Around the Majors: June 24
Geovany Soto & David Ortiz continued their resurgence. Joba Chamberlain had a solid outing. Lance Berkman continued to struggle in the average department. Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games.
New York (NL) 11, St. Louis 0
- It seems like Rick Ankiel taunted us with a potential breakout before again regressing back to being a bench option only at this point. He went 0-4 yesterday and is now 0-11 over his past three games. He’s hitting .233 without the power many hoped for from him this season. In deeper formats I would continue to stash him away, just in case, but it’s likely you have better options to start at this point.
- For those waiting for the bubble to burst on Fernando Nieve, you’re going to be waiting a little bit longer. He tossed 6 shutout innings giving up 3 hits and 4 walks, striking out 5, to improve to 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA. Obviously, he’s not going to continue at this type of clip, but he clearly has some short-term value for those in deeper formats right now if he can hold onto a spot in the rotation. With John Maine and Oliver Perez closing in on their returns, that is no guarantee, however.
- David Wright went 4-4 with 3 R scored, raising his average to .356. The BABIP issue is still there, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a regression, so keep that in mind.
- Ryan Church stepped in as the clean-up hitter, going 3-4 with 2 RBI and 2 R. He really is a forgotten man in the Mets line-up and has a chance to really step up and emerge as a force with all the injuries they’ve endured. For those in five outfielder formats, he’s certainly worth grabbing if available.
Detroit 5, Chicago (NL) 3
- Geovany Soto went 2-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R. He now has home runs in three of his last six games, doubling his home run total for the season. It appears that he is finally coming around for owners, though the average is still sitting at .228. Give him time, but if someone in your league gave up on him, grab him immediately.
- Rick Porcello allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks, striking out 3, over 5 innings in a no decision. It certainly wasn’t pretty, but that actually set his career high for walks in a start. His WHIP has been on the rise the past two starts (total of 15 hits and 6 walks over 10.2 innings), but inconsistency should not be completely unexpected from him. His next start comes in Oakland, so continue to keep him in your line-up.
Pittsburgh 10, Cleveland 6
- Kelly Shoppach went 2-4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 1 R. He clearly hasn’t been what fantasy owners in 2-catcher formats had hoped for, with this performance raising his average to .199 on the season with just 6 HR and 19 RBI. He should continue to get opportunities, so I wouldn’t give up hope in those deeper formats. He still has the potential to re-establish himself and at this point, how many better options are really available? You’ve endured this long, I wouldn’t give up hope now.
- Grady Sizemore went 1-5 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 1 R. It’s like he didn’t even miss a beat.
- Zach Duke went 6 innings giving up 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4, to improve to 8-5 with a 3.09 ERA. He had a little blip in Atlanta in early June, but has been very solid outside of that. I know he doesn’t offer much in the strikeout department (51 over 105 innings), and the chances are that the wins are not going to be there much as the season progresses either. Still, with the way he’s pitched, he has to be considered a solid, low-end option.
Boston 6, Washington 4
- David Ortiz was playing 1B and hitting 5th, going 2-3 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 2 R. He’s suddenly up to 7 HR and 33 RBI on the season. At this point, I hope you didn’t sell low on him.
- Jon Lester evened his record at 6-6 after giving up 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6, over 6 innings of work. It wasn’t his most impressive outing, but it continued a string of now five consecutive good outings. Over that stretch he’s gone 3-1 having allowed 8 earned runs over 33 innings. He’s simply continuing the turn around that we all knew was going to come sooner or later.
- Adam Dunn was out of the line-up, though he did make an appearance as a pinch hitter, so owners shouldn’t fret. With Nick Johnson filling in as the clean-up hitter, the line-up certainly didn’t seem to have any threat in it, huh? They are bad enough as it is, fans of the team certainly better hope that the rumors of a trade prove false.
Toronto 8, Cincinnati 2
- Bronson Arroyo enjoyed one of his trademarked blow-ups, giving up 7 runs (6 earned) on 8 hits and 3 walks, striking out 2, over 3.2 innings. These have been coming way too often this season,simply making him an unusable option right now in any format.
- The top of the Blue Jays order were all raking in this one: Marco Scutaro (1-4, 3 R), Aaron Hill (2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R), Vernon Wells (2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R), Scott Rolen (1-4, 1 RBI, 1 R) and Adam Lind (2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R). Of all the surprises there, Scutaro, now with 57 runs scored on the season, may be the most surprising. If you are looking for someone to add some runs to your team, he’s clearly a good option at this point.
Tampa Bay 7, Philadelphia 1
- Joe Blanton went 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 10. After not striking out more than 7 in a game since 2005, this is the second time this season he’s reached double-digits. Should we view him as a revitalized option? I don’t think so. He’s done a good job bringing his ERA down to 5.06, but even in his prior start he allowed 4 earned runs in just 5.1 innings. He’s a low-end option, at best.
- Pat Burrell went 1-4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 2 R. He’s hitting .235 with 2 HR on the season, but he does have the potential to turn things up and become a viable option in deeper leagues for those that need a little power boost. Keep your eye on him and see what happens.
- Is there any doubt that Matt Garza is one of the better pitching options in the league? He went 8 innings giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 7, over 8 innings to improve to 5-5 with a 3.61 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. How much do you think the Twins are kicking themselves for trading him now?
New York (AL) 8, Atlanta 4
- Joba Chamberlain was good, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and 0 walks, striking out 5, over 6.1 innings of work. He threw 99 pitches, 68 of which were strikes. The control is the key, as he had walked four or more batters in four of his past seven games. He’s going to be a usable option regardless, but if he can continue to throw strikes and avoid walking the ballpark, it will be a major boost for both the Yankees and your fantasy roster.
- Kenshin Kawakami went 3 innings without walking or striking out a batter, but after taking a line drive off the bat of Chamberlain, he was lifted from the game. Tough break, but stay tuned to make sure he can make his next start.
- Kris Medlen took the ball, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2, over 2.2 innings. That’s certainly not the way to impressive and find your way back into the rotation. He’s sporting a 6.38 ERA and it wouldn’t surprise me if he soon found his way back to Triple-A, to keep him stretched out as a starting pitcher.
Florida 5, Baltimore 2
- Ricky Nolasco went 7 innings giving up 2 runs (0 earned) on 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 7, to improve to 4-6 on the season. He’s now 2-1 since returning from the minor leagues, allowing 5 earned runs over 25 innings (1.80 ERA). I’d say that move certainly woke him up a bit, huh? We all knew that the luck was going to change, and he clearly has restored his value in all formats.
- It was Dan Meyer pitching a perfect ninth to get the save, but Leo Nunez was unavailable. We’ll see what happens when he can pitch at this point.
- Cody Ross went 3-4 with 2 RBI, giving him a 5-game hitting streak. Over that stretch he’s gone 8-19 with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 R. On the year he’s hitting .280 with 12 HR and 43 RBI. While he’s clearly more valuable for those in five outfielder formats, he could be used in shallower formats if you need a short-term fill-in.
- Matt Wieters went 1-4 and now has hits in six out of his last seven games. Baby steps. He’s slowly coming along.
Milwaukee 4, Minnesota 3
- Nick Blackburn tossed a complete game (8 innings) in defeat, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 11 hits and 1 walk, striking out 2. He hasn’t allowed more than 3 earned runs in a start since facing the Yankees back on 5/16 (7 starts). It’s his first loss since 5/5. Clearly, he’s been pitching exceptionally well of late and while he doesn’t over much in the way of Ks (41 in 101.1 IP), he is definitely usable in all formats to fill out your rotation.
- Corey Hart went 0-4, now 0-8 in his last two games after a 10-game hitting streak. He seems to be going in short bursts, but hopefully he can get himself going again pretty quickly. He’s too good to give up on.
Kansas City 4, Houston 3 (11 innings)
- Luke Hochevar bounced back nicely, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 4, over 7 innings to take a no decision. That’s three good starts out of four since returning from the minor leagues, but that bad outing was really bad. His next start is a match-up with Minnesota and does anyone really feel confident using him? Didn’t think so. In deeper formats I could see stashing him, just in case, but by no means should he be in your active roster right now.
- Joakim Soria blew the save, giving up 1 run on 2 hits and 1 walk, striking out 1, in 1 innings of work. He did get rewarded with a victory, however, so it isn’t all bad for fantasy owners. It happens, so don’t get too upset.
- Lance Berkman went 0-5, dropping him to 3-27 over his past 8 games. Really? He hasn’t had his average over .256 this season since 4/10, the fourth game of the season. He’s now at .239, but he is a career .299 hitter. Does anyone expect him to remain that low for the entire season? I’ll have to take a closer look at him soon to see what we can expect.
Chicago (AL) 10, Los Angeles (NL) 7
- OK, seriously? Matt Kemp went 1-4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 1 R hitting ninth. Ninth?!?! I know I keep saying I’m not going to mention it anymore, but really, I just don’t get it. I know he’s producing, hitting .313 with 9 HR and 40 RBI, but this guy just does not deserve to be thrown at the end of the line-up. Mark Loretta was hitting seventh. Rafael Furcal and his .243 average was hitting second. I really just don’t get it.
- Josh Fields was in the line-up playing 1B and went 3-4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 2 R. Gordon Beckham, meanwhile, went 0-4 and despite showing some improvement, how do you sit Fields back down after a game like this one? It’s possible that Konerko gets a day off (he was the DH yesterday with Jim Thome getting a day off), but continue to keep an eye on this situation if you own either young player. The competition continues to rage on.
- Gavin Floyd allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3, over 6 innings to even his record at 5-5 and lower his ERA to 4.45. Over his past 7 starts he’s gone 3-1 with a 1.61 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. Needless to say, he’s recovered from his disastrous start to the season and is a must use in all formats.
Texas 4, Arizona 1
- Frank Francisco pitched the eighth? C.J. Wilson the ninth? What is going on here? Francisco is sporting a 0.42 ERA thus far this season and has done nothing to force the Rangers to bump him out of the closers role. He should return to the role soon, so don’t panic yet.
- Vicente Padilla is 3-0 in his last four starts after going 7 innings giving up 1 run on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. Over the stretch he’s gone 25 innings giving up 6 earned runs (2.16 ERA). Even with the hot stretch, I just don’t think he’s someone that can be trusted. His next start comes against the Angels, a team he posted a 4.26 ERA against last season in three starts. I wouldn’t be taking that gamble.
- What a shock, Dan Haren pitched well, yet got saddled with the loss. He went 7 innings allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk, striking out 8. He’s got a 2.25 ERA yet just 6 wins. It’s almost impossible to imagine.
San Francisco 6, Oakland 3
- Pablo Sandoval went 1-4 with 1 RBI, giving him a 6-game hitting streak. He’s 8-21 with 2 RBI and 1 R over the streak. It’s nice, but he needs more run production. He does have 35 RBI on the season, so it should come in time.
- Randy Johnson allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 6, over 7 innings to improve to 7-5 with a 4.68 ERA on the season. He has settled down of late and really has emerged as a solid option in all formats, going 4-1 over his last six starts. Since 5/16, he’s only allowed more than 3 earned runs in a start just once.
- Gio Gonzalez returned to the major leagues to give up 6 runs (4 earned) on 10 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6, over 3.2 innings. Nothing has changed since last season, huh? He had been fantastic in Triple-A, so I wouldn’t completely write him off yet, but it certainly isn’t an impressive start.
Los Angeles (AL) 11, Colorado 3
- Garrett Atkins was the DH and clean-up hitter, going 3-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R. He’s likely to play this week while they are in the AL parks, so let’s see if he can take advantage of the opportunity and regain some playing time.
- Chone Figgins went 3-4 with 3 R and 1 SB. He’s certainly been heating up, with 12 multi-hit games in the month of June. I know he’s only stolen three bases for the month, but if you are getting power out of your middle infield positions, he’s a must use option at 3B to help in the runs and SB department, especially when he’s hitting like this.
- Vladimir Guerrero went 2-5 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 2 R. It’s only his second HR of the season, but hopefully it’s the beginning of something good for him.
Seattle 4, San Diego 3
- Kevin Kouzmanoff went 1-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R. He has three home runs over his last seven games and six home runs in the month of June now. He’s still far from a must use option, but you certainly could do worse if you need a short-term fill-in.
- Russell Branyon went 1-4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 1 R, homering for the second straight game (and third time in four games). He now has 18 HR on the season, to go along with a .302 average. Did anyone see this one coming?
- Brandon Morrow allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 4, over 5 innings in a no decision. ir certainly wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either. Don’t use him, obviously, but he has the potential to become a useful fantasy starter.
Anyone have any thoughts? Anything to add?
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Eric,
I’m being offered a trade where I’m getting Grady Sizemore for Yovani Gallardo and Mike Cameron. Its a 16 team head to head 6×6 league. My remaining starting pitching would be Johan, Jurrjens, Aaron Cook, Ricky Romero, Randy Wolf, Washburn Jason Hammel and Homer Bailey.
Offense would be Russel Martin, Ry Howard, J Lopez, Tejada, Chipper, Sizemore, Abreu, Pence, Werth, with a decent bench.
I’m in 1st place in my division by a good margin but I feel like adding a potential top 10 guy like Sizemore can put me over the top.
Everyone feel free to chime in.
Honestly, I have never been a big Sizemore fan, but the trade certainly makes sense given the team you have. He adds an element of speed that you don’t currently have and makes your offense pretty scary.
The loss of Gallardo is going to hurt, and I certainly would keep your eyes open for anyone looking to trade a pitcher for some of your depth. Jurrjens-Cook-Romero-Wolf is only going to take you so far. You also could likely find someone on the waiver wire that will help kick in some help.
Still, as you said, to get a 1st round talent like Sizemore at a fractional cost is just too good of a deal to turn down.
Anyone else have a thought?
I agree with you RP. Sizemore gives you the speed and more power. His BA isnt’ the greatest, but he makes up for it in other categories. Good point about not stopping with just this trade. If you can add a solid P as well, you can fix some of the shortcomings of dealing Gallardo.
Remember Lester, Sizemore is replacing Mike Cameron (I assume based on the trade), so he is actually an improvement over what he had.
I saw the season Branyan is having coming
I drafted him as my starting third baseman.
Amazing that Wright is continued his extremely weird season. He’s become a speed demon that hits everything in sight, with almost no power. I’m still hopeful that there is 20+ homers left in his bat over the remainder of the season. Of course, I realize there might also be a .270 average the rest of the way to go with it…
I would do this deal in a heartbeat and even without this transaction I have no clue how you assembled such a potent lineup in that deep of a league.
As mentioned, the next step might be to package one of your overperforming pitchers (Washburn?) with a decent bat for a true #2 starter.
Berkman went yard twice today so I’m hoping this is the start of a turnaround. Especially having just traded for him.
Sawyer, I hope your right about David Wright, but at this point I’m not sure we can expect that. As much as I’d love to see him reach 25 HR, 20 may be his maximum.
Thanks for the feedback on the trade guys. I made the deal and got that last monster Gallardo start right before he left the team.
My team just had a monster week and is cruising to a division title. I’ve been trying to sell one of these overachieving pitchers like Wolf or Washburn but i think as the trade deadline gets closer I’ll have more luck.
What do you think of Aaron Cook and Ricky Romero? Both have been putting together quite a string of dominant outings, and Romero with a lot of strikeouts.