Around the Major Leagues: April 22

Francisco Liriano and Justin Verlander continue to struggle. Dan Haren continues to shine. Adam LaRoche hot in April? Let’s take a look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games.

Minnesota vs. Boston (Game One)

• Scott Baker’s second start off the DL was no better then his first.  He lasted just 4.2 innings, giving up six runs on 10 hits and one walk, and striking out two. If the hits weren’t bad enough, three of them left the park. His next start is scheduled against Tampa Bay. With the way he’s been struggling, I would relegate him to the bench until he proves worthy.
• Mike Lowell went 3-for-4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 1 R. That gives him a seven-game hitting streak, with five multi-hit games during that span. In fact, he’s had at least one RBI in each of those games (12 during the streak).

Minnesota vs. Boston (Game Two)

• What is going on with Francisco Liriano? His struggles continue, giving up seven runs on four hits and four walks, striking out six, over four innings of work. He’s now 0-4 and has given up four or more runs in three of his four starts this season. This is putting owners in a similar situation to that of Justin Verlander last season, where he’s too good to bench. At this point you have to just ride it out and hope for the best.

Oakland vs. New York (AL)

• The balls just continue to fly out of Yankee Stadium, with five in total leaving the yard in this one. The biggest came off the bat of Melky Cabrera, the game winner in the 14th inning. It was his second of the game and fourth of the season. Overall, he went 2-for-6 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, and 2 R. Considering he had 16 HR over 959 AB between 2007 and 2008, I’m not buying the early power surge.
• Brett Anderson struggled, giving up five runs on nine hits and one walk, striking out three, over 5.1 innings. He’s got a ton of upside, but if you want to use him, you really have to pick your spots carefully. Against the Yankees, especially in that stadium, simply should never be one of them.

Chicago (AL) vs. Baltimore

• Chris Getz went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, 3 R, and 1 SB. That makes four multi-hit games in his last five (7-for-21). He still has only 5 RBI, 5 R, and 2 SB on the season, making him a low-end option at best. Granted, he could score runs in the leadoff spot, but I want someone with at least some power or speed upside.
• The Orioles' “ace,” Jeremy Guthrie, gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out two, over six innings. That raised his ERA to 5.16 on the season. Just because he’s the Orioles' ace does not mean he should be yours. He has value as a back end starter, but not much else.

Kansas City vs. Cleveland

• Coco Crisp went 2-for-4 with 1 R, his second straight two-hit game. He’s also scored runs in seven of his last eight games, which is where his value lies for fantasy owners.
• Cliff Lee has appeared to right the ship, posting his second straight strong start, though he fell to 1-3. He went eight innings, giving up two runs on nine hits and one walk, and striking out five. It’s great and all, but he’s still a pitcher that you want to proceed cautiously with.

Texas vs. Toronto

• Derek Holland finally made his major league debut, throwing 2.1 innings of shutout ball out of the bullpen. He gave up three hits and zero walks, striking out two. His time in the rotation is coming, sooner or later.
• Alex Rios has a four-game hitting streak, but last night was the game where he may have finally busted out.  He went 4-for-6 with two RBI, raising his average to .246. Obviously, the lack of a HR is very reminiscent of last season, not exactly what owners wanted to see. Hold strong.
• David Purcey was decent, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out six, over 5.1 innings. It’s certainly not a perfect line, but considering his last debacle, it’s promising. He’s in line for two starts next week, against the Royals and Orioles. I want to say he’s a no-brainer to use, but right now I just can’t. He is sporting a 1.69 WHIP. Desperate deeper league owners certainly can play him; just acknowledge the risks.

Detroit vs. Los Angeles (AL)

• Justin Verlander gave up seven runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out five, over five innings. His ERA is now at an even 9.00 with three stinkers and one solid start. Yes, you have to love the 25 Ks in 21 innings, but even that is unlikely to continue. Obviously the ERA is going to come down, at least somewhat, but with this now being the second season of this, owners have to be concerned. His next start comes against the Yankees in the new stadium, a home run haven. I know his upside potential, but at this point I’d have to consider benching him if I have another option.
• The Angels finally changed their lineup a bit. It was Bobby Abreu batting third, Torii Hunter fourth, and Kendry Morales fifth. I know that seems like it would not be perfect as well, but Morales rewarded them by going 2-for-5 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, and 1 R.
• I have to ask—why did the Angels call up Brandon Wood if they aren’t going to use him?

Tampa Bay vs. Seattle

• When the top four players in the Rays lineup perform as they did last night, there’s little any team can do. B.J. Upton (2-for-6, 1 R), Carl Crawford (4-for-5, 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB), Evan Longoria (3-for-4, 3 RBI, 1 R, and Carlos Pena (1-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R) form one of the more potent line-ups in the league. Imagine if they can ever truly get Pat Burrell and his six RBI going? This lineup could be scary.
• Adrian Beltre went 0-for-4 with 1 R, dropping his average to .172. He’s now just 1-for-16 over the past four games. If you are in a shallower league you could bench him until he heats up, but deeper formats certainly should not. Like I’ve said with other players, he’s got to heat up sooner or later, and after enduring such bad performances, you don’t want to miss the impending breakout.

Florida vs. Pittsburgh

• Adam LaRoche went 4-for-5 with 1 RBI and 2 R, raising his average to .304 on the season to go with 3 HR, 10 RBI, and 8 R. Last season he had five RBI in all of April. In 2007 he had 11 RBI in April.
• Paul Maholm improved to 3-0 despite giving up four runs on eight hits and one walk, striking out four, over six innings.  He certainly has some negatives, like the strikeout potential, but he is still a pitcher worth using in deeper formats, especially if the Pirates are going to score for him.

Colorado vs. Arizona

• Dan Haren threw seven shutout innings, giving up six hits and two walks, striking out nine. That lowered his ERA to 1.38, yet he is just 1-3 on the season. Baseball is certainly a funny game sometimes, isn’t it?

San Diego vs. San Francisco

• Chris Young was superb in this one, throwing seven shutout innings, giving up two hits and four walks, and striking out three. He’s been solid, with a 3.42 ERA, and seems to be over the injuries that plagued him in 2008. He’s a solid option for the middle of the rotation in all formats, especially with San Diego being home.
• Barry Zito pitched well?!? He went seven shutout innings, giving up six hits and striking out five. Too bad his ERA still sits at 5.63. Plus, this was against a weaker Padres offense, so don’t get too excited. He has no value to fantasy owners at this point.
• Pablo Sandoval got his first start at catcher this season. I know, he’s been struggling, but his value will increase exponentially when he gains eligibility there. He’s going to hit sooner or later, making him worth stashing if you are weak at catcher.

Atlanta vs. Washington

• Jair Jurrjens (7.2 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K) and John Lannan (7.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K) were both stellar in this one, stifling their opponents. This marks back-to-back strong starts for Lannan after getting off to a terrible start. I’m still not that high on him, and with his next start coming in Philadelphia, I wouldn’t recommend using him. Still, when the matchup is favorable, he could be worth using in a pitch and ditch scenario.
• Interesting that it was Mike Gonzalez who came in to finish off the eighth, gaining the win, and Rafael Soriano pitching a perfect ninth for the save.

Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia

• Todd Coffey struggled, giving up one run on three hits, striking out two, over an inning to pick up his second save. It appears he’s the closer du jour in Milwaukee, so grab him if you are desperate for early saves. His time in the role is limited, however, so be ready to quickly move on.
• Shane Victorino went 1-for-4, extending his modest hitting streak to three games (4-for-12). That may not sound like much, but considering he’s hitting .245 on the season, fantasy owners need to take what they can get. Hopefully this is the start of a much bigger run for him.

Los Angeles (NL) vs. Houston

• Andre Ethier posted his third multi-hit game out of the last four, going 3-for-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI, and 2 R. He’s in the cleanup spot right now and offering great protection for Manny Ramirez. He’s hitting .321 with five HR and 17 RBI.
• Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, and 1 SB. He is a great all-around talent.

Cincinnati vs. Chicago (NL)

• Johnny Cueto tossed his second straight solid start, tossing seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and no walks, striking out three. He’s a solid back end option, and with the Astros next on the schedule he should be used in all formats.
• Jay Bruce homered for the second straight game, going 2-for-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI, and 1 R. He’s already proven the talent is there, so don’t let the slow start discourage you.

New York (NL) vs. St. Louis

• John Maine continues to struggle, giving up five runs on seven hits and five walks, striking out two, over 5.2 innings. His ERA is sitting at 7.47, and he’s walked nine batters over 15.2 innings.
• Joel Pineiro threw eight solid innings, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks, without striking out a batter. He did a great job of keeping the ball on the ground, inducing 17 balls on the ground. Yeah, he’s 3-0, but he certainly is not an option I’d recommend.

What does everyone think? Anything you want to add?

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