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MLB Fantasy Baseball Box Score Breakouts – 4/15/11

Here’s a look at the unheralded fantasy baseball players who played well yesterday.

Baltimore Orioles @ Cleveland Indians

Michael Brantley went two for three with two runs to raise his average to .333. Asdrubal Cabrera is up to 14 RBI on the year after going two for four with four RBI.

Travis Hafner went one for two with a home run and two RBI. Matt LaPorta went two for three with a run. Adan Everett went two for four with two runs.

Derrek Lee went two for three with a run. Justin Masterson gave up one run on four hits in seven innings to improve to 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA.

Minnesota Twins @ Tampa Bay Rays

Sam Fuld went three for four with a run to raise  his average to .366. Johnny Damon drove in a pair of runs. Matt Joyce went three for four.

Felipe Lopez went two for four. Wade Davis gave up one run on four hits in seven innings to improve to 1-2 with a 3.26 ERA.

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Cincinnati Reds

Jose Tabata went four for five with a run and his seventh stolen base. Lyle Overbay went two for four with two runs and an RBI. Garrett Jones went two for three with a home run.

Chris Snyder went three for five with two RBI. Charlie Morton threw a complete game allowing just one run on five hits to improve to 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA.

Florida Marlins @ Philadelphia Phillies

Logan Morrison went two for four with two runs and a homer. Raul Ibanez went two for four with two RBI.

Texas Rangers @ New York Yankees

Matt Harrison gave up one earned run in eight innings to improve to 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA
.

Milwaukee Brewers @ Washington Nationals

Wilson Ramos and Michael Morse each went two for three with a run. Tom Gorzelanny gave up two runs on five hits in six innings, but got a no-decision.

San Diego Padres @ Houston Astros

Chris Denorfia went two for three with two runs and a homer. Ryan Ludwick drove in two runs. Brett Wallace went two for four. Aaron Harang gave up one run on three hits with eight strikeouts to improve to 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Boston Red Sox

Corey Patterson drove in two runs. Jayson Nix scored two runs. Marco Scutaro drove in a pair of runs.

Seattle Mariners @ Kansas City Royals

Jeff Francoeur went three for four with two runs, a home run, and three RBI. Luke Hochevar gave up one run on one hit in seven innings to improve to 2-1 with a 4.21 ERA.

Chicago Cubs @ Colorado Rockies

Todd Helton went two for four with a run and an RBI. He’s hitting .364. Chris Iannetta had three RBI. Jhoulys Chacin’s shutout was the story.

San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks

Freddy Sanchez went two for five with a run. Miguel Tejada went two for four with an RBI. Willie Bloomquist drove in two runs and swiped his seventh base.

Detroit Tigers @ Oakland A’s

Brennan Boesch went three for five with a run and two RBI. Alex Avila went two for five with a run and an RBI. Daric Barton went two for five. David DeJesus went three for five with three RBI. Kurt Suzuki went three for four with a run.

Cliff Pennington went two for four. Rick Porcello gave up one run in six innings. Brandon McCarthy struck out seven in 6-2/3 scoreless innings. Neither starter factored into the decision.

St. Louis Cardinals @ Los Angeles Dodgers

David Freese went three for five with two runs. Yadier Molina went four for four with a run. Kyle Lohse gave up two runs with six strikeouts in 7-1/3 innings for the win. He’s 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA.

Also check out today’s streaming pitcher option.

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Free Agent Pool: 2011 Run Scorers Vol. 1

Off to a slow start in the run category? Here are some reasonably available players that can help you out.

Dexter Fowler, Colorado Rockies

Fowler is among the league leaders with 12 runs scored. He’s hitting .280 with five RBI and two stolen bases. He continues to struggle against right-handed pitching (.256 batting average), but all of his walks have come against righties bringing his on-base percentage to .348 against them. As long as he is hitting at the top of the Rockies potent lineup, he should continue to score plenty of runs. Dexter is owned in 37 percent of Yahoo! and 49.3 percent of ESPN leagues.

Angel Sanchez, Houston Astros

Sanchez has scored 11 runs on the year. He’s also hitting .353 with a home run, eight RBI and a stolen base. He’s locked into the number two slot in the order behind Michael Bourn and in front of Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee, which is a good spot to accumulate runs. He has some positional flexibility with his 2B/ss eligibility. Angel is owned in 43 percent of Yahoo! and 32.5 percent of ESPN leagues.

Brennan Boesch, Detroit Tigers

Boesch has scored 10 runs on the year while hitting .282 with a home run, seven RBI and two stolen bases. Brennan is owned in 23 percent of Yahoo! and 26.5 percent of ESPN leagues.

Marlon Byrd, Chicago Cubs

Byrd is off to a fast start hitting .353 with 10 runs and four RBI. He’s murdering right-handed pitching hitting .400 with a .918 OPS. He’s scored 84 runs last year and is a decent bet to improve his RBI total hitting third in the Cubs’ lineup. Marlon is owned in about 40 percent of fantasy leagues.

Melky Cabrera, Kansas City Royals

Cabrera has gone 14-for-41 (.341) in his past eight games to raise his average to .300. He’s scored all eight of his runs in his past nine games. Melky is hitting .303 against righties and .261 against lefties. The Royals No. 2 hitter is owned in eight percent of Yahoo! and 10.2 percent of ESPN leagues.

Chris Coghlan, Florida Marlins

Coghlan is 13-for-35 (.371) in his past eight games to raise his average to .288. He’s scored all eight of his runs during that stretch. Coghlan has hit one home run and driven in five runs. The Marlins’ leadoff hitter is owned in 10 percent of Yahoo! and 67.6 percent of ESPN leagues.

Coco Crisp, Oakland A’s

Crisp has also scored eight runs on the year while hitting .229 with two RBI and five stolen bases. He’s a lifetime .276 hitter so look for his average to improve. The biggest concern continues to be his health, as he has already experienced back tightness, but play him while you can. Coco is owned in 40 percent of Yahoo! and 50.9 percent of ESPN leagues.

Jeff Francoeur, Kansas City Royals

Francoeur is hitting .294 with eight runs, a homer, eight RBI and a stolen base for the surprising Royals. He’s crushing lefties (.368 average) and holding his own against righties (.265). Jeff is owned in eight percent of Yahoo! and 10 percent of ESPN leagues.

Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies

Need a replacement for Joe Mauer? Ruiz is only owned in 48 percent of Yahoo! and 27.9 percent of ESPN leagues. He’s hitting .351 with eight runs, two HRs and eight RBI.

Josh Willingham, Oakland A’s

Willingham has scored eight runs while hitting .222 with three home runs, seven RBI and a stolen base. Oakland’s cleanup hitter is owned in 20 percent of Yahoo! and 15.9 percent of ESPN leagues.

Wilson Valdez, Philadelphia Phillies

Valdez is holding his own filling in for Chase Utley. He’s hitting .351 with eight runs, five RBI and a stolen base. Wilson is owned in seven percent of Yahoo! and 10.8 percent of ESPN leagues.

Also check out:

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Box Score Breakouts – 4/14/11

Here’s a look at the unheralded fantasy baseball players who played well yesterday.

Colorado Rockies @ New York Mets (Game One)
Dexter Fowler went two for five. Jose Morales went two for three with a run and two RBI. Scott Hairston went two for four with a home run and three RBI. Josh Thole went two for four.

Colorado Rockies @ New York Mets (Game Two)
Dexter Fowler went two for five with two runs and two RBI. Jonathan Herrera went two for five with a three-run homer. Todd Helton went three for five with a run.

Philadelphia Phillies @ Washington Nationals
Carlos Ruiz went two for four with two runs and a homer. Obviously Cliff Lee’s 12 strikeout shutout was the story.

Minnesota Twins @ Tampa Bay Rays
Sam Fuld went two for five with a run and his seventh stolen base. Johnny Damon hit the game-winning two-run homer. Matt Joyce went three for four with two RBI. Jim Thome went two for five with a run. Danny Valencia went three for four with an RBI. Carl Pavano gave up four hits with seven strikeouts in eight scoreless innings, but got a no-decision.

Milwaukee Brewers @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Randy Wolf struck out ten in 6-2/3 scoreless three-hit innings to earn the win. Paul Maholm gave up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts in seven innings, but took the loss.

Florida Marlins @ Atlanta Braves
Chris Coghlan remained hot going two for four with a run. Gaby Sanchez went two for five with two runs and a homer.

Baltimore Orioles @ New York Yankees
Cesar Izturis went two for four with two runs.

San Diego Padres @ Houston Astros
Matt Downs went two for three. Humberto Quintero went two for three with a run. This one was about pitching though. Bud Norris gave up two hits with seven strikeouts in six scoreless innings for the win. Dustin Moseley took the loss despite allowing just one run in 6-2/3 innings. He’s 0-3, but has an ERA of 1.83.

Seattle Mariners @ Kansas City Royals
Melky Cabrera went two for four to raise his average to .300. Alex Gordon went one for three with a run and two RBI. Wilson Betemit hit a two-run homer. Bruce Chen went the distance before the game was called allowing one unearned run in eight innings. He’s 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA.

Detroit Tigers @ Oakland A’s
Ramon Santiago went two for three with a run and an RBI to raise his average to .294. Conor Jackson is hitting .292 after going two for four. Phil Coke allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings for the win. He’s 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA. Gio Gonzalez gave up two hits with six strikeouts in six scoreless innings. Unfortunately he also walked six batters.

St. Louis Cardinals @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Ryan Theriot went two for five with an RBI to raise his average to .314. Lance Berkman continues to swing a hot stick. He’s hitting .311 after going two for four with two runs. Yadier Molina went two for four with two RBI. Jamey Carroll went three for five with two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Also check out today’s streaming pitching option.

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Free-Agent Pool: 2011 Speed Demons Vol. 1

Just because you’ve slipped behind in the stolen base category doesn’t mean you can’t catch up. Here are some reasonably available stolen base options.

Willie Bloomquist, Arizona Diamondbacks

Bloomquist has been a popular roster addition in the early part of the season thanks to his six stolen bases in seven attempts. Also because he’s been hitting at the top of Arizona’s order. Bloomquist is batting .368 and has had success against right-handed pitching (.345) as well as left-handed pitching (.444).

He stole 25 bases for the Royals in 2009, so if he continues to get steady at bats he should remain a valuable source for steals. He also has eight runs, a home run, and five RBI. Willie is owned in 67 percent of Yahoo! and 53.5 percent of ESPN leagues, so get him fast.


Sam Fuld, Tampa Bay Rays

Fuld will likely be a little more popular today after going 4-for-6 with three runs against the Red Sox last night. With three stolen bases against the White Sox on April 7, Fuld finds himself near the top of the pile with five stolen bases. He’s hitting .321 on the year with five runs, a home run and three RBI. Fuld is owned in just 7 percent of Yahoo! and 2.8 percent of ESPN leagues, so he’s easily more readily available.  


Orlando Hudson, San Diego Padres

Hudson has three stolen bases in the past two days, giving him four on the year. His modest seven-game hitting streak has pushed his average up to .313. Orlando has scored five runs with two RBI. He’s never been much of a stolen base threat (career high of 10) so at best he gives you a modest gain in the category. O-Dog is owned in just 6 percent of Yahoo! and 2.5 percent of ESPN leagues.


Jason Bartlett, San Diego Padres

Hudson’s double play mate, Bartlett, has three stolen bases. He’s hitting just .148 with two runs and has yet to collect an RBI. He combined for 83 stolen bases from 2007 to 2009 so he can deliver when he gets his batting stroke back. Bartlett is owned in 7 percent of Yahoo! and 2.2 percent of ESPN leagues.


Jason Bourgeois, Houston Astros

Bourgeois has three stolen bases on the year. He’s hitting .333 with a run. He’s one to avoid though, as he only has nine at-bats on the year. He’ll need an injury to become relevant. The same thing applies to Jarrod Dyson, who has three stolen bases without a plate appearance. Both are owned in less than 1 percent of fantasy leagues.


Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers

There is a place for Gomez in the Brewers lineup while Corey Hart is out. Then he’ll have to share with Nyjer Morgan. Until then, you can help you in the stolen bases department (three on the year), but you’ll have to live with his .212 batting average. He’s a career .245 hitter so don’t expect things to get much better. Gomez is owned in 3 percent of Yahoo! and 8.9 percent of ESPN leagues.


Tony Gwynn, Los Angeles Dodgers

Gwynn also has three stolen bases on the year. He’s hitting .333 with four runs and one RBI. Tony stole 17 bases last year in 289 at bats. The question is whether or not he’ll get enough at bats to help your squad. He’s played in eight of the Dodgers’ 10 games so if you need speed, he can help. Gwynn is owned in about 1 percent of fantasy leagues.


Cameron Maybin, San Diego Padres

The Pads like to run. Maybin also has three stolen bases. He’s hitting .258 with four runs, two home runs and four RBI. He has the most upside of anybody on the list. Maybin is owned in about 18 percent of fantasy leagues.


Jack Wilson, Seattle Mariners 

Wilson rounds out the list with three stolen bases of his own. He’s hitting .273 with two runs and one RBI. He’s never reached double-digit stolen bases, so keep that in mind. Wilson is owned in about 1 percent of fantasy leagues.

Also check out:

Yesterday’s Box Score Breakouts

Today’s Streaming Pitcher Option 

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Box Score Breakouts, 4/11/11

Here’s a look at the unheralded fantasy baseball players who played well yesterday.

Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers
Alexi Ogando, yesterday’s streaming pitcher option, gave up two hits in seven scoreless innings to improve to 2-0. He has yet to allow a run in 13 innings.

Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Sam Fuld went 4-for-6 with three runs, a home run and three RBI. Johnny Damon went 3-for-5 with two runs, a home run and three RBI. John Jaso went 2-for-5 with a run and three RBI. Reid Brignac went 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.

Colorado Rockies at New York Mets
Dexter Fowler went 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Jonathan Herrera went 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base. Seth Smith went 3-fo-4 with a stolen base. Willie Harris drove in a pair of runs.

Oakland A’s at Chicago White Sox
Kurt Suzuki went 2-for-4 with the winning home run. Mark Buehrle gave up two hits in eight scoreless innings and Dallas Braden gave up one run on five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. Both received no-decisions. Tyson Ross struck out four in three scoreless innings for the win.

Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros
Darwin Barney went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Marlon Byrd went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Angel Sanchez hit a two-run homer.

St. Louis Cardinals at Arizona Diamondbacks
Lance Berkman went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI. David Freese went 2-for-4. Melvin Mora went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Kyle McClellan gave up one run in six innings for the win.

Cleveland Indians at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Matt LaPorta hit a three-run homer. Mitch Talbot gave up five hits in eight scoreless innings.

Cincinnati Reds at San Diego Padres
Chris Heisey hit a two-run homer. Will Venable went 2-for-3 with a run. Orlando Hudson went 2-for-4 with a run and two stolen bases. Edison Volquez gave up two runs on three hits in six innings for the win.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants
Jamey Carroll went 3-for-5 with a run. Aubrey Huff went 2-for-4. Pat Burrell went 2-for-2 with a home run.

Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners
Milton Bradley went 2-for-4 with two runs, a home run and two RBI. Justin Smoak went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Michael Saunders went 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base. Corey Patterson went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. J.P. Arcencibia went 2-for-5. Edwin Encarnacion went 3-for-4 with a run. Jayson Nix went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Jesse Litsch threw five scoreless innings, but got a no-decision.

Also check out today’s streaming pitcher option.

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Box Score Breakouts—4/8/11

Here’s a look at the unheralded fantasy baseball players who played well yesterday.

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

J.D. Drew went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.


Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers

Will Rhymes went 2-for-4 with a run. Jhonny Peralta went two for three with three RBI. Chris Getz went three for four with a run. Max Scherzer gave up one run in six innings to improve to 2-0.


Oakland A’s vs. Minnesota Twins

Carl Pavano, yesterday’s streaming pitcher option, gave up one run in eight innings.
 

Washington Nationals at New York Mets

Rick Ankiel went three for four with two runs. Danny Espinosa went 0-for-1 with three walks and two runs. Josh Thole went 2-for-3 with a run. Jordan Zimmermann gave up two runs in 5.1 innings to even his record at 1-1.


St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants

Andres Torres went 2-for-6. Miguel Tejada went 2-for-5 with a home run. Ryan Theriot went 2-for-5 with a run, two RBI and a stolen base.

Florida Marlins at Houston Astros

Omar Infante went 2-for-5. Logan Morrison went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Brett Wallace went 3-for-4 with two runs and a home run.


Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox

Johnny Damon went 2-for-5 with two runs, a home run and two RBI. Dan Johnson went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Sean Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Mark Teahan went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.


Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates

Jonathan Herrera went 3-for-6 with a run. Jason Giambi went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.


Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers

Jeff Baker went 4-for-5 with two runs, a home run and four RBI. Yuniesky Betancourt went 2-for-4 with a run. Nyjer Morgan went 2-for-3.


Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves

Nate McLouth went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Chipper Jones went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Ben Francisco went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.


Cincinnati Reds at Arizona Diamondbacks

Willie Bloomquist went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Xavier Nady went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Ian Kennedy gave up one run with nine strikeouts in eight innings for the win.


Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Juan Rivera went 2-for-4. Kyle Drabek gave up one earned run with five strikeouts in six innings, but got a no-decision.


Cleveland Indians at Seattle Mariners

Michael Brantley went 2-for-5 with a run. Travis Hafner went 2-for-5 with two runs, a home run and four RBI. Orlando Cabrera went 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Austin Kearns went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Jack Hannahan went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Carlos Carrasco gave up one run on four hits with six strikeouts in six innings for the win.

Click here for today’s streaming pitcher option.

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Box Score Breakouts—4/4/11

Here’s a look at the unheralded fantasy baseball players who played well yesterday.

Atlanta Braves @ Milwaukee Brewers
Martin Prado went two for four with a home run. Yuniesky Betancourt went two for four. Chris Narveson gave up three hits in six scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Brandon Beachy, yesterday’s streaming pitcher option, gave up one run on four hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. Despite the strong pitching performances neither factored in the decision.

Arizona Diamonbacks @ Chicago Cubs
The usual suspects (Soto, Ramirez, Soriano, Montero) did most of the damage with the bats. Russell Branyan went two for three. Chicago got a strong pitching performance from Randy Wells, who gave up one run in six innings with six strikeouts for the win. Joe Saunders pitched well giving up two runs in six innings, but took the loss.

Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles
Different team, same result. Orioles are on fire. The big names (Roberts, Markakis, Wieters) did the damage. Jake Arrieta gave up one run in six innings for the win. Will Rhymes went two for three with the lone RBI for the Tigers. He also stole a base.

Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees
Ivan Nova gave up three runs in six innings to earn the win for the Yankees. Tsuyoshi Nishioka went two for four with an RBI.

Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers
Julio Borbon went one for three with two RBI. Derek Holland gave up three runs with five strikeouts in six innings to earn the win. Milton Bradley went three for four with two runs. Justin Smoak went two for four with an RBI. Miguel Olivo went two for four with two RBI. Jack Wilson went two for four with a run and a stolen base.

Pittsburgh Pirates @ St. Louis Cardinals
Neil Walker continues to rake. He went three for four with a run and two RBI to run his average to .412. Charlie Morton gave up one run on three hits to nail down the win. Skip Schumaker went two for four for the Cards.

Also check out Today’s Streaming Pitcher Option.

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Box Score Breakouts: 4/1/11

Here’s a look at the unheralded players who played well yesterday.

Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies

Wilson Valdez, playing for Chase Utley, went 2-for-4 with the game-tying RBI. He’s no Utley, but it’s a nice start. Shortstop Angel Sanchez batted second for the Astros, going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Neither is good fantasy option.

Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Phillies with two strikeouts. The rough start for closers continued with Brandon Lyon giving up three in the ninth to blow the lead and lose the game.


Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs

Neil Walker went two for four with a grand slam for the Bucs. He’s in a nice spot hitting behind Jose Tabata and in front of Andrew McCutchen. Evan Meek struck out a pair in a scoreless inning of relief. Kevin Correia gave up two earned runs in six innings for the win.

Kosuke Fukudome went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the leadoff spot. Darwin Barney picked up a couple of hits in four at bats, but he figures to platoon.


Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians

Gordon Beckham got off to a good start, going 3-for-4 with three runs. A.J. Pierzynski went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI. For the Tribe, Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-5 with two runs. Jack Hannahan went 3-for-5 with three runs and a home run. Vinnie Pestano struck out three in a scoreless inning of relief.


Arizona Diamondback at Colorado Rockies

Willie Bloomquist led off for the D-Backs and went 3-for-6 with a run and a stolen base. Aaron Heilman struck out three in a scoreless inning of relief. Seth Smith went 3-for-6 for the Rockies with a run and an RBI. Matt Lindstrom struck out three in a scoreless inning of relief.


Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays

Jeremy Guthrie, yesterday’s streaming pitcher option, earned the win with eight scoreless innings. He struck out six and gave up just three hits and one walk.


Minnesota Twins at Toronto Blue Jays

J.P. Arencibia went 3-for-5 for the Jays with a pair of home runs and five RBI.


New York Mets at Florida Marlins

John Buck went 2-for-4 with a grand slam for the Marlins. It wasn’t a save opportunity for Leo Nunez, but he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning.


Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Kansas City Royals

Jeff Francis got a no-decision, but he held the Angels to one run on five hits over seven innings. Jordan Walden struck out two in a scoreless inning for the Halos.


Seattle Mariners at Oakland A’s

Miguel Olivo went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI for the M’s. Michael Wuertz struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief for the A’s.


San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers

Brandon Belt went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. Andres Torres went 2-for-5 for the Giants. Rod Barajas went 2-for-3 with a run for the Dodgers. Blake Hawksworth struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief.

Click here to see today’s streaming pitcher option.

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MLB Fantasy Baseball Box Score Breakouts: 3/31/11

Here’s a look at the unheralded players who played well yesterday.

 

Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals

Chipper Jones may be old, but he got off to a great start: He went two for four with the first run of the year.

Derek Lowe, my streaming pitcher option, threw 5-2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out six batters and had a 0.88 WHIP. For the Nationals, Danny Espinosa went two for three.

Livan Hernandez took the loss, but only gave up two runs and four hits (no walks) in 6-1/3 innings for a 2.84 ERA and a 0.63 WHIP.

Milwaukee Brewers @ Cincinnati Reds

Ramon Hernandez not only sealed the deal for the Reds, he got off to a monster start for fantasy teams. He went four for five with a game-winning three-run home run.

John Axford gave up four runs, including the game-winner, in two-third innings to blow a save. You don’t lose your closer gig in one day, but this is a bad way to start the year.

Setup man Takashi Saito struck out two in one inning of work.
 

 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Kansas City Royals

Maicer Izturis went two for five with an RBI and a stolen base for the Halos.

Jeff Mathis went two for four with a home run. Melky Cabrera went three for five with a stolen base for Kansas City. Aaron Crow struck out three in one and one-third innings of relief.
 

 

San Diego Padres @ St. Louis Cardinals

Cameron Maybin went two for five with a home run for the Padres. Nick Hundley was two for four with two RBIs. Lance Berkman went two for four with a run for the Cardinals.

Brian Tallet stuck out two in an inning of relief. Ryan Franklin blew a save opportunity.
 

 

San Francisco Giants @ Los Angeles Dodgers

Jonathan Broxton got the save, but gave up a home run to Pat Burrell, while Hong-Chih Kuo pitched a scoreless inning.

You can’t lose the closer gig on Opening Day, but if you Broxton owners have to feel a little uneasy with his start.

Click here for today’s streaming pitcher option. 

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MLB Fantasy Baseball 2011: All-Value Team

All of the players have average draft positions at Mock Draft Central of 200 or higher. 

 

First Base: Ike Davis, New York Mets

Davis, hitting behind Jose Reyes and David Wright, has plenty of room for growth in his second season.

Not that his .271BA/73R/19HR/71RBI/3SB rookie debut was disappointing.

I think the Mets will have one of the better offenses in the National League this year if they can stay healthy. Davis will reap the rewards. Ike’s ADP is 201. 

 

Second Base: Omar Infante, Florida Marlins

There are a few things I like about Omar.

First, he hit .309 over the past three years. Second, with second base, third base, and outfield eligibility he provides great flexibility for fantasy owners. Finally, his ADP of 232 makes him an exceptional value. 

 

Third Base: Placido Polanco, Philadelphia Phillies

If you’re looking for home runs or stolen bases at third base, you can look elsewhere. He should, however, contribute in the other three categories, especially while Chase Utley is out and the No. 2 slot is his.

He’s a decent option at a 243 ADP. 

 

Shortstop: Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers

Peralta is another three category producer.

He should score a fair amount of runs (averaged 79 over past six years), hit a decent amount of home runs (averaged 17.8 over past six years) and drive in a decent amount of RBI (averaged 78.5 over past six years).

He also gives you third base eligibility, and is a nice value at a 253 ADP. 

 

Catcher: Russell Martin, New York Yankees

The Yankees could breathe new life into Russell Martin’s fantasy value. It seems like forever ago that he was a fantasy star, but he’s only 28.

In the Yankees offense and calling Yankee Stadium home, I expect Martin to be solid, but not spectacular, which is fine given his ADP of 249. 

 

Right Field: Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins

Cuddy gives you outfield and first base eligibility.

He hits at a decent clip (.270 hitter), scores a fair amount of runs (93 in each of the past two years), has some pop (14 HR last year), is a decent run producer (averaged 87.5 the past two years) and even swipes a few bases (combined for 13 the past two year).

He’s just a solid addition any fantasy team, and with an ADP of 225, the price is right. 

 

Center Field: Peter Bourjos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Talk about value—Bourjos has an ADP of 363.

Bourjos has excellent speed, making 30 stolen bases seem like a reasonable number. He has some power, too, which could lead to double-digit home runs.

It may be a year early, but he certainly seems like a nice bargain. 

 

Left Field: Jose Tabata, Pittsburgh Pirates

I’m expecting big things from Tabata.

I’m not looking for power numbers, but he should hit around .300, score 90-plus runs, and steals 30-plus bases. If you miss out on some of the other speedsters (Bourn, Pierre, Gardner), Tabata can be a solid backup plan. 

 

Starting Pitcher: Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks

Kennedy went 9-10 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, .228 BAA and 168 strikeouts in 194 innings last year. He was 5-3 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and .219 BAA after the All-Star break.

With an ADP of 215 he’s a rock solid addition to any fantasy staff. 

 

Closer: Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins

There are a number to choose from, but given Nathan’s past dominance and 206 ADP, I went with him.

Nathan was a top-five closer before Tommy John surgery. He is getting his stuff back and could easily be a top-10 closer in 2011.

The Twins tied for 13th with 40 saves last year despite losing Rauch. Even if Nathan isn’t all the way back, he should still be good enough to save 30 games while posting a low ERA and WHIP.

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