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Star power: Ranking the performance of Friday's 11 aces

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

TGIF, right?

Baseball fans had the privilege of witnessing a handful of the league's elite take the mound Friday, with an abundance of staff aces strutting their overpowering stuff.

From Noah Syndergaard (who left his start early with a fingernail injury) to Clayton Kershaw facing off against friend-turned-foe Zack Greinke in what was an expensive pitching battle ($69.5 million between the two starters, to be exact) being a hitter must not have been particularly pleasant.

Here are Friday's best pitching performances from each ace:

11. Diamondbacks, Zack Greinke

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB Ks Result
Dodgers 5 10 5 3 4 L (1-1)

Yikes. Not the return to California that Greinke had in mind. After his exceptional second start of the season in which he held Cleveland to one run over 6 2/3 innings, Greinke was anything but good Friday (get it?), upping his season ERA to 4.32.

10. Marlins, Edinson Volquez

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB Ks Result
Phillies 4 1/4 5 2 4 5 No Decision

After signing a two-year, $22-million deal to join the Marlins in the offseason, Volquez has provided solid if unspectacular value. He wasn't dominant Friday but he did enough to help his team win, which is what he's being paid to do as the Marlins' de facto ace.

9. Braves, Julio Teheran

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB Ks Result
Padres 6 5 2 4 5 ND

Teheran has been marvelous so far this season for the Braves and entered Friday having not allowed a run. That streak was broken, however, in the team's first ever game at SunTrust Park. Teheran's control was a bit off, but the Braves won the game regardless.

8. Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB Ks Result
Cardinals 6 1/3 5 3 2 5 W (1-1) 

After allowing seven earned runs on Opening Day, Tanaka has settled down considerably since with his second consecutive quality start. Despite allowing a two-run home run in the first inning Friday, Tanaka prevailed, earning his first win of the season.

7. Mets, Noah Syndergaard

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB Ks Result
Marlins 6 6 1 0 4 ND

Thor left after 87 pitches with what is being described as a fingernail injury. He revealed after the game he plans on using fake nails in his next start as the young right-hander continues to deal with finger issues.

If this is Syndergaard pitching at less than 100 percent, watch out, because he's still been brilliant (0.95 ERA and 0/20 walk to strikeout ratio after Friday's performance).

6. Rays, Chris Archer

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB K's Result
Red Sox 5 2/3 6 1 2 5 W (2-0)

The reason for Archer's ranking isn't the result of his stat line, but more so because of who he faced. Despite struggling immensely to hit home runs, the Red Sox possess one of baseball's best lineups and Archer shut them down on the road in his third start of the season.

He lowered his ERA to 2.21 on the year and allowed two or fewer runs in his third straight start, leading the Rays to their sixth win.

5. Mariners, Felix Hernandez

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB Ks Result
Rangers 7 1/3 6 1 0 3 W (1-1)

The Mariners desperately needed a solid performance from their ace and he delivered. Hernandez didn't have a high strikeout performance, but he was incredibly effective, tossing 7 1/3 innings with only 87 pitches, picking up his first win of 2017.

4. Pirates, Gerrit Cole

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB Ks Result
Cubs 6 6 2 1 5 W (1-1)

It took him 115 pitches to get through six innings, but Cole pitched fantastic and did so on the road in Chicago against the defending World Series champs. It was Cole's best start of the year by far and a performance he, and the Pirates, needed.

3. Danny Duffy, Royals

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB K's Result
Angels 7 3 1 2 6 W (2-0)

Thank goodness for Duffy, who has been a savior on the mound for the struggling Royals. He's their ace for a reason and he performed like it Friday, cooling down a hot Angels lineup.

2. Dallas Keuchel, Astros

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB K Result
Athletics 7 4 1 2 7 W (2-0)

You have to like what Keuchel has brought to the table in 2017. After regressing substantially last season on the heels of being awarded a Cy Young in 2015, Keuchel has bounced back admirably in his three starts, with Friday's performance the best of the lot.

The left-hander has a 0.86 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts to start the season.

1. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

Opponent Innings Hits ER BB Ks Result
Diamondbacks 8 1/3 4 1 1 8 W (2-1)

That's more like it. After giving up three home runs against the Rockies - including back-to-back jacks for the first time in his career - Kershaw delivered what we have come to expect from the star pitcher. More impressively, in his last 10 starts at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw is 9-0 with a 0.47 ERA.

In what was the most expensive pitchers' duel in league history, Kershaw considerably outpitched Greinke, his friend and former teammate, in his most complete start of the year. Expect much of the same for the rest of 2017.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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