Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Dancing with the Stars is an interesting premise, and one that seemingly is not going to outgrow its usefulness. Currently in its ninth season, the show has a fan base that comes across as strong as ever. They reach across a wide variety of areas of the American culture and provide entertainment in a different way. 

Some married men will even admit that if their wife is going to watch something, there are certainly worse shows to be subjected to. The women show up half-naked and most of the men, especially this round, are recognizable. While only catching part of it last night, the dance performed by Chuck Liddel had to have been one of the more interesting ways to start a season. 

Liddel knows he is out of his element in every way imaginable, but the crowd absolutely loved it, and it is likely he gets called back next week simply for that fact. And, honestly, that should be ok.  

Did Tom DeLay look unbelievably awkward? Of course. The train wreck was enjoyable to watch. That is what is fun about it. With the women celebrities dancing tonight, and not much on in the way of sports, might not be a bad idea to hand over the remote. 

On to the notes. 

Monday Rewind

• Nick Blackburn continued his mastery of the White Sox in 2009. Blackburn threw seven scoreless innings, improving his ERA against Chicago to 2.12 in five starts this season while running his record to 4-1. He has been solid in four of his last five outings, discounting a rough start against Oakland. Blackburn is on a decent run and would draw the Royals on Sunday.
• Wade LeBlanc pitched well in his outing as well, going five innings while allowing five hits and just one earned run. While he did not earn the win thanks to the bullpen, LeBlanc is showing signs that he could be valuable at the back end of the rotation for San Diego next year. In that ballpark, he is at least a spot play at home in deep leagues for 2010.
• Joe Saunders continued his recent run of success, grabbing a win against the Yankees. Saunders worked into the ninth inning, giving up only two earned runs on seven hits and no walks. He has now won his last five decisions, covering six starts. In that time, he has had good outing against both Boston and New York.
• Mark DeRosa went deep twice last night, giving him 23 on the season. The issue is that he is hitting only .240 since joining the Cardinals. DeRosa is a nice player, and a valuable asset in the late-middle of drafts because of his versatility. Still, there are a fair number of .250 hitting guys around that can produce 20 home runs. Value the versatility, but do not get over-excited.
• Tim Wakefield took the mound and looked somewhat awkward. It was evident that he was having problems moving around the mound and it seemed to take its toll in his latter innings. Wakefield had little control, probably not helped by the weather. He walked seven, his most in a start this season.
• Aramis Ramirez continues to swing a hot bad. Ramirez is hitting .333 this month, and that number is better over the last two weeks, registering at .404 in his last 47 at-bats. The infielder has pounded the ball, despite his shoulder injury this year. It would be surprising to see this injury actually bother him next year at all.
• Barry Zito struggled last night, not working out of the fifth inning last night. Zito gave up a bomb of a home run to Mark Reynolds, and seemed to have trouble keeping the ball on the ground all night long. In three of his previous four outings, Zito had forced double-digit ground balls. In this one, nine of the 21 batters he faced put the ball in the air.
• His outing last night was one of the worst of the season for Wandy Rodriguez. Rodriguez did not go beyond the fifth inning, giving up six runs on eight hits. He has just one win in five starts against St. Louis this season, but this was his only problem outing against them. Rodriguez, though, is now 1-4 in his last six starts.
• Do not read much in to Derek Lowe being taken out after five innings last night. Lowe did only throw 69 pitches, and did have a blister going in, but the Braves came out and were up 11-1 after three innings. This was just as much to not put unnecessary wear on the arm and create a problem as it was anything else. Side note, Kenshin Kawakami threw four innings of one-hit ball in relief.

Tuesday Notes

• Zack Greinke is still expected to make his start on Tuesday against the Red Sox. Greinke was removed from his last start after taking a shot off of his pitching arm. He tested it over the weekend and did not experience any discomfort. At this point, he would be a start even against the hot-hitting Boston lineup.
• Johnny Cueto has pitched well against the Pirates this season. Cueto has recorded three starts and is 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA. In 19 innings of work, he has allowed 15 hits and only three walks, keeping his WHIP under 1.00. The Pirates are not the strongest offensive team, and Cueto seems to have their number.
• No doubt that the recent starts of Edwin Jackson have been hard to deal with. Still, Jackson is 3-0 against the Indians this season, and the Tigers need him to have a good outing in terms of their position within the division. Look to avoid Andy Marte, as he is 0-for-10, but start Shin-Soo Choo, given that he is 5-for-13 against Jackson.
• Dave Bush has kept Derrek Lee off balance, but he has not had much success with the remainder of the Chicago lineup. Kosuke Fukudome is hitting .400 in 15 at-bats, and Aramis Ramirez has three home runs to go with a .276 average in 29 at-bats. Bush gave up four runs in 5.2 innings against the Cubs just a week ago, and has a 5.87 September ERA.
• Make sure to get Michael Cuddyer in your lineup against John Danks. Cuddyer is 13-for-27 with four home runs and 10 RBI against Danks. Start your normal Twins otherwise, but do not look to reach in this matchup. Danks has pitched well of late, and has given up just 21 hits in 25 innings against the Twins this season.
• Jorge De La Rosa is 7-2 over his last 10 starts, and has been dominant over his last four. De La Rosa has given up just three earned runs in his last 26 innings of work. He is 0-1 this season against San Diego in four starts, but the Padres do not have enough offense to scare any one. De La Rosa is a must start.
• Nick Johnson has been swinging a good bat as a Marlin, and he has hit Joe Blanton well overall. He is 7-for-13 against Blanton with a home run. Blanton, outside of a bad start against the Nationals, has pitched well in nine of his last 10 outings. He continues to be a decent start, and has pitched well against Florida this season. He has even average better than a strikeout an inning against Florida.
• Though he was roughed up by the Orioles his last time out, Jeff Niemann has been solid in three of his last four starts. At home, Niemann is 5-2 with a 2.48 ERA and .246 BAA. Innings have to be a concern, as he is already increased his total by 10 percent over his career high of 150.
• The Marlins have a double-header against the Phillies. Philadelphia will start Jamie Moyer in the second game against them. Moyer does nothing but win against the Marlins, especially in Miami. Moyer is 8-0 with a 1.37 ERA lifetime when pitching down in Florida. Deep leagues should add him here.
• Spot Starts: Jeff Niemann, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Jorge De La Rosa

Wednesday Notes

• Most of the Yankees have really struggled against Scott Kazmir. Among players with double-digit at-bats, only Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada are hitting above .200 against the lefty. Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez are all in the group of prime offenders. Avoid them if you can.
• Homer Bailey has lowered his ERA nearly two runs since Aug. 1. Bailey is pitching admirably well of late, striking out 39 hitters in his last 39.1 innings of work. He is 2-0 this season against the Pirates. In September, his ERA is just 2.59 in four starts. Good spot option in this matchup.
• While he managed a no-decision last time out, Mark Buehrle has been hit hard this season by the Twins. In five starts, his ERA is 5.28, as he has allowed 17 runs in 29 innings. Given that Joe Mauer is only 7-for-33 against the lefty, it would not be entirely shocking to see Mike Redmond in the lineup. Cannot find anything that says he is injured, and he is a .432 hitter in 37 at-bats against Buehrle.
• Jason Marquis has been roughed up in September, but the Padres can be good for what ails you. Marquis is 2-1 against San Diego this season, posting a 2.49 ERA in three starts. This is a better matchup for him than you might think, despite the fact San Diego put up five runs on him during his last start.
• Rick Porcello was just out-done his last time out, but he has been a decent start against Cleveland in 2009. Porcello is 2-0 in three starts covering 20 innings against the Indians this year. He has posted a 1.48 ERA while allowing just 14 hits and walking only three. Good enough to earn a nod.
• One small note. Ted Lilly will not start on Wednesday for the Cubs. He has been scratched with a shoulder issue.
• Spot Starts: Porcello, Bailey, Wade Davis

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