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| Ryan Howard went 2-for-4 and registered the Phillies' lone RBI in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLDS at Miller Park. He hit a single and a double. |
Our View: Philadelphia still leads the best-of-five series 2-1, and Howard recorded his first RBI of the postseason in the loss.
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| Jamie Moyer allowed two earned runs on four hits over four innings in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLDS at Miller Park, with three walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: The Phillies held a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series heading into tonight's game, but the 45-year-old vet failed to close the door, and Milwaukee survives for Sunday's Game 4.
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| Dave Bush only issued one earned run on five hits over 5.1 innings of work in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS at Miller Park, with no walks and three strikeouts. Milwaukee now trails 2-1 in the best-of-five series. |
Our View: Bush went 9-10 in the regular season and allowed 29 homers, but maintained a solid 1.14 WHIP. The 28-year-old vet did not fold under the pressure with the Brewers' facing elimination tonight.
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| J.J. Hardy went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS at Miller Park. All of his knocks were singles. |
Our View: He helped Milwaukee climb back into the best-of-five series, and ward off elimination. Philadelphia now leads 2-1, with Game 4 slated for Sunday. Hardy is hitting a team-best .400 over the first three games of the series.
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| Noah Lowry has started his treatment in Arizona following arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow, according to the SF Chronicle. Dr. Lewis Yocum shaved a bone spur behind Lowry's left elbow that forced him to stop a monthslong rehab from a separate surgery to relieve pressure on nerves in his forearm.
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Our View: Dr. Yocum's exploratory investigation of Lowry's elbow during the arthroscopy found no further damage, and Lowry is bidding to be 100 percent healthy by spring training.
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| Rickie Weeks was forced to leave Saturday's critical Game 3 against Philadelphia in the fourth inning due to a sprained left knee, according to the AP. The Brewers trail the best-of-five series 2-0. |
Our View: Weeks suffered the injury when he stepped awkwardly on first base trying to beat out a ground ball. We will keep you posted on his status.
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| Jermaine Dye is doing his part for the struggling Sox, as they currently trail the Rays 2-0 in the ALDS, according to MLB.com. Dye said, "No matter if it's a playoff or a regular-season game, anytime you do well and your team loses, you still feel like you failed. We just try to find a way to win, no matter what. We win or lose as a team. There are no heroes on this team. We're all together. If we lose, I feel like I didn't do enough to help the team win."
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Our View: Dye is hitting 5-for-9 over the two losses at Tropicana Field, and is more than halfway towards matching his career-best hit total for a postseason series, and he's been in 10 of them over his career. Dye will try to pull Chicago back into the series Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field in Game 3.
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| Mike Lowell was held out of Game 2 due to his ailing hip, but manager Terry Francona indicated that he will return to the lineup in Game 3, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Boston holds a 2-0 lead over the Angels, and Lowell will be in action when they try to close out the best-of-five series Sunday at Fenway Park.
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| Bobby Abreu wants at least a three-year contract as he heads toward free agency for the first time in his career, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: Abreu prefers to remain with the Yankees, but he does not want a one-year deal. It is believed the Yankees will offer Abreu arbitration and be content with compensatory draft picks if and when he turns it down. He scored 100 runs and registered 100 RBI over 156 games in 2008.
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| If necessary, Joe Blanton would pitch Game 4 of the NLDS against Milwaukee, according to the AP. |
Our View: The Phillies currently hold a 2-0 lead in the series, and could close it out tonight at Miller Park. If the Brewers can manage to win, they would have a good chance to even the series in Game 4 as Blanton held a 4.69 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 33 starts in the regular season.
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| Mike Cameron will be with the Brewers for Saturday’s Game 3 of the NLDS against the Phillies even though his wife underwent an emergency surgery on the previous day, according to the AP. Cameron left the team early Friday when he discovered that his pregnant wife was forced to undergo an unexpected C-section in Atlanta, delivering a baby girl.
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Our View: Cameron is expected to be in tonight's lineup as the Brewers try to ward off elimination while trailing Philadelphia 2-0 in a best-of-five series.
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| Carlos Pena is expected to be back in the lineup for Sunday's Game 3 of the ALDS, according to MLB.com. Pena left Game 1 early and missed Game 2 with blurred vision as a result of a scratched cornea. "I feel pretty good," Pena said. "I think everything is back to normal. I just can't wait to get back out there and join the team. ... It's definitely healed. Today I feel as normal as I did before it happened." |
Our View: Willy Aybar had a pair of hits yesterday while filling in for Pena, but the Rays will certainly welcome their slugger back.
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| The Mariners are moving stud prospect Carlos Triunfel around the infield in the instructional league, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The M's still think he can play shortstop (though he has had some problems), but they want to see how he looks at second and third base. |
Our View: Triunfel hit .287-8-49 with 30 steals in High-A this year. Not overwhelming numbers, but they're mighty impressive when you consider that he's just 18 years old.
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| Justin Morneau admitted having trouble with one of his knees late in the season but is not too concerned, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "My knee has been a bother," Morneau wrote in response to an e-mail question, "but that is just from the general wear and tear of playing on turf in the Dome all season. It will be looked at, but my feeling is that it is just from the long season and nothing will be done." GM Bill Smith pointed out that every Twins player had an exit physical during the final weeks of the season, and the club would have acted if it felt that Morneau's knee needed further attention. "This man played 163 games this season," Smith said. "He's going to have some aches and pains but he's a battler and would never come out of the lineup." |
Our View: Morneau wouldn't say which knee was giving him problems, but it sounds like it shouldn't be of any worry to fantasy owners that have the slugger in a keeper league.
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| Mike Weiner of the major league players association has said that the grievance the Padres are pursuing against shortstop Khalil Greene likely will not be heard before spring training, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The club is attempting to recover up to $1.47 million in salary paid after Greene's self-inflicted hand injury ended his season on July 30. Padres CEO Sandy Alderson has said the grievance goes beyond trying to recover salary. "In the larger sense, it's about deterring this kind of conduct in the future because the consequences can be critical to a team," he said. |
Our View: There is precedent to this, as pitcher Doyle Alexander won a grievance in 1982 after the Yankees tried to recover salary paid while he was sidelined for two months as a result of a fractured knuckle that he suffered after punching a dugout wall. You've got to wonder if it is worth "sending a message" when this will likely alienate Greene, as well as possibly other players on the team, as well.
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| Torii Hunter had an ice pack on his left knee after Friday's loss to Boston, but he said he will definitely play through the injury, according to MLB.com. "It's a little sore, but trust me -- I can play through it," Hunter said. "Adrenaline is a painkiller. I'll play through it." |
Our View: Hunter injured himself when he landed awkwardly after jumping into the air to protest a call at first base. Thankfully it appears that his team will not be without his services as they attempt to dig themselves out of a 2-0 hole.
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| Rich Harden says his shoulder is fine despite that he had to get a cortisone shot last month, according to the Arlington Daily Herald. "Just regular maintenance," said Harden. "I guess some people think it's an issue. There's nothing going on. Regular maintenance, getting ready for the postseason." |
Our View: Harden will always be a question mark health-wise, but he shouldn't be hampered at all by the shoulder tonight.
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| Kosuke Fukudome is not in the lineup Saturday as manager Lou Pinella promised, according to the Arlington Daily Herald. The outfielder is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts in the two games versus LA. "Let's not worry about Fukudome right now," Piniella said. "Let's worry about the team, and let's worry about what's best for the team. I think too much is being made of the point whether this guy's playing or that guy isn't playing. This is a team. And I'm going to play Fontenot (tonight). He's been swinging the bat well." |
Our View: We'd be surprised if Fukudome makes another start in the playoffs even if the Cubs rally to beat the Dodgers.
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| Mike Fontenot will start at second at hit second in the lineup Saturday, according to the Arlington Daily Herald. Mark DeRosa has moved to right field and Kosuke Fukudome is on the bench. |
Our View: Fontenot is clearly a better offensive option than the Japanese import right now. He quietly posted an impressive .909 OPS in 243 at-bats this year.
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| Ryan Dempster will be available out of the bullpen tonight and tomorrow, if there is a game, according to the Arlington Daily Herald. "We'll have him in the bullpen available (today) and Sunday," said manager Lou Piniella. "And if he pitches, we can always start (Carlos) Zambrano on Tuesday, which would be his fifth day. We're going to pull out all the stops that we can and do what ever we can to help ourselves win baseball games." |
Our View: Dempster walked seven batters in the Game 1 loss to the Dodgers. This could be viewed as a demotion, but he would likely be available to start, if needed, later in the series if he throws just an inning or two.
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| Jonathan Papelbon got six outs for the win in Friday's 7-5 win over the Angels in Game 2 of the ALDS. He struck out one and allowed no hits. |
Our View: Papelbon did allow a Mark Teixeira sac fly that scored his inherited runner, Chone Figgins, from third. Regardless, he was mostly dominant in his two inning appearance.
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| Chone Figgins was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI in Friday's 7-5 loss to the Red Sox. His triple was the Halos first and only extra base hit of the season and he scored on a Mark Teixeira sac fly to tie the game in the eighth. |
Our View: Remarkably, Chone had just one triple in 116 regular season game. The Angels will need more performances like this from their leadoff hitter if they want to get back into this series.
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| Howie Kendrick continued a dreadful start to the playoffs on Friday night. He went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and he left five more runners on base in the Angels 7-5 loss. |
Our View: Kendrick has now left 11 runners on base while going 0-for-9 in the ALDS. Manager Mike Scioscia may go with a different infielder in Game 3.
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| Torii Hunter remained in the game until it's end after injuring his knee while disputing a call early in the game. He finished 2-for-5 with two RBI on the in the Angels loss. |
Our View: He laid down a bunt in the ninth indicating his faith in the health of his knee. There will likely be a report regarding his availability for the rest of the series within 24 hours.
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| Mark Teixeira went 3-for-3 with three runs, a walk and an RBI on a sac fly in the eighth in Friday night's Game 2. The Angels lost 7-5 and are now down 0-2 in the series. |
Our View: All three of his hits were singles and he improved to 5-for-7 on the series.
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| Jason Bay hit his second postseason home run in his second career postseason game in Friday's 7-5 win over the Angels. He went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run. |
Our View: Despite all the havoc Manny Ramirez is wrecking, Jason Bay has done everything he can to keep pace with the dreadlocked superstar. Bay is 5-for-9 after two playoff games. He has five RBI through two games.
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| J.D. Drew's ninth inning, two-run blast off of Francisco Rodriguez gave the Red Sox a 7-5 victory which held up for the final score in Friday's Game 2 of the ALDS in Anaheim. He finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Drew is clearly not feeling any ill effects of the back injury that sidelined him up until the playoffs (he had just four at-bats in the final six weeks of the season). He was the difference tonight at the plate and he also contributed with some nice catches in the field.
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