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Aaron Harang is serious!Interleague games being played in National League ballparks:

Chicago White Sox @ Pittsburgh Pirates
F. García (9-4, 4.66) vs. P. Maholm (2-6, 4.90)
Freddy Garcia looks to stay perfect against the N.L. this season, having already won three games, giving up four runs in 24.0 innings of work.  In his last outing, he won a pitching duel with young pitching prospect, St. Louis Cardinals Anthony Reyes.  Garcia gets to match up against another prospect in Paul Maholm.  Thanks to a robust White Sox offense, Garcia should win this matchup as well.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays @ Florida Marlins
C. Fossum (2-3, 5.25) vs. S. Olsen (6-3, 4.60)
The Battle for Florida state continues as the D-Rays, representing the geriatric part of the state, face the Marlins, representing the beautiful people part of the F-L-A.  Both teams are basically out of the race for their respective divisions, but both are so loaded with young talent, if management plays it right, that could all change in the coming seasons.  In the meantime, enjoy the killer Casey Fossum/Scott Olsen pitching contest.

Kansas City Royals @ Cincinnati Reds
S. Elarton (3-8, 4.87) vs. A. Harang (8-5, 3.59)
The Reds are hanging with the N.L. Central leading St. Louis Cardinals, only 1.5 games back.  Unfortuantely, it hasn’t been because the Reds have played particularly well, as they’re 4-6 in their last 10 games; it’s because the Cardinals have tanked in their last ten, going 2-8.  With an injury to Mark Mulder, the Reds can make a move.  In the forefront of that moment should be Aaron Harang who continues to build on last season’s breakout performance.  In essence, the Royals are just plain bad.  However, in Great American Ballpark, the offense can really boost up their offensive production.  Then again, so can the Reds.

Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: National League 6.28.06


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Josh Beckett's battle cryPedro Martinez thanks the man upstairsInterleague games going down on American League soil:

Houston Astros @ Detroit Tigers
A. Pettitte (6-8, 5.75) vs. J. Verlander (9-4, 3.39)
The Tigers beat just keeps on pumping out wins, going 9-1 in the last 10 and basically eating N.L. teams alive.  Rookie pitcher, Justin Verlander, looks to get his tenth victory, which would be impressive at this juncture of the season.  Andy Pettitte hopes to right his ship, especially with his old buddy, and I mean old, Roger Clemens back in the Astros fold.  He looked horrible his first start since the Rocket’s return, but it was against the White Sox.  That’s that other team chasing the Tigers for the best record in baseball.

Atlanta Braves @ New York Yankees
J. Smoltz (4-5, 3.89) vs. C. Wang (8-3, 4.14)
Could John Smoltz’s start in Yankee Stadium this afternoon be a prelude of things to come?  There are rumors that the Yankees are interested in the 39 year old righty.  The Braves have looked bad this season and a trade could very well happen, especially since Smoltz has stated he would go in a trade if it would improve the Braves.  How’s that loyalty?

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Minnesota Twins
O. Pérez (4-2, 6.33) vs. J. Santana (8-4, 2.75)
Johan Santana is the truth.  He goes for his third straight win, which would be against all N.L. opponents as well.  Santana is unhittable in June with a .172 BAA and a very low 0.67 WHIP.  And read these numbers for the month: In 36.0 innings pitched, Santana has struck out 35 batters and walked only two.  That’s a 17.5 K/BB rate!  Have pity on the Dodgers’ hitters now.

Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: American League 6.28.06


Jim ThomeCHICAGO WHITE SOX

The White Sox play in National League stadiums for the balance of this week.  Jim Thome should get a start in Pittsburgh and in Wrigley Field at first base.  Don’t look for any more than that because Paul Konerko is the one who has to go to the bench.

Scott Podsednik owners may have to live with a batting average in the .250 to .260 area.  His low contact rate of 82% is preventing him from fully taking advantage of his speed to beat out infield ground balls.  Another problem is that when he hit .290 last year, his G/F ratio was a career high 2.08, this year it is 1.59, which is more in-line with his career marks.

Brian Anderson is back from his 5-game suspension and will continue to share time with Rob Mackowiak in centerfield.

Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central


Jason GiambiNEW YORK YANKEES

Three of the older Yankee hitters, Jorge Posada, Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams are having productive seasons.

Posada turns 35 in August and is in his tenth season as a major league catcher.  One would expect the wear and tear of playing such a demanding position to catch up with him, but he is hitting .294 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs.  His power has declined since his prime days, but he is making up for it with an improved batting eye and a higher contact rate.  Another reason that he is a good bet to keep it up is that his first and second half season splits in 2004 and 2005 did show any major differences.

Giambi is now 35 year old and has recovered nicely from the controversy of early last year to hit 20 home runs, with 56 RBIs so far this season.  These numbers are not so far off from his big years from 1999 to 2003.  The only real difference is that a lower contact rate has lowered his batting average from the .300’s to a still very acceptable .268.  With all his other underlying skills still intact, look for his big year to continue.

Williams’, who turns 38 years old in September, mini-resurgence to a .290 batting average has been the product of an increased contact rate.  The problem is that the combination of a decrease in power skills and batting eye means he is not hitting the ball that hard.  Once some of those balls stop finding holes, his batting average should decline.

Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East


Brad Penny dealing to the dish!The following games take place on National League territory.  Saturday and Sunday’s probable starters are listed:

Oakland Athletics @ San Francisco Giants
SAT: D. Haren (6-6, 3.39) vs. J. Wright (5-7, 4.55)
SUN: E. Loaiza (2-4, 6.94) vs. M. Cain (6-5, 4.79)
Dan Haren is starting to come around.  Look for an excellent second half from him.  Matt Cain needs to do some work if he’s going to match the production with the hype.  Remember, after Felix Hernandez’ debut last season, Cain was second in the hype game.

Texas Rangers @ Colorado Rockies
SAT: R. Tejeda (1-2, 7.71) vs. J. Fogg (4-5, 4.94)
SUN: V. Padilla (6-4, 4.78) vs. B. Kim (4-4, 4.84)
I told you last night’s game was going to be a slugfest.  The Rangers beat the Rockies by the score of 8-6.  Expect more of the same the rest of the series.

Los Angeles Angels @ Arizona Diamondbacks
SAT: B. Colón (0-3, 5.57) vs. C. Vargas (6-4, 5.02)
SUN: K. Escobar (5-8, 3.54) vs. M. Batista (6-5, 5.02)
The Angels throw out their ace, Bartolo Colon, but who knows how well he pitches anymore.  On the other hand, I’m really liking Escobar’s stuff.

Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: National League Weekend Edition 6.24-6.25


Carl Crawford is getting busy in JuneThe following games take place on American League territory.  Saturday and Sunday’s probable starters are listed:

Philadelphia Phillies @ Boston Red Sox
SAT: B. Myers (5-3, 3.77) vs. C. Schilling (9-2, 3.55)
SUN: C. Lidle (4-6, 5.00) vs. T. Wakefield (5-8, 3.82)
We know Myers can beat his wife, but can he beat the Red Sox and Curt Schilling?  And despite pitching well, Wakefield just isn’t getting the offensive support to win more games.

Houston Astros @ Chicago White Sox
SAT: T. Buchholz (4-6, 5.82) vs. J. Garland (6-3, 5.58)
SUN: R. Oswalt (6-3, 3.32) vs. J. Vázquez (8-4, 4.43)
The Astros lost the first game of the series in this rematch of last season’s World Series participants.  Sunday’s night game should be fun to watch with Roy Oswalt and Javier Vazquez on the hill.

Cincinnati Reds @ Cleveland Indians
SAT: B. Arroyo (9-3, 2.47) vs. P. Byrd (5-5, 4.78)
SUN: E. Ramírez (2-6, 3.69) vs. J. Sowers (0-0, 0.00)
Boy, couldn’t the Red Sox use Bronson Arroyo right now.  Especially considering how well he’s doing in the Queen City.  Watch rookie Jeremy Sowers on Sunday.  He could really be special.

Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: American League Weekend Edition 6.24-6.25


Hank BlalockTEXAS RANGERS

Kameron Loe was placed on the DL with a sore right elbow.  Robinson Tejada is expected to take his place in the starting rotation.  This will be Tejada’s second tour with the big league club this season.  In his first go around, he started 4 games and had an ugly 7.71 ERA and 0.86 K/BB ratio.  As an extreme flyball pitcher, he is miscast as a starter in Texas and should be avoided.

Hank Blalock has sacrificed power for better contact and plate patience. This has led to a higher batting average with less home runs.  Two factors working in favor of this change in approach are that he plays half his games in a high scoring stadium and he bats in a powerful line-up.  The upshot of being on base more often is that he is scoring more runs and it does not seem to be hurting his RBI production.  The only category negatively affected is home runs.

Gary Matthews Jr. is on a tear, raising his batting average to .341.  Considering that he is 31 years of age and the highest batting average he has had in a season is .276, fantasy owners may want to try and sell high.

Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. West


Jeff FrancisInterleague games played on National League grounds:

Texas Rangers @ Colorado Rockies
J. Koronka (5-4, 5.00) vs. J. Francis (5-6, 4.13)
- This could be a slugfest, folks.  Coors Field has a reputation, well-earned by the way, for being a notorious hitter’s park, what with the thin air and all.  However, this season, not as much as previous years.  Regardless, tonight we have two very good offenses that could potentially have the final score looking like a football game was played, instead of a hardball game.  BUT, surprisingly, Jeff Francis, former Minor League Player of the Year and most pitied high-caliber pitcher for being taken by the Rockies, pitches better at Coors.  It’s wierd.  Francis on the road - 4.59 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and .225 BAA.  Francis at home - 3.50 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, .200 BAA.  Hmm… so maybe it’ll end up that Francis only gives up a field goal, while the Rockies score a touchdown or two.

Los Angeles Angels @ Arizona Diamondbacks
E. Santana (7-3, 4.10) vs. E. Gonzalez (2-0, 3.67)
- The Angels are looking to upgrade their offense and it seems that Ervin Santana is the main bait to get that going.  It’s unfortunate for Santana, a young pitcher with plus stuff, but it could be even more unfortunate for the Angels considering Santana’s recent numbers.  For the month of June, Santana is 3-0 with a 2.29 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and .164 BAA.  Who does Ervin think he is - Johan?!?!?

Seattle Mariners @ San Diego Padres
G. Meche (7-4, 4.10) vs. J. Peavy (4-8, 4.81)
- The K/9 rate is there.  So is the K/BB rate.  As well as the WHIP and BAA, for the most part.  So, what’s up with Jake Peavy’s ugly looking record and ERA?  It’s tough to say, but he’ll need to pitch well tonight against a Mariners team that has won eight of nine interleague games this season.  Meanwhile, Gil Meche is pretty much having the month you’d expect from Peavy - 3-0, 1.71 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and .213 BAA.

Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: National League 6.23.06


Johan Santana dealing to the dishInterleague games on American League soil:

Washington Nationals @ Baltimore Orioles
J. Patterson (1-0, 3.86) vs. R. López (4-8, 6.85)
- John Patterson last pitched on April 21st and has since been on the shelf due to a strained right forearm.  He comes back tonight against cross-district rival, the Baltimore Orioles.  Patterson will try to end the Nats three-game losing streak.  Rodrigo Lopez and the rest of the Orioles starting staff, for the most part have not fully seen the effects of pitching coach, Leo Mazzone, who succeeded so much for the Atlanta Braves.  Maybe the O’s rotation just doesn’t have the talent?

St. Louis Cardinals @ Detroit Tigers
C. Carpenter (6-3, 2.46) vs. J. Verlander (8-4, 3.21)
- Chris Carpenter is in his prime right now, while Justin Verlander is only a rookie.  Tonight’s matchup between the Central division’s best, both in the A.L. and N.L., should be a great pitching contest.  Enjoy the show.

Philadelphia Phillies @ Boston Red Sox
R. Madson (7-4, 5.79) vs. J. Beckett (8-3, 5.09)
- Josh Beckett hopes to build off of his last performance and extend the Red Sox winning ways to seven games in a row.  Beckett has pretty much been inconsistent his last four starts, but it talented and competitive enough to right his ship.  There won’t be a Matt Clement-type meltdown.  The Phillies just continue to eat the dust of the N.L. East leading New York Mets who are starting to put more and more distance between themselves and the rest of the division.

Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: American League 6.23.06


The Rocket is back!Interleague games played in National League ballparks:

Toronto Blue Jays @ Atlanta Braves
A. Burnett (0-1, 6.30) vs. H. Ramírez (2-2, 5.06)
- A.J. Burnett makes his first start coming off the DL and he couldn’t be pitching against a sadder sack of baseball players right now than the Atlanta Braves.  The Braves are losers of nine straight games and spiraling down the division standings.  Will the Braves actually NOT win the N.L. East division?  Or will they make a huge turn at the All Star break?  I think it’s the Mets season, personally.

Minnesota Twins @ Houston Astros
F. Liriano (6-1, 2.16) vs. R. Clemens (0-0, 0.00)
- Roger Clemens is back!  The Rocket will be launching!  You all know this already, don’t you?  There was only more overexposure when Barry Bonds was chasing The Babe.  In any case, Clemens has looked dominant in his rehabilitation starts and should do well tonight.  However, for the other team, the Minnesota Twinkies, young gunner Franscisco Liriano (aka the Johan Santana clone) will try to ruin the old man’s season debut.  Liriano has been stellar as a starter and don’t be surprised to see a 1-0 game.

Seattle Mariners @ Los Angeles Dodgers
F. Hernández (7-6, 5.02) vs. B. Tomko (5-6, 5.45)
- The Mariners are 8-0 in interleague play this season and look to sweep the Dodgers tonight.  “King” Felix Hernandez takes the mound for the Mariners and has won four straight decisions, despite looking very shaky in two of those outings.  The Dodgers have dropped five games in a row and need to stop the losing because the N.L. West leading Padres have been winning.

Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: National League 6.22.06


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