Taking a look around the league, here’s a recap of yesterday’s action and suggestions for your fantasy baseball team.
Clutch Performers – Clayton Kershaw against anyone, and you are expecting an amazing performance, but against the Marlins? Anything short of a perfect game is almost a letdown. And yes, I was a bit let down. Kershaw went eight scoreless innings, allowing just five hits, three walks while striking out six. A perfect game maybe a bit too much to ask for, but come on Kershaw! Your owners should have at least gotten double-digit strikeouts out of you. It must be a tough job being the best pitcher in baseball. Turns out, it was just another day at the office for Mr. Clayton Kershaw.
- Rajai Davis — 1-for-4, BB, 2 SB
- Mat Latos — 8 IP, 5 H, ER, 6 K, W
- Austin Jackson — 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
Surprise, surprise! – Brian Bogusevic cannot be contained! Since coming back up to the show, this journeyman has is hitting .461 with two home runs including one yesterday in a 3-for-4 performance against the Nationals. Sorry, Brian, but I’m not buying this three-game surge.
- Emilio Bonifacio — 2-for-4, RBI, 2 SB
- Trevor Cahill — 7 IP, 4 H, ER, 4 BB, 7 K, ND
- Bryan Holaday — 2-for-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
Left out in the breeze – Here was the worst of the worst:
- Christian Yelich — 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
- Anthony Rizzo — 0-for-6, 2 K
- Dexter Fowler — 0-for-4, 3 K
- Rafael Betancourt — 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, L, BS
- Justin Verlander — 7 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Trending developments – Here is what is trending:
- This is Rafael Betancourt’s second blown save in a row. Looks like he will be shut down and have an MRI on Monday. With this new development, its time to go grab Rex Brothers off of the waiver wire.
- After leaving last night’s contest, Matt Cain was diagnosed with a right forearm contusion. X-rays were negative.
- Brandon Beachy will miss his next scheduled start due to elbow soreness.
- In the month of August, Adam Jones is batting .364 with four home runs, 13 runs, 17 RBI and three stolen bases. He has made the case for a top-10 player moving forward.
Prospect Watch – How can you not talk prospects without talking about George Springer. He has taken the Pacific Coast League by storm this season with a .302/.410/.611 slash line to go along with 36 home runs and 39 stolen bases. Though it is unlikely he will see any action this season, Springer’s ability to rack up home runs and stolen bases makes him an eye-popping prospect for next season. He will be on everyone’s “sleeper” list. Here is a clip of him taking one deep.
Head-2-Head– Martin Perez’s recent streak of quality starts, coupled with his opponent (at the White Sox), makes Perez an ideal streaming candidate for tomorrow
Links of the day – Time to click on some links.
- Time to buy Chris Denorfia and sell Michael Bourn. Find out why here.
- Charlie Morton has arrived people. What has changed? Click here to get those answers.
- Need some help for the playoff push? This guy has you covered.
- Are Hyun-Jin Ryu and Derek Holland keeper worthy? This guy has that answer.