Kansas City Royals right-hander Chris Stratton struck out one over a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Stratton needed 12 pitches to make quick work of the White Sox top of the order to collect his first save of the season. Royals manager Matt Quatraro used James McArthur on Friday during a save situation and decided to go with Stratton for Saturday's game. Kansas City continues using a committee to save situations between McArthur, Stratton, and William Smith. The way the Royals use their bullpen can frustrate fantasy managers. Still, McArthur, Stratton, and Smith should be rostered in 12-team plus leagues despite Kansas City rotating their relievers during save chances early on.

Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar wasn't able to hold back the Miami Marlins on Sunday, blowing the save in what turned out to be a 9-7 victory. Bednar was tasked with holding onto a one-run lead, but gave up a one-out solo homer to Nick Gordon. That was the only baserunner he allowed in his inning of work, and he also struck out a pair, so it wasn't all bad for the 29-year-old. Hunter Stratton picked up the save an inning later, but the job should still belong to Bednar, who was stellar in the role last year.

Free-agent right-hander Chris Stratton has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, according to a source. The deal includes a $4.5 million player option for 2025. The Royals are stocking up on pitching this offseason and also added veteran starter Seth Lugo on Tuesday on a three-year, $45 million contract. The 33-year-old Stratton is less of a fantasy asset as mainly a long reliever out of the bullpen. In 64 relief appearances in 2023 for the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, he had a 3.92 ERA (3.53 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with 25 walks and 81 strikeouts in 82 2/3 total innings. In eight years in the big leagues with five different teams, Stratton has only made 42 starts in 302 total appearances.

The St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent right-hander Chris Stratton on Thursday. The deal is reportedly for $2.8 million. Stratton began the 2022 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates but was eventually acquired by the Cardinals in a trade. In his 20 relief appearances with St. Louis, he had a nice 2.78 ERA (2.80 FIP), a 1.50 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and 12 walks in 22 2/3 innings. In total, the 32-year-old posted a 4.26 ERA (3.32 FIP), a 1.53 WHIP, two saves and a 60:25 K:BB in 63 1/3 innings pitched over 60 appearances (one start). Stratton will only become attractive in fantasy if he makes any spot starts for the Red Birds.

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired right-hander Chris Stratton and left-hander Jose Quintana from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night in exchange for right-hander Johan Oviedo and minor league infielder Malcom Nunez. The main piece of this trade was the veteran Quintana going to St. Louis to bolster their banged-up rotation as they make a run for a playoff spot. Stratton has had a rough year in Pittsburgh with a 5.09 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, two saves, 37 strikeouts and 13 walks in 40 2/3 innings over 40 appearances (one start). The 31-year-old should give St. Louis some more bullpen depth the rest of the way in 2022.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Chris Stratton earned the save in Friday's 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. He has now recorded saves on back-to-back days. They are his first two saves on the year. The 31-year-old pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Friday's game, but he allowed a pair of base hits. Fellow Pirates relievers David Bednar and Wil Crowe have a save each this season. Bednar was used in the eighth in Friday's game. Crowe, meanwhile, has been exclusively used as a multi-inning reliever. His save, which came on April 13, was an atypical three-inning save. It certainly looks like the closer job is Stratton's to lose right now. Make sure he is rostered in any league where saves are highly-coveted.

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Chris Stratton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Thursday to collect his first save of the season in his club's 4-3 win over the Cubs. The right-hander picked up one strikeout in the 11-pitch outing as he worked behind David Bednar who retired four consecutive batters of his own to earn his second hold. The takeaway from this game is that Bednar was called upon to face the more threatening two through five hitters in the lineup, perhaps hinting that manager Derek Shelton prefers to use him in more difficult scenarios. It's not ideal usage for fantasy purposes for either one of these late-inning arms in Pittsburgh, making them more appealing options to roster in Saves + Holds leagues.

The Pittsburgh Pirates plan to continue splitting the closing duties between relief pitchers David Bednar and Chris Stratton, which is what they did last year when they traded away then-closer Richard Rodriguez to the Atlanta Braves. Bednar was 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and three saves in 60 2/3 innings last year, averaging 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings with a curveball that induced a 46.8% whiff rate. Stratton has evolved from a starter, to middle reliever and now a high-leverage role. He led the team in wins (seven) and saves (eight) by using elite spin rates on his fastball and curve. Bednar is the better reliever of the two, but the fact that he'll be splitting save chances on a bad team makes him a low-end fantasy option for those chasing saves.

BOSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers hit two home runs, including a go-ahead blast in the fifth inning, to help the Boston Red Sox best New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole for the second straight time at Fenway Park in a 6-2 victory Friday night. Devers followed his two-run with a three-run homer in the seventh — the 100th of his career — to help Boston improve to 9-2 against New York this season. The Red Sox maintained their one-game AL East lead over Tampa Bay and increased their lead to nine games over the third-place Yankees. Yacksel Rios (3-0) got the victory, pitching two scoreless innings to cap a strong night from the bullpen after starter Eduardo Rodriguez left in the second inning after experiencing migraine symptoms. Cole (10-5) started strong for New York, but was pulled after fiving innings, giving up three runs off six hits, striking out eight and walking two. METS 3, BLUE JAYS 0 NEW YORK (AP) — Tylor Megill threw six scoreless innings for his first big league victory and got his first... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Urshela stayed in the game despite a shard of a broken bat hitting his right eye in the second inning and hit a go-ahead homer eighth as the New York Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit in a 7-5 victory Saturday that stopped the Oakland Athletics’ seven-game winning streak. Aroldis Chapman struck out Matt Chapman on a 103.4 mph pitch to strand two runners in the ninth for his 15th save. Urshela singled in New York’s first run in the fourth and put the Yankees ahead 5-4 in the eighth when he lifted a 98.6 mph fastball from Jesús Luzardo (2-4) into the netting above Monument Park in center. DJ LeMahieu added a two-run single against Sergio Romo. Chad Green (2-4) struck out the side in the eighth. PADRES 7, REDS 5 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rookie Kim Ha-seong hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run with two outs in the eighth — three innings after he replaced injured star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. — and San Diego beat Cincinnati. Tatis left after apparently hurting his left... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Urshela stayed in the game despite a shard of a broken bat hitting his right eye in the second inning and hit a go-ahead homer eighth as the New York Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit in a 7-5 victory Saturday that stopped the Oakland Athletics’ seven-game winning streak. Aroldis Chapman struck out Matt Chapman on a 103.4 mph pitch to strand two runners in the ninth for his 15th save. Urshela singled in New York’s first run in the fourth and put the Yankees ahead 5-4 in the eighth when he lifted a 98.6 mph fastball from Jesús Luzardo (2-4) into the netting above Monument Park in center. DJ LeMahieu added a two-run single against Sergio Romo. Chad Green (2-4) struck out the side in the eighth. PADRES 7, REDS 5 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rookie Kim Ha-seong hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run with two outs in the eighth — three innings after he replaced injured star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. — and San Diego beat Cincinnati. Tatis left after apparently hurting his left... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Urshela stayed in the game despite a shard of a broken bat hitting his right eye in the second inning and hit a go-ahead homer eighth as the New York Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit in a 7-5 victory Saturday that stopped the Oakland Athletics’ seven-game winning streak. Aroldis Chapman struck out Matt Chapman on a 103.4 mph pitch to strand two runners in the ninth for his 15th save. Urshela singled in New York’s first run in the fourth and put the Yankees ahead 5-4 in the eighth when he lifted a 98.6 mph fastball from Jesús Luzardo (2-4) into the netting above Monument Park in center. DJ LeMahieu added a two-run single against Sergio Romo. Chad Green (2-4) struck out the side in the eighth. PHILLIES 13, GIANTS 6 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rhys Hoskins broke out a 2 for 40 slump with a pair of home runs and a career-best six RBIs, leading Philadelphia over San Francisco. Ronald Torreyes also homered and drove in three runs as the Phillies won at San Francisco for the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Urshela stayed in the game despite a shard of a broken bat hitting his right eye in the second inning and hit a go-ahead homer eighth as the New York Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit in a 7-5 victory Saturday that stopped the Oakland Athletics’ seven-game winning streak. Aroldis Chapman struck out Matt Chapman on a 103.4 mph pitch to strand two runners in the ninth for his 15th save. Urshela singled in New York’s first run in the fourth and put the Yankees ahead 5-4 in the eighth when he lifted a 98.6 mph fastball from Jesús Luzardo (2-4) into the netting above Monument Park in center. DJ LeMahieu added a two-run single against Sergio Romo. Chad Green (2-4) struck out the side in the eighth. PHILLIES 13, GIANTS 6 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rhys Hoskins broke out a 2 for 40 slump with a pair of home runs and a career-best six RBIs, leading Philadelphia over San Francisco. Ronald Torreyes also homered and drove in three runs as the Phillies won at San Francisco for the... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Madison Bumgarner threw a seven-inning no-hitter, an achievement that won’t count in the Major League Baseball record book but completed a dominant day of Arizona Diamondbacks pitching for a 7-0 win over the Atlanta Braves and a doubleheader sweep Sunday. Bumgarner (2-2) struck out seven and walked none. The only Braves batter who reached base against him came on shortstop Nick Ahmed’s throwing error in the second inning. Officially, Bumgarner’s gem won’t count in the list of no-hitters. MLB’s eight-man committee on statistical accuracy decided in 1991 that a no-hitter was a game of nine or more innings that ended with no hits. In the opener, Zac Gallen (1-0) pitched a one-hitter, allowing Freddie Freeman’s sharp single to right-center field with one out in the sixth of a 5-0 win. This was the first time a team pitched two complete-game shutouts in a doubleheader since Boston’s Reggie Cleveland and Don Aase at Toronto on Sept. 5 1977 Arizona has won six of seven. Stephen... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Madison Bumgarner threw a seven-inning no-hitter, an achievement that won’t count in the Major League Baseball record book but completed a dominant day of Arizona Diamondbacks pitching for a 7-0 win over the Atlanta Braves and a doubleheader sweep Sunday. Bumgarner (2-2) struck out seven and walked none. The only Braves batter who reached base against him came on shortstop Nick Ahmed’s throwing error in the second inning. Officially, Bumgarner’s gem won’t count in the list of no-hitters. MLB’s eight-man committee on statistical accuracy decided in 1991 that a no-hitter was a game of nine or more innings that ended with no hits. In the opener, Zac Gallen (1-0) pitched a one-hitter, allowing Freddie Freeman’s sharp single to right-center field with one out in the sixth of a 5-0 win. This was the first time a team pitched two complete-game shutouts in a doubleheader since Boston’s Reggie Cleveland and Don Aase at Toronto on Sept. 5 1977 Arizona has won six of seven. Stephen... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rafael Devers homered for the fourth straight game and the streaking Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on a snowy Tuesday in a series opener moved back following the fatal police shooting of a Black man in a nearby suburb. Hunter Renfroe hit a solo homer and Bobby Dalbec added a pair of RBI doubles as Boston won its seventh in a row after losing its first three games of the season. Monday’s game was postponed due to safety and sensitivity concerns in the Twin Cities after the police shooting a day earlier of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. The Twins held a moment of silence for Wright prior to Tuesday’s game. Snow flurries fell for most of the game and it was 33 degrees for the first pitch. That made for the third-coldest start at Target Field, the record being 27 degrees on April 7, 2018. Adam Ottavino (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Matt Barnes pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season. Randy Dobnak (0-2) took the... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rafael Devers homered for the fourth straight game and the streaking Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on a snowy Tuesday in a series opener moved back following the fatal police shooting of a Black man in a nearby suburb. Hunter Renfroe hit a solo homer and Bobby Dalbec added a pair of RBI doubles as Boston won its seventh in a row after losing its first three games of the season. Monday’s game was postponed due to safety and sensitivity concerns in the Twin Cities after the police shooting a day earlier of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. The Twins held a moment of silence for Wright prior to Tuesday’s game. Snow flurries fell for most of the game and it was 33 degrees for the first pitch. That made for the third-coldest start at Target Field, the record being 27 degrees on April 7, 2018. Adam Ottavino (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Matt Barnes pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season. Randy Dobnak (0-2) took the... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jean Segura hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in their season opener Thursday. After Nate Jones (0-1) intentionally walked Did Gregorius, Segura hit a bouncer down the third-base line to score Bryce Harper, who began the inning as the automatic runner at second base and advanced to third on a grounder. In the top of the 10th, center fielder Roman Quinn made a perfect throw to the plate to retire Ozzie Albies, who was trying to score on Marcell Ozuna’s fly ball. Catcher J.T. Realmuto caught the ball and slid in front of the plate in one slick motion, successfully blocking Albies’ path. Phillies ace Aaron Nola was one strike away from tossing seven scoreless innings before pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval ripped an 0-2 pitch into the second deck in right field to tie it at 2. The Phillies got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from four relievers, with Connor Brogdon (1-0) working the 10th. They had the worst... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jean Segura hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in their season opener Thursday. After Nate Jones (0-1) intentionally walked Did Gregorius, Segura hit a bouncer down the third-base line to score Bryce Harper, who began the inning as the automatic runner at second base and advanced to third on a grounder. In the top of the 10th, center fielder Roman Quinn made a perfect throw to the plate to retire Ozzie Albies, who was trying to score on Marcell Ozuna’s fly ball. Catcher J.T. Realmuto caught the ball and slid in front of the plate in one slick motion, successfully blocking Albies’ path. Phillies ace Aaron Nola was one strike away from tossing seven scoreless innings before pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval ripped an 0-2 pitch into the second deck in right field to tie it at 2. The Phillies got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from four relievers, with Connor Brogdon (1-0) working the 10th. They had the worst... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jean Segura hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in their season opener Thursday. After Nate Jones (0-1) intentionally walked Did Gregorius, Segura hit a bouncer down the third-base line to score Bryce Harper, who began the inning as the automatic runner at second base and advanced to third on a grounder. In the top of the 10th, center fielder Roman Quinn made a perfect throw to the plate to retire Ozzie Albies, who was trying to score on Marcell Ozuna’s fly ball. Catcher J.T. Realmuto caught the ball and slid in front of the plate in one slick motion, successfully blocking Albies’ path. Phillies ace Aaron Nola was one strike away from tossing seven scoreless innings before pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval ripped an 0-2 pitch into the second deck in right field to tie it at 2. The Phillies got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from four relievers, with Connor Brogdon (1-0) working the 10th. They had the worst... [More]