Taking a look around the league, here’s a recap of last night’s action and suggestions for your fantasy baseball team.
Mr. Clutch (pitcher) – I don’t know who is more ecstatic right now, Dodger fans or Zack Greinke owners, because Greinke undoubtedly had his best game of the season last night, shutting down the Padres. Greinke only gave up one earned run, which did not come until the eighth inning. He allowed four hits and struck out eight. Hopefully, this is a game that gets Greinke on track. He has been very inconsistent thus far with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He takes on the Phillies next Thursday.
Mr. Clutch (hitter) – Needless to say, Ryan Howard likes to face Dillon Gee. Howard went 3-for-4 with a couple home runs and is now 7-for-15 with six home runs against Gee. The big fella isn’t what he used to be, but he still has a little pop left in his bat. If you can live with the strikeouts, Howard is not a bad option if you are digging deep for a first baseman.
Surprise, surprise! – Chris Parmelee had a big game in a losing effort last night, going 3-for-5 with two home runs. The 25-year-old has not progressed the way the Twins were expecting and remains fairly useless in all fantasy formats.
Here comes the heat – George Brett’s basic philosophy is work hard on fundamentals in practice, then clear your mind when the game starts and let muscle memory take over. Something must be sticking to the wall in Kansas City, because Eric Hosmer has been showing signs of turning his season around. Since moving the number-two spot, he is 22-for-67 with two home runs, nine RBIs and 13 runs scored. I firmly believe the Royals coaching staff was not developing their young players properly and bringing in Brett as hitting coach midseason only reinforced this idea. Mike Moustakas and Hosmer both seem to be heating up and could be worth picking up if they are available in your league.
Left out in the breeze – Dan Haren continued his losing ways last night, this time getting touched up by the Rockies serving up seven hits and six earned runs. Most owners have lost patience with Haren and have dropped him. Haren has always had the reputation, as a second-half pitcher, so maybe there is something to look forward to. For now, owners would just settle for him to not get rocked every time out at this point.
Who’s trending? – Ben Revere has been on fire these last couple of weeks, and it continued last night. Revere went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, which pushes his stolen base total to 20 on the year. After starting the season off slow, Ben Revere has really hit a stride this past month, batting .340 with 10 stolen bases. He should be good for 40+ stolen bases this season. He has been one of the hottest pickups, and if he is still available, I would be all over him.
Bench me, please? – I can’t believe I am saying this, but is it time to think about benching Jered Weaver? He has been awful in his last three starts and currently has a 4.65 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. He takes on Detroit next outing, and if I own him, I am definitely hesitant about starting him. The fastball velocity has taken a dip, which always frightens me. I don’t think he is a buy-low, I think he is a sinking vessel, and it is time to abandon.
The Streamer – I am riding the hot hand of Jordan Lyles against the Cubs today. The Cubs are batting a combined .240 against right-handed pitching. Lyles is squaring off against Jeff Samardzija, so a win here could be tough to come by. Nonetheless, Lyles is one of the better streaming options today.