Posts Tagged ‘Trevor Hoffman’

The Closer Report – Week 19

Posted by Todd Lammi on August 9th, 2010

Here is a look at the fantasy baseball closer report for week 19. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

The Milwaukee Brewers and manager Ken Macha created a stir over the weekend by giving Trevor Hoffman a save opportunity, which he converted in place of John Axford. With the Brewers under their attendance goal and on the verge of losing money it was thought that Hoffman now three saves away from reaching 600 in his career would likely draw some more fans to games. The company line though was Hoffman had been pitching well and deserved a shot to close games again. With the Brewers 11 games out of first, it really makes no sense for Hoffman to get saves chances again unless it was to break the record. The unfortunate part from a fantasy baseball aspect is it makes it hard to place Axford now in mixed leagues if this holds true going forward.

That being said, lets pick up the action from tonight in Milwaukee against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Axford blew the save in the ninth inning (perhaps the pressure of Hoffman is affecting him) sending the game into extra innings. Hoffman came in and allowed three runs and five baserunners in the 10th inning then to take the loss. If you own Axford, I would reserve him until the situation plays itself out. Once Hoffman hits 600 saves, I would think Axford would get the lions share of opportunities going forward. Again though, this is the Brewers we are talking about so logic does not always dictate the moves they make.

While we are on the subject of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Aaron Heilman picked up his sixth save of the season, working a scoreless inning despite allowing three hits. This comes on the heels of blowing a save on Saturday after allowing two home runs. The blown save was the first time he had been scored upon after eight scoreless outings. He is the best they have in the desert so he should continue as closer.

Bobby Jenks still seems to be the closer in Chicago despite J.J. Putz getting the last save for the team. Jenks last pitched on August 5th when he blew the save against the Detroit Tigers while allowing three runs in an inning of work. Despite his save percentage of 89% which makes it seem like he is doing a good job, his peripheral numbers of a 5.13 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP tell a different story.

Alfredo Simon lasted only one third of an inning Monday night, allowing a hit and a walk before being replaced by Mike Gonzalez. Simon has struggled of late, getting scored on in six of his last 10 outings and now has a 4.62 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. Gonzalez has allowed two runs in nine innings since coming back from the disabled list and is poised to take back the closer role in Baltimore.

Leo Nunez was rolling along in Florida before hitting a bump in the road in his last three appearances, allowing 10 hits and four earned runs in three innings with no strikeouts.  If Florida moves Nunez out of the role, they would likely look at several people to fill in based on match ups with Clay Hensley getting possibly the most action.

Michael Wuertz has done a solid job in Oakland filling in for the injured Andrew Bailey. His numbers were much better in July and August compared to the first part of the season.  Bailey is likely to be out another two to four weeks making Wuertz a good target in mixed leagues if you need saves.

Team Closer Handcuff
BAL Alfredo Simon Mike Gonzalez
BOS Jonathan Papelbon Daniel Bard
CHW Bobby Jenks Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE Chris Perez
DET Jose Valverde Phil Coke
KC Joakim Soria Robinson Tejada
LAA Brian Fuentes Fernando Rodney
MIN Matt Capps Jon Rauch
NYY Mariano Rivera Joba Chamberlain
OAK Michael Wuertz Andrew Bailey (DL)
SEA David Aardsma Brandon League
TB Rafael Soriano Dan Wheeler
TEX Neftali Feliz Frank Francisco
TOR Kevin Gregg Jason Frasor
AZ Aaron Heilman Juan Gutierrez
ATL Billy Wagner Takashi Saito
CHI Carlos Marmol Sean Marshall
CIN Francisco Cordero Arthur Rhodes
COL Huston Street Manny Corpas
FLA Leo Nunez Clay Hensley
HOU Matt Lindstrom Brandon Lyon
LAD Jonathan Broxton Octavio Dotel
MIL John Axford Trevor Hoffman
NYM Francisco Rodriguez Pedro Feliciano
PHI Brad Lidge Jose Contreras
PIT Evan Meek Joel Hanrahan
STL Ryan Franklin Jason Motte
SD Heath Bell Luke Gregerson
SF Brian Wilson Sergio Romo
WAS Drew Storen Ty Clippard
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2010 Lineup Planner – Week 19

Posted by Todd Lammi on August 8th, 2010

Here is a look at the latest news and notes from around the diamond to help you set your fantasy baseball lineup for week 19.

American League:

A.J. Burnett (back spasms) was scratched from his Sunday start for the New York Yankees and pushed to Tuesday, making him a two start pitcher in week 19 against the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals.

Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann are both questionable for their starts next week for the Tampa Bay Rays. If Davis does not go, Jeremy Hellickson will likely be recalled to start for Davis on Tuesday against Detroit. If Niemann is out, he will likely be replaced again by Andy Sonnanstine against Baltimore.

Kevin Slowey will have his start skipped for the Minnesota Twins next week due to a sore elbow and will be replaced in the rotation by Glen Perkins.

Orlando Hudson is expected to return from the disabled list for the Minnesota Twins which sends Alexi Casilla back to the bench. Casilla sprained his ankle over the weekend and was going to be sitting on the bench regardless but it serves as a reminder to make sure you reserve him for next week.

Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays suffered a dislocated toe in Sundays game against Tampa Bay and should be benched for next week. His long term status has still not been updated.

Also coming back from the disabled list next week is Carlos Guillen of the Detroit Tigers. His return sends Will Rhymes back to Triple-A.

National League:

Manager Ken Macha of the Milwaukee Brewers decided to give Trevor Hoffman a save opportunity on Saturday and it looks like he could get more chances in the future in some what of a time share with John Axford. With the Milwaukee Brewers struggling in the standings, they are likely trying to ensure that Hoffman can rack up three more saves to get to 600 in his career.

Despite being a two start pitcher in week 19, Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs  should still remain on your bench as he will be on a 75 to 80 pitch count meaning it may be tough for him to get in five innings to qualify for a win.

Recent call up Fernando Martinez of the New York Mets looks like he will serve in a platoon role with Jeff Francoeur and see at bats against right-handed pitching.

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The Closer Report – Week 9

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 1st, 2010

Here is a look at the closer report for week 9. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

John Axford has taken control of the closer spot in Milwaukee with Carlos Villanueva falling into a secondary role. Axford has converted both of his save chances this season and has 13 strikeouts in eight innings. Trevor Hoffman had been working his way back toward the role with three scoreless innings before giving up three runs and five base runners in an inning of work on Tuesday night against Florida.

Brad Lidge was activated from the disabled list by the Philadelphia Phillies, but with the way that Jose Contreras is throwing, Lidge will serve in a set up role for the foreseeable future.

The Chicago Cubs recalled Andrew Cashner from Triple-A and will have him work out of the bullpen. Cashner started nine of 11 games in the minor leagues this season with a 2.05 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 57 innings. His power stuff should work well in one or two inning spurts, although he does not have much value unless Carlos Marmol would go down with an injury. Cashner is not a closer of the future, but with no one else stepping up besides Marmol, there would be a slight chance he could see some save opportunities if an injury were to strike.

Matt Thornton picked up a save last week when Bobby Jenks injured his calf in warm ups. No permanent change has been announced by Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen so I would assume Jenks will get the ball health permitting in the next save chance. Thornton still has quite a bit of value as a lefty to pick up a situational save, or even steal the job outright from Jenks based on performance. With the standings now starting to shape up and scouts looking at potential trade targets, there is a good chance that Jenks, Thornton or even both would get moved at some point this season.

Team Closer Handcuff
BAL Will Ohman Alfredo Simon, Mike Gonzalez (DL)
BOS Jonathan Papelbon Daniel Bard
CHW Bobby Jenks Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE Kerry Wood Chris Perez
DET Jose Valverde Ryan Perry
KC Joakim Soria Josh Rupe
LAA Brian Fuentes Fernando Rodney
MIN Jon Rauch Matt Guerrier
NYY Mariano Rivera Joba Chamberlain
OAK Andrew Bailey Brad Ziegler
SEA David Aardsma Brandon League
TB Rafael Soriano Grant Balfour
TEX Neftali Feliz Frank Francisco
TOR Kevin Gregg Jason Frasor
AZ Chad Qualls Aaron Heilman
ATL Billy Wagner Takashi Saito
CHI Carlos Marmol Andrew Cashner
CIN Francisco Cordero Arthur Rhodes
COL Manny Corpas Rafael Betancourt, Huston Street (DL)
FLA Leo Nunez Clay Hensley
HOU Matt Lindstrom Brandon Lyon
LAD Jonathan Broxton Ramon Tronosco
MIL John Axford Carlos Villanueva
NYM Francisco Rodriguez Pedro Feliciano
PHI Jose Contreras J.C. Romero, Brad Lidge
PIT Octavio Dotel Evan Meek
STL Ryan Franklin Jason Motte
SD Heath Bell Luke Gregerson
SF Brian Wilson Sergio Romo
WAS Matt Capps Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen
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The Closer Report – Week 8

Posted by Todd Lammi on May 24th, 2010

Here is a look at the closer report for week 8. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

It is a guessing game in Baltimore who will get the next save opportunity with Alfredo Simon day-to-day with a hamstring injury and Koji Uehara likely headed to the disabled list. Cla Meredith with one save this season and a 5.79 ERA and 1.43 WHIP or situational lefty Will Ohman (14 2/3 scoreless innings, 1.23 WHIP) are the leaders for save chances this week.

Charlie Manuel has shown he is not afraid to let multiple guys close in Philadelphia as both Jose Contreras and lefty J.C. Romero picked up saves last week based on matchups. Injured closer Brad Lidge is still at least two weeks away from returning so Contreras and Romero are still good plays until then.

John Axford picked up a save for Milwaukee on Sunday with interim closer Carlos Villanueva unavailable. Former closer Trevor Hoffman worked the eighth and did not allow a run. Villanueva is the guy to own for now with Hoffman eventually working his way back into that role if he has a few more clean outings.

If you are looking for a possible save candidate at the end of the season, keep an eye on Sergio Santos of the Chicago White Sox. If the team continues to play sub .500 baseball and trades away Jenks and or Thornton, Santos could see some saves late in the season. The former position player turned pitcher  has been tough to hit this season, holding hitters to a .163 average and currently boasts a 0.55 ERA and a .98 WHIP.

Team Closer Handcuff
BAL Alfredo Simon Cla Meredith, Mike Gonzalez (DL)
BOS Jonathan Papelbon Daniel Bard
CHW Bobby Jenks Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE Kerry Wood Chris Perez
DET Jose Valverde Ryan Perry
KC Joakim Soria Josh Rupe
LAA Brian Fuentes Fernando Rodney
MIN Jon Rauch Matt Guerrier
NYY Mariano Rivera Joba Chamberlain
OAK Andrew Bailey Brad Ziegler
SEA David Aardsma Brandon League
TB Rafael Soriano Grant Balfour
TEX Neftali Feliz Frank Francisco
TOR Kevin Gregg Jason Frasor
AZ Chad Qualls Juan Gutierrez
ATL Billy Wagner Takashi Saito
CHI Carlos Marmol John Grabow
CIN Francisco Cordero Arthur Rhodes
COL Manny Corpas Rafael Betancourt, Huston Street (DL)
FLA Leo Nunez Burke Badenhop
HOU Matt Lindstrom Brandon Lyon
LAD Jonathan Broxton Ramon Tronosco
MIL Carlos Villanueva Trevor Hoffman, John Axford
NYM Francisco Rodriguez Pedro Feliciano
PHI Jose Contreras J.C. Romero, (Brad Lidge DL)
PIT Octavio Dotel Evan Meek
STL Ryan Franklin Jason Motte
SD Heath Bell Luke Gregerson
SF Brian Wilson Sergio Romo
WAS Matt Capps Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen
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Rising / Falling – Week 4

Posted by Todd Lammi on April 28th, 2010

Remember that the key to free agency is determining what player is going to have value down the line and picking up that player a week or more before his value changes. That is what is going to make your FAAB money last the most throughout the season, buying a playing for $4 the week before his value changes, compared to spending $250 on that same player once the manager announces his new role.

With almost a full month worth of stats in the book, here is a look at the fantasy baseball players who are rising or falling in value as of week four.

Rising:

C – Ryan Hanigan (Reds) – Hanigan has produced in limited at bats, with a .353 average and 10 RBI in 29 at bats. His counterpart Ramon Hernandez is hitting .250 in 40 at bats with zero home runs and four knocked in. We saw one change on Colorado already this week at catcher and another one may be coming in Cincinnati.

C – Max Ramirez / Matt Treanor – if you are looking for a catcher in the American League, you have these guys to pick from as the new catchers on the Texas Rangers roster. Jarrod Saltalamacchia came off the disabled list and was sent to Triple-A and Taylor Teagarden was optioned there as well.

C – Miguel Olivo – newly minted as the starting catcher in Colorado with Chris Ianetta being sent to Triple-A, Olivo is a good power play going forward. He is a hacker, striking out 36% of the time this season, so don’t expect his .300 batting average to last too long.

2B – Eric Young Jr. -recently called up by Colorado, it remains to be seen how much playing time he gets. With Clint Barmes struggling at second base, hitting .189 with a home run and seven RBI, a hot streak by Young could get him extended playing time. Young was off to a slow start in Triple-A, hitting .228 with three stolen bases at the time of his promotion.

3B – Mike Lowell – with David Oritz hitting .154 and striking out in 37%, Lowell is starting to see some more action. If nothing else, it boosts his trade for Boston by getting additional at bats and being able to perform.

OF – Austin Kearns - Kearns has been one of the few bright spots in the Cleveland Indians line up, hitting .386 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 44 at bats. With Matt LaPorta struggling, hitting only .211 with no home runs and one RBI in 57 at bats, the Indians are opting for Kearns to try to help generate offense for a team that is next to last in the American League in runs scored.

RP – Koji Uehara – currently on a rehab assignment in Double – A, Uehara has a chance to sneak into the closer role when he arrives back in Baltimore. Jim Johnson pitched the 8th inning in the last game with Alfredo Simon closing. The 28-year-old Simon was recently called up from Triple-A where he had a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings with 14 strikeouts.

Falling:

3B – Garrett Atkins – it always amazes me why professional sports teams don’t have a common sense executive on their staff. Someone that a general manager or manager would have to go to run by a trade or free agent signing and the common sense guy would approve the deal or say, no, that is just plain dumb. Which leads me to Garrett Atkins. Why the Baltimore Orioles thought he would be any better after not performing in Colorado’s hitter haven is beyond me. With a .220 batting average, no home runs and a paltry five RBI in 59 at bats, he is now relegated to bench duty in favor of Rhyne Hughes. Although Atkins might see some spot starts against left-handed pitching, he is basically worthless at this point.

RP - Chris Perez - Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta is talking like Kerry Wood is going to come back as the closer when he returns to action in two weeks. Perez had the chance to lock down the job in Wood’s absence, and while he has saved four of five chance, his ERA of 4.05 and WHIP of 1.65 leaves something to be desired. If you own Perez and he does lose the job, he is still worth holding on to. Wood is no sure thing at closer, he could very well get injured again or traded at the deadline in the fall.

RP – Ryan Madson – Madson finds himself in the same position as Chris Perez. Filling in for injured closer Brad Lidge, Madson has failed to put a strangle hold on the role, with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. Lidge is due back from the disabled list on Friday and will resume his role as closer. Again, just like Perez, Madson is still worth holding on to for the same reasons, outside of the trade possibility.

RP – Trevor Hoffman – before people panic about him losing it at age 42, he did have a somewhat similar start to his season in 2008 when he posted a 6.52 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP in April. That being said, it was interesting to note his lack of change ups thrown in his outing last night when he gave up five runs in the ninth inning against Pittsburgh. That has always been his money pitch and if he lost that for some reason, it could spell trouble. LaTroy Hawkins would be the handcuff but he has been knocked around as well to the tune of a 8.64 ERA. The best pitcher in Milwaukee’s bullpen so far has been Carlos Villanueva, who is unscored upon in 11 innings with 14 strikeouts.

SP – Jorge De La Rosa / Brett Anderson – both southpaw starters were placed on the disabled list this week and will miss anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks worth of action.

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The Daily Dirt for Sunday

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 14th, 2009

by Todd Lammi

It was a good day for the New York Yankees offense on Sunday, as it scored nine runs off of Johan Santana in three innings en route to a 15-0 victory over the New York Mets. The Yankees scored 15 runs without receiving a RBI from Mark Teixeira or Alex Rodriguez. Robinson Cano went 3-for-4 with three RBI, including his 11th home run of the season. Hideki Matsui hit his 1oth home run of the year and Derek Jeter went 4-for-4 to raise his batting average to .310. In other fantasy baseball news around the diamond on Sunday…

Hitters:

B.J. Upton is not delivering at the plate, but at least he is stealing bases in bunches to provide help in one fantasy baseball category. Upton stole two bases again on Sunday giving him three consecutive games with two steals.

Ty Wigginton went 3-for-4 and clubbed two home runs, giving him five on the season.  Wigginton isn’t much of an option in fantasy baseball leagues with his reduced playing time. Since May 26th, Wigginton has started only six out of the last 17 games.

There must be some kind of curse on National League East third basemen this year that have stripped them of their power and turned them into high batting average hitters. Much like David Wright and Andy LaRoche, Pedro Feliz has followed suit in 2009, reducing his home runs and jacking up his batting average. Feliz went 3-for-5 on Sunday with two RBI and is now hitting .318 on the season.

Casey McGehee went 3-for-4 and hit his first home run of the season. He is definitely an option in National League only leagues with Rickie Weeks out for the season. McGehee has raised his batting average 82 points in the last 10 days to its current level of .338.

Corey Hart hit two solo home runs giving him eight on the season, in what has been a disappointing year so far. All he needs is the correct slot in the batting order for him to turn his season around. Batting first or seventh, Hart is hitting only .170 this year in 65 at bats. Compare that to the second or sixth spots in the line up and Hart is batting .290. Memo to Ken Macha, please adjust your batting line up accordingly!

Juan Rivera went 2-for-4 and belted two solo home runs. Rivera has hit three home runs and driven in nine runs in his last seven games.

Miguel Olivo continued his week 10 power surge, going 2-for-4 and hitting his ninth home run of the season. The home run was the fourth this week for Olivo who knocked in eight runs in six games.

Casey Blake went 2-for-4 with four RBI and collected his 10th home run of the season. The home run ended an almost month long drought for Blake who last homered on May 19th.

Ronny Paulino went 4-for-5 and delivered two home runs while driving in three. Paulino has gotten off to a good start in June, as he is now hitting .379 for the month.

Pitchers:

Jered Weaver tossed a complete game shutout with five strikeouts to improve to 7-2 on the year. Weaver has allowed two runs or less in his last five starts while going 4-0 in that stretch.

Matt Cain tossed a complete game, allowing one run with a season-high nine strikeouts.  Cain, who has battled control problems in several starts this season,  did not walk a batter for the third time this year.

A.J. Burnett tossed seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to pick up win number five on the year. Burnett’s inconsistencies have been a direct result of his increase in walks and lack of control compared to previous seasons. His strikeout to walk ratio of 1.78 is currently the lowest it has been since 2003 and his batting average against of .261 is the highest since 2006.

Josh Johnson picked up a complete game victory, allowing three runs with six strikeouts to improve to 6-1 on the season. Johnson has been amazingly consistent this season. Outside of his start on April 18th, he has allowed three runs or fewer in every other start this year.

Chad Billingsley allowed two runs in seven innings with three strikeouts to up his mark to 9-3. It was the third consecutive win for Billingsley who moved into a tie for first place in wins in the National League with Matt Cain.

Brian Bannister hurled eight scoreless innings and fanned four to gain his fifth victory of the season. Bannister has allowed two earned runs in his last 13 innings.

Scott Baker allowed two runs in seven innings with five strikeouts in a no decision. Baker now has a 2.87 ERA in his last three starts with 23 strikeouts in 22 innings.

Jason Hammel allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts to pick up his fourth win of the year. Hammel has reeled off three straight wins with a 2.46 ERA in those outings.

Ross Ohlendorf allowed one run in six innings with two strikeouts to pick up his sixth win of the season. The win for Ohlendorf was his first since May 13th.

Closers:

Trevor Hoffman allowed a run for the first time this season, taking the loss against the Chicago White Sox. Hoffman had worked 18 scoreless innings coming into Sunday’s game.

Jose Valverde returned from the disabled list and worked a scoreless inning with three strikeouts.

Frank Francisco was placed on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis. C.J. Wilson will take over as closer while Francisco is out.


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Fantasy Baseball – the Daily Dirt for Sunday

Posted by Todd Lammi on April 26th, 2009

by Todd Lammi

Here are some news and notes regarding injuries as you set your lineup today for the upcoming week. Closer Joakim Soria tested his sore shoulder on Sunday and the Kansas City Royals hope he will be available by mid week. If you own Juan Cruz, this would be the week to play him in attempts to pick up a save or two…..Keep an eye on the Seattle Mariners bullpen as closer Brandon Morrow has some shoulder stiffness. David Aardsma should be active for next week as he could see a save opportunity…..Shawn Hill of the San Diego Padres was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed elbow. Josh Greer will get the start in his place this week. Because Greer was used in relief of Hill on Saturday, Chad Gaudin could be recalled from Triple-A to start on Tuesday….Chicago White Sox second baseman Chris Getz could land on the disabled list with a fractured bone in his finger so keep him reserved for this upcoming week…..Stephen Drew of the Arizona Diamondbacks was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained hamstring. Augie Ojeda will fill in for Drew…..Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman was activated from the disabled list and should return to the closer role immediately so it should be safe to activate him for this week…..Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained finger. Ramon Vazquez should see time there along with recent call up Brian Bixler…..Shortstop Julio Lugo of the Boston Red Sox will be activated from the disabled list in time to play on Monday and should return to the starting lineup…..Phil Hughes will get the start on Tuesday for the New York Yankees in place of Chien-Ming Wang against the Detroit Tigers…..Although it does not impact games for next week, Diamondbacks starter Brandon Webb will miss at the minimum six more weeks of action worth a right shoulder strain…..In other fantasy baseball news from around the diamond on Sunday…

National League:

Shane Victorino went 2 for 5 with 4 RBI to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 13-2 win over the Florida Marlins. Jamie Moyer allowed one run in six innings with six strikeouts to pick up his third victory of the season…..Jay Bruce hit two home runs and drive in four runs to power the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. Joey Votto added two doubles and three RBI. Micah Owings allowed one run in seven innings with six strikeouts for his first victory of the season…..Rookie Jordan Zimmermann allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts to help the Washington Nationals defeat the New York Mets 8-1. Jesus Flores hit his second home run of the season and drove in three runs. Austin Kearns added his third long ball of the year. Oliver Perez allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings for the Mets and his rotation spot may be in jeopardy…..Ivan Rodriguez hit a solo home run to give the Houston Astros a 3-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Manny Parra took the loss for Milwaukee and is now 0-3…..Rich Harden allowed two runs in six innings and struck out nine to pitch the Chicago Cubs past the St. Louis Cardinals 10-3. Kosuke Fukudome hit his fourth home run of the season and is now batting .371. Alfonso Soriano added his third stolen base of the year. Rick Ankiel and Yadier Molina each hit their second home run of the season for the Cardinals…..Ryan Spillborghs hit his first home run of the season and drove in three runs in the Colorado Rockies 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clint Barmes added his third home run of the year for the Rockies. Clayton Kershaw was hit hard in his second consecutive start, allowing nine runs in 4 2/3 innings…..Adam LaRoche hit two home runs with 4 RBI to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-3 victory over the San Diego Padres. Ross Ohlendorf allowed three runs in seven innings to pick up the victory. Jake Peavy had his second straight sub par performance for the Padres, allowing five runs in five innings. Adrian Gonzalez hit his seventh home run of the year for San Diego…..Matt Cain allowed one run in seven innings for the San Francisco Giants, but saw his win blown by closer Brian Wilson who allowed three runs in the ninth innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pablo Sandoval went 4 for 4 with 3 RBI and his first home run of the year.Justin Upton hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to send the game to extra frames for the D-Backs.

American League:

Aaron Laffey allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings to pitch he Cleveland Indians past the Minnesota Twins 4-1. Carlos Gomez continues to disappoint for the Minnesota Twins, going 0 for 2 on Sunday, dropping his average to .195. Gomez has not stolen a base since he stole two back on April 11…..The top three hitters atop the Baltimore Orioles lineup remain on fire as they combined for 6 RBI in the Baltimore Orioles 8-5 defeat of the Texas Rangers. Brian Roberts (.372) hit his second home run of the season and Adam  Jones (.348) added his third with 3 RBI. Nick Markakis (.389) added two RBI giving him 21 for the season. Chris Davis and Hank Blalock each hit home run number five for the Rangers…..Roy Halladay picked up his 4th win of the season in the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. Halladay allowed three runs in seven innings with six strikeouts. Scott Downs picked up his second save of the season. Alexei Ramirez stole his third base of the year for the White Sox…..Armando Galarraga allowed one run in six innings with seven strikeouts in the Detroit Tigers 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. Brandon Inge hit his seventh home run of the season and Josh Anderson stole his sixth base of the year for the Tigers. Mike Aviles hit his first home run of the year for the Royals…..Jered Weaver hurled seven scoreless innings to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 8-0 shutout of the Seattle Mariners. Howie Kendrick went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI and his second home run of the season and Juan Rivera added his first long ball of the year  for the Angels. Dana Eveland allowed one run in five innings in the Oakland Athletics 7-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Catcher Kurt Suzuki drove in three runs for the A’s. Andy Sonnanstine allowed seven runs in four innings for the Rays and could be in danger of losing his rotation spot once David Price is recalled from Triple-A.

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Fantasy Baseball – Closer Report week two

Posted by Todd Lammi on April 19th, 2009

by Todd Lammi

With two weeks now in the books in major league baseball, lets review some of the bullpen situations from a fantasy baseball perspective.

Washington Nationals:

Current closer Joel Hanrahan could be out of a job after blowing consecutive saves against the Florida Marlins on Friday and Saturday. Saul Rivera got the chance to close on Sunday and he blew that as well. Rivera was sent to Triple-A after the game. Garret Mock has been recalled from Triple-A and could see a save opportunity, although he had a 17.18 ERA in the minors so far this year. Joe Beimel could also see save chances as he has been the one decent reliever so far this year in the Nationals bullpen. A dark horse candidate is Jason Bergmann who was also recalled from Triple-A on Sunday.

Colorado Rockies:

Two days after being named closer by manager Clint Hurdle, Manny Corpas pitching in the 7th inning in the blowout loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday allowed two runs in one inning, bumping his ERA up to 6.75. Recently replaced closer Huston Street has not been any better, currently sports a 9.64 ERA. In a perfect world, Street would have been the closer until July and then traded with Corpas taking over.  Taylor Buchholz might have been an option but is still on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right elbow.  Jason Grilli could be next in line in Corpas fails to deliver when presented with a save opportunity.

Chicago Cubs:

Carlos Marmol – 1.35 ERA, got the save on Friday night and was rewarded by being brought into the game in the 7th inning on Saturday.

Kevin Gregg – 6.00 ERA, has not had a save since opening day, but is still the closer according to manager Lou Piniella.

Talent eventually will win out over stubbornness I have to believe in this case, but until Gregg blows a save or two, it looks like he is still the man.

St. Louis Cardinals:

Without doubt, the main closer is now Ryan Franklin. Manager Tony La Russa is trying to work Jason Motte into situations to be successful to get his confidence built back up. Recently recalled Chris Perez from Triple-A gives them another option in the bullpen, but for now, Franklin should see the majority of save opportunities.

Milwaukee Brewers:

Carlos Villanueva has not been the answer with a 9.00 ERA. Injured closer Trevor Hoffman is scheduled to pitch Tuesday night in Triple-A and again on Friday and if all goes well, he will be recalled the following week. Todd Coffey and Villanueva will battle for the eight inning role once Hoffman returns.

Baltimore Orioles:

George Sherrill remains the closer, but he has to keep on eye on Chris Ray. Sherrill has been getting saves, but his ERA and whip ratio make him less than an ideal closer to own. Ray has strung together three good outings in a row after two initial poor performances. Ray has struck out seven in his last 3 1/3 innings. Ray has not pitched on back-to-back days yet this season so when he does eventually take back the closer role, Sherrill will still see save chances.

Seattle Mariners:

Brandon Morrow has been perfect in his four appearances since blowing his first save. If you own Morrow, handcuff David Aardsma to him. If you don’t own Morrow, Aardsma could get you 5-10 saves the remainder of the season.

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