Last Night Rewind

  • Jon Lester finally got himself a win. The Boston pitcher had not been able to put one in the W-column since the All-Star break and running up four straight losses in that stretch. Lester worked 6.1 innings yesterday, getting ahead in the count often. He struggled in the seventh and was removed before he could give up any earned runs. Not dominating, but much better.
  • Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann were placed on the DL yesterday by the Rays. Tampa had gone all season without a major injury to its staff, but now has two that they need to deal with quickly. The team has called up Jeremy Hellickson to start on Tuesday night. He immediately becomes a spot start option. Look for Andy Sonnanstine to get some work in the rotation as well.
  • Both Corey Hart and Ryan Braun were held out of the starting lineup last night for Milwaukee. Braun suffered a wrist injury against Houston over the weekend and is listed as day-to-day. Hart has a sore lower back that forced him out of the game on Sunday. He took part in batting practice but decided that he could not go.
  • Two first base notes. Derrek Lee was placed on the bereavement list by the Cubs and was not available for last night’s game. Do not look for him to be available for the next day or two as a result. Mark Teixeira stayed behind in New York to be with his wife, who is expecting to deliver any day now. He will not be with the team in Texas tonight.
  • While he did not record a hit, Chris Carter was given three at-bats last night for Oakland. Carter started the game in left field, a move that analysts have given major kudos to. It does bode well for his playing time at this point if he can be spotted out there. He was hitting .263 with 27 home runs in Triple-A. In AL-only leagues, he is worth a shot.

 

Tuesday Notes

  • Again, you need to be amazed at some statistics. Adam Lind is just 1-for-20 against Daisuke Matsuzaka with Aaron Hill just 5-for-20 and Lyle Overbay at 5-for-23. Matsuzaka is 2-0 against Toronto this season, striking out 14 without walking a batter in 13 innings against them this season. He is 4-1 on the road in 2010.
  • A.J. Burnett will get the start on Tuesday against the Rangers. Burnett was scratched from his start against Boston on Sunday with back spasms. He has pitched relatively well against many of the Rangers. Vladimir Guerrero is a .222 hitter in 45 at-bats with two home runs and Jorge Cantu is 0-for-12 lifetime.
  • Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios have ugly numbers against Scott Baker. Ramirez is only 2-for-16 while Rios is 2-for-13. Paul Konerko hits just .259 against Baker, but does have three home runs in 27 at-bats. Baker had one of his best outings of the season last time out, but he is just 2-6 on the road this season with a 5.43 ERA.
  • Orlando Hudson may be back in the lineup, but he is miserable against Freddy Garcia. Hudson is just 2-for-19 against him. Look for a big night from Jason Kubel, who is 6-for-10 against Garcia. Almost the exact opposite of opponent Scott Baker, Garcia is 5-2 at home this season with a 3.74 ERA.
  • Felix Hernandez has not won either of his two starts against the A’s this year, and Oakland has put up 14 hits and eight walks in 12.2 innings against him this year. Hernandez is still 7-2 in his last 12 starts against Oakland. Kevin Kouzmanoff is just 3-for-16 against Hernandez with Coco Crisp at 2-for-13. Look to use Mark Ellis, Kurt Suzuki, and, if healthy, Daric Barton. They are the only three better than .300 against the Seattle starter.
  • Avoid Aaron Rowand and Aubrey Huff against Ryan Dempster. Rowand is 1-for-13 while Huff is 3-for-16. Edgar Renteria has solid numbers here. He is a .318 hitter with two home runs in 22 at-bats. Freddy Sanchez is 6-for-17 while Pat Burrell is at .320 in 25 at-bats. If you are going to get to Dempster, it helps when he pitches on the road. He has allowed 11 home runs in 69.1 road innings to go with a 4-4 record and 4.15 ERA.
  • Kyle Kendrick has been on a slight roll of late. Kendrick has allowed just four earned runs in his last 19.1 innings pitched. He has allowed two earned runs or less in four of his last five starts. The Dodgers do not have many at-bats against Kendrick, but James Loney checks in at 6-for-10 against him.
  • Stephen Strasburg will take the ball in his return from the DL after suffering shoulder tightness. This will be an interesting outing for fantasy owners to watch. The Marlins have already seen Strasburg once and now will have time to study and adjust. How he deals with a team the second time around will be a huge factor going forward and this is the first test.
  • Look for Matt Diaz to be in the lineup tonight against J.A. Happ. Diaz is 5-for-7 with a home run against the Houston starter. Yes, it is a small sample, but those are some good numbers to use. Brian McCann is only 2-for-12 against Happ lifetime.
  • Spot Starts: Sanchez, Hellickson, Padilla

 

Wednesday Notes

  • There certainly needs to be some concern in throwing Javier Vazquez right now. Vazquez had a dead arm against Boston, an outing where he could not touch 90 with any of his pitches. Much of his success has been a result of his fastball. With that not there, be wary. Jorge Cantu is 5-for-11 against Vazquez.
  • Brandon Phillips is just 3-for-19 against Adam Wainwright. Surprisingly, he is the only player on the Reds with any sort of reliable track record against the St. Louis starter. Wainwright is 5-6 on the road this year. Overall, he has allowed one earned run or less in eight of his last 10 starts. His two blowups in that stretch? On the road.
  • Any Cardinals batters you would start should be good to go against Arroyo. Felipe Lopez is the big winner. He checks in at .417 with two home runs in 36 at-bats. Rasmus, Ryan, Pujols, and Schumaker are all hitting better than .300 with Matt Holliday not far behind at .273. Randy Winn is just 4-for-26, but he is likely not on your radar.
  • The Twins have raked against John Danks. Michael Cuddyer is the big winner, posting a .474 average and five home runs in 38 at-bats against him. Only Jason Kubel checks in below .300 of the regulars you are likely to start and his average is at .296. Danks has allowed 24 hits in 19 innings pitched against the Twins this season.
  • While everything went right for Zack Greinke last season, that has not been the case this year. Erick Aybar has pounded Greinke, going 7-for-14 against him overall. Torii Hunter may only be a .267 hitter, but he does have three home runs in 30 at-bats against the Kansas City starter. Greinke has struggled on the road this season, posting just a 2-6 record.
  • Spot Starts: Correia, Volstad, Bush

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