5/14 Recap

Today is one of those days that I didn't trade the reigning Cy Young winner for anything involving Brian Bannister. I've probably said it a million times, but guys sometimes just get off to slow starts, don't overreact. But try to steal those that do. With Sabathia, the problem was more than just a slow start, people were worried about his innings total from the year before and how bad he looked in the playoffs. I almost bought into it, and a number of experts did. CC is going to be a stud the rest of the year. If you traded for him, congratulations. Don't trade him now.



M's 4, Rangers 3

Scott Feldman and Carlos Silva had a pitchers duel. Yuck. I like Silva more than Feldman, but Feldman is worth looking at now. David Murphy had 4 hits for the Rangers, and I think he pretty much has the job for the year, even with Marlon Byrd back. Jeff Clement doubled and tripled, both big signs that he's coming around. Hopefully you didn't cut bait on him, I still believe, and given that he's still hitting pretty high in the order with a .156 average, the M's do too. CJ Wilson came back in a non-save situation and didn't give up a run, which is encouraging. And everyone that picked up Jarrod Washburn for the saves is reaping the benefits. He's probably just going to be bumped back a day or two.



Baltimore 6, Red Sox 3

You guys know the deal with DCab. He actually has a respectable 3.58 ERA now, but I'm not feeling very confident. He gave up 10 hits but only 3 ER while walking none. The lack of walks is a great sign. Jon Lester was solid as well, and with Buchholz hitting the DL, he looks safe for now. Jay Payton put in a 5 RBI game on one hit, which is pretty strange to me. Sure it was a grand slam, but it just looks strange in the box score. Jacoby Ellsbury was back in the lineup after Crisp was having migranes and Drew tweaked in hammy. I would start him just about all the time anyways. This Van Every fellow will have no value this year.



Indians 2, A's 0

Joe Blanton was solid but now has 6 losses. He's been really screwed this year. You can't really play for wins though, so be happy with his solid 3.69 ERA. Ryan Garko hit another homer, which is a great sign for panicing owners like this one. Mike Sweeney is hitting .326, but not much power. I don't see a ton more play time for him down the road, Barton is the future and Thomas is the better Sweeney.



Yankees 2, Rays 1

The Yankees finally won a game against the Rays. Mike Mussina has been a real surprise this year. He's not a strong recommendation, but he's going to get wins. James Shields took another tough luck loss. Robby Cano? The guy I've been saying to get for weeks? Went 4-4 to bring his average up to .205. Get him quick or it's too late. Cliff Floyd is now hitting .407 as well. Take note. He's going to play against righties.



Royals 2, Tigers 0

Luke Horchevar threw 6 shutout innings. It looks like he might stick in the rotation this year after all. I'm not a huge fan. Justin Verlander is 1-7, thats a 4-28 pace. He doesn't seem right, and even though this was one of his better starts, it wasn't special. His 6.05 ERA is going to come down so it's worth a look to see what he'd cost. I wouldn't go much near full price on him though, maybe like 75%. Gary Sheffield can't play the outfield anymore because of his shoulders. There goes that experiment. A DL stint is in his future. Those Barry Bonds whispers are just going to get louder. Mark Tehen was 2-3. He's hitting .279, but slugging .371. Not much to like there.

Jays 6, Twins 5
Neither Halladay or Bonser were very impressive. Matt Stairs hit a grand slam. I'm a fan. I haven't said much about Justin Morneau this year, but he's been a stud. He's going to keep it up too. Good to see Jason Kubel going 2-4 with 2 RBI. He should be able to be had pretty cheaply. Brad Wilkerson had two hits out of hte leadoff spot. He's going to hit homers, not much average, but if he stays in the leadoff spot, it'll be worth a pickup. Scott Downs picked up his 5th save, that's more than Todd Jones. Ryan wasn't available because he pitched the previous two days. I still see Downs worth owning for the scattered saves he can get.

White Sox 6, Angels 1
John Lackey looked pretty sharp. He's going to be his dominant self as long as he can stay healthy. He's safe to use right away. Jose Contreras was almost as good. I still see him getting shelled, but the way he's been pitching he's worth using. Carlos Quentin has 10 homers now, the most in the league. He's a stud. He's going to regress some at some point, but he's going to be a top 10 outfielder this year. The Sox shuffled their lineup a little, bumping Quentin to the 3 spot, Dye to 4, then Thome and Konerko. Probably the right thing to do at this point. Konerko and Thome are going to hit though. Nick Swisher hit his 4th homer of the year as well. I think he's still a strong buy low.