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  • Marcus Semien homers in eighth to lead Rangers
    Marcus Semien hit his fifth homer Friday as the Rangers bested the Reds 2-1.

    Advice: Semien nearly had two homers, but his 410-foot drive to center in the fifth, which Statcast said would have been gone in 18 parks, was caught at the wall. The actual homer was hit 392 feet and broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth. It gave hm 19 runs scored and 20 RBI in 27 games, even though it doesn’t seem like either he or the Rangers offense as a whole has really caught fire yet. Rotoworld 18 minutes ago
     
  • Nathan Eovaldi doesn’t let walks get him down
    Despite walking five, Nathan Eovaldi allowed just one run over six innings Friday against the Reds.

    Advice: All three hits Eovaldi allowed were singles, and he struck out eight. Eovaldi wasn’t involved in the decision, so he remains 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA through six starts. He’s due to face the Nationals next. Rotoworld 18 minutes ago
     
  • Kirby Yates throws perfect ninth for save
    Kirby Yates struck out two in a perfect ninth Friday for a save against the Reds.

    Advice: It was Yates’ first appearance since his save Sunday. He threw 14 pitches tonight, so he should be available again Saturday. David Robertson could also be a threat for a save then, but Yates is the clear favorite in Texas right now. Rotoworld 19 minutes ago
     
  • Graham Ashcroft works into seventh in no-decision
    Graham Ashcraft pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Rangers on Friday.

    Advice: Ashcraft allowed seven hits, but since he walked none, only the Evan Carter homer did damage. He has a 4.40 ERA after five starts, and he probably deserves better, what with his 26/7 K/BB and strong groundball rate. He’s a fringy mixed-league option, but he’s a big key as far as the Reds’ chances of contending this season. Rotoworld 19 minutes ago
     
  • Jeimer Candelario goes 0-for-4 in defeat
    Jeimer Candelario finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Rangers on Friday.

    Advice: Candelario would have been one to avoid in fantasy drafts this year if only he had signed with almost any other team. With the Reds, though, there was reason to think he’d maintain ample mixed-league value. Instead, his exit velocity numbers are way down and his strikeout rate is way up, making this a truly miserable April for the 30-year-old. It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll remain this bad, but he’s fortunate that the Noelvi Marte suspension and Matt McLain injury have left his playing time unchallenged. Rotoworld 19 minutes ago
     
  • Expected back Saturday
    Lowe (oblique) is expected to be activated from the injured list Saturday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

    Advice: Lowe has been on a rehab assignment for roughly a week, but he was with the big-league club in Chicago on Friday. He's projected to be activated Saturday to make his season debut and will almost certainly occupy a prominent spot in a struggling Rays' lineup. It will also be notable where Lowe plays defensively, as he started three games in center field during his rehab assignment. Rotowire.com 46 minutes ago
    Josh LoweTB - OF
    L, 4-9 @CWS
    New Player Note
    IL10
     
  • Launches fifth homer
    Muncy went 3-for-6 with a three-run homer and an additional run scored in Friday's 12-2 win over the Blue Jays.

    Advice: Muncy broke the game open in the third inning with a three-run blast off Chirs Bassitt, extending the Dodgers' lead to 6-0. The 33-year-old Muncy is now 5-for-9 in his last two contests after going 0-for-10 in his previous four games. Overall, he's slashing .258/.361/.494 with five homers, 18 RBI and 16 runs scored through 26 games this season. Rotowire.com Today, 10:32 pm
     
  • Homer, four hits in win
    Smith went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and three total RBI in Friday's 12-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

    Advice: Smith extended Los Angeles' lead to 3-0 in the third inning with an RBI single before adding a solo home run, his second of the year, off Trevor Richards in the fourth. It's Smith's second straight four-hit game (he's gone 8-for-11 with three extra-base hits in that span) and already his fourth this season. The 29-year-old backstop is off to an excellent start, slashing a robust .376/.413/.527 with 21 RBI and 14 runs scored through his first 104 plate appearances. Rotowire.com Today, 10:25 pm
     
  • Takes first loss
    Crawford (1-1) took the loss Friday against the Cubs, allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits over six innings. He struck out four.

    Advice: Crawford allowed a season-high 10 hits Friday, though he'd still manage to make it through six innings for a second straight quality start. It's the first time that Crawford's allowed more than one run in a start this year -- he now sports an impressive 1.35 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP and 34:11 K:BB across six starts (33.1 innings). He's currently in line for a home matchup with the Giants in his next outing. Rotowire.com Today, 10:10 pm
    Kutter CrawfordBOS - SP,RP
    L, 1-7 vs CHC
    New Player Note