5/4 Cheering, Venting, & Exit Sandman

[bigh0rt]

News, Notes, & Nonsense:
- Mariano Rivera tore his ACL shagging fly balls prior to last night's game in Kansas City. The injury is potentially career threatening, and Yankee UniverseTM is currently in mourning. There is swirling controversy over whether Mariano was smiling and/or laughing as he was carted off the field. Robertson is expected to have the ball turned over to him in the 9th, though Soriano remains a sleeper candidate for Saves in the Big Apple.

- Brandon Morrow continued to be the most puzzling player to own in fantasy baseball, tossing a complete game, 3-hit shutout, without issuing a single walk, and notching 8 strikeouts Thursday night. I feel like this is the perfect place for that Jackie Chan meme pic to go. He isn't striking guys out, he's getting hit hard, then he is striking guys out, he's pitching well from the stretch, he's not issuing free passes... Brandon Morrow, who are you?

- The one professional hitter on the San Francisco Giants' every day roster, Pablo Sandoval, fractured a bone in his wrist and is expected to miss the next 4 to 6 weeks of action. Despite this, Brandon Belt is still not expected to receive a single at bat in Fat Panda's absence.

- Pedro Alvarez, eh? Dude smashed his 7th homer yesterday and has every his staunchest critics starting to sip on some of the Kool-Aid. He's raised his average almost 50 points this week which has many wondering if this is just a mega-hot streak, or if he's finally living up to the potential that's been spoken of him over the last half-decade.

- Adam Dunn also belted his 7th homer Thursday, as his pursuit of recapturing the 40 HR power he showed so consistently prior to last season moves forward. He has also struck out in every single game this season.

- Bryan LaHair remained red hot,, hitting his 7th homer of the season as well, to go along with a .388 average. Those who were super down on this kid are definitely eating crow through the first four plus weeks of the season, while those who decided to give him a shot have been handsomely rewarded, at least thus far.

- Derek Jeter had a 4 hit night, pushing his season average back over .400 (.404). After the game in Kansas City, he went back to his hotel with a gaggle of supermodels and created a scene that would make any Brazzers actress blush. Effin Jeter.

- The man I hate more in baseball than any other, and who has cost me more money than any other, Joe Friggin Blanton, threw a complete game shutout on Thursday. He must have heard a nasty rumor that I bet against him, because that's literally what he used to do every single time I bet against his dumb a**. Blanton outdueled Randal Delgado, who threw 8 innings of 2-run ball, his best Major League effort of this season.

- Ryan Dempster, fresh off the DL, threw 8 beautiful scoreless innings, only to have his impending Win stolen from him by the impeccable suck that is the Cubs bullpen and, specifically, Carlos Marmol. How long before he's marching to Theo demanding to be traded out of the suckhole that is Chicago?

Today's Match Ups:
TEX: Lewis (3-0, 1.93 ERA)
CLE: Gomez (1-1, 2.35 ERA)

ARI: Miley (3-0, 1.29 ERA)
NYM: Gee (2-2, 4.85 ERA)

CHW: Peavy (3-1, 1.67 ERA)
DET: Smyly (1-0, 1.23 ERA)

LAD: Billingsley (2-1, 2.64 ERA)
CHC: Maholm (2-2, 6.20 ERA)

BAL: Chen (2-0, 2.22 ERA)
BOS: Lester (1-2, 4.65 ERA)

PHI: Kendrick (0-2, 6.59 ERA)
WSH: Strasburg (2-0, 1.13 ERA)

OAK: Ross (1-1, 6.48 ERA)
TB: Price (4-1, 2.67 ERA)

CIN: Cueto (3-0, 1.39 ERA)
PIT: Correia (1-1, 2.42 ERA)

NYY: Sabathia (3-0, 4.58 ERA)
KC: Chen (0-3, 4.23 ERA)

STL: Lohse (4-0, 1.62 ERA)
HOU: Harrell (1-2, 4.71 ERA)

TOR: Alvarez (1-2, 3.62 ERA)
LAA: Santana (0-5, 6.16 ERA)

ATL: Hudson (1-0, 3.60 ERA)
COL: Moscoso (0-1, 10.80 ERA)

MIN: Pavano (1-2, 4.91 ERA)
SEA: Vargas (3-2, 3.38 ERA)

MIA: Johnson (0-3, 5.34 ERA)
SD: Bass (1-3, 2.30 ERA)

MIL: Greinke (3-1, 3.94 ERA)
SF: Lincecum (2-2, 5.74 ERA)

[bigh0rt]

Today I trot Greinke @SF and Lewis @CLE and hope to piggy back off of the awesomeness that was Brandon Morrow last night. Then it's off to Atlantic City for a bachelor party (not mine).

[Pogotheostrich]

Greinke @ SF, Lohse @ Houston and Cueto @ PIT today.

[BronXBombers51]

First day tossing the youngsters.

Smyly vs. CWS and Bass vs. MIA

[garf112]

Leaving Smyly on the bench for his first start on my team. Have a 1400 IP maximum and will only start my end of rotation guys when I feel a win is a bit more likely. Also sitting Ervin Santana one more time. If he pitches poorly, he's gone.

Going with Henderson Alvarez in my H2H league because why not and my other three starts for the week aren't much better.

[SpecialFNK]

Coco Crisp is expected to be placed on the DL, and Michael Taylor is expected to get the call up to the majors.
this from rotoworld.

The Athletics are expected to place Coco Crisp (ear) on the disabled list prior to Friday's game.
Crisp has been dealing with lingering inner-ear and sinus infections, most recently having to be removed from Wednesday's game after another flare-up. He first started having problems over two weeks ago and has missed quite a few games already. Michael Taylor will replace him on the roster, but Seth Smith and Jonny Gomes would figure to see most of the starts in left field.

I don't agree with this. I think if Taylor is coming up, HE will be playing and not sitting on the bench. if they wanted a bench player they could have called up someone else.

[Skin Blues]

Hey, I'm not giving up on my Bryan LaHair hate just yet! We've seen one hot month before... I'm predicting a hot mess from here on out. Unless he pulls a Casey McGehee and the flash in the pan lasts for a year and a half.

[Skin Blues]

Coco Crisp is expected to be placed on the DL, and Michael Taylor is expected to get the call up to the majors.
this from rotoworld.

The Athletics are expected to place Coco Crisp (ear) on the disabled list prior to Friday's game.
Crisp has been dealing with lingering inner-ear and sinus infections, most recently having to be removed from Wednesday's game after another flare-up. He first started having problems over two weeks ago and has missed quite a few games already. Michael Taylor will replace him on the roster, but Seth Smith and Jonny Gomes would figure to see most of the starts in left field.

I don't agree with this. I think if Taylor is coming up, HE will be playing and not sitting on the bench. if they wanted a bench player they could have called up someone else.

Yes, I read in most places that Taylor would get the majority of the playing time. I'm sure Seth Smith will get PT against some righties, but I can't see Gomes palying very much.

[GAC8666]

I have CC vs Kansas City and Cueto vs PIT. Im winning all pitching categories but tied in Wins. The guy im playing against doesnt have a SP going today. Lets hope for a big one!

I am also benching all of my offensive players. I am losing (by a ton) in HR RBI OPS XBH and R (I suck I know) but I am winning in Ks against, Errors and Fielding Percentage. So the way I look at it if they sit they cant strike out or commit errors. Im winning this week 11-8. Lets hope it pays off.

[kab21]

Also sitting Ervin Santana one more time.

Ervin is doing so bad that he's benched in a 24 tm league but I am rolling with Bass tonight in that league.