• Max Fried can’t stop Phillies’ bats
    Max Fried allowed 11 hits and five earned runs in six innings of work on Friday against the Phillies. He struck out four and walked one in a loss.

    Advice: This was a pivotal game for the Braves as they try to claw their way back into the NL East race and Fried simply did not have it. He lived in the heart of the zone and the Phillies made him pay time and time again. They had base runners in five out of six innings and looked incredibly comfortable in the box all night. Fried was fortunate to get through this start with only five earned runs. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:48 pm
     
  • Coughs up five runs
    Fried (7-4) allowed five runs on 11 hits and a walk over six innings Friday, striking out four and taking a loss against the Phillies.

    Advice: Fried worked through three scoreless frames before beginning to unravel. He gave up three runs in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth. Of the five runs he allowed, four came via a pair of two-run shots from Trea Turner. Fried had given up just three runs over his previous three starts but saw his season ERA jump from 2.91 to 3.18 after Friday's hiccup. His next start is lined up to be in Arizona. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:30 pm
     
  • Strikes out eight in win
    Skenes (5-0) earned the win against the Mets on Friday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over seven innings.

    Advice: Skenes surrendered a solo home run in the third inning and another run in the fourth but was otherwise fantastic. According to The Athletic, he is the first pitcher in major-league history to record seven or more strikeouts in nine of his first 10 career starts. The rookie has not lost a game this season and owns a 2.12 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 78:12 K:BB over 59.1 innings. He lines up for a road matchup with the Brewers next week. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:00 pm
     
  • Monster performance in win
    Reynolds went 4-for-5 with two home runs, six RBI and three runs scored in a 14-2 win over the Mets on Friday.

    Advice: Reynolds gave the Pirates the lead on a two-run home run in the fifth inning, then broke things open with a grand slam in the seventh. He hit .330 with six homers in June and has carried his power stroke into July with three long balls and eight RBI through four games. On the year, the outfielder is hitting .280 with 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 39 runs scored and five steals over 390 plate appearances. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:56 pm
     
  • Paul Skenes strikes out eight Mets in win
    Paul Skenes allowed two earned runs across seven innings on Friday in the Pirates’ lopsided 14-2 win over the Mets. He struck out eight and walked two en route to the win.

    Advice: Skenes got better as this game went on. He retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced and the one that reached was an infield single where Jose Iglesias was ruled out on the field before it was reviewed. He threw nearly the same number of fastballs and splinkers in this game, the third straight start he mixed them virtually evenly. He also threw his slider 23% of the time. That was the first time he’s thrown it that often since May 29th. Alone, all three of those pitches are awesome. Together with his velocity and command makes him one of the best pitchers in baseball. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:24 pm
     
  • Bryan Reynolds homers from both sides of plate
    Bryan Reynolds went 4-for-5 with two home runs, six RBI, and two runs scored on Friday against the Mets.

    Advice: Reynolds was all over the Mets in this one. His two-run homer in the fifth inning pulled the Pirates ahead and his seventh inning grand slam broke this game open. It was the second time in his career he’s homered from both sides of the plate in the same game and he pulled his OPS up to .831 with 16 homers and 54 RBI. He is a perpetually underrated stud. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:24 pm
     
  • Ramping up workload
    Scherzer (1-2) took the loss Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk over 6.1 innings against the Padres. He struck out three.

    Advice: Scherzer tossed his first quality start of the season, pitching into the seventh while increasing his pitch count to 90 after having tossed 57 and 77 over his first two starts. While the effectiveness has been there through three starts, as evidenced by a 2.70 ERA and 0.84 WHIP, he's not received much run support, with the Rangers supplying a total of two runs over his last two outings, with each resulting in a loss. One trend to keep an eye on moving forward is Scherzer's strikeout numbers as he's tallied only 11 thus far through 16.2 innings. The last time Scherzer recorded fewer than a strikeout per inning was in 2011, his fourth season in the league. Scherzer's next start is lined up for next week when the Rangers travel to Anaheim to take on the Angels. Rotowire.com Thursday, 4:52 pm
     
  • Homer, steal in win
    Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double, one stolen base and two total runs scored in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Orioles.

    Advice: Rodriguez earned his first multi-hit effort and swatted his first homer in 15 games. During the slump, he went just 7-for-56 (.125) while failing to log an extra-base hit or RBI. Rodriguez's recent poor play has seen him bounce around the lineup in an effort to get his bat going -- he hit fifth Thursday but had batted seventh in the previous two games. Overall, he's slashing .247/.296/.336 with eight homers, 30 RBI, 39 runs scored and 18 steals through 88 contests. Rotowire.com Thursday, 4:42 pm
    L, 1-4 vs BAL
     
  • Julio Rodríguez blasts first homer since June 15
    Julio Rodríguez went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and also stole a base on Thursday, powering the Mariners to a 7-3 victory over the Orioles.

    Advice: Rodríguez connected for his first homer since June 15 when he launched a towering 428-foot blast to left field off Orioles ace Corbin Burnes in the fifth inning. It was his eighth round-tripper of the season and a much-needed sign for the 23-year-old superstar, who has been mired in a season-long tailspin at the dish. The absence of over-the-fence pop has been the most alarming trend in his sudden decline, so this performance certainly qualifies as a step in the right direction. He’s still a long way from getting back to his previous form, but there are some signs of life now. Rotoworld Thursday, 4:10 pm
    L, 1-4 vs BAL