Fantasy Baseball News Update

Fantasy Basebll News Update
Submitted July 10, 2008

Wood, Kerry RP CHC
News:
The Cubs closer Kerry Wood needed only one batter to pick up his 23rd save of the season Wednesday against the Reds. Carlos Marmol relieved to start the ninth and gave up a two-out single to Jay Bruce that went off first baseman Derrek Lee's glove, then walked Jeff Keppinger and Ken Griffey Jr. to load the bases. Wood relieved and got Brandon Phillips to foul out to first to earn his 23rd save in 28 chances.
Analysis:
Wood is coming off a scary bad outing for the Cubs Saturday against the Cardinals where he picked up his second loss and lasted only 2/3 of an inning, giving up two hits, three walks and three runs. Instead of creating hemorrhages Wednesday, Wood was stopping them and looks to have rebounded nicely. He's still a must-start Fantasy closer as he's a National League All Star.

Sanchez's outing shortened by rain
Sanchez, Jonathan O. RP SF
News:
Giants SP Jonathan O. Sanchez pitched three scoreless innings Wednesday against the Mets before New York scored three times in the fourth and that was enough for Johan Santana in a 5-0 win. Carlos Delgado doubled with two outs in the fourth and Fernando Tatis kept the inning alive with a walk. Ramon Castro then hit a 1-2 pitch to left for his third homer. Sanchez was pulled when the game resumed after a 42-minute rain delay in the fifth. The left-hander allowed three hits, walked three and struck out six in four innings.
Analysis:
Sanchez (8-5) was 5-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his previous six road starts before losing Wednesday. In his last two losses, Sanchez has allowed three earned runs, so it hasn't entirely been his fault at times. The left-hander has really come into his own as a full-time starter and has emerged as a viable Fantasy SP. His next scheduled start is for after the All-Star break.

Polanco sits as U.S. Citizen Wed.
Polanco, Placido 2B DET
News:
Tigers 2B Placido Polanco didn't start after being sworn in as a U.S. citizen before the game Wednesday. He entered in the seventh inning against the Indians after Edgar Renteria strained a hamstring running out a ground ball.
Analysis:
It's hard to believe that Polanco was hitting just .140 as of late April and now his average is all the way up to .318. He suffered from a back injury early in the season that hampered him at the plate, but since overcoming the injury, he has been nothing short of solid. Polanco remains a high-end Fantasy 2B.

McLouth doubles three times
McLouth, Nate CF PIT
News:
Pirates OF Nate McLouth stayed hot at the plate Wednesday against the Astros with three doubles in four at-bats. He now has 32 doubles on the season. The All-Star scored twice and is 11-for-32 (.344) in seven July games. He also has two homers and eight RBI in that span.
Analysis:
He's back After slumping to a .214 average in June, McLouth is off to a hot start in July and is starting to look like the kid who surprised everyone to start the season. He remains a must-start Fantasy option for now, but treat him as more of a No. 2 OF than a No. 1.

Morneau homers against Red Sox

Morneau, Justin 1B MIN
News:
Minnesota slugging first baseman Justin Morneau helped the Twins a little bit in their dismantling by the Boston Red Sox Wednesday. Morneau at least went 2-for-5 with his 13th home run of the season. He had two RBI in the game.
Analysis:
Morneau has been very solid this season for the Twins and is batting .314. Morneau is healthy and a must-start in all leagues right now. He should pick up his homer pace in the second half, so don't sell low at this point.

Ellsbury has four-hit night Wed.
Ellsbury, Jacoby CF BOS
News:
The Red Sox battered Twins pitching Wednesday to the tune of 18 runs and 23 hits. Boston CF Jacoby Ellsbury had four of them. Ellsbury went 4-for-6 with a double and two runs scored. He also drove in a run.
Analysis:
Ellsbury, batting .278 on the year, has hits in six of his last eight games for the Red Sox. With the Sox offense and Ellsbury batting lead off, he's a very valuable asset to any Fantasy roster, especially Rotisserie. He's owned in 96 percent of leagues and is started in 78 percent and that number should only continue to rise.

Snyder picking up a bat Wednesday
Snyder, Chris C ARI
News:
The Sports Xchange reports Arizona C Chris Snyder (testicular fracture) played catch at Nationals Park and plans to swing a bat Wednesday for the first time since his injury June 30. He is eligible to return from the disabled list after the All-Star break.
Analysis:
Snyder has pop in his bat and the potential to perform on the level of a top-10 Fantasy catcher in the second half. Consider him a DL stashee in deeper leagues right now and he might even be ready to activate in the short Fantasy Week 16 (July 17-20).

Come and get a Hardy helping of J.J.
Hardy, J.J. SS MIL
News:
The Sports Xchange reports Brewers SS J.J. Hardy has hit safely in 19 of 20 games, batting .432 (35-for-81) with eight homers and 20 RBIs.
Analysis:
Look, Hardy can't keep up this production forever. It is going to go down at some point. Still, he deserves to be starting in all Fantasy formats right now, at least. Anyone who didn't have him in the lineup last week is kicking themselves now.

R. Martin not hitting much lately
Martin, Russell C LA
News:
Dodgers C Russell Martin went 1-for-4 Tuesday against the Braves. He's batting .179 (5-for-28) over his last seven games.
Analysis:
Martin had a bit of a slow start to the season that frustrated Fantasy owners, but he's hitting right at .300 on the season with decent power and speed numbers. He remains an elite Fantasy C and a must-start in all leagues.

Braun powers up for Home Run Derby
Braun, Ryan J. 3B MIL
News:
Ryan J. Braun gave the fans in Milwaukee a preview of what New York will see at the All-Star Home Run Derby on Tuesday against the Rockies. Braun went 1-for-3 and blasted his 22nd homer of the season, a three-run shot. He also walked.
Analysis:
Braun is a young hitter who is going to go through patterns of hot and cold. He seems to be completely over his hand injury. His power potential makes him a must-start in Fantasy, though now that he will be competing in the Home Run Derby, Fantasy owners might be a little scared that messes up his swing.

Duchscherer throws two-hit shutout
Duchscherer, Justin RP OAK
News:
Athletics SP Justin Duchscherer faced only three batters over the minimum and threw a two-hit shutout Tuesday against the Mariners. The right-hander allowed a two-out double to Richie Sexson in the fifth inning and a leadoff single to Miguel Cairo in the sixth. He retired the side in order six times, including the ninth inning when he struck out Raul Ibanez to seal his first career complete game. He struck out four total and walked none, improving to 7-2 with a 1.34 ERA over his last nine starts. The win was his first in six decisions against the Mariners.
Analysis:
Rich Harden was Oakland's staff ace this season, but that title now belongs to Duchscherer after Harden's trade Tuesday. Duchscherer has a ridiculous 1.78 ERA to go along with 10 wins and surely will enter the Cy Young talks if his run continues. Considering he never made more than three starts in a season before this year, you have to think he'll slow down in the second half, but he clearly has must-start status in Fantasy right now. His next start -- and second of Fantasy Week 15 -- is scheduled for Sunday against the Angels.

Lincecum has rought night at Shea
Lincecum, Tim SP SF
News: Mike Pelfrey outpitched All-Star Tim Lincecum to win his fifth straight start, and the surging New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 7-0 on Tuesday night. Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Carlos Delgado also connected off Lincecum (10-2) to help the Mets win their fourth in a row. Lincecum, selected to his first All-Star team Sunday, allowed a season-high nine hits in six innings. He struck out four, increasing his NL-high total to 126, and walked two.
Analysis:
The 24-year-old right-hander was 6-0 in 12 starts since his other loss, 3-2 against Colorado on April 29. He had won two straight starts coming into Tuesday's outing. Lincecum has allowed four or more runs in three of his last five outings, but it's nothing for Fantasy owners to fret about. The young fireballer is still an elite Fantasy SP thanks to a killer strikeout pitch. His next scheduled start is for Sunday against the Cubs. Lincecum beat the Cubs in his previous outing, allowing three runs in six innings.

Rowand excited amid 32nd-man vote
Rowand, Aaron CF SF
News:
According to The Sports Xchange notes: OF Aaron Rowand said he would look forward to going to the All-Star Game if fans vote him in as the NL's 32nd roster man, as part of an MLB Internet voting procedure. His competition is Pat Burrell (Phillies), Corey Hart (Brewers), Carlos Lee (Astros) and David Wright (Mets). Balloting ends Thursday.
Analysis:
Rowand has experienced the expected dip in homers and run production with the move from a great hitter's park in Philly to a notorious pitcher's park in San Francisco. Consider him far less of a must-start in mixed leagues than his name might suggest.

Kuroda tosses another CG shutout
Kuroda, Hiroki SP LA
News:
Hiroki Kuroda took a perfect game into the eighth inning and settled for a one-hitter, leading Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. Kuroda (5-6) retired the first 21 batters before Mark Teixeira lined the right-hander's 70th pitch into the right field corner for a double leading off the eighth. He was the only Atlanta baserunner. He threw 91 pitches and struck out six.
Analysis:
Kuroda was attempting to become the first Dodger to throw a no-hitter since countryman Hideo Nomo on Sept. 17, 1996, 9-0 at Colorado. Kuroda, 33, signed with the Dodgers in December as a free agent after 11 seasons with Hiroshima of the Japanese Central League. Kuroda has not allowed an earned run in two straight starts and has pitched two complete games in his last four outings. Kuroda is not an overly impressive Fantasy SP, but he gets the job done. Consider him a decent No. 4 Fantasy SP in larger mixed leagues. His next scheduled start is for Saturday against the Marlins. Kuroda has a 3.86 ERA and no record against Florida this season.

Rodriguez ties Mantle HR record

Rodriguez, Alex 3B NYY
News:
Alex Rodriguez tied Mickey Mantle for 13th place on the home run list, hitting No. 536 Sunday night in the New York Yankees' game against the Boston Red Sox. Rodriguez's 18th home run of the season came in the second inning against Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. A-Rod took a curtain call after circling the bases. Next up for the 32-year-old Rodriguez is Mike Schmidt, who finished with 548 homers. Mantle hit all of his homers for the Yankees in a career that began in 1951 and ended in 1968. Rodriguez has 191 homers since joining the Yankees in 2004.
Analysis:
Rodriguez, who was voted the starting 3B for the AL All-Star team, finished 2-for-4 Sunday and has three homers in seven games. It wasn't all pleasant news for A-Rod on Sunday. It is reported that his wife will file for divorce Monday. This personal issue could affect A-Rod at the dish, but it's still not enough to warrant a benching in Fantasy. Continue to keep the All-Star active in all Fantasy formats.