Pirates on Wednesday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning of work. Robert Suárez has worked as the Padres' closer this season, but he was deployed in the ninth inning with the score tied Wednesday. The contest ended up going to an extra frame, and San Diego took the lead with a three-run top of the 10th. Recently acquired Tanner Scott then got the first crack at a save chance for the Padres in the bottom of the frame, but he walked three straight batters to force in a run before Morejón was called upon to clean up the mess. The southpaw's outing didn't begin well -- his first offering was a wild pitch that allowed another Pirate to cross the plate to make the score 9-8 -- but Morejón rebounded impressively, retiring the next three batters without allowing the tying run to score. As a reward, he earned his first career save in his 90th MLB appearance. Morejón has been a solid bullpen piece for the Padres this season, posting a 2.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 52:16 K:BB through 47.1 innings.

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Yordan Alvarez contributed to the Astros' 6-4 victory over the Rangers on Wednesday by hitting a solo home run and drawing two walks.

Yordan Alvarez hit his 22nd home run of the season in the third inning of Wednesday's game, marking his second consecutive game with a home run. The impressive 415-foot shot to center field off José Ureña had an exit velocity of 117 mph. Additionally, he received two walks before being replaced by a defensive player. Despite his recent performance not being outstanding, with a .308 batting average (32-for-104), six home runs, and 17 RBIs in his last 30 games, the 27-year-old remains a top performer across various baseball metrics.

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Jorge Soler will not be playing in Thursday's game against the Brewers.

The series between Atlanta and Milwaukee concludes with a day game following a night game, so Soler's absence from the lineup appears to be for maintenance purposes. In the previous game on Wednesday, he recorded a 1-for-4 performance with a walk, a run scored, and three strikeouts. Since joining Atlanta from the Giants on July 29, Soler has been the starting right fielder and leadoff hitter in the team's last seven games, where he went 4-for-24 with one double, four walks, two runs, and one RBI.

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Andy Pagés was on the bench on Wednesday.

Andy Pagés, who had performed well in the first two games of the series by going 3-for-6 with a walk, two doubles, an RBI, and a run, was not included in the starting lineup for the final game against the Phillies. Despite this, he came off the bench as a pinch hitter and managed to get a hit in his two at-bats, striking out once.

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Randy Arozarena: Reaches base three times in defeat.

In a loss against the Tigers on Wednesday, Randy Arozarena went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run. Arozarena was the only player for the Mariners to have multiple hits in the game and scored a run on Cal Raleigh's two-run home run, which was the only scoring for Seattle. Prior to this game, Arozarena had struggled with a brief 0-for-7 slump in the previous two games, but he broke out of it with his fourth multi-hit performance in the 10 games he has played for the Mariners since being traded from the Rays.

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Aroldis Chapman continues to showcase his exceptional velocity, reaching a record-breaking 105.1 mph with a pitch.

In Wednesday's game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, Aroldis Chapman hit 105.1 mph with one of his pitches against batter Manny Machado, matching Chapman's own fastest MLB pitch record during the Statcast ERA.

This record was initially established by Chapman in his rookie season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 against the Padres. On Wednesday, all six of Chapman's pitches to Machado exceeded 100 mph, with the final one clocking in at 104.7 mph, also setting a record. According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, this pitch tied with Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ben Joyce for the quickest pitch to result in a strikeout since the pitch-tracking era began in 2008. Chapman, at 36 years old and in his 15th MLB season, shares this achievement with the 23-year-old Joyce.

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Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was absent from the lineup in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

For the nightcap against the Guardians, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did not play. Arizona made changes to its outfield by including Randal Grichuk and Jake McCarthy, while Gurriel and Alek Thomas sat out for the latter part of the doubleheader. Gurriel's performance in Game 1 was below par as he went 0-for-4 in the Diamondbacks' 7-3 win. His struggles persisted as he has only recorded one hit in his last three starts since the end of his 10-game hitting streak last Saturday.

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Yanquiel Fernández notches his first AAA base hit.

Yanquiel Fernández, the promising outfield prospect for the Colorado Rockies, achieved his first hit for Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday. The 21-year-old player batted 1-for-4 in the game, securing a single and an RBI. Despite only being his second game with the new team, Yanquiel consistently displays impressive exit velocities with his bat. His value has been on the rise in recent years within the Rockies organization, known for its abundance of outfield prospects such as Jordan Beck, Benny Montgomery, and Zac Veen. Yanquiel's improvement in plate discipline has been a key factor in his progress, complementing his powerful hitting abilities. Throughout this season, spanning Double-A and Triple-A, Yanquiel has maintained a combined batting average of .280 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs. Given his potential, it is foreseeable that he may make his debut in Colorado by 2025.

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Edgar Quero excelled in his recent game, going 3-for-4 with a home run with Triple-A Charlotte.

Since being promoted last month, Edgar Quero has been in outstanding form, maintaining a batting line of .333/.434/.587 and hitting four home runs in 18 games. His performance in Double-A was also impressive, with a batting average of .275/.360/.463 across 72 games. While it may not be the most prudent decision for the White Sox to call him up to the majors at this stage, considering his young age of 21, he could already be the top catching choice in the organization.

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