Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

The blame game is a funny one, is it not? 

I do not quite know who to throw under the bus for the disasters (had another word, but this is a family-friendly show) that were witnessed yesterday in New York and Boston. 

Starting in New York, there should have been no way that a game was delayed for five and a half hours before the first pitch got thrown. The players, at that point, are not ready to play. That was clearly evident by the fact the Yankee offense did not show up.  

The fans are fed up, wet, and not necessarily looking forward to another three or four hours in a wet ballpark. 

You have to wonder if the people that handle that game were watching the U.S. Open at all. Pretty sure they cancelled that for the day because of the weather. Not baseball, though. They took the gate, the souvenirs, and the food money and ran.  

Boston was as bad if not worse. Mike Lowell was quoted in the clubhouse as saying there was already discussion of makeup dates before the first pitch was thrown. Mentally, that means neither team was necessarily in it. 

Still, Fenway Park opened the gates, charged fans $8.50 a beer, and ended the game after five rain-soaked innings and a two and a half hour rain delay. 

How is that right? How is it right for anyone to expect any kid to wait out a five hour delay then a three hour ballgame? Why was Boston even allowed to start that game when there was no doubt that it was not going to be finished? 

Major League Baseball has some explaining to do. Interleague or not, there were certainly going to be days available for these teams to make up games. They took advantage of fans, and that is a shame. 

On to the notes. 

Thursday Rewind

• There was plenty of talk surrounding the slump of David Ortiz, but it has been curiously quiet surrounding Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez is mired in an 8-for-55 run, including having gone just three for his last 34. Yes, we still are seeing some power, but if his name were not "Alex Rodriguez" he would be sitting on the bench of most fantasy rosters.
• Another star going through a rough patch is Kevin Youkilis. He has watched his average drop 25 points over the last ten games, striking out an astonishing 16 times in his last 36 at-bats. This is not something owners are used to seeing out of the on-base machine. June has been rough for him, as he is hitting just .216. Obviously, owners need to ride it out, but look to buy low from a frustrated one.
• Magglio Ordonez will be spending some time on the bench, as manager Jim Leyland has announced that the slugger will sit indefinitely due to lack of production. Ordonez has simply not had the power numbers expected, but the .273 average is not awful despite being off his career pace. With the Tigers looking for help anywhere, they will turn to Ryan Raburn in the short-term. AL-only owners should be the only ones looking to add Raburn.
• Raul Ibanez has been sent to the DL with a groin injury. Obviously, a major blow to fantasy offenses here, but there are plenty of fill-in options available. In mixed leagues, power-hungry owners should look to grab Jason Kubel and Juan Rivera. Both are hitting the ball very well over the last two weeks. If you need some balance, Aaron Rowandcontinues to enjoy hitting out of the leadoff spot in San Francisco.
• There is no real official word as to what the problem is, but Brandon Webb has suffered a setback in his rehab from a shoulder injury. Webb was slated to throw a bullpen session today, but has left the team to go back to Arizona. Keep an eye on this situation; there have not been many indications as to what the issue could be, either minor or major.
• Nick Blackburn continues to show that you need to start Twins pitching at home...or at least against the Pirates. Blackburn spun the gem yesterday, following up a solid performance by Glen Perkins earlier in the series. Blackburn threw a complete game, giving up just one run on six hits and a walk. He continues to be a matchup play, but there are certainly worse things to be.
• Pleasant surprise with the start of Brandon Morrow. Morrow worked only four innings and threw 75 pitches, but his command was much better, and he simply needs to build up stamina. Working to do that at the highest level is not an easy task. The Seattle starter struck out six in those four innings, flashing dominant stuff at times.
• Matt Garza allowed three more home runs yesterday against the Rockies. In his last 28.2 innings, the Rays starter has now allowed eight home runs. He has now also walked eight in his last 15.2 innings, going back three starts. His command has certainly left him for the time being, and that is worth noting. Still, there is no doubt Garza can pitch. Chalk this one up to being in Coors, and give him another look before panic sets in.
• Joel Pineiro left yesterday's start in a disturbing fashion. Pineiro collapsed to the ground after a pitch with cramps in his leg. It looks like it was nothing more than dehydration, and the situation simply looked worse than it was. He had only given up one earned run through seven innings, throwing an efficient 83 pitches. Rick Porcello, his counterpart, took the win, grabbing his seventh in his last nine starts.
• I speculated yesterday that B.J. Ryan would get the saves in the absence of Scott Downs. Not the case. Jason Frasor will get first crack, before anyone looks at Ryan.

Friday Notes

• Rich Harden will make his second start after his return from the DL. Harden looked solid last time out against Minnesota, giving up just two runs over six innings and looking healthy. The problem he could run in to is more to do with the lack of offense in the Cubs lineup right now. They did look better yesterday, and hopefully this turns the corner for them.
• Expect to see Ronny Paulino behind the plate against the Yankees, as he is 6-for-9 against Andy Pettitte. You were likely already starting Hanley Ramirez, and given that he is 5-for-7 against Pettitte, it continues to be a good move. Pettitte continues to have command issues, going over the 100-pitch mark before entering the seventh inning in each of his last two outings.
• Keep riding the Joe Saunders bandwagon. He has had rough starts, but he does not pitch well on the road at Texas, and that was one of them. Toronto has hit everyone so far this season, and that was another. Believe in the guy. Still, though, look to Juan Pierre, Casey Blake, and Matt Kemp especially tonight. The three are in the top-ten in hitting left-handed pitching among National League players with at least 50 plate appearances against lefties. Pierre is over .400, while both Blake and Kemp crack .350. As a team, the Dodgers hit .294 against lefties.
• While Kenshin Kawakami has certainly not been a model of pitch efficiency, his numbers since the start of May are worth nothing. Kawakami has not allowed more than three earned runs in any start since Apr. 26, giving him a run of eight decent outings. The Red Sox tend to struggle with pitchers they have never seen, and that is what they will get with Kawakami. Against Daisuke Matsuzaka, it is likely Kawakami could get a win even with just an average outing.
• Given the struggles of Bronson Arroyo at home of late, the matchup becomes more favorable for Jose Contreras. Contreras has put together back-to-back solid outings, going eight innings both times without allowing a run. This is a tougher start, simply because of the type of ballpark out there in Cincinnati. With how hot the White Sox starter has been, it still should be a good start.
• There are some surprising numbers from Randy Johnson this season. While he has been very tough in his last four outings, lefties are still hitting .321 against him this season while righties are only hitting .242. Johnson has registered a 5-2 record at home this season, and has given up just seven earned runs in his last 29.1 innings.
• Since it is a safe bet that no fantasy owner out there would ever start Chris Woodward, there are no red flags in any regular Mariners (bonus points if you can name his position without looking it up). Jon Garland has struggled against every Mariners starter with over 19 at-bats against him. Need a couple hits today? Look to Yuniesky Betancourt, as he is 9-for-20 against Garland. Adrian Beltre makes a good start as well.
• Keep riding Josh Outman. His start against the Giants was not spectacular, but it was his first loss in his last ten appearances. Outman has looked solid in most all his starts, allowing three or fewer runs in all but one time to the hill. Against the Padres on the road, this is a good opportunity to use him. Even better, San Diego hits only .215 against left-handed pitching, 29th in baseball.
• Braden Looper has had plenty of struggles this month. He has not recorded a win in three starts, and has posted a 5.94 ERA and .296 BAA for the month. Looper's road numbers have not been good either, going 2-2 with a 5.19 ERA and .300 BAA. The Tigers started swinging better against St. Louis, and this looks like an opportunity for them to continue that.
• Spot Starts: Kawakami, Outman, Contreras

Weekend Notes

• Not much to go on for the Indians against Ted Lilly, but Mark DeRosa may be able to help give them the book on the starter. To top it off, DeRosa hits .352 against left-handed pitching. With the Indians on the road, it is unlikely we see Travis Hafner in this game anyway, but it would be even less likely against the left-handed starter.
• Brett Cecil will take the mound again for Toronto against Washington. Toronto will need the help from the lefty, as they are certainly struggling in the pitching department without Roy Halladay. Cecil had three solid outings and one poor one against Boston before being sent down. Still, the lefty has struggled in AAA, going just 1-5 with a 5.69 ERA in the minors. While you have to like his matchup against Washington, these are still tough numbers. Good thing Washington hits worse than most AAA teams. Keep Nick Johnson active, as he hits .333 against lefties.
• Garrett Anderson is a solid start option against Josh Beckett on Saturday. Anderson is 8-for-17 against the Boston starter. If you can avoid Chipper Jones, that might not be a bad call. Jones has gone just 4-for-25 against Beckett, although two of those hits have been home runs.
• While there is always a lot to like about A.J. Burnett, his numbers on the road have not been too solid. Burnett has gone 3-2, but with a 5.19 ERA. The pitcher is averaging nearly a hit an inning on the road, and walking a batter every two innings away from Yankee Stadium. Yes, he looked good against the Mets, but has given up at least three runs in seven of his last ten overall outings.
• There are plenty of owners concerned over whether or not Matt Cain has been lucky or good. Christopher Harris of ESPN points out that Cain's BABIP has risen to a reasonable .272 over the last month, and Cain has not struggled much as a result. The pitcher is still 5-1 at home and 3-0 in June.
• It still is hard to advocate using a knuckleball pitcher, but Tim Wakefield's numbers at home are impressive. This season, the righty is 6-0 at home with a 3.23 ERA. His ERA being at 4.39 is largely a result of two poor road outings where he was unable to get through the fifth inning. Remember, George Kottaras will start behind the plate on Sunday to catch Wakefield.
• This could be an overall tough weekend for most of the Nationals. The team hits poorly against left-handed starters, and draws Cecil on Saturday followed by Ricky Romero on Sunday. Where they hit just .242 against lefties as a team, look to avoid as many as you can. As pointed out above, Johnson remains the exception.
• The same point can be made for the Padres. After having to face Outman on Friday, they will get Dallas Braden on Sunday. While owners should keep necessities in the lineup, do not reach beyond Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff based on the team average of .215.
• Look to Randy Winn if you need a quick boost on Sunday. Winn is 9-for-14 against Kevin Millwood in his career, and has hit two home runs in the process. Edgar Renteria has struggled much of the season, but he is 13-for-39 against the Rangers starter. Millwood has been very good of late, going 3-0 in his last five outings. He has posted a 3.32 road ERA on the season, and is 3-0 with an ERA under 1.00 in June.
• As much as Wandy Rodriguez has helped fantasy teams, his work on the road leaves much to be desired. Rodriguez is 2-4 with a 4.78 ERA and .311 BAA away from home, and has given up 11 earned runs in his last 13.2 innings away from home. The Twins hit .284 as a team at home, good for fifth in the league. Just not a matchup to use.
• Spot Starts: Romero, Dave Bush, Wakefield, Glen Perkins, Braden
• Keep on the Bench: Derek Lowe, Rodriguez

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to [e-mail]. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.