Framber Valdez, SP, HOU
Valdez was pulled after 7.0 innings of no-hit ball in Detroit. Naturally, the second batter of the 8th inning hit a single off of Astros' reliever Bryan Abreu and the Tigers would eventually win the game on a walkoff homer in the 9th. We always hate seeing a guy pulled amidst a no-hitter, but it seems justified in Valdez's case Friday night. He was at 114 pitches and had walked five batters in a one-run contest. The 29-year-old just threw a no-hitter on August 2nd that required just 93 pitches total. Despite nearly throwing TWO no-nos this month, August has been rough on Valdez. He gave up 24 hits and 15 runs in the three starts between the no-hit bookends. For the season, he is 9-9 with a 3.40/3.40 ERA/xFIP across 161.2 innings.
Max Keper, OF, MIN
Kepler went 2 for 3 with a homer, a double, and two walks on Friday night. After an atrocious start to the season, the 30-year-old has turned it on over the second half of the season, especially as of late. Kepler is hitting .333 (11-33) with seven extra-base hits (2 HR, 5 2B) in his last eight starts. He has committed to using the whole field over the second half of the season (-7.7% Pull%), and the results have been polarizing. Kepler owned a 32.7% Hard% and 88 wRC+ in 226 first-half plate appearances; in 142 second-half PAs, he has a 42.4% Hard% and 150 wRC+.
Dane Dunning, SP, TEX
Dunning walked a season-high six batters on Friday in Minnesota and was saddled with his fifth loss of the season as a result. He was uncharacteristically wild right out of the gate, walking four of the first five batters in the first inning. Luckily the one batter that didn't walk grounded into a double play, or the four runs he surrendered in the inning could have been much worse. Dunning settled down after that and was able to battle his way through 3.0 more innings without allowing another run. The 28-year-old has allowed 3+ runs in five of his past seven outings and has seen his ERA go up .75 points in his past ten games. Despite the recent struggles, Dunning has been a nice surprise for the Rangers this season, he owns a 3.36/4.36 across 136.2 innings. His lack of strikeout stuff (7.05 K/9) makes him susceptible to outings like Friday's, but his high 47.1% GB% keeps him in most games.
Dylan Cease, SP, CHW
Cease surrendered nine runs (8 ER) across 4.1 innings against the As on Friday night. Oakland, who rank 30th in wOBA this season, battered the 27-year-old around the ballpark from start to finish. He allowed nine hits, walked five, and struck out six in the outing. Cease's control continues to cause issues; he has walked two or more in eight consecutive starts and his career-high 4.30 BB/9 currently ranks 3rd among qualified MLB starters this season. Cease nearly took home the 2022 AL Cy Young a season ago with a tidy 2.20 ERA. His current 4.87 ERA won't garner him many votes this season.
Mitch Keller, SP, PIT
Keller tossed 8.0 innings of shutout ball against the Cubs on Friday night. He surrendered four hits, walked one, and fanned six in the contest. Apart from a couple of stinkers recently, Keller has been solid in his first season atop the Pirates rotation. He is 11-8 with a 9.84 K/9 and 2.64 BB/9 in 163.2 innings. With a 30.3% O-Swing% and 9.5% SwStr%, Keller hasn't displayed overpowering stuff, but he keeps the ball on the ground (44.1% GB%) and stays in the game. The 27-year-old has only failed to reach the 5.0 inning mark once this season and that was his very first start of the campaign in which he went 4.2 innings.
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