Max Scherzer settled for the no-decision on Saturday after allowing one run on two hits and one walk with 14 strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings against the Yankees. Scherzer was in top form after tossing a complete game in his previous start, racking up a season-high 14 Ks and allowing just one run on a solo homer -- his eighth long ball allowed this year. Despite pitching into the eighth inning and leaving with a lead, Scherzer was denied the win when the Yankees tied the game in the ninth before ultimately winning in the 11th. Scherzer, who lowered his ERA to 2.33, has now allowed one earned run or less in five of his last six outings and owns a 67:7 K/BB ratio on the season. He'll look to keep rolling against the Diamondbacks in his next start.
Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with a homer, three runs and three RBIs against the Rockies on Saturday. Goldschmidt helped power the Cards to a 9-8 win with his fifth homer of the year -- a two-run shot in the third inning. After a brutal April in which he posted a .597 OPS, Goldschmidt has already raised that nearly 100 points after opening May on fire. In seven games this month, Goldschmidt is 10-for-27 with two homers, nine runs and six RBIs. For fantasy owners who have been exhibiting patience after his slow start, the wait seems to finally be paying off.
Jeff McNeil went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, two runs scored and a stolen base on Saturday against the D-backs. McNeil provided a big spark for the slumping Mets offense out of the leadoff spot, jacking his third homer of the year in the third inning. It's taken awhile for McNeil to get going this year, as he entered May with .196 average and a .636 OPS, but he's been able to raise those figures to .227 and .690 with a strong start to the month. The recent move to the leadoff spot earlier this month seems to have rejuvenated him, and hopefully helps him get back on track to being one of the league's better hitters again.
Kevin Gausman improved to 3-0 this year after limiting the Padres to one run on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six innings on Saturday. Gausman continued his strong start to 2021 with another dominant outing, allowing one earned run or less for the sixth time in seven starts this year, lowering his ERA to a tidy 1.97. In addition to his 47:12 K/BB ratio, Gausman has allowed just 28 hits in 45 2/3 innings, which may not be sustainable given that he's allowed more than one hit per inning over the course of his career. Even so, the rest of his peripherals are still strong, and he should be able to continue his success against a lackluster Pirates team in his next outing.
Brandon Belt went 2-for-2 with a solo homer, two runs scored and a walk on Saturday, helping the Giants beat the Padres, 7-1. Belt's fifth-inning blast was his third dinger in his last five games and seventh overall this year, all of which have come in his last 24 games. Other hits have been hard to come by, however, as he has nearly as many extra-base hits (10) as singles (11) thus far. The 34 strikeouts in 90 official at-bats is definitely out of character for him, especially given his historically strong plate discipline. While his power has been solid, Belt's average will need to come up a bit to make him a more viable fantasy option in standard leagues.
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