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| Angels designated hitter Garret Anderson was at it again this evening, going 1-for-4 against Seattle to post his 13th homer on the season, totaling two RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: That's his second homer of the month for Anderson, hitting .343 for the month of August coming into this evening.
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| The Yankees may have stolen the win in extra innings, but Minnesota outfielder Delmon Young was doing what he could to stop the bleeding. Young went 3-for-5 at the plate with his 21st double and sixth homer of the season, posting three RBIs and three runs scored, as well as his 13th stolen base of the season. |
Our View: Young was hitting just .172 for the month of August coming into this battle, but he now has two homers and five RBIs over his last four games. It may serve to get him back on track at the plate.
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| The first blown save of the season was suffered by Yankee future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, giving up a three-run homer to Minnesota outfielder Delmon Young in the bottom of the eighth inning to surrender a lead and force extra innings. |
Our View: The homer was one of just two hits allowed by Rivera, an unusual failure in an otherwise stellar season (again) for Rivera.
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| He may have got lost in the shuffle, but Yankee RHP Mike Mussina did worthy work off the mound this evening in support of the extra-inning 9-6 win over the Twins. Mussina pitched seven innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Moose walks with no decision, halting a two-game win streak. In fact, Mussina boasts five wins over his last eight starts with two no-decisions and one loss.
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| The Yankees needed 12 innings to do it, but they pulled the 9-6 win over the Twins with some help from outfielder Xavier Nady. Nady went 2-for-4 at the plate, hitting his 31st double and 19th homer of the season to total four RBIs and one run scored on the night. |
Our View: Nady is playing well for the Yanks, hitting .368 this month with four homers for 13 RBIs.
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| Not to be overlooked in the dramatic 19-17 win over the Texas Rangers, Boston second bagger Dustin Pedroia was on the mark as well, going 5-for-6 with his 36th double of the season, registering two RBIs and five runs scored. |
Our View: Not known as an offensive juggernaut, Pedroia hit .350 last month and is hoping to get back on this pace in August (hitting .300 coming into tonight).
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| With 17 total hits producing 18 RBIs on the night, the Boston Red Sox have a few players worthy of note, but few found the success at the dish that Kevin Youkilis enjoyed. Youk went 2-for-5 at the dish with one walk and two homers to total five RBIs and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Youk is in a zone, hitting .371 on the month coming in, now touting four homers for 11 RBIs along the way.
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| The Rangers took the fall but blame can't be put on the leadoff man, second baseman Ian Kinsler. Kinsler went 2-for-5 at the dish, hitting hish 40th double and 16th homer of the season to post four RBIs and two runs scored. |
Our View: Kinsler was hitting just .250 for the month of August coming in, but his two homers in two games with seven combined RBIs looks great.
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| The top six hitters in the Texas batting order posted a combined 14 hits this evening, led by the continued surge from outfielder Marlon Byrd . Byrd went 5-for-6 to total three RBIs and four runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Only one extra-base hit for Byrd (his 18th double), but the guy is as hot as can be. He's hitting .474 this month with 12 RBIs and 14 runs scored thus far. Over his last five games, he's gone 16-for-23 at the dish.
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| We started with two three-run homers by David Ortiz in the first, followed by eight runs in response from Texas in the fifth, followedy by anotther five in the sixth, only to see Boston score four in the bottom of the eighth to get the 19-17 win. Ortiz finished going 3-for-4 at the dish with two walks, the two homers in the 1st, six RBIs and four runs scored. |
Our View: Veteran hurler Javier Vazquez had it working off the mound this evening, pushing his White Sox to an impressive 9-0 win over the Royals. Vazquez pitched eight innings, allowing five hits, one walk, and earning 10 strikeouts.
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| The White Sox put the smack down on the Royals this evening, winning 9-0 with a splash of offense from outfielder Jermaine Dye . Dye went 2-for-4 with his 26th double and 28th home run of the season, posting three RBIs and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Dye improves to a .302 average on the season, though his pace ha slowed in August, having hit .341 in July versus just .211 in August. Hoewver, he now carries four homers on the month with nine RBIs and 10 runs scored.
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| Toronto ace A.J. Burnett is starting to look like the hot hand in Canada, getting his 15th win of the season this evening as the Blue Jays found the 6-4 win versus Detroit. Burnett pitched six innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Burnett allowed three homers in the game but overcame the misgivings to get the win. He now carries five consecutive wins, with seven wins over his last eight starts, or nine wins over his last eleven.
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| The Tigers had a good thing going but failed to hold on, falling 6-4 on late hitting against the Blue Jays. For Detroit, the work of starter Zach Miner went to waste along the way, going six innings to allow just one run on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Miner left the mound with no decision as his ERA drops to 3.41. He has earned three wins over his last five starts with five combined walks and 17 strikeouts.
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| The Tigers were hoping to see a win after scoring three in the sixth, but reliever Joel Zumaya failed to close the door, entering in the 7th inning with two outs to surrender two runs (both earned) on two hits with three walks, never registering an out and earning his fourth blown save of the season. |
Our View: Zumaya also picked up the loss, now sitting at 0-2 on the season with a 3.47 ERA. Both losses have come in August since returning from injury.
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| The Blue Jays took a win against Detroit, 6-4, with outfielder Adam Lind doing his part to guarantee their fortunes. Lind went 3-for-5 at the dish with his sixth homer of the season, totaling two RBIs and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Lind hit an impressive .379 last month but is at just .231 thus far in August. This is his first homer since July 22nd.
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| The Tigers thought a late surge would get the win, but the pitching immediately fell through to give Toronto the 6-4 win. At the dish, it was Gary Sheffield (the recently-waived Gary Sheffield) doing work, going 2-for-4 with two homers to total two RBIs and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: He's still hitting a lowly .223 on the season, but a team in need of power seems likely to give it full consideration. As we saw tonight, he is a beast when motivated.
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| With 22 total hits in the game, the Orioles and Indians were happy to do battle with the bats tonight, though the Indians prevailed 7-5. The Indians used shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera as the weapon of choice, going 3-for-4 at the dish with his 12th double of the season, adding one RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Cabrera has steadily improved and already has two homers in August, just one shy of his season total entering the month.
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| The Indians needed a late surge of offense to get the job done, leaving starting LHP Jeremy Sowers with a performance unrewarded. Sowers pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. |
Our View: Sowers walks with no decision and has not registered a win since July 19th. He continues to give up the long ball and now sports a 5.07 ERA.
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| It was an offensive duel in Cleveland this evening as the Orioles fell just short and were unable to keep the Indians off the board, falling 7-5. For the O's, it was outfielder Nick Markakis doing work, going 2-for-3 at the plate with his 35th double of the season, totaling two RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: Markakis put up solid fantasy numbers last month and is improving in August, hitting .366 with two homers, nine runs scored, and 17 RBIs thus far.
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| The Tigers have promoted Dontrelle Willis from Class A Lakeland to Triple-A Toledo, putting him in line to start for the Mud Hens on Friday at Richmond, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Tigers officials cautioned that there's still no timetable for a return to the big leagues this season. Though Willis has lost each of his previous three starts, the 26-year-old left-hander has looked and pitched more like a veteran pitcher in his previous few starts after accepting an option to Lakeland in June. He lasted 7 1/3 innings in his previous start on Sunday, taking a 2-1 game into the eighth before giving up a leadoff homer and a walk that later scored. He scattered six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. One start earlier, he gave up four runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings, but didn't walk anyone while striking out six. Willis finished his Lakeland stint with an 0-3 record and 4.50 ERA in six outings, five of them starts. He gave up 30 hits over 28 innings with 11 walks and 18 strikeouts. He made three rehab starts for the Mud Hens in April while trying to work his way back from a hyperextended right knee, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.41 ERA with 16 hits and seven walks allowed over 16 1/3 innings.
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| Hank Blalock may not be coming off the disabled list as soon as he anticipated, but the Rangers are hoping he'll be able to return to the lineup on Monday against the Tigers, according to MLB.com. Blalock went through a rigorous workout on Tuesday at Fenway Park, throwing from third to first, and to second base on the around-the-horn double play. The shoulder held up under those controlled conditions. He also started taking batting practice, yet the team has held him out and continues to stress the health of his arm. |
Our View: The hope was to see Hank in tonight versus Boston, but inflammation in his right shoulder continues to be a problem. While Blalock was hoping to avoid it, he'll have to make a two or three day stop in Double-A Frisco on medical rehabilitation assignment and show the Rangers that he's ready to play third base again. Earlier this season he missed more than 2 1/2 months because of a torn left hamstring muscle and right wrist surgery, then developed the shoulder inflammation in just a week after being activated off the disabled list at the All-Star break. The Rangers had been planning to move Blalock to first base, but now are determined to leave him at third because of the presence of Chris Davis. They also want to make sure the shoulder is strong enough to play the position.
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| Left-handed reliever Ron Mahay is still in the Royals' bullpen, but his availability isn't certain because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, which causes pain in the heel, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Mahay hasn't pitched since last Wednesday. Hammered that day by the Boston Red Sox, Mahay finally yielded to the ailment which had bothered him on and off for some time. Mahay saw a specialist on Monday and says he feels better. He takes anti-inflammatories, ices the foot and does stretching exercises. On Tuesday, he did some throwing before batting practice. He tells the Royals how the foot feels just before the game so they can decide if he's available to pitch. If he's not back in action during this series, the Royals might opt to put him on the disabled list.
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| It's already an exciting night for Red Sox Nation, posting a whopping 10 runs in the 1st inning against the Texas Rangers, an effort built on two home runs and six RBIs by David Ortiz, according to FoxSports.com. |
Our View: The six ribs ties an American League record. We'll update the game in full upon completion, but the quick jump by Boston is certainly worthy of applause.
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| Catcher Joe Mauer was not in the Twins' starting lineup on Tuesday night against the Yankees due to a stiff neck, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Manager Ron Gardenhire said that he had originally slotted Mauer into the lineup, but the catcher informed his skipper of the neck problem when he arrived at the ballpark. Mauer said he's been feeling some discomfort in his neck for the past few days, but it had really stiffened up on Tuesday. Mauer did not take any swings during batting practice, but he said that he hoped to get a little more treatment on the neck and be ready to play on Wednesday.
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| Outfielder Carl Crawford will undergo surgery Thursday to fix a tendon problem in his right hand and likely miss the rest of the regular season though there is a chance he could be back for the final games, Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said Tuesday, according to TampaBay.com. |
Our View: This is a tremendous blow for the Rays and fantasy owners alike, resulting in the worst scenario imaginable for both. He may return for the playoffs, but that is an optimistic thought at this point. For now, he is done.
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| On Sunday, the Rays acted confident Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett would be back on the left side of the infield for tonight’s opener against the A’s. Now Longoria’s on the disabled list, but Bartlett is in the lineup... as the designated hitter, according to TBO.com. |
Our View: Rocco Baldelli will be in right field again while Justin Ruggiano is starting in left, indicating Barlett is not yet ready for duty in the field due to a bruised right index finger.
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| Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was originally in tonight's lineup, but he was a last-minute scratch due to tightness and a bruised tailbone, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: He was hit by a pitch Monday night in Chicago, believed to be the source of the problem, though it is not considered serious. Coco Crisp is now playing center.
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| Vicente Padilla spent the off day Monday in Arlington having an MRI and taking a cortisone injection for a bothersome joint near his neck that forced him to the disabled list last month, according to the Ft. Worth Star Telegram. |
Our View: His status for his next scheduled start Thursday remains in question. Tommy Hunter would be the starter in the series finale against Boston if Padilla can't go. We'll keep you posted.
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| Tae-Kyeong Ahn, an 18-year-old right-hander from Korea, has agreed to terms with the Rangers, according to Ft. Worth Star Telegram. |
Our View: Terms were not announced, though general manager Thad Levine said it was for less than the $800,000 that surfaced in reports over the weekend.
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| White Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin was scratched from Tuesday night's lineup because of general soreness from getting hit by pitches in five consecutive games, according to ChicagoSports.com. He is listed as day-to-day. |
Our View: Quentin felt swelling and numbness while taking early batting practice. Paul Konerko was inserted in the lineup and will play first base, with Nick Swisher moving to left field.
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| The A's are going to give prospect Cliff Pennington the start at third base this evening as they face the Tampa Bay Rays, according to the San Francisco Gate. |
Our View: The A's haven't put out a release yet, but Pennington is working out on the field with hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo. Manager Bob Geren tends to put new callups in the lineup and with Jack Hannahan struggling mightily on the last road trip, it's a good bet Pennington is at third tonight. The former first-round pick has been playing there recently at Triple-A Sacramento, and he's been one of the River Cats' hottest hitters of late. To make room on the roster, the Gate believes the A's have designated Brooks Conrad for assignment.
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| The Angels square off against the Seattle Mariners tonight, and though the M's do not have a great hitting team, they pound Halos starter Jon Garland. Players currently on Seattle's roster have combined to hit .333 (48-for-144) in their career against him, led by Raul Ibanez and his .373 mark, Ichiro's .371 average, and Adrian Beltre's .357 average. |
Our View: If you have Garland on your fantasy squad, it may not be the best night to start him. On the other hand, double check to be sure Ibanez, Ichiro and Beltre are all in there.
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| Boston infielder Julio Lugo is on the road to recover from his strained left quad and has begun taking grounders and getting on the field, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: There is still no timetable for Lugo's return, but it sounds like he will be back sooner rather than later. His speed makes him a decent play in AL-only leagues.
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| If you have Angels outfielder Torii Hunter penciled in to your fantasy squad this evening, you may want to rethink that. Against Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn, Hunter is hitting a ghastly .175 (7-for-40). In fact, he has more strikeouts (8) than hits off Washburn. |
Our View: Hunter has only one hit in his last nine at-bats, and he has struck out five times in his previous sixteen AB's, so it may be time to plug someone else into Hunter's spot on fantasy teams for a game or two.
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| Twins backstop Joe Mauer is out of tonight's lineup against the Yankees and hurler Mike Mussina, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. |
Our View: Mauer is 0-for-8 in his career against Mussina, and the team has an afternoon game tomorrow, so Mauer gets the day off. Adjust your lineups accordingly.
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| Paul Byrd will make the start on Friday for the Red Sox, which is the day that Clay Buchholz was supposed to take the mound, according to the Boston Globe. The Red Sox still have not announced their plans for Buchholz, but he has been so atrocious lately, his starting spot is certainly in jeopardy. |
Our View: We're not sure why anybody would possess the young right-hander on their fantasy squad, but if you do, now might be the time to relieve him of those duties as well.
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| The Seattle Mariners are turning former reliever Brandon Morrow into a starter, and his second minor league start did not go well, according to Scout.com. Morrow threw 51 pitches, going 2.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits. |
Our View: Morrow was lights out as the replacement closer for J.J. Putz when Putz was injured earlier this season. Now, the Mariners are trying to mold his nastiness to a starting spot. He will certainly have fantasy value when he is ready to appear in the big leagues in that role.
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| Gary Sheffield has been put on waivers, and is available for any team to claim, according to MLive.com. However, he remains in the Tigers lineup tonight. |
Our View: Sheffield had a tiff with manager Jim Leyland over playing DH exclusively and not being allowed to play in the outfield, but it's unlikely this move had anything to do with that. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that Sheffield is hitting .222 and will make $14 million next year.
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| Mike Mussina (15-7, 3.27 ERA) will try to end the Yankees current four game skid as he faces the Twins, Tuesday, August 12. |
Our View: In a rotation filled with year-long uncertainty, Mussina has been the one constant. Look for the Yankees to rally behind this old veteran.
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| Scott Kazmir (8-5, 3.20 ERA) will face the Oakland Athletics, Tuesday, August 12. Kazmir hopes to rebound from his last start in which he gave up five runs over 4.1 innings. |
Our View: Look for Kazmir to rebound against the horrible Oakland offense.
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| Red Sox acquired RHP Paul Byrd from the Indians for a player to be named later or cash, according to the AP. |
Our View: The 37-year-old Byrd (7-10, 4.53 ERA) has won all four of his starts since the All-Star break.
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| The season ending injury to C.J. Wilson means that "Everyday" Eddie Guardado is now the closer in Texas. However, don't rule out Frank Francisco as the Rangers' closer du jour in September. |
Our View: After Eddie serves up his share of long balls with his 85 mph fastball and the Rangers fall completely out of the Wild Card race, the team will be looking towards the future. Francisco could be that arm.
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| Gio Gonzalez make his home debut tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays. The young left-hander was outstanding in his first start against the Blue Jays, however, the prospect experienced a touch of nerves in the first inning of his major league debut. Alex Rios hit a two-out double and Lyle Overbay walked before Rod Barajas drove a 2-0 pitch into the second deck of left field for his ninth home run of the season. Gonzalez followed the rough start by retiring 16 of the next 17 batters in dominant fashion. |
Our View: The youngster has terrific upside, especially with half of his innings coming in pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum.
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| Freddy Garcia signed with the Tigers today, this according to SI.com. Garcia has not pitched since June of 2007 when he was with the Philadelphia Phillies, and has had his share of injuries. Where he fits into the Tigers rotation has yet to be determined. |
Our View: It's obvious that the Tigers have not yet given up on the season. While Garcia wasn't considered one of the top-tiered free agent options -- he came cheap -- and has a reputation as a big game pitcher.
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| The Jays are close to shutting down Jeremy Accardo for the season. He has been on the disabled list with a strained forearm for more than three months, according to the Toronto Star. |
Our View: Accardo hasn't pitched for three months so even if he could return he would have to shake off some rust. Expect the Jays to shut him down soon, as they are falling further and further out of the playoff race.
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| After missing Monday night's game with a "tender, stiff" wrist, David Ortiz is expected to return to the lineup tonight in Boston, reports the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Boston is tracking Ortiz's health on a day-by-day basis. Expect him to receive a day off every now and then to rest his sore wrist.
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| The Jays are close to officially ending second baseman Aaron Hill's 2008 season. Hill continues to struggle with the after-effects of a concussion suffered on May 29, according to the Toronto Star. |
Our View: Hill is currently rehabbing in Florida but continues to have problems stemming from his collision with SS David Eckstein.
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| Marcus Thames's has recieved a cortisone shot in his sore shoulder. Manager Jim Leyland expects him to return by the end of the week, reports the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: Thames injured his shoulder diving for a ball last week.
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| Manager Eric Wedge reports Victor Martinez could begin a minor league rehab assignment as soon as this weekend, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. |
Our View: Hitting coach Derek Shelton commented that Martinez's BP on Monday, "looked very good."
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| Alexi Casilla is "100 percent" certain about returning this season and may come off the disabled list as soon as next week, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. |
Our View: Casilla, who is batting .313, will have his splint removed Wednesday and will resume baseball activities Friday.
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| Rangers activated RHP Doug Mathis from the disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Oklahoma. |
Our View: Mathis (2-1, 6.85) has been out since mid-June with a shoulder injury.
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| The Blue Jays optioned John Parrish to Triple-A Syracuse Tuesday. |
Our View: The Jays optioned Parrish to open a spot in the rotation for Jesse Litsch.
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| Blue Jays recalled RHP Jesse Litsch from Triple-A Syracuse. |
Our View: Litsch returns to the Jays hoping to regain his early season form that lead him to a 3.69 ERA on July 1.
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