LEADING OFF: Braves, Phillies extend win streaks, A's slump
A look at what's happening around the majors today:
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Dansby Swanson and the Braves will try for their 10th straight win when they host Pittsburgh. Atlanta already is on the longest winning streak in the National League this season.
Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies go for their ninth win in a row when they face Arizona. Philadelphia is 7-0 under interim manager Rob Thomson - he is the first manager to win his first seven games since Joe Morgan won 12 straight with the Boston Red Sox in 1988.
The Athletics, meanwhile, have lost 10 in a row after Cleveland rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 victory.
The A's are struck in their first double-digit skid since 2011 and have been outscored 60-20 during the streak. Oakland has the worst record in the American League at 20-40.
CLINT CUT
The up-and-down career of Clint Frazier took another turn when he was cut by the Chicago Cubs.
The 27-year-old outfielder was designated for assignment in a surprise decision by the team. He was at Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon for the start of the Chicago-New York series and his Cubs uniform was hanging in his locker.
'œHe was upset. Emotional, would be a good word,'ť manager David Ross said. 'œI think he likes it here a lot. I think he believes in his baseball skills, which we do, too. But it's just one of those really tough decisions we have to make sometimes.'ť
The 27-year-old Frazier, once a highly rated prospect, was given only 37 at-bats by the Cubs following his rocky tenure with the Yankees. Signed to a $1.5 million, one-year contract, he was batting .216 with three doubles, one RBI and a stolen base in 19 games. He missed more than a month because of an appendectomy.
The Cubs have seven days to trade, release or send him outright to the minors if he clears waivers.
SURGERY SETBACKS
Tampa Bay reliever Andrew Kittredge and Detroit starter Casey Mize are both headed for Tommy John surgery.
Kittredge, an All-Star last season, is the latest Rays reliever to be sidelined. He joined Nick Anderson, J.T. Chargois, Pete Fairbanks and J.P. Feyereisen as key late-inning options who are currently on the injured list.
The 32-year-old righty had just returned five days ago from a 17-game absence due to lower back tightness. He has five saves in eight attempts and a 3.15 ERA in 17 games.
Mize, the No. 1 pick in the June 2018 draft, has a 7-13 record with a 4.29 ERA in 39 big league appearances, all of them starts for the Tigers. The 25-year-old has been on the injured list with a right elbow sprain since April 15 after making two starts this season.
OTTO A NO GO
Rangers rookie Glenn Otto has been put on the COVID-19-related injured list, putting his run of successful starts on pause.
The 26-year-old righty had been scheduled to pitch Friday night against the White Sox in Chicago.
Otto is 4-2 with 4.24 ERA in eight starts. He has won his last three starts with a 2.25 ERA in the span.
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