Michael Bowden impressed in his major league debut. Josh Anderson is emerging as a player worth considering. Ubaldo Jimenez showed why I wouldn’t use him. Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games.
Home Runs:
- Manny Ramirez – Los Angeles Dodgers – 2
- Billy Butler – Kansas City Royals – 2
- Rany Winn – San Francisco Giants – 2
- Jayson Worth – Philadelphia Phillies – 2
RBI:
- Mike Cameron – Milwaukee Brewers – 4
- Billy Butler – Kansas City Royals – 4
- Jayson Werth – Philadelphia Phillies – 4
- Hunter Pence – Houston Astros – 3
- Geoff Blum – Houston Astros – 3
- Aubrey Huff – Baltimore Orioles – 3
- Rick Ankiel – St. Louis Cardinals – 3
- Mark Kotsay – Boston Red Sox – 3
- Jesus Flores – Washington Nationals – 3
- Anderson Hernandez – Washington Nationals – 3
Runs:
- Manny Ramirez – Los Angeles Dodgers – 3
- Carlos Pena – Tampa Bay Rays – 3
- Akinori Iwamura – Tampa Bay Rays – 3
- Corey Hart – Milwaukee Brewers – 3
- Jacoby Ellsbury – Boston Red Sox – 3
Stolen Bases:
- No one with more than 1 SB
Hits:
- Nick Markakis – Baltimore Orioles – 4
- Dustin Pedroia – Boston Red Sox – 4
- Manny Ramirez – Los Angeles Dodgers – 4
- Ichiro Suzuki – Seattle Mariners – 3
- Raul Ibanez – Seattle Mariners – 3
- Akinori Iwamura – Tampa Bay Rays – 3
- Jacoby Ellsbury – Boston Red Sox – 3
- Mark Kotsay – Boston Red Sox – 3
- Billy Butler – Kansas City Royals – 3
- Russ Gload – Kansas City Royals – 3
- Curtis Granderson – Detroit Tigers – 3
- Delmon Young – Minnesota Twins – 3
- Jimmy Rollins – Philadelphia Phillies – 3
- Jayson Werth – Philadelphia Phillies – 3
- Derrek Lee – Chicago Cubs – 3
- J.J. Hardy – Milwaukee Brewers – 3
- Corey Hart – Milwaukee Brewers – 3
- Jason Kendall – Milwaukee Brewers – 3
- Martin Prado – Atlanta Braves – 3
- Anderson Hernandez – Washington Nationals – 3
- Christian Guzman – Washington Nationals – 3
- Ryan Zimmerman – Washington Nationals – 3
- Mike Jacobs – Florida Marlins – 3
- Chris Young – Arizona Diamondbacks – 3
- Clint Barmes – Colorado Rockies – 3
- Luis Rodriguez – San Diego Padres – 3
Wins:
- Brandon League – Toronto Blue Jays
- J.J. Putz – Seattle Mariners
- Dan Wheeler – Tampa Bay Rays
- Michael Bowden – Boston Red Sox
- Brandon Duckworth – Kansas City Royals
- Huston Street – Oakland Athletics
- Jose Arredondo – Los Angeles Angels
- Brett Myers – Philadelphia Phillies
- Jeff Suppan – Milwaukee Brewers
- Mike Lincoln – Cincinnati Reds
- Steven Shell – Washington Nationals
- Matt Lindstrom – Florida Marlins
- Chad Billingsley – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Josh Geer – San Diego Padres
Saves:
- B.J. Ryan – Toronto Blue Jays
- Randy Messenger – Seattle Mariners
- Francisco Rodriguez – Los Angeles Angels
- Brad Lidge – Philadelphia Phillies
- Francisco Cordero – Cincinnati Reds
Strikeouts:
- Brett Myers – Philadelphia Phillies – 8
- Jarrod Washburn – Seattle Mariners – 8
- Ricky Nolasco – Florida Marlins – 8
- Francisco Liriano – Minnesota Twins – 6
- Chad Billinglsey – Los Angeles Dodgers – 6
- Jered Weaver – Los Angeles Angels – 6
- Brian Moehler – Houston Astros – 6
- Ramon Ramirez – Cincinnati Reds – 6
Notes:
- Robinson Cano has hits in 6 of his last 7 games, 4 of which were multi-hit games. He went 2-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R. I’ve said it before, but despite this being a down year for him he should be a great option over the last month of the season. He needs to be in your line-up in all formats.
- In his second game in the majors, Travis Snider went 0-4, striking out twice. He’s going a lot of potential, but there’s no doubt that he’s prone to the strikeout.
- Anthony Reyes did not factor in the decision for the Indians, but he sure did continue to show how misused he was by the Cardinals; or maybe a change of scenario was what he needed to succeed. He went 7 innings giving up 1 run on 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 3. Since being acquired by Cleveland, he has thrown 31.1 innings going 2-1 with a 2.01 ERA. He’s given up 30 hits and 11 walks. The one drawback is his strikeouts, which sit at just 14. Owners in deeper formats certainly should be able to ignore that and use him at this point.
- Victor Martinez was not in the starting line-up, instead being used as a pinch hitter. He went 0-1.
- Raul Ibanez went 3-5 with 1 RBI and 1 R. He has hits in 4 consecutive games, with 3 of them being multi-hit affairs. Over the streak he’s 8-17 with 2 HR, 5 RBI and 4 R. In fact, he’s scored runs in 6 consecutive games. He goes under-the-radar a lot of the time but certainly should be used in all formats.
- I have talked about not liking Andy Sonnanstine as a fantasy option a lot here and yesterday he just gave me more ammunitation. He last just 3.1 innings giving up 6 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 2. He gave up a pair of HR: Jay Payton (2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Aubrey Huff (2-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R). Plain and simple, I’d avoid him in all formats.
- Nick Markakis has not quite had the type of season many thought but after going 4-5 with 1 RBI and 2 R he’s got his average up to .307. Those who expected 25+ HR are upset, as he’s got just 17 to go along with 78 RBI. He hasn’t hit a HR since 8/9. Still, the ability to post numbers like he did yesterday gives a lot of hope. He certainly should still be used in all formats as he should end up right around 100 RBI.
- Rocco Baldelli went 2-3 with 2 RBI and 1 R. He’s had some up and downs since his return but if he settles into a full-time role he certainly is worth using in 5 OF’er formats. He is hitting .294 in 34 AB since his return, producing 6 RBI and 4 R. If he’s not playing everyday, don’t bother.
- In his major league debut, Michael Bowden pitched well enough to earn his first victory. He went 5 innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 3. Given that his biggest asset seemed to be his WHIP in the minors, this was not an overly impressive outing. Still, you had to expect some jitters and I would expect the numbers to be better if he gets another chance.
- Mark Kotsay has hits in all 3 games since being acquired by the Red Sox after he went 3-5 with 3 RBI and 1 R. Since the trade he’s 5-13 with 4 RBI and 1 R.
- Dustin Pedroia posted hsi 2nd consecutive 4-hit game, going 4-4 with 2 R. In his last four games he’s 12-17 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 8 R and 2 SB. All I can say is wow.
- Billy Butler has not shown the power that fantasy owners had wanted this season, including a demotion to the minors mid-year. Finally, as we close in on September, maybe we have signs of the power stroke. He went 3-5 with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 R. He’s now on a 6-game hitting streak, though he hadn’t had an RBI during it until yesterday. He also hadn’t homered since 8/2. Obviously I’m not going to say that the power stroke is here to stay and that he is going to go off the rest of the way, because I simply don’t believe that. Still, the hope is there and I’d watch him closely before commiting to him as my utility man.
- The Tigers had Jeff Larish starting at 3B again, with him going 0-4 with 1 RBI. He’s just 2-12 since being recalled and really isn’t worth using in any format.
- Francisco Liriano went 7 innings giving up 1 run on 5 hits and 0 walks, striking out 6. The one hit was a HR to Jack Cust (1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R). If there were any doubts about his abilities upon his return, he’s been up long enough now that those should be long gone. In 6 starts he’s given up just 5 ER, and only once was it more than 1 in a game. He’s 4-0, while he’s taken no decisions the last 2 times out.
- Dallas Braden gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2, over 6 innings. He’s been good in the rotation, though over his last 2 outings (13 innings), he’s struck out just 2 batters. He’s really only usable in the absolute deepest of formats, and even that may be a stretch.
- The Angeles had Brandon Wood in as their SS, going 2-3 with 1 RBI. He has potential as a MI in deeper formats with regular AB’s, though I’m not sure that’s going to happen.
- Nelson Cruz went 1-3, his first hit in 4 games (he was 0-13 in that span). He’s got a ton of potential, considering the numbers he posted in the minor leagues this season, but should only be used in 5 OF’er formats for the time being. Keep him on the bench in shallower formats.
- The resurrgence of Bret Myers continued, as he went 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 11 hits and 0 walks, striking out 8. He’s won his last 3 outings, despite giving up 29 hits and 4 walks over the 23 innings of work. Still, he’s allowed just 2 ER and struck out 25 over that span. There certainly is cause for concern given the number of baserunners, so don’t believe it is all roses for him. I would tread carefully, especially with his next scheduled against the Mets on Friday.
- Jayson Werth went 3-4 with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 R, giving him 20 HR on the season. That is significantly more then I would have pegged him at prior to the season. In August he’s hitting .304 with 5 HR, 12 RBI and 15 R in 79 AB, certainly making him relevant in all formats. With Geoff Jenkins out of action he has been seeing regular action and making the most of it.
- I feel like we’ve talked about Paul Maholm a lot recently, with the talk of the Pirates giving him a little bit extra rest down the stretch. After last night’s outing, the team will probably be thinking about it a bit more. He went 5.1 innings giving up 6 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 3. After giving up 12 hits his last time out (also against the Brewers), there certainly is cause for concern. With his next start scheduled against the Giants, I wouldn’t hesitate leaving him in your line-up, but keep an eye on any news that could translate into him being pushed back.
- The Pirates used Brandon Moss as the #2 hitter and he responded by going 2-3 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R. He’s now going hits in 5 of his last 6 games, 4 of which are 2-hit days.
- There were plenty of good games for the Brewers including Rickie Weeks (2-6, 1 RBI, 1 R), J.J. Hardy (3-5, 1 RBI), Corey Hart (3-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R), Mike Cameron (2-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R), Bill Hall (2-5, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Jason Kendall (3-5, 2 RBI, 1 R). Cameron now has 9 HR in August to go along with 22 RBI and an average above .350. He should be used while he’s this hot, but be ready to pull him out once he begins to cool down.
- In his debut, Ramon Ramirez went 7 innings giving up 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6, for the Reds. It was a nice start, but I don’t think I would take the gamble myself, especially not off this one start.
- Edwin Encarnacion homered for the second straight day, going 1-3 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R. As I said yesterday, he has the potential to get extremely hot and at this point I would certainly slide him into your line-up as a CI.
- Randy Winn went 2-5 with 2 HR, 2 RBI and 2 R. On the season he’s hitting .307 with 9 HR, 58 RBI and 25 SB. He doesn’t give you much power, though he’ll have his moments, and should really be used in all formats.
- Elijah Dukes continues to hit since his return. He’s now on a 4-game hitting streak after going 2-4 with 1 RBI, 2 R and 1 SB. He’s 6-15 with 2 HR, 5 RBI and 6 R since returning. He’s certainly not a top option, but a must use in leagues that require 5 OF’ers.
- Anderson Hernandez is hitting .462 since his trade to the Nationals, going 3-5 with 3 RBI and 1 R yesterday. Nice run, but I don’t see it lasting. I wouldn’t bother with him.
- Who’d have thought Martin Prado would be a useful player for the Braves? He went 3-5 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R yesterday and is hitting over .400 in August. Granted, he offers very little in the power department, given his 2 HR on the season, so I wouldn’t consider him unless that changes.
- Josh Anderson has hits in all 3 games since his recall, after going 2-4 with 1 R yesterday. He’s 4-11 with 3 R and 1 SB in the 3 games and offers a ton of potential speed. If you are in need of a cheap source of SB’s, he’s your man. With Mark Kotsay traded it seems like the Braves are going to try and find out exactly what they have with him, which means regular AB’s and plenty of opportunity, especially with Brian McCann and Chipper Jones waiting in the wings to drive him in.
- Mike Pelfrey continued to pitch well, going 6.2 innings giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 5. Unfortunately, the bullpen continued to do what they do, giving away the game to the Marlins, mostly thanks to Aaron Heliman and his 4 walks in 0.1 innings, though 2 of them were intentional.
- Mike Jacobs, who had been in a big slump, could be showing signs of awakening. He went 3-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 2 R. He’s not a must use option, but in deeper formats who could be used as a CI if he’s hitting.
- The way Chad Billingsley started the season, owners everywhere were ready to give up on him. At the end of April he was sitting at 1-4 with a 5.20 ERA, and it was only that low because he had a great start on 4/30. Since then, he has been tremendous and yesterday was no different. He gave up 2 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6, over 7 innings to improve to 13-10 with a 3.13 ERA and 183 K. Yea, he’s a must use and a tremendous option for next season.
- Adam Dunn went 0-2 for the Diamondbacks while Manny Ramirez went 4-5 with 2 HR, 2 RBI and 3 R for the Dodgers. On this night, obviously the Dodgers got the most of their acquisition. Let’s see what happens come the season’s end, however.
- Blake DeWitt was in at 2B, going 1-4. He’s the deepest of options and one that I’m not really considering at this point.
- Ubaldo Jimenez gave up 6 runs on 2 hits and 5 walks, striking out 2, in just 3.2 innings of work. Yeah, it’s this type of start that backs up my opinions on not wanting to use him in all formats.
- Clint Barmes posted his 2nd straight 3-hit game, going 3-5 with 3 RBI. He’s an option in only the deepest of formats, as he has just 6 RBI, 9 R and 4 SB in 91 AB in August.
