The Boston Red Sox, so highly touted for their off-season acquisitions, had the opportunity to make a statement against the American League-champion Texas Rangers and reassert their dominance in the MLB. They did not.

In an Opening Weekend series in which the Rangers swept the Red Sox and outscored them 26-11, including beating Boston 5-1 Sunday afternoon, the only statement the Red Sox could make was that they still have a long way to go.

Home Runs Kill the Red Sox… Again

Red Sox pitchers combined to allow 11 Rangers home runs through the three-game series, with nine hit against Boston’s starting rotation. Sunday’s starter, Clay Buchholz, gave up four solo home runs to Rangers hitters. Designated hitter Ian Kinsler and right fielder Nelson Cruz became the first teammates in MLB history to homer in the first three games of a season.

Left fielder David Murphy put the Rangers on the board with a solo shot in the bottom of the second, on an 0-1 pitch down and inside that Murphy muscled to right, straight into the teeth of a wind that gusted at 29 miles per hour.

It was one of Buchholz’s better pitches. The next two home runs came on far worse pitches.

In the bottom of the third, Kinsler smoked a dead-center 2-2 change-up to left. In the fifth, catcher Mike Napoli took a 3-2 middle-inside fastball to center to make it 3-0 Rangers. Both looked like missed-location pitches by Buchholz.

Buchholz pitched into the seventh inning, finally leaving after giving up a one-out shot to Cruz. He finished the game having given up four earned runs on five hits, two walks and three strikeouts. He pitched one perfect inning, in the fourth.

In the bottom of the eighth, Jonathan Papelbon gave up a run on two doubles sandwiched around a hit batter. After intentionally loading the bases, Papelbon struck out the side, 1-2-3.

Clearly, Papelbon can struggle just as he did in 2009 and 2010. But he also clearly can still overpower hitters the way he did in 2007 and 2008. It remains to be seen which Papelbon will show up this season.

Few Positives or Scoring Chances For Red Sox

The Red Sox managed just a run on five hits and two walks against Rangers starter Matt Harrison, who struck out eight in seven innings. David Ortiz continued his strong start, going 2-4. Carl Crawford, dropped from third in the lineup to seventh after an 0-7 start, broke through his mini-slump with a 2-4 performance.

In the seventh, Crawford drove in Kevin Youkilis (1-3 with a walk, two strikeouts) with a single to center, making it 3-1 Rangers.

One of the few positives from Sunday’s game was Boston’s infield defense, which started two double-plays and caught two Rangers runners trying to steal. Jed Lowrie also made a nice diving stop in the fifth before throwing out shortstop Andres Blanco.

Boston’s only scoring threats came in the second and the seventh, and Harrison handled both of them with ease.

In the second, Ortiz reached on an infield single and Crawford got his first hit of the season with a single down the third-base line. But Harrison came back and struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia (0-3, reached on an error) to end the threat.

In the seventh, after Crawford’s RBI, Harrison struck out Jacoby Ellsbury (0-4) with the bases loaded. The Red Sox went 1-2-3 in the eighth and ninth innings, two of five innings of Sunday’s game in which they failed to put a runner on base.

A Less-Than-Ideal Start

Whatever the Red Sox expected of their team this season, this was not it. The starting rotation, unchanged from last year, directly cost the Red Sox two games, and failed to protect the lead in a third. Boston’s hitters, meanwhile, were completely contained Sunday after putting up decent numbers Friday and Saturday. The bullpen gave up runs in all three games. Nothing seems to be clicking right now.

Despite Red Sox fans’ disappointment and frustration with this start, it must be remembered that this is just the third game of the season. There are 159 games left. Can the Red Sox win a World Series if the hitters strikeout in key situations, the starters give up runs and the bullpen makes it worse? Of course not. Will the Red Sox be a different team 20, 40, 60 games from now? Of course.

A measure of patience is necessary while the Red Sox figure out what works for them and what doesn’t (such as Crawford’s position in the lineup). After delivering two World Series titles in the last seven years, they’ve earned it.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox began the second half of their season Thursday night against the first-place Texas Rangers at Fenway Park, sending knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to the hill. Wakefield had struggled of late, going 1-3 in has last four decisions and sporting an ERA over 5.00 (5.22 coming into the game). The Rangers countered with right-hander Tommy Hunter, who came into the game 5-0 with an ERA 2.39. The Red Sox were hoping for a strong outing from Wakefield to get the post-All-Star Game season off on the right note. Unfortunately, Wakefield could not deliver.

After striking out the lead-off batter in the first, Wakefield gave up consecutive singles to put men on first and third with just one out. He then gave up an RBI single to Vladimir Guerrero (3-5, 2 runs scored, RBI), an RBI double to Josh Hamilton (3-4, all doubles, 1 RBI, 1 run scored), a 2-run single to Nelson Cruz (3-5, 3 RBIs, run scored), and finally a 2-run home run to Bengie Molina. Just like that, the Rangers were up 6-0 just one out into the game. Wakefield retired the next five batters he faced, including a perfect second inning, but the damage had already been done. In the third inning, with men on first and third and none out, Wakefield gave up another RBI double to Nelson Cruz to make it 7-0. After that he was done. Four Red Sox bullpen pitchers played for the final seven innings of the game.

As for the offense, the seven-run deficit was simply too much to overcome, and Tommy Hunter was pitching well on top of it. Solo home runs by J.D. Drew in the fourth and Bill Hall in the seventh helped mitigate the damage, but the Red Sox could not do nearly enough to come back from such a large deficit. Only three times were the Red Sox able to get multiple men on base, and all three times the runners were stranded without scoring. Despite just striking out six through the game, Texas’s pitchers were able to dominate Boston’s diminished lineup. Boston almost mounted a ninth-inning rally, but with two men on and one out both Ryan Shealy and Marco Scutaro struck out, ending the threat and the game. The final score: Rangers 7, Red Sox 2. Hunter picked up the win and Wakefield suffered the loss.

The Red Sox at the Plate

Of the six hits Boston managed, four came at the hands of J.D. Drew and Bill Hall. Both hit solo home runs en route to going 2-4 on the night. Bill Hall also made a tremendous diving catch in the fifth to rob Bengie Molina of extra bases and turned a nifty double-play in the sixth, beating the runner to third base and then making a strong throw across the diamond to nail the runner heading to first. He was the star of the night for the Red Sox and has stepped up tremendously given the extra play time he has received. The only other offensive player of note was Daniel Nava, who reached base three times on a single and two walks. The rest of Boston’s hitters all combined to manage one hit. The top four hitters of the lineup were completely useless, going 0-17. The Red Sox were 0-5 with runners in scoring position, left eight men on base, and managed no extra base hits beyond the two home runs. The Rangers pitching staff was in top form tonight, and the Red Sox could do nothing with them.

The Red Sox on the Mound

First the bad: Tim Wakefield. In just two innings of work he gave up seven earned runs on eight hits while striking out just two. The knuckleball is a tricky pitch to throw, and when it’s flat it’s the most hittable pitch in the game. Thursday night it was the flattest I’ve ever seen it, and Wakefield got crushed. This season has not been a strong one for Wakefield. He has just three wins and his ERA is over 5.00 (5.65). Perhaps he is finally reaching the end of his career, no longer able to throw his signature pitch with enough movement to make it dangerous.

Now the good: the bullpen! In seven innings of work, four Red Sox pitchers combined to allow just four hits and four walks. They did not allow a run. Of special note were Robert Manuel and Scott Atchison. Manuel was called in in the third inning with men on second and third and no outs. A ground out to third, a shallow fly out to left, and a strikeout later, and Manuel was out of the inning without allowing an inherited runner to score. Overall, he went 2.2 innings, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out one. He successfully slowed the Rangers offense down and at least gave the Red Sox a CHANCE to get back in the game. Atchison, meanwhile, pitched three shutout innings, allowing just one hit while recording a strikeout. Manuel and Atchison combined to save the Boston bullpen from overuse. Now its more elite pitchers will be rested and ready for the next game. While Wakefield’s performance was atrocious, the bullpen (and not the good pitchers in the bullpen) finally showed it can keep Boston in games without making deficits worse. If we can get performances like this out of Manuel and Atchison on a regular basis, the Red Sox will finally have a bullpen strong enough to complement its offense and starting rotation.

Moving On

OK, this was a bad way to start the second half of the season. There’s no denying that. However, there are definitely some positives we can take away from this game. The bullpen, once thought of as the weakest link on the Red Sox, showed it still has some life left in it. Bill Hall continued to play magnificently both offensively and defensively, this time at third base. And J.D. Drew proved he is still alive. There are definitely things that can be built upon from this game. But the starting pitching and the offense need to pick it up. Both have been decimated by injury, yes. But everyone left is still a professional, and they must be able to produce. As starters return from injury the team will get stronger. However, if the Red Sox cannot win with the pitchers and hitters they currently have, they may find themselves out of playoff contention by the time they get healthy.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

NEW POST: For video of the fan killed trying to get a foul ball during a game Thursday, July 7th 2011, click here.

—–

In what I can only describe as the most eye opening example of the state of this country’s economy, a fan at the Rangers/Indians game last night took a 30 foot leap off the upper deck in an attempt to catch something he could of bought at a local Dick’s Sporting Goods for the price of two ballpark beers.

The man is said to be in stable condition and a few fans that happened to purchase tickets in his landing zone suffered minor injuries. The surprising thing isn’t that this happened, but that this doesn’t happen more often. There’s 4800 odd games played each MLB season and each has countless foul balls and sometimes even bats that fly at fans who are often too busy playing with their iPhones to recognize the impending doom hurtling towards their faces. Mix that with a bunch of drunks and people who think that catching a beat up old piece of rawhide and string is tantamount to winning the lottery, and it’s shocking that our nation’s ballparks aren’t teeming with handicap inducing accidents and even death.

With Youtube taking down footage for copyright claims, check out the footage here.

© Fudge for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: News, Now!, Red Sox.

Seeing as there’s less than a month left to the season, we can begin to predict what the award winners are going to look like. The one I’d like to take a look at is the AL MVP race, and this is because it will divide old school baseball fans and more sabermetrically-inclined fans for who should win. Positional valuation fun will be ALL over this one. I will list the Top 5 candidates, in the order that I foresee the writers voting for them. Also, at the end, I will list a few other candidates I see receiving votes. (I should note, when I mention leading the league in any rate stats, it’s for qualified players only).

1. Mark Teixeira, 1B, New York Yankees

Yes, there’s just too many traditional minded writers who get the right to vote still. Not to discount at all what Teixeira has done. He’s second in the league in HRs as of now and since Carlos Pena is done for the season, he has a good chance of leading the league at the end of the season. He will be one of the top players in RBI thanks to the lineup around him and he’ll have over 100 runs scored as well, for that very reason. He plays a very solid first base and voters will remember his defensive reputation from seasons past, even if he looks poor in the last few weeks. With the Yankees on pace to win over 100 games, it’s going to be too hard for these voters not to pencil him in.

2. Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota Twins

Isn’t it amazing what Mauer has done? He leads the league in batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage (and therefore OPS). If he didn’t miss any time from the season, there’s a good chance he’d be in the top 5 in runs scored and RBIs and have over 30 home runs. Defensively, his arm is, at worst, average if not slightly above average (I had to eyeball the numbers from The Hardball Times as I couldn’t find anywhere to compare CS% for catchers, fielding-wise). He’s far above what any other catcher is doing offensively. Simply put, he’s the reason why the Twins still have a minute chance of catching the Tigers in the AL Central.

3. Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees

This might be the first time I can truly say that Jeter deserves MVP consideration. Jeter is going to have around 200 hits (and break Gehrig’s record for the all time hits for a Yankees player), score over 100 runs, steal around 25 bases (and be successful over 80% of the time while he’s at it), and is actually playing MUCH improved defense from seasons past. He’s far and away the best SS in the league, he’s a name not one writer can ever find a bad thing to say about him and his team is likely on the way to making the playoffs and winning over 100 games. He’ll siphon a few votes away from Teixeira from people who realize that relative to their positions, Jeter is having a more impressive season than Teixeira.

4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers

On a team that has not really had much stand out besides Justin Verlander’s return to pitching well, Miguel Cabrera having a good season again will stick out to the voters. He’s hitting for a .336 average, will likely end up with over 30 HRs, and over 90 runs scored and 90 RBIs and a nice on base percentage and slugging percentage (he’ll probably have an OPS above Teixeira’s). His pretty numbers will convince enough voters to list him high enough.

5. Kendry Morales, 1B, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Angels offense has been the second best in the league and Kendry’s maturation into what everyone believed he could be is a key reason. Thought to just be the equivalent of a paper weight as the Angels pursued Teixeira this offseason, Kendry Morales has 30 home runs and leads his team in RBI. He also has the second highest slugging percentage in the AL, and his team is going to the playoffs despite barely having a starting rotation much of this year.

Others receiving votes: Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria, Justin Morneau, Jason Bay, Nelson Cruz

There’s a possibility some of this could change, if say, the Rangers overtake the Red Sox for the wild card, or the Rays make a miracle run. Also, the writers could view Carlos Pena’s broken fingers as the reason the Rays fell out if they don’t make the playoffs. However, I’m confident in my Top 3, unless I wake up in a bizarro world.

© Adam for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Red Sox.

Welcome to the first installment of the Fantasy Radar: Fantasy Baseball Edition! Here I will make several weekly observations on hitters and pitchers on their recent trends and how you should deal with it going forward in the season. It will be split up in five categories: Quick Hits (hitters), Wild Pitch (pitchers), Falling Fast (biggest disappointment), On the Mend (injuries) and Down on the Farm (players who are in the minors, but you could see up really soon). The format is subject to change in the next couple of weeks as we work out the kinks, but the content will be the same. Suggestions are welcome from readers in the comment section because remember the purpose of this article is to better serve you guys and help you to that elusive fantasy championship! So without further delay, here are the most important 1200 words you will ever read regarding your fantasy team (at least until next week’s article).

Quick Hits

• With two SB last week, Lance Berkman now has five steals this month after no swipes in April or May. Sir Lancelot has really turned his season around after a dreadful April with a .301 BA, 12 HR, 37 RBI since May 1. With the speed turning around, look for Berkman to be that 30 homer/15 steal threat you drafted in the second or third round of your draft.
• In 2005, Scott Podsednik played 129 games and stole 59 bases with 80 runs and a .290 batting average. This season, in 52 games, Podsednik is batting .313 with 26 runs and 12 steals. He is starting to look like his 2005-06 former self and could be a good replacement if your team has some OF injuries.
• After a hot start, Nelson Cruz has cooled down batting just .193 in June. However, the power is still there with five homers last month. I view this as a buy-low period more than of what is to come. Cruz has a good combination of power and speed and should reach 30 homers and 20 steals this year.
• Stephen Drew batted .292 in the month of June and after a tough two months that included DL stint, he seems to be heating up. Drew broke out last season in the second half with a .326 batting average, nine homers and .927 OPS.
• Before last week Jake Fox started just five games since his may 27 call-up and he did the most with the limited playing time by batting .286 with six runs and two RBI. Cubs’ manager Lou Pinella has rewarded Fox with nine straight starts and he has responded well with a .343 batting average, two home runs and nine RBI. Keep an eye on Fox’s situation with the Cubs as he could be a good pickup if he continues to receive regular playing time.
• Jose Lopez has rebounded from a bad start with a .329 batting average in June. He also seems to have found his power stroke with five homers last month and 20 RBI. He is only 25 years old and posted a .290 batting average with 17 homers last year. Look for him to reach 20 homers and to be a good source of RBI. He also could pickup third base eligibility now with Adrian Beltre out for six-to-eight weeks.
• Shin-Soo Choo has quietly put up a very solid season for the Cleveland Indians. He is batting .293 with 10 homers and 12 steals and is on pace to surpass a 20-20 season. Cleveland, which ranks third in the MLB in runs scored, has a deceptively good offense and with Sizemore getting healthy they are only going to get better in the second half, which means more production from the Choo Choo train.
• In the last two months, Alexei Ramirez has hit .282 with 9 homers, 6 steals and 29 RBI. Ramirez is known for his streakiness and he is not the .290 hitter we all fell in love with last season, but his power/speed combo is nice especially because he qualifies at both second base and shortstop.
• In his rookie season, Geovany Soto hit 23 homers with 86 RBI and a .285 batting average. This year he has endured a sophomore slump with just a .231 batting average, seven homers and 24 RBI. However, Soto has found his power stroke in June with six homers and 12 RBI and should reach the 20-homer mark by the end of the season, which would somewhat salvage his season for managers who drafted him as a top-five catcher.

Wild Pitch

• Scott Kazmir returned from the DL and pitched five solid innings against the Florida Marlins. He struck out five batters while walking only one. Kazmir is usually a good second-half pitcher so if his rough start landed him on the waiver wire in your league he could be a guy to take a flier on.
• Since coming back from a short minor-league stint, Ricky Nolasco has posted five-straight quality starts with a 33:5 strikeout to walk ratio. Last year, Nolasco was one of the best pitchers in the second half with a 3.29 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 98 strikeouts in 95 2.3 innings. Those that stuck with him during the rough stretch will be highly rewarded in the second half this year.
• In his last five starts, Kevin Correia is 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA. During the five-game stretch, Correia has allowed nine runs on 17 hits and three walks in 33 2/3 innings with 29 strikeouts. He battled injuries last year, but seems to be healthy and pitches in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the majors. This may be the sign of good things to come in the second half.
• What has gotten into Texas starting pitcher Kevin Millwood? In 16 starts, the 34-year old has a 2.64 ERA on 101 hits in 112 2/3 innings with 70 strikeouts. From 2006-2008 Millwood did not post an ERA lower than 4.50 so this sudden dominance is very surprising to fantasy baseball owners. Nonetheless, he has posted six straight quality starts and has not let up more than four earned runs since May 4. A second-half drop off is expected, but ride the hot streak while you can.
• For those of you who have not noticed, White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd has really turned his season around tremendously. His ERA sits at an average 4.12, but if you consider that on May 17 it was at 7.71, that 4.12 ERA looks like a miracle. He has eight straight quality starts where he has posted a 1.38 ERA on 38 hits and 15 walks in 58 1/3 innings with 46 strikeouts. Look for him to build on this streak and have a very solid second half.

Falling Fast

Jimmy Rollins, SS, PHI (304 at-bats, .207 BA, 6 HR, 10 SB)

Jimmy Rollins was benched by manager Charlie Manuel last week after an 0-for-9 start. The struggling shortstop was supposed to take the weekend off to “clear his mind.” He returned to the lineup on Tuesday night and managed to deliver an 0-for-5 performance. His batting average now stands at .207, the lowest all season, and some may wonder if he will ever break out of this funk. If you own him you probably cannot trade him, but if you can find anyone that thinks J-Rol will turn it around in the second half I would sell. It might be time to start looking for alternate solutions for your shortstop position.

On the Mend

Raul Ibanez, OF, PHI (15-day DL with strained left groin)

Reports are that Ibanez will not be activated when he is eligible to come off the DL on Friday. The good news is he is getting better and is not a player who is not valuable because of his speed. I do not think he can reproduce a second half quite like this first one, but in that lineup and ballpark he should have no trouble hitting home runs and knocking in more runs the rest of the way. Prepare to insert him into your lineups early next week.

Mike Lowell, 3B, BOS (15-day DL with right hip strain)

Lowell was placed on the DL by the Red Sox on Tuesday after missing four straight starts. This injury has plagued Lowell for a while now and he was able to put up decent numbers when healthy last year and this season. He is a tough player to trust, however, with his injury history and he is no better than a backup 3B in most fantasy lineups. Mark Kotsay looks to increase his playing time at first base and should be added in deep mixed leagues or AL-only leagues.

Down on the Farm

Ian Snell, SP, PIT… 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 17 K

This season has not been a good one for Ian Snell. In 15 starts, Snell has posted a 5.36 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 44 walks in 80 2/3 innings with 52 strikeouts. He was demoted to Triple-A last Thursday and apparently that was what he needed. Snell delivered a gem with 17 strikeouts in just seven innings and at one point struck out 13 batters in a row. (The Major League record is 10) Do not expect Snell to be kept down in the minors for too long and keep an eye on how he responds when he is inserted back into the Pirates’ rotation.

© George for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured.

The Red Sox offense was shut down, as they only banged out four hits and three runs. They walked five times, but did nothing with runners in scoring position (0-4). The Sox can’t blame David Ortiz, who went 1-4 with a single through the shift.

Sox Stud of the Game

Mark Kotsay, RF-CF: Kotsay had his first two hits of the season, including his first career HR with the Red Sox. He moved over from right field to center field after Ellsbury was forced to leave the game.

Sox Dud of the Game

Mike Lowell, 3B: Lowell did nothing offensively, going 0-4 with a strikeout. What’s worse is that in those four at bats, he saw only nine total pitches, which will do nothing to wear hitters out.

Game Notes

W: Vincente Padilla (4-3)
L: Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-4)
S: C.J. WIlson (5)

• Jacoby Ellsbury had a terrific catch in center field diving into the warning track, but later left a game after suffering a right shoulder strain on the play.
• Former Sox OF David Murphy (who was traded with Kason Gabbard for Eric Gagne in 2007) went 3-4 against his former team.
• Nelson Cruz slammed his 17th HR of the season off Hideki Okajima in the seventh inning.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

OFFENSE

Joe Mauer (C), Minnesota Twins: One of the best hitters over the past few seasons, Mauer gave owners not only average (11/24, .458), but he gave them 4 HR and 13 RBI. He also led the majors in runs scored last week with 12. Mauer has been the best player in baseball with a God-like 10 HR and 29 RBI in May.

Nelson Cruz (RF), Texas Rangers: No longer a sleeper, Cruz is blessing those who took a chance on him this year. Cruz…uh…cruised through Week 7 (yeah, that was a bad one) with power and speed by hitting 4 HR and stealing three bases. Coming into Monday, Cruz is riding a five game hit streak with four of them being multi-hit contests.

Mark Teixeira (1B), New York Yankees: Tex Mex led the league in HR last week with five round trippers and he collected 10 RBI while hitting .444 (12/27). Teixeira is hitting .377 with 8 HR and 19 RBI since A-Rod’s return.

Miguel Tejada (SS), Houston Astros: He may be a cheater and a steroid-using liar, but he hit pretty damn well last week by going 12/23 (.522) at the plate with 3 HR (5 on the season). Too bad two of the homers were solo and he ended up with just 4 RBI.

Justin Upton (RF), Arizona Diamondbacks: Upton didn’t dominate one particular category, but for those in larger format leagues, he filled up the stat sheet. Upton helped everywhere with 7 R, 2 doubles, a triple, 2 HR, 7 RBI, and 1 SB. He hit .355 for the week and is murdering the ball in the month of May (.368, 7 HR).

The Zack Greinke Section (Best Pitchers of the Week)

Chris Young (SP), San Diego Padres: Remember how dominant he was in 2007? Yeah well, the song does not remain the same this year. However, Young is trying to turn things around with last week’s 2-0 record and 2.08 ERA. Young fanned 10 batters in 13.0 IP to make himself appealing to owners for a little while longer.

CC Sabathia (SP), New York Yankees: After he was traded to Milwaukee last season, Sabathia was mentioned in this section almost every week. This is his first trip here this season and if he keeps this kind of performance up (1-0, 2.40 ERA, 11 K), then he will be here more often.

Jonathan Broxton (RP), L.A. Dodgers: Broxton is taking to the closer’s role nicely. He picked up two more saves last week in 5.0 IP without surrendering a run and striking out five. You know what’s really impressive and kind of sad at the same time? Broxton is 2nd on the team in wins. He is 5-0 this season with a 1.17 ERA.

Jake Peavy (SP), San Diego Padres: After refusing to go to the White Sox, Peavy vented his frustration with the Windy City by dominating another team from Chicago. In his lone start, Peavy shut down the Cubs with a line of 6.0 IP, 0 ER, and 10 K. He picked up his fourth victory for his performance.

George Sherrill (RP), Baltimore Orioles: Almost completely forgotten, Sherrill is still the closer in Baltimore. Hopefully owners took notice when Sherrill posted 6 K in 3.0 IP en route to two saves last week. Sherrill is quietly becoming a dominant closer with a 2.89 ERA and failing to allow a run in his last eight appearances.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Dontrelle Willis (SP), Detroit Tigers: The D-Train is temporarily back on track (THAT was a good one). Willis has made back-to-back quality starts with a 2.08 ERA and 1-1 record in that time. Remember, this guy is only 27 years old and plays in a pitcher’s park.

Mark Reynolds (3B), Arizona Diamondbacks: OK, the average and strikeouts are terrible. However, Reynolds gives you a cheap 30 HR. He is currently on fire with 4 HR and 6 SB last week. He now has seven HR in May.

Michael Cuddyer (RF), Minnesota Twins: Cuddyer led the Majors in hits last week with 13 and his power came alive with 4 HR and 12 RBI. Cuddyer is enjoying a dominating May with 6 HR and 23 RBI.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

• I fall to 5th place after a 14-8-2 loss. What made the loss really sour was the fact that it was to the last place team. Ouch!
• SoB’s KC takes over first place.
• SoB’s Chris had the most dominating win last week with a 20-3-1 beat down of former SoB contributor Dan.
• Recent pickups include: Ramon Santiago, Doug Davis, David Aardsma, Rich Hill, Dallas Braden, and Ben Zobrist.

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured.

The stars of week 25.

OFFENSE

Felipe Lopez (2B,3B,SS,LF), St. Louis Cardinals: What a player to have for your stretch run. Lopez had an amazing 17 hits including 3 doubles and a home run. He drove in 7 and scored 10 runs. And look at that, he even stole a base to boot.

Hank Blalock (1B,3B), Texas Rangers: 10 hits for the oft-injured Blalock. He blasted 4 HR, 9 RBI, 3 doubles, and crossed the plate 8 times.

Ben Zobrist (SS,LF), Tampa Bay Rays: Zobrist helped push the Rays into first place with his great final week. Zobrist knocked the cover off the ball with 4 HR and 7 RBI. He also scored 7 runs.

Joey Votto (1B,LF), Cincinnati Reds: Votto made a push for NL Rookie of the Year by collecting 13 hits, including 3 doubles, 3 HR, and 6 RBI.

Mike Naploli (C), L.A. Angels: Holy crap! Napoli raised his average from .250 to .273 by getting 11 hits with 3 doubles and 2 HR. Napoli drove in 8 RBI as well. He had an under-the-radar season for a catcher with 20 HR.

PITCHING

CC Sabathia (SP), Milwaukee Brewers: What else can we say about Sabathia. I think he has been mentioned more times in the wrap-up than any other player. Making two starts, one on short rest, Sabathia gave up one earned run in 16 IP and struck out 18 batters. His overall stint with the Brewers yielded an 11-2 record, 1.65 ERA, 128 K in 130.2 IP and 7 CG.

Johan Santana (SP), New York Mets: Santana probably won himself the NL Cy Young award with his two starts last week. In total, he struck out 19 batters in 17 IP while giving up just two runs. No need to say it but, he did win both his starts.

Mike Mussina (SP), New York Yankees: The Moose gave up zero runs in 11 IP and won both his starts as he struck out 9 batters. He improved to 20-9 on the season. Putting aside the whole stupid Yankees/Red Sox rivalry, much respect goes out to Mussina who finally achieved a 20-win season. Congrats Moose. Two more seasons and he can reach 300 wins.

Chad Qualls (RP), Arizona Diamondbacks: Taking over as closer seems to fit Qualls who has 9 saves in his short stint as the 9th inning man. Last week he picked up three of those saves and struck out 4 batters in 3 innings.

Fernando Rodney (RP), Detroit Tigers: Rodney saved three games and had six K’s in 3.1 IP to give himself 13 saves for the year. With the retirement of Todd Jones, Rodney may be the next in line to close out games in Detroit.

Why Should I Give A Crap About These Guys? (2009 Edition)

David Price (SP,RP), Tampa Bay Rays: Tampa Bay’s prospects are still amazing. Price’s brief stint in the majors yielded great stuff. In total, he pitched 14 innings and struck out 12. He gave up just three runs in his time. In his one start, he went 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 K.

Matt LaPorta (OF), Cleveland Indians: LaPorta didn’t get to see major league action in 2008 but seeing as he was the main prize in the CC Sabathia trade, I assume the Indians’ organization won’t keep him hidden for 2009. In his 2008 minor league year, he hit 22 HR and drove in 68 RBI in 101 games.

Nelson Cruz (LF,CF,RF), Texas Rangers: After years of hype in the minors, Cruz finally delivered in his short time in 2008 with a .330 avg, 7 HR, 26 RBI, and 3 SB in just 31 games. He finally seems to be the real deal and playing in Texas assures big numbers. Keep an eye out for him in 2009.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family Baseball League

• When all was said and done, it was not a member of SoB who stood alone. No, it was a reader! “B12″ defeated Dev by a score of 13-9-2 to become the first ever SoB Baseball League Champion. Be proud of that trophy, you deserve it.
• I finished in 10th…but we don’t have to discuss it any further.
• The SoB crew: Dev (2nd), Dan (3rd), KC (5th), Geoff (7th), Jeff (8th), Me (10th), Chris (11th).
• For the record, I stopped paying attention after I missed the playoffs by one friggin’ game. STUPID!!!
• Adrian Beltre in Round 2 is still the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.
• See you next season!

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured, Top Story.

Rangers’ OF Nelson Cruz was called up to the majors and will play almost everyday for the rest of the season. In Triple-A, he was absolutely destroying everything he saw with a .342 avg, 37 HR, and 99 RBI. In 96 games last year he hit very differently with a .235 avg, 9 HR, and 34 RBI.

Yankees SP Pavano Wins First Start Since April 2007

Carl Pavano finally returned after rehab from Tommy John Surgery over a year ago and picked up the win in a 5-3 Yankees victory. Pavano gave up three earned in five innings and struck out 5 batters on 91 pitches.

Eddie Guardado Traded, Heads Back to Minnesota

After finding little success in Texas, relief pitcher Eddie Guardado is back to the team where he started his career in 1993. In his last appearance, Guardado couldn’t close out the game and he took the loss for Texas. Frank Francisco has been named the new closer for the Rangers and now Guaradado is nothing more than a middle reliever.

Now for the stars of week 21.

OFFENSE

Nick Swisher (1B,LF,CF,RF), Chicago White Sox: Swisher’s season has been seen as a dissapointment but last week he has tried to right his wrongs by hitting a home run in four consecutive games to bring his total to 21 for the year. Swisher also drove in eight runs as part of his great week.

Mark Teixeira (1B), L.A. Angels: Tex Mex raised his average to .302 with a 9-23 (.391) week which included three home runs and five RBI. Tex is hitting .386 since joining the Angels.

Brian Roberts (2B), Baltimore Orioles: Roberts didn’t impress anybody last week with his power (1 HR), but he did manage to slap 11 hits, drive in 5, and swipe 3 bases. Roberts is 7-7 in SB attempts in August.

Mark DeRosa (1B,2B,3B,LF,RF), Chicago Cubs: DeRosa’s bat woke up last week with 10 hits including four for home runs. He drove in runs in five straight games (6 RBI total) and now has 77 RBI on the season.

Vernon Wells (CF), Toronto Blue Jays: Wells’ week was pretty much dead before Toronto faced the Red Sox. In that series alone he was 6-11 with three home runs and six RBI.

PITCHING

Rich Harden (SP), Chicago Cubs: There is no better pitcher in baseball right now than Rich Harden and yes, I am including CC Sabathia. Harden just added to his ridiculous stats last week by striking out 21 batters in 14 innings to pick up two more wins. Out of his eight starts with the Cubs, five of those games saw Harden strike out 10+ batters.

Ricky Nolasco (SP), Florida Marlins: Nolasco won both of his starts to bring his record to 13-7. His wins included his first complete game of the season and 21 K’s while surrendering just two runs.

Brian Wilson (RP), San Francisco Giants: Even though Wilson blew a save last week, he still picked up two wins and two saves. Even with the blown save, Wilson has a 2.93 ERA and 10 saves post break.

Barry Zito (SP), San Francisco Giants: Yes you read that correctly, I did type Barry Zito’s name. Zito put together a great week with two wins while working 15 innings. OK, so he only struck out eight batters but come on, give the man the little credit he gets.

Mariano Rivera (RP), New York Yankees: The best closer of our generation did what he does best. Rivera picked up three more saves and gave up zero runs in 3.2 innings while fanning three batters.

Why Should I Give A Crap About These Guys?

Jensen Lewis (RP), Cleveland Indians: Hey, it’s an Indians’ closer with an ERA under 4.00. Lewis has gotten comfortable as the 9th inning man in Cleveland and has converted five straight save opportunities and now has six total in August.

Rocco Baldelli (CF), Tampa Bay Rays: Hey, remember him? In eight games since his return from the DL, Baldelli is hitting .308 with 2 HR, and 4 RBI.

Ryan Church (LF,CF,RF), New York Mets: Church has battled issues with multiple concussions all year and has finally returned to the everyday lineup. In the 60 games he has played, Church is hitting .310 with 10 HR, and 37 RBI.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

• Well crap, I am back in 7th place after a 12-11-1 victory. My star of the week was Ian Stewart who hit .480 with a home run, seven RBI, and four doubles.
• My special thanks this week goes out to Shaun Marcum who blew up against the Res Sox for 5 ER in 3.2 innings of work. After that start, he was sent down to the minors.
• This week is the final week of the fantasy regular season so I have to finish in the top 6 to advance to the playoffs. One problem, in order to make it, I have to go through the best team in the league. Crap!
• The rest of the SoB crew: Dev (3rd), KC (4th), Dan (5th), Jeff (9th), Chris (10th), Geoff (11th).
• Recent pickups include: Todd Wellemeyer, Chris Perez, Omar Infante, Mike Jacobs, Chris Volstad, and Chris Dickerson.

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured.