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| Backe respectable in loss | Tuesday 5/13, 11:58 PM CT |
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Brandon Backe pitched six solid innings allowing three earned runs though he fell to 2-5 on the season.
Our View: The big mistake he allowed tonight was a home run to Matt Cain. Other than than, he was pretty economical throwing 86 pitches, 57 of them strikes in a decent showing. |
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| Danks shines, White Sox do not | Tuesday 5/13, 11:55 PM CT |
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It was, in a vast understatement, a pitcher's duel as the White Sox fell in disappointing fashion to the LA Angels, 2-0. Chicago LHP John Danks pitched 6 1/3 innings, failing to allow a single run on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Our View: Both runs in this game were surrendered by relief pitchers, thus Danks walks off the mound with no decision, his first since his first start of the season. With that said, Danks now carries 12 walks versus 35 strikeouts on the season. That's worthy of note to say the least. |
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| Wilson generates 12th save | Tuesday 5/13, 11:54 PM CT |
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Brian Wilson converted his 12th save in 14 chances this year for the Giants against the Astros.
Our View: Wilson continues to be one of the better closers in baseball at racking up the saves, even if many of his outings are far from clean. Tonight's game was the exception as he didn't allow a single base runner. |
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| Crede "leads" in loss to Angels | Tuesday 5/13, 11:52 PM CT |
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The White Sox must have lost their sticks on the way to the park, for the box score reveals the team was held to no runs on just three hits in the 2-0 loss to the LA Angels. Of those three hits, only one was produced by a man that found himself on base twice. 3B Joe Crede went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk, also adding one of nine strikeouts on the evening in a game that fails to match depiction.
Our View: It was awful in every sense of the word, and now only catcher A.J. Pierzynski sits with an average of .300 in today's starting lineup. |
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| Cain solid for eight innings | Tuesday 5/13, 11:51 PM CT |
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Matt Cain pitched eight strong innings to pick up his second victory of the season for the Giants. Cain threw 114 pitches while allowing two runs on seven hits and four walks.
Our View: Cain has overcome the struggles that haunted him earlier in the year, and he has now allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five games. |
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| Atkins at the center of it all | Tuesday 5/13, 11:49 PM CT |
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Garrett Atkins hit his seventh home run of the season for the Rockies as he socked two hits to push his average even higher up to .335. He know has an 11-game hitting streak.
Our View: Atkins is proving to everyone why he was undervalued heading into the season. He may not be the sexiest name out there, but there just aren't that many players who can hit .300 with 100 RBI are there? |
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| Francis falls to 0-4 | Tuesday 5/13, 11:44 PM CT |
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Jeff Francis had another terrible outing on Tuesday as he fell to 0-4 after allowing 13 hits and eight runs in 4.2 innings.
Our View: Put a fork in him. So much for Francis being able to be a successful hurler even in Colorado. He should rebound moving forward, but with the way he is pitching that may not mean he is worthy of rostering in shallow mixed leagues. |
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| Johnson improves to 3-1 | Tuesday 5/13, 11:41 PM CT |
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Randy Johnson struggled through five innings allowing nine hits and four runs, but he hung on long enough to pick up his third victory of the season.
Our View: Johnson's ratios are poor with a 5.40 ERA and 1.48 WHIP, but he has 32 K in 31.67 IP with only 11 BB there is some reason to hope for mild improvement moving forward. |
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| Drew comfortable at the top | Tuesday 5/13, 11:38 PM CT |
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Stephen Drew went deep for the fifth time this season as he had two hits, two runs and three RBI for the B'backs from the second spot in the order on Tuesday night.
Our View: Drew seems to be easing into the season, but he may have found a home in the two hole in the order where he is batting .310 in 20 AB. If he continues to hit at the top of the order, his value will obviously receive a boost. |
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| Glaus hits second HR | Tuesday 5/13, 11:35 PM CT |
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Troy Glaus hit his second home run of the season on Tuesday as he went 2-for-5 with three RBI for the Cardinals.
Our View: 131 AB and just two home runs from Glaus? Simply amazing. Glaus continues to knock in runs despite a lack of the longball and he now has 24 RBI in 40 games for the Red Birds. The power is coming, just be patient. |
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| McLouth goes deep | Tuesday 5/13, 11:33 PM CT |
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Nate McLouth's average continues to tumble, it's down to .305, but he hit his 10th home run of the season while knocking in his 30th and 31st runs of the season.
Our View: The inevitable slowdown is starting with McLouth, but he has been so hot for so long his numbers are still tremendous, and he will likely be strongly considered for the all-star team if he keeps hitting like he has over the first quarter of the season. |
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| Paulino has nice night | Tuesday 5/13, 11:31 PM CT |
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Ronny Paulino replaced on injured Ryan Doumit early in the game and he came up big at the plate with two hits, two runs and two RBI for the Pirates.
Our View: We still don't have word on the extent of Doumit's injury (hand), but if Paulino is forced into an every day role he becomes an immediate pickup in leagues that start two catchers if he is still on waivers. |
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| Pujols reaches bases as usual | Tuesday 5/13, 11:29 PM CT |
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Albert Pujols extended his hitting streak to 12-games on Tuesday night thanks to his 8th home run of the season. Pujols also walked twice and has now reached base in all 40 games he has played this season.
Our View: Pujols is a machine as he keeps sticking to his approach at the plate despite 40 walks in 40 games. If he stays patient, he could bat .350 this season. |
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| Stairs puts Toronto in winning mode | Tuesday 5/13, 11:12 PM CT |
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Toronto DH Matt Stairs continues to hit well, putting his team in position for the 5-3 win this evening over Minnesota. Stairs went 1-for-1 with two walks at the plate, hitting his fifth home run of the year to add one RBI and two runs scored.
Our View: Stairs has struggled a bit since leaving a strong month of April, going just 9-for-34 coming into tonight's game. This may help him get back on track. |
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| Ryan with another save | Tuesday 5/13, 11:08 PM CT |
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Toronto closer B.J. Ryan picked up his fourth win of the month of May and his sixth save of the season, helping the Jays put Minnesota down for the count, 5-3. Ryan pitched one inning, allowing one hit and one strikeout.
Our View: That's Ryan's fourth save this month, making six total appearances without surrendering a single run. |
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| Litsch gets another win | Tuesday 5/13, 11:05 PM CT |
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Toronto RHP Jesse Litsch didn't last too long into the game, but he earned the win and now stands at 5-1 on the season as the Blue Jays put the 5-3 win on the Minnesota Twins. Litsch pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Our View: Litsch now has three wins over his last four starts, though he's surrendered at least two runs in each. |
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| Gomez sets tone, others don't follow | Tuesday 5/13, 11:00 PM CT |
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The Twins struggled to get the offense going this evening, suffering the 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, but leadoff man CF Carlos Gomez tried his best to improve the results. Gomez went 2-for-4 with his third home run of the season, totaling one RBI on the night.
Our View: Gomez has turned it on in May, going 12-for-40 with seven RBIs and two homers in 10 games.
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| Dumarait has second strong start | Tuesday 5/13, 10:57 PM CT |
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Phil Dumatrait had his second straight strong start on Tuesday night as he held the Cardinals to three runs over six innings to pick up a no-decision.
Our View: Dumatrait has 26 K versus 18 BB, so he will need to improve that horrible ratio if he has designs on keeping that ERA of his below 4.00 (it currently rests at 3.96). |
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| Slowey suffers third consecutive loss | Tuesday 5/13, 10:56 PM CT |
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The Twins suffered the 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays this evening, giving RHP Kevin Slowey his third loss of the season. Slowey pitched 5 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs (all earned) on five hits, walking two and striking out 5.
Our View: Slowey put forth a respectable effort and went two more innings than he has in his two previous starts, but the end result was the same. |
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| Lohse rebounds from shellings | Tuesday 5/13, 10:54 PM CT |
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Kyle Lohse lasted seven innings on Tuesday night allowing four runs on just five hits and a walk in a no-decision.
Our View: After 15 runs over his last 10 innings, this outing qualifies as a major success. Lohse will continue to be a potentially useful NL Only play, though he is best left to being a matchup starter in mixed leagues. |
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| Cabrera goes 2-for-2 in loss to KC | Tuesday 5/13, 10:46 PM CT |
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The Tigers' offense is struggling to find answers as they suffer the 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals this evening, but 1B Miguel Cabrera continues his efforts to show the way despite the struggles. Cabrera went 2-for-2 this evening with two walks.
Our View: Cabrera left April with a desire to improve, a struggle that is proving difficult in May: 10-for-41, one HR, three RBIs through 11 games this month. |
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| Guillen carries hot bat forward | Tuesday 5/13, 10:41 PM CT |
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Tonight it was the Kansas City Royals emerging with the 3-2 win over Detroit, and it was DH Jose Guillen proving deadly with the bat to support the cause. Guillen is struggling with back spasms, yet he hit the batter's box and went 2-for-4 hitting two doubles to gather two RBIs.
Our View: Guillen now touts 19 RBIs on the season and is really heating up at the plate, going 10-for-18 with five doubles over his last five games.
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| Greinke gets no-decision | Tuesday 5/13, 10:37 PM CT |
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Kansas City RHP Zack Greinke left with no decision in the Royals' 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers this evening, but his efforts continue to indicate the hurler is finally coming into this own. Greinke pitched six innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Our View: Over his last five outings, Greinke has posted one win, one loss, and three no-decisions, yet he continues to work late into games and is giving his team a chance to compete. |
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| Laird keeps moving forward | Tuesday 5/13, 10:32 PM CT |
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The Texas Rangers pulled the 5-2 victory over Seattle this evening, using a strong outing from catcher Gerald Laird as the guiding light for victory. Laird went 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk, adding three runs scored and one RBI.
Our View: Check out Laird's numbers from May and it's hard not to be impressed: 10-for-30, three doubles, raising his average from .278 to .296. |
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| Johjima keeps working to improve | Tuesday 5/13, 10:28 PM CT |
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Seattle suffered the 5-2 loss to Texas this evening, but catcher Kenji Johjima continues to work towards better offerings. Today Johjima went 1-for-4 at the dish with his fifth double of the season, adding one RBI to an otherwise boring stat line.
Our View: Over his past four games, the Seattle backstop has gone 8-for-16 with two doubles, three runs scored, and five RBIs. |
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| Gabbard pitches well, but again no decision | Tuesday 5/13, 10:23 PM CT |
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The Texas Rangers picked up the 5-2 win over the Seattle Mariners this evening, led by the effort of LHP Kason Gabbard . In his sixth start of the season, Gabbard pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Our View: Gabbard is not eating too many innings, but he's keeping the scores low and that is bringing positive results. He now has four no-decisions in a row, but at least the effort towards success is there. |
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| Martin strokes three hits | Tuesday 5/13, 10:20 PM CT |
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Russell Martin had three hits on Tuesday night to boost his batting average to .302 for the Dodgers.
Our View: The average is there, but most of the other marks are a bit down this season including his home run, runs scored, RBI and SB pace, though to be fair, expecting another .293-19-87-87-21 season really wasn't that reasonable to begin with. |
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| Hernandez suffers fourth consecutive loss | Tuesday 5/13, 10:19 PM CT |
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The kid is a supreme talent, but Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez is learning that talent does not always equal success in the majors. Hernandez suffered his fourth loss of the season this evening as the Mariners fell 5-2 to the Texas Rangers, pitching six innings to give up three runs (two earned) on six hits with five walks and three strikeouts.
Our View: This bring Felix to four consecutive losses, giving up 16 combined earned runs over that span. |
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| Braun a hitting machine | Tuesday 5/13, 10:16 PM CT |
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Ryan Braun continued his hot run of late with two more hits, and an RBI, on Tuesday night.
Our View: Braun now has four home runs and six RBI over his past three games and he as posted at least two hits in 5-straight games to boost his average from .257 to .294. He may not match last years level of production, but Braun will be just fine by the end of the season. |
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| Hall blasts ninth HR | Tuesday 5/13, 10:14 PM CT |
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Bill Hall powered his ninth ball into the seats on Tuesday for the Brew Crew as he upped his average to .200.
Our View: Nine home runs and 21 RBI are nice, but that .200 average has more than equalized that production. Hall continues to strikeout out at an alarming rate, he has 40 in 39 games, and will need to make better contact to provide solid overall value this season. |
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| Cano continues to fall short | Tuesday 5/13, 10:13 PM CT |
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The Yanks suffered a troublesome 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays after 11 innings this evening, a night that saw continued struggles for the bulk of an offense that managed just six hits and seven strikeouts. The top offender on the evening was 2B Robinson Cano , going 0-for-4, and while he failed to earn a single strikeout, he stranded four men on-base.
Our View: His batting average also drops to .183, though he has worked hard to get that number up from the .151 mark he carried leaving April. |
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| Penny struggles for consistency | Tuesday 5/13, 10:11 PM CT |
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Brad Penny had another rough outing on Tuesday as he allowed nine hits and five runs to pick up his fourth loss. Penny has now allowed a whopping 19 hits in his last 10.2 innings.
Our View: Please tell us you didn't have Penny starting tonight. Penny has been getting by with some strong surface production the past few years despite some less than solid underlying numbers. He isn't this bad, but he also shouldn't be thought of as a guy who should have a 3.03 ERA either. |
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| Gagne picks up 10th save | Tuesday 5/13, 10:08 PM CT |
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Eric Gagne earned his 10th save on Tuesday night as he allowed one hit, one walk and no runs in the ninth inning just three days after he was demoted from the position.
Our View: So much for the team going in another direction. This is one of the most infuriating aspects of fantasy baseball, that of the less than truthful manager who says one thing but does something else. The bullpen is a mess in Milwaukee, so they really need Gagne to come through. So much for those waiver wire claims for Salomon Torres, Gulliermo Mota and Brian Shouse. |
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| Jackson shows and proves vs Yanks | Tuesday 5/13, 10:06 PM CT |
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Give full credit to Tampa Bay RHP Edwin Jackson, for he gave the Rays all he had and held them in a game that fell in their favor after 11 innings. Jackson pitched seven innings, failing to allow a single run on five hits, posting one walk and five strikeouts.
Our View: Jackson's name consistent gets mentioned as the team is enjoying a plethora of worthy young arms that need to be balanced with talent on the rise, but tonight shows he may be ready to take a big step forward. |
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| Greene hits long ball | Tuesday 5/13, 10:04 PM CT |
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Khalil Greene went deep for the third time this season on Tuesday night on his way to three RBI for the Padres.
Our View: Greene has gotten off to a very slow start after last years power breakout, so if you can there is likely still time to pry away Greene at a reasonable cost from a dissatisfied owner. |
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| Wang pitches well but leaves with no-decision | Tuesday 5/13, 10:03 PM CT |
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The Yankees suffered the heartbreaking 2-1 loss in 11 innings to the Tampa Bay Rays, but starter Chien-Ming Wang continues to prove his value. Tonight he left with no decision, pitching seven innings to allow one run on seven hits, walking three and striking out two.
Our View: The struggles to balance strikeouts and walks continue, but Wang has been eating innings and keeping his team in the hunt. |
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| Soriano goes deep in loss | Tuesday 5/13, 9:59 PM CT |
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Alfonso Soriano went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the Cubs 4-3 loss to the Padres.
Our View: Soriano is now eight for his last 14 (.571) to help push his season long mark up to .243. Beyond that, it's nice to see him hitting the ball with authority once again. |
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| Narvarro shines in win over Yanks | Tuesday 5/13, 9:58 PM CT |
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It took 11 innings to get the job done, but the Tampa Bay Rays emerged victorious 2-1 over the New York Yankees. Few of the batters let their best effort loose at the plate, but catcher Dioner Navarro went 2-for-3 with a walk, and while none of those offerings led to a run scored, they set the tone for a hard-fought win.
Our View: Navarro is on a bit of a role, suffering just one strikeout over his last nine games, going 11-for-28 during that same span. |
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| Marquis boring in loss | Tuesday 5/13, 9:55 PM CT |
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Jason Marquis fell to 1-3 as he allowed 10 baserunners and four runs to the Padres in 5.2 innings.
Our View: Marquis is what he is, and that is a servicable fifth starter. He'll likely push double digit wins if he stays in the rotation, but the rest of his numbers will probably be below average. |
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| Hoffman picks up clean save | Tuesday 5/13, 9:53 PM CT |
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Trevor Hoffman worked a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his seventh save of the season.
Our View: Hoffman has lowered his ERA to 5.40 thanks to four appearances without a run allowed as he appears to have righted the ship. We would still like to see all the Hoffman owners also have Heath Bell on their bench just in case, but for now, Hoffman is back. |
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| Estes picks up rare victory | Tuesday 5/13, 9:50 PM CT |
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Shawn Estes, the Padres new fifth starter, picked up his first victory since 2005 by holding the Cubs to two earned runs over 5.1 innings.
Our View: Estes is a huge risk to show any type of consistency, so the smart money is on staying far away from him in all but the deepest of leagues. |
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| Scott belts homer in win over Boston | Tuesday 5/13, 9:48 PM CT |
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The Orioles got nice pitching, but they needed the offense to hold off the Boston Red Sox tonight for a 5-4 win. DH Luke Scott led the way, going 3-for-4 at the plate with his second home run of the season, taking Josh Beckett deep in the 3rd inning with two runners on base and two outs on the board. Scott left with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Our View: Times have been rough for Scott since entering May, going 4-for-22 with one walk and eight strikeouts coming into tonight. This may signal a brighter day or two ahead. |
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| Hairston subs, has great night | Tuesday 5/13, 9:45 PM CT |
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Jerry Hairston Jr., subbing for an injured Jeff Keppinger, went 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Reds.
Our View: With Keppenger likely out for at least a month with a broken kneecap, Hairston should be picked up in all NL Only leagues if he is still on waivers, especially given his ability to qualify in the outfield, at second base and at shortstop. |
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| Guthrie gets win over Boston | Tuesday 5/13, 9:43 PM CT |
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The Baltimore Orioles fought to a rewarding 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox this evening, giving RHP Jeremy Guthrie his second win of the season. Guthrie pitched six innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on eight hits with just one walk and seven strikeouts.
Our View: Guthrie closed the book on April with consecutive losses, but he now owns two wins in three starts in May with a no-decision (laced with three walks versus six strikeouts) in between. |
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| Votto goes yard | Tuesday 5/13, 9:42 PM CT |
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Joey Votto hit his eighth home run of the season on Tuesday night for the Reds.
Our View: Dusty Baker's faith in the youngster has paid off as Votto has made Scott Hatteberg useless in Cincy. Votto is now hitting .288-8-20 and is shaping up to be a fine corner infielder. |
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| Volquez holds Fish to one run | Tuesday 5/13, 9:39 PM CT |
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Edinson Volquez improved to 6-1 thanks to holding the Marlins to a single run in six innings. Volquez also allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out five.
Our View: With a fastball/changeup combo that makes him look like a right-handed Johan Santana, Volquez continues his march to the all-star game, an amazing statement to make for a guy who was 3-11 record and 7.20 ERA in his career before this season. |
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| ManRam getting back in the zone | Tuesday 5/13, 9:39 PM CT |
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Every player in the top half of the Boston batting order got on base this evening, but the end result was a disappointing 5-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Leading the way, as usual, was LF Manny Ramirez , going 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk, hitting his 12th double of the season to gather three total bases with one RBI and one run scored.
Our View: ManRam now carries 27 RBIs on the season but has struggled since we've entered the month of May, touting an uncharacteristic 12 strikeouts versus just six walks. Tonight he had his head in the zone and is working towards correcting those problems. |
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| Hendrickson sloppy in loss | Tuesday 5/13, 9:36 PM CT |
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Mark Hendrickson suffered his second loss of the season as he allowed eight hits, five walks, and four runs in five innings to the Reds.
Our View: Don't fool yourself here. Hendrickson belongs nowhere near a starting lineup in most mixed leagues as he just doesn't strike anyone out because of his soft stuff, which can lead to ratio warping efforts like tonight. |
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| Beckett struggles in loss | Tuesday 5/13, 9:34 PM CT |
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The Red Sox got in hole early and were unable to bring it back, suffering the 5-4 loss to Baltimore. Ace Josh Beckett let the early innings get away, handed a 3-run lead in the first only to watch it fall as he surrendered five runs (all earned) on 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings of work. Beckett walked two, struck out five, but the end result was his third loss of the season.
Our View: Beckett has been a puzzle during these early weeks but seems to have things back on track after consecutive wins to start the month of May, going deep in both with one walk and 13 strikeouts combined. Tonight shows he still has work to do. |
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| Zimmerman looking for groove | Tuesday 5/13, 9:31 PM CT |
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Ryan Zimmerman hit his sixth home run of the season on Tuesday though his average is still languishing at .239.We
Our View: We warned you all preseason to be wary of Zimmerman early in the year because of those off-season wrist surgeries. The season still has a long way to go, but this certainly doesn't appear to be anything resembling a breakout year for Zimmerman. |
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| Schneider has three hits | Tuesday 5/13, 9:28 PM CT |
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Brian Schneider had a three hit night on Tuesday to push his average up to .321.
Our View: Schneider, out of the lineup of late due to a mysterious infection, is hitting at a fairly high rate for a guy who hasn't hit .260 since 2005. Beware of a regression here, though he should be a solid second catcher moving forward. |
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| Garko secures win for Cleveland | Tuesday 5/13, 9:27 PM CT |
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The Indians pulled the 4-0 win over Oakland this evening and it was 1B Ryan Garko providing the comfort in that final score. Garko went 1-for-4 at the plate, the one hit coming in the form of a three-run homer in the 8th inning to secure the win.
Our View: Garko hit the month of May hitting just .224, but he has surged since, going 8-for-32 to get his average to .250. |
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| Wagner extends scoreless streak | Tuesday 5/13, 9:26 PM CT |
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Billy Wagner extended his run of scoreless innings to 15.2 on Tuesday as he picked up his eighth save against the Nationals.
Our View: Wagner has 18 K and just three walks on the year, and he has been as dominating as he pretty much always has been. Wagner has been overlooked the past few years because he hasn't produced any huge save seasons, but few are more consistent. |
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| Hafner respondes to batting order move | Tuesday 5/13, 9:23 PM CT |
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The Indians didn't shock the world with a offensive explosion, but the hits needed were there to secure the 4-0 shutout victory over Oakland. DH Travis Hafner seems to have responded to the slight move up in the order, going 2-for-4 at the dish with one RBI and one run scored.
Our View: Hafner has slumped in recent weeks, but he was moved to the 5th spot in the order with hopes of lighting a fire to get him going. Thus far, the results are positive. |
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| Lannan falls to Mets | Tuesday 5/13, 9:23 PM CT |
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John Lannan allowed 12 hits, one walk and four runs in six innings to fall to 3-4 on the year.
Our View: Lanna had a 2.17 ERA in his last five starts before tonight, a trend that was reversed in a hurry in this outing. Lannan has allowed 53 hits in 45.2 innings leading to a 1.55 WHIP, so it's not like you should have been fooled into thinking he was an every week starter. |
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| Maine defeats Nats | Tuesday 5/13, 9:19 PM CT |
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John Maine improved to 5-2 on the year thanks to six innings of two hit, one run ball against the Nationals.
Our View: Maine has now lowered his ERA to 2.81 thanks to seven straight starts of two or fewer earned runs allowed marking him as one of the more consistent hurlers in the early going. |
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| Duke pitches well, but A's fail to support | Tuesday 5/13, 9:17 PM CT |
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While the offense for Oakland failed to show, the right arm of starter Justin Duchscherer was working just fine. Duchscherer pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on four hits, walking two and striking out six.
Our View: However, the talented hurler suffers his second loss of the year due to a horrific offensive effort from his teammates, and while his ERA drops to 2.20, this two-game win streak comes to an abrupt end. |
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| Church is hot | Tuesday 5/13, 9:16 PM CT |
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Ryan Church continues to be the Mets most consistent offensive player as he had two more hits, including his eighth home run of the year, in addition to four RBI.
Our View: Who would have thought Church was capable of this type of production? Given his history no sane person would have considering he is on pace to hit more than 30 HR with over 100 RBI. If he continues to hit second in the Mets order, even when he slows down, he should still be able to produce a boatload of runs. |
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| Sweeney tops disappointing effort for Oakland | Tuesday 5/13, 9:12 PM CT |
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The offense was unable to solve the arm of Cleveland starter Paul Byrd, leaving Oakland with a 4-0 loss and a lack of players to note. On the bright side, CF Ryan Sweeney went 2-for-2 at the plate, the only player to post multiple hits on a night when no player in green and gold managed to get past first base.
Our View: Sweeney is slowly but surely getting the batting average up, starting at .268 entering May and now sitting at .279. |
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| Kotsay productive without hits | Tuesday 5/13, 9:11 PM CT |
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Mark Kotsay went 0-for-3 but he scored two runs for the Braves.
Our View: Kotsay is hitting .342 with nine runs scored in 10 May games forcing himself back into all NL Only fantasy lineups. |
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| Chipper back up to .415 | Tuesday 5/13, 9:09 PM CT |
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Not ready to let the dream die, Chipper Jones had another three hits on Tuesday to push his average back up to .415.
Our View: At some point this will all come crashing to a halt, but with the way that Chipper is locked in right now it might take an injury to derail him as pitchers are having no luck whatsoever in slowing him down. |
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| Reyes has rough night | Tuesday 5/13, 9:07 PM CT |
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Jo-Jo Reyes had a poor outing on Tuesday night as he permitted 11 hits and five runs in 6.2 innings for the Braves.
Our View: Reyes now has a 4.30 ERA after three starts, though with 20 hits allowed in 14.2 innings we are a bit worried about his ability to stay productive moving forward making him best left for spot duty in NL Only leagues. |
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| Byrd dominates Oakland | Tuesday 5/13, 9:06 PM CT |
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Oakland and Cleveland locked horns this evening, and while the offense was more than enough for a 4-0 win for Cleveland, it was the work of RHP Paul Byrd that ruled the night. Byrd pitched 7 1/3 innings, shutting the A's out with no runs earned on just five hits.
Our View: To add to the pleasure, Byrd failed to walk a single batter and struck out seven, good for his second win of the year. |
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| Lidge finally scored on | Tuesday 5/13, 9:05 PM CT |
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Brad Lidge picked up his 10th save of the season though he allowed his first earned runs of the season to see his ERA rise to 0.50.
Our View: Lidge has had a remarkable turnaround this season so we can easily forgive a poor outing like tonight. Bottom line is that he nailed down the save, and that's what he gets paid to do. |
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| Victorino offers value | Tuesday 5/13, 9:02 PM CT |
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Shane Victorino had two hits, a run scored and his sixth stolen base of the season on Tuessday.
Our View: Victorino improved his average to .240 tonight, but he has to star running more to reward those owners who selected him this season given that he has attempted only seven steals in 26 games. |
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| Werth knocks in four | Tuesday 5/13, 8:58 PM CT |
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Jayson Werth had three hits on Tuesday night leading to four RBI for the Phillies.
Our View: Werth continues to see ample playing time despite the return of Shane Victorino though he will likely need to do better than his current .250 average in 28 May AB to keep that factor tilted in his direction. |
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| Keppinger fractures kneecap | Tuesday 5/13, 8:54 PM CT |
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Jeff Keppinger fouled a ball off his knee and the report was terrible as the early season hitting star fractured his left kneecap, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Keepinger will go on the DL with a .324 batting average and an MRI scheduled for Wednesday to see if there is anything else wrong in the knee. The team will now have to hope that Alex Gonzalez can make it back to the field soon as they will likely be forced to go with Jerry Hairston and possibly Paul Janish. |
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| Kershaw to remain in minors for now | Tuesday 5/13, 8:51 PM CT |
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There were rumors floating that rookie Clayton Kershaw might be called up to pitch on Sunday, but he will not be, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. Chan Ho Park of Hong-Chih Kuo will likely make the start.
Our View: Kershaw will not be allowed to throw more 170 innings this year, and with such a strict limit to his activities, even if he is called up at some point, one would have to think that his impact could be less than hoped for if the Dodgers are super vigilant with his workload. |
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| Corpas will not be demoted | Tuesday 5/13, 8:46 PM CT |
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Manuel Corpas will remain with the Rockies though the possibility of sending him to the minors is still possible, according to MLB.com. "It's still the inconsistency of repeating his delivery and maintaining a consistent arm slot," Hurdle said. "But he had two solid outings before that, so I think that's going to keep him in play. I'm confident we'll find a way to keep him moving forward."
Our View: Corpas has been scored on in 10 of his last 18 outing with 27 hits allowed in his last 19.2 innings as he seems pretty lost on the hill. Brian Funetes owners can feel confident in their man. |
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| Doumit injures thumb | Tuesday 5/13, 8:42 PM CT |
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Ryan Doumit injured the thumb on his left hand while receiving a pitch behind the plate and had to be removed from the game, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Ronny Paulino took over.
Our View: There is no word yet on the severity of the injury which comes at an awful time considering that Doumit is hitting .350 on the year. |
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| Baker not progressing as hoped | Tuesday 5/13, 8:39 PM CT |
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Minnesota RHP Scott Baker was in the bullpen throwing a light "tennis shoe" session today in an effort to test his strained right groin muscle, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Baker reports there is still discomfort in the muscle, leading the Twins to delay any potential rehab assignments in the minors. Today was the first time Baker has thrown off a mound since May 3rd. "Groins are a funny thing when you are a pitcher," said manager Ron Gardenhire. "You just have to be really careful with these things. We saw that a few years ago with (Brad) Radke. He told us after two weeks he was fine and then went out and really blew it out. So you've got to be leery about that. We let (Baker) try to pitch once (with the injured groin) and we're not going to let him do it again until he's healthy." We will update as news comes forth. |
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| Vidro back on the bench with bad back | Tuesday 5/13, 8:24 PM CT |
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Seattle DH Jose Vidro is out of tonight's game versus Texas, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Vidro has been missing prolonged time due to back spasms, but the Mariners were hopeful that time had passed. Vidro was in for the Mariners last evening as the team battled to a heartbreaking 13-12 loss in 10 innings to the Rangers, but today he is once again on the bench resting. "It (having Vidro in for extra innings) wasn't a good idea," said manager Jon McLaren. "He's sore today." McLaren reports the team will continue to evaluate Vidro on a daily basis, but they have intentions of resting him now until the team returns home on Friday for their first interleague battle with San Diego. |
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| Team still confident in Howard | Tuesday 5/13, 7:49 PM CT |
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Ryan Howard is batting .171 with a hideous 54 K in just 140 AB, but don't count his manager as someone is overly worried, according to MLB.com. "All players go through it," manager Charlie Manuel said. "Go back and look. Sometimes players go a long time before they hit a home run. They'll go 30, 40 at-bats before they get a hit. Sometimes, you know what you're doing wrong and you can't stop it. That's the game. That's the nature of the game. ... Howard's going to hit."
Our View: Well at least someone has confidence in him. Howard has been the biggest disappointment in the game this season absolutely killing his fantasy squads batting average in the process. Howard is too good not to break out, but even if he does, will he hit .250 this year? |
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| Indians shake up batting order | Tuesday 5/13, 7:46 PM CT |
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Lineup changes for the Cleveland Indians have hit the field this evening, according to MLB.com. Shorstop Jhonny Peralta has been moved into the 2nd spot in the batting order, a surprising move for a player in the midst of an 0-for-11 slump (sporting just five hits in his last 42 at-bats).
Our View: Manager Eric Wedge has also moved DH Travis Hafner, normally hitting 6th, into the #5 spot in the order. Hafner has just seven hits in his last 39 at-bats with no RBIs over his last eight games. "We're trying to find a combination that works and we're comfortable with and makes sense," said Wedge. The Indians' team batting average, .237, ranks last in the AL. Something had to be done, so we'll see if this brings results. |
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| Kouzmanoff gets night off | Tuesday 5/13, 7:44 PM CT |
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Kevin Kouzmanoff will be held out of the Padres starting lineup on Tuesday after making 39-straight starts, according to MLB.com. "I told [Kouzmanoff] last night that he wasn't going to start today," manager Bud Black said. "That doesn't mean he's not going to be in there. I told him to be ready to play. I think he needed to get off his feet, watch a game this year."
Our View: Kouzmanoff's time off occurs at an odd time considering he is hitting .318 with just one K in 44 May AB, but the decision was made to give him a break nonetheless. Edgar Gonzalez will start in his place, and for those of you who aren't in the know, Edgar is the brother of the squads first baseman Adrian. |
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| Jacobs closer to return | Tuesday 5/13, 7:40 PM CT |
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Mike Jacobs, out since May 7th with an injured quadriceps, is edging closer to a return to the lineup, according to MLB.com. Jacobs is available to pinch hit, and he has been taking batting practice recently.
Our View: Jacobs power hasn't been missed with the surge from Dan Uggla, but when he returns the team could suddenly have a solid middle of the order, especially with the addition of injured Josh Willingham who is currently out with a bad back. |
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| Drew leaves with wrist injury | Tuesday 5/13, 7:39 PM CT |
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Boston RF J.D. Drew has left tonight's game with Baltimore early following an apparent wrist injury, according to the Boston Globe.
Our View: Drew left the field in the third inning after a failed sliding catch on a looping fly ball off the bat of Freddie Bynum. The initial report from the team indicates Drew has suffered a sprained left wrist and that X-rays were negative. We will update as news becomes available. |
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| Bonds indicted on 15 counts | Tuesday 5/13, 7:36 PM CT |
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Barry Bonds has been charged with 14 counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice on Tuesday, according to ESPN. This is basically just a reworking of the charges that had previously been charged to Bonds in November of last year.
Our View: If your name is Roger Clemens you have got to be pretty nervous about this news. Given the furor that will surround the Bonds camp due to this news, it would appear likely that no team will take a chance on signing Bonds now, even if he still can hit. |
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| Soriano now positive | Tuesday 5/13, 7:32 PM CT |
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Rafael Soriano threw a 10-minute bullpen session that included sliders and fastballs and reported no pain in his elbow, according to MLB.com. Soriano will look to throw a simulated game on Friday or Saturday, and if that goes well he will likely be sent on a brief minor league assignment.
Our View: Soriano could be back by next weekend, about a week before the team hopes to have John Smoltz back in action at which point it is assumed that Soriano will become the setup man with Smoltz taking over closing duties. |
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| Jones waived | Tuesday 5/13, 7:31 PM CT |
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Despite ongoing rumors of a pending trade, the Detroit Tigers have waived OF Jacque Jones , according to the Sports Network.
Our View: Jones has struggled in his first season with the club, hitting just .165 with one home run and five RBIs over 24 games. The team had designated him for assignment on the 5th of this month, but today have chosen to place him on waivers. |
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| Lackey to debut on Wed | Tuesday 5/13, 7:23 PM CT |
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Angels manager Mike Scioscia announced RHP John Lackey will be making his season debut on Wednesday as LA faces the Chicago White Sox, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Our View: Lackey has been out since spring training with a strained right triceps. Scioscia reports, "He's gone 90 pitches, so he should have at least 90 in him, maybe more depending on how it goes. He went full gorilla and pitched well in his workout in Tempe (AZ), so he should be ok." |
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| Westbrook ready for rehab outing | Tuesday 5/13, 7:17 PM CT |
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The Cleveland Indians report RHP Jake Westbrook , currently on the 15-day DL with a strained left intercostal muscle, is scheduled to make a rehab appearance with Class A Lake County on Saturday against Lexington, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Westbrook threw a four-inning simulated game today at Progressive Field and the team is going to monitor how he pitches on Saturday. If things go well, Westbrook could jump right back into the Indians' starting rotation after just the one rehab start. |
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| Gallardo has surgery on knee | Tuesday 5/13, 7:17 PM CT |
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Yovani Gallardo underwent successful knee surgery on Tuesday, according to MLB.com. "[Dr. William Raasch] said it was very, very straightforward," Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash said. "It went very well."
Our View: Gallardo said that he hopes to return late in the year, but that's sheer folly. Plan on Gallardo being back for the start of the 2009 season ready to fulfill his promise. |
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| Prospect Price on pace to return to action | Tuesday 5/13, 7:13 PM CT |
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The Tampa Bay Rays report LHP David Price is nearing return, according to MLB.com.
Our View: The young pitching prospect was expected to start the season in Class A Vero Beach but has been withheld from action due to soreness in his left elbow. The team sent him to St. Petersburg for rehab, and following a successful throwing session on Monday, Andrew Friedman, the Rays executive vice president of baseball operations, has announced Price will throw approximately five innings later this week in extended spring training. If that goes well, expect Price to begin that stint in Vero Beach. Price was the 1st-overall draft pick of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and is expected to mature into a major league starter in short order. |
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| Uggla on tear | Tuesday 5/13, 7:10 PM CT |
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With all the attention focused on Lance Berkman, few people have caught on to the fact that Dan Uggla is almost as hot, according to MLB.com. "He's carried us for about a week now," hitting coach Jim Presley said. "I know he got off to a slow start, but he's stayed aggressive."
Our View: It's been longer than a week Jim. Since being moved out of the second hole in the order, Uggla has responded by hitting .438-8-16 in 10 games batting sixth or seventh. Always a streaky hitter, Uggla has his numbers right back where they should be after a slow April. |
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| Guillen moved to DH | Tuesday 5/13, 7:07 PM CT |
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