Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

Dodgers 3B Blake Dewitt isn’t looking like the fourth-string third baseman during this first week of the season. Dewitt went 3-for-4 on Wednesday in a 2-1 loss to the Giants to raise his average to .556.  Dewitt is playing very well so far, but isn’t likely to hold onto his starting spot at the hot corner once Nomar Garciaparra, Andy LaRoche or Tony Abreu return from injury. He does warrant attention in deeper NL-only leagues at this point, however.  (CBS Sports)

Giants closer Brian Wilson picked up his first save of the season Wednesday when he went 1 1/3 innings, striking out one and not allowing a hit in a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers. Wilson is the uncontested stopper in San Francisco, but unfortunately the lowly Giants probably won’t offer him too many save chances this year. He is a No. 3 Fantasy closer at best.  (CBS Sports)

Due to the chance of inclement weather Wednesday night, the Giants scratched Lincecum from his scheduled start against the Dodgers and replaced him with Merkin Valdez. Lincecum entered the game later and got the win in relief.  Manager Bruce Bochy put Lincecum into the game in the fourth inning thinking that the inclement weather had passed. Instead, a storm hit and forced a 72-minute rain delay after entering the game as a reliever. Lincecum pitched in relief on both sides of a 1-hour, 14-minute rain delay and scored the go-ahead run on Randy Winn’s sacrifice fly to help the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1. Lincecum (1-0) threw 84 pitches over four innings, allowing a run and four hits with four walks and four strikeouts. It was pretty disturbing that the Giants left Lincecum in. The Dodgers didn’t do the same with Chad Billingsley even though the Giants were the ones at the plate when play was halted. That meant Billingsley’s delay would have been the actual 72 minutes, while Lincecum actually went 94 in between pitches.  (Rotoworld, Rotowire, CBS Sports)

Brandon Lyon blew a save and took the loss against the Reds on Wednesday. Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer off Brandon Lyon in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday night to send the Cincinnati Reds to their first win under manager Dusty Baker, 6-5 over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lyon (0-1), who took over the closer role after Jose Valverde was traded in the offseason, came on with a 5-3 lead and quickly gave it away. Brandon Phillips and Adam Dunn opened the ninth with singles. After Encarnacion failed to get down a sacrifice bunt, he hit his first homer of the season into the lower deck in left field. Lyon had a tough spring, and his owners should definitely have an eye on Tony Pena, who gave up one hit in his scoreless inning of work tonight. Lyon looked every bit the closer Monday when he pitched a perfect ninth in a 4-2 win against the Reds. He even got two strikeouts. Well, his luck turned Wednesday. Lyon can’t afford many slip ups as both Tony Pena and Chad Qualls wait in the wings. Lyon is still the closer in Arizona and can still be thought of as a No. 2 Fantasy RP in mixed leagues. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Update: Here’s a video clip:

The glass was half full over at Seamless Baseball, which also linked to the MLB official clip of the spectacle.

It’s the bottom of the ninth, the Reds are playing the Diamondbacks, and runners are on first and second. Seamless Stamp of Approval recipient Edwin Encarnacion is up to bat, and Dusty Baker is trying his hardest to get him to lay down a bunt. That’s right: he’s trying to get his team’s second or third best hitter, who cannot bunt, to bunt when the game is on the line. I know that every professional baseball player should know how to do little things like this by now, but c’mon, Encarnacion isn’t your pitcher.

Anyway, after unsuccessfully trying to lay down a bunt three times, the count goes 2-2. Dusty is growing agitated and Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley chimes in:

BRANTLEY: This guy is not a clutch hitter. This guy is not a clutch hitter.

BRENNAMAN: Well, his numbers would be contrary to that.

BRANTLEY: He is not a clutch player.

(Encarnacion promptly sends the 2-2 pitch into the left field bleachers for a walk-off 3-run homer)

BRENNAMAN: Hammered down the left field line! Is it clutch? Reds win!

In one little highlight, Dusty Baker is proven wrong. Jeff Brantley is proven wrong. The smug never-played-baseball-before broadcaster who actually looks at numbers to verify his hunches is proven right.

Best of all, Encarnacion is the savior.

And did I mention Baker is proven wrong?

Cubs manager Lou Piniella has announced another new Cubs lineup after two losses.  With Alfonso Soriano moving back to the leadoff spot, Ryan Theriot will hit second for the time being. This could put a damper on Theriot’s steals to an extent, but then again Soriano doesn’t get on base all that much so Theriot will essentially be hitting with one out and no one on base two thirds of the time.  (Rotowire)

“We’ll stay with this lineup as long as we can, and hopefully we don’t have to change it,” he said before Wednesday’s first pitch, which just happened to clear the left-field bleachers as Rickie Weeks connected off Chicago’s Ted Lilly.

Theriot, who batted .300 in 34 games as the Cubs’ leadoff man last season subbing for Soriano, didn’t care where he hit either, as long as he was in the lineup.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Theriot said. “It’s something we tinkered with a little bit last year. I embrace it. I think it’ll be good. For me, it’s a spot I’ve been in pretty much my whole career. It’s a spot I’m comfortable in, and we’ll see what happens.” 

(MLB.com)

Javier Valentin (manager’s decision) is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game with Arizona, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.  Just a heads up for owners in daily leagues, as Paul Bako will get the nod after Valentin’s rough Opening Day.  Dusty is just punishing Valentin for not hustling and turning a triple into a single on Tuesday. (Rotowire)

Overall Standings

Rank Team                Batting Pitching Total Dif  Behind
---- ------------------- ------- -------- ----- ---- ------
 1   Misogynistic Padres 33.5    35.0     68.5  68.5 0.0
 2   Shoeless Jews       23.5    42.5     66.0  66.0 2.5
 3   Get Off Kong!       37.0    26.5     63.5  63.5 5.0
 4   Goodfellas          34.5    28.0     62.5  62.5 6.0
 5   Atomic Roadrunners  26.0    31.0     57.0  57.0 11.5
 6   Uncle Lester        28.0    26.0     54.0  54.0 14.5
 7   The Pi Train        30.0    23.5     53.5  53.5 15.0
 8   Stanimals           35.5    16.0     51.5  51.5 17.0
 9   X-Men               16.0    29.0     45.0  45.0 23.5
 10  Cover Zero          11.0    17.5     28.5  28.5 40.0

Yesterday’s Stats

Atomic Roadrunners Players Yesterday (4/2/08)

Player                        BA HR R RBI   SB
------------------------- ------ -- - --- ----
Davis, Rajai OF SF        0.5000  0 0   0    1
DeWitt, Blake 3B LA       0.7500  0 0   0    0
Fielder, Prince 1B MIL    0.3333  0 0   0    0
Hart, Corey C. RF MIL     0.2500  0 1   1    2
Jones, Andruw CF LA       0.2500  0 0   0    0
Jones, Chipper 3B ATL     0.6667  0 1   2    0
Phillips, Brandon 2B CIN  0.5000  1 2   2    0
Reyes, Jose B. SS NYM     0.3333  0 1   2    0
Ruiz, Carlos C PHI        0.0000  0 0   0    0
Spilborghs, Ryan CF COL   0.0000  0 0   0    0
Teixeira, Mark 1B ATL     0.2500  1 1   2    0
Theriot, Ryan SS CHC      0.5000  0 0   0    0
Valentin, Javier C CIN    0.0000  0 0   0    0
Victorino, Shane CF PHI   0.0000  0 0   0    0

Atomic Roadrunners Players Yesterday (4/2/08) 

Player                       ERA  K S   W WHIP
------------------------- ------ -- - --- ----
Lincecum, Tim SP SF         2.25  4 0   1 2.00
Lyon, Brandon RP ARI         N/A  0 0   0  N/A
Wilson, Brian RP SF         0.00  1 1   0 0.00

Brandon Lyon - Blown Save, 3 ER, 3 H 0 Outs