The Hardball Times -- Brad Johnson http://www.hardballtimes.com/main Baseball. Insight. Daily. en studes@hardballtimes.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-26T10:48:15+00:00 The daily grind 5-23 http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-23/ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-23/#When:09:53:15 The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice based on my every-morning waiver wire search. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

I will be vacationing for the next five days. Look for TDG to return next Tuesday.

Today's grind


A trio of widely available pitchers have juicy match-ups.

Marco Estrada takes on the feeble hitting Giants.

Andy Pettitte faces a Royals roster whose best hitters are primarily left-handed.

Scott Feldman is virtually unowned. He'll start against the Mariners.

David Murphy gets a rematch with Kevin Millwood.

Carlos Gomez will get a start against Barry Zito.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis faces Charlie Morton.

Tomorrow's grind


Only seven games tomorrow, which limits the options.

Philip Humber takes a turn against the Twins. They just got Ryan Doumit back, which makes their bad lineup a shade less bad.

Joe Blanton will face a Cardinals roster that is just a bit injury desolated. I worry about this particular match-up.

Eric Stults is one of those guys who isn't good but always treats my fantasy roster kindly. I like the match-up against the lefty heavy Mets.

Take Matt Adams against Blanton. Matt Carpenter is dealing with a minor injury and so will not impinge on Adams' playing time.

Ryan Doumit is only 26 percent owned and carries useful positional flexibility and a solid skill set.

Brennan Boesch's ownership has been climbing slowly south. He's at 45 percent owned and will face Justin Masterson. I've seen him crop up as an option in a league or two.

Reliever watch


J.J. Putz blew his third save of the year. It's been a rocky season for him; his velocity and command have been off. Last night, he supposedly recovered the velocity but still failed to shut the door. The Diamondbacks have a couple of alternatives in Bryan Shaw and David Hernandez.

Henry Rodriguez has been demoted from the closer role. He will contribute to the committee that is currently in use. Sean Burnett, Tyler Clippard, and Craig Stammen could also work into the mix at times.

Yesterday’s results


R.A. Dickey was unkind to the Pirates while earning the win: 7 IP, 11 K, 1.29 ERA, 0.71 WHIP

Juan Nicasio's performance was not so super: 5 IP, 5 K, 9.00 ERA, 2.40 WHIP

Travis Wood allowed only two hits, but one was a home run: 5.2 IP, 3 K, 3.18 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

0-for-2 with two walks for Matt Adams.

Rajai Davis did his thing. He was 0-for-2 with one run and two stolen bases.

Marlon Byrd was 0-for-2.

Reed Johnson was 1-for-3 with one walk.

Click here to learn about THT's download subscriptions.]]> Brad Johnson 2012-05-23T09:53:15+00:00 The daily grind 5-21 http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-211/ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-211/#When:09:51:15 The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice based on my every-morning waiver wire search. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

Today's grind


R.A. Dickey gets the lucky Pirates match-up. Unfortunately, he's 42 percent owned.

Juan Nicasio has a decent match-up with the Marlins.

Travis Wood gets to face the Astros. I picked him up twice.

David Murphy should start against the hittable Hector Noesi.

Matt Adams' ownership has jumped to 15 percent. The match-up with Edinson Volquez isn't exciting or anything, but you might not have long to pick him up despite that. He's also plastered all over the Yahoo! fantasy splash page, so his ownership will skyrocket. He's not a lock to start any given night until he establishes himself.

Rajai Davis will get another chance to hit multiple home runs, this time against the Rays' Matt Moore.

Marlon Byrd and Reed Johnson are both set to face hitable lefties.

Tomorrow's grind


Marco Estrada is a reliable source of strike outs. The rest of the results could be anything. He faces the Giants.

Scott Feldman rarely crosses my radar, but he faces the Mariners tomorrow.

Andy Pettitte against the Royals sounds like a workable match-up. It also sounds like I'm playing an outdated video game.

Murphy's set to see Kevin Millwood.

Carlos Gomez should get a start against Barry Zito.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis faces Charlie Morton.

Reliever watch


Jason Motte picked up the coveted blown save, vulture win last night. He's pitched well despite the three blown saves.

Jonathan Broxton blew his second save. He's done well to date but there's reason for concern in his peripherals. It might be time to start quietly adding alternative Royals.

Andrew Cashner blew a non-ninth inning save. I didn't have eyes on this game, but my impression is that Cashner isn't quite polished enough for a high leverage role yet.

Henry Rodriguez was pulled from a save situation after recording one out. The Nationals are said to be considering alternatives, but there aren't many available. Tyler Clippard is probably the best reliever in the pen, but he has history of trouble in the ninth and management has been adamant that Clippard will remain the setup man.

Yesterday’s results


Great start from Felipe Paulino. He earned the win while shutting down the Yankees: 6.2 IP, 8 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.20

Jamie Moyer did not get through that outing with the Marlins. I hope you have less fantasy hubris than I and passed on that recommendation: 3.2 IP, 5 K, 14.73 ERA, 3.55 WHIP

Seth Smith was 1-for-2 with one run and a pair of walks.

Eric Thames was 1-for-3 with one RBI.

Click here to learn about THT's download subscriptions.]]> Brad Johnson 2012-05-22T09:51:15+00:00 The daily grind 5-21 http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-21/ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-21/#When:10:02:15 The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice based on my every-morning waiver wire search. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

Today's grind


Thin list of choices for today.

Felipe Paulino is pitching well, but he is scheduled against the Yankees. I'm starting him in a couple leagues where I'm behind on my innings requirement, but I don't feel good about it.

Any fantasy victory is hollow if you don't use Jamie Moyer at least once. He's set to face the Miami Marlins today.

Seth Smith has a solid match-up against the surprisingly effective Jerome Williams.

Eric Thames has a mediocre match-up against Jeremy Hellickson, but at least he has the platoon advantage.

Tomorrow's grind


R.A. Dickey is set to take on a feeble Pirates club. His next start is against the Padres so consider hanging on to him.

Juan Nicasio will face the Marlins.

David Murphy has a strong match-up against Hector Noesi.

Matt Adams will face Edinson Volquez. In case you haven't been keeping track, the Cardinals just purchased Adams' contract. He's set to be the strong half of a platoon with Matt Carpenter.

Rajai Davis should start against Matt Moore.

Reed Johnson will probably start against J.A. Happ, although the above options are better plays.

Marlon Byrd gets a lefty tomorrow. He's done well against southpaws this season, at least when I pick him.

Reliever watch


In a rare turn of events, I failed to uncover any major reliever news.

Yesterday’s results


Those who chose their own adventure with Max Scherzer were amply rewarded with a win: 7 IP, 15 K, 2.57, 0.71 WHIP

Anthony Bass pitched well but failed to take the win: 6 IP, 6 K, 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP

The Wei-Yin Chen bubble burst: 4.1 IP, 5 K, 12.46 ERA, 2.54 WHIP

In retrospect, I have no idea why I even mentioned Derek Lowe. That said, he had a fine outing but still took the loss: 6 IP, 2 K, 3.00 ERA, 1.17 ERA

Andy Dirks was 0-for-4. Keep owning him though.

David Murphy pulled out the boom stick with a 1-for-4 night, two runs, one RBI, one home run, and one walk.

Carlos Gomez was 1-for-2 with one run.

Click here to learn about THT's download subscriptions.]]> Brad Johnson 2012-05-21T10:02:15+00:00 The daily grind 5-20 http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-20/ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-20/#When:12:34:15 The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice based on my every-morning waiver wire search. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

Today's grind


There are some pitching choices for today, but all have their share of warts.

Anthony Bass might be the best choice out there. He's 25 percent owned and faces the Angels. Bass is available in none of my five leagues, although I own him in two.

If you're feeling adventurous (perhaps very adventurous), you could try Max Scherzer against the Pirates. He's 64 percent owned, but he's on the waiver wire in three of my leagues so I'm assuming advanced leagues are more likely to see him on the wire.

Wei-Yin Chen has a nice match-up against the Nationals. Most of the Nats' best hitters are lefty.

If none of those guys are available for you, Derek Lowe faces the Marlins. I'd stay away, personally.

Andy Dirks. I'm firmly on the band wagon. He's quickly becoming unavailable at 37 percent owned. This might be his last day appearing in this column for awhile.

I keep waiting for Eric Thames to find another gear. He faces Dillon Gee today so the match-up is tasty.

I've been completely overlooking David Murphy because I thought he was more widely owned. With only eight percent ownership, expect to see him mentioned more frequently. Oh, and he faces Jordan Lyles.

Rumor has it that Carlos Gomez is returning today. Rumor also has it that Jason Marquis is starting for the Twins. I don't see why they would activate Gomez if they didn't plan to start him, but don't be surprised if he sits.

Tomorrow's grind


I don't know what to tell you. Felipe Paulino faces the Yankees tomorrow. Are you comfortable with that match-up? Because that about covers your choices.

Jamie Moyer has a history of dominating the Florida Marlins, but who knows how he'll fare against the Miami product.

If you can find a Nationals lefty to start against Kyle Kendrick, do so. They're all snapped up where I work.

I went to recommend Josh Reddick and found him 78 percent owned. That leaves Seth Smith who's only four percent owned. He faces Jerome Williams.

Thames faces Jeremy Hellickson, which isn't an awesome match-up but at least he has the platoon advantage.

Reliever watch


Kenley Jansen blew the save on Friday but vultured the win.

Sean Marshall appears to have lost the closer gig in Cincinnati. He had a rough outing yesterday but was pulled before he could blow the save.

Yesterday’s results


Let's just say, the last two days have gone VERY badly from a pitching perspective.

The hitters performed quite admirably. If you went with Rajai Davis on Friday, you were rewarded with two surprise home runs.

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Today's grind


There are several pitchers you can try. Some options are better than others.

Marco Estrada against the Twins tops my list for today. I'm using him in two leagues.

Jarrod Parker takes on the Giants in what newsmongers call the battle of the bay.

Daniel Bard will face a fairly impotent Phillies lineup.

You could reach even further and take Alex White against the Mariners or Philip Humber against the Cubs. Both are fine match-ups, although both pitchers have exhibited reason for concern.

Andy Dirks sees Charlie Morton today. He should be owned outright for now.

Raul Ibanez gets a friendly match-up against Bronson Arroyo.

Dexter Fowler is starting to crop up on waiver wires. He faces Kevin Millwood at Coors, so pick him up liberally.

Rajai Davis should be in to face the lefty.

Tomorrow's grind


Roster Drew Smyly. He's owned in 39 percent of leagues so he's available to somebody. He faces the Pirates tomorrow. Use him tomorrow and then keep him.

Christian Friedrich makes his third favorable match-up start. It's also his third big league start. Someday, he'll face a real lineup, but the Mariners won't provide that challenge tomorrow.

Jeanmar Gomez against the Marlins isn't a terrible match-up if the juicy ones above aren't available.

Keep using Ibanez. This time it will be against Homer Bailey.

Eric Thames sees the inflammable Miguel Batista.

Ryan Sweeney should pop a couple hits against Joe Blanton.

Hang on to Dirks against A.J. Burnett.

Reliever watch


It was yet another one of those nights...

Aroldis Chapman blew the save in the seventh inning yesterday.

Brandon League blew his third save of the year.

Rafael Betancourt took the loss after allowing a two-run home run to Justin Upton in the ninth.

Yesterday’s results


James McDonald was helpful: 5.2 IP, 11 K, 4.76 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

Zach McAllister's outing was similar, but less exciting: 5.2 IP, 6 K, 4.76 ERA, 1.41

Juan Pierre was 2-for-5 with one run.

Thames was 1-for-4 with one run.

Ibanez was 0-for-3 with a walk.

Dirks was 1-for-3 with a home run, one run, one RBI, and one walk.

Challenge


I'll make the usual offer. Get me up to 270 Twitter followers and I'll make sure you have TDG picks through the weekend.

Click here to learn about THT's download subscriptions.]]> Brad Johnson 2012-05-18T10:33:15+00:00 The daily grind 5-17 http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-17/ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-17/#When:09:58:15 The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice based on my every-morning waiver wire search. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

Today's grind


Short list of picks for today but they're all solid.

Zach McAllister draws the highly coveted Mariners match-up.

James McDonald will face the Nationals although his ownership rates have raced upwards to 38 percent. You can probably thank the splash page article about him on Yahoo for the ownership boost.

Juan Pierre will be batting leadoff against Chris Volstad.

Eric Thames holds the platoon advantage over Phil Hughes.

Raul Ibanez has a favorable match-up against Drew Hutchinson.

Andy Dirks' ownership is up to 29 percent. He faces P.J. Walters today.

Tomorrow's grind


Marco Estrada will face the Ryan Doumit-less Twins tomorrow. It's a ripe match-up for his strikeout-heavy approach.

Jarrod Parker will take on the Giants as part of the battle of the bay (it's not worthy of proper noun status).

You could try Alex White against the Mariners or Philip Humber against the Cubs if you want to throw a Hail Mary.

Stick with Ibanez, who faces Arroyo tomorrow.

Dexter Fowler is down to 41 percent owned and is available in three of my leagues. He faces Kevin Millwood tomorrow.

It's one of those days where Rajai Davis will probably start in left field for the Jays.

Reliever watch


Jon Rauch melted down in the eighth inning yesterday. It might be time to hold Bobby Parnell and hope the Mets want to demo something with upside eventually.

Jonathan Broxton blew his second save of the season. His peripherals haven't been pretty. The Royals are probably praying he holds it together just long enough to trade him.

In case you've been keeping track of the Cubs' mess, Kerry Wood blew a save in the seventh inning yesterday. Everybody blows saves in Chicago.

Jose Valverde is day-to-day with back tightness, so pick up Joaquin Benoit.

Yesterday’s results


A fair outing from Chris Capuano, but he took the loss: 6.1 IP, 6 K, 4.26 ERA, 1.42 WHIP

Mike Minor has been abysmal in four straight outings now: 4.2 IP, 3 K, 11.57 ERA, 1.93 WHIP

Felipe Paulino was masterful but the Royals couldn't shut the door (see Broxton above): 7 IP, 9 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Craig Gentry was 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Matt Diaz was 0-for-4 with one RBI.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis was 1-for-4 and was caught stealing.

Tony Campana was 0-for-2.

Jeff Keppinger did not start. He went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter.

Click here to learn about THT's download subscriptions.]]> Brad Johnson 2012-05-17T09:58:15+00:00 The daily grind 5-16 http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-16/ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-16/#When:10:01:15 The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice based on my every-morning waiver wire search. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

Today's grind


Three waiver guys have solid match-ups. Chris Capuano faces the Padres at Petco. The always-unpredictable Mike Minor has the Marlins. And Felipe Paulino sees the surprisingly hot Orioles in his third start since coming off the disabled list.

Craig Gentry and the Rangers face Tommy Milone.

Matt Diaz should get the start against Mark Buehrle.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis draws a favorable match-up against Mike Leake.

Tony Campana squares off against Kyle Kendrick.

Jeff Keppinger is a stealthy middle infield/corner infield add and he's set to face Clay Buchholz.

Tomorrow's grind


Zach McAllister is probably playable against the Mariners.

James McDonald is set to face the Nationals. As Yahoo's splash page pointed out, he's using his slider more frequently this year, but it's by no means absurd. His slider usage has climbed from roughly five percent to 13 percent.

Juan Pierre will be back in the leadoff spot against Chris Volstad.

Eric Thames faces Phil Hughes. On the other side of that match-up is Raul Ibanez facing Drew Hutchinson.

Andy Dirks probably should be owned outright, but he faces P.J. Walters tomorrow.

Reliever watch


Reliever madness is back in full swing after a one-day hiatus.

David Robertson is on the disabled list with a strained oblique, so Rafael Soriano will have an opportunity to settle into the closer role.

Jason Motte vultured a win by allowing a game- tying home run to Alfonso Soriano. The Cards then got to Rafael Dolis in the bottom half of the ninth.

Chad Qualls blew a save opportunity for the Phillies. Somehow, he's up to four blown saves on the year. Good thing they signed Jonathan Papelbon.

Santiago Casilla lost a tied game by allowing a solo home run to pinch hitter Marco Scutaro.

Yesterday’s results


Good day for my pitching picks.

Anthony Bass was fantastic while earning the win: 8 IP, 7 K, 1.13 ERA, 0.75 WHIP

Wade Miley also earned the win: 6.2 IP, 5 K, 1.35 ERA, 1.35 WHIP

Michael Brantley was 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

Andruw Jones was 0-for-2 with a walk.

Josh Reddick was 0-for-2 with two walks.

Seth Smith was 0-for-3.

Click here to learn about THT's download subscriptions.]]> Brad Johnson 2012-05-16T10:01:15+00:00 The daily grind 5-15 http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-15/ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-15/#When:09:53:15 The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice based on my every-morning waiver wire search. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

Today's grind


Wade Miley and Anthony Bass headline today's list of waiver wire streamables. Miley faces the Matt Kemp-less Dodgers while Bass takes on the Nationals.

Michael Brantley will benefit from seeing some bad Twins pitchers.

Andruw Jones will probably start against Wei-Yin Chen.

Josh Reddick and Seth Smith find themselves facing Ervin Santana.

Tomorrow's grind


There are several employable options on the pitching side for tomorrow but no must-starts.

Chris Capuano will face the Padres at Petco.

Mike Minor draws the Marlins and is only 34 percent owned thanks to a couple bad outings.

Felipe Paulino will see the Orioles in his third start since coming off the disabled list. The results have been good to date.

The Rangers face another lefty, which means another start for Craig Gentry.

Lefty masher Matt Diaz will probably be in the lineup for the Braves against Mark Buehrle.

I don't really understand how Kirk Nieuwenhuis is only 10 percent owned. He's the perfect fantasy roster glue. Regardless, he faces Mike Leake tomorrow so get him in your lineup.

Jeff Keppinger is available. He's stealthily crept onto the scene as an everyday player with second and third base eligibility.

Reliever watch


This might be the first time there is little news to report on the closer front. It's been a crazy year.

David Robertson has been dealing with discomfort in his side so Rafael Soriano is the temporary closer. Don't be surprised if Soriano is allowed to run with the role.

Addison Reed picked up a save yesterday, so it appears his nightmare outing didn't lose him the job.

Yesterday’s results


Big day for Christian Friedrich, but the Rockies couldn't get him the win: 7 IP, 10 K, 1.29 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Drew Smyly struggled through his outing: 5 IP, 4 K, 7.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP

Tim Stauffer was hittable: 5 IP, 5 K, 5.40 ERA, 2.00 WHIP

People are starting to figure out that maybe they should own Ryan Doumit. He went 1-for-3 with a home run, one run, two RBI, and a walk.

Brantley failed to get to Carl Pavano with an 0-for-4 evening.

Gentry's been busy for the Rangers. He went 0-for-2 with a walk last night.

Taylor Green was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Juan Pierre was 0-for-4.

Click here to learn about THT's download subscriptions.]]> Brad Johnson 2012-05-15T09:53:15+00:00 The daily grind 5-14 http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-14/ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/the-daily-grind-5-14/#When:09:51:15 The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice based on my every-morning waiver wire search. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

Today's grind


Christian Friedrich headlines a shallow group of stream-able pitchers today. He faces the Giants and is just five percent owned.

Tim Stauffer makes his first start of the season against the Nationals. I haven't been following his recovery so I don't know how sharp he's looked in the minors.

Drew Smyly briefly had a regular role in this column, but his ownership is 41 percent now and he was snapped up before I noticed him in most of my leagues.

Ryan Doumit's ownership is down the 24 percent and he faces Jeanmar Gomez today. On the other side of that match-up is Carl Pavano, so stack up on Indians hitters like Michael Brantley.

Craig Gentry should get to face Bruce Chen.

Hope for Taylor Green to start against Miguel Batista.

Juan Pierre has posted his second best season to date for the Phillies. He draws Lucas Harrell today, which should be good for a single or two.

Tomorrow's grind


I honestly wouldn't use any waiver starters tomorrow. If I had to make a pick, Wade Miley against the Dodgers isn't a bad match-up.

The Indians will face Jason Marquis, so keep a hold of your Indians hitters. Is it any wonder the Twins are so terrible with Pavano and Marquis going back-to-back?

The Yankees will see Wei-Yin Chen, which means another Andruw Jones start.

Ervin Santana's had a rough go of things this year. Josh Reddick and Seth Smith draw the favorable match-up.

Reliever watch


The closer nonsense continues. Frank Francisco blew another one, leading some to wonder why he's still in the back end of that bullpen. Then again, Jon Rauch isn't the most reliable alternative.

Brett Myers blew a save but his role is very safe.

Addison Reed had an epic meltdown, allowing six runs in less than an inning. With Chris Sale back in the rotation, Matt Thornton might be the current closer. Reed remains the best reliever in that bullpen.

John Axford's save streak ends at 49. Needless to say, he's secure.

Yesterday’s results


Qualitative notes today on Thursday and Friday performance.

Strong performers: Reddick (2), David Murphy, Eric Thames, Smith, James McDonald, Reed Johnson

Mediocre performers: Jones, Ryan Sweeney

Weak performers: Gentry, Thames, Kyle Drabek

Worth note, one of Reddick's games was a 4-for-4 performance with four runs, five RBI, two home runs, and a steal. That's the perfect game of hitting.

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There is a better than even chance that I will be taking tomorrow off. I'll send a weekend update if that happens. A reminder, I like being paid in Follows.

Today's grind


If you don't care that you won't get any strike outs, Henderson Alvarez is the pitcher for today.

The Rangers have a double header in which they'll see a righty and a lefty. That means both Craig Gentry and David Murphy will get starts with favorable match-ups.

Andruw Jones gets the pleasure of facing David Price. So he'll play but not necessarily well.

Ryan Sweeney squares off against Derek Lowe.

Eric Thames has the match-up of the day against Jason Marquis. I expect the Blue Jays to explode.

Seth Smith and Josh Reddick might be able to take advantage of Max Scherzer's early season struggles.

Tomorrow's grind


James McDonald is starting to get popular. He's 14 percent owned and set to face the Astros.

Kyle Drabek draws the Little League Twins. The Twins are shaping up to be historically terrible this year.

I'm taking any Blue Jay that starts against Nick Blackburn. That means Thames again.

Reed Johnson will likely draw the start for the Cubs against Randy Wolf.

I'd take Reddick against Rick Porcello any day.

Reliever watch


As I discussed yesterday Casey Janssen and Jason Frasor are the best relievers out of the Blue Jays pen at the moment. Janssen has been officially named the interim closer. Somewhere in Canada, there is a cult of Blue Jay worshipers praying that Sergio Santos comes back at full strength.

Dave Robertson blew the save for the Yankees last night. He also blew the save on Wednesday night. He has stiff competition from Rafael Soriano so he's probably already used up his freebies.

The Marlins bullpen nightmare continues. Steve Cishek blew the save last night. At this point, Edward Mujica appears to be the only guy who can close the door reliably despite being thoroughly mediocre. Cishek is still the best guy to own for now.

The Phillies bullpen outside of Jonathan Papelbon has performed terribly. Five blown saves in 10 days. Kyle Kendrick fumbled yesterday's game, although it wasn't in the ninth.

Yesterday’s results


Great outing from Christian Friedrich. He earned the win: 6 IP, 7 K, 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Anthony Bass did alright but allowed a handful of unearned runs: 5.2 IP, 4 K, 1.59 ERA, 1.76 WHIP

Drew Smyly pitched excellent but received a no decision: 6 IP, 5 K, 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP

The Rangers were rained out, hence Gentry did not play.

Marlon Byrd went 1-for-2 with a run.

Darnell McDonald did not play.

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