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Jared Triolo SS | PIT
Pirates' Jared Triolo: Lifts solo shot
Triolo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals.
Triolo ended August on a six-game hitting streak, though his homer Sunday was his first extra-base hit since Aug. 13. The utility man had just one RBI during his power drought as well. Triolo is batting .247 with a .639 OPS, three homers, 26 RBI, 30 runs scored, 12 doubles and 10 stolen bases over 101 contests this season. He's typically more of a short-side platoon option, but the Pirates have faced five left-handers over the last eight games, giving Triolo a decent run of playing time that he's taken full advantage of to potentially earn a larger role.
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Esmerlyn Valdez RF | PIT
Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Homers in Sunday's win
Valdez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals.
Valdez had gone just 4-for-29 (.138) with a 4:17 BB:K over his last eight games. He has homered twice over his last four contests, but his overall consistency at the plate is still a work in progress. The outfielder is batting .244 with an .890 OPS, 16 homers, 44 RBI, 37 runs scored, 13 doubles, one triple and no stolen bases over 65 games this season, though his 37.5 percent strikeout rate is a major limiting factor.
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Max Scherzer SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Turns back clock in gem
Scherzer (2-7) earned the win against the Mariners on Sunday, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk in seven innings. He struck out 10.
Seattle didn't get into the hit column until the fourth inning in a vintage performance by the 42-year-old right-hander. It was easily Scherzer's best outing of the season -- he recorded season bests in innings, hits allowed and strikeouts -- and he even passed Gaylord Perry for ninth all-time in career punchouts. He'll look to build on Sunday's showing his next time out in Kansas City, where he'll take a 6.16 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 46:26 K:BB over 57 innings.
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Mason Montgomery RP | PIT
Pirates' Mason Montgomery: Clean inning for save
Montgomery pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals.
Montgomery retired the side on 11 pitches (seven strikes) to earn his seventh save overall and fifth in August. He ends the month riding a 13.1-inning scoreless streak dating back to July 27, and he looks to have a decent amount of security in the closer role for now. Montgomery is at a 3.07 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 89:22 K:BB through 55.2 innings this season.
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Braxton Ashcraft SP | PIT
Pirates' Braxton Ashcraft: Earns 14th win
Ashcraft (14-5) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three over five innings to earn the win over the Cardinals on Sunday.
While he wasn't quite as effective as in some of his other August starts, Ashcraft did enough to pick up his fourth win over six outings this month. He allowed a total of 10 runs (nine earned) across 38 innings in those games, and he's avoided giving up a home run in his last two starts. Ashcraft is at a 3.59 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 164:35 K:BB through 160.1 innings over 27 starts this season. He's lined up to make his next start at home versus the Angels.
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Logan Gilbert SP | SEA
Mariners' Logan Gilbert: Settles in after shaky first inning
Gilbert (11-8) took the loss against the Blue Jays on Sunday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out four.
Toronto got off to a fast start with a two-run first inning, but Gilbert was able to limit the damage the rest of the way. The workhorse right-hander has been as steady as any starting pitcher this season, working at least five innings in all but one of his 27 starts while giving up more than three runs on just five occasions. Gilbert is set to bring a 3.42 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 166:40 K:BB over 160.1 innings into a soft home matchup versus the division-rival Athletics.
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Willson Contreras 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Dealing with hamstring tightness
Contreras (hamstring) was removed from Sunday's 16-1 loss to the Yankees in the seventh inning, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Contreras was replaced in the field by Andruw Monasterio to open the bottom of the seventh inning. Manager Chad Tracy explained after the game that "hamstring was a little tight" for Contreras, and with the team down 6-0 at that point in the game, he didn't want to "push it" with the first baseman's health. Contreras finished his day 0-for-3 with a strikeout, and he can be considered day-to-day ahead of Monday's series opener with Seattle.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt: Homers, drives in three Sunday
Goldschmidt went 3-for-6 with a homer, three total RBI and an additional run scored in Sunday's 16-1 win over the Red Sox.
Goldschmidt got the Yankees' offensive outburst started with a two-run single in the fifth inning before extending the lead to 10-1 with a solo shot off Jovani Moran in the eighth. Goldschmidt has now gone deep twice in his last three games after going 16 contests without a homer and just one RBI. Overall, the veteran first baseman is slashing .248/.310/.459 with 18 homers, 48 RBI and 40 runs scored across 348 plate appearances this season.
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Sebastian Rivero C | LAA
Angels' Sebastian Rivero: Reinstated, optioned to Triple-A
Rivero (hand) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.
Rivero was sidelined for over two months after suffering a left hamate fracture June 10, but he has now officially ready for action. The catcher has posted a .245 average with two doubles, eight RBI and five runs scored over 53 at-bats in 24 contests with the Angels this season, and he could return to the major-league roster before the end of the year.
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Heliot Ramos RF | NYY
Yankees' Heliot Ramos: Goes deep Sunday
Ramos went 2-for-2 with a three-run homer and a pair of walks in Sunday's 16-1 win over the Red Sox.
Getting the start in right field against the left-handed Ranger Suarez, Ramos extended New York's lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning with a three-run, 416-foot blast, his 10th homer this season and first with the Yankees. Ramos had been struggling mightily in New York prior to Sunday, going just 7-for-59 (.119) with a .461 OPS in his first 20 games following a trade from San Francisco. Ramos figures to remain in the short side of a right-field platoon with Spencer Jones until Aaron Judge (ribs) is able to return.