MLB DFS Core Plays: August 9

Machado’s eighth inning blast let the Padres breathe after clinging to a measly 1-0 lead since the third inning. While this home run was Machado’s ninth on the season, he’s excelled in other areas of his game with a .316 batting average and eight stolen bases already.

The Brewers decided they weren’t going to play Vásquez’s game here. As usual, he tried to dance around the edges with his cutter, sinker, and curveball, but Milwaukee refused to swing at any of them. They chased just 17% of Vásquez’s pitches outside the strike zone and that turned into many free passes and long innings. Yet, he was able to tightrope his way out of damage each time. He’ll have a stiffer test next time out against the Dodgers.

The Brewers put up a lackluster offensive performance here totaling just three hits on their way to being shut out. However, Chourio managed four hard-hit balls, all of which were hit in the air. He’s beginning to pull himself out of his early season malaise with a .901 OPS over his last 15 games while making better swing decisions and hitting the ball harder, just like he did in this game.

Patrick’s fantastic season continued with another great start. While he worked around some walks and a handful of dinky singles, the Padres simply could not square him up. They had just one hard-hit ball against Patrick and of all people, it was a line drive out from Martín Maldonado. Nevertheless, Patrick forced a handful of pop-ups with his cutter up in the zone and dotted a few beautiful ones both on the outer edge and fading away. He’s incredibly crafty and will continue to succeed as long as his command stays sharp. His next start is scheduled to come against the Braves.

Clarke covered an unbelievable amount of ground and smashed into the wall at an all-out sprint, yet somehow managed to hang onto the baseball for the third out of the fourth inning. He remained in the game for another inning but was replaced defensively when the Athletics took the field in the sixth. It’s likely that he’ll undergo further evaluation and may need to pass through the concussion protocol before he’s cleared to return to action. Expect the A’s to have an update on his status after the game.

The game-ending sac fly to left with the bases loaded in the ninth wasn’t especially close to being a walkoff grand slam in PNC Park, but it would have been a homer in 12 stadiums, according to Statcast. Gonzales has hit sixth, fourth and now second in three games since coming off the injured list. It’s quite a show of faith for a guy with a career .687 OPS who just hit .194/.211/.250 during a nine-game rehab assignment, but it’s not like he’s displacing Willie Stargell.