MLB Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

Is it necessary for every Boston writer to put to paper that this "is likely the last series the Red Sox play at Yankee Stadium?"

Look, it no doubt could be that way, and this is not the same set of teams from 1978, but that was a 10-game lead that was blown. In the final year of a great stadium, would it surprise anyone to see a September run? May not be likely, but still has the potential. Anyway, on to the notes.

• Derek Jeter has been on a tear, in case you haven't noticed. All season, the questions about Jeter's ability to hit have come up. Yet, here he is. Entering the final days of August, Jeter's average is now nearly .300, checking in at .294 after last night's games. He was hurt badly enough early this season that he's just now healthy enough to swing like we know he can. The lesson, don't give up on consistency.
• Speaking of lessons, always go with your gut. The 'Table had a gut feeling about Kevin Millwood on Monday for last night's start against Kansas City, but then backed off. Millwood only went out and dominated them. The numbers may not have been a great indicator that he would do so, and not using him was likely a "safer" play. You don't always win by being safe. Sometimes you need to take that gamble. Kudos to those of you that did.
• Evan Longoria is targeting a Sept. 1 return to the lineup. That's just in time for playoffs, and it couldn't be better for most owners. Yes, you want him this week, but him being healthy for the semifinals and finals is just as important, if not more so. Longoria will start hitting this week, likely off a tee, with some soft toss and make a quick trip to AAA to get his timing back.
• Mark Kotsay could be traded to Boston as early as tomorrow. If he is, you can rest assured that J.D. Drew's injury is more serious than the Red Sox are letting on. You don't make that kind of move if you think that the guy will be back in a few days. The team does not seem to know what is impacting Drew's back, but he did have an MRI and X-rays done yesterday. The DL move is retroactive to the 18th of August, so he could be back early September. He has almost officially given up relevance as far as fantasy purposes go, if that is the time table. If the trade goes through, it's completely official.
• Have to credit ESPN for this stat, but we thought it was interesting. Since July 22, left-handed batters are hitting just .125 against Johan Santana, while right-handed hitters are at just .224. There is dominance, and then there is what Santana is doing. He may be good before an All-Star break, but he's always that much better after it. If the Mets had a bullpen, he'd have 20 wins. Since they don't, we owners have to settle for the other impressive stats he puts up.
• Don't blame Scott Baker for the Twins' loss. Baker may not have been able to keep guys off the bases, but he scattered his 10 hits over nearly seven innings and still gave up just three runs. He's a groundball pitcher that pitches to contact, so the hits aren't unexpected. They seem to come against him on the road. What hurts is that Minnesota's offense has disappeared these first two games against Seattle. The starting pitching has been good, both by Liriano and Baker. The trifecta should happen tonight. Expect better results from Baker when he takes on Oakland for his next outing.
• Geovany Soto went from specialized catcher last season (once-a-week guy) to one of the best hitting catchers in fantasy baseball. Soto drove in seven runs last night and will finish the season as one of the top-five catchers in baseball. No one saw this out of him, but his name will be called much earlier in drafts next year than it was this past season. Expect more of the same going forward.
• Two pitchers that threw yesterday have had limited success against the teams they faced, but both came through. Ben Sheets had been hammered by the Cardinals all season, but came up with a solid six-inning performance where he did not allow a run. Roy Halladay gave up two runs to the Rays, but given his three prior outings, this was a step in the right direction. When it comes to star players, the law of averages eventually wins out, and that was the case here. Sheets is pitching for his next contract, so expect a very good month from him.
• Damion Easley is hitting .429 in his last four games and has been as big a boost to the Mets as their bullpen has been a problem. Luis Castillo is coming off the DL, and it could mean a battle for playing time, especially with the emergence of Dan Murphy and the return of Ryan Church, as well as the play of Fernando Tatis. Something has to give here. We still expect Easley to see enough playing time to warrant a spot in deep leagues, especially in the playoffs.
• Jimmy Rollins has decided that hitting is ok. Rollins is eight for his last 10, including a five-hit performance last night. Rollins has been booed more than any other player in Philadelphia this year, and rightly so, given what he was coming off of. Expect him to have a stellar final month and be ready to come back to MVP form in April. He should still be at the top of draft boards (by top, we mean top-five).

Notes for Today's Games

• Zach Duke shouldn't be played in any league, but get every Cubs player possible into the lineup. The only one not worth starting is Jim Edmonds, who is 0-for-8 against Duke lifetime. Alfonso Soriano leads the way at 12-for-21, but five other Cubs starters are over .300 and two more are in the .290s. Not too bad if you need some offense.
• Randy Johnson hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in his last seven outings, but still is struggling to come up with wins. His August numbers may show just the 2-2 record, but his ERA is only 2.16 and batters are hitting only .238 against him. While Khalil Greene is 7-for-20 against the lefty, there is no other Padres player that has put up any decent offense. If you have other options for any of them, use them.
• No Blue Jays player should be started against Matt Garza. Domination is the only way to describe how good he has been against them. In three starts, his ERA is below 1.00, and the team is hitting just .167 against him this season. Find other options. Garza is so good at home, all this is compounded.
• Kyle Kendrick has been beaten around by the NL West for his last three starts, so he's probably happy to see them gone. His reward, though, is a Mets team that has been hitting well for the most part. Kendrick faced the Padres and Dodgers on the road and was lit up in two pitcher's parks. He is better at home, but I don't like a guy that manages to get pulled before the fourth is over in two of the friendliest parks he could have pitched in.
• If you need a bat today, grab Mark Ellis. Ellis is hitting .353 against Anaheim starter Joe Saunders, in 17 at-bats. Even this is a slight gamble, though, as Ellis has been bothered by a shoulder injury that may keep him out of the lineup. There isn't much else to go on as far as the A's lineup, but this one was worth noting. Saunders, obviously, is still a good start at home against the weak-hitting Oakland lineup. He's 2-0 against them this season with a 1.26 ERA.
• Give Adam Wainwright one more start before you go and grab him for the playoffs. The Brewers offense is clicking again and Wainwright just hasn't had enough time to fully get loose. Manny Parra continues to struggle on the road, and his last three road-outings haven't given us the confidence to say to start him. In three starts against St. Louis, his ERA is 5.79, and the Cardinals have hit over .300 against him.
• Brian Bannister has been on the mound for two starts against Texas this year and has a 9.90 ERA to show for it. Bannister gets them at home, where he has been better, and his August numbers are skewed by his last performance against the Yankees, but, even with that as the case, keep him down. Start any and all Rangers.
• No Blue Jays player should be started against Matt Garza. Domination is the only way to describe how good he has been against them. In three starts, his ERA is below 1.00 and the team is hitting just .167 against him this season. Find other options. Garza is so good at home, all this is compounded.
• Just to make a few points clear, again. Greg Maddux on the road is a bad decision. Livan Hernandez under any circumstance is a bad decision, especially going against Tim Lincecum and the way he owns the Rockies. Get Randy Winn in your lineups. Roy Oswalt has never lost to the Reds and draws Josh Fogg.
• Spot starts: Glen Perkins, Josh Johnson, and Tim Redding.

Notes for Tomorrow's Games

• Mike Mussina has struggled against Boston this season, posting a 5.52 ERA in three outings so far this season and allowing the Red Sox to hit .333. Mussina has been tough on lefties, where they only hit .232 against him. David Ortiz has struggled against Mussina, hititng only .237. Dustin Pedroia and Coco Crisp have put up solid numbers against the Yankees' starter.
• Jon Garland's struggles in August are enough to scare anyone away from using him against Texas. Garland is 1-2 with a 5.50 ERA for the month and is just 4-5 at home on the season. Keep all your Rangers active against Garland.
• With how hot the Cubs have been, starting Ryan Dempster against the Phillies is almost a no-brainer move. He's actually handled the Phillies well, with only Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins posting averages over .300 against him. Rollins is hot, so expect that to continue facing a familiar pitcher. Reserve as many other Phillies as you can. Dempster has allowed more than two runs only once in his last ten outings and is 3-1 in August with a 2.52 ERA.
• Cole Hamels has been nearly as good as Dempster over his last ten, allowing more than two runs only twice in his last ten outings. Hamels has been a hard-luck pitcher largely because of the lack of run support he's received to this point. Batters are still hitting just .222 against him at home.
• Dana Eveland's promise has largely been at home, where he has posted a 5-3 record with a 3.48 ERA. Eveland has been very tough on lefties, as they are only hitting .231 against Oakland's starter. He's a risk play, but a solid spot start opportunity. Nick Blackburn has struggled on the road, posting a 3-5 record and .310 BAA. He's the first Twins pitcher to not recommend this week.
• Aaron Harang is just 2-7 on the season away from home and has posted a 5.20 ERA in that time. He's been roughed up all month in three starts with a 10.80 ERA. Start all your Astros and keep Harang away from your lineups.
• Clayton Kershaw is quickly becoming a reliable option for the Dodgers and in fantasy rotations. Since the end of July, he's only had trouble with Philadelphia, and that happened in his last outing. Otherwise, he hasn't allowed more than three earned in his last six. Going against a weaker Nationals lineup, Kershaw is a solid option to use and is worth the start in all formats.
• Spot starts: Kershaw, Brandon Backe, and Dana Eveland.

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