COLLEGE STATION, Texas – April came to a close with seven Aggies putting in time on Major League rosters.
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The list includes Daniel Mengden (Oakland Athletics), A.J. Minter (Atlanta Braves), Tyler Naquin (Cleveland Indians), Cliff Pennington (Cincinnati Reds), Ross Stripling (Los Angeles Dodgers), Michael Wacha (St. Louis Cardinals) and Alex Wilson (Detroit Tigers).
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Highlights from the month include Minter picking up his first career save and Wacha going 4-1 in his five starts. Also of note, Pennington became the first player in MLB history to make his regular-season pitching debut after his postseason pitching debut when he worked an inning of relief against the Cardinals on April 12. In 2015, Pennington became the first position player to pitch in a postseason game when he made an ALCS appearance with the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Daniel Mengden – Oakland Athletics
Mengden has made six starts on the season, going 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA. He picked up wins against the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. In the victory over the Dodgers, Mengden also went 1-for-3 at the plate with his first career RBI. In his outing against the White Sox, he worked 8.0 innings, allowing one run on six hits and one walk while striking out six.
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A.J. Minter – Atlanta Braves
Minter has been a standout in the Braves' bullpen. He has one save and three holds on the season. He has 11 strikeouts and a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings. He earned his first career save on April 25, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win against the Reds.
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Tyler Naquin – Cleveland Indians
Naquin has appeared in 21 games for the Indians, batting .294 (15-for-54) with three runs, one double, one home run and five RBI. He has three multi-hit games and he blasted a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels on April 2.
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Cliff Pennington – Cincinnati Reds
Pennington has appeared in 16 games for the Reds, including five starts. He has four hits and five walks on the year. He also pitched one inning.
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Ross Stripling – Los Angeles Dodgers
Stripling has been stellar in the Dodgers' bullpen, posting a 0.63 ERA in 14.1 innings of work. He yielded just 12 hits and six walks while striking out 16 over 14.1 innings in his 10 relief appearances. His only blemish came in an emergency start on April 30.
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Michael Wacha – St. Louis Cardinals
After being saddled with the loss in his first outing of the season, Wacha rattled off four consecutive wins. He is 4-1 with a 3.62 ERA on the season. In his last two outings, victories against the Reds and the New York Mets, Wacha has allowed two runs on 11 hits and two walks while striking out 11 in 12.2 innings for a 1.42 ERA. He has racked up 23 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.
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Alex Wilson – Detroit Tigers
Wilson appeared in 13 games for the Tigers, recording three holds out of the bullpen. He racked up 12 strikeouts in 16.1 innings of work.
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The list includes Daniel Mengden (Oakland Athletics), A.J. Minter (Atlanta Braves), Tyler Naquin (Cleveland Indians), Cliff Pennington (Cincinnati Reds), Ross Stripling (Los Angeles Dodgers), Michael Wacha (St. Louis Cardinals) and Alex Wilson (Detroit Tigers).
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Highlights from the month include Minter picking up his first career save and Wacha going 4-1 in his five starts. Also of note, Pennington became the first player in MLB history to make his regular-season pitching debut after his postseason pitching debut when he worked an inning of relief against the Cardinals on April 12. In 2015, Pennington became the first position player to pitch in a postseason game when he made an ALCS appearance with the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Daniel Mengden – Oakland Athletics
Mengden has made six starts on the season, going 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA. He picked up wins against the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. In the victory over the Dodgers, Mengden also went 1-for-3 at the plate with his first career RBI. In his outing against the White Sox, he worked 8.0 innings, allowing one run on six hits and one walk while striking out six.
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A.J. Minter – Atlanta Braves
Minter has been a standout in the Braves' bullpen. He has one save and three holds on the season. He has 11 strikeouts and a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings. He earned his first career save on April 25, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win against the Reds.
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Tyler Naquin – Cleveland Indians
Naquin has appeared in 21 games for the Indians, batting .294 (15-for-54) with three runs, one double, one home run and five RBI. He has three multi-hit games and he blasted a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels on April 2.
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Cliff Pennington – Cincinnati Reds
Pennington has appeared in 16 games for the Reds, including five starts. He has four hits and five walks on the year. He also pitched one inning.
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Ross Stripling – Los Angeles Dodgers
Stripling has been stellar in the Dodgers' bullpen, posting a 0.63 ERA in 14.1 innings of work. He yielded just 12 hits and six walks while striking out 16 over 14.1 innings in his 10 relief appearances. His only blemish came in an emergency start on April 30.
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Michael Wacha – St. Louis Cardinals
After being saddled with the loss in his first outing of the season, Wacha rattled off four consecutive wins. He is 4-1 with a 3.62 ERA on the season. In his last two outings, victories against the Reds and the New York Mets, Wacha has allowed two runs on 11 hits and two walks while striking out 11 in 12.2 innings for a 1.42 ERA. He has racked up 23 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.
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Alex Wilson – Detroit Tigers
Wilson appeared in 13 games for the Tigers, recording three holds out of the bullpen. He racked up 12 strikeouts in 16.1 innings of work.
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