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Rafael Flores C | PIT
Pirates' Rafael Flores: Four hits in Tuesday's loss
Flores went 4-for-4 in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Brewers.
All four knocks were singles, but it was still an impressive way for Flores to extend his hitting streak to nine games. During that span, the 25-year-old catcher is batting .441 (15-for-34) with a double and a homer but just two runs and two RBI as the Pittsburgh offense as a whole has struggled over the final weeks of the season -- Tuesday marked the sixth time in 13 September contests that the Pirates scored two runs or fewer.
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Brandon Lowe 2B | PIT
Pirates' Brandon Lowe: Clubs homer No. 30
Lowe went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Brewers.
The second baseman supplied the only offense for the Pirates when he bashed a DL Hall fastball off the right-field foul pole in the eighth inning. It was Lowe's 30th homer of the season, marking the third time in his career he's reached that plateau, and he's been locked in to close out the campaign. Over his last 14 games, Lowe has delivered a .346/.424/.558 slash line with two doubles, three home runs, six RBI and 10 runs.
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Joseph Ortiz SS | MIL
Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Three hits in Tuesday's win
Ortiz went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Pirates.
It's the 28-year-old infielder's second straight two-RBI performance, as he raises his game to close out the regular season, Over 12 contests in September, Ortiz is batting .417 (15-for-36) with two doubles, two homers, five runs and eight RBI.
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Jacob Misiorowski SP | MIL
Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski: Shines in division-clinching win
Misiorowski (15-5) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing five hits and a walk over five scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory over the Pirates. He struck out seven.
With the win, the Brewers clinched their fourth straight NL Central title. Misiorowski hasn't lost a game in over a month, going 4-0 over his last seven starts with a 2.75 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 48:13 K:BB in 39.1 innings as the 24-year-old right-hander makes a final push to claim the NL Cy Young Award. He seems set to get two more chances to make his case before the regular season ends, with Misiorowski's next outing likely coming on the road this weekend in Baltimore.
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Rhett Lowder SP | CIN
Reds' Rhett Lowder: Downed by Dodgers
Lowder (6-11) took the loss Tuesday, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings as the Reds fell 4-0 to the Dodgers. He struck out four.
The right-hander didn't pitch badly, but he had no margin for error with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the LA bullpen combining for a three-hit shutout. Lowder has lost all three of his September starts, stumbling to an 11.68 ERA, 2.11 WHIP and 10:8 K:BB over 12.1 innings on the month. He'll try to right the ship in his next outing, which lines up to come at home this weekend against the Cubs.
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Alex Freeland 2B | LAD
Dodgers' Alex Freeland: Goes yard in Tuesday's win
Freeland went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Reds.
The 25-year-old has been the Dodgers' primary second baseman against right-handed pitching in September, and Tuesday's long ball off Pierce Johnson was his first in the majors since May 31. Since rejoining the Dodgers when rosters expanded at the beginning of the month, Freeland has produced a .258/.378/.419 slash line in 37 plate appearances with one homer, two doubles, two steals, two RBI and six runs.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Three hits in Tuesday's win
Freeman went 3-for-5 in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Reds.
It was the star first baseman's first multi-hit performance since Sept. 2, as he's been playing through a nagging knee injury. Freeman's batting just .171 (6-for-35) on the month with one homer and three RBI in 11 contests, but it's not clear if he'll be afforded some time off ahead of the playoffs -- the Dodgers are on the verge of clinching the NL West, but they still need to hold off Atlanta to ensure a first-round bye.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto SP | LAD
Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Blanks Cincy for 14th win
Yamamoto (14-8) picked up the win in Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the Reds, allowing one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
The right-hander uncharacteristically walked the first two batters he faced, but Yamamoto would let only one other batter reach base before exiting after 91 pitches (55 strikes). The quality start was his 21st of the season, tied for the major-league lead with the Marlins' Sandy Alcantara, and over 10 starts since the All-Star break, Yamamoto has reeled off a 1.98 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 72:16 K:BB in 68.1 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in what will likely be his final outing of the regular season, at home early next week against the Padres.
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Kevin Gausman SP | CHC
Cubs' Kevin Gausman: Solid in no-decision
Gausman didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Atlanta after allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six over 5.2 innings. He did not issue a walk.
Gausman was dominant for most of his outing, retiring 16 of the first 18 hitters he faced as the Cubs built a 3-0 lead in the early stages of the game. His lone mistake came in the sixth, when Ronald Acuna smashed a two-run homer to cut Chicago's lead to one. Gausman then departed after recording the second out, and Daniel Palencia finished the inning before the Cubs' bullpen surrendered the lead in the later innings. Gausman has been hit or miss of late, allowing two runs or fewer in two of his last four starts but also giving up five or more in the other two in that stretch. The veteran owns a 4.86 ERA in three September starts and is lined up to make his next start at home against the Marlins next week.
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Raisel Iglesias RP | ATL
Braves' Raisel Iglesias: Secures 33rd save of season
Iglesias earned his 33rd save of the season after retiring all three batters he faced in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Cubs. He did not record a strikeout.
Iglesias was handed a three-run cushion after Drake Baldwin's two-run homer in the top of the ninth, and the veteran right-hander made quick work of Chicago. He needed 15 pitches (11 strikes) to complete a perfect frame and secure Atlanta's comeback victory. Iglesias has converted 33 of his 36 save opportunities this season while posting a 2.73 ERA, and he hasn't blown a save since Aug. 7.