Justin Verlander tossed another gem on Friday, dominating the Yankees over seven innings of one-run ball in the Bronx for his AL-leading ninth win of the season. JV allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out three, with the lone run coming on a Giancarlo Stanton solo homer in the bottom of the sixth. Verlander continues to build his case towards a third Cy Young award in his first season back from Tommy John surgery with a 9-3 record and a 2.22 ERA, showing no signs of slowing down at age 39. He's now gone seven innings in four of his five starts this month, proving to be remarkably durable for a pitcher his age. The only knock on him is that the strikeouts have been a bit up and down this year, as he's averaging fewer than a strikeout per inning. Even so, the rest of his numbers are spectacular and have helped him reclaim his status as a fantasy ace in his 17th MLB season.
Francisco Lindor powered the Mets to a 5-3 win over the Marlins on Friday, going 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, and four RBIs. Lindor did all of his damage against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, tagging him for a solo homer in the top of the first to break the ice before clubbing a go-ahead three-run double in the sixth to give New York the lead for good. Friday marked Lindor's second consecutive multi-hit game, as he's now hit safely in seven of his last eight games. He's also socked three home runs while driving in 11 runs during that span, giving him an impressive 56 RBIs through 71 games. While his .246 average and .750 OPS aren't overly impressive, his strong power numbers (12 homers, 10 doubles) have helped him be a top run producer in the middle of the Mets' lineup. He's also chipped in eight steals as well, making him a great fantasy option despite falling a bit short of expectations at the dish.
Nick Pivetta pitched another gem on Friday, holding the Guardians to two runs over seven innings on nine hits and no walks with four strikeouts. Pivetta gave up a run in the second and another on a solo shot in the fourth, but the Red Sox ultimately spotted him six runs to help him improve to 8-5. That makes three straight wins and quality starts for Pivetta, who's steadily improved his ERA to a season-best 3.25. His strikeout totals have been all over the place lately, but overall he's averaging close to one whiff per inning. His estimators support his ERA as well, which would be a serious improvement over last year's career-best 4.53 ERA. Pivetta has pitched like an ace for the better part of two months now with nine quality starts in his last 10 outings, turning into a reliable fantasy stud right before our very eyes. Another tough road matchup against the Blue Jays awaits, but Pivetta has become a must-start at this point.
Alejandro Kirk was a driving force behind the Blue Jays' 9-4 win over the Brewers on Friday, going 4-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored. Kirk paced Toronto's 13-hit assault with a game-high four hits, including his ninth home run of the year. Kirk has now gone deep in three straight games, giving him six long balls in his last 17 contests this month. Kirk has caught fire since the last week of May, batting an eye-popping .393 with 14 extra-base hits, 27 runs, and 21 RBIs in his last 25 games. Kirk has developed into one of the best hitters in baseball over the past month, and the fact that he plays catcher makes his recent emergence even sweeter. With loads of offensive talent around him, Kirk is a top fantasy play whenever he's in the lineup
Trea Turner went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a solo homer against the Braves on Friday. Turner sparked the Dodgers to a 4-1 win against the defending World Series champs with a big game from the leadoff spot, which included his 10th home run of the year in the fifth inning. The performance was his second three-hit game in a row, as Turner's been a hit machine this year with at least one knock in 41 of his last 43 games. His average is up to an impressive .318 as a result, while nine of his 10 home runs have come during the aforementioned 43-game stretch. With 14 steals on the year as well, Turner is doing it all as one of the most well-rounded players in the game, making him a major fantasy asset as the leadoff man for one of the best teams in baseball.
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