Monthly ArchiveAugust 2006
Posted on August 24, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
August 24th - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 73 points - 15 out of first Gained .5 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 88 / X 83 / COVER ZERO 82 / AARR / SJ 65.5 / 10PK 59.5 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 211 .2800 793 769 119 71 4.38 1.426 789 45 2ND 4TH 2ND 5TH 2ND 4TH 5TH 10TH 7TH 6TH --- --- --- --- +.5 --- --- ---- --- --- BOX SCORE FOR 08.23 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Johnny Estrada Ari C 4 0 1 1 | 0 1 .307 Ronny Paulino Pit C 3 0 1 0 | 1 1 .310 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 4 0 2 2 | 0 0 .283 Jeff Kent LAD 2B 4 0 1 0 | 0 0 .266 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 4 1 1 1 | 0 0 .323 Jose Reyes NYM SS 4 2 3 3 | 1 0 .294 Mike Jacobs Fla 1B 4 0 2 0 | 0 0 .268 Stephen Drew Ari SS 4 2 2 1 | 0 0 .311 Adam Dunn Cin OF 4 0 0 0 | 0 1 .248 Dave Roberts SD OF 4 1 1 0 | 1 1 .306 Shane Victorino Phi OF 4 0 2 0 | 0 1 .274 Jason Bay Pit OF 4 1 2 2 | 0 1 .294 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 47 7 18 10 | 3 6 .383 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: JEstrada 1(63), PFielder 2(63), CJones 1(68), JReyes 3(65), SDrew 1(16), JBay 2(89) 2B: MJacobs 1(32), SDrew 1(11), JBay 1(24) HR: CJones 1(19), JReyes 1(15), JBay 1(28) SB: JReyes 2(52), DRoberts 1(37) ERRORS: ADunn 1(12) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dan Wheeler 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 1 5 0.00 2.00 Chad Cordero 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.00 1.00 Roy Oswalt W(10-8) 6.0 5 2 2 0 0 7 23 3.00 0.83 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 8.0 7 2 2 1 0 8 32 2.25 1.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Geoff Jenkins Mil OF 2 1 0 0 | 1 2 .250 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 2 1 0 0 | 1 2 .000 --------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Armando Benitez S(16) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.00 0.00 Mark Mulder L(6-6) 3.0 9 9 9 4 1 1 22 27.00 4.33 Juan Cruz 1.0 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 0.00 2.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 5.0 9 9 9 6 1 2 30 16.20 3.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on August 23, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
Carlos Quentin will be a full-time starter in right field for the Diamondbacks now that Shawn Green has been traded. Quentin is hitting .239 with a .341 OBP and four homers in 71 at-bats this season. If Quentin is available in your mixed league, grab him. He is slumping lately, but he’s still been rather productive as a major leaguer. The Green trade also could mean that Chris Young will have some fantasy value in NL-only leagues.
The discoloration on the bruised right hand of Roy Oswalt is gone, according to the Astros website. Oswalt will get the nod on Wednesday against the Reds.
Clay Hensley is completely recovered from a left buttocks strain and will start on Saturday against the Rockies. Hensley was removed from his last start after four innings because of the injury. He should be able to make his next scheduled start. Hensley said the buttocks strain has improved his posture which allows him to throw a better sinker. He gave up just one unearned run while pitching in relief on Sunday.
Shane Victorino was 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a walk on Tuesday. He’s now batting .296 in August and .270 overall with 35 RBI. If the Phils persist in using Rollins in the three-spot, Victorino stands to gain value, because with his skill set, he profiles as the best leadoff hitter on the team. Victorino will likely be the regular in center field with the injury to Aaron Rowand. Victorino is hitting .266 with six homers and 34 RBI in 244 at-bats this year for the Phillies.
After entering with a four-run lead, Armando Benitez had to be pulled in the ninth Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. He was charged with three runs. Benitez mixed in two strikeouts while giving up a single, a walk and then an RBI single. Manager Felipe Alou decided to go to Steve Kline with left-handed hitter Chad Tracy due up. Tracy hit a two-run double, making Benitez’s outing look worse than it was, and Kline then got Johnny Estrada to ground out to end the game. Benitez isn’t going to lose his closer’s role over this.
Brandon Webb wasn’t involved in the decision against the Giants on Tuesday after allowing three runs in five innings. Webb walked four and hit a batter. 57 of his 105 pitches went for strikes. This isn’t the same Webb we saw in the first half of the season. His elbow is likely still bothering him, and it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if he landed on the disabled list.
Johnny Estrada went 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and three RBI against the Giants on Tuesday. Estrada was hitting just .196 with five RBI this month while playing with a possible ulcer. The homer tonight was his 10th, surpassing his career high of nine from 2004 with the Braves. He needs 14 more RBI to match his total of 76 from that year.
John Maine was hit hard by St. Louis Tuesday, but escaped a loss when the Mets roared back. He gave up six hits, seven runs and two walks in five innings, striking out five. Maine only made two mistakes, but they happened to result in a grand slam and a three-run homer, both by Albert Pujols. He’s actually pitched very well of late, so I wouldn’t worry too much about this start.
Mike Jacobs hit a two-run homer Tuesday, snapping a five-game hitless streak. Jacobs came in mired in an 0-for-19 slump, but broke out with a two-run jack and a pair of walks. He’s enjoying a fine rookie season and is now up to .265 with 16 dingers and 61 RBI.
The Mets designated former Roadrunner outfielder Victor Diaz for assignment to make room for Shawn Green. Diaz has been a big disappointment while hitting .224/.276/.330 in 379 at-bats for Norfolk, but he did hit .257/.329/.468 in 280 at-bats for the Mets last year and he’s just 24. We can’t imagine that he’ll make it through waivers unclaimed. Unless there’s a trade, the Pirates will have the first crack and they should be all over him.
Posted on August 23, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
August 23rd - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 72.5 points - 15.5 out of first Gained 1 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 88 / X 83 / COVER ZERO 82.5 / AARR / SJ 65.5 / 10PK 59.5 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 208 .2790 783 762 116 70 4.39 1.429 781 45 2ND 4TH 2ND 5TH T-2 4TH 5TH 10TH 7TH 6TH --- + 1 +.5 --- -.5 - 1 + 1 ---- --- --- BOX SCORE FOR 08.22 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Johnny Estrada Ari C 5 1 4 3 | 0 0 .308 Ronny Paulino Pit C 4 0 2 1 | 0 0 .310 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 3 2 2 0 | 1 0 .281 Jeff Kent LAD 2B 3 0 1 0 | 1 0 .266 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 3 0 1 0 | 2 1 .324 Jose Reyes NYM SS 5 1 0 1 | 0 0 .290 Mike Jacobs Fla 1B 2 1 1 2 | 2 1 .265 Stephen Drew Ari SS 4 0 0 0 | 0 3 .305 Adam Dunn Cin OF 4 2 2 3 | 0 2 .251 Shane Victorino Phi OF 4 1 2 1 | 1 0 .270 Carlos Quentin Ari OF 4 1 1 0 | 0 1 .239 Jason Bay Pit OF 4 1 1 1 | 0 2 .292 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 45 10 17 12 | 7 10 .378 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: JEstrada 3(62), RPaulino 1(40), JReyes 1(62), MJacobs 2(61), ADunn 3(87), SVictorino 1(35), JBay 1(87) 2B: JEstrada 2(24), PFielder 1(27), CJones 1(25) HR: JEstrada 1(10), MJacobs 1(16), ADunn 1(38) CS: SVictorino 1(1) ERRORS: MJacobs 1(7), CQuentin 1(1) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Brandon Webb 5.0 4 3 3 4 0 5 24 5.40 1.60 John Maine 5.0 6 7 7 2 0 5 22 12.60 1.60 Francisco Cordero S(16) 0.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.00 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 10.7 10 10 10 6 0 10 48 8.41 1.50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Geoff Jenkins Mil OF 1 0 0 0 | 0 1 .251 Ryan Spilborghs Col OF 4 0 1 0 | 0 0 .274 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 5 0 1 0 | 0 1 .200 --------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Armando Benitez 0.7 2 3 3 1 0 2 5 38.57 4.29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 0.7 2 3 3 1 0 2 5 38.57 4.29 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on August 22, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
Moises Alou will sit out the next four or five games to give his injured left leg time to heal. “I’m stopping before it gets to the point where I have to go on the D.L. again,” said Alou. “I feel better because it’s not something I’m going to miss a couple of weeks with.” He has a knot behind his knee that is affecting both his calf and hamstring. Alou believes he will be available to pinch-hit, if needed. Alou had to be removed from each of his past two games due to the sore leg. Steve Finley started in Alou’s place tonight against the Diamondbacks.
Stephen Drew, who is already set to lose playing time when Craig Counsell returns this week, was held out of Monday’s lineup in favor of Damion Easley against left-hander Noah Lowry. Drew is a left-handed hitter, but he hit lefties far better than righties in Triple-A and he’s at .333/.379/.630 in 27 at-bats against them as a major leaguer. There’s just no way he should have been on the bench tonight. If the Diamondbacks want to rest him, they can do it after Counsell returns.
Reports in the Philadelphia Daily News indicate that Phillies’ outfielder Aaron Rowand suffered a broken ankle on Monday and will miss around five weeks. Rowand injured the ankle when he collided with Chase Utley while going after a fly ball. Shane Victorino is expected to take over in centerfield with Pat Burrell in left and David Delliucci in right.
Posted on August 22, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
August 22nd - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 71.5 points - 14.5 out of first Lost 2 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 86 / COVER ZERO 83.5 / X 80 / AARR / SJ 64.5 / 10PK 64.5 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 205 .2782 771 752 116 70 4.35 1.428 771 44 2ND 5TH T-2 5TH 2ND 3RD 6TH 10TH 7TH 6TH --- --- -.5 -.5 --- --- - 1 ---- --- --- BOX SCORE FOR 08.21 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Ronny Paulino Pit C 3 0 0 0 | 0 3 .308 Jeff Kent LAD 2B 4 0 2 2 | 0 1 .265 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 4 0 1 0 | 0 0 .324 Adam Dunn Cin OF 4 1 1 0 | 0 2 .248 Dave Roberts SD OF 3 1 2 0 | 0 0 .306 Shane Victorino Phi OF 5 0 1 0 | 0 0 .266 Carlos Quentin Ari OF 2 0 0 0 | 0 1 .239 Jason Bay Pit OF 3 0 0 0 | 1 2 .292 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 28 2 7 2 | 1 9 .250 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: JKent 2(57) 2B: ADunn 1(20) GIDP: JKent 1(7) SB: DRoberts 1(36) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Alberto Callaspo Ari 2B 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .267 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .000 --------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Juan Cruz 1.0 3 2 1 0 0 0 6 9.00 3.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 1.0 3 2 1 0 0 0 6 9.00 3.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on August 21, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
From Rotoworld:
Moises Alou is day-to-day after leaving Sunday’s game with tightness in his left calf. It looks like Alou is going to be day-to-day for the rest of the year. All of the uncertainty really takes a toll on his fantasy value.
The Astros have Roy Oswalt lined up to start Wednesday against the Reds. Oswalt has faced Cincinnati just once this season and he lost for the first time in 16 decisions against the club. He’ll have a chance for some revenge this week after he skipped his last start with a bruised right wrist.
Clay Hensley, who was supposed to start yesterday but missed the outing with a sore buttocks, entered today’s game with the Diamondbacks as a reliever and threw four innings while allowing just an unearned run. Hensley gave up four hits while striking out four and not issuing a walk. He should rejoin the rotation when the Padres play the Rockies at Coors Field later this week.
Dan Wheeler picked up a save against the Brewers on Sunday after throwing a scoreless ninth inning in a 3-1 game. The save opportunity was Wheeler’s first since August 4 despite Brad Lidge’s struggles. However, manager Phil Garner said last week that Wheeler could expect more save chances in the near future while in a closer-by-committee approach. He has to be active in all formats.
Aaron Harang limited the Pirates to just one run on five hits over seven innings of work to pick up a win today. Harang didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine, giving him 167 punchouts on the season. He struck oust just 163 batters in 35 1/3 more innings in 2005, so Harang has taken a step forward despite rather similar ERAs. He trails only Carlos Zambrano in the NL strikeout race and is 13-8 with a 3.72 ERA overall.
Jeff Kent is in the lineup on Sunday after being removed early from Saturday’s victory. That Kent was pulled after two innings Saturday had at least as much to do with the score as his sore left oblique.
Posted on August 21, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
August 21st - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 73.5 points - 12.5 out of first Gained .5 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 86 / COVER ZERO 83 / X 80 / AARR / SJ 66.5 / 10PK 63 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 205 .2783 769 750 115 70 4.35 1.428 771 44 2ND 5TH 2ND T-4 2ND 3RD 5TH 10TH 7TH 6TH --- - 1 --- -.5 --- --- + 1 ---- --- --- BOX SCORE FOR 08.20 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Johnny Estrada Ari C 3 0 1 1 | 0 1 .301 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 4 0 0 0 | 0 2 .279 Jeff Kent LAD 2B 4 0 0 0 | 0 1 .262 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 4 0 0 0 | 0 1 .325 Jose Reyes NYM SS 4 0 0 0 | 0 2 .293 Mike Jacobs Fla 1B 3 0 0 0 | 0 1 .264 Stephen Drew Ari SS 4 0 1 0 | 0 1 .315 Adam Dunn Cin OF 3 1 1 2 | 1 2 .248 Moises Alou SF OF 1 0 1 0 | 0 0 .291 Dave Roberts SD OF 4 0 1 0 | 1 1 .303 Shane Victorino Phi OF 5 0 0 1 | 0 0 .268 Carlos Quentin Ari OF 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .246 Jason Bay Pit OF 4 1 1 1 | 0 1 .294 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 44 2 6 5 | 2 13 .136 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: JEstrada 1(59), ADunn 2(84), SVictorino 1(34), JBay 1(86) HR: ADunn 1(37), JBay 1(27) ERRORS: PFielder 1(9), JKent 1(4) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Doug Davis L(9-7) 6.0 3 3 2 4 0 7 26 3.00 1.17 Clay Hensley 4.0 4 1 0 0 0 4 15 0.00 1.00 Chad Cordero 1.0 1 1 0 0 0 1 6 0.00 1.00 Aaron Harang W(13-8) 7.0 5 1 1 0 0 9 27 1.29 0.71 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 18.0 13 6 3 4 0 21 74 1.50 0.94 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Alberto Callaspo Ari 2B 1 0 0 0 | 0 1 .286 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 1 0 0 0 | 0 1 .000 --------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dan Wheeler S(4) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.00 1.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.00 1.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on August 20, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
It’s not clear how exactly Stephen Drew and Craig Counsell will split action at shortstop upon Counsell’s return to action beginning Monday, according to the Arizona Republic. “When he (Counsell) gets here, we’ll talk about it,” said manager Bob Melvin, adding, “Stephen’s going to play. Absolutely, Stephen’s going to play.
The Padres placed on Khalil Greene the 15-day disabled list on Saturday with a strained left middle finger, retroactive to August 18th. Greene recently missed six games after injuring his left middle finger on a checked swing on Aug. 3 against Houston in San Diego. Mike Thompson had to be called up to replace the injured Clay Hensley on Saturday, so the Padres needed to make the move now. Greene will miss the rest of the month, leaving Geoff Blum as the Padres’ starting shortstop. Manny Alexander could be called up soon to serve as a backup. Greene was 1-for-23 since returning from the injury. “His finger just hasn’t come around,” said Bochy. “He’s having a tough time gripping the bat.”
Clay Hensley was scratched from his scheduled start against the Diamondbacks on Saturday because of pain in his left buttocks. Mike Thompson was called up to start in his place today. Hensley will probably be ready to take his next turn.
Roy Oswalt, who was scratched from Saturday’s start due to a bruised right wrist, will start against the Reds on Tuesday or Wednesday. Oswalt needed a few extra days to let the wrist heal. He says he feels fine throwing the fastball, but the curve balls cause he problems. He should be safe to activate this week.
Moises Alou started Saturday despite a sore hamstring and hit a three-run homer in the loss to the Dodgers. Alou tweaked the hamstring and came out of Friday’s game. With the Dodgers up by seven, he was again removed an inning early tonight.
Jeff Kent was removed early from Saturday’s game because of continued soreness in his left oblique. Kenny Lofton was also pulled after the Dodgers got a big lead, though the Dodgers didn’t list an injury there. Kent might get Sunday off, even though he has great numbers against Giants starter Matt Morris in his career.
Shane Victorino went 3-for-5 with a double and theee RBI against the Nationals on Saturday. Pat Burrell’s foot continues to keep him out of the lineup occasionally, so Victorino is playing against more than just left-handers. He has two homers, two triples, five doubles and 14 RBI in 57 at-bats this month.
Jason Bay finished 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and a sac fly in Saturday’s loss to the Reds. One of his best games since May. Bay put together five four-RBI games in a 2 1/2-week span during the second month of the season, but he hadn’t had any since.
Chuck James surrendered two runs — one earned — and five hits in six innings Saturday in a win over the Marlins. James is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA over his last three starts. He’ll likely be a solid play in NL-only leagues throughout the remainder of the season.
Even though he walked five batters in four innings in his last rehab start, Mark Mulder is expected to come off the disabled list and start Wednesday against the Mets. Anthony Reyes was sent down Friday to clear a rotation spot. Since he’ll have such a tough start his first game back, NL-only leaguers will want to hold off on activating Mulder. It’s possible that he won’t have any fantasy value over the rest of the season.
Mike Jacobs has played nearly the entire season with a borderline stress fracture in his right ankle, and it won’t completely heal until the season is over. Jacobs, who is hitting .267 with 15 home runs, will continue playing everyday. “I don’t sub for him because of his defense,” manager Joe Girardi said. “His ankle isn’t 100 percent, and I’m doing everything that I can to give him a couple of innings of rest when I can.
Posted on August 20, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
August 20th - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 73 points - 13 out of first Gained 1 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 86 / X 81 / COVER ZERO 80.5 / AARR / SJ 67 / 10PK 63 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 203 .2796 764 748 115 69 4.40 1.436 750 44 2ND 4TH 2ND 4TH 2ND 3RD 6TH 10TH 8TH 6TH --- --- + 1 --- -.5 +.5 --- ---- --- --- BOX SCORE FOR 08.19 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Ronny Paulino Pit C 4 0 1 1 | 0 1 .310 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 2 1 0 1 | 2 0 .281 Jeff Kent LAD 2B 2 1 1 2 | 0 0 .265 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 5 2 2 0 | 0 0 .328 Jose Reyes NYM SS 3 0 0 1 | 1 0 .295 Mike Jacobs Fla 1B 1 0 0 0 | 0 1 .266 Stephen Drew Ari SS 4 1 2 1 | 0 2 .317 Adam Dunn Cin OF 2 2 0 0 | 2 2 .248 Moises Alou SF OF 4 1 1 3 | 0 1 .289 Dave Roberts SD OF 4 0 0 0 | 0 0 .304 Shane Victorino Phi OF 5 2 3 3 | 0 0 .274 Carlos Quentin Ari OF 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 .250 Jason Bay Pit OF 3 2 2 4 | 0 0 .295 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 39 12 12 16 | 5 7 .308 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: RPaulino 1(39), PFielder 1(61), JKent 2(55), JReyes 1(61), SDrew 1(15), MAlou 3(52), SVictorino 3(33), JBay 4(85) 2B: CJones 2(24), SDrew 1(10), SVictorino 1(14) 3B: JKent 1(2) HR: MAlou 1(14), JBay 1(26) ERRORS: RPaulino 1(11), CJones 1(16) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chuck James W(6-3) 6.0 5 2 1 3 0 5 26 1.50 1.33 Francisco Cordero S(15) 1.3 2 0 0 1 0 2 7 0.00 2.31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 7.3 7 2 1 4 0 7 33 1.23 1.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Ryan Spilborghs Col OF 4 0 0 0 | 0 0 .275 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 4 0 0 0 | 0 0 .000 --------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dan Wheeler 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0.00 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0.00 0.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on August 19, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
Moises Alou is likely to play Saturday even though he tweaked his hamstring in Friday’s game, according to manager Felipe Alou. If he can’t go, Steve Finley likely will fill in.
Jason Bay went 2-for-5 with a couple of runs scored Friday in his return to the lineup. Bay missed three straight starts with hamstring tightness.
The Brewers placed Matt Wise on the 15-day disabled list on Friday with ulnar neuritis in his right elbow, according to the AP. The move is retroactive to August 14. The Brewers will rely more on Dan Kolb and Jose Capellan with Wise resting for the next couple of weeks.
Roy Oswalt has been scratched from his scheduled start Saturday because of his bruised right wrist. Dave Borkowski will start in his place against the Brewers. Oswalt should be fine to take his turn next week.
Price Fielder hit a two-out walk-off RBI single against Astros reliever Dan Wheeler on Friday. The two clubs had been tied at 2-2 since the fourth, but the Brewers rallied against Wheeler and Brad Lidge in the ninth. Wheeler was brought in to face Fielder with two runners on base and two outs, but the left-handed first basemen smacked a single to right to win the game instead. The RBI was Fielder’s 60th of the season, but just his fifth in 16 games this month.
Khalil Greene is out of the lineup for Friday’s game because he is still bothered by a sprained middle finger on his left hand. He’s able to play, but he just can’t do it very well. Geoff Blum replaced him at third base.
Johnny Estrada will undergo an endoscopy to determine if he has an ulcer on the Thursday. Estrada has been bothered by stomach pains for over a month. Doctors believe he has an ulcer, but they won’t know for sure until he has an endoscopy performed.
Posted on August 19, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
August 19th - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 72 points - 14.5 out of first Lost 1.5 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 86.5 / COVER ZERO 81 / X 81 / AARR / SJ 65 / 10PK 63.5 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 201 .2793 748 736 115 68 4.42 1.436 743 43 2ND 4TH 3RD 4TH T-1 T-3 6TH 10TH 8TH 6TH --- --- --- --- -.5 --- --- ---- - 1 --- BOX SCORE FOR 08.18 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Johnny Estrada Ari C 4 0 0 0 | 0 2 .301 Ronny Paulino Pit C 4 1 2 0 | 1 0 .311 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 4 0 1 1 | 1 1 .282 Jeff Kent LAD 2B 4 0 1 1 | 0 0 .264 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 4 0 1 2 | 0 1 .327 Jose Reyes NYM SS 5 0 1 0 | 0 0 .297 Mike Jacobs Fla 1B 4 0 0 0 | 0 1 .267 Stephen Drew Ari SS 4 0 1 1 | 0 1 .310 Adam Dunn Cin OF 3 1 0 0 | 1 1 .249 Moises Alou SF OF 3 2 2 0 | 0 0 .289 Dave Roberts SD OF 5 1 2 3 | 0 1 .307 Shane Victorino Phi OF 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .266 Jason Bay Pit OF 5 2 2 0 | 0 1 .292 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 50 7 13 8 | 3 9 .260 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: PFielder 1(60), JKent 1(53), CJones 2(67), SDrew 1(14), DRoberts 3(34) 2B: MAlou 1(15), JBay 1(23) 3B: CJones 1(3) GIDP: RPaulino 1(15) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Armando Benitez 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.00 0.00 Chad Cordero S(23) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.00 0.00 Francisco Cordero W(8-4) 0.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.00 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 2.7 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0.00 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Geoff Jenkins Mil OF 1 0 1 0 | 0 0 .252 Ryan Spilborghs Col OF 1 0 0 0 | 0 1 .286 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 2 0 1 0 | 0 1 .500 --------------------------------------------------------- 2B: GJenkins 1(24) RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dan Wheeler 0.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.00 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 0.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2.84 0.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on August 18, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
John Maine yielded two runs and eight hits over six innings Thursday in a defeat of the Phillies. Ryan Howard’s 42nd homer resulted in both of the Phillies’ runs. The Mets have won each of Maine’s last five starts, the though right-hander is only 3-3 on the year. He’s still not a great play in mixed leagues, but he should keep his rotation spot and maintain some value in AL-only leagues over the rest of the year.
Brandon Webb struggled through six innings against the Rockies on Thursday, allowing seven runs — five earned — in his fifth loss. Webb walked a season-high five and struggled to keep his sinker down, suggesting that his elbow still might be a problem. “It wasn’t his best, but at times it was back to what we’ve seen before,” manager Bob Melvin said. “There were periods where he was throwing the ball very well. Really and truly, we gave them a few more runs than they had.” Owners will have to keep Webb active and hope for the best.
With the departure of Bobby Abreu, Shane Victorino appears to have settled in as the everyday right fielder for the Phillies, according to the official team website. Victorino has started 10 of the last 12 games, and is hitting .286 with two home runs and 11 RBI over that span.
Pirates manager Jim Tracy said that Jason Bay will most likely be back in the starting lineup on Thursday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Bay missed his third straight start Wednesday with a strained hamstring but did pinch hit.
Jeff DaVanon, on the DL with a sprained left ankle, is not yet ready to go on a rehab assignment, according to the AP. “Jeff isn’t ready,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We miss what Jeff brings us, but his ankle is still sore.” DaVanon is eligible to be activated on August 21. DaVanon’s ankle injury wasn’t believed to be very serious so he will likely play in just a couple rehab games and he could be activated from the disabled list in less than a week.
Mark Mulder, on the DL with a shoulder strain, struggled in his third rehab start Thursday, allowing five runs on seven hits and five walks over four innings of work, and two of the 12 outs he recorded came on outfield assists. “It was probably a little bit better than the last one when they were hitting a few balls but, you know, it’s a rehab start,” Mulder said. “I’m not concerned with that. I was concerned with throwing strikes. I had a handful of walks. I wasn’t very happy with that, but there was a couple of them that were real questionable walks.” It’s uncertain if the Cardinals will make him pitch a fourth rehab start before returning to the big leagues. The Cardinals probably aren’t going to want to put him back in the rotation after an outing like this. Since he still lacks consistency with his delivery, he’s probably not one of the club’s top five starters.
Khalil Greene’s swing is still being impaired by finger and hand injuries. Greene is 1-for-23 with nine strikeouts since he first injured his hand on August 3. His sprained middle finger isn’t expected to be healthy until December according to trainer Todd Hutcheson.
Manager Phil Garner said that he will stay with a closer-by-committee approach, but that Dan Wheeler could get a few extra chances to earn saves. “I’m going to lean towards Wheeler,” Garner said. “The problem is you’ve go to set up your bullpen to get there. When ( Chad) Qualls, Wheeler and Lidge are doing the job, it makes it quite clear for everybody. Now it’s going to have to be Lidge, Qualls and Wheeler or Qualls, Lidge, Wheeler or some other combination in the seventh and eighth.” Wheeler hasn’t allowed a run in his past 13 outings.
There is a 50 percent chance Roy Oswalt will be able to make his start on Saturday against the Brewers. Oswalt threw in the outfield on Wednesday and Thursday and said he still felt pain when throwing curveballs. “It’s getting better,” Oswalt said. “It felt pretty (good) with fastballs. Curveball, it wasn’t too great.” The Astros will decide on Friday if Oswalt or Dave Borkowski will make the start.
In his first start in eight days, Geoff Jenkins fanned twice and walked once before being removed for a pinch-hitter on Thursday. Kevin Mench replaced him with left-hander Trever Miller in the game for Houston. This won’t help Jenkins earn any additional at-bats as he attempts to break back into the lineup.
Posted on August 18, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
August 18th - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 73.5 points - 13 out of first Lost .5 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 86.5 / COVER ZERO 81.5 / X 81 / AARR / SJ 65 / 10PK 63 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 201 .2795 740 729 115 67 4.43 1.439 742 42 2ND 4TH 3RD 4TH 1ST T-3 6TH 10TH 7TH 6TH --- --- --- --- --- +.5 - 1 ---- --- --- BOX SCORE FOR 08.17 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Johnny Estrada Ari C 3 1 2 1 | 1 0 .304 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 3 1 1 0 | 0 0 .283 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 5 0 0 0 | 0 1 .328 Jose Reyes NYM SS 4 0 2 1 | 1 0 .298 Stephen Drew Ari SS 3 0 0 0 | 1 0 .312 Adam Dunn Cin OF 3 0 0 0 | 0 1 .251 Moises Alou SF OF 4 1 1 0 | 0 1 .285 Dave Roberts SD OF 5 1 1 0 | 0 1 .306 Shane Victorino Phi OF 5 0 2 0 | 0 1 .268 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 35 4 9 2 | 3 5 .257 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: JEstrada 1(58), JReyes 1(60) 2B: PFielder 1(26), MAlou 1(14) SB: JReyes 1(50) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Brandon Webb L(13-5) 6.0 8 7 5 5 2 3 31 7.50 2.17 John Maine W(3-3) 6.0 8 2 2 0 0 4 26 3.00 1.33 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 12.0 16 9 7 5 2 7 57 5.25 1.75 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Khalil Greene SD SS 3 1 0 0 | 0 1 .247 Geoff Jenkins Mil OF 2 0 0 0 | 1 2 .250 Alberto Callaspo Ari 2B 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .308 Ryan Spilborghs Col OF 4 1 1 1 | 0 2 .288 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 10 2 1 1 | 1 5 .100 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: RSpilborghs 1(14) HR: RSpilborghs 1(3) RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dan Wheeler 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.00 1.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.00 1.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on August 17, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
From Rotoworld:
Jason Bay flied out to left as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s game. Bay, who missed a third straight start with hamstring tightness, should be back in the starting lineup on Friday.
Roy Oswalt will throw in the bullpen Thursday to see if he has enough flexibility in his sore right wrist to start on Saturday. Oswalt was hit by a liner on Monday. If he is unable to make the start the Astros will have Dave Borkowski take the mound.
Pitching on a third straight day, Armando Benitez blew a save when he gave up a solo homer in the 10th inning on Thursday. It’s an awful lot to ask any closer to protect one-run leads on three straight days. Benitez, who earned saves on Monday and Tuesday, was at least able to preserve the tie after Ben Johnson’s leadoff homer, and the Giants managed to win in 13 innings. He’s doing just fine at the moment.
Matt Wise was unavailable Wednesday because of nerve irritation in his right elbow. He’s considered day-to-day. Elbow issues are nothing new for Wise, who missed 2003 following Tommy John surgery.
Chad Cordero threw a shutout inning Wednesday for the save, his sixth straight scoreless outing. Cordero has now lowered his ERA to 3.31, a far cry from last year’s sub-2.00 performance, but much better than he showed earlier this season.
Mark Mulder will make his third rehab start on Thursday. Mulder will start for Triple-A Memphis. This is expected to be his final rehab start before being activated from the disabled list.
Posted on August 17, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
August 17th - Standings and Statistics
Standings: 4TH - 74 points - 12 out of first Gained .5 points and 0 standings place since yesterday GOK! 87 / COVER ZERO 82.5 / X 82 / AARR / SJ 67 / 10PK 60 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 201 .2797 738 725 114 66 4.43 1.436 735 42 2ND 4TH 3RD 4TH 1ST 4th 5TH 10TH 7TH 6TH --- --- --- --- --- -.5 + 1 ---- --- --- BOX SCORE FOR 08.16 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Ronny Paulino Pit C 5 0 0 0 | 0 1 .309 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .282 Jeff Kent LAD 2B 3 1 2 3 | 0 0 .264 Chipper Jones Atl 3B 5 1 1 0 | 0 1 .333 Jose Reyes NYM SS 4 0 0 0 | 0 0 .296 Stephen Drew Ari SS 6 1 1 1 | 0 2 .321 Adam Dunn Cin OF 3 1 1 1 | 1 1 .252 Moises Alou SF OF 5 2 2 0 | 1 1 .285 Shane Victorino Phi OF 4 0 0 0 | 0 0 .265 Carlos Quentin Ari OF 4 0 1 1 | 1 1 .250 Jason Bay Pit OF 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .291 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 41 6 8 6 | 3 7 .195 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: JKent 3(52), SDrew 1(13), ADunn 1(82), CQuentin 1(18) 2B: JKent 2(17), MAlou 1(13) HR: ADunn 1(36) SB: MAlou 1(1) ERRORS: CJones 1(15) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Armando Benitez BS(8) 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 1 5 9.00 2.00 Chad Cordero S(22) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.00 1.00 Francisco Cordero S(14) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.00 0.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 3.0 2 1 1 1 0 1 12 3.00 1.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Khalil Greene SD SS 5 0 0 0 | 1 1 .249 Geoff Jenkins Mil OF 3 0 0 0 | 0 2 .251 Alberto Callaspo Ari 2B 0 0 0 0 | 1 0 .333 Ryan Spilborghs Col OF 2 1 1 0 | 0 0 .290 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 10 1 1 0 | 2 3 .100 --------------------------------------------------------- 3B: RSpilborghs 1(3)