Sandy Alcantara fired a complete-game shutout against the Reds on Wednesday, scattering six hits and one walk while striking out three. It was an efficient outing for Alcantara, who threw 75 of his 105 pitches for strikes and induced a lot of weak contact with 14 groundouts. The complete game was Alcantara's MLB-leading third of the season but his first shutout since 2019, lowering his NL-leading ERA to 1.88 in the process and improving to 10-4 on the season. MLB's innings leader has logged 158 1/3 frames over 22 starts thus far, averaging close to 7 1/3 innings per turn. It's that combination of quality and quantity that seems guaranteed to net Alcantara the NL Cy Young Award if he stays healthy. A tough road matchup with the Phillies awaits the 26-year-old fantasy ace.
Teoscar Hernandez drove in both of the Blue Jays' runs during their 3-2 loss to the Rays on Wednesday afternoon, going 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, and two RBIs. Hernandez doubled home a run off Jalen Beeks in the top of the first before crushing a solo homer off Ryan Yarbrough in the fourth, giving Toronto a one-run lead each time. Unfortunately, the Jays couldn't hold on and ultimately lost by one as Hernandez's bat ran out of magic. Hernandez has now hit safely in four straight games, raising his average to .273 with 15 homers, 20 doubles, and an .817 OPS. After getting off to a terrible start and spending time on the IL in April and May, Hernandez's bat has rebounded since late May. He's not going to match his impressive numbers from last year, but he's still a quality fantasy outfielder who should finish with 20+ homers and a solid batting average.
Amed Rosario starred in Cleveland's 7-4 win over Arizona on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a double, a three-run homer, and two runs scored. Rosario delivered the big hit in the bottom of the fifth, turning a 1-0 lead into a 4-0 advantage with one swing of the bat. He later doubled and scored a key insurance run as well. While the long ball was only Rosario's sixth of the season, he still has a shot to reach double digits for the third time in his last three full seasons. While his power numbers aren't overly impressive, Rosario has been a great fantasy option by doing a bit of everything. In addition to his bit of pop, he's also batting .293 with 10 steals, 41 RBIs, 58 runs, and an AL-leading 118 hits, including an MLB-high six triples. Most of his numbers are right in line with his career averages, too, so it's not like he's having a fluke season. Batting second in Cleveland's lineup ahead of Jose Ramirez has helped him remain productive as well.
Joe Ryan pitched the Twins to victory on Wednesday after limiting the Tigers to one run on three hits and no walks with nine strikeouts over five innings. Ryan didn't give up a run until the fifth and likely could've pitched longer, but Minnesota opted to pull its rookie starter after 78 pitches to preserve his arm in the middle of a pennant race. He was remarkably accurate, however, slinging 63 of his offerings for strikes and pounding the strike zone against Detroit's weak offense. The nine punchouts matched his season high from April 27 (also against the Tigers) and marked the second-highest total of his career. More importantly, the 26-year-old rookie righty returned to form after getting bombed for five home runs and 10 total runs his last time out. Ryan will carry an 8-4 record, a 3.67 ERA, and an 8.8 K/9 into his next scheduled start at Dodger Stadium next week.
Jose Urquidy continued his recent dominant stretch by blanking the Red Sox over seven innings on Wednesday, yielding just two hits and no walks while racking up 10 strikeouts. Urquidy picked a great time to deliver his best start of the season, helping the Astros stave off what would have been an embarrassing series sweep at home by the reeling Red Sox. Urquidy found the strike zone with 70 of his 97 pitches and matched his season-high with 10 K's. Wednesday was Urquidy's ninth straight quality start, during which time he's lowered his ERA from 5.04 to 3.62. He's also gone 5-1 during that span, improving his overall record to 10-4. While Urquidy typically doesn't garner a ton of strikeouts, he's on a roll right now and should be able to stay hot in a favorable home start against the Rangers next week.
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