Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy retired all four batters he faced on Friday night to earn his 23rd save of the season. Kennedy was summoned in the eighth inning and struck out James McCann, who represented the go-ahead run. Kennedy was sent back out for the ninth and retired the side in order. Drama-free outings haven't been normal for Kennedy who has pitched to a 5.82 ERA since being acquired by the Phillies at the trade deadline. There was speculation Hector Neris (1.42 ERA since August 1) could find himself back in the closer role, but this game should ensure Kennedy keeps the job for now. Fantasy managers desperate for saves can deploy Kennedy as a low-end RP option, but Neris does have appeal in deeper leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy allowed a solo home run to Matt Duffy to suffer his third blown save since being acquired by the Phillies at the trade deadline. Fortunately for the Phillies and fantasy managers, Kennedy was able to escape the inning with no further damage and he earned the victory when Philly walked off in the bottom of the ninth. That's where the positives end for Kennedy, however, as he's pitched to a 6.32 ERA across 15 2/3 innings with the Phillies as patience is running thin in the city of brotherly love. Hector Neris and Jose Alvarado have both pitched better of late and it wouldn't be surprising to see one of them get the next save chance.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy allowed three runs in 2/3 of an inning to take the loss on Thursday versus Colorado. Kennedy was one strike away from ending the game, but he served up a two-run homer to Ryan McMahon. To make matters worse, he would also allow a solo shot to Sam Hilliard before being lifted from the game. Manager Joe Girardi has been patient with Kennedy thus far, but Kennedy has posted a 6.59 ERA across 13 2/3 innings since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline. He's 6-for-8 in save chances with Philly but patience is running thin as the Phillies battle for a playoff spot. Fantasy managers should hold Kennedy for now, but we could see Hector Neris or Jose Alvarado get another look in the ninth inning if Kennedy continues to struggle.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy pitched around a one-out single to collect his 22nd save of the season Thursday afternoon at the Nationals. It was a nice bounce-back effort by the veteran reliever after he suffered a blown save in his previous outing. Kennedy hasn't been great for the Phillies as he has a 5.73 ERA since being acquired at the trade deadline. Most of that damage has come in non-save situations, however, as Kennedy is 6-for-7 in save chances for the Phillies as he seems to have a strong grip on the closer role in Philadelphia. He won't post gaudy strikeout totals or elite ratios, but Kennedy needs to be rostered in any fantasy league that rewards saves.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy allowed a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to suffer his second blown save since he was acquired from the Rangers at the trade deadline. Kennedy was called on to protect a two-run lead versus Arizona, but immediately served up a single to Pavin Smith, then a homer to Christian Walker, and the game was tied. Kennedy was able to escape the inning without further harm, but it was another rough night for the beleaguered Phillie bullpen. Despite the blown save, Philadelphia doesn't have an obvious option to handle closer duties, so Kennedy should still be rostered in fantasy as his job is likely safe for now.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy pitched 1 1/3 innings on Friday at San Diego to pick up his 20th save of the season. Kennedy was summoned into a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning and proceeded to hit Fernando Tatis Jr. to force in a run. The right-hander then whiffed Manny Machado to escape the inning with a one-run lead, which he would protect without issue in the bottom of the ninth. Kennedy got off to a rough start after being shipped from Texas to Philly at the trade deadline, but he's now tossed four straight scoreless outings and is yet to suffer a blown save with his new club. Kennedy should be rostered in all fantasy leagues where saves are rewarded.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Thursday to preserve a 2-1 win over the Dodgers. The save was Kennedy's 19th of the season and third with the Phillies. It was a roller coaster ride at the end, as Kennedy threw two pitches in two separate at-bats that appeared to end the game. The umpire disagreed, however, and both batters walked to load the bases for pinch-hitter Will Smith. Kennedy buckled down and earned a flyout to end the game and avoid the sweep to L.A. He won't post gaudy strikeout totals, but Kennedy is the clear-cut closer in Philly and should be rostered in fantasy leagues that reward saves.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy pitched around a solo home run to collect his 17th save of the season, and first as a member of the Phillies. In the first game of a crucial three-game set with the Mets, Kennedy was called on to protect a two-run lead despite Archie Bradley and Jose Alvarado getting the last two saves for Philly. Kennedy let Mets' second baseman Jonathan Villar hit a solo homer, but that was the only baserunner allowed by the veteran reliever who nailed down the save. Kennedy isn't a high-end closing option for fantasy, but he's been mostly solid with a 3.53 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and just over a strikeout-per-inning. He's a must-roster reliever in any category-based fantasy format.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ian Kennedy allowed a two-run homer, but held on to preserve the win over the Nationals on Monday. Kennedy was called on despite Philly holding a four-run lead which was cut in half when Carter Kieboom launched a two-run shot off the veteran reliever. This was Kennedy's second appearance with his new club and the second time he allowed a multi-run homer, albeit both in Philly wins. Kennedy had 16 saves with the Rangers and should be considered the closer in Philadelphia until he blows a save or two, but this isn't an ideal start to his Phillies career.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired pitchers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy, bolstering their staff in a deadline trade Friday in which they got the Texas Rangers' top starter and closer in exchange for rookie right-hander Spencer Howard and two other pitching prospects. Texas also sent pitching prospect Hans Crouse, a second-round draft pick four years ago, and cash to the Phillies. Howard (0-2, 5.72 ERA), who was Philadelphia’s second-round pick in 2017, is going to Texas with right-handers Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessner. Gibson (6-3, 2.87 ERA in 19 starts) was a first-time All-Star this season, but the 33-year-old right-hander lost his last three starts for Texas. Kennedy had 16 saves in 17 opportunities for the last-place Rangers, and the 36-year-old right-hander hasn’t issued a walk in his last 11 appearances, a span of 45 batters dating to June 4. “We feel like we made ourselves better and we’re in position where we have another starting pitcher in our rotation for next year. We’ve also... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Freddy Galvis is back with the Philadelphia Phillies, returning to the franchise where he started his career in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. The Orioles acquired minor league right-hander Tyler Burch from the Phillies for Galvis and cash. The 31-year-old Galvis has been Baltimore's starting shortstop for most of the season. He's batting .249 with nine homers and 26 RBIs in 72 games and is currently on the 10-day injured list with a right quadriceps strain. Galvis is a career .247 hitter in 10 major league seasons, the first six with Philadelphia. The Phillies also acquired pitchers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy from the Texas Rangers on Friday. Philadelphia entered Friday 3 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the AL East. The 23-year-old Burch is a combined 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 23 appearances this season for Low-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired pitchers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy, bolstering their staff in a deadline trade Friday in which they got the Texas Rangers' top starter and closer in exchange for rookie right-hander Spencer Howard and two other pitching prospects. Texas also sent pitching prospect Hans Crouse, a second-round draft pick four years ago, and cash to the Phillies. Howard (0-2, 5.72 ERA), who was Philadelphia’s second-round pick in 2017, is going to Texas with right-handers Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessne. Gibson (6-3, 2.87 ERA) was a first-time All-Star this season, but the 33-year-old right-hander lost his last three starts for Texas. Kennedy had 16 saves in 17 opportunities for the last-place Rangers, and the 36-year-old right-hander hasn’t issued a walk in his last 11 appearances, a span of 45 batters dating to June 4. Philadelphia went into Friday night's game at Pittsburgh with a 51-51 record. The Phillies were second in the NL East, 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets.... [More]

The Texas Rangers have a deal in place to trade starting pitcher Kyle Gibson and relief pitcher Ian Kennedy to the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. This provides a big boost to the Phillies pitching staff, as Gibson has been having a great season so far while Kennedy has been a solid closer for Texas. Over 19 starts, Gibson is 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.177 WHIP, while Kennedy has 16 saves, a 2.51 ERA and 1.052 WHIP over 32 appearances. With Kennedy on the move, Spencer Patton figures to be next in line for the closer's job in Texas, and managers should make sure to scoop him up off the waiver wire.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Ian Kennedy continued his stellar work out of the bullpen on Tuesday. He threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and no hits allowed in the 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The veteran reliever notched his 16th save in 17 attempts this season. Kennedy is posting a 2.51 ERA and 35/7 K/BB ratio in 32 appearances this season. Sadly, his fantasy value will likely take a dip at the trade deadline. He'll likely be dealt and it'll probably be to a team with a closer already in place. Kennedy won't have the same type of value as a setup reliever.

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey scored the tiebreaking run on a throwing error by first baseman Cody Bellinger in the eighth inning, and San Francisco beat Los Angeles, increasing its lead over the Dodgers in the NL West to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey scored the tiebreaking run on a throwing error by first baseman Cody Bellinger in the eighth inning, and San Francisco beat Los Angeles, increasing its lead over the Dodgers in the NL West to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. NATIONALS 6, PHILLIES 4 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner singled in the first inning and scored on Josh Bell’s three-run homer that put Washington ahead to stay, but was then pulled from the victory over Philadelphia because of a positive COVID-19... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. NATIONALS 6, PHILLIES 4 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner singled in the first inning and scored on Josh Bell’s three-run homer that put Washington ahead to stay, but was then pulled from the victory over Philadelphia because of a positive COVID-19... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Nestor Cortes and three relievers combined for a three-hitter and Brett Gardner and DJ LeMahieu each drove in two runs to lead the New York Yankees over the Houston Astros 4-0 on Friday night. Making a spot start, Cortes permitted two hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking two and lowering his ERA to 1.05. Lucas Luetge (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings for the win. Chad Green gave up one hit in two innings and Jonathan Loaisiga threw a perfect ninth. It was New York’s first visit to Houston since Game 6 of the 2019 AL Championship Series. The Astros advanced to the World Series with a 6-4 win in that game on a two-run homer by Jose Altuve with two outs in the ninth. The Astros are commemorating the event by giving away replica 2019 AL champions trophies on Friday night, 2019 AL champions replica rings on Saturday and Altuve jerseys for the finale on Sunday. GIANTS 5, NATIONALS 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Curt Casali hit a two-run homer while filling in for injured... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Nestor Cortes and three relievers combined for a three-hitter and Brett Gardner and DJ LeMahieu each drove in two runs to lead the New York Yankees over the Houston Astros 4-0 on Friday night. Making a spot start, Cortes permitted two hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking two and lowering his ERA to 1.05. Lucas Luetge (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings for the win. Chad Green gave up one hit in two innings and Jonathan Loaisiga threw a perfect ninth. It was New York’s first visit to Houston since Game 6 of the 2019 AL Championship Series. The Astros advanced to the World Series with a 6-4 win in that game on a two-run homer by Jose Altuve with two outs in the ninth. The Astros are commemorating the event by giving away replica 2019 AL champions trophies on Friday night, 2019 AL champions replica rings on Saturday and Altuve jerseys for the finale on Sunday. GIANTS 5, NATIONALS 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Curt Casali hit a two-run homer while filling in for injured... [More]