MLB Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

It's been a long time coming, but the final weekend of the season is here. If you have a matchup coming right down to the wire, keep an eye on how games unfold. Anything with meaning will have regulars playing, but there are no guarantees as who else will be available. Enjoy it, have fun, and bring home the title. Simple really.

On to the notes.

• There's a strong possibility that Cliff Lee will skip his final start of the season on Sunday if the division title has already been decided. Eric Wedge says that he will use Lee if it means something, but otherwise will let his lefty get some more rest heading into the offseason. Keep a close eye on the division for this one.
• The Marlins expect to play hard against the Mets through the weekend. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has said that he feels it is best for the integrity of the game if they play all out and look to turn some heads in the process. The Marlins should use all regulars and pitchers, especially given the one game deficit the Mets have in the division and how they are tied in the wild-card race.
• The Rays should play hard until the division is fully clinched. While they only need one game to do that, it wasn't done in the opener on Thursday. Clinching likely means a date with the Central division winner, and they still have a shot at taking home best record. As long as those are in play, the Rays will keep churning along. Home field is more important to them than nearly any other team, given their record at Tropicana Field.
• Jon Lester continued his solid pitching for Boston, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning last night. Overall, he gave up just one run in his outing, putting himself in a solid position to be prepared for the playoffs. The Red Sox moved cautiously with Lester last night, and likely will do the same with this weekend's pitchers. Rumor has it they're proceeding as if they will be playing Anaheim.
• The Dodgers clinched the NL West last night, meaning that this weekend's set of games are meaningless to them as well. While they likely won't shut it down completely, they'll work the same philosophy that the other clinching teams have. Expect them to rest some key players and get their pitching rotation in order more than anything else.
• Sticking with the Dodgers, Greg Maddux was expected to start last night, but was scratched once the division title was clinched. Joe Torre says that Derek Lowe will pitch tonight, with Maddux working on Saturday, and Hiroki Kuroda working on Sunday. It's all a matter of setting up the rotations.
• We never think of Roy Halladay as a top-tier pitcher. In most leagues, he fell behind Bedard, Webb, Peavy, and a host of other pitchers in drafts. Yet, last night, Halladay recorded his 20th win of the season in his league-best ninth complete game. When healthy, it's hard to argue his production and value as a top-of-the-rotation ace. Owners should treat him as such.
• Ben Sheets is up in the air for his Saturday start. I'd expect him to make every effort to get out there, but it's a tough one strictly because of his health. The Brewers need him to pitch and pitch well, but they'd also need him healthy for any sort of playoff run. Where this is an elbow, the Brewers will be even more cautious.
• Want to know why managers are so concerned over letting pitchers pitch this late in the season? Especially on contenders, there is a major risk of injury. Kevin Slowey was forced to leave last night's game after being hit on the wrist with a line drive. Now, he may not have been electric prior to the injury, but you never know what it could mean for the rest of the season and playoffs. It's always a gamble.
• From your Friendly Neighborhood Weatherman, it's highly likely that games in Boston could be a washout tonight and tomorrow.

Notes for Friday

• The Nationals have shuffled their rotation and will use Collin Balester tonight as opposed to John Lannan. Lannan will go on Saturday instead. Balester is 0-2 against the Phillies, but his ERA has stayed at 3.75 against them. Balester has been feast or famine, and this is a big game for the Phillies. Keep all Phillies active, and even reach for a couple if needed, as Balester has struggled pretty dramatically on the road.
• Mike Pelfrey has been LIT UP by the Marlins. He's 0-3 with a 7.91 ERA in four starts against the Florida team this season. Yes, he's got a 2.94 ERA at home, but the Marlins were able to put up six runs in less than five innings against Pelfrey at Shea last time. The only guy that struggles? Hanley Ramirez is just 2-for-20.
• Chris Volstad has been strong in September, posting a 2.86 ERA and .220 BAA. On the road, Volstad is 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA and .221 BAA. These are the kinds of numbers you want to look for when you're exploring spot start options this late in the season. Against the Mets, he's worth a gamble.
• Jason Kendall and Ray Durham have some crazy numbers against Ryan Dempster. Kendall is hitting .429 in 33 at-bats and Durham is at .500 in 14. The rest of the Brewers have struggled, but it's likely the Cubs will be using this to get Dempster some work without taxing his arm. I wouldn't actively avoid them here.
• Dan Haren is 3-0 against the Rockies this season, with an ERA under 3.00. Haren has been completely solid at home, posting an 11-4 record this season with a .246 BAA. Garrett Atkins should still be in your lineup, but Clint Barnes, Troy Tulowitzki, and Brad Hawpe are all below .200 against Haren.
• Kyle Davies has had his share of problems with Minnesota this season. He's 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA. While his numbers for the month look good, he's done his damage at home, and his one loss was at Minnesota. His road record isn't good enough to start in this case, as he's just 4-5 on the season.
• Given how strong Derek Lowe has been at this point of the month, I'd start him against virtually anyone. Lowe is 3-0 with a 0.66 ERA for September. He's 1-0 in three starts against the Giants. Bengie Molina (.348), Aaron Rowand (.526), and Rich Aurilia (.375) are all still solid plays against Lowe.
• I wouldn't expect a whole lot of use from Daisuke Matsuzaka. It's likely that the Red Sox pitcher will be used in the first game against the Angels next week, so the team will likely be trying to get him some work without taxing his arm. Abreu and Alex Rodriguez have struggled against the Red Sox starter, but they would be the only concerns.
• As a team, the Mariners are hitting .303 against John Lackey. Keep all regulars active, with the exception of Adrian Beltre. He's just 7-for-43 against Lackey lifetime.
• When the only guy you can get out in a lineup is Alfonso Soriano, that doesn't bode well for your chances. Jeff Suppan has been roughed up by every Cubs regular with the exception of the outfielder. Keep Suppan down, and get all your Cubs into the lineup. This is still a big series for the Brewers, but the Cubs still will want to play a small spoiler role as they set up their rotation.
• Spot Starts: Braden Looper, Jorge Campillo, Chris Volstad

Notes for Saturday

• If the Rays clinch, look for the Red Sox to limit the innings Josh Beckett will throw on Saturday against the Yankees. Beckett is 3-1 against the Yankees this season, and has been nothing short of dominant in September.
• Ricky Nolasco has seen a fair amount of the Mets and is 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA in five appearances. Nolasco has been very solid on the road. The question for a win more comes as to if his offense can get the job done. Against a rookie like Niese, and a poor Mets bullpen, he could be in line for one.
• The Brewers have Dave Bush down for a Saturday start, but they will use Sheets if they can here. Bush will be second man out if needed, though. He's 1-2 against the Cubs in five starts, but he is 9-4 at home. At Miller Park, batters are hitting just .214 against him. Ryan Theriot and Derrek Lee have both struggled against him, but other Cubs regulars should be fine. Bush is a fine spot start if needed.
• Jamie Moyer is not so good at home, but he is 2-0 against the Nationals in four starts this season. Moyer is a veteran pitcher that can pitch when the game is on the line. There are few guys in the game that can measure up to that. I like John Lannan, but this is going to be Moyer's to win or lose, and he'll pitch well enough to win. The fact he's 3-0 in September doesn't hurt.
• Javier Vazquez has been very tough on some of the Indians' better bats. Sizemore, Peralta, Hafner, and Martinez have had virtually no luck against the White Sox pitcher. Keep Ryan Garko in the lineup, as he has hit .368 against Vazquez. He's a better pitcher at home, but I wouldn't want to use him unless I really had to, his ERA for Septmeber of nearly 5.00 scares me off.
• Andre Ethier is hitting .600 against Matt Cain in 25 at-bats. Cain has been owned by the Dodgers, having gone 0-2 with an ERA over 8.00 this season against them. Keep him down if you can, but it makes a better matchup for Maddux.
• Spot Starts: Greg Maddux, Dave Bush, Glen Perkins, and Todd Wellemeyer.

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