Jesus Luzardo continued his dominant start to the season with another lights-out performance on Wednesday, holding the Twins to one run on five hits and one walk while racking up 10 strikeouts over seven innings. Luzardo didn't give up a run until the seventh inning, which unfortunately tied the score and prevented him from getting the win he deserved. Still, he threw 70 of his 99 pitches for strikes and looked even better than he did during his season debut, when he threw 5 2/3 scoreless frames against the Mets. While his career has been up and down so far (partly due to injuries), Luzardo looks like the real deal after posting a 3.32 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP and a 10.8 K/9 in 18 starts last year. The 25-year-old lefty is quickly establishing himself as a must-start in all fantasy formats. He'll face the slumping Phillies on the road in his next outing.
Jorge Soler propelled the Marlins to a 5-2 win over the Twins on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. Soler broke the ice in the bottom of the first by taking former teammate Pablo Lopez deep for a solo shot. He saved his best for last, however, going yard again in the bottom of the eighth for a game-sealing three-run blast. Soler has begun the season with an impressive power barrage, clubbing three doubles and three homers through seven games so far. After appearing in just 72 games last year due to injury, Soler looks more like the guy who led the American League with 48 homers in 2019. He's only hit 51 since then, but he's still young enough at age 31 that a bounce-back is possible. Soler can be streaky, so get him into your lineups ASAP and ride him while he's hot.
Pete Alonso put on a show for the Mets in a losing effort on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run homers against the Brewers. Alonso did all of his damage against former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, taking him deep for a two-run shot in the third and another in the fifth. It ultimately wasn't enough for New York, however, which fell to Milwaukee, 7-6. Alonso's pair of bombs snapped an 0-for-11 skid over his previous three games and marked his first long balls since March 31, giving him three so far on the year. It had been a relatively quiet start for the former NL Rookie of the Year, who was batting just .136/.269/.318 prior to Wednesday's explosion. Perhaps such a strong performance against an elite pitcher will help get him going at the plate.
Grayson Rodriguez held his own in his MLB debut on Wednesday, limiting the Rangers to two runs on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts in five innings. Summoned from Triple-A to replace Kyle Bradish after the latter went on the IL, Baltimore's top pitching prospect shined in his first-ever MLB appearance. Unfortunately for him, he was going up Jacob deGrom, so the O's didn't get the win. Still, it was an encouraging sign for the 23-year-old, especially after he got lit up for a 7.04 ERA during five Spring Training starts. Rodriguez will likely make at least 1-2 more starts while Bradish is out, and could stick around depending on how he performs. He projects to be a strong fantasy option in his next start, which is scheduled to come at home against the hapless A's.
Jacob deGrom was sensational on Wednesday, limiting the Orioles to two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts in six innings. deGrom registered his first win as a member of the Rangers with a vintage performance as he carved up Baltimore's lineup. It was also a strong rebound performance for him after getting torched by the Phillies for five runs in 3 2/3 innings on Opening Day. This is the version of deGrom the Rangers thought they were getting when they signed him to a five-year, $185 million contract last offseason, and it's the version fantasy GMs were hoping for when they drafted him as well. Expect another dominant outing when he faces the Royals at home in his next start.
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