Javier Vazquez went seven innings, giving up 2 ER with 7 baserunners and recording 7 Ks as he lowered his ERA to 8.10. Though, he could’ve gave up 6 runs in 7 innings and would’ve lowered his ERA. Do I think Javy released his inner leprechaun and found the pot on the other side of his crappy pitching? Yes and no. There was no way Vazquez was going to pitch a 9.78 ERA all year. I mean, c’mon, that was obscene. He had given up more runs than innings. He was getting Pwnson’d every time out. The rest of the way he should be around a 4 to 4.50 ERA guy. There’s room to own that, but don’t expect last year this year, clear? Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Phil Hughes – 7 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 8 Ks and now has a 1.38 ERA on the year. I really wanted to own Hughes this year. Alas, it didn’t happen. Alas II, I did draft Joba. Alas III, I dropped Joba before he got any saves. Alas IV, there’s no Alas IV. Dur.
Nick Swisher – Day-to-day after leaving the 2nd game of the doubleheader with bicep tightness, which reminds me of my hit single I had in Japan, “A Bicep Is Two-Thirds A Tricep (Check My Anatomy).”
Rick Porcello – 7 IP, 0 ER, 7 baserunners, 2 Ks. Even a broken clock is right a few times a season.
Shaun Marcum – 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 baserunners, 6 Ks and now has a 2.78 ERA on the year. With Alex Gonzalez (10 HRs), Vernon Wells (9 HRs), John Buck (8 HRs), Brett Cecil ( 3.12 ERA), Ricky Romero (3.42 ERA, 47 Ks in 47 1/3 IP), Kevin Gregg (10 Saves, 2.12 ERA) and Shaun Marcum, I probably should’ve just autodrafted all my fantasy teams and just grabbed every unowned Blue Jay off waivers. Yeah, I could’ve cured the common cold instead of all that preseason prep work I did, but whatever. I’m now going to walk into oncoming traffic.
Travis Snider – 2-for-4, 3 RBIs with his 5th homer and batting .320 in the last week. You see that fifth outfielder schmohawk on your team? Yeah, he should be dropped for Snider. Plus, he looks like a Muppet. Sí or no sí?
Aaron Hill – Didn’t play due to a tight right hamstring. This is the same hamstring that forced him to the DL in April. He’s definitely not *pinkie to mouth* hamstrong.
Hiroki Kuroda – 7 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 9 Ks and now has a 2.66 ERA on the year. Probably one of the most underrated starters in all of baseball.
Carl Pavano – 7 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 4 Ks. If I were only a fantasy baseball cougar and owned some of these old, reliable pitchers… Boy the way Kevin Millar played… Bombs that made the hit parade… Fantasy baseballers like us we had it made… Those were the days….
Juan Pierre – 2-for-4 as he stole his 16th and 17th base. He could steal 60. Wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Homer Bailey – 9 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 6 Ks. Before the All-Star Game, instead of the Futures Game, they should have the Worst Pitcher In The Majors vs. the Pirates Game. Like you wouldn’t watch it.
Jason Heyward – 1-for-3, 3 Runs, 1 RBI, batting third and 2 steals in the last two games. So my question to you guys and three girls is, where does Heyward get drafted next year? Third round? Fourth?
Trevor Hoffman – 1 IP, 3 ER. Kazaam!
Tyler Clippard – Won his 7th game. Greinke still doesn’t have a Win. Cust kayin’.
Roger Bernadina – 2 homers from a guy that isn’t anything more than a flier in deep NL-Only leagues for steals. The over/under is 2 for rest of the season homers from Roger, roger?
Mike Pelfrey – 5 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 10 baserunners, 6 Ks. Last week, shoulder tightness. This week, the Mets throw him for 119 pitches. Oh-kay.
Derek Holland – 6 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 7 Ks. He has another solid start his next time out vs. the Angels. Then it’ll be a play it by ear scenario, something Van Gogh wasn’t so good at.
Josh Hamilton – 3-for-5 and his 7th homer. Member when you were pissed you drafted him? Oh, you!
Justin Smoak – Hit his fourth homer while batting .194, but he still has more walks than strikeouts. Yes, he’s been unlucky. Yes, he’ll be better.
Nolan Reimold – Sent back to Triple-A. Corey Patterson was recalled. Well, that’ll fix the O’s problems. Anyone wanna take a bet on who will finish with more wins, the O’s or Tyler Clippard?
Alfredo Simon – 4th Save, still has a 0.00 ERA. It looks innocuous enough, but it’s performances like Simon’s that stick in your head when you pick up the random backup closer that then destroys your ERA and WHIP. Thanks, Simon. For nothing! *small voice* And for the four saves. I do actually appreciate that. Kisses!
Adam Jones – 3-for-4. I prayed for a 34-for-37 day, but I’ll take it.
Russell Branyan – 2-for-4 with his third homer in two days. I grabbed him in two leagues. You?
Jered Weaver – 7 IP, 1 ER, 8 baserunners, 12 Ks. He’s been throwing his curveball a lot more this year and it’s causing hitters to swing outside the zone almost 7% more this year than last. So far it has meant a bump of his K-rate from 7.42 last year to 10.41. Call The Advocate, this could be his coming out party.
Mark Reynolds – Apropos of nothing, Vin Scully was talking about Joe DiMaggio only striking out 39 times in a season and he said, “Mark Reynolds strikes out that many times in batting practice.” Oh, Scully, you make Ford C. Frick frickin’ proud.
Eric Young Jr. – Filled in when Melvin Mora left with tightness in his glutes. Not sure how my neighbor does it but she has very tight glutes.
Miguel Olivo – 5-for-5 with a home run. In other news, Chris Iannetta cried.
Carlos Ruiz – Left the game with a knee injury. He’s day-to-day. Or Day II Day, if he were starting an R&B group.
Brad Lidge – Sent back for tests on his elbow. The club is downplaying the severity of this. For a team, stealing signs, you’d think they’d be able to recognize a bad sign. Contreras is the pickup, but Baez could squirm his way into the picture.
Wandy Rodriguez – 6 IP, 4 ER, 7 baserunners, 3 Ks. Hate to be a Wandy apologist, but he had a one-hitter through five then it all fell apart.
Gordon Beckham – 1-for-3 with no Runs, no Steals, no RBIs. He’s really taking to the 8 hole! BTW, I just realized his lineup replacement at the top of the order was A.J. Pierzynski of a .196 average. Guess when you take crap out of the two hole you gotta put crap back in. It’s called the law of diminishing returds.
