David Ortiz had a big night. Max Scherzer and Mark Buerhle continue to struggle. Is Nate McLouth showing signs of life? Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:
Hitters:
Andrew McCutchen (5-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB) – Quite a day, huh? Along with Garrett Jones (5-6, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R), he helped to carry the Pirates to a victory. McCutchen had gone 0-9 over his last three games and hadn’t stolen a base since April 25. We all know he can run and is actually among the league leaders despite the recent drought. Do you really need to be told that he’s a must-use option in all formats? I sure hope you can figure that one out on your own.
Gaby Sanchez (2-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R) – He’s on a four-game hitting streak, going 7-17 with two HR, two RBI and four R over the stretch. He can hit, though he isn’t the biggest power source (17 HR in 478 Double-A AB back in ‘08), especially from a deep 1B position. Still, while he’s hot, he can be used on a short-term basis in all formats.
Travis Snider (2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) – I could spend an entire article on just this game, considering it was 16-10, but I’ll focus on Snider. He’s homered in back-to-back games, going 4-8 with two HR, six RBI and three R. He’s always had big-time potential, so seeing this success has got to make fantasy owners happy. In five-outfielder formats, he definitely should be owned and can be slipped into your line-up while he’s hot.
David Ortiz (2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R) – Is he starting to turn the corner? He’s on a six-game hitting streak, going 9-22 with three HR, nine RBI and four R. No, he’s not the player that he once was, but he’s also better then his early-season struggles.
Chone Figgins (1-5) – His last multi-hit game came on April 28. He hasn’t scored a run since May 2. I know the Mariners offense is poor, but this is almost unbelievable. The Mariners thought they would have a dynamic duo at the top, pairing Figgins with Ichiro, but that hasn’t come close. You knew there was going to be a regression from his 114 R last season, but this is extreme (14 to date). Unfortunately, with no real punch in the middle of the lineup, it may not get all that much better. If you can get him for pennies on the dollar, I wouldn’t hesitate, but don’t consider buying for anything close to his 2009 value.
Joe Mauer (3-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) – Yeah, he’s good. We all know that. However, at this point, does anyone expect him to come close to last season’s 20.4 percent HR/FB (which led to 28 HR)? Seems like a long ways off, doesn’t it?
Nate McLouth (1-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R) – Could this big hit finally get him on track? He’s worth owning in all formats, given his previous success, to find out.
Matt Kemp (2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB) – Finally, right? We all knew he had to get going again sooner or later. Owners are certainly hoping this is more then a one-day breakout.
Everth Cabrera (1-4) – He returned to the lineup, but was slotted eighth. Watch this closely, because if he’s not hitting leadoff, his value diminishes greatly.
Pitchers:
Oliver Perez (3.1 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 5 K) – He allowed four HR over the brief outing (including two to Dan Uggla). Can we finally pull the plug on him as a starting pitcher, please?
Max Scherzer (5.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 1 K) – I expressed concerns on his jump to the AL at the time of the trade and thus far, they have certainly seemed justified. He’s allowed 27 ER over his last 18 innings, striking out just nine in the process. I wouldn’t completely cut bait on him, but I certainly wouldn’t be actively using him, either. Keep him stashed on the bench and hope he gets things on track.
Jaime Garcia (6.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K, W) – He just continues to roll, improving to 4-2 with a 1.42 ERA. Will he be able to continue? I want to take a closer look at his luck next week, so check back for a full article on him.
Mark Buehrle (6.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 0 K) – Perennially undervalued, Buehrle has significantly under performed to date, sporting a 5.26 ERA. In his last seven starts, he’s allowed four earned runs or more five times (and he allowed three in each of the other two). If he’s not going to hold down the runs allowed, coupled with few strikeouts, he’s not worth using.
Justin Masterson (5.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 5 BB, 4 K) – He continues to have these games where he walks too many batters. This is the third time in his last five starts where he has walked four or more batters. Until he gets his control in order, he’s best suited for your bench.
Joe Saunders (9.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K, W) – He’s now given up one ER over his last 14.1 innings. I know this performance was against the A’s, but it still has to give owners a little bit of hope. The biggest place for hope of an improvement, however, is his control (4.17 BB/9). His luck (.287 BABIP and 69.1 percent strand rate) hasn’t been awful and he doesn’t strike out enough (5.1 career K/9). I wouldn’t bother at this point outside of the deepest of mixed leagues (and AL-only leagues, obviously).
Chad Qualls (0.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 K) – With a 7.62 ERA, you would think his job would be in jeopardy, but who could take the job? Could it really be Aaron Heilman? Let’s hear your thoughts, considering how bad the entire bullpen has been.
What are your thoughts from yesterday’s games? Which ones caught your eye? And which ones did I miss?
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