MLB 2024 | Yordan hit two home runs on Friday; Iglesias secured his 31st save; Yuli made a comeback on Friday with an RBI; Vargas remains sidelined
- Ray Otero-Alonso
- Sep 7, 2024
- 4 min read
Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources
Yordan Alvarez smashed two three-run home runs on Friday to help secure the victory against the Diamondbacks.
Yordan Alvarez had an outstanding performance in Friday's 8-0 victory over the Diamondbacks, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI. He hit a three-run homer off Brandon Pfaadt in the fifth inning and followed it up with another home run off Jordan Montgomery in the next frame. This marked Alvarez's seventh multi-homer game of the season, equaling the Astros' franchise record set by Chris Carter in 2014. Over the past nine games, Alvarez has showcased his power with three multi-homer games while maintaining a .382 batting average (13-for-34) with seven home runs and 12 RBI. In his last 25 games, he has hit .362 with 12 home runs and 13 walks, raising his season OPS to .970. With 32 home runs, 79 RBIs, 89 runs scored, and six stolen bases on the season, the 27-year-old Alvarez is now hitting .310 with a .406 wOBA and 170 wRC+, establishing himself as one of the premier hitters in the league.
Raisel Iglesias secured the save against the Blue Jays on Friday by allowing only two hits and striking out three batters during his single inning of work.
In Friday's 3-1 victory against Toronto, Raisel Iglesias secured the save by delivering a scoreless inning with three strikeouts, despite allowing two hits. Since June 16th, he has not conceded any earned runs and has maintained a striking 37.6% strikeout rate. Iglesias has now extended his streak of scoreless appearances to 21 games, even after dealing with a two-out double by Joey Loperfido in a 15-pitch performance. Throughout this streak, Iglesias has recorded 31 strikeouts and only three walks in 24 1/3 innings, while also notching 10 saves. This season, the 34-year-old has showcased exceptional form with a 1.22 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, and a remarkable 61:10 K:BB ratio in 59 innings, converting 31 of 34 save opportunities. Undoubtedly, Iglesias is currently experiencing one of the finest seasons of his career and is establishing himself as one of the most dominant relievers in Major League Baseball.
Jorge Soler had a productive performance on Friday against the Blue Jays, going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.
It was the first game for Soler with the Braves where he did not bat first or second since joining the team. This change was justified by the need to place Whit Merrifield in the second spot in the lineup. Despite this adjustment, Soler hit his double with an impressive exit velocity of 110.5 MPH. Since the All-Star break, he has maintained an .835 OPS, showing a significant improvement compared to his performance in the first half of the season.
Randy Arozarena managed one RBI on Friday.
In a 6-1 victory against the Cardinals, Randy Arozarena went 1-for-4 and contributed with an RBI. He kickstarted the scoring in the fifth inning by hitting a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing Victor Robles home. Arozarena's sole hit of the game came in the third inning when he singled. This season has presented challenges for the Cuban/Mexican outfielder, as he holds a .218/.332/.389 slash line with 18 home runs, 50 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 144:63. However, he has shown improvement lately, hitting .250 with 2 home runs and 8 RBIs in his last 15 games.
Yuli Gurriel returned to play on Friday.
Yulieski Gurriel took the field at first base and batted seventh in the lineup against the Twins. The Royals secured a 5-0 victory, with Gurriel making a 1-for-3 performance and contributing an RBI. He also had one strikeout. Gurriel exited Monday's game due to hamstring tightness but came off the bench on Wednesday. In his four games with the Royals, Gurriel has a batting average of .333 with one run and two RBI.
Luis Robert Jr. was in center field on Friday and got one hit out of four at-bats against the Red Sox.
On Friday at Fenway Park, Luis Robert Jr., the outfielder for the Chicago White Sox, played in center field and batted second against the Boston Red Sox. He had a 1-for-4 performance with a strikeout during the game. Robert returned to the lineup after a day off on Thursday, following his early exit from Wednesday's game due to tightness in his right hamstring. Despite hitting 14 home runs and stealing 21 bases in 323 at-bats, Robert has a .220 batting average, .274 on-base percentage, and only 34 RBIs. Since the All-Star break, he has struggled with a .204/.233/.305 slash line, hitting just three home runs, 11 RBIs, walking five times, and striking out 62 times in 40 games.
Miguel Vargas remained absent on Friday.
Vargas was not included in Friday's lineup against the Red Sox. He has been sidelined since leaving Tuesday's game due to a right eye abrasion sustained in a field collision.
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