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) – Matt Harvey pitched six no-hit innings before allowing three runs in the seventh (he left the game with the bases loaded and no runs allowed) and moved to 6-1 on the season. Matt Harvey struck out 13 in the game to keep his ERA to a microscopic 2.16. In the second game, teammate Zack Wheeler made his debut by pitching six shutout innings, striking out seven in his first career victory.
Mr. Clutch (hitter) – Former top Marlins prospect, Matt Dominguez, went 2-for-3 last night against the Brewers. He connected on his 10th home run of the year, plating five runners to push his season total to 40. Dominguez is picking it up as of late, raising his batting average to .236. He’s only owned in 7.4 percent of the leagues.
Surprise, surprise! – Jordan Lyles pitched seven innings against the Brewers and only allowed one run while striking out five for his fourth win of the season. For the lowly Astros, he’s 4-1 on the year with a 3.22 ERA. He’s went seven innings in his last three starts while only giving up three runs. He’s only owned in 11.6 percent of the leagues.
Here comes the heat – Kyle Blanks of the Padres is trending, being picked up in 39.5 percent of the leagues recently. He’s now owned in 77.2 percent of the leagues. His recent surge at the plate, connecting on two home runs, plating four in a three-game span has caused a bit of a stir. He’s batting .276 on the year with eight long balls and 26 runs batted in. He’s a very streaky hitter, so proceed with caution. Here’s what Rotowire.com said about him:
The unexpected placement of starting first baseman Yonder Alonso (hand) on the DL on June 6 ensured Blanks a spot with the big club in the interim. Blanks has used the opportunity to hit safely in 11 of 15 games this month, during which he’s batting .321 (17-for-53) with five homers, 13 RBI, and 13 runs scored. As long as Alonso remains sidelined, Blanks figures to play everyday, while splitting time between first and right field.
Left out in the breeze – Marcell Ozuna has been dropped in 46 percent of all ESPN leagues, going 1-for-20 in his last seven games. His batting average has dropped 40 points recently, and he’s showing no signs of breaking out of the slump.
Who’s trending? – Closer Steve Cishek has nailed down the last five save opportunities with perfect innings. He’s now owned in 79 percent of the leagues, jumping 27 percent. His opportunities are slim for the Marlins, but if they can stay hot, he has a chance to be a decent option.
Bench me, please? – How about all the DL moves lately? I know, right!? The looks list something like this now: Evan Gattis, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis, Troy Tulowitzki, Bryce Harper, Ryan Braun, Pablo Sandoval, Clay Buchholz, Anibal Sanchez, A.J. Burnett, Alex Cobb, Jake Peavy, etc., etc., etc. Can we increase the DL spots on each fantasy team to seven?
The Streamer – Jake Westbrook is only owned in 17 percent of the leagues, and he faces the Cubs tonight. He’s only given up 10 earned runs all season over 44 innings pitched. His downside? He’s only struck out 19 over that span.