Around the Majors: September 12

Where did this hot stretch for Geovany Soto come from?  Will anyone emerge as a solid closer for the Phillies?  Why didn’y Vicente Padilla jump to the Dodgers sooner?  Let’s look at these questions and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

• For the third time in his last five starts A.J. Burnett allowed 6 earned runs or more, twice to the Orioles.  Yesterday he was touched up for 6 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4, over 7 innings to see his ERA rise to 4.33.  He entered the day wit ha 1.40 WHIP and has managed to win just 11 games pitching for the mighty Yankees.  I know he’s had his moments, but you have to consider the year a bitter disappointment.
• Brian Roberts went 3-4 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R and 1 SB, giving him a modest three-game hitting streak.  Over the streak he’s gone 5-10 with 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R and 2 SB.
• Brett Anderson allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 0 walks, striking out 4, over 7 innings to win for the second straight start.  He’s been very inconsistent this season, but has shown signs that he could be a solid option in 2010.  Despite the low strikeout total in this one, he’s shown potential and has four starts with 8 Ks or more since July 1.  We’ll certainly be taking a closer look at him this offseason.
• Ervin Santana allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4, over 7 innings in a no decision.  He’s shown signs of putting things together, but he’s had starts where he’s given up way too many baserunners.  With his next start coming against the Red Sox, he’s not worth gambling on if you have another viable option.
• Gordon Beckham went 3-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 2 R.  He’s now hit 3 HR over his last seven games and has gone 8-23 in September.  He’s been solid since coming up and is making a late case for AL Rookie of the Year.  Do you think he’s deserving?
• Geovany Soto has become a fixture in this column over the past few days.  After going 2-3 with 3 RBI, he’s now gone 6-13 with 2 HR, 9 RBI and 3 R over his past four games.  He’s finally giving a payoff to those who have stayed patient with him, and if you have you have shown an awful lot of patience.  I’ve been a proponent of grabbing him off the waiver wire the past few days, if he was available, and at this point there is nothing more to wait for.
• It was another stinker for Mike Pelfrey, who allowed 8 runs on 10 hits and 1 walk, striking out 3, over 6 innings.  For a pitcher who the Mets hoped could perform like a #2 starter, he has been a bitter disappointment.  He’s now allowed 5 earned runs or more in three of his last four starts and is carrying a 5.09 ERA.  Could he be a bounceback option in 2010?  It certainly will be something interesting to look at in the offseason.
• David Wright went 3-5 with 2 HR, 6 RBI and 3 R.  Now that’s the type of performance you’ve been hoping for, isn’t it?  That’s not to mention Carlos Beltran, who went 3-5 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 2 R.  His return to the Mets line-up could bring some big smiles to many fantasy owners over the final three weeks.
• Ryan Madsen, replacing Brad Lidge, allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 0 walks in an inning to blow the save.  How long until Brett Myers gets a shot in the ninth inning?
• Tim Hudson’s third start was not as impressive as his first two.  He allowed 4 runs on 10 hits and 1 walk, striking out 1, over 5 innings against the Cardinals in a no decision.  It was bound to happen, but he’s still a solid option in mixed leagues.  His next start comes against the Phillies, however, so if you have another option you may want to consider it.
• Kyle Lohse allowed 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1, over 3.1 innings.  His strong start feels like it was years ago, doesn’t it?
• Once the Cleveland Indians offense got going, there simply was no stopping them.  The top five guys in the line-up combined to go 13-22 with 1 HR, 11 RBI, 9 R and 1 SB.  Leading the way was Michael Brantley, who went 4-5 with 1 RBI, 1 R and 1 SB and Jhonny Peralta, who went 2-4 with 4 RBI.  Peralta had fallen back into a bit of a slump, though this is a nice way to break out of a four game RBI-less streak.  Now, if he could only snap his 12 game homerless streak.
• Vernon Wells went 3-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 2 R.  Could he be heating up?  He has 3 RBI in his past two games as well as four multi-hit games in his last seven.  I know he’s been disappointing, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him get on a bit of a roll over the next few weeks.  If someone in your league did give up on him, I wouldn’t hesitate to scoop him up.
• Edwin Jackson allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk, striking out 4, over 7 innings and has now allowed 4 earned runs or more in three of his past four starts.
• Jose Valverde pitched a perfect ninth to notch his 23rd save and lower his ERA to 1.88 on the season.  He has not given up a run since August 3, a stretch spanning 17 innings.  Needless to say, he’s pitching like one of the elite closers in the league right now.
• Dave Bush allowed 1 run on 5 hits and 0 walks, striking out 11, over 7 innings to defeat the Diamondbacks.  Really?  Where did this come from?  He had just 67 K in 96 innings heading into the game and had struck out more than seven in a start once since 2007.  I certainly wouldn’t be anticipating a repeat performance any time soon.
• Casey McGehee had a big game offensively, going 4-5 with 2 HR, 6 RBI and 2 R.  He made a splash early on, but has fallen off a bit.  He could have value for those in the deepest of formats, but even with this game I wouldn’t be turning to him.
• Wade Davis’ second career start was the opposite of his first, but it came against the Red Sox so it shouldn’t really be a surprise.  He allowed 8 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks, striking out 3, over 2.2 innings in a rain shortened game.  His next start comes against the Orioles, so a bounce back could easily be in order.
• Brandon Morrow made his return to the major leagues, getting a win over the Rangers.  He allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1, over 5 innings.  His one mistake was a home run to Julio Borbon (1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R; what was it that everyone said about him having no power?).  Morrow has some upside, but his line was unimpressive and his next start comes against the White Sox.  He seems like a big risk, especially given how much he struggled earlier in the season, so using him in mixed leagues would not be advisable.
• There are young players filling the Nationals line-up, and some of them are looking impressive. Justin Maxwell, thought to be a speed option only, went 2-4 with 2 HR, 2 RBI and 2 R.  He is hitting just .222 in 45 AB, after hitting .242 at Triple-A.  He has a long ways to go to become a viable fantasy option, but if the power can develop (he had 13 at Triple-A) to go along with the speed (he had 35 SB in Triple-A), he is going to prove viable in all formats.  Keep an eye on him.
• Ian Desmond, who hit .330 in the minor leagues, went 4-4 yesterday and is now 6-8 with 1 HR and 3 doubles in the major leagues.  He had just 24 doubles and 7 home runs in 348 minor league at bats, so don’t get too excited.  He’s got potential, but he obviously is not going to continue at his current pace.
• Vicente Padilla improved to 3-0 since joining the Dodgers after giving up 1 run (0 earned) on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 5, over 6 innings.  It really is amazing how a few pitchers have revitalized their career simply by moving to the NL this year.  At this point, Padilla has to be considered a viable option in all formats with a rematch against the Giants next on the schedule.
• Jonathan Sanchez allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 4, over 4.1 innings.  Like I’ve said about him a lot, just way too inconsistent to trust.
• Troy Tulowitzki went 2-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R.  It puts him at .281 with 25 HR, 76 RBI, 82 R and 17 SB on the season.  Is it safe to say that his miserable 2008 season is well behind him?  He’s certainly back among the league’s elite SS.