Jose Ramirez powered Cleveland to a 5-1 win over the Angels on Saturday by going 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs, three RBIs, a walk, and a stolen base. Saturday marked Ramirez's third straight game with multiple hits and a home run, extending his hitting streak to eight games in the process. He has 10 extra-base hits, 11 RBIs, and three steals during that stretch to continue his strong second half. His hot streak has raised his batting average 10 points while pushing his OPS to .896. Ramirez has been a tremendous asset for his fantasy owners this year with 29 big flies, 81 runs, 79 RBIs, 16 steals, and a .259 average, making him a true five-category contributor.
Gerrit Cole secured his 12th win on Saturday after blanking the Twins for six innings, scattering five hits and one walk while striking out six. Cole scored an easy victory against a woeful Minnesota club, keeping them in check while the Yanks built up a 6-0 lead behind him. The six innings were Cole's most in a start since July 17, marking his first quality start since the same date as well. He's now won consecutive starts, however, and boasts a 12-6 record and a 2.92 ERA to go along with an AL-high 191 strikeouts. After a midseason swoon that saw him post a 4.68 ERA in June and July combined, the Yankee ace appears to be back on track. He'll draw a tougher assignment when he faces the A's in Oakland for his next start.
Hyun-Jin Ryu earned the win on Saturday after firing seven shutout innings against the Tigers, limiting them to five hits and one walk with five strikeouts. The veteran southpaw didn't have much trouble neutralizing Detroit's lackluster lineup, slinging 70 of his 105 pitches for strikes and allowing just one extra-base hit. It was a welcome rebound performance for Ryu, who yielded 11 earned runs on 13 hits in 10 innings over his previous two outings combined. Saturday's strong performance improved his record to 12-6 with a 3.54 ERA. The 34-year-old has taken a significant step back this year after compiling a 2.30 ERA from 2018-2020, but he's still a solidly above-average pitcher worth starting in all fantasy formats. He'll look to replicate his success against a much tougher opponent when he faces the first-place White Sox at home in his next scheduled start.
Marcus Semien paced Toronto's 3-0 victory over the Tigers on Saturday by going 3-for-4 with a solo homer. Semien added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with his 30th home run of the year, extending the lead to three runs. Six of those long balls have come in August for Semien, who's gone yard four times in his last five games. He's been in a bit of a slump lately with just eight hits in his last 40 at-bats, but he's continuing to have an exceptional season at the dish. In addition to his 30 taters, Toronto's leadoff man also has 89 runs, 33 doubles (most in the majors), 73 RBIs, 13 steals, a .272 average, and an .871 OPS. Even when he's slumping, he still finds ways to contribute.
Jose Altuve helped pace Houston's 15-1 win over Seattle on Saturday by going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs, and an RBI from the leadoff spot. Altuve led the Astros' 15-hit assault with a season-high four knocks, raising his average from .272 to .278 in the process. He's now recorded at least one extra-base hit in three straight games, giving him 45 on the season. He's also up to 88 runs and 67 RBIs, as batting at the top of the best lineup in baseball has paid big dividends for his fantasy value. He's yet to go deep in August, however, after crushing 25 home runs in the first four months of the season. The power outage has cost him nearly 40 points on his OPS, as perhaps the 31-year-old is wearing down a bit during the dog days of summer in the Texas heat.
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