Tigers closer Shane Greene struck out two during a scoreless inning vs. the White Sox on Sunday en route to his MLB-leading 10th save of the season. Greene, who lowered his ERA to 1.50, has successfully converted all 10 of his save opportunities this year to open the season as one of baseball's top closers. He has not allowed an earned run in 11 of his 12 appearances thus far while racking up 12 strikeouts in 12 innings. He's not going to be this dominant all season, but he's locked in as Detroit's closer and should continue to serve as an excellent source of saves.
Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo went 2-for-3 with a triple, a run and five RBI vs. the Astros on Sunday. Gallo sparked Texas to an 11-10 victory over their in-state rivals with a game-high five RBI, giving him 22 already in just 18 games thus far. After consecutive seasons with at least 40 homers but batting averages in the low .200s, Gallo is off to a fast start in his age-25 season. Look for him to regress soon, however, if he keeps striking out in 39 percent of his official at-bats.
Astros third baseman Alex Bregman went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, two runs and two walks Sunday against the Rangers. Bregman continued to show why he's one of the best young players in baseball by clubbing his fourth homer of the year in the sixth inning. In addition to batting .318, the 25-year-old is showing outstanding plate discipline again with a 12:12 BB/K ratio after walking more than he struck out last year. With great power, patience, contact skills and baserunning ability, Bregman is the perfect cornerstone to build a fantasy roster around.
Yankees lefty James Paxton took a no-decision Sunday after allowing three hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts over six scoreless innings vs. the Royals. Paxton was in top form as the Yankees built up a 5-0 lead behind him, only to blow it after he left the game. After a sluggish start with his new team, Paxton has been excellent over his past couple starts, ringing up 24 strikeouts across 14 innings without allowing an earned run. That's the kind of elite pitcher the Yankees thought they were trading for in the offseason, and he appears to be settling in. Paxton will look to capitalize on an easy road date with the Giants on Friday.
Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a walk Sunday against the Yankees. Dozier kept up his heavy hitting by following Alex Gordon's three-run homer in the eighth with a solo shot for his sixth home run of the year. Dozier showed solid power as a rookie last year with a .166 ISO and 34 extra-base hits in 102 games, but the key for him this year has been improved plate discipline. After posting a 24:109 BB/K ratio last year, he has a 12:17 BB/K ratio thus far. If he keeps it up, Dozier may be on the verge of a breakout in his age-27 season.
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