|
|
| Jeff Francis had his second straight shaky outing, though the first was wiped out by rain, as he allowed 13 baserunners and five runs over 6.1 innings to pick up the loss. Francis allowed three long balls on the night to ruin his chance of winning, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't still be counted on as a potentially big winner this season in Colorado. |
|
|
|
| Brandon Webb scattered five hits over seven innings to pick up his second victory of the season. Webb allowed only one walk and two runs (one earned) on the night) and now has allowed 13 baserunners over 13 innings. Do you really need us to tell you he is a top-10 hurler? Didn't think so. |
|
|
|
| Chris Young socked two home runs on Saturday night to help lead the D'backs to a 7-2 victory over the Rockies. Young has three home runs and two SB in five games this season though he is also hitting only .263 with nine K in five games. The home runs and steals are fantastic and figure to be there all year, though if he keeps striking out at this rate he will be lucky to hit even .250. |
|
|
|
| Paul Maholm lasted only five innings on Saturday night as he allowed five hits, including two homers, on his way to giving up five runs. Maholm had nine strikeouts on the night, a career-high, but he gave up a grand slam to Mike Jacobs to ruin his effort. Maholm was only 10-15 last season for the Pirates with an averge of 5.32 K/9 so tonight's strikeout total was a big surprise. |
|
|
|
| Nate McLouth had two hits and stole his second base of the season on Saturday night. McLouth is settling in nicely to the leadoff role for the Pirates with two steals and a .391 batting average through five games. Though he was drafted late in almost all leagues, McLouth would appear to be a legitimate 20/20 threat this year if he can stay in the lineup. |
|
|
|
| Mark Hendrickson evened his record at 1-1 by limiting the Pirates to just one earned runs over 5.1 innings. Hendrickson is a below .500 pitcher in his career (44-56) and with a 5.05 ERA and 1.35 WHIP he is nothing more than an average major league hurler. You might consider using him in NL Only leagues but even then it might be a bumpy ride. |
|
|
|
| Brian Bocock went 1-for-2 with a walk on Saturday for the Giants out of the shortstop position. Of note is the fact that he also stole two bases in the outing. With Omar Vizquel's comeback from knee surgery taking a bit longer than hoped, it appears the Bocock will continue to maintain his meager NL Only value for about another week or so. |
|
|
|
| Ray Durham returned to the lineup on Saturday and had two hits and two RBI thanks in part to his first home run of the season. The Giants would like to move Durham in a trade to free up salary and space in the lineup for a youngster, but until he proves that he can stay healthy and hit better than the .218 mark he posted last year, he figures to remain a Giant. |
|
|
|
| Ryan Braun hit his first home run of the season the day after going 0-for-5 for the Brewers. Braun hammered a high fastball into the seats off of Kevin Correia and also collected a single on the day as he upped his batting average to .261. Braun continues to have the look of a man gunning for the number two spot amongst NL third baseman behind David Wright. |
|
|
|
| Manny Parra was brilliant for five innings on Saturday as he held the Giants without a hit before he eventually allowed three hits and two runs in 5.1 innings. In picking up his first major league victory, Parra stuck out seven batters, and even if the Giants batting order resembles a Triple-A lineup, you still have to be impressed by the way the youngster dominated on this day. |
|
|
|
| Eric Gagne rebounded from a terrible first outing against the Astros to pick up his first save in a Brewers uniform on Saturday. Gagne picked up a strikeout while keeping the Giants off base in an inning of work. Gagne looked like a totally different pitcher today as he threw strikes and was throwing hard. Perhaps the predictions of a David Riske to closer transformation was premature, especially after Riske allowed four baserunners in 1.2 innings on Saturday. |
|
|
|
| C.C. Sabathia fell to 0-1 on Saturday after allowing four runs on six hits and four walks to the A's in 5.1 innings. Sabathia has failed to pitch six innings in either of his two starts and his ERA sits at an uncomfortable 7.59 as of this writing. Sabathia is too good a pitcher not to bounce back, but perhaps all those innings last year will effect his performance slightly this season, and not in a positive way. |
|
|
|
| Carlos Beltran continued his torrid start with two more hits on Saturday including his sixth double of the season. Beltran is without an RBI through four games, but he has six doubles amongst his seven hits on the year. |
|
|
|
| John Maine was all over the place on Saturday as he needed 96 pitches to pick up just 12 outs. In those four innings, Maine allowed eight hits, three walks and four earned runs, though he did pick up five strikeouts, while picking up the loss. This was certainly not the type of outing Maine or his owners were looking for, and after a 5.53 ERA and 1.45 WHIP last season over his final 81.1 innings, is it time to panic a bit with Maine? |
|
|
|
| Tim Hudson pitched six solid innings on Saturday allowing six hits, no walks and three earned runs to pick up his first victory of the year. Hudson channeled his inner Hudson last year on his way to 16 victories and a 3.33 ERA, and after two starts this season he is right in line with that level of performance. |
|
|
|
| Jeff Francoeur went 3-for-5 with three RBI on Saturday to up his season average to .348 over 23 AB. Franceour saw his HR total dwindle to 19 from 29 last season, but his average went up .033 points while his OPS improved by .040. If he can cut down on his strikeouts while continuing to work the strike zone, Francoeur should have little problem producing his third straight 100-RBI season. |
|
|
|
| Kelly Johnson was unable to start on Saturday because of his injured knee, but he entered the game as a pinch hitter and promptly broke open a close game with a pinch-hit grand slam against Jorge Sosa of the Mets. Who needs to start to be effective? Johnson hopes to be back in the starting lineup on Sunday and it appears that his stick is certainly ready. |
|
|
|
| Juan Pierre started in left field and batted seventh as the Dodgers had Matt Kemp on the bench because of his struggles, this according to MLB.com. "Kemp's struggling," manager Joe Torre said. "The game speeds up and he's just impatient. He's an intelligent kid...He'll play most of the time. I didn't think Jake Peavy was a good matchup for him." Kemp, who is only 2-for-15 on the year, still managed to receive praise from his manager even while being benched. Given that Pierre went 0-for-3 with a strikeout against Peavy, he certainly didn't do anything to force the Dodgers hand. |
|
|
|
| Kevin Kouzmanoff went 2-for-4 on Saturday with a run scored and an RBI for the Padres. Kouzmanoff is off to a solid start with a .320 batting average in his first 25 at-bats, a total that mirrors his production from the second half of last season (.317 after the all-star break). |
|
|
|
| Rafael Furcal was the only hitter on the Dodgers able to do anything against Jake Peavy as he went 1-for-3 with a run scored on Saturday. All this talk of the great hitters at the shortstop position has seemingly excluded Furcal who is hitting .400 over his first 20 AB. If healthy, and batting in the leadoff spot for the Dodgers, there wouldn't seem to any reason not to expect Furcal to score at least 100 runs with 30 steals, and those are fine numbers no matter what position one plays in the field. |
|
|
|
| Brad Penny needed 109 pitches to work his way through six innings on Saturday and the results were less than spectacular as he allowed 10 hits, one walk and four runs with only three strikeouts against the Padres. Penny now has only six K in 13.2 innings this season and with three BB his K/BB ratio of 2.00 is barely passable for a top-line starter. |
|
|
|
| Jake Peavy improved to 10-1 lifetime against the Dodgers as he allowed only two hits in a complete game victory on Saturday. Peavy needed 116 pitches to strike out eight batters while walking one and permitting just one walk. Can you believe that Peavy won the NL Cy Young award last season without a single complete game? In fact, Peavy didn't pitch into the ninth inning a single time last season. |
|
|
|
| Ty Wigginton left the Astros game on Saturday with what was originally thought to be a sprained left thumb. However, digital x-rays appear to show a break so they will be sent to the team's physician for a definitive ruling, this according to MLB.com. If Wigginton is forced to the sidelines it would appear that Mark Loretta would be in line to pick up the starts at third base. Stay tuned for further details. |
|
|
|
| Lance Berkman, who injured his neck on Friday, tried to play on Saturday but after four innings he was removed from the game, this according to MLB.com. "I don't want to take myself out of the lineup before I show up and see how it feels. If it feels like it did today, I'm just not going to be able to do it. It's not a question of want to. It's just physically, if you can't turn your head, you can't do it." As a result, Berkman will almost certainly not play on Sunday, so adjust your lineup accordingly if you play in a league with daily transactions. |
|
|
|
| Felipe Lopez appeared in his third straight game in the outfield on Saturday and he went 1-for-3 with a walk at the plate while picking up an assist in the field. Already qualifying as a shortstop and second baseman, Lopez is now charging toward adding outfield to his position tree. Lopez has a lot to prove this season after hitting only .245 last year, but he does provide a lot of speed and would become an excellent NL Only pickup given his position eligibility, that is if he doesn't get traded to the AL. |
|
|
|
| Adam Wainwright needed 107 pitches to hold the Nationals to just two runs over eight innings for the Cardinals to pick up his first win of the season. Wainwright allowed eight hits and one walk while striking out four. Wainwright will look to at least duplicated his production of last season (14 wins and 3.70 ERA), though a better goal might be for him to try and limit baserunners as last years 1.40 WHIP is far too high for a top flight starter. |
|
|
|
| Yadier Molina had two hits and two RBI on Saturday in the Cardinals 5-4 victory over the Nationals. Molina is nothing more than a catcher two in all but NL Only leagues, but he did hit .275 last season to offer hope that he could be a decent depth play even if the power never comes around. |
|
|
|
| Nick Johnson went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI on Saturday for the Nationals. Johnson is now hitting .368 through 19 AB, and with each solid outing the chances of Dimitri Young picking up at-bats continues to dwindle. It's too early to say that Johnson is back, but don't overlook the fact that Johnson hit .290-23-77-100 in his last healthy season (2006) if you are in need of a bat off waivers. |
|
|
|
| Chase Utley had two more hits on Saturday for the Phillies as he also scored a run and knocked in a run on the day. Through five games Utley is hitting .412 with three home runs, seven runs and six RBI as he begins what could be a season long push for NL MVP honors. |
|
|
|
| Corey Patterson stole a base, had a hit, knocked in a run, picked up a walk and scored two runs on Saturday for the Reds. It's starting to look an awful lot like Patterson is going to be in the lineup almost every day, and if that is how the situation works out Patterson goes from being a great NL Only play to looking like a starter in mixed leagues because of his speed and run scored potential from the top of the Reds lineup. |
|
|
|
| Francisco Cordero picked up the win on Saturday by throwing a clean ninth inning against the Phillies. Cordero now has a victory and a save in his first three outings, and though other relievers received a lot more love this preseason, Cordero has a chance to be a top-5 closer this season as Dusty Baker likes to lean hard on his end of the game hurler. |
|
|
|
| Adam Eaton threw 95 pitches and completed 7.2 innings on Saturday as he allowed three runs in a no decision against the Reds. A very encouraging outing for Eaton who has struggled most of the time since coming to Philadelphia last year. It wasn't all roses as he allowed 10 base runners and a home run, but if you are expecting Eaton to help in the ratio categories then we have a bridge we want to sell you. |
|
|
|
| Aaron Harang tossed seven innings on Saturday and though he allowed only two runs he picked up a no-decision against the Phillies. Harang now owns a 2.77 ERA and 12 K over his first 13 innings, and he should continue to post one solid outing after another for the Reds this season as one of the most overlooked top tier pitchers in the game. |
|
|
|
| John Smoltz will make his first appearance of the season on Sunday, this according to the AP. Smoltz has been on the DL to give his shoulder a bit more time to calm down, will face the Mets and Johan Santana on Sunday. |
|
|
|
| Derrek Lee hasn't lost a step, going a perfect 4-for-4 against Roy Oswalt and the Houston Astros in today's 9-7 win for the Cubs. Lee picked up his second double and his second homer on the season, both against Oswalt, and gathered two RBIs and three runs scored along the way. He now touts a seasonal batting average of .364 and continues to work as the offensive catalyst for the Cubbies. |
|
|
|
| Kosuke Fukudome is on fire and starting the season with a bang for the Chicago Cubs. Today he hit up the Roy Oswalt-led Houston Astros, going 2-for-4 at the plate with his third double of the season and two RBIs (now touting five on the season). Fukudome held his gaudy .500 batting average true through the day and seems to be quickly adapting to the MLB game. |
|
|
|
| Kerry Wood picked up his second save of the season today, closing a 9-7 victory for the Cubs over the Astros. Wood faced three batters in the ninth, throwing 12 pitches (8 for strikes) to induce two ground outs and one on the fly. Wood still has the horrific outing against Milwaukee of last week to overcome (allowing three earned runs on two hits), but today is a step in the right direction. |
|
|
|
| Struggles for Roy Oswalt continue today, suffering his second loss of the season with a 7-9 fall to the Chicago Cubs. Oswalt surrendered six runs (five earned) on 10 hits through 6 2/3 innings, giving up a homer to David Lee in the 3rd. Oswalt threw 92 pitches today, and while 59 went for strikes, the Cubs were putting the bat on the ball and hitting him around the yard. Oswalt now carries a 6.00 ERA. |
|
|
|
| SS David Eckstein put the hurt on the Boston Red Sox today, serving as one of several offensive powers in a 10-2 victory. Eckstein went 2-for-5 at the plate, bringing three RBIs across home plate. On the bright side for Boston, Eckstein was caught stealing... and that's about all they stopped him from doing today. |
|
|
|
| Mets manager Willie Randolph is struggling to get his schedule settled, but it now appears he is going to give Johan Santana the start next Saturday versus the Brewers, rather than pushing him to the mound on Friday, according to the NYPost.com. Before today's game, Randolph told reporters that, with Friday's rainout pushing Santana out of his normally schedule start, he would give him the ball on Friday. Now he has pushed him into Saturday to get the schedule back to original form. Nelson Figueroa, on the roster as a fill-in for the injured Pedro Martinez, will get the start on Friday against the Brewers. |
|
|
|
| The San Diego Padres have activated CF Jim Edmonds from the 15-day disabled list, according to MLB.com. Edmonds, acquired via trade with St. Louis during the offseason, was in today's starting lineup against the Dodgers, batting fifth in the lineup. To get Edmonds on the active roster, the Padres optioned OF Jody Gerut to Triple-A Portland. |
|
|
|
| Former San Francisco, Chicago Cub, and Washington pitcher Jerome Williams has found an employer, signing with the Long Beach Armada of the Golden Baseball League, according to MLB.com. Williams has been plagued by weight problems but has reportedly dropped to 230 pounds (a loss of about 30 bills). The former 1st-round draft pick from 1999 showed potential in San Fran but fell apart after being traded to Chicago as part of a deal that brought reliever LaTroy Hawkings west. Now he is attempting to get back in the eye of the league and earn an opportunity to pitch on the MLB stage once more. |
|
|
|
| The Cincinnati Reds report RHP Matt Belisle will make his first rehabilitation start today, taking the mound for Class A Sarasota when they play host to Yankees affiliate Tampa, according to MLB.com. Belisle has been on the DL since March 31st with a sore right forearm. Belisle will be joined by catcher David Ross in the same game, also attempting to return from injury (lower back spasms) by getting action in the minors. In 2007, his first season as a full-time starter, Belisle went 8-9 with a 5.32 ERA in 30 starts. He was 2-0 with a 9.00 ERA in four spring-training starts before being placed on the DL. |
|
|
|
| Houston power man Lance Berkman left Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs early with neck spasms, according to MLB.com. Berkman was with the team on the field playing defense in the bottom of the third, but when the Astros joined for offense in the top of the fourth, Berkman was removed and replaced by Darin Erstad. As we sit, he is listed as day-to-day and his status moving forward has not been updated. |
|
|
|
| The San Francisco Giants have benched OF Aaron Rowand due to soreness in his left side, according to MLB.com. Rowand bruised his ribs on Wednesday, diving in an attempt to field a ball in play. The team reports Rowand is likely to be held out on Sunday as well.
|
|
|
|
| Relief pitcher Russ Springer has been placed on the 15-day disabled list by the St. Louis Cardinals, according to the Sports Network. The team reports Springer, coming off an atrocious outing versus Washington, is suffering with ulnar neuritis. The team has recalled Kelvin Jimenez from Triple-A Memphis to cover his spot until healthy. |
|
|
|
| Pitcher Yovani Gallardo threw 75 pitches for Triple-A Nashville on Friday as the continues to rehab from knee surgery, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gallardo pitched through four innings, allowing three runs on six hits while walking just one batter versus five strike outs. The team reports Gallardo is expected to make two more minor league starts before they consider bringing him back to the major-league roster. |
|
|
|
| The Phillies have announced RHP Brad Lidge has been officially activated from the 15-day disabled list, according to MLB.com. Lidge was put on the DL during the spring as he recovered from offseason knee surgery. He has completed one rehab start with Class A Clearwater, allowing one run in one inning of work with two strikeouts. To get Lidge on the active roster, the Astros has designated RHP Tim Lahey for assignment. |
|
|
|
| Veteran RHP Braden Looper orchestrated a strong outing in St. Louis' 5-4 win over Washington. Looper threw 95 pitches over six innings, surrendering just one run on five hits, walking two and striking out three. The outing was quickly put in jeopardy by Russ Springer, giving up three runs on 12 pitches (the bulk of the damage done on a Cristian Guzman homer), but four other relievers combined to stop the bleeding and secure Looper's first win of the season. |
|
|
|
| RHP Josh Fogg gave every fan in Cincinnati reason to dread the season that lies ahead in the Reds' 4-8 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday. In Fogg's first start of the year, six runs were surrendered (all earned) on five hits over four innings. Fogg totaled 83 pitches, surrendered two home runs, and now carries an ERA of 13.50. |
|
|
|
| Chase Utley served the Phillies (not to mention fantasy owners) rather well yesterday in Philly's 8-4 win over Cincinnati. Utley went 2-for-4 at the plate, hitting TWO home runs to total three RBIs, adding three runs scored and one walk along the way. Utley is one of the hottest bats in the league right now, touting three home runs and a batting average of .357 through four games. |
|
