Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

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• It is rare to say that a visiting team has an advantage, but the Orioles may have just that over Seattle. The Mariners spent the day playing in Boston, then had to fly back to the West Coast to play at home tonight. The Orioles played a day game against the Angels at Anaheim before heading up the coast to Washington. With how well Brad Bergesen has been pitching, the matchup for him is that much more favorable here.
• Look to avoid Lyle Overbay against the Yankees today. Overbay is only 2-for-24 against Andy Pettitte. Both Rod Barajas and Aaron Hill have struggled as well, and if you have other options it would be best to use them. Other Blue Jays starters fit the bill and should be in lineups.
• While some may expect a correction in the stats of Jason Marquis, that is not going to happen tonight against the Nationals. Marquis has ten wins, and it is time for owners to believe a bit more in what they are seeing. Especially against a weak-hitting offense, Marquis is worth the start.
• Ian Kinsler is only 5-for-24 against Jered Weaver, and Josh Hamilton has checked in at just 1-for-9. No concerns on any other Rangers in this one, but know what you could be getting in starting Kinsler here. He is hitless in his last four games, and is just tw for his last 26.
• Tough to start Armando Galarraga in this one. While he looked good in his only outing against the Royals this season, he also has allowed at least three earned runs in nine of his last ten starts. Figuring that he has only worked into the seventh four times in that span, the numbers are not solid.
• Gil Meche may have given up just one unearned run last time out, but his day was spent getting out of trouble with baserunners. Meche has some injury concerns, and the Tigers have hit him well. With the potential exception of Placido Polanco, all your Tigers make good plays in this one.
• Jon Garland has had a hard time this season, and some of it has to do with run support. For certain, he still struggles with control and command, but he deserved a win last time out. In four of his last ten starts he has given up zero or one runs, but has just one win in those outings. At home, he has been roughed up, going 2-4 with an ERA well over 7.00. Avoid him here.
• John Smoltz looked good in his last outing before the rain came in Baltimore. Smoltz had a sharp slider working and kept his velocity in the low-90s. With an Oakland lineup coming in without much pop, he is a decent option as a starter in deeper formats.
• Cole Hamels is coming off two bad outings that saw him unable to get out of the fifth inning either time. The Reds are a different animal though. Avoid Brandon Phillips and his 2-for-15 stats against Hamels. The Phillies starter should be fine in this one.
• Spot Starts: Bergesen, Marquis, and Ricky Romero

Tuesday Notes

• Nothing pretty about the Minnesota numbers against C.C. Sabathia. From top to bottom, the lineup has struggled dramatically against the starter for New York. Look to avoid as many as you can, including your regular stars. Justin Morneau is only 6-for-36, and Michael Cuddyer is 10-for-49. No good news here.
• Justin Verlander has been pitching well, and historically is strong against the Royals. Outside of an 8-for-20 of Billy Butler, look to avoid most Royals that you would be keeping in lineups otherwise. David DeJesus, Mark Teahan, and Jose Guillen have some rough numbers.
• While Mark Buehrle has been strong of late, the Indians have some good power numbers against him. The team has hit 12 home runs in 270 at-bats, good for about one a game. With Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez, the numbers warrant keeping them started. Ryan Garko is a solid play in this one, as he is 11-for-22. Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, though, are both hovering very close to .200 against the White Sox starter.
• Just when owners started to rely on Kevin Correia, he blew up to allow six runs in his last outing against Houston. This one, though, has some better numbers. Against Arizona, Correia has been strong. While you will want to keep Mark Reynolds in the lineup with his .313 average, your other Diamondbacks have struggled. No other decent starts available here.
• Batters are hitting .304 against Paul Maholm on the road, and there are rumors that he has been bothered by knee and groin issues this season. Lance Berkman is only 3-for-23 against Maholm, and Carlos Lee is 6-for-29. The numbers there are not good, but the Pirates starter needs to be held back in this one.
• Spot Starts: Correia, Jordan Zimmermann, and Jeremy Guthrie

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

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