Fantasy Sports

BY ADAM RONIS

Nate McLouth didn't start because of a sore left knee.

Chad Cordero will miss the rest of the season. He needs surgery on a labrum tear.

Juan Pierre was placed on the 15-day DL with a sprained MCL in his left knee.

Brad Penny is scheduled to start Saturday. He will throw a simultated game tomorrow.

Felix Hernandez will not start tomorrow and the team isn't sure when he will return.

Dan Uggla will be out the next few days with a sprained ankle.

Aramis Ramirez will miss the next three games as he left for the Dominican Republic to attend to a family matter.

BY ADAM RONIS

National League Offensive Player of the Week -- David Wright (Mets): He went 9-for-21 (.429) with four runs, three homers and eight RBIs.

American League Offensive Player of the Week -- Evan Longoria (Rays): He went 13-for-30 (.433) with seven runs, three homers, 10 RBIs and one stolen base.

National League Pitcher of the Week -- Dan Haren (Diamondbacks): Haren went 1-0 and didn't allow an earned run in 14 innings. He struck out 12 and had a 0.71 WHIP.

American League Pitcher of the Week -- Kevin Slowey (Twins): A very tough call this week, but Slowey gets the nod over two-win pitchers John Lackey and A.J. Burnett. Slowey went 1-0, including a three-hit shutout. He pitched 15 scoreless innings and allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out 15.

BY ADAM RONIS

1. Chase Utley
2. Ian Kinsler
3. B.J. Upton
4. Brandon Phillips
5. Dan Uggla
6. Brian Roberts
7. Robinson Cano
8. Dustin Pedroia
9. Kelly Johnson
10. Rickie Weeks
11. Placido Polanco
12. Orlando Hudson
13. Howie Kendrick
14. Alexei Ramirez
15. Mark DeRosa
16. Jose Lopez
17. Mark Ellis
18. Jeff Kent
19. Akinori Iwamura
20. Kaz Matsui
21. Alexi Casilla
22. Luis Castillo
23. Freddy Sanchez
24. Aaron Hill
25. Jose Castillo
26. Ray Durham
27. Mark Grudzielanek
28. Ron Belliard
29. Tadahito Iguchi
30. Jeff Baker
31. Maicer Izturis
32. Jamey Carroll

BY ADAM RONIS

1. Albert Pujols
2. Mark Teixeira
3. Lance Berkman
4. Ryan Howard
5. Prince Fielder
6. Miguel Cabrera
7. Derrek Lee
8. Justin Morneau
9. Adrian Gonzalez
10. Kevin Youkilis
11. Carlos Pena
12. Carlos Guillen
13. Conor Jackson
14. James Loney
15. Nick Swisher
16. Casey Kotchman
17. Jason Giambi
18. Joey Votto
19. Todd Helton
20. Aubrey Huff
21. Adam LaRoche
22. Paul Konerko
23. Mike Jacobs
24. Ryan Garko
25. Eric Hinske
26. Carlos Delgado
27. Chris Davis
28. Billy Butler
29. Kevin Millar
30. Lyle Overbay
31. Daric Barton
32. Brad Wilkerson

BY ADAM RONIS

Some of you may be participating in second-half leagues or redraft leagues. I'll be posting rankings for each positions over the next few days.

Catchers
1. Russell Martin
2. Brian McCann
3. Geovany Soto
4. Joe Mauer
5. Jorge Posada
6. Bengie Molina
7. Victor Martinez
8. Ryan Doumit
9. Dioner Navarro
10. A.J. Pierzynski
11. Jason Varitek
12. Ivan Rodriguez
13. Jarrod Saltalamacchia
14. Kurt Suzuki
15. Ramon Hernandez
16. Chris Snyder
17. Jesus Flores
18. Chris Ianetta
19. Yadier Molina
20. Jeff Clement
21. Mike Napoli
22. Kenji Johjima
23. Gregg Zaun
24. Miguel Olivo
25. Jason Kendall
26. Jeff Mathis
27. Carlos Ruiz
28. John Buck
29. Gerald Laird
30. Brian Schneider
31. Rod Barajas

BY ADAM RONIS

Finally, figuring out how to fix Oliver Perez has been solved. All you need to do is threaten his rotation spot like Jerry Manuel did after his last start or put a Yankees or Braves jersey on the opponent. Perez pitched like he did in his 15-win season last year against the Yankees going seven innings and allowed three hits, one run, walked none and struck out eight. He is 6-5 with a 4.98 ERA. The key for him was allowing no walks and getting ahead in the count. There's no question about his stuff. It's his consistency and penchant for losing focus when things don't go well for him early in games. He has already allowed 16 homers and has a 76/52 K/BB ratio. Could he go on a hot streak? Yes, but he can also be very inconsistent. If you like living on the edge and enjoy stress, grab him. He was released in a league I play in where 450 players are owned. That shows how volatile he can be. I'll pass. Women provide enough stress.

Carlos Delgado hit his 14th homer, but he's hitting .231. He can still hit off some bad pitchers, like he did against the Yankees. Against any good pitching or fastballs, he looks bad.

Billy Wagner picked up his 18th save.

Stephen Drew hit his 11th homer, but has just 29 RBIs and is batting .256.

Hanley Ramirez hit his 18th homer.

Dan Haren had another great start, but took a no-decision. He threw seven innings and allowed five hits, one run -- no earned -- walked two and struck out seven. He has a 2.85 ERA.

Brandon Lyon blew his third save of the season and took the loss. He allowed three hits and two earned runs in 1/3 inning.

Brandon Phillips went 3-for-5 with three runs, an RBI and two steals and now has 16. He has been decent, but I would seek out his owner who may not be happy with his production and maybe you can get him for a discount.

Adam Dunn hit his 20th homer and has 48 RBIs with a .224 average. If you're league counts OBP instead of average, he's a lot more valuable.

Some say Grady Sizemore is overrated because he gets drafted so early. Sure, he doesn't hit for average, but he has 19 homers, 45 RBIs, 51 runs and 19 steals. Call him what you want, I'll take it on my team.

Todd Jones gave up four runs in a blown save on Saturday. The next day he throws a scoreless inning for his 15th save. Until Joel Zumaya or Fernando Rodney show they are back to their old form, expect Jones to hold on to the job.

Again, I wouldn't give up on A.J. Burnett. Walks have been his downfall this season and although he did walk four against the Braves, he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed four hits with 11 strikeouts. He is 8-7 with a 4.74 ERA.

B.J. Ryan pitched a scoreless inning for his 16th save.

B.J. Upton went 2-for-5 with his 23rd stolen base.

Troy Percival got save No. 19.

Luke Scott has been hot. He hit his 14th homer and is batting .280. He should be owned in all leagues.

Jeremy Guthrie had another good start, but took a no-decision. He went seven innings and allowed four hits, one run, walked three and struck out four. He has a 3.50 ERA.

George Sherrill blew his fourth save and took the loss by allowing a hit, walk and two runs in 2/3 innings.

Manny Ramirez hit his 16th homer.

Jose Valverde picked up his 21st save.

When Kevin Slowey avoids allowing the home run, he's very good. He threw a three-hit shutout, walked none and struck out eight. He is 5-6 with a 3.47 ERA with an excellent 54/9 K/BB ratio. He has allowed 10 homers in 72 2/3 innings because he has a high fly ball rate. He should be owned in mixed leagues.

Albert Pujols hit his 17th homer and has 45 RBIs with a .356 average. Fortunately, I'm doing well in my leagues or I might be regretting him slip by. Then again if his elbow snaps.

Ryan Franklin pitched 1 2/3 innings for his 11th save.

Ichiro went 5-for-5 with two runs and is batting .297.

Adrian Beltre went 2-for-5 with two runs, a homer and three RBIs. He's batting just .251, but his BABIP is very low at .227. He's usually a second-half player and already has 15 homers and 41 RBIs. I'd buy low.

Erik Bedard returned after missing a start and went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, one run, three walks and struck out three. He is 5-4 with a 3.79 ERA.

Jonathan Sanchez went seven innings and allowed four hits, one run, one walk and struck out six. He is 8-4 with a 3.79 ERA and has a 102/47 K/Bb ratio. He'll have some bumps, but he should be owned in all leagues.

Juan Pierre stole his 35th base, but left with a left leg injury. He is day-to-day and will have an MRI Monday.

John Lackey was very impressive again. He went 8 2/3 innings and allowed three hits, no runs, walked two and struck out nine. He is 6-1 with a 1.44 ERA with a 52/13 K/BB ratio.

K-Rod picked up his 32nd save.

Derek Lowe had another tough loss. He went seven innings, allowing five hits, one run, two walks and struck out seven. He is 5-8 with a 3.88 ERA. Stick with him.

Craig Davis hit his second homer in his second start. Pick up in AL-only and deep mixed leagues, but keep in mind his stay could be brief. He showed immense power in the minors.

Carlos Quentin hit his 19th homer. He's for real.

Jim Thome hit his 15th homer.

Mark Buehrle pitched well again and has trimmed his ERA from 5.26 on May 27 to 3.79. He went seven innings and allowed six hits, one run -- no earned -- two walks and struck out five. He is 6-6.

Eric Gagne will be activated from the DL, but don't expect him to regain the closer position.

Michael Cuddyer was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained tendon in his left index finger.

David DeJesus is day-to-day after bruising his ribs in a home plate collision.

Chipper Jones missed his eighth consecutive start with a quad injury.

Magglio Ordonez was placed on the 15-day DL with a pulled oblique muscle. Outfielder Matt Joyce was recalled.

BY ADAM RONIS

http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/sports/ny-spfantasy295746237jun29,0,317129.column

BY ADAM RONIS

I'm not overreacting to his performance today. If you have read my blogs consistently, I haven't been a believer in Ryan Dempster this season. He has been very lucky so far. Coming into today, his BABIP was .238. His groundball rate was .526. Dempster went 2 1/3 innings and allowed seven hits, eight runs, walked three and struck out one. He is 9-3 with a 3.26 ERA. Dempster has had some great games this season, but there are a lot of alarming signs that his performance will decline. One of the other concerns is the innings. He has been a relief pitcher for the most part since 2004. He is already at 105 innings this season, the most he has thrown since 2003 when he started 20 games and threw 115 2/3 innings. The last time he surpassed 200 innings was 2001. Sell now!

BY ADAM RONIS

It was going to arrive at some point and it took almost three months before Edinson Volquez had a poor start. He went 4 1/3 innings and allowed six hits, seven runs -- five earned -- walked three and struck out one. He threw 90 pitches; just 47 for strikes. He is 10-3 with a 2.08 ERA. It's the first time he didn't last five innings in a start this season. It's the first time he allowed more than three earned runs all season. Obviously, he was due for a game like this. Three of his last four starts came against the Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies and he was excellent all three. He just didn't have it tonight.

Jay Bruce, who went 0-for-3, has struggled after a scorching start. He is 6-for-43 in the past 11 games.

Scott Rolen went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. He has six homers and 26 RBIs with a .274 average.

Jesse Litsch threw eight innings and allowed three hits, one run, one walk and struck out six in a win over the Reds. He is 8-4 with a 3.82 ERA. He doesn't strike out many, but he doesn't issue many walks. He does get hit and has allowed 14 homers in 96 2/3 innings. He's usuable in AL-only leagues and very deep mixed leagues. Don't pickup in shallow leagues.

Matt Cain showed some sign of consistency with three good starts in a row, but that ended against the Indians. He went five innings and allowed eight hits, four runs, walked two and struck out four. He is 4-6 with a 4.44 ERA.

Cliff Lee pitched like he did to start the season against the Giants. He went eight innings and allowed four hits, one run, one walk and struck out 11. He is 11-1 with a 2.34 ERA. A 90/16 K/BB ratio shows he should be solid the rest of the season. He has allowed just five homers in 103 2 /3 innings. He's also induced a lot of groundballs, so expect him to have a solid season even if his ERA rises.

Joe Borowski picked up his sixth save.

Josh Hamilton returned to the starting lineup, but quickly left after getting in the left hand with a pitch. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day with a bruised hand.

Milton Bradley returned to the lineup and went 1-for-3.

Michael Bourn went 2-for-4 and stole his 30th base. Still, the lack of power and .238 average hurts.

Lance Berkman went 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.

If you can start Wandy Rodriguez at home, do it! He has allowed right earned runs in 38 innings with a 35/8 K/BB ratio. He was home against the Rangers and went eight innings, allowing five hits, one run, walked none and struck out nine. He is 3-3 with a 2.58 ERA.

The Yankees-Pirates game was postponed because of rain. The game will be made up on Thursday July 10.

BY ADAM RONIS

Matt Garza has had a few gems mixed in with some average starts. Today he was excellent and flashed the potential he has. He lost a no-hitter when he allowed a homer to Hanley Ramirez to lead off the seventh and finished with a one-hitter, walked one and struck out 10. He is 6-4 with a 3.76 ERA. He's inconsistent and he doesn't strike out many, but he should be owned in all leagues.

Evan Longoria went 3-for-5 with two doubles and his 14th homer.

Albert Pujols returned from the DL and went 4-for-4 with an RBI and walk. He's batting .358.

Curtis Granderson went 4-for-5 with two runs.

Gary Sheffield hit his fifth homer and he's worth taking a chance if he's available in your league.

Todd Wellemeyer missed his last start because of elbow soreness and went five innings against the Tigers. He allowed four hits, no runs, walked none and struck out three in a no-decision while throwing 76 pitches. He has a 3.46 ERA.

Jason Isringhausen went 2 1/3 innings and allowed two hits, no runs, no walks and struck out two and has pitched well since coming off the DL. He could return to closing very soon, especially after Ryan Franklin blew his fourth save.

Aubrey Huff, usually a slow starter, has been hot and went 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs.

Jason Marquis allowed seven runs in four innings and shouldn't be trusted in mixed leagues. He is 6-4 with a 4.96 ERA.

Russell Martin started at third base.

Juan Pierre stole two bases and has 32.

John Danks threw six scoreless inning and allowed four hits, walked four and struck out three to improve to 5-4 with a 2.62 ERA.

Bobby Jenks picked up save No. 17.

Clayton Kershaw is too inconsistent to wait for in mixed leagues. He went four innings and allowed six hits, two runs, walked four and struck out three. He is 0-2 with a 4.36 ERA. He struggles with his control and doesn't pitch deep into games. There should be better options in shallow mixed leagues.

Rich Harden showed how good he can be against the Phillies. He went eight scoreless innings and allowed two hits, walked one and struck out 11. He is 5-0 with a 2.15 ERA. There's no doubting his talent. It's always a health issue with him and you need to consider selling now.

Justin Morneau hasn't hit a power surge yet, but he's having a solid season. He went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. He's hitting .310 with 12 homers and 62 RBIs and with the lack of first baseman in the AL, is extremely valuable in AL-only leagues.

Scott Baker went six innings and allowed six hits, three runs, walked two and struck out three to beat the Padres. He is 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA.

Joe Nathan picked up save No. 21.

Xavier Nady made his first start in 12 days.

The Rangers recalled Chris Davis from Triple-A. He will play first base until Hank Blalock returns, if that ever happens since it has been delayed numerous times already. Davis hit .333 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs in Triple-A.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Pirates placed Ian Snell on the 15-day DL with a strained right elbow. Phil Dumatrait was also recently placed on the DL, so Jimmy Barthmaier and John Van Benschoten will be called up to start Friday and Saturday. Snell has a 5.99 ERA and 1.93 WHIP.

BY ADAM RONIS

This week's roundtable was hosted by Brett Greenfield of Fantasy Phenoms. The question is: Which pitcher and hitter are overexceeding expectations so far in 2008 and are unlikely to keep it up? There are many that fit the criteria, but we each took one. Here's the link.

http://www.fantasyphenoms.com/greener.php?id=210

BY ADAM RONIS

The Cardinals activated Albert Pujols from the disabled list and he is the designated hitter in today's game against the Tigers. He was out with a calf injury.

BY ADAM RONIS

So all it took was a day of rest to snap David Wright out of a slump. Wright went 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBIs. He has 14 homers and 59 RBIs.

Jose Reyes went 1-for-4 with his ninth homer and three RBIs. He also stole his 27th base.

John Maine improved to 8-5 with a 3.73 ERA. He went six innings and allowed five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out three.

Carl Crawford went 2-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs. He has seven homers and 43 RBIs.

If you're in a keeper league, you should try and acquire Evan Longoria. His average isn't there yet, but the power is. He went 3-for-6 with a homer and three RBIs. He's hitting .254 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs.

Mike Jacobs hit his 18th homer.

James Shields got plenty of run support to improve to 5-5. He went seven innings, allowing four hits, one run, walked none and struck out five. He has a 3.76 ERA. He is someone to target in a trade. He has received very little run support in his losses.

Jorge Campillo went seven innings and allowed four hits, two runs, walked none and struck out six in a win over the Brewers. He's 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA and should be owned in NL-only leagues and deep mixed leagues.

Mike Gonzalez picked up his second save and should be owned in all leagues while he's closing.

Kevin Youkilis returned to the lineup and went 1-for-4.

Randy Johnson went six innings, allowed eight hits, two runs, two walks and struck out five in a loss. He is 4-6 with a 4.94 ERA.

Tim Wakefield has been excellent in his last few starts. He can get hit hard when he's not on, but he should be owned in most leagues. He went seven scoreless innings and allowed two hits, one walk and struck out six. He's 5-5 with a 3.88 ERA.

Jonathan Papelbon got his 23rd save.

Things are going very bad when you face Barry Zito and don't draw one walk. That's a bad sign for the Indians. Zito went 6 2/3 innings and allowed four hits, one run, walked none and struck out four. He's 3-11 with a 5.91 ERA.

Brian Wilson picked up save No. 21.

Bobby Abreu went 3-for-5 with two runs, his 10th homer and four RBIs.

Robinson Cano went 3-for-5 with his fifth homer.

Joba Chamberlain picked up his first win as a starter. He went 6 2/3 innings and allowed six hits, no runs, one walk and struck out seven. He is 2-2 with a 2.03 ERA. He threw 114 pitches.

Aaron Harang was handed a 5-0 lead and couldn't hold on for the win. He went 5 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits, five runs, walked three and struck out three in a no-decision. He has a 4.51 ERA.

Francisco Cordero pitched a scoreless 10th for his 15th save.

Roy Halladay wasn't at his best in a no-decision. He went 6 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits, five runs, walked four and struck out seven. He has a 3.12 ERA.

Ervin Santana had control problems in a no-decision. He walked five, allowed four hits, four runs and struck out eight in six innings. He has a 3.32 ERA.

Jon Rauch threw 1 2/3 scoreless inning and struck out two for his fourth win of the season.

Jay Payton went 2-for-4 with two homers. He doesn't play enough to have value.

Jim Edmonds had one homer in 90 at-bats with San Diego and looked done. He hit his seventh homer of the season and has six in 82 at-bats with the Cubs. Pick him up in NL-only leagues while he's hot.

Ted Lilly is now 8-5 with a 4.74 ERA. He went seven innings and allowed five hits, four runs, two walks and struck out four.

Kerry Wood struck out the side for his 20th save.

C.J. Wilson allowed one hit, a walk and had a strikeout in a scoreless inning for his 16th save.

Roy Oswalt had a good start, but took the loss. He went seven innings and allowed seven hits, three runs, walked none and struck out five. He is 6-8 with a 4.77 ERA.

Brad Hawpe his his 10th homer. (See Scouting the NL West blog).

Aaron Cook fell to 10-5 with a 3.64 ERA. He allowed eight hits, four runs -- three earned -- walked none and struck out two in 5 1/3 innings. (See Scouting the NL West blog).

Luke Hochevar went eight innings and allowed seven hits, two runs, two walks and struck out three. He is 5-5 with a 4.60 ERA. He should be owned in AL-only leagues and deep mixed leagues. He can be spot started in other leagues.

Joakim Soria struck out two in a scoreless inning for his 21st save.

Rick Ankiel hit two homers and has 14 with 35 RBIs.

Carlos Guillen went 4-for-5 with his seventh homer and he has 40 RBIs.

Gary Sheffield went 4-for-5 and should be picked up is he is a free agent.

Kyle Lohse broke a streak of good starts against the Tigers. He went four innings, allowing 11 hits, five runs, one walk and struck out two. Don`t let his recent good streak fool you.

Carlos Gomez went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two stolen bases giving him 20 for the season.

Chase Utley went 4-for-5 and hit second. Jimmy Rollins hit third and went 1-for-4.

Gavin Floyd is someone I have been saying to sell high on. He had an extremely low .202 BABIP coming into tonight. He went 5 1/3 innings and allowed six hits, five runs -- four earned -- walked two and struck out two. He is 8-4 with a 3.39 ERA.

Eric Stults threw a four-hitter, walked one and struck out three. He is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA. Consider in NL-only leagues.

BY ADAM RONIS

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Buy low -- Brandon Webb: Rarely do you get an opportunity like this, but if there was ever a time to get a discount on Webb, now is the time. The overall numbers are good, but he has struggled recently, possibly because of a dead arm period. He was much better after the All-Star break last season as well. In his last three starts, he has pitched 15 1/3 innings and allowed 22 hits, 14 earned runs, walked six and struck out 11 and is 0-2.

Sell high -- Dan Haren: Haren has been excellent, especially over his last five starts. He is 8-4 with a 3.04 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 89/17 K/BB ratio. Before the All-Star break last season he was 10-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. After the break he went 5-6 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He had similar splits in 2006 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.13 WHIP before and a 4.91 ERA and 1.31 WHIP after.

Pickup --Tony Pena: If you need to keep your WHIP down and are looking for a quality setup man, consider Pena. He has struck out 26 in 34 2/3 innings and has a 3.12 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP.

COLORADO ROCKIES

Buy low -- Brad Hawpe: Hawpe has finally come around this month with six homers and 12 RBIs with a .315 average. He's only had 44 at-bats against lefthanders. His overall numbers are subpar, especially because of a DL stint and he could be had for little right now.

Sell high -- Aaron Cook: To be 10-4 on this team is impressive. A lot of his success is due to his sinker that induces a lot of ground balls to get him out of trouble. He doesn't strike out many and over his last eight starts he has allowed 10, 10, 4, 10, 6, 9, 10 and 12 hits. He has a 3.57 ERA and 1.31 WHIP.

Pickup -- Clint Barmes: More of an NL-only league pickup here. Jeff Baker is hot right now and should stay in the lineup, but once he cools off, expect Barmes to take over. He is batting .341 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 138 at-bats.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Buy low -- Derek Lowe: Lowe doesn't have sexy numbers, but he is a reliable pitcher. He had a 5.34 ERA on May 18 and is now at 4.05. He is 5-7 with a 75/27 K/BB ratio. He usually goes deep into games, pitching at least seven innings in six of his last seven starts.

Sell high -- Juan Pierre: The steals are nice, everything else isn't. It's tough to have Pierre in an outfield slot when all you get are steals. Find a team that is desperate for steals and implore them to take Pierre.

Pickup -- Hong-Chih Kuo: If your starting pitching is in shambles and you're trying to slice ERA and WHIP, Kuo is an option. He's pitched well out of the bullpen. He is 3-1 with a 1.76 ERA, 55/11 K/BB ratio and a 1.00 WHIP.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Buy low -- None

Sell high -- Greg Maddux: The numbers are very good and his value could increase if he gets traded. But as long as he is on this team with no run support and he doesn't pitch deep into games, you can forget about wins. He has a 3.17 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, but a 3-5 record. He has struck out just 49 in 96 2/3 innings. He is mainly a six-inning pitcher.

Pickup -- Chase Headley: He has some power, but will strike out a lot. He's more of an NL-only league and very deep mixed league pickup. He is 7-for-28 with two homers, three RBIs and a 12/0 K/BB ratio.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Buy low -- Matt Cain: He has been inconsistent, but he has the ability to succeed. He has pitched well in his last three starts. Owners tend to sour on him because of the lack of wins. He is 4-5 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. His BAA is .244. He has a 93/42 K/BB ratio. It is 25/3 over his last three starts.

Sell high -- Tim Lincecum: It's hard to envision him being much better. He is 8-1 with a 2.54 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 103/40 K/BB ratio. He has allowed nine runs over his last 12 innings. He threw 146 1/3 innings last season in the majors starting in May and is already at 102 2/3 innings, so he's in for a huge spike. I still think he could be good, but it's something to watch and think about now, while he's still dominating.

Pickup -- Randy Winn: He's still unowned in many league, but he can hit .300 with some pop and steal bases.

BY ADAM RONIS

When I saw Bronson Arroyo's line tonight, I had the same reaction when I heard Shaq's "freestyle" dissing Kobe Bryant: Boy does that suck! To even characterize Shaq's words as a freestyle is an insult to hip hop and Arroyo's line made his owners sick. He went one inning and allowed 11 hits, 10 runs, one walk and allowed three homers. What's worse? It came against the anemic Blue Jays!!! Arroyo is 4-7 with a 6.52 ERA.

A.J. Burnett was the beneficiary. He went eight innings and allowed four hits, one run, three walks and struck out seven. He is 7-7 with a 5.07 ERA. Walks have hurt him, but I still like him.

Mark Teixeira hit his 14th homer and has 57 RBIs.

Dave Bush had another strong start. He went seven innings and allowed four hits, one run, one walk and struck out five. He is 4-7 with a 4.94 ERA and should be considered in deep mixed leagues.

Salomon Torres allowed two hits, two runs and two walks, but picked up save No. 13.

Jonathan Sanchez still walks too many batters, but he has had some real good starts recently. He went 7 2/3 innings and allowed five hits, one run, two walks and struck out eight for a win against the Indians. He is 7-4 with a 3.98 ERA.

Brian Wilson allowed a run in one inning, but got save No. 20. He has a 4.55 ERA.

Miguel Cabrera hit his 11th homer and could still be a buy-low candidate after a very slow start for him.

Gary Sheffield returned from the DL and homered.

As if Mets fans need anymore depressing news, Braden Looper improved to 9-5 with a win over the Tigers. He went six innings, allowed seven hits, four runs, walked one and struck out three. He has a 4.22 ERA.

Bobby Abreu hit his ninth homer and stole his ninth base.

I said it when he was pitching well, but Darrell Rasner isn't a good option. He got some home games against weak offenses and looked good. He allowed seven runs and 10 hits in five innings and should't be used.

Chad Tracy was the DH and went 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs. He could see time at third base, so NL-only league owners should hold on to him.

Doug Davis is inconsistent and had one of his better outings against the Red Sox. He went seven innings and allowed seven hits, three runs, one walk and struck out six in a no-decision. He has a 3.68 ERA, but is a WHIP killer.

Jonathan Papelbon picked up his 22nd save.

Alex Rios has exhibited no power this season. He went 4-for-6 with three runs and his fourth homer. He is batting .280 and is a good buy-low candidate since he can't get much worse.

Josh Willingham returned from the DL and went 1-for-5 with an RBI.

Troy Percival walked four and allowed a run and still got his 18th save. What a stat. You can enter with a three-run lead and walk five batters and still get a save.

Are people serious when they said the Mets were back? I don't understand why there's optimism surrounding this team. The players just aren't that good. To not hit R.A. Dickey? He was 0-3 with a 14.11 ERA in three starts. My softball pitcher has a better ERA! He went seven innings and allowed six hits, no runs, two walks and struck out five. He is 2-3 with a 4.79 ERA.

The Cubs placed Reed Johnson on the 15-day DL with back spasms.

The Astros placed Kaz Matsui on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring.

Oliver Perez is way too inconsistent to rely on right now. Even as a spot starter because the Mariners at home sounds ideal and he went five innings, allowing seven hits, six runs -- five earned -- walked one and struck out three. He is 5-5 with a 5.29 ERA.

Lance Berkman hit his 21st home run.

Josh Hamilton left tonight's game with a knee injury.

George Sherrill picked up save No. 26.

Matt Holliday hit his 10th homer and should be ready to take off now that he is healthy.

Zack Greinke went six innings and allowed nine hits, three runs, walked none and struck out 10. He is 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA.

Kevin Slowey doesn't walk many. His biggest downfall has been the home run, but pitching in San Diego is a cure for that. He went six innings and allowed four hits, no runs, no walks, and struck out seven in a no-decision. He's someone to consider in deep mixed leagues.

Joe Nathan picked up his 20th save.

Pat Burrell hit his 19th homer.

Jermaine Dye continues to sizzle and hit his 17th homer.

Joe Crede didn't play because of back stiffness.

BY ADAM RONIS

Johnny Damon is out of tonight's lineup with a sore foot. Justin Christian was called up since Hideki Matsui is still sidelined with a sore knee. Christian will start in leftfield.

Gary Sheffield was activated from the DL and will be the designated hitter and hit seventh tonight. He was out with a strained oblique and was 2-for-13 in a rehab assignment at Single-A. Jeff Larish was sent to Triple-A to make room for Sheffield.

Nick Johnson will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on a torn ligament in his wrist.

David Wright, the only player in baseball to play every inning this season, will be out of the starting lineup. Fernando Tatis will start at third.

Gerald Laird will miss at least four weeks with a pulled hamstring.

Josh Willingham was activated from the disabled list.

Nick Punto was activated from the DL.

Dr. James Andrew examined Shaun Marcum's elbow and determined no surgery is necessary.

BY ADAM RONIS

If the Mariners season could be bottled up and summarized, the game against the Mets was a perfect example. Yes, they did win, something that doesn't happen often this season, but that's the small picture. Felix Hernandez was cruising, shutting down the Mets -- nothing to brag about -- and he hit a grand slam. Then with two outs in the fifth, he uncorks a wild pitch and when he goes to cover home plate, Carlos Beltran slides hard into him and he hurts his left ankle. He was limping around and had to be removed, one out shy of qualifying for the win. Welcome to 2008 Mariners baseball. Hernandez went 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, one run, no walks and struck out two. He has a 2.83 ERA. Arthur Rhodes got the final two outs for his first save. Brandon Morrow is expected to be available on Tuesday after missing time with back spasms and he will be the closer.

Ichiro stole his 33rd base.

Johan Santana went seven innings and allowed seven hits, five runs -- one earned -- walked two and struck out four. He is 7-6 with a 2.93 ERA.

If you gambled on drafting John Lackey knowing he was injured to start the season, you are being rewarded now. Lackey has been dominant. He went eight innings and allowed six hits, two runs -- one earned -- walked two and struck out six. He is 5-1 with a 1.65 ERA.

K-Rod picked up save No. 31.

Jason Bergmann went seven innings and allowed six hits, one run, walked none and struck out six. He took a no-decision and has a 4.60 ERA. Stay away.

Rickie Weeks went 3-for-4 with a run, walk and 11th stolen base in his second game back from the DL.

Mike Cameron hit his 12th homer after missing four starts with a toe injury.

Bill Hall may be upset he is losing playing time to Russell Branyan, but he's doing nothing on the field to help his cause. He went 0-for-4 and is batting .219.

Yunel Escobar returned to the starting lineup and went 0-for-4.

Chipper Jones didn't start against the Brewers.

Eric Byrnes returned from the disabled list and went 0-for-5.

Dan Haren pitched seven scoreless innings to get the win at Boston. He allowed two hits, one walk and struck out five. He is 8-4 with a 3.04 ERA. He struggled in the second half last season and he is someone to consider selling high.

Brandon Lyon threw a scoreless ninth for his 16th save.

Josh Beckett pitched well, but fell to 7-5 with a 3.73 ERA. He went eight innings and allowed five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out eight.

Kevin Youkilis left the game after getting hit by a Mike Lowell warmup throw below his right eye before the fifth inning.

Matt Holliday hit his ninth homer and he has 37 RBIs with a .329 average.

The red-hot Jeff Baker started at DH and went 1-for-5 with a run and RBI.

Clint Barmes returned from the DL, started at second and went 1-for-4 with a run. He should split time with Baker until Baker cools off.

Mike Aviles remains hot, going 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.

Jose Guillen went 2-for-4 with two runs, a homer and two RBIs. He has 13 homers and 60 RBIs with a .293 average and is still available in some leagues.

Brian Bannister went seven innings, allowed three hits, three runs -- no earned -- walked six and struck out five. He is 7-6 with a 4.47 ERA.

BY ADAM RONIS

There are certain players that you become enamored with playing fantasy baseball. Sometimes, it can be a bad thing. I have my list of players and one of them has been Ben Sheets. I think he is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he never stays healthy. I have owned him the last few years only to be disappointed when he lands on the disabled list. I decided not to go out of my way to get him this season and I didn't get him anywhere.

So, here he is staying healthy and in contention for the Cy Young. After tonight's gem, he is up to 104 1/3 innings pitched. The most innings he has pitched in the last three years is 156 2/3 innings. People may forget because it was so long ago, but take a look at the season he had in 2004. He threw 237 innings, allowed 201 hits, walked just 32 and struck out 264. He had a 2.70 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, but went 12-14 because the Brewers were bad back then.

Sheets had another excellent game tonight against the Braves to improve to 9-1 with a 2.59 ERA. He threw a four-hitter, allowed one run, walked none and struck out seven. He has allowed 87 hits, walked 21 and struck out 84. He is in a contract year and is looking great now that he is healthy. He's a tough gauge for owners. He can certainly put these numbers up for an entire season. On the other hand, a potential injury always looms and he could get you some real value right now. If you own him, I wouldn't look to ship him off. I would put offers out there just to see what's out there.

BY ADAM RONIS

National League Offensive Player of the Week -- Jeff Baker (Rockies): Baker went 10-for-23 (.435) with eight runs, four homer, seven RBIs and one stolen base.

American League Offensive Player of the Week -- Jermaine Dye (White Sox): Dye went 10-for-24 (.417) with seven runs, five homers and 13 RBIs.

National League Pitcher of the Week -- Jair Jurrjens (Braves):In two starts, he went 1-0 in 13 2/3 innings and allowed no earned runs, struck out 11 and had a 1.10 WHIP.

American League Pitcher of the Week -- Joakim Soria (Royals): Soria threw five scoreless innings and had five saves. He had a 0.20 WHIP and struck out five.

BY ADAM RONIS

It has taken longer than expected but Mark Teixeria, a perrenial second half player, is starting to get going. He went 3-for-4 with three home runs and four RBIs. He has 13 homers and 55 RBIs. I would trade for him now.

Brian McCann hit his 14th homer and is batting .310.

Tim Hudson threw seven scoreless innings and allowed four hits, walked four and struck out two to improve to 8-5 with a 2.96 ERA.

Mike Gonzalez allowed three hits and two earned runs in one inning. His velocity is down, but the Braves don't have many options to close right now.

Jeff Clement should get time at catcher for the Mariners. He went 2-for-3 with a homer and should be owned in leagues that start two catchers and AL-only leagues.

Carlos Beltran hit his 11th homer and has 50 RBIs.

Mike Pelfrey is pitching much better and should be owned in deep mixed leagues. He went 5 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed three hits, walked five and struck out five. He got the win and is 4-6 with a 4.30 ERA.

Billy Wagner threw a scoreless ninth for save No. 17.

Adam Lind was called up from Triple-A for the second time this season. He went 2-for-3 with a homer. He should be owned in AL-only leagues.

Nate McLouth stole his ninth base and you should expect more stolen bases from him the rest of the season.

Dustin McGowan went five innings and allowed nine hits, four runs -- three earned -- walked one and struck out two. He is 6-5 with a 4.21 ERA and is a good buy-low guy.

B.J. Ryan threw a scoreless ninth for his 15th save.

Ian Snell had another bad game. He went four innings, allowed eight hits, four runs, four walks and struck out two, He has a 5.99 ERA. Bench him.

Jeff Keppinger returned from the disabled list and went 1-for-4.

Jason Giambi has his average up to .271 after a 3-for-3 day against the Reds with two runs and two RBIs.

Edwin Encarnacion left the game with back spasms.

Johnny Cueto had a solid outing, but fell to 5-8. He went five innings and allowed four hits, one run, no walks and struck out seven. He was removed following a rain delay.

Andy Pettitte threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits, two walks and struck out four. He is 8-5 with a 4.04 ERA.

Mariano Rivera pitched 1 1/3 innings for his 21st save.

Jimmy Rollins had two more steals and now has 17.

Milton Bradley didn't start for the fourth straight game because of a sore right quad. Check back several blog entries back when I said to trade him because he never stays healthy.

Jered Weaver pitched well in Philadelphia to improve to 7-7. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, one run, three walks and struck out six. He has a 4.56 ERA.

K-Rod picked up his 30th save.

Ian Kinsler hit his 12th homer and has been one of the most valuable fantasy players to date.

Vicente Padilla is now 10-3 with a 3.74 ERA. He went seven innings and allowed five hits, three runs, walked two and struck out five. I'd trade him right now.

C.J. Wilson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 15th save.

Carlos Lee, who goes unnoticed at times in fantasy talk, hit his 17th homer and has 58 RBIs.

Evan Longoria hit his 12th homer.

Jose Valverde picked up save No. 18.

Scott Kazmir had one of those games where he couldn't go deep into the game. He went 5 2/3 innings and allowed four hits, three runs, walked two and struck out seven with 106 pitches. He is 6-3 with a 2.03 ERA.

So much for the Prince Fielder power drought. He homered twice, went 3-for-4 and has 16 homers and 42 RBIs. Hope you didn't deal him after a slow start.

Corey Hart's power has come on, too. He hit his 12th homer.

Manny Parra is still walking too many, but he got away with it against the Orioles to get a win. He allowed five hits, three runs, walked six and struck out one in five innings. He is 7-2 with a 4.29 ERA. He has won five straight.

Salomon Torres picked up save No. 12.

Brandon Webb lost again and dropped to 11-4. He went seven innings and allowed eight hits, five runs -- four earned -- one walk and struck out four. He has a 3.40 ERA.

Joe Nathan got save No. 19.

Randy Winn is still a productive fantasy player without much power. He went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and his 11th steal. He is hitting .307 with 32 RBIs.

Joakim Soria picked up save No. 20.

Kevin Youkilis went 2-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs. He has 13 homers and 47 RBIs.

Jonathan Papelbon blew his fourth save of the season.

Jeremy Hermida hit his eighth homer and he has 37 RBIs. Keep in mind he had a great second half last season.

Justin Duchscherer is still available in many leagues and he should be owned. He is now 8-4 with a 1.99 ERA. He went 7 2/3 innings and allowed six hits, one run, two walks and struck out three.

Magglio Ordonez hit his 12th homer and has 48 RBIs.

Adrian Gonzalez hit his 21st homer and has 65 RBIs.

Justin Verlander struggled with walks against a bad offensive team, but struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed five hits and two runs. He is 4-9 with a 4.49 ERA.

Todd Jones got save No. 14.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spfantasy0622,0,5483024.column

BY ADAM RONIS

Welcome back to Toronto, Cito Gaston. First, he sees how putrid his offense is in a 1-0 12-inning loss to the Pirates in his first game back and now Shaun Marcum is placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right elbow. He will see Dr. James Andrews on Monday for further evaluation. Marcum is 5-4 with a 2.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 86/27 K/BB ratio in 98 2/3 innings. He held hitters to a .198 average.

BY ADAM RONIS

Here are some two-start pitchers for the upcoming week that may be unowned.

AL
Kenny Rogers: vs. Cardinals, vs. Rockies
Kevin Slowey: at Padres, vs. Brewers
Jeremy Guthrie: at Cubs, at Nationals
Aaron Laffey: at Giants, vs. Reds
Andy Sonnanstine: at Marlins, at Pirates

NL
Jeff Francis: at Royals, at Tigers
Bronson Arroyo: at Blue Jays, at Indians
Jo-Jo Reyes: vs. Brewers, at Blue Jays
Scott Olsen: vs. Rays, vs. Diamondbacks
Oliver Perez: vs. Mariners, vs. Yankees

BY ADAM RONIS

The Cubs placed Carlos Zambrano on the 15-day DL with a right shoulder strain. Sean Marshall should start in his place on Tuesday.

BY ADAM RONIS

I keep waiting for Edinson Volquez to have one bad game. Even one where he goes five innings and allows four runs and it never happens. Not that I'm upset since I own him in two leagues, but I am amazed how great he has been. He pitched a gem in Philadelphia, was good against the Red Sox and was solid at Yankee Stadium tonight. This from a guy who send to Single-A by the Rangers last season. Ok, bad example since the Rangers don't know what pitching means. He went seven innings against a team that won seven straight and allowed seven hits, two runs, one walk and struck out five for his 10th win. The most impressive thing was the one walk since he's had a penchant for walking guys this season. He is 10-2 with a 1.71 ERA.

Joey Votto went 3-for-4 with his 12th homer.

Francisco Cordero picked up save No. 14.

Robinson Cano is 8 for his last 18. Many owners of his have been crying, but be patient. He had a great second half last season and as the Yankees lineup clicks, he will play a big role.

Mike Mussina must think he's 25 again. He went eight innings and allowed 10 hits, four runs, two walks and struck out four. The line could have been better, but Johnny Damon missed a line drive, possibly losing it in the lights. He is 10-5 with a 3.93 ERA.

Jermaine Dye hit his 15th homer.

Nick Swisher went 2-for-3 and has 8 hits in his last 17 at-bats.

Derrek Lee hit his 15th homer.

Just a few blog entries ago, I said to target Aramis Ramirez as a guy who has yet to go on a hot streak. He hit two homers today, including one to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. He has 12 homers and 47 RBIs.

John Danks had a good start and left with the lead, but only went six innings. He allowed five hits, one run, walked none and struck out five in a no-decision.

Kerry Wood pitched a scoreless ninth for his 4th win of the season.

Vladimir Guerrero isn't done just yet. He extended his hitting streak to 11 and looks ready to go on a tear. He went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. He has 11 homers and 40 RBIs.

Howie Kendrick went 4-for-5 and is hitting .333.

Shane Victorino stole two bases and has 16 and Jimmy Rollins is showing no signs of a bad ankle with his 15th steal.

Chase Utley has no hits in his last 23 at-bats. For some reason, I'm not worried. Just call me an optimist.

Ervin Santana with a phenomenal game on the road and at Philadelphia? What's going on? It's clear Santana is a different pitcher this season. He went seven innings, allowing two hits, one run -- no earned -- two walks and struck out nine. He is 9-3 with a 3.17 ERA.

Roy Halladay threw seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Pirates. He allowed six hits, two walks and struck out seven. He has a 2.90 ERA.

Roy Oswalt went 7 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits, two runs, two walks and struck out five. He is 6-7 with a 4.84 ERA.

Jose Valverde allowed a run, but got his 17th save.

Send a pitcher to Dave Duncan and they usually turn to fantasy gold. At least Kyle Lohse has. He went six innings and allowed six hits, two runs -- one earned -- walked two and struck out four. He is 9-2 with a 3.63 ERA.

Ryan Franklin threw 44 pitches over two innings for his 10th save. He allowed three hits, two walks, one run and struck out one.

Yunel Escobar left the game in the top of the ninth with a strained hip.

Aubrey Huff has quietly had a good season. He went 4-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs. He has 14 homers and 42 RBIs.

Prince Fielder hit his 14th homer.

George Sherrill picked up his 25th save.

I keep saying stay with Matt Cain. He went eight innings, allowed five hits, four runs -- three earned -- one walk and struck out eight. He is 4-5 with a 4.31 ERA.

Ray Durham left the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with a sprained ankle.

Mark Reynolds hit his 16th homer and has 47 RBIs. Sure makes up for the .251 average and 90 strikeouts.

Scott Baker is still not owned in many leagues and he should be. He went six innings and allowed seven hits, one run, one walk and struck out seven in a win over the D-Backs. He is 3-2 with a 3.47 ERA and a 49/10 K/BB ratio.

Carlos Beltran went 3-for-5. Funny to me how Beltran gets immense criticism in New York, yet his numbers are identical to David Wright.

Carlos Delgado hit his 11th homer. Maybe Jason Giambi gave him the thong.

Jeff Baker homered for the fourth straight game. He is hitting .288 with five homers and 20 RBIs.

Troy Tulowitzki returned from the DL and went 0-for-4.

Willy Taveras stole two bases and has 34.

John Maine went 6 2/3 innings and allowed sxi hits, two runs, three walks and struck out six. He is 7-5 with a 3.78 ERA.

Elijah Dukes is taking advantage of his playing time. He went 5-for-6 with a homer and two RBIs and two stolen bases.

Joel Zumaya was activated from the DL.

BY ADAM RONIS

Mariners lefthander Erik Bedard left tonight's game against the Braves after three innings with back spasms. He threw three scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked none and struck out one. If healthy, he's good buy-low candidate.