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| Jenks saves 10th | Saturday 5/17, 11:55 PM CT |
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Bobby Jenks worked a perfect ninth inning for his 10th save in 12 chances as the White Sox defeated Barry Zito and the Giants on Saturday night.
Our View: Jenks has rounded into form nicely after a slow start. The right-hander has 12 strikeouts in 18 innings, he's allowed five walks and carries 1.96 ERA. |
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| Linebrink continues to shine | Saturday 5/17, 11:48 PM CT |
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Scott Linebrink, who has become the primary setup man for the White Sox, pitched the eighth before giving way to Bobby Jenks who worked the ninth for his 10th save in 12 chances on Saturday night.
Our View: Linebrink, after having a disappointing 2007 campaign, has returned to the form that made him the onetime closer to replace the ageless Trevor Hoffman. Linebrink has 11 strikouts in 18 innings, has allowed three runs and walked five, and his 1.47 ERA with an occasional save opportunity this season, makes him a solid option in deep formats. |
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| Zito begins 0-8 | Saturday 5/17, 11:43 PM CT |
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Barry Zito, allowed two runs on eight hits, walked six and struck out four but was still the pitcher of record as the Giants lost 3-1 to the White Sox.
Our View: Zito became the first Giants pitcher to open a season with eight losses since Jesse Burkett in 1890. |
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| Buerhle outduels Zito | Saturday 5/17, 11:39 PM CT |
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Mark Buehrle allowed one run on seven hits, walked three and struck out one while pitching into the seventh inning as the Chicago White Sox scored a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
Our View: Buerhle, who has scuffled this season, dueled with Barry Zito who also pitched well enough to win. Buerhle managed to loser his 5.81 ERA over a half a run with his winning effort. |
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| Bush can't subdue the Sox | Saturday 5/17, 11:35 PM CT |
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Dave Bush allowed four runs on five hits, walked two and struck out two in a no-decision versus the Red Sox on Saturday night.
Our View: Bush, much like his mound opponent Tim Wakefield, is expected to keep his team in the game and eat innings due to the Brewers injured arms. |
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| Wakefield strong in no-decision | Saturday 5/17, 11:31 PM CT |
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Boston starter Tim Wakefield gave up three runs and six hits in 5.1 innings and left the second game of the doubleheader with a 5-1 lead. Unfortunately the Sox were unable to hold the lead resulting in a no-decision for the knuckleballer.
Our View: Wake has had an up and down 2008 campaign, but he is in the rotation to keep his club in the game and eat innings, the latter he has struggled to do. |
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| Timlin records first save | Saturday 5/17, 11:27 PM CT |
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Mike Timlin pitched the ninth for his first save and the Boston Red Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 on Saturday to complete a sweep of their day-night doubleheader.
Our View: Jon Papelbon saved the first game of the doubleheader and the team decided not to bring him back for the second time. |
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| Lowell having stellar May | Saturday 5/17, 11:25 PM CT |
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Mike Lowell hit a two-run homer and doubled in a pair of runs, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 on Saturday and complete a sweep of their day-night doubleheader.
Our View: Lowell has been on fire since suffering an early season slump and injury. The third baseman now has five home runs and 15 RBI in May. |
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| Fuentes saves his ninth | Saturday 5/17, 11:17 PM CT |
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Brian Fuentes worked the ninth for his fifth save in seven chances and the Colorado Rockies scored a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night.
Our View: It wasn't easy for Fuentes. He gave up a leadoff single to Delmon Young and a two-out walk to Harris before getting Mike Lamb to swing and miss to end the game. |
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| Herges scores second win | Saturday 5/17, 11:15 PM CT |
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Matt Herges, pitching in relief of Roks rookie Greg Reynolds, threw a scoreless seventh and eighth innings to earn his second win of the season.
Our View: Herges, who admitted using performance-enhancing substances, re-signed with the Rockies last November has been a staple in their bullpen. |
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| Gomez held out | Saturday 5/17, 11:12 PM CT |
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Carlos Gomez was out of the Saturday night lineup at Coors Field with a sore right wrist, injured while making a catch against the wall in center field in the ninth inning of Friday's game.
Our View: It was the second game in three night's Gomez has been out of the lineup. He missed Thursday's game to the flu. Consider the speedy outfielder day-to-day. |
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| Reynolds works six scoreless | Saturday 5/17, 11:09 PM CT |
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Greg Reynolds, Colorado's first-round draft choice and the second selection overall in the 2006 draft, worked six scoreless innings, allowing three hits. The right-hander walked two and struck out two in the no-decision.
Our View: Reynolds had a nice matchup for his second start. The light-hitting Twins allowed the rookie to lower his 6.35 ERA to 3.09 in one single start. Reynolds will have some good, and some very bad performances, until he can hone his craft. |
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| Livan suffers tough loss | Saturday 5/17, 11:06 PM CT |
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Livan Hernandez retired the first 15 batters he faced before Jeff Baker hit a double to left leading off the sixth inning in Saturday night's loss to the Rockies. Hernandez allowed eight hits and three runs in 7.1 innings, and drove in a run with a bunt.
Our View: A very nice effort by Livan at Coors field on Saturday nigh, and he deserved better than a loss for his work. |
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| Scherzer loses 2nd in three tries | Saturday 5/17, 11:03 PM CT |
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Max Scherzer isn't quite ready for the big time. In his second loss, and the teams third in his starts, the big right-hander has command issues. While Scherzer didn't allow an earned run, he put his teammates in a position to fail by walking an American League pitcher, who had all of three minor league at bats, with two outs in the fifth inning. The result were two unearned runs and ultimately a Diamondbacks loss.
Our View: This start made it clear that when Doug Davis returns at the end of the month, Scherzer will go to the pen to get some long relief work, build some mental toughness and harness his change-up. |
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| Jones saves sixth | Saturday 5/17, 10:56 PM CT |
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Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six chances.
Our View: The Tigers are in for a long season with their bullpen, rotation and Jones as their closer. And while they sport a solid lineup top to bottom, it was more than obvious tonight that they're also soft at the corners defensively. |
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| Galarraga wins third | Saturday 5/17, 10:47 PM CT |
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Armando Galarraga allowed two runs on one hit, walked five and struck out three and the the Detroit Tigers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Saturday, snapping a five-game losing streak.
Our View: Galarraga took advantage of an impatient D'Backs lineup and benefited from Arizona mental mistakes to win his third game of the season. The effort will make it very difficult to pull him from the rotation once Dontrelle Willis returns to active duty. |
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| Hudson loses to ex-team | Saturday 5/17, 10:43 PM CT |
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Tim Hudson suffered his third loss of the season as the Oakland Athletics beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Saturday night. In the loss the right hander allowed five runs on five hits, walked five and struck out three.
Our View: After a string of strong outings, Hudson was obviously not on his game, and against his old team for that matter. Hudson's ERA climbed to 3.06 in the loss. |
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| Street struggles in non-save | Saturday 5/17, 10:37 PM CT |
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The Braves rallied from a 5-1 deficit with three runs in the ninth off Huston Street, who came into the game in a non-save situation. Street allowed three runs on three hits, didn't allow a walk and struck out one.
Our View: Street's ERA went from 3.63 to 4.91 in the effort. |
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| Harden goes seven for 2nd win | Saturday 5/17, 10:34 PM CT |
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Rich Harden allowed one run on four hits, walked one and struck out eight over seven innings for his second win of the season.
Our View: Harden and the A's ended Atlanta's eight-game home winning streak and the hard-throwing right hander was allowed to throw 100 pitches in his second start off the disabled list. Dare we suggest his owners put him on the market after this impressive outing? |
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| Cust goes deep | Saturday 5/17, 10:30 PM CT |
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Jack Cust hit a solo home run and the Oakland Athletics beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Saturday night to end a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Our View: Cust has become a popular free agent pickup of late. The A's slugger has five home runs, 21 runs scored and 13 RBI while hitting .239 on the season. Those numbers don't explain his popularity. |
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| Sherrill's 17th leads league | Saturday 5/17, 10:27 PM CT |
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George Sherrill pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out one, for his 17th save in 19 chances.
Our View: Sherrill has four saves in the four Orioles games this week. |
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| Zimmerman homers again | Saturday 5/17, 10:24 PM CT |
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Ryan Zimmerman remained hot on by hitting a solo home run off winning pitcher Brian Burres on Saturday night.
Our View: Zimmerman now has eight home runs on the season to go along wtih 22 runs and 24 RBI. |
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| Burress wins 4th | Saturday 5/17, 10:15 PM CT |
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Brian Burres allowed two runs on four hits, walked two and struck out three and the Baltimore Orioles held on to beat the Washington Nationals 6-5 on Saturday night.
Our View: Burres evened his record at 4-4 on the season, lowered his ERA to 3.44 and has been a pleasant surprise for the shocking 23-19 Orioles. |
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| Markakis goes deep in win | Saturday 5/17, 10:12 PM CT |
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Nick Markakis homered and drove in three runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Washington Nationals 6-5 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Our View: Markakis has scored 26 times, recorded 22 RBI, stole six bases and is hitting .265 on the season. |
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| Oswalt injures groin | Saturday 5/17, 10:09 PM CT |
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Roy Oswalt, who reportedly was pitching hurt, left in the seventh after allowing consecutive singles and throwing 111 pitches. Oswalt was hit hard for most of the night allowing six runs on 11 hits, waling one and striking out only one.
Our View: If in fact Oswalt was pitching with an injured groin, he was doing so from the first inning on. The right-handed veteran three outs in the first inning were all hard hit line-drives. |
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| Berkman hits 16th HR | Saturday 5/17, 10:07 PM CT |
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Lance Berkman extended his hitting streak to 16 games and matched Pete Rose as the only players since 1956 with 31 hits in a span of 50 at-bats. Berkman finished 2-for-3 with a walk to raise his season average to .399.
Our View: After his major league-best 16th homer leading off the fourth, Berkman had a single in the sixth that matched Rose's 31-of-50 stretch for Philadelphia in 1979. |
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| Padilla wins sixth game | Saturday 5/17, 10:05 PM CT |
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Vicente Padilla matched his victory total from last season by winning his fourth consecutive decision over five starts and his sixth of the year as the Rangers wore out the Rangers for the second consecutive game. The right-hander allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings.
Our View: Padilla struggled early but the Astros were not able to get the big hit. |
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| Eaton still winless | Saturday 5/17, 10:02 PM CT |
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Phillies starter Adam Eaton allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings to remain winless in nine starts this season.
Our View: Eaton walked two and struck out three in the loss. His K:BB ratio (27:24) is just not acceptable for a pitcher who only has a 4.98 K/9 Rate. |
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| Burnett goes six strong | Saturday 5/17, 9:57 PM CT |
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Rod Barajas pitched 6.1 strong innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Saturday night.
Burnett allowed two runs on four hits, walking three and striking out eight.
Our View: Burnett and the Jays rotation continue to keep the light-hitting lineup in games, and head into Sunday afternoon's game with their best, Shaun Marcum. |
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| Barajas goes deep twice | Saturday 5/17, 9:57 PM CT |
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Rod Barajas hit two homers, including a grand slam, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Saturday night.
Our View: Barajas has played in 22 games this year and compiled 63 at-bats. The backup catcher has scored six runs, has nine RBI and is hitting .254 on the season. |
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| Barajas goes deep twice | Saturday 5/17, 9:53 PM CT |
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Rod Barajas hit two homers, including a grand slam, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Saturday night.
Our View: Barajas has played in 22 games this year and compiled 63 at-bats. The backup catcher has scored six runs, has nine RBI and is hitting .254 on the season. |
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| Olsen not sharp in no-decision | Saturday 5/17, 9:40 PM CT |
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Scott Olsen allowed three runs on seven hits, walked five (two intentionally) and struck out three in a no-decision on Saturday night.
Our View: Olsen wasn't sharp in his effort but kept his team in the game until the offense unloaded in the seventh inning. |
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| HanRam strikes out thrice | Saturday 5/17, 9:29 PM CT |
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Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez was 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts in Saturday night's win over the Royals. Earlier in the day, the Marlins formally announced the $70 million, six-year contract extension for Ramirez at the site of their future ballpark.
Our View: The Royals pitched Ramirez away the entire night and the All Star shortstop was fooled in most of his at-bats. |
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| Hamilton's hip and shoulder sore | Saturday 5/17, 9:24 PM CT |
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Following up on an earlier report, Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton , the major league RBI leader, left Saturday night's game against Houston because of general soreness, this according to ESPN. Hamilton asked manager Ron Washington to move him to right field for Saturday night's game and had already talked about taking Sunday off as well.
"I'm sore from that first-inning catch, or almost-catch," Hamilton said before the game. "I landed on my shoulder and right hip. I must have kicked myself in my left calf or something, because it's killing me."
Our View: Daily transaction owners might want to replace Hamilton for the Rangers Sunday afternoon game at Arlington Park. |
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| Jacobs returns with a bang | Saturday 5/17, 9:19 PM CT |
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Mike Jacobs was in the starting lineup for the first time since May 7, when he had a tight right quad. His triple to right-center in the fourth inning and hit his 10th home run in the seventh helping the Marlins to a 7-3 victory over the Royals on Saturday night.
Our View: Jacobs made a splash in his first game in almost two weeks. He now has 18 runs and 27 RBI on the year. |
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| Bannister loses 5th game | Saturday 5/17, 9:16 PM CT |
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Brian Bannister gave up six runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings of work falling to the Marlins 7-3 on Saturday night. The right-hander walked two and struck out five in the loss.
Our View: Bannister was strong in the early innings, but gave up two runs in the fourth and then fell apart in the seventh. |
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| Helms hits pinch hit HR | Saturday 5/17, 9:13 PM CT |
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Wes Helms hit a three-run, pinch-hit homer and the Florida Marlins beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 snapping a season-high four-game losing streak.
Our View: Helms has played in 34 games this year, but has only 71 at-bats. In those plate appearances Helms has 13 RBI, seven runs scored and is hitting .225. |
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| Hamilton exits early | Saturday 5/17, 8:34 PM CT |
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Josh Hamilton was forced to leave Saturday's game in the fifth inning due to what is being reported as "exhaustion."
Our View: For now the Ranger slugger is considered day-to-day, and we will offer more on the left-handed outfielder when the information is available. |
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| Hill has fluid removed | Saturday 5/17, 8:30 PM CT |
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A day after losing his first game of the season, Nationals right-hander Shawn Hill had a cortisone shot and fluid taken out of his right elbow on Saturday, this according to MLB.com.
The injury is not considered serious, but there is a possibility he may not make his next start, against the Phillies at Nationals Park on Wednesday.
Our View: For now, Hill will not have an MRI.
The good news is the pain in not in the area where he had elbow reconstruction in 2004. The pain is located behind the elbow. |
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| Soria extended | Saturday 5/17, 8:29 PM CT |
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The Royals extended Joakim Soria to a three-year contract with an additional three options for 2012, '13 and '14.
Our View: This is the fashion in which the Royals will be signing their youth, and according to sources will become more of the MLB norm in the future. |
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| Suppan struggles vs. Boston | Saturday 5/17, 7:50 PM CT |
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Jeff Suppan gave up four runs on nine hits in six innings, and lost for the third time in four starts as the Boston Red Sox beat the Brewers 5-3 on Saturday. The Brewers have lost three straight overall.
Our View: Suppan struggled from the start. After retiring the first two batters in the first, Suppan walked Ortiz, hit Ramirez on the left hand and allowed Kevin Youkilis' single. J.D. Drew then walked to give Boston a 1-0 lead. The Brewers right hander threw 31 pitches in the first inning. |
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| Papelbon records 12th save | Saturday 5/17, 7:46 PM CT |
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Jonathan Papelbon got the final three outs to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Brewers 5-3 on Saturday. The right-hander recorded his 12th save, despite giving up a solo homer to Ryan Braun with two out.
Our View: Papelbon has actually been mortal in May, but continues to get the job done. |
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| Ortiz hits eighth HR | Saturday 5/17, 7:44 PM CT |
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David Ortiz hit a three-run home run to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Brewers 5-3 on Saturday in the opener of a doubleheader.
Our View: Ortiz' shot was his eighth of the season and pushed his RBI total to 32 on the year. |
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| Dice-K wins 7th game | Saturday 5/17, 7:42 PM CT |
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Daisuke Matsuzaka remained unbeaten, holding Milwaukee to a pair of unearned runs pitching into the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Brewers 5-3 on Saturday.
Matsuzaka, who won his seventh game of the season, gave up seven hits over 6.2 innings and tied the Angels' Joe Saunders for the AL lead in wins.
Our View: Dice-K held the Brewers scoreless until two outs in the seventh, when Rickie Weeks reached on a fielding error and Mike Cameron homered to left. |
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| Santana loses first game | Saturday 5/17, 7:35 PM CT |
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Ervin Santana, who was coming off his worst outing of the season, gave up four runs on five hits in six innings in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Dodgers. He walked three, hit a batter and struck out five.
Our View: The Angels' right-hander was tagged for nine hits and five runs in 5.2 innings at Tampa Bay last Sunday, but was not involved in the decision. |
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| Park helps defeat Santana | Saturday 5/17, 7:33 PM CT |
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Chan Ho Park made his first start for the Dodgers in almost seven years, limiting the Angels to two runs -- one earned -- over four innings. The 34-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, walked two and struck out three. He left with the Dodgers up 4-2.
Our View: Because Park pitched just four innings, Hong-Chih Kuo earned the win by shutting out the Angels for four innings. |
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| DeWitt hits 4th HR | Saturday 5/17, 7:31 PM CT |
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Blake DeWitt hit a two-run home run in the second inning to help defeat Ervin Santana and the Angels 6-3 on Saturday.
Our View: DeWitt continues to make a case that the Dodgers don't need Nomar Garciaparra. |
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| Campillo could replace James | Saturday 5/17, 7:21 PM CT |
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With the demotion of Chuck James, Jorge Campillo is a candidate to take over the empty slot in the starting rotation.
Our View: The 29 year old right-handed Mexican leaguer has been dominate in long relief this year, striking out 17 in 21 innings. |
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| Young adds 16 points to BA | Saturday 5/17, 7:06 PM CT |
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Delmon Young, who was 3-for-4 on Friday night, added 13 points to his average. In 15 May games he has six multi-hit games.
Our View: Young raised his average from .260 to .276 and currently the Twins outfielder is all or nothing in games played. |
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| Eveland strong in no-decision | Saturday 5/17, 7:04 PM CT |
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Dana Eveland fell a third of an inning short of recording a quality start on Friday night. The left-hander allowed two runs on six hits in 5.2 innings.
Our View: The A's starter gave up both runs in the six inning and four of his six hits. |
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| Soria finally scored on | Saturday 5/17, 6:49 PM CT |
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It had to eventually happen to Joakim Soria. The KC closer was finally scored on Friday night as Jeremy Hermida hit a 2-run home run in the ninth inning to pull the Fish within one run. Soria was able to strike out the next two hitters and secure his 11th save of the season.
Our View: The two-run home run finally gave Soria something other than zero's next to his ERA. In 17.1 innings of work Soria has allowed five hits, two walks and struck out 20 and now has an 1.04 ERA and 0.40 WHIP. |
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| Gathright plays in 32 game | Saturday 5/17, 6:41 PM CT |
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Joey Gathright is starting in center field on Saturday night with David DeJesus in right. Gathright is leading off as the Royals square off against Florida and left-hander Scott Olsen.
Our View: Gathright is a spark plug from the leadoff spot and leads the Royals in stolen bases. |
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| Harang strong in no-decision | Saturday 5/17, 6:25 PM CT |
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After giving up a second inning run, Aaron Harang scattered six hits over five scoreless innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out five in a game the Reds won 4-2.
Our View: Harang wasn't involved in the decision but was impressive in his work. The Reds ace lowered his ERA to 3.12. |
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| Dunn goes deep again | Saturday 5/17, 6:10 PM CT |
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Adam Dunn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Masa Kobayashi, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to their season-high fifth straight victory Saturday, 4-2 over the Cleveland Indians.
Our View: Dunn's third homer in three games has helped his HR Rate (14.2), but his average is still a puny .211. |
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| Kobayashi melts down | Saturday 5/17, 6:07 PM CT |
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Just when the closer-less Indians believed they had a replacement for the injured Joe Borowski, the player blows up in the ninth inning. Adam Dunn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Masa Kobayashi , rallying the Cincinnati Reds to their season-high fifth straight victory Saturday, 4-2 over the Cleveland Indians.
Our View: If the failures of Borowski, Rafael Betancourt and Kobayashi had been converted saves, the Indians at the top of the standing in the AL Central. |
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| Jimenez throws another QS | Saturday 5/17, 6:01 PM CT |
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Ubaldo Jimenez tossed his second straight quality start against the Twins on Friday night. While throwing a quality effort against the Twins isn't anything to do flips over, the right-hander has looked good in his last two efforts.
Our View: Jimenez's Achilles is his lack of command. His 29 walks in 47 innings is concerning. His next start is against the light-hitting Giants should offer him another opportunity at success, but his control issues will create issues against more adept lineups. |
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| Sheff gives way to Joyce | Saturday 5/17, 5:50 PM CT |
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Gary Sheffield is scheduled to get Saturday night off with Matt Joyce playing left field for the second straight game.
Our View: With the Tigers playing in an NL Park, Sheff is sitting against right-handers. It's possible that the veteran will be back in the lineup on Sunday when Arizona sends Randy Johnson to the mound. |
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| Sherrill's peripherals questionable | Saturday 5/17, 5:45 PM CT |
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George Sherrill picked up his 16th save in 18 opportunities on Friday night, pitching a perfect ninth inning. Sherrill has been good despite his lack of command. His 10 walks in 20 innings is concerning and his K Rate is south of his 2007 numbers.
Our View: In his defense, the southpaw is in a different environment and has a different role than the one he held with Seattle, and one of this two blown saves was a game in Oakland when he entered the game with the bases loaded and one out. He proceeded to record two ordinary outs -- but gave up a game tying run in the process. |
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| Benoit strong in May | Saturday 5/17, 5:39 PM CT |
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Joaquin Benoit earned his seventh hold of the season on Friday by setting down the side in the eighth inning. The right-hander has held opponents scoreless in seven of his eight appearances in May.
Our View: The Rangers success in the first half of the month has benefited owners who stuck with the Rangers hard-thrower. |
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| Giles best of cold bunch | Saturday 5/17, 5:23 PM CT |
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Brian Giles' four hits on Friday night offers evidence that the Padres right fielder is the hottest hitter on a club with cold bats. The four hit performance brought his numbers to a respectable - .288/.386/.436. While his slugging percentage is soft, the veteran has learned that elevating the ball in PETCO is a fruitless effort.
Our View: Tracking his numbers one will find that Giles' fly ball percentage is down over 5 percent in the last two seasons, while his strike out to walk and average have improved. |
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| The good Sanchez | Saturday 5/17, 5:13 PM CT |
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The egnigmatic Jonathan Sanchez had one of his good starts on Friday night. The left-hander allowed only a two-run homer to Alexei Ramirez in the seventh inning over 6.2 innings of work.
Our View: Sanchez set the tempo and was in control of the game, and his command was spot on, at least for him. When the southpaw can keep his walks to a minimum he can be dominating. However, it's difficult to get too excited about an Giant pitcher, they rarely get the run support they deserve. |
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| Wainwright struggles again | Saturday 5/17, 4:45 PM CT |
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Adam Wainwright struggled for the second straight start against Tampa Bay on Saturday. The right hander allowed four runs on 12 hits in 5.2 innings. It would have been worst but the Rays continued to run themselves out of innings.
Our View: The Cardinals' opening-day starter gave up six earned runs in six innings in his previous outing at Milwaukee. |
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| Garza struggles vs Cards | Saturday 5/17, 4:42 PM CT |
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Matt Garza failed to make it out of the fifth inning on Saturday versus the Cardinals. It ended what had been a brilliant run by Tampa starters. A run in which the rotation had combined for a 1.03 ERA.
Our View: Garza had nothing on Saturday, and his focus couldn't have been worse. He didn't trust his stuff and nibbled the entire afternoon. |
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| Pujols begins new streak | Saturday 5/17, 4:38 PM CT |
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Albert Pujols homered and had two RBI on Saturday, beginning a new streak, a day after his 42-game streak of reaching base ended.
Our View: Pujols and the Cards won for only the third time in 11 games on Saturday. And the win was for the most part -- fortunate. Expect the Redbirds, their players (e.g. Ludwick) and their record to begin falling back to earth. |
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| Ludwick goes deep twice | Saturday 5/17, 4:34 PM CT |
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Ryan Ludwick hit his second home run of the game on Saturday afternoon and the Cardinals won in 10 innings 9-8 over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Our View: Ludwick has 10 home runs, 25 runs, 28 RBI and is hitting .336 on the season. If there were ever a time to sell high on a player, it's Ludwick's time. His value will never be higher and this kind of production won't continue. |
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| Upton is powerless | Saturday 5/17, 4:30 PM CT |
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B.J. Upton was 3-for-5 in Saturday afternoon's loss to the Cardinals. The center fielder added two runs to his stat line. Upton's power numbers can't be found. His at-bat to home run ratio is just under 50:1, far below last year when the young outfielder hit 24 home runs in 474.
Our View: Upton was caught stealing in the fifth inning on Saturday was an easy out trying to advance to third on Evan Longoria's game-tying sacrifice fly when the throw to the plate was cut off. Both plays were ill advised, especially when he was trying to advance from second to third with two outs. Ill advised is being nice actually, it was a stupid decision and was just one of the plays that cost the Rays a win. |
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| Pettitte dealt fifth loss | Saturday 5/17, 3:56 PM CT |
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Andy Pettitte was dealt his fifth loss of the season on Saturday, as the Yankees were defeated by the Mets 7-4 at Yankee Stadium. Pettitte allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Our View: Pettitte is now 3-5 for the season, with a 4.42 ERA. He has allowed four or more runs in three of his last five starts, and hasn't won since April 20, when the Yankees beat Baltimore 7-1. |
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| Jeter has strong outing in loss | Saturday 5/17, 3:46 PM CT |
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Derek Jeter had a solid outing in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Mets. Jeter went 3-for-4 with two RBI and notched his second homer of the year, which came off of Mets' ace Johan Santana.
Our View: Jeter now has 22 hits, two homers, seven RBI, and 11 runs scored over 14 games in May. |
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| Wright blasts eighth homer in win | Saturday 5/17, 3:41 PM CT |
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David Wright went 3-for-5 with two RBI and blasted his eighth homer of the season in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Yankees.
Our View: Wright raised his average to .279 and has 34 RBI over 40 games. He registered his sixth stolen base in today's victory as well. |
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| Santana collects fifth win with Mets | Saturday 5/17, 3:37 PM CT |
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Johan Santana collected his fifth win with the Mets in Saturday's 7-4 victory over the Yankees. Santana allowed four runs on seven hits over 7.2 innings, with two walks and five strikeouts.
Our View: He surrendered three home runs in the game, but the Mets scored enough runs for him to win. He is now 3-0 over five games at Yankee Stadium. |
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| Penny scratched from start | Saturday 5/17, 3:32 PM CT |
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Brad Penny has been scratched from his next start due to arm stiffness, according to the AP. Penny was scheduled to take the hill on Sunday in the finale of the "Freeway Series" against the Angels.
Our View: Derek Lowe will make the start on Sunday in his place on three days rest. The severity of Penny's ailment is yet to be determined. |
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| Capps claims 10th save | Saturday 5/17, 3:13 PM CT |
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Matt Capps claimed his 10th save of the season on Saturday, as he helped Pittsburgh edge the Cubs 7-6. His save wasn't pretty though, as he allowed one run on two hits in the ninth inning (with one strikeout).
Our View: Capps remains a quality fantasy closer, and has nailed down a save in 10 of the Pirates' 22 wins so far in 2008. |
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| McClouth racks up three RBI in close | Saturday 5/17, 3:09 PM CT |
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Nate McLouth went 3-for-5 and racked up three RBI in Saturday's close 7-6 win over the Cubs in Chicago. One of his hits went for a two-run homer, and he now has 12 for the season.
Our View: He also now has 36 RBI over 42 games, with 36 runs scored, and a .312 batting average. He has slowed down recently, but is seemingly back on track and once again generating strong numbers. |
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| Soriano blasts pair of homers in loss | Saturday 5/17, 3:04 PM CT |
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Alfonso Soriano went 5-for-5 with three RBI and blasted a pair of homers in Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Pirates at Wrigley Field.
Our View: Soriano has impressively hit two home runs in back-to-back games, and has hit one in five of his last six games, with 13 RBI over the span. |
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| Zambrano rocked over four innings | Saturday 5/17, 2:59 PM CT |
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Carlos Zambrano was rocked over four innings of work and ended with a no decision in Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Pirates. The Cubs' ace allowed five runs on seven hits, with three walks and three strikeouts.
Our View: That was his first loss at home in 2008, as he was 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA at Wrigley Field heading into today's battle. |
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| Kemp to sit out today | Saturday 5/17, 2:49 PM CT |
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Matt Kemp will ride the pine when the Dodgers battle the Angels today, according to the LA Daily News. Juan Pierre bats leadoff and starts in left field, Andruw Jones roams center field, and Andre Ethier covers right field today.
Our View: Kemp is hitting .302 over 39 games, with three homers and 26 RBI. He also has nine stolen bases and 20 runs scored. He has provided solid value as an outfielder this season, namely in deeper leagues, and was due for a day off. |
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| Torre comments on Kent's slump | Saturday 5/17, 2:43 PM CT |
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Jeff Kent only has two hits over his last 33 at-bats and Manager Joe Torre commented on his slump, according to the LA Daily News. Torre said, "I have never been that age and doing that. But I am assuming that sometimes, your body doesn't listen to your mind. One thing you see in a lot of sports is that when you get older, I think the number of times you're able to do what you want to do is curtailed somewhat. That's why you try to manage how many games he plays. But I think he can still stand at the plate and believe he is going to do what he can do. I think he can still put up numbers and be a force, but I think it may take a little bit more work for him to do it."
Our View: The 40-year old second baseman is hitting .236 overall, with four homers and 20 RBI over 36 games. Luis Maza gets the start at second base today. |
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| Harang has fared well vs. Indians | Saturday 5/17, 2:37 PM CT |
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Aaron Harang has fared well over his career against the inter-league state rival Indians, according to MLB.com. Harang is 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA over eight career appearances against Cleveland.
Our View: Harang is only 2-5 this season, but has a 3.32 ERA and a solid 1.12 WHIP over 62.1 innings, with 51 strikeouts. Harang would have a better record if not for poor run support by his Reds' team-mates, and should remain in your starting rotation today. |
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| Carmona set to battle Reds today | Saturday 5/17, 2:30 PM CT |
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Fausto Carmona is set to battle the Reds today, according to MLB.com. Carmona is 4-1 this season with a 2.40 ERA, but still has a poor 1.64 WHIP, due to 35 walks over 48.2 innings. He only has 18 strikeouts as well.
Our View: Carmona only registered less than four walks in one of eight starts, and his control issues have prevented him from being a strong fantasy starter this season. |
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| Loney riding hitting streak | Saturday 5/17, 2:24 PM CT |
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James Loney is riding a nine-game hitting streak and will try to extend it to 10 today against undefeated hurler Ervin Santana (6-0) and the Angels, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Loney has three multi-hit games over the streak, with five runs scored. He raised his batting average to .290 and his fantasy stock remains on the rise. |
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| Park has poor record vs. Angels | Saturday 5/17, 2:19 PM CT |
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Chan Ho Park has a poor track record against the Angels, according to MLB.com. Park is 5-7 with a 5.90 ERA in 17 career appearances against the Angels.
Our View: Park had held up fairly well this season, as he holds a 2.16 ERA and decent 1.32 WHIP over 25 innings, but only has nine strikeouts. He shouldn't be in your rotation today, especially when you consider his pitching record against the Angels. |
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| Santana aims to remain unbeaten | Saturday 5/17, 2:14 PM CT |
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Ervin Santana will aim to remain unbeaten when the Angels host the Dodgers today, according to MLB.com. Santana is 6-0 with a 2.63 ERA and stellar 0.97 WHIP over eight starts.
Our View: Santana is 2-2 in four career outings against the Dodgers with a 3.42 ERA. He was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA against them in 2007. Santana should enjoy another solid outing at home, where four of his six wins have come this season.
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| Johnson says he won't need surgery | Saturday 5/17, 2:03 PM CT |
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Nick Johnson stated that he will not need surgery after tearing the tendon in his right wrist, according to CBSsports.com.
Our View: The injury should heal without surgery and he isn't expected to miss more than four to six weeks. Johnson is an annual guest of the disabled list, but tends to play well over the second half of the season. He should remain reserved if you have him on your roster. |
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| Hill suffers setback | Saturday 5/17, 1:53 PM CT |
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Rich Hill has been set back in his bid to rejoin the Cubs, as he left Friday night's start for Triple-A Iowa with what is being called a stiff back, according to the Chicago Tribune. Hill's status won't be known for at least another day. His record is 1-2 and holds a 3.38 ERA at Iowa. Manager Lou Piniella said, "He didn't have a back problem last year, he didn't have it earlier in the year. Let's not make it too serious. It might not be serious at all."
Our View: He has not fared well in the minors following his demotion, and it remains uncertain if and when he will return to the Cubs' rotation. We will keep you posted on the severity of his back ailment. |
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| Luna recalled | Saturday 5/17, 1:45 PM CT |
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Hector Luna has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, according to the AP. Pitcher David Purcey has been sent back to Syracuse to make room on the roster for Luna.
Our View: Luna will hold no value as a backup infielder in Toronto. |
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| Purcey sent back to Syracuse | Saturday 5/17, 1:42 PM CT |
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David Purcey has been sent back to Triple-A Syracuse, according to the AP. Shortstop Hector Luna has been called up as well.
Our View: Purcey got lit up for eight runs on five hits over a mere three innings in his spot start against the Phillies on Friday, and his audition to possibly stick with the team went up in flames. |
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| Dillon starting at first base today | Saturday 5/17, 1:32 PM CT |
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Joe Dillon is going to start at first base today in inter-league play with the Red Sox at Fenway Park, according to the Boston Globe. Dillon will hit eighth in the order, between JJ Hardy and Bill Hall. Prince Fielder will serve as the DH.
Our View: Dillon is 5-for-20 (.250) with no homers or RBI while contributing in a utility role. He gets to start today, but against Boston ace hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka. |
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| Casey to start at first base | Saturday 5/17, 1:28 PM CT |
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Sean Casey is penciled in to start at first base today against Jeff Suppan and the Brewers, according to the Boston Globe. Kevin Youkilis will man third base in place of Mike Lowell, who gets the game off with three games to be played in about a 36 hour span. They are playing a double-header today.
Our View: Casey is hitting .345 over 58 at-bats, with eight RBI. He merits consideration today if you have him, namely in AL-only leagues. |
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| Ellsbury to start in CF today | Saturday 5/17, 1:22 PM CT |
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Jacoby Ellsbury will start in center field today against Jeff Suppan and the Brewers, according to the Boston Globe. Coco Crisp is not quite 100%, after working through his illness earlier this week, but said he can pinch run or play defense (or even pinch hit).
Our View: Ellsbury merits a start today, and is still yet to be caught stealing over 15 tries. He has also scored 31 runs over 37 games. |
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| Mientkiewicz/Bautista not in a platoon | Saturday 5/17, 1:17 PM CT |
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Manager John Russell has started Doug Mientkiewicz at third base for the third straight game today, but insists that there is not a platoon at the position with Jose Bautista, according to MLB.com. While downplaying the lefty-righty platoon possibility, Russell said that his choice to start the left-handed-hitting Mientkiewicz again on Saturday was designed more to give Bautista a few extra days to focus on his approach at the plate and his swing. Russell added, "Jose has been working awfully hard and got into a little bit of a rut. I don't know if you can say it's a platoon. We're just trying to get Jose back on track. He's played good defense for us, but with his bat, sometimes it's good to take a couple of days and get it straightened out a little bit."
Our View: He has some value in NL-only leagues, but not much. He is only hitting .238 over 62 at-bats, with one homer and seven RBI. |
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