Around the Majors, May 24: Sizemore, Soto, Dunn, and More

Grady Sizemore is showing signs of coming to life.  Geovany Soto just can’t seem to get things on track.  Adam Dunn continues to do his thing, even in Washington.  Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games.

Philadelphia 4, New York (AL) 3 (11 innings)

• Shane Victorino extended his hitting streak to seven games, going 3-for-6 with 1 RBI, 1 R and 1 SB.  Over the streak he’s gone 10-29 with 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R and 3 SB.  This is the prime example while all streaks are certainly not considered equal.  It’s great that he’s strung together hits in consecutive games, but he has really not been all that productive.
• Can you believe that Brad Lidge blew yet another save?  He gave up 1 run on 2 hits and 0 walks, striking out 1, over 1 inning.  Unbelievable, huh?  He’s now becoming a borderline No. 1 option, given his ERA sitting at 9.15.
• Mark Teixeira went 2-for-5 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R.  Suddenly he’s hitting .268 with 13 HR and 34 RBI.  Where is that early season slump?  That’s why they say baseball is a game of averages and why fantasy owners should not panic over early season struggles.

Colorado 3, Detroit 1

• Todd Helton just continues to produce.  He extended his modest hitting streak to four-games after going 2-for-5 with 2 RBI and 1 R.  Over that stretch he’s gone 8-18 with 2 HR, 9 RBI and 4 R.  He’s re-emerged as a must use option in all leagues, though he still does lack the power punch (6 HR this season) for a 1B.  Make sure you are getting your power elsewhere before using him.
• Dontrelle Willis took the loss, but it was not a terrible outing.  Granted, his control issues reared their ugly head, walking 4 and allowing 7 hits over 6.2 innings.  He did only allow 3 runs, striking out 4.  It’s not as good as his last start, but shouldn’t shut the door on things.

Florida 5, Tampa Bay 4 (11 innings)

• I know the Marlins have a potent offense, but I never expected Shields to take the kind of beating that he did.  He went 6.2 innings giving up 4 runs on 12 hits and 2 walks, striking out 7.  I know, the end results aren’t terrible, but it is not the type of performance that you’d have expected either.  Everyone has good and bad starts, so there really isn’t anything to worry about.
• Chris Coghlan had gone just 2-for-18 over his last six games, but went 3-for-5 in this one.  Still, no other production at all.  With a .191 average with just 1 HR and 1 SB, you have to wonder how long he’s going to see regular playing time.

Cincinnati 4, Cleveland 3 (11 innings)

• Grady Sizemore went 2-for-4 with 1 RBI and 1 R hitting second once again, giving him a run scored in four straight games.  Will I say that he’s got things fully kicked into gear?  Not quite yet, but he’s showing signs at least.  I’d look for him to end up getting bumped back into the leadoff spot soon.
• No Brandon Phillips, who apparently has a hairline fracture in his thumb, who was replaced by Jerry Hairston Jr.  He is likely headed to the DL, I would think, so you need to find a replacement for now.  Hairston is definitely viable in deeper formats.
• Johnny Cueto gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out 7, over 7 innings of work.  Nice to see him get things back on track a bit, after having given up 7 runs over his prior 14 innings.  This is the first time he’s walked more than 2 batters in a game since 4/17, so don’t worry about that either.

Washington 8, Baltimore 5

• After having his nine-game hitting streak broken on Saturday, Adam Jones got right back to it yesterday.  He went 1-for-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R and 1 SB as he continues to completely breakout this season.  At this point he clearly is a must use option in all formats, hitting .359 with 10 HR, 32 RBI and 4 SB on the season.
• Adam Dunn did what Adam Dunn does, going 2-for-4 with 2 HR, 6 RBI and 2 R.  He’s up to 14 HR on the season, well on his way to yet another 40 HR year.  I know the average isn’t spectacular, but how many players can match his consistent power?
• The bloom is off the rose for Shairon Martis, who escaped without a loss but was severely sub par in this one.  He allowed 5 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2, over 6 innings.  He’s now allowed 10 runs over 12 innings in his last two starts and certainly holds little value outside of the deepest of formats.  Even then, with his lack of strikeout potential, I’m not sure I would even use him.

Boston 12, New York (NL) 5

• Gary Sheffield went 1-for-3 with 1 RBI and 1 R.  Since returning from a bout of food poisoning he’s gone 3-for-9 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 4 R.  He’s going to be the man in the middle of the Mets line-up with Carlos Delgado out and right now he’s proving that he still has value.  He’s certainly usable in five outfielder formats.
• After having just 1 RBI over his previous 12 games (he had gone 9-for-46 over that span), Mike Lowell finally made his presence felt once again.  He went 3-for-5 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 2 R, giving him 8 HR and 32 RBI on the season.  That shows you how good of a start he got off to and he certainly could be in store for another hot stretch.

Atlanta 10, Toronto 2

• Scott Richmond had a rocky two-game stretch, but seems to have things back on track.  He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 0 walks, striking out 5, over 5 innings to take a no decision in this one.  He threw only 77 pitches, falling victim to the NL game and being lifted for a pinch hitter.  That was a shame, as the bullpen clearly imploded. 
• Brian McCann went 3-for-4 with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 R.  He hadn’t homered since May 9 and had just 2 RBI since then (11 games), so this is certainly what fantasy owners have been waiting for. 
• It was much of the same from Jair Jurrjens, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3, over 6 innings.  He has only allowed more than 2 earned runs in one start this season (he allowed 3 on April 12, his second start).  Considering he entered the game with a .241 BABIP, I think it is safe to assume that a regression is going to come sooner or later.  He’s a very good pitcher, but I wouldn’t hesitate to sell high on him if the opportunity presents itself.

Pittsburgh 4, Chicago (AL) 3

• Nyjer Morgan went 3-for-5 with 1 R.  Good game, but considering that his value is tied to is speed and run scoring ability, owners have to be concerned.  That is just the second run he’s scored since May 13, and he’s only stolen one base since then as well. 
• Mark Buehrle gave up a ton of hits, but his end results were certainly usable.  He went 7 innings giving up 1 run on 12 hits and 0 walks, striking out 3.  He left with a chance to win, but Octavio Dotal and Bobby Jenks combined to allow 3 runs over 2 innings to below the game.  Buehrle continues to pitch like a No. 3 starter, as he would be higher if he offered more of a strikeout potential.

Texas 5, Houston 0

• Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 1-for-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R, giving him home runs in two of his last three games.  He certainly has value in 2-catcher formats, though you are going to have to endure an average that is less then idea.
• Nelson Cruz went 2-for-5 with 1 RBI and 1 SB, giving him a five-game hitting streak, with four of those games being multi-hit affairs.  Over the streak he’s gone 9-for-20 with 4 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R and 3 SB.  That’s a heck of a stretch, huh?
• Mike Hampton gave up 5 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk, striking out 0, over 5 innings.  Clearly he no longer is an option worth considering.  He was a nice story early on, but simply ignore him in all formats.

Kansas City 3, St. Louis 2

• Rick Ankiel returned to the lineup, hitting fifth and going 1-for-4 with 1 R.  With Ryan Ludwick still out, he should get relatively daily at bats, giving him a chance to re-establish himself as a must use option and a great source of power.  Watch him closely, but he is likely worth stashing if you have the room.  In five outfielder formats, depending on your other options, I’d consider using him for the upcoming week.
• Billy Butler went 2-for-4 with 1 R, but he continues to lack any type of pop for owners.  He has hit just one home run in May and has only homered in two games.  The potential to be a solid contributor is there, but keep in mind that you need to have significant home run power elsewhere to consider him usable as a DH or 1B.
• Brian Bannister improved to 4-1 with a 2.79 ERA after giving up 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4, over 6 innings.  Did anyone see this type of early success coming?  I certainly wouldn’t count on it continuing.

Oakland 6, Arizona 2

• Jason Giambi went 1-for-3 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R.  He’s now homered in two straight games, as well as extending his hitting streak to five games.  He still has an extremely low average and just 5 HR, meaning he has little value outside of the deepest of formats.
• Justin Upton went 2-for-4, raising his average to .320.  Remember when he was hitting under .200 as late as April 25?  That’s one heck of a run he’s been on and he clearly is a must use option at this point.

Seattle 5, San Francisco 4

• Did anyone really expect Barry Zito to be productive and usable in every single start?  He gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks, striking out 5, over 6.1 innings.  It was fun while it lasted, but with St. Louis next on the schedule he’s better off left out of your starting lineup.
• Adrian Beltre went 1-for-4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 1 R.  It was just his third home run of the season as owners continue to wait for him to finally put it all together and go on a tremendous hot streak. It’s going to happen sooner or later, so just have patience in deeper formats.  As we’ve seen from some other players, patience can payoff.
• Feliz Hernandez gave up 4 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 10, over 8 innings to improve to 5-3 on the season.  He’s really been hit or miss in his last seven starts, either being stellar or getting shelled (he’s given up five earned runs or more in three of the starts).  Still, you can’t move him to your bench, so hope for the best against the Angels.

Los Angeles (AL) 10, Los Angeles (NL) 7

• Torii Hunter continues to hit, going 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and 1 R.  He now has 6 RBI over his past two games, giving him 37 on the season.  Who expected that?
• Chone Figgins went 2-for-4 with 1 RBI and 2 R, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
• Chad Billingsley had a poor start, giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits and 1 walk, striking out 6, over 6 innings.  It happens, so don’t get concerned.
• Casey Blake got to hit clean-up with Andre Ethier getting the day off, going 3-for-5 with 1 RBI and 2 R.  He’s had a great season, hitting .305 with 9 HR and 28 RBI so it will be interesting if the Dodgers continue to give him opportunities higher up in the order.  It would make sense, as I still feel like Ethier needs time outside of the clean-up spot.

San Diego 7, Chicago (NL) 2

• Geovanny Soto went 0-for-3, dropping his average to .202.  Seriously, is he ever going to get going?  Were the last two years nothing but an aberration?  I find that hard to believe.  I’m really hoping patience is a virtue here, as I am one of those owners who continue to wait for him.
• Kevin Kouzmanoff went 2-for-4 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and 1 R.  That’s three home runs over his last seven games.  While that may not seem like much, considering he had just one home run prior to this stretch, it is tremendous.  He’s showing signs, though he has a long ways to go to restore any potential fantasy value.  If you want to stash him, fine, but I wouldn’t trust him in my lineup.

Minnesota 6, Milwaukee 3

• It’s easy to talk about Mauer (2-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R) and Morneau (1-for-3, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R), but let’s stay away from them for one day as Joe Crede also deserves some attention.  He went 2-for-2 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R giving him home runs in three of his last four games.  He’s not going to be a great average hitter, but with seven games this week and being on a hot streak he’s worth using if you need a fill-in.
• Scott Baker put up a solid start, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and 0 walks, striking out 6, over 8.1 innings.  The real question is if he can finally string two or three good starts together.  Only time will tell, but with his next start coming in Tampa Bay the chances are likely 50/50.
• Craig Counsell went 1-for-4 hitting leadoff and playing SS (J.J. Hardy was out).  Over the past six games he’s gone 8-27 with 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R and 0 SB.  Decent average, but the team clearly needs more than this.  With Alcides Escobar playing 2B at Triple-A, just how long do you think it will be until he is recalled?  Not long, so stash him immediately if you have the room.

Anyone have any thoughts?  Anything to add?

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