Fantasy Baseball

BY ADAM RONIS

Let me try to figure this one out. Andruw Jones hasn't done a thing this season, unless you count swinging and missing incessantly as an achievement, yet Joe Torre has hit him second several times. If it wasn't for Jones' track record, he might be in Triple-A right now with the way he has produced. He hit just his second homer today and is batting .182. If you own him -- fortunately I only have him in one league where I got him in the 10th round -- all you can do is bench him or hope for a turnaround. I can't see him being completely done......yet.

Russell Martin started at third base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. It's nice to have your catcher play a day game after a night game, but you have to wonder if this will wear him down late in the season.

Ryan Braun signed an extension and hit his 10th homer.

Chad Billingsley is still walking too many batters, but he has pitched better lately. He walked four in seven innings against the Brewers and allowed one run in seven innings. He is 3-5 with a 4.34 ERA.

Ben Sheets suffered his first loss after allowing six runs in 6 1/3 innings.

An Indians starter finally allowed a run after a remarkable stretch of 44 1/3 scoreless innings, although it was unearned. Aaron Laffey allowed one run in seven innings to improve to 2-2 with a 1.35 ERA. Rafael Betancourt started the ninth, but allowed two hits and a run. Masa Kobayashi struck out the final two batters to get his second save. Pick him up.

I'll be blogging the Mets game live tomorrow, so I'll leave the Mets analysis until then. It won't be pretty.

Nate McLouth hit his 11th homer and stole his fourth base. I'll say it again: He's the real deal.

Ian Snell was horrible again. Still not ready to give up on him yet.

Jason Isringhausen came into the 8th inning with a 5-4 lead and could only get one out, while allowing four runs, three earned. He is 1-5 with an 8.00 ERA.

One of the biggest surprises this season is Ryan Dempster. He has issued too many walks, but it has yet to hurt him. He threw 8 1.3 scoreless innings, walked one and struck out 12. He is 5-1 with a 2.35 ERA. I'd sell high. He hasn't thrown more than 100 innings since 2003 when he threw 115 2/3 innings. Braden Looper had a good start last season too and wore down.

Matt Joyce hit his third homer. He is getting regular playing time and should be owned in AL-only leagues.

Akinori Iwamura has been sizzling, so if you need a MI, pick him up. He went 2-for-3 with a homer.

Ian Kennedy returned to the majors with the same results. He allowed five runs in five innings and is 0-3 with a 8.48 ERA.

Scott Kazmir threw six scoreless innings after signing a contract extension. He is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA. Mets' fans dreams of him signing a free agent contract is over. At least we have memories of Victor Zambrano.

Troy Percival rebounded after blowing a save with his 10th.

I wish I owned Lance Berkman this year!!! He hit home run No. 15 and stole his seventh base/ He is hitting .391 with 15 homers and 43 RBIs.

BY ADAM RONIS

Finally, it is my turn to host the roundtable. This week's question is: What should the Braves do with John Smoltz?

Adam, Newsday:

Fantasy owners drafted Smoltz with the idea of him anchoring their pitching staff. If you have surprises like Cliff Lee, Shaun Marcum and Micah Owings, then you might not be upset to see Smoltz shift to closer. If you don't need a closer, then trade him. Smoltz can still be a dominating starter, but can he go more than five innings? I don't see it right now.
It was clear he was pitching through pain and still put up great numbers. The Braves need him as a starter and a closer, but right now, the bullpen is the best thing for him. You could throw him two innings to close out a game. He'll be able to really turn it up knowing he's out there for an inning or two. The way baseball is now, the bullpen is extremely important. Now, Smoltz could impact a game three or four times a week. This way he could possibly get stronger and then go back to the rotation for the stretch run.
It also allows Rafael Soriano to get more comfortable with less pressure coming back from an injury and gives the Braves time to shop for a closer. I still think Smoltz can be a top-notch starter. That's not the argument. I just don't think his shoulder will allow him to do it right now and if Smoltz is actually saying that, you have to put him in the bullpen.

Brett, Greener on the Other Side:

The Braves should bring back the old school closer. John Smoltz still has a top 5 K rate at age 41. He's still got gas left in the tank.

They should make him a two-inning closer. If the game is within 3 runs after 7, bring him on and let him pitch the next two innings. Simply make a double switch by swapping out Diaz for Kotsay or vice versa so Smoltz doesn't have to bat.

There is no point in limiting him to only one inning. If 6-8 innings was a stress, a reduction to 2 shouldn't be much of an issue.

Ya heard it first here.

Double Down/Fantasy Baseball Geeks

The answer to this is very straightforward. The Braves will consult with the doctors, trainers, and Smoltz himself to determine whether pitching out of the bullpen or as a starter will give him the greatest chance to stay healthy and produce for the team. They want Smoltz on the field contributing and could really care less if you as a fantasy owner had penciled him in for 200 innings and 200 strikeouts.
Fantasy owners have many things to consider here. All reports indicate the he will come back as the closer, so if you are already set with saves then it might be time to take a gamble and try to deal one of your existing Fireman. If you own a player like Brandon Lyon this would be a great time to "sell high" as his current stats (10 saves, 2.25 ERA, and a 1.00 WHIP) are really not indicative of his mediocre talent level. Try to use the sell high closer to acquire a slumping starter from another team. A couple of players that are not playing up to their potential that could be "buy low" candidates to replace Smoltz would be Matt Cain and Brett Myers. Hey roll the dice and get Rich Harden he has the most potential reward despite the greatest risk. If you lose Smoltz as a starter it is time to start taking some chances.

Tim Dierkes, RotoAuthority.com
I think the Braves have the right idea with Smoltz. Their medical staff would know his arm best, and only Smoltz and the Braves' doctor really have the information to make that call.

The move doesn't have heavy fantasy baseball implications, in my mind. If you own Smoltz, you are going to keep him to see if he becomes a lights-out closer. The move may create a trading opportunity if Smoltz's owner already had three closers.

Rudy Gamble, razzball.com
I think Smoltz is the most valuable Brave arm in 2008. He's their best starter or reliever. If he doesn't feel healthy enough to start, make him the closer (unlike with the Phillies where there was no health reason to displace Brett Myers from the rotation) It's not like your displacing Hoffman or Rivera from the closer position - it's Rafael Soriano. The bullpen will just be that much deeper - which they'll probably need as their starting corps will be that much shallower.

You could make the argument that Smoltz has 'earned' the right to choose but screw that. This is simply a baseball decision. If it was Glavine who wanted to be the closer, I bet Bobby Cox would heartily laugh like he used to after giving Leo Mazzone the dutch oven treatment on road trips while Leo catatonicly rocked back and forth to sleep.

Stephen Webb, RotoJunkie.com
The Braves should utilize Smoltz however Smoltz feels that he can help the team. He’s a veteran and likely a Hall of Fame pitcher who is as much a “gamer” as anyone who takes the field. Smoltz knows his body and has earned the right to be given the benefit of the doubt and trusted when he says that relief work is the best thing for him right now. Regardless of his role, he will immediately be one of the best in baseball in that given position. If his arm can hold up to pitching on back to back games and John can be effective out of the bullpen in the closer’s role, then Smoltz will be helping to anchor the back end of what has been a shaky and injury riddled relief corp.

If he can build his shoulder strength back up and start in the post season (should the Braves get there), I think that would be in the best interest of the team overall since Smoltz is one of the best post season pitchers in major league history. My personal preference is that he limit his innings via the bullpen and reduce the strain on his shoulder and then return to the top of the rotation down the stretch/in the playoffs.

Michael Muschiano, Poughkeepsie Journal
Bullpen- period; for three reasons. First of all, his shoulder has been bothering him all year. He started on the disabled list, and it didn’t take a month before he found himself back on the disabled list with more discomfort in his shoulder. Some players have the ability to play through pain, and I’m sure Smoltz was for the first month of the season. However, going past the fifth or sixth inning became a difficult task. And that brings me to the second reason. Nobody knows Smoltzy better than Smoltz. Quoting Smoltz at the end of last month, “I hear people say that we can't win without me as a starter, but we're not going to win with me as a five-inning starter either.” And you won’t win your fantasy championship with that way either. Out of the bullpen, his value is not depreciated, like some may believe. In reality, he might actually be more valuable to your fantasy team as a reliever. Finding a quality starter is much easier than a quality reliever.
Several young pitchers emerge throughout the course of the season as potential hole-fillers in your rotation. Rarely, is that the case with a closer. With Smoltz, you know what you’re getting. And that is the third reason. Smoltz is a proven closer. During his four seasons as the Braves closer, Smoltz converted 154 saves in 168 chances. That’s good for a .917 save percentage and during that tenure, he posted a 2.65 ERA. Durability has definitely become a challenge with Smoltz, but versatility will never be a question.

Derek Carty, Hardball Times
In my opinion, the Braves should absolutely put Smoltz back into the rotation. The guy hasn't had a FIP above 3.44 since 1994. Granted, four of those years were in the bullpen and he'll be 41 on May 15, but his skills are still in tact. Last year, his K/9 was 8.62, his BB/9 was 2.06, and his GB% was above-average at 45%. In limited innings this year, he was striking out 12 batters per nine with a 52% GB%. Obviously these would regress, but it's not as if he was doing poorly this year. He's still got it.

Those kind of skills qualify Smoltz as one of the top, probably 10 or 15, starters in baseball. It makes zero sense to use a guy like this in the bullpen where he'll throw 50 or 60 innings as opposed to 150, given the information I have. I say 'given the information I have' because I have no idea what Smoltz's injury really looks like or if there's something in his mechanics that, at his advanced age, would make him prone to another injury if he were to resume starting on a regular basis. Just given the numbers, Smoltz deserves to be a starter. No questions asked.

Some will argue with this logic, saying that Smoltz would put up a lower ERA as a reliever, which compensates for the fewer innings he'll throw. While it is almost certainly true that he'd put up a lower ERA in the bullpen (assuming neutral luck in both instances), this would not provide more value than a higher ERA in more innings would. Look at the Pitching Runs Created leaderboard from last year: http://www.hardballtimes.com/thtstats/main/index.php?view=pitching&linesToDisplay=50&orderBy=prc&direction=DESC&qual_filter=1&season_filter%5B%5D=2007&league_filter%5B%5D=All&Submit=Submit).

We see that the first reliever to appear on the list is Rafael Betancourt, coming in with 85 PRC. The best pitcher, Jake Peavy, came in 58 higher at 143 PRC. We pass 38 starters before we get to the absolute best reliever (Betancourt). Even if Smoltz matches the production of the best reliever in baseball last year (in terms of PRC, of course), he still wouldn't be as valuable to the Braves as he would be if he started (assuming you agree with my assertion that he is a top 15 pitcher, at worst. Even if he were only a top 35 starter, though, he'd still be better than he would be as a reliever, and at that, he'd still have to be the best reliever in the game). As an aside, we see similar (though not quite as severe) results even if we look at something like Pitching Win Shares.

Plainly put, the Braves should put John Smoltz back into the rotation.

Patrick DiCaprio, fantasybaseballgenerals.com

Looking at the Braves roster it seems like they have a solid bullpen with a few closer-worthy candidates. I think that any of their top three guys, Soriano (when he returns), Boyer and Campillo can do a creditable job. All are at least marginally qualified to be a closer based on the BaseballHQ metric of Base Performance Value, all are above the 90 threshold. Campillo has been a surprise this year, showing good dominance and control. Boyer has been the best guy in the pen, though on the surface it may not show yet.

In the rotation, they clearly need Smoltz. Forgetting for a second just how good Smoltz has been, and just looking at what they have now, a guy who would even be league average would be a shot in the arm in the long run. Glavine is running on fumes with a 5.63 xERA and more walks than Ks. After Hudson and Jurrjens they essentially are praying for rain (Hey you think of a rhyme for Jurrjens!) and the back end of the rotation has been riddled with injuires.

Oh, and lastly, that Smoltz guy is a pretty good starter, even if he can only go five innings. This is a great opportunity for creative managing, like perhaps handcuffing a reliever to Smoltz when he starts. Getting those quality innings will make a far bigger difference.

Pete Abbate, RotoNomics

I think Smoltz was right when he said it a few weeks ago: he belongs back in the bullpen. Right now, he’s on record as saying he won’t be able to fight through pain for more than five or six innings. Even if he’s lights-out (which he won’t be every start), the Braves will still have 3 or 4 innings every fifth day that need to be effective relief pitching if they expect to gain victories from his starts. Mike Gonzalez, coming off Tommy John surgery, certainly isn’t going to be the force that stabilizes that bullpen, and I don’t see Rafael Soriano pitching well in the near future. It’s unfortunate for Atlanta, but Smoltz will be much more valuable in the bullpen, where he can make every game an 8-inning affair, than he would be in the rotation, where he would put a strain on the bullpen every fifth day.

BY ADAM RONIS

Mark Teixeira returned to the lineup after missing two games with back spasms. He went 0-for-4 with a run and walk. Buy low before he goes on a tear.

Chipper Jones hit his 11th homer and is hitting .418. Should we have a pool to guess the day he gets injured?

A good sign to see Jimmy Rollins steal a base after coming off an ankle injury.

Blaine Boyer picked up his first save for the Braves. He allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings. Rafael Soriano or John Smoltz will be the closer soon.

Brett Myers was horrible again. He has been hurt by the homer and he allowed three more tonight and has surrendered 15 for the season. He is 2-4 with a 5.91 ERA. I wouldn't give up on him. Bench him until he turns it around.

J.J. Putz threw two scoreless innings to pick up a win. He has struggled, so this is a good sign. Jarrod Washburn picked up the save.

Tim Redding continues to pitch well for the Nationals. He doesn't go deep in games, but he is 5-3 with a 3.55 ERA. Pitch him in NL-only leagues while he is doing well.

Claudio Vargas made his Mets debut and was solid. He went 6 1/3 innings and allowed three hits, two runs, four walks and struck out six. Use him in NL-only leagues based on the matchup.

Daniel Cabrera is now 4-1 after beating the Red Sox. He has a 3.58 ERA. His strikeouts are down, but he didn't walk anybody in seven innings, while allowing 10 hits and striking out three. Not ready to say he has turned the corner just yet.

George Sherrill picked up save No. 15.

Bronson Arroyo threw his second consecutive great outing, but the Reds bullpen blew the win for him. He threw seven scoreless innings.

Ryan Garko homered for the second straight game.

Joe Blanton has been a pitcher with bad luck this season. He allowed two runs in seven innings, but fell to 2-6 with a 3.69 ERA.

C.C. Sabathia is back. He threw a five-hit shutout, walked two and struck out 11.

With Eric Gagne unavailable after pitching three innings the last two days, Guillermo Mota blew the save. He allowed three runs in the top of the ninth to take the loss.

Mike Mussina is 6-3 after beating the Rays tonight. He has a 3.99 ERA. Mariano Rivera recorded save No. 11.

Ted Lilly has turned it around. He threw his fifth consecutive excellent start striking out 11 in six innings. He is 4-4 with a 5.33 ERA after an atrocious start to the season.

Justin Verlander had one of his better outings, but still fell to 1-7 with a 6.05 ERA. He allowed two runs in six innings.

Luke Hochevar threw six scoreless innings and is 3-2 with a 3.94 ERA. He should be owned in AL-only leagues. Joakim Soria picked up save No. 10 and still hasn't allowed an earned run this season.

Micah Owings threw six scoreless innings to pick up his 5th win. He is 5-1 with a 3.81 ERA. Brandon Lyon allowed two hits, but picked up his 11th save.

Carlos Quentin hit third and delivered his 10th homer and five RBIs. Jose Contreras has quietly pitched real well. He allowed one run in seven innings. He is 4-3 with a 3.35 ERA.

John Lackey returned from the DL and went seven innings in a no-decision. He allowed six hits, one run, one walk and struck out four.

Lance Berkman hit his 14th homer.

Chan Ho Park will start for the Dodgers on Saturday.

BY ADAM RONIS

One of the reasons old school people don't like fantasy baseball is you are forced to root for your rivals. As a Mets fan, it's hard not to own a player from one of your rival teams in the NL East. The Phillies have three of the top offensive players in fantasy and the Braves have a few, too. Hanley Ramirez is also a top-5 player. How do you go about this?

It's one of the toughest things in fantasy. I own Jimmy Rollins in two leagues, Brad Lidge in one, Mark Teixeira in one, Jeff Francoeur in two, Brett Myers, Kevin Gregg and Jon Rauch. You can't discriminate in fantasy, although I do my best to avoid drafting Yankees. I own Bobby Abreu in two leagues and A-Rod in one. Besides that, I don't own any Yankees.

Here's an interesting scenario I hope never happens to me. Say you are playing in a head-to-head championship game. You have Jimmy Rollins on your team and he is up against Billy Wagner with the tying run at third and the winning run at second. If Rollins singles to score two runs, you win $2,000. If he doesn't get a two-run single, the Mets win the division and a playoff berth. If he comes through you win the money, but the Mets season comes to an end with no playoff berth. What would you root for?

BY ADAM RONIS

The Reds placed shortstop Jeff Keppinger on the disabled list with a fractured left kneecap after he fouled a ball off his knee last night. He is expected to miss four-to-six weeks. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Paul Janish will fill in at shortstop.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Pirates placed catcher Ryan Doumit on the 15-day DL with a fractured left thumb. Doumit was hitting .350 with five homers and 15 RBIs and was getting most of the playing time over Ronny Paulino, who will start for 2 to 3 weeks while Doumit is out.

BY ADAM RONIS

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz was placed on the 15-day DL with a broken nail on his right middle finger. The Red Sox called up outfielder Jon Van Every since Coco Crisp is sick and J.D. Drew injured his wrist last night.

BY ADAM RONIS

So all it took was a couple of days for Eric Gagne to clear his head? It's more an indictment of the lack of options in the Brewers bullpen. Salomon Torres pitched the seventh and eighth innings and didn't allow a run. Gagne came in for the ninth and allowed one hit and a walk to pick up his 10th save.

Edinson Volquez improved to 6-1 and has a 1.12 ERA. He allowed seven hits, one run, walked two and struck out five in six innings. He needs to cut down on his walks. He has walked at least two in each start and those will come back to hurt him at home. He has given up few hits and has allowed just one home run this season. I think he's for real, but like a lot of starters off to great starts (Lee, Marcum, Saunders), see what owners are willing to give up for them. You might get a good offer.

After leaving his last start with a blister, Jo-Jo Reyes wasn't good against the Phillies. He allowed 11 hits and five runs in 6 2/3 innings with no walks and five strikeouts. He should be owned in NL-only leagues and started based on matchups.

Kyle Kendrick improved to 3-2 by going six innings and allowing six hits, three runs, four walks and struck out two. He has a 4.87 ERA with a 20/16 K/BB ratio. Don't trust him.

Brad Lidge allowed his first earned run of the season, but still picked up his 10th save. He has turned things around. Getting off to a fast start with the tough Phillies fans is the best thing to happen to him.

Two of the worst offenses hooked up and the Indians prevailed over the A's, 4-0. The A's had no one in the starting lineup hitting over .277 and the Indians had one player hitting more than .273. Justin Duchscherer went 6 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, one run, two walks and struck out six, but took the loss. He is 3-2 with a 2.20 ERA. This is the second straight start he pitched into the seventh inning. He has been successful because he has issued few walks. He has a 24/7 K/BB ratio. He's an option in mixed leagues.

Paul Byrd has been inconsistent, but he threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the A's and struck out seven to improve to 2-3. He has a 3.61 ERA. He should be started when the matchups are appealing.

Masa Kobayashi came into a 1-0 game in the eighth inning and got the final out. Ryan Garko hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning and Kobayashi stayed on to finish the ninth for his first save.

Dan Uggla remains hot. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI and is batting .294. He has struck out 42 times. He's a nice sell high option right now, especially as a second baseman that could hit 30 HRs.

Jeff Keppinger left the game in the fourth inning with a fractured kneecap and is headed to the DL.

Joey Votto hit his eighth homer.

Josh Beckett put together four consecutive excellen starts before putting forth a dud against the Orioles. No need to worry. He'll be fine.

George Sherill pitched 1 2/3 innings for his 14th save. That's why you don't ignore closers on bad teams.

Ryan Church appears to be headed for a breakout season. He went 2-for-4 with his eighth homer and four RBIs. He is batting .324 with 30 RBIs.

John Maine has walked too many batters this season, but he has been very good lately. He needs to cut down on the amount of pitches he throws, which forces him to leave games early. He was lucky the Mets scored in the same inning he was pinch hit enabling him to get the win. He is 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA. He threw 109 pitches in six innings.

Billy Wagner picked up his eighth save and still hasn't allowed an earned run. In the other borough, Mariano Rivera allowed his first earned run of the season in the bottom of the 11th to take the loss for the Yankees, which has struggled immensely without A-Rod and Jorge Posada. A-Rod could return next week.

Chien-Ming Wang was excellent again, allowing one run in seven innings and has a 2.90 ERA. Edwin Jackson faced the Yankees for the third time this season and has pitched very well in two of them. He threw seven scoreless innings in a no-decision. He has a 3.47 ERA and should be considered in deep mixed leagues.

Troy Percival blew his second save of the season by allowing a homer to Hideki Matsui in the ninth. It will be interesting to see how Percival holds up this season. He threw 25 innings in 2005, didn't pitch in 2006 and threw 40 innings last season. He turns 39 in August.

Trevor Hoffman has had few save opportunities. He picked up his seventh against the Cubs.

After C.J. Wilson allowed four runs on Monday, Eddie Guardado picked up his first save. Wilson was unavailable after throwing 31 pitches Monday. Wilson is still the closer.

Jesse Litsch improved to 5-1 with a win over the Twins. He has a 4.11 ERA. He has been good because he has walked just seven in 46 innings. Consider in deep mixed leagues based on the matchup. B.J. Ryan picked up his sixth save.

Nate McLouth hit his 10th homer. He has hit 22 homers since last year's All-Star break. He is for real. Ryan Doumit has a fracture in his left thumb and will likely go on the DL. He's injury-prone.

Albert Pujols hit his eighth homer. When's the elbow going to fall off already??

Joakim Soria has yet to allow an earned run. He picked up save No. 9.

Jeff Francis has been horrible and he was awful tonight against the D-Backs. He has a 3.73 ERA against all teams except the D-Backs. He has a 11.25 ERA in three starts against Arizona.

Randy Johnson's final line wasn't great, but he improved to 3-1 despite a 5.40 ERA. He should get better.

Jered Weaver bounced back from a poor outing with one of his best. He threw seven scoreless innings and allowed one hit and two walks with six strikeouts. I said after his last outing not to give up on him. K-Rod picked up his 16th save.

Lance Berkman is officially in a slump. He went 1-for-3.

Matt Cain improved to 2-3 with a 4.17 ERA by allowing two runs in eight innings. Brian Wilson picked up save No. 12.

J.D. Drew has a sprained wrist and is day-to-day.

John Lackey will make his season debut tomorrow.

Rafael Furcal was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to May 6.

BY ADAM RONIS

Adam LaRoche is a very streaky hitter and is off to a slow start like last season. He is hitting .212 and went 2-for-3 with his fourth homer and two RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader against the Braves today. He is someone to think about buying low on.

Mark Teixeira left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with back spasms.

Tim Hudson threw another good game today in the second game of the doubleheader. He went seven innings and allowed just two hits, no earned runs, walked two and struck out five. He is 6-2 with a 2.54 ERA.

Alfonso Soriano hit his fourth homer. Time to buy low is dwindling, so hurry up!

Randy Wolf was hammered by the Cubs. He'll have an occasional game like this, but he's worth owning.

The most impressive thing about Carlos Zambrano this season is his ability to keep his pitch count low. He used to throw more than 110 pitches incessantly. He threw 96 pitches in seven innings and is 6-1 with a 2.03 ERA.

A.J. Burnett is showing signs of improvement, He lost, but pitched well against the Indians in Game 1 of the doubleheader. In 7 2/3 innings, he allowed five hits, three runs, walked three and struck out seven. Don't give up on him yet.

Fausto Carmona continues to defy logic. He has a horrible WHIP, but has kept his ERA down. He threw a five-hit shutout and walked four with three strikeouts. He is 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA. His BB/K ratio is 35/18. His ERA is bound to go up, so I'd look to trade him while the rest of his numbers still look good.

In Game 2, two of the hottest pitchers in baseball pitched in a great duel. Shaun Marcum allowed two hits, no walks and struck out five in eight scoreless innings. He has a 2.22 ERA. Cliff Lee pitched nine scoreless innings, allowing seven hits, two walks and struck out five in a no-decision. He has a 0.67 ERA!!! Rafael Betancourt allowed three runs in the 10th to take the loss. He's making it easy for Joe Borowski to get his job back when he returns from injury.

One of the biggest surprises so far is Livan Hernandez. He is 6-1 with a 3.90 ERA after being awful in the NL last season. His ratios indicate this won't continue. Don't be convinced he has turned things around.

Clay Buchholz has been very inconsistent and had a bad performance against the Twins. He could be the odd man out when Bartolo Colon is ready to pitch.

Jeremy Hermida is heating up. He homered for the second consecutive games and has five RBIs the last three games. He is batting .309 with four homers and 19 RBIs.

Dan Uggla hit his 12th homer. Mike Jacobs missed his fifth consecutive game with a quad injury.

Aaron Harang has received very little run support, but the Reds finally scored for him against the Marlins. He did allowed three home runs, though. He is 2-5 with a 3.32 ERA.

The Yankees offense has struggled without Alex Rodriguez and he will be out longer after an MRI revealed he's not ready to return. Ian Kennedy will be called up and start in Thursday.

Matt Garza threw his third straight good game. He threw seven scoreless innings against the Yankees. He should be owned in mixed leagues.

If you were worried about Ryan Braun, he has helped quell those worries. He hit two homers and has nine with 27 RBIs. Eric Gagne pitched two innings and allowed two hits, two walks one run and struck out one. Guillermo Mota got the final out on a strikeout for his first save.

The Angels optioned Brandon Wood to Triple-A. He went 4-for-26 with a homer for the Angels.

BY ADAM RONIS

National League Offensive Player of the Week -- Lance Berkman (Astros): Berkman made few outs this past week. He put up softball numbers hitting .682 (15-for-22) with 10 runs, two home runs and five RBIs and two stolen bases.

American League Offensive Player of the Week -- Kevin Youklis (Red Sox): Youkilis hit .375 with eight runs, five home runs and 10 RBIs and one stolen base.

National League Pitcher of the Week -- Kerry Wood (Cubs): Wood pitched four scoreless innings and allowed one hit, walked none and struck out four to earn three saves.

American League Pitcher of the Week -- James Shields (Rays): Shields threw a one-hit shutout, walked none and struck out in a 2-0 win over the Angels.

BY ADAM RONIS

Pickups
AL ONLY
Garrett Olson (Orioles), SP: Olson has been solid in his first two starts and he put up good numbers in Triple-A. He might not stay in the rotation long, but pitch him while he is doing well.
Joey Devine (A’s), RP: Devine has pitched very well out of the bullpen and could close if Huston Street got injured. He has a 0.68 ERA and 15/3 K/BB ratio, so he’ll at least help in ERA and WHIP.
Jesse Litsch (Blue Jays), SP: He has exhibited great control so far with seven walks in 40 1/3 innings and is 4-1 with 4.24 ERA. He has allowed seven home runs, though.

NL ONLY
Chris Iannetta (Rockies), C: Iannetta received five straight starts over Yorvit Torrealba the past week. He is batting .345 with three home runs and 14 RBIs.
Blake DeWitt (Dodgers), 3B: DeWitt has been very hot and kept Andy LaRoche in the minors. He could even keep the job when Nomar Garciaparra is healthy, if he ever is.
Ryan Ludwick (Cardinals), OF: He hasn’t played regularly, but he produces every time he does. He has seven home runs and could get more playing time.

BY ADAM RONIS

Corey Patterson's batting average has been dipping at a rapid pace recently, but you can't blame the 0-for-1 to him today. The Red batted out of order in the top of the ninth against the Mets when David Ross hit instead of Patterson. The Mets caught it so, Patterson was hit with an out and Ross got to hit again in his designated spot and he singled. If it can go wrong, it will for the Reds.

Jose Reyes went 3-for-5 with two runs and two steals -- he has 12 on the season. Luis Castillo left the game with left quad soreness. His health is a major concern.

Carlos Beltran could be ready to go on major hot streak. He went 2-for-5 with two runs, a homer and three RBIs.

It was another poor start for Reds starter Johnny Cueto. He went 4 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, six runs, three walks and struck out five. He is 2-4 with a 5.91 ERA. That's why you should never fall in love with rookies. Almost all experience inconsistency. Don't give up on Cueto, though.

Oliver Perez was very good for five innings before losing it in the sixth. The lead was big enough where it didn't hurt him. He went six innings allowing three hits, three runs, four walks and struck out eight. He is 3-3 with a 4.61 ERA.

Maybe the Mets can take a cue from the Marlins and beat up on the Nationals. Dan Uggla hit two home runs and has 11 homers and 27 RBIs. Scott Olsen wasn't as good as usual, but he bounced back after a rough start. He lasted six innings and allowed six hits, four runs, two walks and struck out one. This was the third time he has faced the Nats this season and he has faced a struggling Brewers offense twice. Sell high!!!

Ervin Santana had his worst start of the season against the Rays. He allowed nine hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings. He walked just one and struck out seven. He was due for a bad one.

Ryan Ludwick hit his eighth homer. Pick him up while he's hot.

Ryan Braun looks like he is turning it around. He homered twice and has seven homers and 25 RBIs.

Salomon Torres was brought in for the save in a 5-2 game for the Brewers, but was removed and allowed a run. Lefthander Brian Shouse was brought in to get lefty Adam Kennedy out for the final out and the save. Torres, Mota and Shouse will all get chances while Gagne is temporarily sidelined from closing.

Brian Bannister had a good start for the first time in a few starts. He threw eight scoreless innings against an Orioles lineup that looks like a Triple-A one lately.

The Rangers placed Kevin Milwood on the 15-day DL with a strained groin.

Due to cold and rainy weather, Carlos Zambrano and Randy Johnson were scratched from their starts.

BY ADAM RONIS

Eric Gagne has been removed from the closer's role temporarily. Manager Ed Yost said Gagne needs a mental break and said he will mix and match in determining who will become the closer. Guillermo Mota and Salomon Torres will likely get the chances and should be picked up.

BY ADAM RONIS

The column was bumped from today's paper. Here it is online.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spfantasy0511,0,5089805.column

BY ADAM RONIS

Ned Yost wasn't ready to remove Eric Gagne from the closer's role after he allowed two runs in a tie game today to take the loss in a 5-3 defeat. But Gagne is making easier for him if it does happen. First Jason Isringhausen and now Gagne. What's going on with these fragile closers?

Gagne said after today's game he doesn't deserve to be the closer right now. What an excellent observation. I guess the thick goggles actually do work. The number back up his proclamation. In 15 2/3 innings, he has allowed 18 hits, 11 walks and has a 6.89 ERA. The opposition is hitting .400. Gagne rolled out the red carpet for Yost to remove him. Salomon Torres and Guillermo Mota could be the candidates to take over.

BY ADAM RONIS

Jose Reyes continues to slump. He went 0-for-4 with a walk and is down to .246. It's a long sample now that he has struggled. It's about 100 games where he has looked mediocre. I'm starting to get concerned. He is mentioned in more detail in tomorrow's fantasy column.

Another player mentioned in tomorrow's column, which features a local flavor this week, is Carlos Beltran. He went 2-for-3 with five RBIs. He will have one of those torrid streaks he is well known for, so hurry up and buy low before he explodes.

Carlos Delgado hit his fifth homer, but I'm still not sold on him for the long haul.

Matt Belisle is 1-3 with a 7.45 ERA. He allowed five earned runs in five innings against the Mets. Homer Bailey's phone should be ringing.....now!!

Johan Santana is 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA, but hasn't been dominating. He went six innings, allowing 10 hits, one walk and struck out five. He is usually a lockdown pitcher in the second half of the season, so he will get better.

Darrell Rasner had another decent start for the Yankees. He went six innings, allowing four hits, two runs one walk and struck out one. He is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA. He is a decent option in AL-only leagues.

Jeremy Bonderman has been very inconsistent. He allowed five runs and four walks in four innings. He is 2-4 with a 4.80 ERA. I don't trust him.

Ryan Franklin picked up his second save. He is the interim closer, while Jason Isringhausen gets his head straight.

Eric Gagne came into pitch in a 3-3 game in the ninth and allowed three hits, one walk and took the loss. He is 1-2 with a 6.89 ERA. Does he get another vote of confidence?

Alfonso Soriano went 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI to raise his average to .223. He will break out soon.

Max Scherzer pitched well against the Cubs. In six innings, he allowed five hits, one run -- no earned -- walked one and struck out six. Doug Davis is set to go on a rehab assignment, so unless Randy Johnson gets injured, Scherzer could be headed back to the bullpen unless he overwhelms in his next few starts. He was in line to get the win, but Chad Qualls allowed four runs.

Ryan Howard is hitting .169, but hit his seveth homer. He had a very slow start last season, too.

Tim Linceum doesn't care about pitching on a bad team. It hasn't hurt him at all. He went eight innings and allowed four hits, two runs, one walk and struck out eight against the Phillies. He is 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Blue Jays placed centerfielder Vernon Wells on the 15-day DL with a broken bone in his left wrist after hurting himself trying to make a catch in the sixth inning last night. He is expected to miss as much as two months. Wells was hitting .281 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. Reliever Jeremy Accardo has also been placed on the 15-day DL with a right forearm strain. Armando Benitez and infielder Joe Inglett have been recalled from Triple-A. Brad Wilkerson and Kevin Mench should platoon in rightfield and Alex Rios will move to center.

BY ADAM RONIS

Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen said he needs a mental break from closing and the team obliged. He has been temporarily removed as the team's closer. He feels fine physically and his velocity isn't down. The team thinks it is his mechanics.

Izzy blew his fifth save last night. He is 1-4 with a 7.47 ERA and has blown four of his last seven save opportunities. He leads the NL with 11 saves and is eight away from 300. Ryan Franklin and Russ Springer will split the closing role. Franklin has a 2.00 ERA in 19 games this season. Springer has a 7.50 ERA in six innings.

Fantasy Baseball Sunday Pick'em.
This was started by Mike Muschiano of the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Below is a detailed outline of the logistics. Essentially, 10 bloggers will select a pitcher and hitter every week based on their expectations for how they will perform on Sunday. Here are the rules and order/picks for Week 1:

Rules:

Player Selection:
Rotating Order on a Weekly Basis
No one player can be selected twice
No player in the Yahoo! Big Board can be selected.

Scoring system:
Hitters-
1 point for every base (i.e. single=1 point, double=2 point, etc)
1 point for a run
1point for an RBI
1 point for a SB

Pitchers-
3 points for W
5 points for CG
3 points for SV
1 point for 2IP
-1 point for ER
1 point for K

Here is who get selected and the order they were selected in (both pitcher and hitter are selected at the same time):

Brett Greenfield, Greener on the Other Side- Jair Jurrjens and Adrian Gonzalez
Robert Reed, Baseball Geeks- Ervin Santana and Casey Kotchman
Eric Stashin, Rotoprofessor- Gavin Floyd and Hunter Pence
Jason Collette, Rotojunkie- Andy Sonnanstine and Evan Longoria
Zach Piso, MLB Front Office- Chris Young and Ian Kinsler
Commish, Fantasy Baseball Geeks- Scott Olsen and Derek Jeter
Adam Ronis, Newsday- Oliver Perez and Matt Kemp
Grey, Razzball- Rich Harden and Rick Ankiel
Mike Muschiano, Poughkeepsie Journal- Fausto Carmona and Bobby Abreu
Andrew Martish- Tim Wakefield and Mike Jacobs

**Note: We used the Big Board dated May 5th- Funston updated his Big Board late yesterday after selections were in.**

There are the selections for the first week of the Sunday Pick'em. Check back tomorrow tonight for the results and standings.

BY ADAM RONIS

Matt Cain has been a disappointment, but three poor starts have inflated his totals. Remember, don't analyze numbers after six or seven starts so closely. An 8-run, thee-inning peformance can make the numbers look worse. Cain was pitching well today into the seventh inning, but allowed five runs in 6 1/3 innings. He has had four very good performances this season. He hurt his hamstring in his last start and that could have hindered him. I'd stick with him.

Matt Capps pitched for the third straight day and picked up save No. 8.

Mariano Rivera has yet to allow an earned run this season and picked up save No. 9. He has allowed five hits in 14 innings. Amazing.

Ryan Ludwick hit two home runs and now has seven for the season. He hasn't been playing full-time, but should earn more playing time. He plays mostly against lefties. NL-only league owners should play him.

Chris Ianetta has been playing real well lately and has been starting over Yorvit Torrealba. Ianetta should be owned in NL-only leagues while he is getting time and hot. He is hitting .345.

Brett Myers had another poor outing today against the Diamondbacks. He is 2-3 with a 5.33 ERA. He has allowed 12 home runs, which has been his downfall. His other numbers aren't bad and he still strikes out hitters. Buy low.

Brandon Webb is 8-0 with a 2.41 ERA after a complete game against the Phillies today. He's one of the top fantasy pitchers and one of the most reliable. He threw just 104 pitches.

Kevin Youkilis homered again today. He is batting .313 with seven homers and 27 RBIs. He is a solid fantasy contributor that doesn't get a lot of love.

Justin Verlander had another bad outing today against the Red Sox. His 30/21 K/BB ratio isn't good. I'd be concerned if I owned him.

Jimmy Rollins should be activated tomorrow.

BY ADAM RONIS

Joey Votto has taken over the full-time first base job after entering the season in a platoon with Scott Hatterberg. Votto has earned the job and went 3-for-4 with three home runs and four RBIs against the Cubs. The Reds hit seven home runs.

Jon Lieber made his first start of the season and lasted just two innings. He have up five runs and allowed seven hits. He's been pitching in relief, so it might take some time for him to get adjusted and by that time Rich Hill could be back. Lieber is an option depending on the matchup in NL-only leagues. Hill made his first start in Triple-A yesterday and allowed two runs in five innings. He walked one and struck out five. He could have value when he returns if he can harness his control.

Edinson Volquez had another strong outing despite walking six. He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and struck out 10. He is 5-1 with a 1.06 ERA. He has walked at least two in each of his seven starts, but he has struck out 52 in 42 1/3 innings and has allowed just 28 hits and one home run pitching his home games in a hitters' ballpark. He threw 118 pitches in a lopsided game, which is a little surprising.

The Mets finally had a starter go past seven innings. John Maine lasted 8 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, one run, two walks and struck out four. He is 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA and has looked much better after struggling with his control early.

Ryan Church remains one of the Mets' best weapons now. He went 3-for-4 with his sixth homer and is hitting .328. He appears like he might be one of the top draft day values.

Brad Penny was hammered, allowing 10 runs in 4 2/3 innings to raise his ERA to 4.79. Penny is usually good in the first half and awful in the second half.

Manny Acosta was removed from a save situation in his last appearance, but he recorded his third save by getting the last two outs tonight.

Barry Zito returned to the rotation and had one of his better starts, but he still fell to 0-7. He went five innings, allowing five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out five.

Alex Rodriguez could play in an extended spring training game beginning on Monday.

Rich Harden will come off the DL and start for the A's on Sunday. Chad Gaudin will be sent to the bullpen. Harden threw six scoreless innings and struck out nine yesterday in a Single-A rehab start. He walked one and allowed three hits.

The Blue Jays sent Adam Lind back to Triple-A. He went 1-for-19 in his brief stint with the Blue Jays.

Mark Redman was demoted to the bullpen. If you own him, please seek help.

Howie Kendrick is still experiencing soreness in his hamstring. He is expected to return next week.

Mike O'Connor will take the place of Matt Chico in the Nationals' starting rotation.

Chad Tracy went 0-for-4 for yesterday for Triple-A Tuscon. He should be in the minors for a week or two and could see time at third base if Mark Reynolds continues to struggle and strike out incessantly.

The Twins placed Scott Baker on the 15-day DL retroactive to May 4 with a right groin strain. Kevin Slowey was activated from the DL and will start tomorrow.

BY ADAM RONIS

Chipper Jones remains scorching. He hit his 10th homer and has 29 RBIs with a .426 average. I'll say it again: If he remains healthy for the entire season, he'll be the best bargain in fantasy this season.

Chris Young had a rare game when he was hittable. He gave up nine hits in five innings. It doesn't happen often and it came against a good Braves' offense, so don't worry.

Jair Jurrjens pitched well again for the Braves. He struck out eight in six innings and allowed one run. He is 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA. Manny Acosta allowed two hits while recording one out and was removed in the ninth. Jeff Bennett got the final out for the save.

David Ortiz homered for the second straight game and has seven homers.

Tim Wakefield allowed two hits in eight scoreless innings and struck out six. He will be inconsistent, but he'll have some gems like tonight. He's worth owning in deep leagues. He is 3-1 with a 3.33 ERA.

Nate McLouth, highlighted in Sunday's newspaper column, was moved to the No. 2 spot against the Giants and didn't slow down at all. He went 3-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs. He is batting .333 with nine homers and 28 RBIs.

Jonathan Sanchez had a bad start against the Pirates. He allowed seven runs and walked three in 4 1/3 innings. He will get a lot of strikeouts, but will be inconsistent.

Fausto Carmona struggled with his control again walking five in five innings and allowed six hits, but gave up just three runs. He is very lucky his ERA is 2.95. His K/BB ratio of 15/31 indicates his ERA will rise. I'd be concerned and look to trade him. Make sure you stress his 2.95 ERA.

Scott OIsen pitched real well again. He went 8 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed two hits, four walks and struck out eight. He is 4-1 with a 2.22 ERA. His K/BB ratio of 23/19 isn't good, but the eight strikeouts tonight were a good sign, although it did come against a free swinging Brewers team. I'd sell high.

Carlos Pena is really struggling. He went 0-for-4 and struck out each time. He has seven homers and 17 RBIs, but is hitting .207 with a 39/13 K/BB ratio.

Troy Percival picked up his seventh save and has yet to allow an earned run.

Carlos Zambrano was spectacular again. He threw eight scoreless innings and struck out three to improve to 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA.

Aaron Harang received no run support again. He is 1-5 despite a 3.09 ERA.

Brian Bannister was hammered again. Hope you sold high when I told you to.

Lance Berkman continues to sizzle. He went 5-for-5 with four runs and an RBI. He is batting .353.

Gavin Floyd lost a no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning. He has a K/BB ratio of 19/18, but is 3-1 with a 2.50 ERA. Sell high.

Chris Ianetta went 2-for-4 with two runs, his third homer and two RBIs. He is hitting .362 and should see more playing time. Pick him up in leagues that start two catchers.

Carlos Beltran was out of the lineup due to flu-like symptoms.

Rafael Furcal didn't start because of a stiff back.

Wil Ledezma will start for the Padres on Thursday in place of Justin Germano.

Jimmy Rollins went 2-for-4 with a homer in an extended spring training game.

Barry Zito will start tomorrow against the Pirates. He was sent to the bullpen following his last start, but never pitched out of the pen.

Santiago Casilla picked up his first save of the season. He has yet to allow an earned run and strikes out a lot of batters. He was mentioned in my column a few weeks ago as a gut to pick up for insurance for Huston Street and as a guy to help lower your ERA and WHIP. Huston Street blew the save last night and was given the night off.

Sidney Ponson had another strong outing in his third start of the season for the Rangers. He went seven innings, allowing seven hits, one run, one walk and struck out two against a struggling Mariners offense. He is 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA.

BY ADAM RONIS

Geovany Soto went 3-for-3 with his sixth homer, a double and a walk. He is hitting .352 with six homers and 24 RBIs. I don't think you should sell high, but with so many catchers not producing, I would throw him out there and see what you can acquire. I'd always trade a catcher for a player at another position. Catchers also tend to wear down late in the year.

Johnny Cueto picked up his second win of the season. He went six innings, allowing six hits, three runs, two walks and struck out eight. He is 2-3 with a 5.27 ERA, which is inflated because he allowed six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings in his last start. His K/BB ratio of 41/8 indicates he will be good.

Francisco Cordero made things interesting in the ninth by allowing two hits and two walks, but he escaped to get his fifth save. He's had few save chances. He has a 2.08 ERA.

David Ortiz, who sat Sunday with a sore knee, hit his sixth homer. His knee should be better as the weather warms up. As long as it's not serious, he will put up power numbers close to last season.

It seems like Mike Lowell is a fan of this blog. I wrote how he didn't have an RBI in 51 at-bats to start the season and he he hit a two-run homer tonight for his first RBIs of the season. Maybe if I trash all of the Mets they'll be more consistent?

Dice-K improved to 5-0 with a 2.43 ERA, but it wasn't picturesque. He walked eight in five innings. He threw 109 pitches; 60 were strikes. He has been real tough to hit, but the walks are forcing him to come out of games early. He has pitched seven innings just once this season. He has lasted 5 1/3 innings or less four times in seven starts. His K/BB ratio is an awful 33/27, but he has pitched out of trouble frequently.

Jonathan Papelbon picked up his 10th save.

Javier Vasquez pitched very good, but was outpitched by Dustin McGowan. McGowan threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings allowing four hits, no walks and struck out six. He is 2-2 with a 2.95 ERA.

B.J. Ryan walked three batters to load the bases in the ninth, but induced a double play to end the game for his fifth save.

If there was a Santana that would start the season 6-0, everyone, including Angels fans, would bet the house on it being Johan. Instead, it's Ervin Santana. It came against the Royals, but he threw a four-hitter, walked none and struck out nine in a 4-0 win. He has a 2.02 ERA. A 38/9 K/BB ratio has propelled his success. He was 16-8 two years ago, but 7-14 last season. Santana was good at home last season, but putrid on the road going 1-10 with a 8.38 ERA. It was 3.27 at home. He has pitched much better on the road, where he was tonight. It appears he is in line for a good season.

Jarrod Washburn left after six innings with a calf injury, but still picked up the win.

When Oliver Perez has struggled, it's usually because of poor control leading to walks. He allowed just one home run coming into tonight, but surrendered three in a loss to the Dodgers. he walked two in six innings. He'll be inconsistent.

Chad Billingsley was solid for the second straight start to improve to 2-4. He still needs to cut down on his walks, which elevates his pitch count. Still, he's a guy that will be solid. He walked four in six innings, but allowed five hits and one run.

Max Scherzer didn't throw a perfect game? The hype surrounding stud rookies reaches epic proportions these days and it was sky high for Scherzer. He wasn't as good as his major league debut in relief, but he was hurt by poor defense. He lasted just four innings, allowing seven hits, five runs -- two earned -- walked two and struck out five. He threw 92 pitches; 58 for strikes. His stay in the rotation could be brief with the impending return of Doug Davis.

BY ADAM RONIS

Good new for B.J. Ryan owners. The Blue Jays said he is now available to pitch on consecutive days, but he won't pitch more than one inning. He has been good so far.

The Brewers said Eric Gagne is still the closer despite him being very inconsistent and blowing five saves. There's no obvious alternative on the staff. Guillermo Mota is walking too many batters, Salomon Torres pitches better as a setup man, Derrick Turnbow was released and David Riske hasn't pitched well.

Nick Swisher has struggled mightily for the White Sox. He was moved from the leadoff spot to No. 6 in the order tonight. Swisher entered in a 8-for-55 (.145) slump. He is hitting .210 with three homers and eight RBIs. Carlos Quentin was moved to the No. 2 spot and Orlando Cabrera is leading off.

The Tigers also shuffled their lineup tonight. Gary Sheffield was moved to sixth, Carlos Guillen is batting third and Ivan Rodriguez is batting ninth.

Jimmy Rollins started his rehab today and went 4-for-4 with two RBIs in an extended spring training game as he rebounds from a sprained left ankle. He should be activated Thursday.

The Tigers designated Jacques Jones for assignment. He hit .165 in 79 at-bats. Matt Joyce was recalled from Triple-A and started tonight against the Red Sox.

Orlando Hudson is back in the starting lineup against the Phillies after missing two games with a hamstring injury.