All is fair in love and fantasy baseball. If you're new to the game, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've already lost. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a manager is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. Winning depends upon it. Arm yourselves and be ye men of valor; for we few, we happy few, we band of brothers shall embark upon a land of bullets, triple slashes and pulled hamstrings.

Jamie Garcia looked great tonight [7 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K, Win], he should be owned in more than 35% of Yahoo leagues. He was a well known prospect, cruised through the Cards system before being shut down with the elbow injury and induces ground balls at will. He came into the game tonight with a 4.22 GB/FB and a 70.4% GB%. Tonight he induced 13 ground balls (2 fly balls). Now that I've built him up, it's time to break him down. Garcia missed most of 2009 after Tommy John surgery, has some funky mechanics that may lead to injury and has been the beneficiary of some good luck (.224 BABIP). I will look to sell on him after a few more starts in a 14 team league. Unlikely I'll get anything I'll like/accept, but ya gotta try.

Trevor Hoffman blew another Save, giving up a pinch-hit HR to Ryan Doumit. I was chatting with Scott Pianowski who said the ball barely cleared the fence, so he is making progress from the bombs he was giving up earlier. That does not console me! My Brewers connection says Trevor isn't locating his fastball well. I'm still not worried about the Hoff.

Lost in all the Hoffman hoopla, Octavio Dotel blew his 2nd Save and his numbers look terrible (2.14 WHIP, 10.61 ERA). He shouldn't have the leash that Hoffman does and Evan Meek looks like the only good reliever they have (1.07 WHIP, 0.64 ERA). Donnelly (2.00 WHIP, 7.00 ERA) is pitching in high leverage situations, but he is just going to blow Saves too. Hopefully the Meek shall inherit the role. I see Eno Sarris has picked him up in the Blog Wars league so I'm making the rounds now.

Jake Fox (0 for 4) started his 5th game at Catcher, that makes him eligible there in most leagues. He is hitting .175 now, but his BABIP (.214) isn't helping matters. Oakland Coliseum isn't quite as friendly to hitters as Wrigley Field, so keep that in mind if you pick up Fox.

Kyle Blanks was blanked again tonight. He went 0 for 4 with 3 Ks, his AVG dropped to .185, not good. I'm sure the he'll lose a few owners after tonight (17% owned as of now). I have him starting in one league and that is because the league is NL-Only. The best free agent hitter is the 0% owned Roger Bernadina. Seriously, I'm not joking. I am strangely happy that Kyle made his way onto this team and this team only. Last year I was forced to play Clint Barmes in a NL-Only league while he absolutely sucked, it worked out for me. Eventually Kyle will turn it on and finish the season with 25-30 HR (he has 2 now), although the increased strike out percentage (39.3% and rising) is worrisome. It is completely safe to drop him in standard leagues, maybe even 14 team leagues, but just make sure he is on your watch list and be ready to pounce once he starts heating up.

Call in the Reinforcements Juan Gutierrez got his first Save, Qualls was unavailable after pitching back-to-back games. Franklin Morales took a loss in extra innings. Brian Wilson blew his first Save. Ryan Madson blew a 10th Inning Save, Nelson Figueroa picked up the slack in the 11th, getting his first Save. Brian Fuentes gave up two hits in 1 inning, but got the Win. Pat Neshek gave up a walk and was credited with 2 ER and a Blown Save in the 6th Inning. What a screw job. Francisco Cordero was beat up in a non-Save situation, he is sporting his usual ugly WHIP (1.59). Cordero is a bum if you ask me, Arthur Rhodes should be closing in Cincy. Neftali Feliz was beat up again (1 IP, 2 ER, 3 H) and his numbers aren't pretty (1.41 WHIP, 5.91 ERA), but he still got his 3rd Save.

Body Count Everth Cabrera sat out (hammy DTD). Hanley Ramirez and Gaby Sanchez got the day off. Jimmy Rollins started jogging, he's not rushing anything. Juan Uribe expects to return on Friday. Gardenhire is hopeful to have Morneau back (stiff back) for the weekend series vs CLE. Jorge Posada left the game with a bruised knee, but it's not believed to be serious, no x-rays were taken. Kurt Suzuki was originally in the A's lineup, but was scratched after batting practice (left side soreness).

Universal Soldiers
Jon Lester [7 IP, 0 ER, H, 2 BB, 11 K, Win]
Tim Lincecum [8.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 11 K]
James Shields [7 IP, ER, 6 H, BB, 12 K, Win]
Ryan Dempster [8 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 6 K]
Jorge Cantu [1 for 3, HR, R, 2 RBI]
David Wright [2 for 4, R, double]
Jason Bay [1 for 3, 2 R, RBI]
Ryan Braun [2 for 6, 2 R, double]
Andrew McCutchen [4 for 7, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Ichiro Suzuki [3 for 5, R, RBI, double]
Chone Figgins [2 for 4, 2 RBI, SB, triple]
Adam Dunn [1 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Carlos Gonzalez [2 for 3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB]
Troy Tulowitzki [1 for 5, R, 2 RBI, double]
Kelly Johnson [1 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Justin Upton [2 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Chris Young [2 for 4, HR, R, 5 RBI]
Ryan Howard [2 for 4, HR, 2 R, RBI, double]
Jayson Werth [1 for 5, 3 RBI, double]
Torii Hunter [3 for 4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, double]
Grady Sizemore [1 for 5, R, RBI, SB]
Magglio Ordonez [3 for 4, R, 3 RBI, double]
Jason Kubel [3 for 4, R, RBI]
Nick Markakis [3 for 5, HR, 2 R, RBI, double]
Miguel Tejada [2 for 3, R, RBI, double]
Derek Jeter [2 for 4, R, 2 RBI, double]
Robinson Cano [2 for 5, HR, R, RBI]
Evan Longoria [2 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, double]
Carlos Pena [2 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Fat Elvis [1 for 4, HR, R, 2 RBI]
Skinny Elvis [2 for 4, R, 2 SB]
Josh Hamilton [1 for 5, HR, R, 2 RBI]
Carlos Quentin [2 for 3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, double]
Albert Pujols [2 for 4, R, RBI, double]
Colby Rasmus [2 for 3, R, RBI, double]

Mercenaries: Soldiers for Hire
Mike Leake [7 IP, ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K, Win]
John Maine [6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 9 K, Win]
Jake Westbrook [6 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 7 K]
Luis Atilano [6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, K, Win]
David Eckstein [1 for 5, R, 3 RBI, double]
Yorvit Torrealba [1 for 3, HR, 2 R, RBI]
Chris Coghlan [2 for 4, R]
Ronny Paulino [2 for 4, R]
Ike Davis [2 for 4, RBI]
Jeff Francoeur [1 for 4, R, 2 RBI, double]
Angel Pagan [1 for 5, R, 2 RBI, triple]
Carlos Gomez [2 for 7, HR, R, 2 RBI, double]
Corey Hart [1 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Aki Iwamura [3 for 6, 2 R, SB]
David DeJesús [1 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Jason Kendall [2 for 3, R, 2 RBI]
Andy LaRoche [1 for 5, HR, R, 2 RBI]
Adam Kennedy [1 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Dexter Fowler [3 for 6, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB]
Miguel Olivo [1 for 4, 2 R, RBI]
Eric Young Jr. [1 for 4, R, RBI, SB]
Tony Abreu [3 for 5, 2 R, RBI, double]
Andrés Torres [2 for 6, 3 RBI, SB, double]
Édgar Rentería [2 for 5, 2 RBI, SB]
Nate Schierholtz [5 for 5, 3 R, RBI, 2 doubles]
Austin Kearns [1 for 3, R, double]
Austin Jackson [2 for 4, 3 R, double]
Brandon Inge [2 for 5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, double]
Ryan Raburn [1 for 3, R, RBI, double]
Orlando Hudson [2 for 5, R, RBI]
Jim Thome [2 for 4, HR, R, 2 RBI]
Nolan Reimold [1 for 3, RBI]
Francisco Cervelli [2 for 4, RBI]
Nick Swisher [3 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI, triple]
Willy Aybar [3 for 4, R]
Daric Barton [1 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Ryan Sweeney [1 for 3, R, double]
Pedro Feliz [2 for 4, R, double]
Drew Stubbs [2 for 4, 2 R, SB]
Scott Rolen [1 for 5, 2 RBI, double]
David Murphy [1 for 3, R, RBI, double]
A.J. Pierzynski [2 for 3, R, RBI, double]
Skip Schumaker [2 for 3, 2 R]
David Freese [2 for 3, 2 RBI] no comments

While the world overreacts to Trevor Hoffman's blown Saves, MDS is busy trading FOR him. That's right, now is the time to buy low on the Hoff. Forget all the "whaaaa Hoffman blew another Save, whaaaa he's given up 5 HR, whaaaaa time to pick up LaTroy Hawkins" crybaby nonsense. In case you forgot, Hoffman has 594 career Saves. LaTroy Hawkins, pfffff. People are funny.

Hoffman's WHIP totals, starting in 2010 and working backwards: 2.00, 0.91, 1.04, 1.12, 0.97, 1.11, 1.18, 1.14, 1.00, 0.94, 0.85, 1.02, 0.92, 1.16, 1.05, 1.21 and you have to go all the way back to 1993 to get to Hoffman's worst WHIP: 1.40. Hoffman has a career 1.05 WHIP in 19 seasons with no signs of slowing down!

We're not talking about a pitcher who is losing velocity, he's already lost it all. He's been throwing a 85-86 mph fastball for years. We're not talking about a pitcher who is suddenly walking more batters. His 2.25 BB/9 is actually below his career average (2.45 BB/9). He is still pitching in the zone (51.9% Zone%, 56.1% career avg) and throwing First Pitch Strikes (62.5% F-Strike%, 67.6% career avg). We're talking about a pitcher who has been unlucky: His O-Contact% is 80%, so he isn't getting the strikeouts (K/9 has been cut in half since last year), his BABIP is 50 points above his career average, his HR/FB% is crazy high (20% compared to 6.5% career avg), he isn't getting the ground balls he usually gets (0.17 GB/FB, 0.72 career avg) so the HR/FB% problem is multiplied that much more and his LOB% is 44%, his career Left on Base Percentage is 77.1%.

It's a perfect storm of bad luck. Sure, he isn't throwing his Change Up as much as years past, but that (just like everything) will work itself out. The sample size is awfully small and people are making rash decisions. This morning I woke up and found a Hoffman trade offer waiting for me in the Blog Wars league. It was one of those offers where you don't know what you're going to do, that doesn't happen with me too often. Usually when I see an offer I know I'm going to reject it within a few minutes. Antonio D'Arcangelis offered me The Hoff and Brendan Ryan for Erick Aybar and Pedro Alvarez. I need the closer help with Lidge sitting and Antonio needed the Middle Infield help. Aybar is someone I didn't like giving up, but that's what makes a good trade. I've been lowballing people in my NL-Only league so it was nice to come back to reality and make a fair deal.

Don't Hassel the Hoff Man, he is just fine. no comments

All is fair in love and fantasy baseball. If you're new to the game, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've already lost. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a manager is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. Winning depends upon it. Arm yourselves and be ye men of valor; for we few, we happy few, we band of brothers shall embark upon a land of bullets, triple slashes and pulled hamstrings.

No, Brett Anderson, no!!!!!!!!!!! Vicious rumors are being spread; Brett could be out for the next four to six weeks. That would leave all of us hanging until late May to mid-June. No!!!!!!!!!!! The MRI results have not been reported though, there is a little room for hope. One has to wonder if the forearm strain and elbow irritation are the result of Anderson throwing all those sliders. He throws that sucker 32.4% of the time; only Ervin Santana (35.8%), Hiroki Kuroda (35.2%), Ryan Dempster (33.8%) throw their sliders more often. The workload increase (105 IP in 2008, 175.1 IP in 2009) could be another factor at play. This does not make me happy.

Baltimore sent down Kam Mickolio to AAA and called up Alfredo Simon. Simon got the Save tonight vs the Yankees. Jim Johnson pitched the 8th and then Simon came in, struck out Granderson, gave up a single to Swisher, walked Nick Johnson, struck out Jeter and then it got a little messy. Gardner reached on an Izturis error, Teixeira singled and then Simon got ARod to ground into a fielder's choice. Two runs scored, both unearned, but Simon got his first Save. Simon pitched 4 games (3 starts) in AAA before being called up, the 2.6 BB/9 and 7.4 K/9 aren't bad, but his minor league career numbers are ugly and he is coming off Tommy John surgery. No one really knows how the Save opportunities are going to shake out here, the coach said, "Whoever can get outs is going to get a chance. I don't think there are any roles. There is no closer right now for me. Who wants it? Somebody take it. There is no set-up guy. Who wants it? Somebody take it". I grabbed Simon in one league, I'm not very excited about it. He won't be starting until I see more from him.

In other Closer news, Frank Francisco came in and got his first Save of the season and claims he is locating his fastball better than before. He went 1 Inning, no hits, no walks, no strike outs. Neftali Feliz was not available after pitching in back-to-back games and 3 of the last 4 and according to Ron Washington, Feliz is still his closer and then added the closer is “anybody we put out there in the ninth inning.” Good stuff Ron, good stuff.... Ramón Ramírez got the Save for BOS, while Okajima, Bard and Papelbon got the day off.... Jason Motte got the Save for STL, Ryan Franklin got the day off after pitching in back-to-back games.... Trevor Hoffman was rocked for 5 ER (2 HR) in 1 Inning and ppl are wondering, where is the change up? His Changeup usage (and value) has definitely dropped and his F-Strike% is up. I'm not sure what to make of his troubles, I'm not too worried.

I was able to catch part of the Liriano/Verlander game today. I was expecting Verlander to walk up to Liriano and hand him the ROY award he stole from him. Francisco Liriano was untouchable. He had a no-hitter going until Miguel Cabrera hit a double in the 5th Inning. Miguel came into the day with only 8 Ks in 80 At Bats, he left with two more. Liriano made him look silly on a strike 3 slider. If we drafted today, where would Francisco Liriano be in your SP ranks? Coming into the season I was on board the Liriano bandwagon and had him ranked 26th. Now? He's got to be creeping inside the Top 10, pushing Ubaldo/Wainwright territory.

Mitch Talbot has pitched 3 good games in a row (CHI, @MIN) after beating the Angels tonight. The 3% owned Talbot is an under the radar guy who can help deep leaguers. He's not blowing away batters with his 91 mph fastball or racking up big K numbers, but he can still be useful. Talbot is more of a control pitcher who induces a lot of ground balls. His current 2.70 K/9 is misleading, his O-Contact% is an absurd 93.1%. So hitters haven't been missing the ball much when swinging at outside pitches. That'll even out and Mitch will likely end the season with a K/9 near 5.00. Talbot is basically a poor man's Joel Pineiro. Like I said, he is for deep leaguers. People in thinner leagues need to be grabbing Shaun Marcum (43% owned) and Clay Buchholz (48%).

Universal Soldiers
Francisco Liriano [8 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, BB, 10 K, Win]
Ubaldo Jimenez [6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K, Win]
Zack Greinke [7 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 5 K]
Johan Santana [6 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 6 K, Win]
Justin Verlander [5.2 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K]
Chris Carpenter [6 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K, Win]
Phil Hughes [5.2 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 2 K]
Hiroki Kuroda [6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K]
David Wright [4 for 6, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB, triple]
Jorge Posada [1 for 3, HR, R, RBI]
Vernon Wells [2 for 4, RBI, double]
Jason Bartlett [3 for 5, 2 RBI, CS]
B.J. Upton [2 for 3, 2 R]
Carlos Pena [1 for 3, 2 R, RBI]
Michael Bourn [2 for 3, R, SB, CS]
Jay Bruce [2 for 3, 2 R]
Vladi Guerrero [2 for 4, 2 R, double]
Prince Fielder [1 for 3, HR, R, RBI]
Ryan Doumit [3 for 5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, double]
Ryan Ludwick [2 for 4, HR, R, 2 RBI, double]
Troy Tulowitzki [3 for 3, 3 R, RBI, 2 doubles]
Carlos Gonzalez [3 for 5, R, 5 RBI, double, triple]
Asdrubal Cabrera [4 for 5, 2 R, double]
Shin-Shoo Choo [2 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Pablo Sandoval [2 for 4, 2 RBI]
Jayson Werth [1 for 3, R, SB]

Mercs: Soldiers for Hire
Clay Buchholz [8 IP, ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K, Win]
Shaun Marcum [7 IP, ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K]
Tom Gorzellany [7 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K]
C.J. Wilson [6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K, Win]
Mitch Talbot [6.1 IP, ER, 6 H, 3 BB, K]
Aaron Harang [6 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, BB, 6 K, Win]
Kevin Millwood [5.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K]
Livan Hernandez [7 IP, ER, 6 H, BB, K, Win]
Jon Garland [6 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 10 K, Win]
Ike Davis [1 for 2, 3 RBI, double]
Nick Swisher [3 for 4, 2 R]
Ty Wiggington [1 for 3, R]
Pat Burrell [1 for 4, HR, R, 3 RBI]
Reid Brignac [1 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
John Jaso [3 for 4, R, RBI, double]
Cliff Pennington [4 for 5, HR, R, 4 RBI, 2 doubles]
Cameron Maybin [1 for 3, R, CS]
David Eckstein [3 for 5, R]
Tony Gwynn [2 for 2, R, 2 SB]
Orlando Cabrera [2 for 4, 2 R, SB]
Ryan Hanigan [2 for 3, 3 RBI]
Ian Desmond [2 for 4, R, 2 RBI, 2 SB]
Matt Treanor [2 for 3, HR, R, 3 RBI, double]
Andy LaRoche [4 for 5, R, .400 AVG]
Lastings Milledge [2 for 5, R, double]
Jeff Clement [3 for 5, HR, R, RBI]
David DeJesus [2 for 5]
Milton Bradley [2 for 3, RBI]
Eric Young Jr. [2 for 4, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Dexter Fowler [2 for 4, 2 R, RBI]
Miguel Olivo [1 for 2, 2 RBI, double]
Seth Smith [2 for 4, 2 R]
Brandon Wood [3 for 4, HR, 2 R, RBI]
Austin Kearns [3 for 6, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 doubles]
Matt LaPorta [2 for 5]
Édgar Rentería [3 for 4, R, 2 RBI]
Andres Torres [1 for 3, 2 R, SB, double]
Aubrey Huff [1 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Matt Downs [1 for 3, HR, R, RBI] no comments

All is fair in love and fantasy baseball. If you're new to the game, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've already lost. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a manager is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. Winning depends upon it. Arm yourselves and be ye men of valor; for we few, we happy few, we band of brothers shall embark upon a land of bullets, triple slashes and pulled hamstrings.

Josh Beckett was beat up by the lowly TOR lineup in a high scoring affair. Beckett gave up 9 Hits, 3 Walks and 8 ER in 3 Innings work. That makes 3 bad starts and 1 ho-hum day of work in his 5 appearances this season. What gives? The velocity is there, but the Ks are lacking. Beckett has been a little unlucky with the O-Contact% (76.4% vs 55.1% career avg). Beckett has walked a few more batters lately, but he is still pitching in the zone (Zone% 50.5%) and has a career high 69.4% F-Strike%. Things will eventually work out for Beckett, now is a good time to try to buy low on him. For what it's worth, Josh has struggled vs TOR (1.41 WHIP, 6.62 ERA in 12 starts) and had a rough April (1.81 WHIP, 7.22 ERA) last season.

Colby Rasmus went 2 for 3 with a HR off Tim Hudson tonight. He's now hitting .315 with 6 HR and 3 SB. It is going to be hard for him to continue hitting .315 with a 33.3% K%, I'm afraid he wont be able to continue the .345 BABIP that he had coming into today. He hits a lot of Fly Balls (50% FB% this season) so the BABIP is likely to sit near .300, maybe a shade below it. His 29.4% HR/FB% is sure to drop too... So basically what I'm getting at is that Colby is hot streaking now and while this will be a breakout season for him, don't go crazy and simply extrapolate his stats for a forecast. But just for fun, CBS says Rasmus is on pace to hit 45 HR and steal 27 bases. Go crazy folks! The amazing part of the Rasmus breakout is the improvement he's made in taking Walks. Last season he posted a 6.9% BB%, but this season it's at 17.5%. Forecast: .270/26/17

Call in the Reinforcements Heath Bell struck out the side (1.0 IP, 3 K) in a meaningless appearance. Carlos Marmol (1.0 IP, H) got the Win vs WAS in the 10th, Bruney (1.2 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K) took the Loss. Frank Francisco looked good (1.0 IP, H, K) in the 8th, but Neftali Feliz was touched up (1.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 HR, K) by Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge. Feliz took the Loss and Jose Valverde got the Save (6). Papelbon locked down his 6th Save with a clean Inning. Kevin Gregg didn't allow a hit or walk in an Inning, he now sports a 0.58 WHIP and 1.04 ERA. Daniel Bard struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced. Bruce Chen came in to get the 1-out Save while Joakim Soria rested, he pitched 3 Innings over the past two days. Dennys Reyes picked up the W and Ryan Franklin recorded his 7th Save. Dennys the Menace is a good reliever for Holds leagues, he gets a lot of 1-Out appearances in high leverage situations. Chad Qualls made his 11th appearance, getting his 5th Save. He gave up two Hits, a Walk and an Earned Run, but at least he didn't blow another Save. Brian Fuentes (1.0 IP, BB, 3 K) locked up his 3rd Save.

Body Count Juan Uribe may not be able to play in the field until Wed. Nelson Cruz aggravated his hamstring injury and left early in Monday's game, he is listed as DTD. Ivan Rodriguez was scratched due to lower back tightness, he was available to pinch-hit. Ian Kinsler could rejoin the team this weekend and Ron Washington plans to hit him 5th in the lineup. Jorge de la Rosa will have a MRI on the middle finger of his pitching hand, it isn't believed to be serious. Felipe Lopez was put on the 15-day DL due to a sore elbow. X-rays revealed a slight fracture in Daric Barton's right middle finger. No word if George Costanza followed him on the highway after believing Daric gave him the finger. Dan Meyer hit the 15-day DL with a strained calf. Dice-K remains on track to face BAL this Saturday. Ryan Zimmerman wasn't in the WAS lineup today, he did pinch-hit and his injury is believed to be DTD. Lance Berkman hyper extended his knee in his last AB on Sunday, but it isn't believed to be serious. Jacoby Ellsbury's ribs are still sore, he hasn't started swinging yet. Brett Anderson may have his next start pushed back because of a sore elbow. Joe Blanton is on track to return next Mon or Tue. Mike Cameron will avoid surgery and could be back faster than originally expected.

Universal Soldiers
Josh Johnson [9 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 12 K, 117 pitches, Win]
Hanley Ramirez [1 for 4, HR, 2 R, RBI]
Jorge Cantu [1 for 3, 2 R, double]
Dan Uggla [2 for 5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB
Adam Dunn [3 for 5, double]
Josh Willingham [2 for 4, R, RBI]
Aramis Ramirez [1 for 4, R, 2 RBI, double]
Josh Hamilton [2 for 5, HR, 2 R, RBI]
Vladi Guerrero [2 for 4, R, 2 RBI]
Miguel Cabrera [3 for 5, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI]
Adam Lind [3 for 4, 2 R, RBI]
Vernon Wells [3 for 5, 2 R, 2 doubles]
Aaron Hill [1 for 4, 2 R, RBI]
Marco Scutaro [3 for 5, 4 R, RBI, double]
Dustin Pedroia [3 for 6, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, double]
Kevin Youkilis [3 for 4, 2 R, RBI]
Yovani Gallardo [6 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K, Win]
Prince Fielder [3 for 5, 3 R, RBI]
Ryan Braun [1 for 4, 3 R, SB]
Casey McGehee [1 for 5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI]
Andrew McCutchen [2 for 5, 2 RBI, double]
King Felix [7 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 7 K]
Ichiro Suzuki [2 for 5, 2 SB]
Billy Butler [2 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Albert Pujols [3 for 4, R, RBI]
Colby Rasmus [2 for 3, HR, R, RBI]
Dan Haren [8 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 10 K, Win]
Carlos Gonzalez [2 for 3, HR, R, 2 RBI, SB]
Ian Stewart [2 for 4, RBI, SB]
Justin Upton [1 for 3, R, RBI, SB]
Jonathan Sanchez [5 IP, ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 6 K, Win]
Pablo Sandoval [2 for 4, 2 R, double]
Shane Victorino [3 for 5, R, SB]
Jered Weaver [6 IP, ER, 7 H, BB, 7 K, Win]
Bobby Abreu [2 for 4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB]

Mercenaries: Soldiers for Hire
Cody Ross [2 for 3, 2 R, RBI, double]
Marlon Byrd [3 for 5, R, RBI, double]
Gaby Sanchez [1 for 2, 2 RBI]
Carlos Silva [7 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, K]
Austin Jackson [2 for 4, R]
Brandon Inge [3 for 5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, double]
Ryan Raburn [2 for 5, 3 RBI, 2 doubles]
Lyle Overbay [3 for 5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI]
Fred Lewis [2 for 6, 2 R, triple]
José Bautista [1 for 4, HR, R, 4 RBI]
Álex González [2 for 5, R, 2 RBI, triple]
Jason Varitek [3 for 5, 2 R, 4 RBI]
Alcides Escobar [2 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Kyle Davies [6 IP, H, 3 BB, 5 K, Win]
Troy Glaus [2 for 3, RBI]
Adam LaRoche [1 for 2, HR, R, 3 RBI]
Erick Aybar [2 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Brandon Wood [3 for 4, R]
Austin Kearns [3 for 4, HR, R, RBI, SB] no comments

Publishers Clearing House, the win-it-all sweepstakes for suckers. Bad budget allocation isn't just for old people, fantasy baseball managers too can make bad investments. They get suckered in by junk mail and we get suckered in by Batting Average leader boards. Either way, if you see Ed McMahon's or Ivan Rodriguez's face in your mail box, throw it in the trash. We'll take a look at some players with unsustainable BABIP numbers through the early going. Maybe we can get you to clear house of some players who are peaking in terms of trade value.

Austin Jackson league best .500 BABIP. Austin also leads the league in strike outs with 30 K in 79 AB. If there ever was a sell high candidate, it is a former Yankee prospect that is now a hot hitting lead off rookie who has wheels. Before the season started, I thought Jackson would hit .255. Maybe that was a little harsh, but we'll see. There is definitely going to be a big crash in his AVG and a dip in his counting stats.

Scott Podsednik .436 BABIP (career .321) Scotty is showing a better eye at the plate this season, his BB% is up and his K% is down. He is hitting a lot of ground balls and line drives which will help maximize his AVG. So Podsednik is doing a lot of the right things, but that .436 BABIP will come down. He's not as fast as he used to be, so even tho he is on pace to match his 60-70 steal days, the stolen bases will slow down when he isn't getting on base as much. Because of the improvements he's made in BB% & K% and the resurgence in his GB% & LD%, the best value you may get from Pods, is from letting him play for you. However, you never know what a Jacoby Ellsbury owner is thinking (those guys are crazy), so maybe you can Sell High on the well traveled Outfielder.

Cameron Maybin .404 BABIP (103 game career .368) Last season, in 176 AB, Maybin posted a .328 BABIP. Maybin doesn't take many walks (7.7%) and he strikes out a lot (33.3%) so he will be prone to streaks. It won't be long until the BABIP levels out and the the Ks look like a bigger issue. He is swinging at more pitches outside the zone this year (O-Swing% up 6.1% to 29.9%). However, Maybin is tied for 8th in the league with 15 Runs and is on pace to hit 9 HR and steal 27 bases. Now is the time to shop him around, before that .278 AVG falls with the rest of the counting stats.

Rickie Weeks .380 BABIP (career .304) Rickie has increased his BB% and GB% so his BABIP will likely be higher than the .304 career mark, but not to the tune of .380. Add in the fact that Rickie hasn't played 130 games in a season due to knee and wrist injuries and you have a nice Sell High candidate. Rickie does have the potential to make his owners a tidy profit if he stays healthy, but that is a pretty big IF. The season could end for Rickie at any moment and his current 37 Yahoo Rank is a nice selling point. You may not want to wait for the cold streak if you want to eventually move him.

Top 10 BABIP (min 40 PA)
.500 Austin Jackson (career .500 BABIP)
.474 Martin Prado (.347)
.442 Ivan Rodriguez (.323)
.436 Scott Podsednik (.321)
.433 Geovany Soto (.311)
.424 Franklin Gutierrez (.326)
.417 Chase Headley (.344)
.417 David Freese (40 games, .400)
.417 Chris Dickerson (146 games, .376)
.414 Ramon Santiago (.285)

Other Notable Names
.409 Jason Bay (career .328 BABIP)
.408 Evan Longoria (.318)
.404 Michael Bourn (.335)
.400 Ryan Zimmerman (.316)
.400 Ryan Theriot (.323)
.400 James Loney (.318)
.397 Joe Mauer (.345)
.396 Justin Morneau (.290)
.396 Johnny Damon (.308)
.395 Manny Ramirez (.339)
.390 Elvis Andrus (163 games, .313)
.389 Adam LaRoche (.314)
.388 Carlos Gonzalez (189 games, .332)
.387 Brad Hawpe (.342)
.386 Casey Blake (.306)
.382 Christian Guzman (.306)
.375 Matt Wieters (114 games, .360) no comments

All is fair in love and fantasy baseball. If you're new to the game, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've already lost. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a manager is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. Winning depends upon it. Arm yourselves and be ye men of valor; for we few, we happy few, we band of brothers shall embark upon a land of bullets, triple slashes and pulled hamstrings.

The 54% owned Paul Konerko hit is 8th HR, a solo shot. It is pretty amazing that a player can hit .277 with 28 HR and 88 RBI and go completely under the radar. Anyone who waited on 1B and took Konerko in the later rounds is happy with the results. I know 1B is a deep position, but we have UT and CI spots to fill, ride the hot bat. Kornerko has a HR in the past three games.

The 27% owned Austin Jackson went 2 for 4 with a double and his first HR, a solo shot. He raised his AVG to .316, but he struck out once, giving him a strike out in every game and 30 K in 79 AB. He is worth grabbing off the wire, but don't expect his AVG to keep pace. Still, you get a little pop to go with a speedy lead off hitter. Deep leaguers may want to shop him around before the AVG comes down to the .270 range.

Scott Rolen went 2 for 3 with a solo HR vs SD. He scored 3 Runs and drove in the one. The HR was his 5th. Rolen is a career .283 hitter who gets a boost from the friendly confines of his home ballpark. He is owned in 27% of Yahoo leagues and is a great option for deep leagues or managers who want to bench Aramis Ramirez for the time being.

Kelly Johnson is living it up in the lead off spot while Conor Jackson sits on the DL. He went 1 for 4 with a 2 run HR, his 7th of the season. His AVG sits at .322. Kelly has shown an improved BB% and his (.324) BABIP is in line with what it was in 2007/2008. Last season his BABIP was an absurd .247 and Martin Prado ended up stealing his playing time. Kelly is back and he should be owned in more than 53% of yahoo leagues. A .285/20/10 line shouldn't surprise anyone.

Jake Fox started at Catcher and went 2 for 4 with a Run and RBI. That is his 4th Game Started at Catcher so he only needs 1 more to gain eligibility. Deep leaguers take notice. The fly ball hitter is not going to give you much of a Batting AVG (think .255), but he does have some power. In 2008 Fox hit 31 HR between AA and AAA and in 2009, Fox hit 28 HR between AAA and the big leagues.

The 34% owned J.D. Drew is a pretty consistent player, you know you're going to get a .280 AVG with 20 or more HR, 80 Runs, 80 RBI. I can see people passing on the health risks associated with him in standard mixed leagues, but Drew isn't anything to laugh at in deeper formats or leagues that use OBP or OPS. It is true, Drew is swinging at a few more pitches outside the zone this year, but he is also the victim of a .194 BABIP (career .316). Drew went 2 for 4 with a Run and 2 RBI and is showing signs of breaking out of his early slump.

Seth Smith (2 for 3) hit 2 HR and finished with 4 RBI. He is stuck platooning vs RHP while the Rockies try to find ways to get AB for their 5 OF. Smith is hitting .231, but is the victim to an ugly BABIP (.185 entering Sunday). If given a full time gig in COL, Smith could hit .280/20/10. COL did call up Eric Young Jr, so if Barmes (1 for 2, 2 BB) continues to struggle (.204 AVG), EY2 could be stealing many bases. Young got into the game tonight, getting a pinch-hit single and stealing a base. Managers in need of MI speed better take notice.

Colby Lewis put up another interesting line [6.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 10 K], this time vs the Tigers. He has put up some impressive K numbers through 4 starts, he has struck out 28 batters in 23.2 Innings Pitched. The issue with Lewis is the walks, he had a 5.19 BB/9 coming into Sunday. Lewis doesn't generate many ground balls (0.86 GB/FB, 46.7% FB% coming into Sunday) so these walks will eventually pile up on his ERA in the form of HR. He has been lucky so far with the HR (4.8% HR/FB% coming into Sunday), but he pitches in Texas for half his starts so we should expect some gopheritis. Colby should post Dice-K-like numbers.

Gio Gonzalez pitched well [7 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K] vs CLE. He has a lot of potential, but he also has the potential to walk 6 batters. Think of him as a poor man's Clayton Kershaw. Good K potential, but a risk to WHIP. He is a spot starter in standard leagues.

The John Danks show overshadowed the Jason Vargas performance. Vargas had his 3rd straight strong outting [6.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K] and his overall line looks pretty good [1.04 WHIP, 3.60 ERA]. His K/9 and BB/9 are heading in the right direction and the Seattle defense does help, but his last three starts have come against struggling offenses; CHI, BAL, OAK. He was beat up @ TEX. Vargas may pitch better than he did last year, but he still appears to be more of a fringe/spot starter than a breakout star.

Daniel Bard struck out all three Orioles he faced today. He now sports a 0.77 WHIP and a 3.09 ERA. Bard won't get you any Saves with Papelbon in town, but he can still help your team. Other useful middle relievers who pitched well today: Arthus Rhodes, Tyler Clippard, Luke Gregerson, Darren Oliver, Jeremy Affeldt

Universal Soldiers

David Price [9 IP, 4 H, BB, 9 K, Win]
Brad Penny [7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 K, Win]
John Danks [8 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 5 K, Win]
Chad Billingsley [6 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K]
Randy Wells [7 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 6 K, Win]
Tommy Hanson [5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K]
Jorge de la Rosa [5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 6 K, Win]

Jay Bruce [3 for 4, R, RBI, 2 doubles]
Adrian Gonzalez [1 for 4, HR, 2 RBI]
Kevin Youkilis [3 for 5, 2 R, RBI, double]
Matt Wieters [1 for 2, 2 RBI, 8 game hit streak]
Miguel Tejada [2 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Evan Longoria [2 for 4, R, RBI]
Carl Crawford [1 for 3, R, 2 SB]
Carlos Pena [1 for 3, 2 R, RBI, double]
B.J. Upton [1 for 3, R, SB, double]
Michael Bourn [1 for 2, R, 3 BB, 3 SB]
Carlos Lee [2 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB]
Hunter Pence [2 for 4, 2 R, RBI]
Lance Berkman [1 for 4, solo HR]
Andrew McCutchen [3 for 5, SB]
Derek Lee [1 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI]
Geo Soto [2 for 4, HR, 2 R, RBI]
Jose Guillen [1 for 3, HR, R, 2 RBI]
Justin Morneau [2 for 4, HR, R, RBI, double]
Michael Young [3 for 5, R, 5 RBI, double]
Kendry Morales [3 for 3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI]
Bobby Abreu [2 for 4, HR, R, RBI]
Robinson Cano [1 for 3, HR, 2 R, RBI]
Mark Reynolds [3 for 4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI]
Jorge Posada [1 for 4, HR, R, 2 RBI]
Pablo Sandoval [3 for 4, double]
Albert Pujols [3 for 4, solo HR]
Colby Rasmus [2 for 4, R, SB, double]
Jose Reyes [1 for 3, R, SB] no comments

A few weeks into the season, let's take a look at some slow starters. I'm looking at hitters with the lowest BABIP. Most of these guys are good Buy Low targets, good luck finding a worried Mark Teixeira owner tho.

Mark Teixeira league worst .119 BABIP (career .306), K% up to 26.7% (career 20.2%), HR/FB% down to 11.1% (career 18.8%). It's pretty easy to say Teixeira is struggling out of the gate, but that is usually the case (career .239 AVG in April). Nothing is out of line (O-Swing%, Contact%) in terms of his plate discipline, he is actually swinging at less pitches outside of the zone, so I wouldn't worry about the K%. Try to get him.

Aramis Ramirez .128 BABIP (career .289), K% up to 34.9% (career 15.4%). ARam has some contact issues in the early going; his O-Contact% is down, his Z-Contact% is way down. Overall his Contact% is 69.4%, down from his 80.8% career Contact%. His Line-Drive% is an ugly 7.1%, last year it was 21.3%. Ramiriez is another slow starter (career .259 AVG in April), but the K% is worrisome. He hasn't posted a K% this high in a month ever. If you are in need of a 3B, I'd ask a Ramirez owner what he wants for him.

Carlos Quentin .156 BABIP (career .251). Carlos doesn't have a strong career BABIP, but it's still down 100 points this season. He wont hit for a pretty AVG, you shouldn't expect anything above .255, but that's not why we draft him. He seems to be having some Contact issues (LD%, Contact%, HR/FB%), but he is walking more, 12.7% BB5 (career 9.3%), and the power is still there (.207 ISO). If you can stomach a .250 AVG and need the power, ask around.

Carlos Lee .176 BABIP (career .289). Carlos is another slow starter (career .258 April hitter), especially this year. He doesn't have a HR yet and has only 3 RBI to go with his .143 AVG. Not good. His Line-Drive% is very low at 5.9% (career 20%) and his Fly Ball% is high at 56.9% (career 44.2%), so just by looking a the numbers, you'd think he has some mechanical issues. He isn't making it any easier on himself by swininging at moe outside pitches, 33.6% O-Swing% (career 23.2%) and walking less, 3.1% BB% (career 7.3%). It's hard to bet against the guy, the numbers are almost always there. I traded for him last year, after the All-Star break, and I was happy with the results. I'll likely look to do the same again.

Hunter Pence .180 BABIP (career .319). Hunter has always been a bit of a free swinger, but his 55.2% Swing% is a career high. He is swinging at everything (career high in O-Swing%, career low in BB%), but he is making more contact, a lot more contact. He has an incredible 75.8% O-Contact% (career 56.9%) and his Zone Contact% is 91.1% (career 85%). I don't expect Hunter to sustain these percentages, but he is usually a slow starter (career .250 AVG in April) and hitting is contagious (Berkman back, Lee turnaround coming) so Hunter could be a nice Buy Low target if you can find a worried manager.

Julio Borbon .190 BABIP (59 game career .317). Borbon isn't utilizing his legs like he was last year, he thinks he morphed in Mark Reynolds or something. His Fly Ball% is 44.7%, it was 27.1% last season. I wasn't expecting Borbon to repeat his .360 BABIP and projected a .280 AVG before the season started. He can't hit Lefties (3 for 42 vs LHP) so he may only play 130 games and was bumped down to the bottom of the batting order so keep all this in mind if you choose to ask about his services. He has quickly fallen from over hyped sleeper to Brett Gardner-lite. Still, he has the potential to hit .285 and steal 50 bases.

Jay Bruce .195 BABIP (career .256). Bruce always appears to be the unlucky with his BABIP; .296 in 2008, .221 in 2009 and .195 in 2010. His BABIP numbers were great in the minors, jumping around from .345 to .425, so it wouldn't surprise me to see him with a .325 BABIP and .275 AVG. He is walking more, BB% up 0.8% to 10.6%, swinging at outside pitches less (O-Swing% down 1% to 25%) and has improved his Line Drive% from last year. He has even shown signs of turning it around recently, going 5 for 17 with 3 HR in his last 5 games. Bruce was someone I looked for in drafts because of the large profits to be made, I'm still on board.

League's 10 Worst BABIP (min 40 PA)

.119 Mark Teixeira
.128 Aramis Ramirez
.129 Brandon Wood
.135 Travis Snider
.138 Jeff Clement
.156 Carlos Quentin
.162 Dioner Navarro
.163 Melky Cabrera
.163 Chris Coghlan
.167 Jhonny Peralta no comments

KC 4 TOR 3

Zack Greinke threw a gem [7 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 8 K], but the bullpen blew the Save so he settled for the no-decision. Shaun Marcum looked pretty good too [7 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, 6 K]. Marcum doesn't have a W yet (neither does Greinke), but he is sporting a 1.00 WHIP and 4.00 ERA with 23 Ks in 27 IP, he should be owned in more than 45% of Yahoo leagues. Jose Guillen (2 for 4, 3 RBI) hit his 6th HR, Alex Gordon (1 for 4) hit his 1st HR, the game winner off Scott Downs in the Tenth. Billy Butler went 2 for 4 with a Run. Scotty Pods (1 for 3, R) was caught stealing, so was Jason Kendall? TOR only managed 4 hits, one of them was an Álex González two Run HR. Fred Lewis (1 for 3, R) stole his 2nd base of the season. Aaron Hill comes off the DL on Friday. Jason Kendall (.352) reached on a bunt, he has a 14 game hit streak.

SF 2 SD 5

It took four games, two at Petco, for Garland to have a good game [7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, K] and get his first Win. Toad Wellemeyer is still looking for his first. Pablo Sandoval (1 for 3) hit his 3rd HR, a solo shot. Mark DeRosa went 2 for 4. Everth Cabrera didn't get a hit (0 for 3), but he walked in a run and hit a Sac Fly for 2 RBI. Adrian Gonzalez (2 for 4) hit a solo HR, his 3rd. Chase Headley (.368) went 2 for 4, Will Venable also went 2 for 4, with a Run and 2 SB. Nick Hundley went 1 for 4 with a 2 Run HR.

MIL 8 PIT 0

Yovani Gallardo sunk the Pirates [5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 10 K]. He struck out 9 of the first 11 batters, shut-out the Pirates for 5 Innings and I didn't get a Quality Start? Grrrrr. Zack Duke was forced to walk the plank [5 IP, 6 ER]. PIT managed four hits, McCutchen didn't get any, but he stole 2 bases after walking. He has 9 SB on the year now. MIL got Home Runs from Rickie Weeks (1 for 4, R, 2 RBI), Ryan Braun (3 for 4, R, RBI, SB) and Jody Gerut (pinch-hit 2 Run HR). Prince Fielder (.226) knocked in his 4th RBI of the year, he still doesn't have a HR. Speedsters Carlos Gomez (1 for 4, 2 R) stole his 4th base and Alcides Escobar went 2 for 5 with 2 Runs. Braun has a 9 game hit streak, McGehee is at 10. Fielder has tied his career worst for most AB without a HR to start a season.

COL 4 WAS 6

Jason Hammel had a decent line [7 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, BB, 6 K], but Rafael Betancourt took the loss. That'll teach Fanhouse to not deal me Rafael for Morales. John Lannan pretty much sucked [6 IP, 4 ER, 11 H, BB, 2 K], but Tyler Clippard (3-0) got another Win and Matt Capps Saved his 7th game. Capps' WHIP is still at 1.68 tho, sell high!!! WAS got 2 hits from Morgan (Run), Zimmerman (Run), Dunn (R, 2 RBI), Willingham (2 R, RBI, SB) and Nieve (RBI) who filled in for a resting Pudge (who did enter the game to pinch-Sac Fly). Carlos Gonzalez (.383) went 4 for 5 with a Run, RBI and SB. Tulowitzki went 2 for 5 with a RBI, Hawpe (2 for 4) hit a solo HR. Ryan Zimmerman left in the 7th after appearing to hurt his hammy. Strasburg threw 5 shut-out innings in Double-A.

PHI 2 ATL 0

Roy Halladay threw a Complete Game Shut-Out [5 H, BB, 7 K, 113 Pitches]. He is good, the Cy Young debate will be great. Tim Hudson faired well too [6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K], but he pulled an unlucky matchup here. Chipper Jones went 2 for 4, everone else combined to go 3 for 27. Jayson Werth (2 for 4, R) and Raul Ibanez (1 for 3) each hit a RBI double. Ryan Howard went 1 for 3 with a Run, he struck out once. Halladay says his Changeup has improved and “It’s worked out better than I could have thought so far.” Polanco was beaned in the elbow, x-rays were negative, sounds like he is day-to-day.

LAD 14 CIN 6

Hiroki Kuroda wasn't at his best [5.2 IP, 6 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K], but his defense (and umps) didn't help and it was enough to get the W. Aaron Harang was hung out to dry [5.2 IP, 6 ER, 10 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 118 pitches], his numbers aren't pretty (1.62 WHIP, 8.31 ERA). Who drafts Reds pitchers anyway? Dickerson (0 for 3) started in CF, Stubbs (0 for 1, BB) came in later. Votto Loco (.321) went 2 for 4 with his 3rd HR, he had 2 RBI. Scott Rolen (.300) hit his 4th HR, he went 2 for 4 with 2 Runs. The Dodgers went to town (18 hits), they got 3 hits from Furcal (3 R, 4 RBI, SB), Ethier (2 R, 2 RBI, HR), Manny (2 RBI) and Loney (R, 2 RBI). Matt Kemp (1 for 3) hit his 7th HR, he had 4 Runs and 2 RBI. Russell Martin went 2 for 5 with 2 Runs. Kemp has a 10 game hit streak. Ronald Belisario was activated from the restricted list, he pitched a perfect inning. Drew Stubbs is hitless in his last 19 AB.

TEX 7 BOS 8

Not a good game for SP, Beckett [7 IP, 7 ER, 7 H, 5 BB, 4 K] Harrison [4 IP, 6 ER]. Okajima got the W for BOS as the TEX bullpen (Nippert) blew another one, this one in overtime. Neftali Feliz was spectacular tho (2 IP, 0 H/BB, 3 K). TEX kept running on BOS, Skinny Elvis (0 for 3, 2 BB, R) stole 1 base and Julio Borbon (3 for 5, 2 R, RBI) stole 2 bases. Josh Hamilton did most of the damage, he went 3 for 4 with a HR, 2 Runs and 4 RBI. BOS got Home Runs from J.D. Drew (1 for 4, 4 RBI), Mike Lowell (DH, 2 for 4, 2 RBI) and Darnell McDonald (1 for 3, 2 R). Youkilis (R, RBI, game winning double) and Scutaro (2 R) each went 2 for 6. Nelson Cruz left the game with fatigue in his hammy. Ortiz was benched, Francona has VMart and Lowell to use at DH, Papi doesn't have much room for error. Dice-K looked good in his final rehab start [5.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, O BB, 8 K]

CHI 9 NYM 3

Carlos Silva put up another great line [6 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K]. Oliver Perez allowed a bunch of base runners [5 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, 4 K], he's good at that. Chone F... I mean David Wright (1 for 2, RBI) stole his 6th base. Rod Barajas (1 for 4) hit a solo HR off Silva. Alfonso Soriano (3 for 4, 2 R, 3 RBI) hit his 2nd HR. Marlon Byrd (.281) had a good game, going 2 for 3 with 2 Runs and 2 RBI. Theriot went 3 for 5 with 2 Runs and a RBI, Soto went 2 for 2 with a Run and RBI, Tyler Colvin started in place of Fukudome and went 2 for 5 with a Run. Lou Piniella gathered his team together for a quick pep talk Wednesday, urging his players to relax and have fun. The same day Carlos Zambrano was demoted to the bullpen. ARam will rest on Thursday.

FLA 4 HOU 5

Josh Johnson pitched well [6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K], but the bullpen (Badenhop) blew it. Bud Norris was cruising [5 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K], but was pulled after 86 pitches (49 strikes). He didn't allow a hit til the start of the 5th. Matt Lindstrom (1.14 WHIP, 3.86 ERA) locked up his 4th Save, allowing just a hit in an innings work. Cameron Maybin (.302) went 1 for 4 with a triple, Run and RBI, he's up to 15 Runs now. Uggla (.339) went 2 for 3 with a Run, Gaby Sanchez (.277) went 1 for 3 with a Run and RBI. Michael Bourn went 1 for 3 with 2 Runs and a SB, his 4th. For some reason, Lance Berkman was caught stealing 3rd, he went 0 for 4 with a RBI. Carlos Lee went 2 for 3 and knocked in his first RBI. Carlos was caught stealing too. Humberto Quintero went 2 for 3 with a solo HR off Johnson. Jorge Cantu (1 for 4) extended his hit streak to 19 games.

CLE 0 MIN 6

Francisco Liriano is the man! Hopefully you drafted him, the price to acquire him is probably sky high. Liriano threw 8 shut-out Innings [6 H, 2 BB, 6 K] and David Huff couldn't keep up [6 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 6 BB, K]. No CLE player managed more than a hit. Cuddyer (2 for 4, 3 RBI) hit his 3rd HR, Span went 1 for 2 with 2 RBI and that's all the offense the Twinkies needed.

TB 12 CHI 0

Wade Davis looked great [6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K], he's only 15% owned, which is pretty crazy. I'm sure he's owned in all of my leagues, I started him for the first time today. I'm happy. Mark Buehrle was hit hard [4.2 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, BB, 4 K]. Sergio Santos is starting to be of interest to me. The converted shortstop is looking great so far [0.50 WHIP, 0.00 ERA, 83% GB%!, strike outs galore], here is a little background info on him. Juan Pierre was 2 for 4, but was caught stealing. The rest of the team went 2 for 26. Bartlett (2 R, RBI) went 3 for 5, Longoria (2 R, RBI) went 3 for 5, Upton (R, 2 RBI) went 2 for 3, Burrell (0 for 2) pushed in 2 runs and Sean Rodriguez (2b, CF) exploded, going 3 for 5 with 2 Runs, 4 RBI, hitting his 1st HR. Maddon said, "... his ability’s going to translate in the big leagues. Once he gains his confidence here, he’s going to play like what you saw in spring training.” Carlos Quentin is hitless in his last 20 AB.

STL 9 ARI 4

Chris Carpenter had a great game [7 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 10 K] and Edwin Jackson tried to keep up [8 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 4 K], eventually Jason Motte got the W. Chad Qualls sucks!!! Colby Rasmus (3 for 4, 3 R, 3 RBI) went yard twice, once off Qualls. Skip Schumaker-Levy 9 hit a HR that crashed into Jupiter, he went 2 for 5 with 2 Runs, 3 RBI and the HR. Yadier Molina went 3 for 5. Pujols looked pedestrian, going 0 for 5, lowering his AVG to .295. ARI had 7 hits, no one with more than one. Kelly Johnson, Tony Abreu and Stephen Drew had RBI. Qualls was booed by the crowd of 19,165 and I need to find a way to purge this guy from two of my teams. I'm thinking of buying a six-pack and offering trade-after-trade until he's gone. Mark Reynolds got the day off (sore quadriceps) before the team plays 20 games in 20 days. ARI called up prospect Cole Gillespie.

NYY 3 OAK 1

Phil Hughes did what Vazquez was supposed to do last night, shut down the miserable OAK offense. Hughes had a sexy line [7 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, 10 K] and Ben Sheets wasn't too shabby himself [6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K]. Mariano Rivera was Mariano Rivera, closing the door for his 6th Save, allowing just a hit. Nick Johnson went 0 for 3 with 2 walks, Teixeira (.115) went 0 for 4, ARod went 2 for 4 with a triple and a Run, Robinson Cano (R, RBI, SB) went 2 for 4. OAK managed 3 hits, what a pathetic lineup. Billy Beane needs to write a new book called I.O.U. Ball, "That's as good as money, sir. Those are I.O.U.'s. Go ahead and add it up, every cent's accounted for. Look, see this? That's a MLB player contract. 275 thou. Might wanna hang onto that one." Hughes actually had a no-hitter going into the 8th inning, when Eric Chavez got a hit off Hughes, literally... off his arm and chest. Moo Moo Evans, a Harlem Globetrotter, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

DET 4 ANA 3

Jeremy Bonderman actually did a decent job [6 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K] keeping up with Jered Weaver [7 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 K], but neither got the Win. Brian Fuentes blew a Save and took the Loss... uh oh, we have closer issues in Anaheim. Valverde locked it down for the Bayside Tigers, throwing a clean Ninth. My boy Erick Aybar went 1 for 3 with a BB, R and SB, his 2nd of the year. Torii Hunter (1 for 4) stole his 2nd base too. Kendry Morales (1 for 4) provided the fireworks with a 2 Run HR. Mike Napoli was back in the lineup and went 0 for 3. Miguel Cabrera took Fuentes deep in the Ninth, he finished with a 2 for 4, 2 R, RBI line. Carlos Guillen went 1 for 3 with a SB, he was caught stealing too. Ramon Santiago went 2 for 3 with a RBi and Don Kelly (1 for 3) filled in for Inge and hit his first HR, a solo shot. You may want to sell high on Austin Jackson, he's struck out 3 times in each of the past two games and has a K in every game so far.

BAL 1 SEA 4

King Felix made the BAL lineup look like court jesters [9 IP, 9 H, 6 K]. He didn't allow a Walk or Earned Run in the Complete Game. Kevin Millwood lasted 8 Innings, giving up 4 ER, 6 H, 3 BB and struck out 4. He is sporting a 1.24 WHIP and 3.38 ERA, pitching @ TB, vs TOR, @ OAK and @ SEA. Pretty soft schedule so far, don't go crazy. Kotchman (2 for 4, R) and Rob Johnson (2 for 3, R, RBI, SB) were the only Mariners to get more than 1 hit. Jack Wilson went 1 for 3 with a 3 Run double. Wieters (1 for 4, RBI) pushed across the only BAL run, Markakis went 3 for 4 with a Run, Atkins went 2 for 4. Lou Montanez led off and went 2 for 4. King Felix is 9-0 in his last 9 decisions and has 17 straight Quality Starts. no comments

MIL 8 PIT 1

Dave Bush pitched well again [7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K], that makes 3 in a row vs divisional opponents. He seems to have an every other year type thing going on. Last year he had a BABIP 30 points above his career norm [.324 vs .291] so he was a little unlucky. Charlie Morton was destroyed [5 ER, 1 IP] on the other side. Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 4 with a Run, the rest of the Pirates managed 3 hits. Rickie Weeks (.333) went 2 for 3 with a Run and 2 RBI. Ryan Braun (1 for 3, R, SB), Casey McGehee (1 for 3) and Corey Hart (1 for 5, HR) each knocked in 2 RBI too. Alcides Escobar went 2 for 3 with 2 Runs. Delwyn Young started at 3rd (LaRoche back spasms, Crosby shoulder stiffness), won't be too much longer til the Pedro Alvarez hype explodes.

COL 10 WAS 4

Jorge de la Rosa gave up 4 ER, 7 Hits, 4 Walks in 5 IP and still got the Win b/c Scott Olsen was pitching (kind of) for Washington. Olsen was beat up for 6 ER, recording only 6 Outs. Should we be freezing Ivan Rodriguez's head after he dies? He went 2 for 5 and is hitting .444 now. That's his 5th straight multi-hit game. Christian Guzman got the start at 2B, he went 4 for 5 with a Run and a RBI. Zimmerman went 3 for 5 with a Home Run and 2 RBI. Maxwell started in RF, he went 2 for 5 with a Run. Ian Desmond went 1 for 3 with a Run and a RBI. Every Rockie, minus Olivo, had a hit and every Rockie, including Olivo, scored a Run. Even de la Rosa had 2 hits and 3 RBI. Spilborghs and Tulo hit a HR. Jorge now has 18 Wins since June 1st, most in the majors. Apolo Anton Ohno presented the Nationals lineup card to the umps, how special.

KC 3 TOR 4

Dana Eveland vs Kyle Davies... wake me up when it's over.... Kevin Gregg closed the door for his 4th Save, he has a tidy 0.63 WHIP and 1.42 ERA. Vernon Wells (3 for 4, 2 Runs) hit his 7th HR, a solo shot. Toronto needs a leadoff hitter, this Fred Lewis (.154) and Jose Bautista (.222) stuff is just sad. Bloomquist (Run) had 3 hits, Callaspo (2 for 3) scored a Run and knocked in another, Kendall (RBI) went 2 for 4, so did Betancourt. Vernon Wells is tied with Nelson Cruz for the major league lead in HR. Podsednik rejoined the team, but he arrived too late to start.

LAD 9 CIN 11

Homer Bailey got rocked [5.1 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 5 K] and Billingsley did too [3 IP, 7 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 2 K], tho his defense didn't help matters. Homer Bailey said, “I’m not very big on personal stats”. Francisco Cordero pitched a clean Ninth for his 5th Save. Joey Votto (2 for 3, R, 3 RBI, CS) and Brandon Phillips (1 for 4) each hit a HR. Scott Rolen made his way back into the lineup and went 3 for 4 with 2 Runs. Jay Bruce went 1 for 3 with 2 Runs and a RBI. Stubbs got the start at CF and went 0 for 5 with a SB (his 4th) and a Run. Jonny Gomes (1 for 3) scored a Run and knocked in 2 RBI. Furcal (2 R, RBI, 2 SB), Kemp (HR, 3 RBI), Blake (Run, 4 RBI), DeWitt (RBI), Martin (Run) each had 2 hits. The news of the day was the EdiNson Volquez 50-game PED suspension. The suspension will be over tho by the time he's recovered from surgery, lame. Pete Rose was in the stands.

CHI 0 NYM 4

Look at Mike Pelfrey go! After a tidy [7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K] line he now has a 3-0 record with a 1.00 WHIP and a 0.86 ERA. He hasn't allowed a HR yet and has been pretty good at preventing them in the past. It looks like he is using his Fastball a little less and added a Split Finger Fastball, tho he isn't using it much (1.9% entering today's game) and it's not a great pitch (0.5 Runs Above Avg). Carlos Zambrano didn't look too shabby either [6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 9 K], I wonder if he gave up on that pitch to contact stuff he was talking about. Ferando Tatis hit a 2 Run pinch-hit HR and Jose Reyes went 4 for 5 with 2 RBI and a SB. Dr Jekyll and Mr Francoeur went 0 for 4, that is 4 straight 0 for games for him after 10 straight games with a hit. Talk about streaking, I'd hate to see his underwear. The Cubs had 3 hits (Fonzy, Fonty and Hill). Pelfrey has a scoreless streak of 19 innings now. Ted Lilly will likely pitch this Sat against MIL.

PHI 3 ATL 4

Kyle Kendrick was huge for Philly [8 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K], but Ryan Madson blew the Save and Atlanta won in overtime. Tommy Hanson wasn't very efficient (102 pitches, 66 strikes) and was yanked after 4.2 IP. He allowed 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB and struck out 4. Billy Wagner (1 IP, 0 H/BB, 1 K) got the W in the 10th Inning. Polanco (.397) went 2 for 5 with a Run, Utley (.347) went 2 for 5 with a Run and 2 RBI, Ryan Howard (.300) went 1 for 5 with a RBI and 2 K. Martin Prado (.431) went 2 for 4, McLouth (1 for 3), Heyward (1 for 4) and Glaus (1 for 4, 2 RBI) each hit a HR. Heyward's tied it up, McLouth's was the game winner.

TEX 6 BOS 7

Tim Wakefield was awful on the mound [6 IP, 6 ER] and couldn't hold anyone on base. I think I counted 9 stolen bases on him and VMart, good lord. Colby Lewis wasn't too shabby on the other side [5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K], but the bullpen (D.Oliver) blew the Win for him and eventually Francisco was credited with the Loss. The Feliz/Francisco situation just got more interesting. Michael Young and Nelson Cruz each went 2 for 5 with a RBI, Cruz scored a Run too. Of those previously mentioned 9 SB; Elvis had 3, Vladi had 2, Cruz had 3 and Borbon stole had 1. VMart had a tough day defensively, but went 3 for 4 at the plate with a Run and a RBI. Youkilis went 2 for 4 with a Run. Hermida went 2 or 3 with a solo HR, he scored twice. Big Papi went 0 for 3 with 2 K, he was replaced by Lowell who walked twice. Josh Reddick (1 for 3, 2 RBI) started in CF, Darnell McDonald filled in later and provided the heroics (2 for 2, HR, 3 RBI). Ellsbury and Cameron hit the 15 day DL.

FLA 5 HOU 7

Chris Volstad [6 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, K] and Brett Myers [7 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 2 K] pitched well, but neither got the W. Lindstrom gave up a run, but he got his 3rd Save. Michael Bourn didn't get a hit, but walked twice and stole two bases. Berkman got his first start of the season (even tho his knee is still swollen) and went 1 for 4 with 2 RBI. That is two more RBI than Carlos Lee (1 for 4, R) has on the season. Pence went 2 for 3 with 2 Runs. Jorge Cantu hit his 4th HR, he went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, his hit streak is alive at 18 games. Coghlan (Run, RBI), Baker (Run) and Helms (Run, RBI) each went 2 for 4.

CLE 1 MIN 5

Kevin Slowey was most excellent tonight [8 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 9 K]. I hope no one started Masterson, he was predictably abused [4 IP, 5 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 5 BB, 6 K]. Travis Hafner provided the Indians only run with a solo HR off Slowey, Asdrubal Cabrera went 2 for 4, Branyan (1 for 3) was activated for the game. Span went 1 for 3 with a Run, Morneau went 2 for 3 with a Run and RBI, dunno why Delmon was in the lineup, but he went 1 for 4 with a Run. Mauer (.347) was 0 for 4.

TB 1 CHI 4

John Danks [8 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K] outpitched David Price [5 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K] and Booby Jenks closed the door for his 3rd Save. Crawford provided the only spark for the Tampa, he went 3 for 4 with a solo HR. The rest of the team went without a hit (0 for 25, 10 Ks). Paul Konerko (.261) hit his 5th HR, off Dan Wheeler, he went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI. Andruw Jones hit his 4th HR, he went 2 for 4 with the solo shot. Pierzynski and Rios had the White Sox other two hits. MLB reversed it's ban and ended hoodie-gate.

ARI 7 STL 9

Kyle Lohse was abused [3 IP, 7 ER], so was Haren [6 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 8 K], but he got the Win. Chad Qualls actually got the Save. Qualls and Gutierrez combined to throw 3 Innings without giving up a hit or walk. Ryan Ludwick (3 for 4, 2 R, 3 RBI) launched 2 HR, Pujols (1 for 3) hit a solo HR, Rasmus (1 for 3, BB) stole his 2nd base. Both Ludwick and Rasmus were caught stealing. Brendan Ryan went 1 for 4 with a Run and 2 RBI. Mark Reynolds went 1 for 2 with 2 Runs, 3 RBI, 3 BB, a SB and his 5th HR. Kelly Johnson led off, he went 3 for 6 with a Run. Justin Upton didn't get a hit (0 for 3), but he took a walk, scored a Run, knocked in a Run and stole his 3rd base. Gerardo Parra filled in for CoJacks (DL), he went 2 for 5 with 2 Runs and 2 RBI. Dan Haren had a rough day on the mound, but he went 4 for 4 with a RBI.

DET 5 LAA 6

Scott Kazmir looked pretty good [5.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 7 K] tonight, no walks from Kaz is nice to see. Rick Porcello had a rough go [4.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 K], he beaned Juan Rivera and uncorked 2 wild pitches. Fernando Rodney actually gave up a hit tonight, but he locked down his 5th Save without a problem. Bobby Abreu (.220) went 1 for 3 with a walk, a Run and a SB, his 2nd. Hideki Matsui (1 for 4) doubled in 2 runs. Kendry Morales went 3 for 4 with 2 Runs. Howie Kendrick (1 for 3) knocked in 3 RBI. Napoli (1 for 4) got the start, Mathis has a broken wrist and will be out 6-8 weeks. Austin Jackson (1 for 4, BB) scored a Run and stole his 3rd base. Miguel Cabrera (.364) went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI. Brandon Inge (1 for 5) brought in 2 RBI with a double. Carlos Guillen went 2 for 4 with a Run. Francisco Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Brian Fuentes, Rodney's run is over for now.

SF 0 SD 1

Jonathan Sanchez threw a 1-hitter thru 7 Innings, striking out 10 and got the Loss. Ouch! He gave up 3 walks and 1 Earned Run. His offense didn't do jack, b/c Mat Latos was busy shutting them down [7 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K]. Mike Adams and Heath Bell (Save, 4) helped shut-out the Giants. What a great pitching duel. Sandoval had 2 of the Giants 6 hits. Chase Headley had the only Padres hit, he walked in another at bat and stole 3 bases. Scott Hairston drove in the only run with a Sac Fly. I wish I could have watched this game rather than watching the new Misha Barton movie, which was a lame Kathy Bates rip-off. Phillip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers were in attendance.

NYY 7 OAK 3

Javier Vazquez threw a lot of strikes (107 pitches, 72 strikes), but he seemed to struggle [5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 6 K] vs the lowly Oakland lineup. This guy is looking like a huge let down, even with deflation already factored in, what a bum. Gio Gonzalez did his usual thing, walk eveyone [4.1 IP, 5 ER, 5 BB, 5 K]. The Ryan Sweeney hit streak is over. Kurt Suzuki went 2 for 4 with a Home Run and 2 RBI. Travis Buck (1 for 3) hit a solo shot. ARod (1 for 3, 2 R) hit a 3 Run HR, Posada (1 for 5) and Swisher (1 for 4) each drove in 2 runs. Nick Johnson didn't get a hit, but reached base 2 of 5 times via the base on balls, he scored twice. Brett Gardner (0 for 3, K) got the start vs the Left Handed Gonzalez. Daric Barton's MRI showed no structural damage. For some reason, Ronny Turiaf threw out the first pitch.

BAL 1 SEA 3

Jason Vargas looked good [7 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K], he's now had back-to-back quality starts, but that's against a couple poor offenses. David Hernandez was OK for BAL [6.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K], but he fell to 0-3 on the year. Aardsma locked up his 6th Save, he has yet to allow an Earned Run. Ichiro went 2 for 4 with a Run and a SB, his 4th. Chone (.204) continued his slide, going 0 for 3. Gutierrez is still hitting, going 1 for 3 with a RBI. Griffey Jr went 2 for 3. Adam Moore played Catcher and went 1 for 3 with a Run. Matt Wieters had 2 for Baltimore's 4 hits. Reimold (1 for 4) drove in their only run with a double. Wiggington (.297) was 1 for 3 with a Run. Seattle may get Cliff Lee back on the 30th after MLB dropped his 5 game suspension. Tejada could return Wednesday. no comments

Anyone have the cojones to start Justin Masterson vs the Twinkies? It's no secret, Masterson has trouble with Left Handed Batters.

Career 105.2 IP, 1.76 WHIP, 4.88 xFIP (123 H, 63 BB, 12 HR, 79 K)

2010 2.2 IP, 3.00 WHIP, 5.69 xFIP (7 H, 1 BB, 0 HR, 0 K)
2009 63.0 IP, 1.87 WHIP, 4.70 xFIP (81 H, 37 BB, 6 HR, 51 K)
2008 40.0 IP, 1.50 WHIP, 5.11 xFIP (35 H, 25 BB, 6 HR, 28 K)

Twins lineup vs Masterson

Denard Span 1 for 2, 4 BB, SB
Orlando Hudson 2 for 3
Joe Mauer 3 for 5, BB
Justin Morneau 1 for 6, RBI
Michael Cuddyer 1 for 6, DBL, RBI
Jason Kubel 2 for 3, RBI, 3 BB
Jim Thome 1 for 3, DBL
JJ Hardy
Nick Punto 1 for 2, DBL, RBI, BB

Span, Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, Thome are LHB and Hudson, Punto are Switch Hitters. I have Masterson on at least three teams. I wouldn't dare start him in a Roto league and since it's early in the week, I'm benching him in H2H leagues too. On Tuesday, he will be known as Justin Apprenticeson. no comments