Rotoprofessor

Clayton Kershaw had a terrible start.  Ty Wiggington continues his blazing hot stretch.  Aaron Harang may have finally returned to fantasy relevance.  Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games.

Home Runs:

• Ty Wigginton - Houston Astros - 2
• Elijah Dukes - Washington Nationals - 2

RBI:

• Aramis Ramirez - Chicago Cubs - 4
• Elijah Dukes - Washington Nationals - 4
• Brian McCann - Atlanta Braves - 3
• Jason Giambi - New York Yankees - 3
• Milton Bradley - Texas Rangers - 3
• Christian Guzman - Washington Nationals - 3
• Juan Rivera - Los Angeles Angels - 3

Runs:

• Elijah Dukes - Washington Nationals - 3

Stolen Bases:

• No one with more than 1 SB

Hits:

• Christian Guzman - Washington Nationals - 4
• Derek Jeter - New York Yankees - 3
• Willie Aybar - Tampa Bay Rays - 3
• Torii Hunter - Los Angeles Angels - 3
• Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals - 3
• Chase Utley - Philadelphia Phillies - 3

Wins:

• Mariano Rivera - New York Yankees
• Edwin Jackson - Tampa Bay Rays
• Joe Devine - Oakland Athletics
• Jon Garland - Los Angeles Angels
• Brandon Backe - Houston Astros
• Charlie Morton - Atlanta Braves
• John Lannan - Washington Nationals
• Bob Howry - Chicago Cubs

Saves:

• Dan Wheeler - Tampa Bay Rays
• Francisco Rodriguez - Los Angeles Angels
• Jose Valverde - Houston Astros
• Mike Gonzalez - Atlanta Braves
• Kerry Wood - Chicago Cubs

Strikeouts:

• Aaron Harang - Cincinnati Reds - 9
• Jon Lester - Boston Red Sox - 8
• Ryan Dempster - Chicago Cubs - 7
• Cole Hamels - Philadelphia Phillies - 6
• Mike Mussina - New York Yankees - 6
• Brandon Backe - Houston Astros - 6

Notes:

• Mark Kotsay was slotted right into the line-up for the Red Sox, going 1-4 while playing RF.  Jacoby Ellsbury was in CF and Coco Crisp was on the bench, so it will be interesting to see if this is the allignment the team opts to go with while J.D. Drew is out.  If it is, Kotsay is going to have value in 5 OF’er formats.
• Both starting pitcher pitched exceptionally well in the Red Sox-Yankees game, though neither factored in the decision.  Jon Lester went 6.2 innings giving up 1 run on 5 hits and 0 walks, striking out 8.  Mike Mussina went 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6.  They both have been doing it pretty much all season and both have proven to be must use options in all formats.
• Jason Giambi didn’t start the game, but he entered as a pinch hitter and ultimately provided all the offense.  He went 2-2 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 1 R on the day.  He’s got 27 HR and 81 RBI, but is hitting just .251, making him a good option as a CI in deeper formats.
• Edwin Jackson has been great over his last 7 starts.  Yesterday he went 7 innings giving up 1 run on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2.  Over those 7 starts, he’s 6-1 while giving up just 12 runs over 41.2 innings, good for an ERA of 2.62.  Yeah, he’s certainly gotten the job done and should be owned in all formats.
• It’s a shame for Dan Wheeler owners that Troy Percival is closing in on his return, because he really has emerged as a good option at closer.  He earned save #10, striking out 2 in a perfect inning of work.  He’s picked up saves in 6 of his 7 outings (6.1 innings) since 8/17, giving up just 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 10.  He certainly deserves the closers role, but I’d be surprised if Percival was slotted right back in there.
• Nick Blackburn has given up over 3 earned runs in just 1 start since July 1 after going 5.2 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2.  He’s emerged as a solid starter in all formats, with his 9-8 record to go along with a 3.75 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.  His next start comes in Toronto and he seems like a good play there.
• It’s a tough break for Brandon McCarthy, who left with a chance to win but the bullpen couldn’t hold it.  He held what could be the best team in baseball to 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 2, over 6 innings of work.  He certainly has the potential to emerge as a good option for owners in deeper formats, so continue to monitor his progress.
• Chris Davis just continues to produce, going 2-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R.  He’s now on a 6-game hitting streak, going 8-23 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 5 R during the streak.
• Aaron Harang posted his second consecutive strong start, giving up 3 runs, all on solo HR by Ty Wigginton (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Humberto Quintero (1-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R), on 7 hits and 0 walks, striking out 9, over 7 innings.  His next start comes against the Pirates and I would say that he is safe to put back in your line-up for it.  I know he’s been bad for a while now, but he has proven in the past to be a top option and should not be overlooked.
• With the way Josh Johnson has been pitching for the Marlins, people certainly hoped that Anibal Sanchez would be able to do the same thing.  Unfortunately, he just hasn’t been as good.  After giving up 4 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks, stirking out 2, over 5 innings, he’s now 2-3 with a 4.46 ERA.  He’s walked 18 batters in his 34.1 innings of work, certainly not the type of control your looking for.  His next start is a rematch with the Braves and I wouldn’t recommend using him at this point.  He’s a good bench option, but not much more at this point.
• Brian McCann went 1-3 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 1 R, putting him at .292 with 22 HR and 75 RBI on the season.  That is his first HR 8/9, but even with the power outage and his recent slump (his average was .305 on that day), he is a must use and is one of the best hitting catcher in the majors at this point.
• Clayton Kershaw is a top talent, there’s no question about that, and he should be owned in all keeper leagues.  The problem is, he is still a rookie pitcher and you have to be careful with him.  Yesterday was certainly a down day, giving up 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 2, over 2.1 innings.  This was a start that you’d have thought he was a must use for, but it certianly backfired.
• Welcome back Elijah Dukes.  In his second game since returning to the team, he went 2-3 with 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R and 1 SB.  He has a ton of potential and if he is going to remain in the line-up everyday, he’ll certainly be worth using in all formats that require 5 OF’ers.
• Christian Guzman hit for the cycle, going 4-5 with 3 RBI and 2 R.  He’s on a modest 3-game hitting streak, going 9-13 over it.  Still, he’s only worth using as a MI in deeper formats, though he is not a tremendous source of power or speed.
• Cole Hamels pitched well, giving up 1 run on 5 hits and 0 walks, striking out 6, over 7 innings.  He took a no decision, but is there any doubt that he is an ace in this league?  Do not hesitate next season to to take him as your #1 SP come draft day.
• Aramis Ramirez went 1-4, but the one hit was a Grand Slam.  He now has 4 HR in his past 6 games, though he only has 6 hits total.