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Interleague games being played in American League ballparks:
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Tampa Bay Devil Rays
É. González (0-0, 0.00) vs. S. Kazmir (8-4, 3.39)
- The Devil Rays go for the sweep of the Diamondbacks this afternoon down by the bay. Scott Kazmir, the D-Rays ace takes the mound goes for his ninth win. CF Rocco Baldelli has been raking the ball since coming off the DL on June 7, hitting .388 with two homers, six RBI, eight runs, and a 1.067 OPS. Edgar Gonzalez makes his debut with the Diamondbacks this season and will try to cool off Baldelli and the rest of the Rays.
San Diego Padres @ Texas Rangers
C. Hensley (4-5, 4.05) vs. J. Rheinecker (2-1, 3.60)
- The Padres are looking to sweep the Rangers this afternoon, with the slumping Clay Hensley trying to do the job. He started off hot in May, but is winless thus far in June. The Rangers are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have fallen one game behind the A.L. West leading Oakland Athletics.
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Kansas City Royals
P. Maholm (2-5, 4.50) vs. S. Elarton (2-8, 5.09)
- The Royals actually have a chance to sweep a series… the Royals! I guess that isn’t saying much for the Pirates team, huh? In any case, the Royals will also go for their first four-game winning streak of the season. Could newly-acquired speedster Joey Gathright really be a difference-maker? Okay, no, not really. However, he will have an impact. The Royals have a good chance to achieve the aforementioned benchmarks as Pirates starter, Paul Maholm is winless on the road and is going through a six-game losing streak.
Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: American League 6.22.06
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Yesterday was the first day of Summer. Two days ago the NBA Season came to an end with the Miami Heat’s first title, ending a flat out fantastic NBA Playoffs. Three days ago the NHL Season came to an end as the Carolina Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup title behind the heroics of a rookie goalie.
So, as the seasons and sports officially transition, what are sports geeks to look forward to during the summer of 2006? Here is my Top 11{ref1} list for what to expect during upcoming 3 months.
11. MLB All Star Game and Home Run Derby: There is usually at least one memorable moment from the All Star Game and Home Run Derby. In Pittsburgh this year.
10. MLB record watch: Can Barry Bonds catch the Babe? Will Ichiro break more records. Someone will set a record, surely.
9. Wimbledon: I don’t even know who the tennis stars are these days, but I’m looking forward to the traditional 6:00 am breakfast for Wimbledon.
8. NFL Kickoff Weekend: The return of professional football will signal the next season change.
7. Return of NCAA Football and the Longhorns defending their first title in years: We’ll find out a lot about this team on September 9th when they host Ohio State.
6. The British Open: Can Phil make up for his debacle at the US Open?
5. The NBA Draft: Who will draft the Stache? Who will draft the next Sam Bowie?
4. Fantasy Football Season: Ah, the best time of the year. Productivity goes down and trash talking goes up. Everyone thinks that they can be the next best Billy Beanesque type General Manager.
3. World Cup Quarterfinals: The action really heats up and the top teams have to be on their game to move on.
2. World Cup Semifinals: Can the United States advance further than they ever have before? They have yet to reach the final 4, this might be the year.
1. World Cup Finals: Seriously, it doesn’t even matter who is playing. This is the number one event of all of 2006.
It’s gonna be a hot summer, enjoy!
Interleague games to be played on National League ground:
Detroit Tigers @ Milwaukee Brewers
N. Robertson (7-3, 3.43) vs. C. Capuano (7-4, 3.30)
- This is the early game today, being played at 2:05pm EST, so all of you fantasy baseball fans - update your lineup! In any case, the Tigers are looking to sweep their second consecutive N.L. team. Capuano may have something to say about that as he’s been on lately. Regardless, folks, the Tigers are for real.
Los Angeles Angels @ San Francisco Giants
J. Weaver (3-9, 6.02) vs. N. Lowry (2-5, 4.20)
- Why is Jeff Weaver still in the rotation? Hello, Angels organization, you have the wrong Weaver in there! It should be Jeff’s little brother, Jered, who is now down in Triple A that’s starting for the big club. But this decision-making might be one reason why the Angels are in last place in the A.L. West.
New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies
J. Wright (3-4, 4.86) vs. C. Hamels (1-2, 4.91)
- The much hyped Hamels (I’m guilty of spreading it myself) has looked ugly since coming off a stint on the DL with a shoulder strain, going 1-2 with a 6.28 ERA. If Hamels should have a bad outing, he can only hope that 1B Ryan Howard goes off again like he did last night when Howard hit a couple of dingers and drove in all seven Phillies runs. The Yankees are hoping to keep up with the Red Sox, who are riding a five-game winning streak.
Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: National League 6.21.06
Interleague games being played in American League ballparks:
Florida Marlins @ Baltimore Orioles
R. Nolasco (5-3, 3.06) vs. E. Bedard (6-6, 5.60)
- Don’t look now, but the Marlins are in the midst of a big winning streak and will look to extend it to ten tonight at Camden Yards. Not bad for a team with 18 rookies on their squad. It’s hard to believe that they are in third in N.L. East with the defending division champion, Atlanta Braves, in last place. Meanwhile, the Orioles have lost five of their last seven and will probably be without Melvin Mora, who suffered a knee contusion after being hit by a pitch.
Washington Nationals @ Boston Red Sox
S. Hill (1-1, 2.42) vs. J. Lester (1-0, 3.48)
- The Red Sox have won five straight, including a sweep of the abovementioned Braves. The Nationals are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have allowed the Marlins to move past them in the standings. Both teams throw out rookie pitchers who have been effective in only a smattering of starts.
Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians
C. Zambrano (5-3, 2.82) vs. C. Sabathia (5-3, 3.08)
- Zambrano has started 15 games, but only received a decision in just over half of them. This is unfortunate as Zambrano has been pitching stellar this season, leading the league in Batting Average Against (.187) and in strikeouts (102) tied with the New York Mets’ Pedro Martinez. Zambrano will try to make it five road start wins in a row against the Indians. Sabathia started off hot, putting up a 5-1 record and a 1.71 ERA in is first seven starts. In his last three outings - 0-2 and 6.88 ERA. The portly lefty is 8-4 with a 3.82 ERA in interleague games, never facing the Cubbies.
Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: American League 6.21.06
DETROIT TIGERS
Zach Miner continues his hold on the number five starting spot, with a 3-1 record and a 2.08 ERA. However, with just 13 K’s in 26 innings and a G/F ratio hovering around 1.0, there could be some bumps in the road.
Carlos Guillen looks like he has recovered from the knee injury that plagued his 2005 season. The numbers he is putting up is consistent with his breakout 2004 season. He provides nice power for a middle infielder. The eight stolen bases look good until you see that he has been caught 5 times. If that continues, the green light will not be given often.
The difference in Kenny Rogers home ERA of 1.76 versus his road ERA of 4.17 can be explained by just 1 home run allowed at home against 11 on the road. While he is obviously a must start at home, this does not mean you need to bench him on the road. Those with the roster flexibility may want to consider sitting him in road starts in extremely hitter friendly stadiums such as Texas.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
The following interleague games will be played on National League grass/turf. First up the only true N.L. game.
Cincinnati Reds @ New York Mets
E. Ramirez (2-5, 3.44) vs. S. Trachsel (4-4, 4.81)
- The Mets try to get back on track after losing to the Reds yesterday, getting shut down by Bronson Arroyo. However, there’s a reason the Metropolitans have four players (Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Paul LoDuca, and David Wright).
New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies
C. Wang (7-2, 4.15) vs. M. O’Connor (3-4, 3.70)
- Speaking of the Mets, I’m sure them and their fans are hoping the Yankees can beat the Phillies in order to get more of a cushion in the N.L. East. And they Yankees want to win because that’s what they’re all about. Imagine t
Toronto Blue Jays @ Atlanta Braves
J. Towers (1-8, 9.00) vs. J. Sosa (1-9, 5.35)
- The Braves are in last place. Wait, what? Seriously? It’s hard to imagine the Braves being in last place after dominating the division season after season. Meanwhile the Blue Jays are sticking with the Red Sox and Yankes and with their improvements on offense and pitching, they could hang for a while. Tonight, both pitchers will try to get their second win.
Minnesota Twins @ Houston Astros
B. Radke (5-7, 5.83) vs. R. Oswalt (6-3, 3.21)
- He’s baaaaack! Okay, not exactly yet, but Roger Clemens will be making his season debut eventually sometime in this series, Thusday being the scheduled date. In the meantime, Oswalt was pitching like an ace and deserves more props.
Detroit Tigers @ Milwaukee Brewers
Z. Miner (2-1, 2.65) vs. R. Heiling (0-0, 0.00)
- After spraining his right elbow at the beginning of the season, Heiling is back to pitch for the Pirates. Miner, a rookie, gets a chance to prove he belongs in the big show. The Brew Crew got shut down by Jeremy Bonderman last night, only scoring one run. Let’s see if they can score against Miner who has a losw ERA in a small sample size.
Oakland Athletics @ Colorado Rockies
E. Loaiza (2-3, 6.03) vs. J. Jennings (5-6, 4.32)
- The Athletics ten-game win streak was stopped last night by the Rockies, who won by the score of 7-0. Tonight, Loaiza will try to get the A’s back to their winning ways in the thin air of Colorado.
Seattle Mariners @ Los Angeles Dodgers
J. Pineiro (5-7, 5.42) vs. B. Penny (7-1, 2.49)
- Penny is having a great season thus far and should continue to do so against an inconsistent and almost lost Mariners batting order. The young kids like Matt Kemp have stepped up for the Dodgers.
Los Angeles Angels @ San Francisco Giants
J. Lackey (4-4, 3.46) vs. M. Morris (4-7, 4.81)
- Wow, these teams stink! That is, if you put much weight in the fact that they’re both in last place in their division. Yeah, that pretty much says it all. All kidding aside, watch tonight’s game because Lackey will only get better and Morris can’t really be as bad as he’s been.
Enjoy the games!
The following interleague games will be played in an American League ballpark.
Florida Marlins @ Baltimore Orioles
D. Willis (3-6, 4.39) vs. D. Cabrera (4-3, 4.17)
- Two young guns who have the potential for greatness every time they step on the mound. Yes, I know, their record says differently, but believe me.
Washington Nationals @ Boston Red Sox
L. Hernandez (5-7, 5.18) vs. T. Wakefield (4-8, 3.97)
- Boston took the first game and should take this one too. After pitching all those innings over the years, I believe that Hernandez’s rubber arm has turned into a dead arm. I think he’ll still show flashes, but the horse is heading towards pasture, in my opinion.
Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians
G. Maddux (7-6, 4.82) vs. C. Lee (5-5, 5.04)
- Both pitchers started the season off hot, but have cooled a lot since the first month. Last night’s game was a slobber knocker, but I think both pitchers will bring it and keep the score down.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Tampa Bay Devil Rays
M. Batista (6-4, 4.68) vs. M. Hendrickson (3-7, 3.62)
- The Diamondbacks are slip, slip, sliding down the standings in the N.L. West while the D-Rays seem firmly entrenched dwelling in the cell of the A.L. East.
St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago White Sox
M. Mulder (6-4, 5.32) vs. J. Vazquez (7-4, 4.54)
- Based on talent alone, this should be a well-pitched game with the crafty lefty in Mulder versus the flame-throwing Vazquez. Mulder is more consistent of the two, but doesn’t have the potential to make batters say, “daaaaaaamn” the way Vazquez can.
San Diego Padres @ Texas Rangers
M. Thompson (2-2, 4.24) vs. V. Padilla (6-4, 4.65)
- The Rangers are tied for first with the Oakland Athletics in the A.L. West and a lot of that has to do with their improved pitching, of which Padilla has been contributing. The Padres are also tied for first in their division, the N.L. West. I guess we’ll find out with this series how the west will be won.
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Kansas City Royals
K. Wells (0-0, 0.00) vs. M. Redman (3-4, 5.68)
- Wells makes his first appearance of the season after suffering from a blood cot. Facing the Royals offense could be a good way for Redman to break in the season as they are an offense that ranks last or near the bottom in every major offensive category.
Enjoy the games!
First, the non-interleague games:
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Pittsburgh Pirates
C. Vargas (6-4, 5.21) vs. Z. Duke (5-6, 4.52)
- The Diamondbacks were just swept by the Texas Rangers and are owners of a five-game losing streak. In fact, they’re 1-9 in their last 10 games. I guess you can thank the Jason Grimsley fiasco for this. Okay, not really because you have to play the games, but I’m sure it’s played some role in the downfall of the D-Backs. The Pirates were also recently swept by an A.L. team, the Minnesota Twins. However, they had a chance to win yesterday, but the Pirates’ Oliver Perez committed a critical error in the eighth inning with two outs and Nick Punto hitting a soft grounder that could have ended the inning. Perez matched up well with Johan Santana as his final numbers show – 7.2 innings pitched, one earned run, five K’s, five hits, and only one walk – but he still lost. In any case, Duke will try to end the Bucs’ four game skid and get on track to meeting expectations after last year’s very good rookie showing.
Cincinnati Reds @ New York Mets
B. Arroyo (8-3, 2.51) vs. O. Hernandez (4-5, 5.50)
- Wow, so many sweeps… the Reds had it done to them by the defending champion Chicago White Sox over the weekend and have gone 2-8 in their last 10. The surprising Arroyo has shown that he’s pretty much the real deal and not a flash in the pan like Paul Wilson was a couple of seasons’ ago when he started off 7-0 and ended up being 11-6. Beating the Mets will go a long way in solidifying his street cred even more. Since joining the Mets, “El Duque” Hernandez is 2-1 in four starts with a 4.30 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a .238 BAA. He had a bad start in his only start at Shea as a Met and will be facing a high-powered batting order, but the way the Mets have been playing lately, 8-2 in their last 10, even if Hernandez gets lit up, he could still get the win.
Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: National League 6.19.06
It’s Monday, folks, usually a slow day in baseball-dom, just like Thursdays can be. In any case, we’re still in a bath of interleague games and most games continue to be played in National League ballparks. So, today’s offerings in the A.L. are a bit short. The following interleague games will be played in an American League ballpark.
Washington Nationals @ Boston Red Sox
T. Armas (6-3, 4.18) vs. K. Snyder (0-0, 22.50)
- The Nationals took two of three games in their last series against the A.L. East’s New York Yankees and look to continue that success against the Boston Red Sox. Tony Armas is actually pitching and not injured somehow. Is it me or does he always seem like he’s on the DL? Oh well, can’t really say anything as he’s been pretty productive thus far this season. The Red Sox are coming off a series sweep against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend and are still atop the division, although by a slim margin over the Yankees.
Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians
S. Marshall (3-5, 4.82) vs. J. Johnson (3-7, 6.00)
- The Cubbies have lost six in a row, getting swept by divisional foe, the Houston Astros, and over the weekend during interleague play by the Detroit Tigers. Marshall was bumped from his start yesterday because of Mark Prior’s return from the DL. Considering Prior only last 3.2 innings, giving up seven earned runs, including four homers, Marshall should have gotten the start. In any case, he gets it today against an Indians club that aren’t doing so well themselves. They were swept by the Brewers over the weekend and are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Yikes! This could be an ugly game.
Enjoy the games!
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
A.J. Burnett returns to the starting rotation this week pushing Ty Taubenheim to middle relief.
Ted Lilly continues to frustrate fantasy owners. The 12 K’s he had in a start against Detroit show the potential of how dominating he can be. What is holding him back is a BB/9 of 5.1 and 14 home runs allowed in 14 starts.
Alex Rios’ fine season continues with 15 home runs, 49 RBI and a .328 batting average. The improvement from his first two seasons is validated by growth in his batting eye, contact rate and G/F ratio.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East
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