MLB 2024 | Yariel disastrous again; Gurriel Jr. plates four RBI; Cortés blanks Guardians; Yandy continues to pile hits; Luis Robert continues hot and Arozarena finally gets a hit
- Ray Otero-Alonso
- Aug 22, 2024
- 5 min read
Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources
Yariel Rodríguez was removed from the game after 4 1/3 innings, having given up five runs and striking out six against the Reds on Wednesday.
In Wednesday's 11-7 loss to the Reds, Yariel Rodríguez ended up with a no-decision, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. He recorded six strikeouts. Yariel continues to struggle with efficiency. Although he showed promise early in the game, he faced difficulties the second time through the Reds' lineup. Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer off a hanging slider, putting the Reds on the scoreboard.
Yariel then gave up three singles to the first four batters in the fifth inning before being pulled from the game. All the runners he left on base ended up scoring, resulting in a disappointing performance. Adding to the frustration, he began that inning with a four-run lead, even holding a 6-0 advantage after three innings. He was taken out after throwing 87 pitches (51 strikes), and he has failed to complete five innings in three of his last five outings, leading to a 5.75 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 21:10 K:BB ratio over his last 20.1 innings. Toronto had anticipated monitoring Yariel's workload this season due to his lack of pitching in 2023 and his relief role in Japan over the previous three years. Despite being limited to 80 innings so far in 2024 between Triple-A Buffalo and the majors, injuries may be affecting his performance. To pitch deeper into games, he will need to develop a reliable third pitch to complement his slider and fastball. Both his splitter and curveball are potential options for this role, so watch out for them in his upcoming start against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a stellar performance on Wednesday night, going 2-for-2 with two doubles and four RBI to help the Diamondbacks secure a victory over the Marlins.
In Wednesday's 10-8 win against the Marlins, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 2-for-2 with a double, four RBI, and a stolen base. Despite not being in the starting lineup for the Diamondbacks, the 30-year-old outfielder came in as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and had a significant impact on the game. His three-run double in the seventh inning gave the D’Backs a lead they maintained, and he later added an RBI single in the ninth inning along with a stolen base. Recently, Gurriel Jr. has been on a hot streak, recording hits in six of his last seven games, including four multi-hit performances, and batting .400 (10-for-25) with four RBI during that span. For the season, he now holds a slash line of .274/.312/.418 with 15 home runs, 65 RBI, and seven stolen bases.
Yandy Díaz continues to collect hits.
On Wednesday, Yandy recorded a 1-for-4 performance with a double and an RBI against the Athletics. Despite an injury scare on Sunday when he was hit by a pitch on the arm, Yandy did not miss any playing time and managed to go 4-for-11 with two doubles in the Rays' three-game series against Oakland. Throughout August, Yandy has been performing well, holding a .297 batting average with six RBIs and eight runs scored in 18 games.
Néstor Cortés delivered a stellar performance on Wednesday, pitching seven scoreless innings and striking out four batters in a victory against the Guardians.
Improving his record to 7-10, Cortés secured the win by limiting Cleveland to three hits over seven innings without conceding a run in the 8-1 triumph. He showcased his skill by striking out four batters and not issuing any walks. The southpaw's dominance was evident as he threw 68 of his 104 pitches for strikes, retiring the side in order in six out of the seven innings he pitched. Cleveland only managed to threaten in the fifth inning, with a runner reaching scoring position. Cortés achieved his 11th quality start of the season, marking his second consecutive one. His impressive 14-inning scoreless streak has reduced his season ERA to 4.00. Looking ahead, he aims to continue his strong form in his upcoming road game against the Nationals early next week.
Luis Robert Jr. had a standout performance on Wednesday, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases to help the White Sox secure a 6-2 victory over the Giants.
In the 6-2 win against the Giants on Wednesday, Robert had a productive game, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, two runs, and two stolen bases. Despite a slow start after the All-Star break, Robert has recently been excelling at the plate, with 11 hits, including two home runs and three stolen bases, in his last seven games. This game marked his fourth multi-steal performance of the season, bringing his total to 14 home runs and 20 stolen bases in just 71 games this year.
Randy Arozarena with two runs and a stolen base in a defeat.
In the loss against the Dodgers on Wednesday, Arozarena managed to get a hit at last, going 1-for-2 with a stolen base and crossing the plate twice. He also received a walk and was hit by a pitch. Arozarena stole his 18th base of the season and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Dominic Canzone after being hit by a pitch to start the second inning. The outfielder, recently acquired, reached base two more times in the game, contributing to his fifth time scoring two runs since joining the Mariners. Before this performance, Arozarena had gone six games without a hit and currently holds a batting average of just .193 (11-for-57) in August, with three home runs, 13 RBIs, 11 runs, and two stolen bases. Encouragingly, he has now drawn a walk in three consecutive games.
Adolis García contributes to victory.
In Wednesday's 1-0 win against Pittsburgh, Adolis García went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. He delivered the second of the Rangers' three hits in the bottom of the ninth inning, securing the walk-off victory. Additionally, he notched his 11th stolen base of the season during the final inning. Despite a challenging season marked by a .693 OPS, Adolis' lowest since becoming a full-time player in 2021, he has only accumulated 62 RBI over 122 games. To achieve a third consecutive 100-RBI season, he will need to finish the season strongly.
Jorge Soler is expected to make a comeback this weekend.
According to Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, Soler, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, has been actively training and is set to rejoin the team for the upcoming series against Washington this weekend, as reported by David O'Brien of The Athletic. Despite missing his sixth consecutive game on Wednesday against the Phillies due to the hamstring strain, Atlanta is optimistic that Soler will not need to be placed on the injured list. Described as day-to-day, Soler's participation as a pinch hitter in Tuesday's 3-1 victory suggests that he will return to the starting lineup soon. In his only plate appearance on Tuesday, Soler drew a walk in the eighth inning before being substituted for a pinch runner.
For the second time in four games, Miguel Vargas was not in the White Sox lineup on Wednesday.
Miguel Vargas started in the first two games of the series but was on the bench for Wednesday's matinee. With the White Sox having a day off tomorrow, Vargas will have played in three out of six days. The 24-year-old's start with the White Sox has been challenging, as he has only managed 5 hits in 54 at-bats for a .093 average, including four consecutive hitless games.
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