It feels good to have baseball back doesn't it? I know, the All-Star Game is nice, but this is what it's all about. Having Wednesday without anything to talk about only made Thursday that much better. And today brings us back into the swing of things. Let's get to some notes.
- David Ortiz homered in his rehab game last night with Pawtucket. Ortiz went 1-3 with a walk. He said after the game that he felt good and was really just looking to get his timing back. Other than chasing a few high fastballs, he felt he was well on his way. A very good sign for owners.
- Here is something that will not end well. Francisco Liriano's agent is asking for a union investigation as to why his client hasn't been called up. Liriano is dominating in AAA, going 7-0 with a 2.63 ERA. Right now, there just doesn't seem to be room for him. The Twins starting rotation has been very solid for the last month. Liriano certainly has fantasy value, but it just may not be seen this season.
- Richie Sexson has a tentative deal with the Yankees in place. Sexson would be used strictly for his power against left-handed pitching, as he's hitting nearly .300 against lefties. If you use a platoon system of your own at first base, then this is a good spot. Otherwise, this qualifies as, "who cares?" type news.
- Joe Blanton, who has virtually no value in the AL West, has been traded to a much more offensive division in the NL East to play in a smaller ballpark with less foul territory. He's 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA. I can't see that getting better. You do have to wonder what this will do to the value of Brett Myers. Myers has been expected to get the call at the end of the month. That looks less likely.
- Johnny Cueto, as predicted, struggled against the Mets last night. He's just having more and more problems against good offenses. Last night, it was just a buzzsaw of a Mets team that has been clicking on all cylinders. Not necessarily Cueto's fault, but something to keep in mind. He still has deep league value, but there are better options in most formats.
- Johan Santana is typically dominant in the second half of the season, but struggled with command last night. Worse, he gave up 10 more flyball outs, as well as back-to-back home runs. His last several starts had been better, but Santana has been playing with this fire all season. Owners should take note.
- I'm going to stop trying to understand how Kyle Lohse has been successful. Every time I think the wheels could fall off, he puts up another solid performance. Lohse has been dominant at home. I'm still a few steps away from using him on the road, but at home makes sense.
Notes for today's games:
2 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Jeff Pecor 11 months ago
You're smoking crack if you think Kuroda will be the most consistent Dodgers pitcher in the second half. Japanese players typically fade in the second half - especially in their first season in the bigs. They're simply not conditioned to going to the full 162 game schedule compared to the Japanese league.
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Collin Hager - The Roundtable 11 months ago
But Kuroda has now had time off in the middle of the season that many pitchers do not get, even if as a result of injury. That will help him keep his consistency. His only competition for this is Billingsley, who has as limited a track record.
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