Kuzul

The baseball world should be focusing on the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr., one of the best players of his generation.

Instead, all people can talk about is the “the call,” costing Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Let’s take a look at that story and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

Hitters:

• Raul Ibanez (0-3) –  What is going on here?  He hasn’t hit a home run since 5/14 and has just 3 on the season.  He’s had just three RBI since then, going 13-54 in the process.  Despite the struggles, I still wouldn’t give up hope quite yet.  He’s not going to be the player he was in the early part of 2009, but he’s clearly better then this.
• Robinson Cano (3-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R) –  For all the talk about the average (.373), HR (12) and RBI (42), it’s the runs that may be his most impressive statistic.  He’s up to 40 R, having scored 9 over his six games.  Overall he’s on a 16-game hitting streak, with 8 straight multi-hit games.  It’s been an amazing year, to say the least.
• Carl Crawford (2-5, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 R) –  He had the big blow in the ninth inning as the Blue Jays saw a 2-1 lead evaporate.  Shaun Marcum had pitched well, but they likely pushed him too far (8.1 IP, 4 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 2 K).  Over his last four games, Crawford has gone 7-18 with 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R and 2 SB.
• Torii Hunter (3-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) –  He had been mired in a slump, going 4-26 with 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R and 0 SB.  You knew he was going to bust out, sooner or later, though.  He’s the type of player that unless you are in a shallower format, you have to ride out the bad so you don’t miss nights like this.
• Adrian Gonzalez (4-6, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R) –  The majority of the damage came on his walkoff grand slam in the eleventh inning.  Could you imagine how good he could be if he played in a better offense in a better hitter’s park?  He’s hitting .276 with 10 HR, 32 RBI and 29 R on the year.
• Paul Konerko (3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R) –  Let the rumors of him to the Angels continue.  You knew Konerko couldn’t maintain his early season pace, but you also knew that he’d get things going again.  He’s now hitting .276 with 16 HR and 39 RBI on the year.  Considering where he was drafted, no one is going to complain with those numbers.

Pitchers:

• Armando Galarraga (9.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K) –  It took him just 88 pitches in what should have been the third perfect game the year.  After Austin Jackson made the remarkable catch to open the inning, the umpire simply missed the call on the final out of the game.  There’s nothing else that you could possibly say about it.  It’s too bad he lost that moment, but don’t get too caught up in it.  He’s a low-end option, at best, in fantasy formats.
• Edwin Jackson (9.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K) –  A tough no decision, but fantasy owners clearly have to like the results.  He still hasn’t settled in enough to justify using him, but he’s showing signs.  Unfortunately, allowing 5 ER or more four times in his last eight starts makes it rather tough to trust him.  He should prove usable at some point, so if you have the room on your bench, just sit tight and wait for it.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka (6.2 IP, 3 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 7 K, W) –  At least he didn’t walk anyone, right?  It wasn’t the prettiest outing, but compared to some of his recent outings (i.e. 7 ER over 4.2 IP) it’s a breath of fresh air.  He’s usable depending on the matchup and with the Indians up next, he’s worth the gamble.
• Cliff Lee (8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K) –  The question now is where will he end up?  He’s allowed two earned runs or less in four of his last five starts (he had one bad start against the Padres, allowing 7 ER over 6.1 innings) and clearly is back to pitching like one of the best in the league.  There’s little doubt he gets dealt again, so watch closely.
• Yovani Gallardo (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 4 K, W) –  Too bad the majority of leagues don’t give you a bonus when a pitcher hits a home run, huh?  Forget about Gallardo’s second long ball of the year, he’s now 6-2 with a 2.64 ERA on the year.  The control is an issue, though.  This is the fifth time in his last six starts that he’s walked three or more and his BB/9 for the year is at 4.4.  That makes it impossible to post one of the elite WHIPs in the game.  His ability to get a strikeout offsets it (9.2), but if he could ever find his control he could be a Top 5 option.  As it is, he’s a Top 15 guy, so it’s not like he’s a must-sell by any stretch of the imagination.
• John Axford (1.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K, SV) –  Trevor Hoffman continues to struggle, so who knows when (or if) he will retake the closer’s job.  If you need saves, Axford is worth using for now.
• Wandy Rodriguez (5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 8 K, W) –  You knew he had to improve, but you also don’t like to see it taking him 115 pitches to get through five.  Still, with a .357 BABIP and 63.2% strand rate, there should be some better days ahead.
• Chris Carpenter (8.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K, W) –  Another ho-hum performance from Carpenter.  I mean, what else would you expect from him?  He’s now 7-1 with a 2.76 ERA on the year.
• Jeff Francis (5.2 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K) –  Francis returned with a bang (1 ER over 13.1 IP), but he has now struggled in his last two starts.  He wasn’t a tremendous option (never posted an ERA below 4.00) before missing a full season, so you need to keep your expectations in check.  He’s worth using when the matchup is right.  His next start comes against the Astros so, depending on your other options, he’s worth rolling the dice with there.

What are your thoughts from yesterday’s games?  Which ones caught your eye? And which ones did I miss?

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