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CLOSER FACTS:
Jonathan Broxton still has only one save in one attempt for the LA Dodgers.
Jonathan Papelbon has pitched 5 out of the last 7 days.  He accrued a win and three saves in that span.
Jose Valverde fists pumps with his right hand.
As of April 26, five closers still have a 0.00 ERA.  Mariano Rivera, Andrew Bailey, Jonathan Broxton, Brian Wilson, and Leo Nunez.
Mike Gonzalez is expected back closing for the Orioles around mid-May.

SAVES:

Jose Valverde (6) - The always eccentric Valverde disposed of the of Rangers on ten pitches and gave his required fist pump when the game was over.  It was a perfect save with no strikeouts, but two groundballs and a lineout.

Ryan Franklin (7) - Wow.  Another save with hits, no strikeouts, and even better NO RUNS.  Mr. Lucky continues his run of pitching to contact, but keeping the ERA down. 

Brain Fuentes (3) - Just dominated the Cleveland Indian batters, but then again who hasn't?  He was lucky enough to go through a bunch of lefties.  He opened the inning with a called strike three, but Hafner reached on an error.  He came back and struck out another lefty Branyan and then walk Kearns.  He finished the game by striking out the side, but needed 27 pitches to close the game.  Expect to see someone else close tomorrow, possibly Rodney.

Bruce Chen (1) - Chen came in and got the 3-1 save for the Royals over the Mariners.  He was giving the overworked Soria a day off, so no worries if you own Soria.  It was also a lefty/lefty matchup and he faced one batter.

Jonathan Papelbon - (6) - Paps looked much sharper tonight with Jason Varitek behind the plate.  He struck out Travis Snider with a perfectly placed high fastball.  He then he got Lewis on a groundball and Hill on a popup.  He looked outstanding and in command.  Could his problem be Victor Martinez?

Chad Qualls (5) - Got his fifth save of the season, but not without giving up a couple of hits and a RBI to Carlos Ian Stewart. He did end up striking out the side, but you can't ignore his 9.00 ERA and 2.11 WHIP.  A funny fact, his ERA coming into the game was 9.00 and he gave up a run in an inning, which is a 9.00 ERA, so no movement.

APPEARANCES:

Carlos Marmol (1-0) Marmol still can't get saves, but he got his first win of the season.  He pitched the tenth inning against the Nationals and gave up a lone hit with no strikeouts.

Octavio Dotel - Don't tell me he's getting hammered again.  Just part of another Brewer/Pirate massacre.  He gave up four runs on three hits and a walk.  The big blast was a Alcides Escobar 2-run home run.  Not a good night for any Pirate pitcher. 

Neftali Feliz - Second game in a row that the young Texas closer has got rocked.  He gave up two runs on three hits.  Basically he threw two poorly placed fastballs that were hammered from home runs.  His ERA has ballooned to 4.66 and his WHIP has jumped to 1.24. He also took the loss and his record stands at 1-1.

Heath Bell - Got some work in a 10-1 loss and looked great.  He struck out the side on 15 pitches.

Kevin Gregg - Came into the ninth inning of a wild 13-12 game and looked outstanding against the three Red Sox hitters he faces.  He got two soft groundballs and a strikeout.  Though I admit the called strike three on JD Drew was a ball.

Listen to Todd "The True Guru" Farino breakdown all the closer activity three times a week on Blog Talk Radio. Every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 11pm PST. www.blogtalkradio.com/the-closer-report or download the podcast on ITunes!

CLOSER NEWS:
N/A
SAVES:
Brian Wilson (3) Wilson finally recorded a save.  It was his first save since April 6, and he went out there with a vengeance.  Besides a simple single, Wilson struck out the side for his third save of the season.  His ERA remains at 0.00.


Chad Qualls (3) - Qualls had a hefty three run lead to work with and he didn't even need it.  Why?  He only needed one out.  It was 7-3 going into the ninth and after Heilman gave up a run, Qualls entered the game with two outs and a runner on second.  He dispatched of Polanco on five pitches.

BLOWN SAVES:
Neftali Feliz (1-0 BS1) - Feliz got rocked tonight and badly.  Well, maybe not that badly, but he gave up three hits, including a wacky shallow double to Johnny Damon.  He couldn't close the deal on Magglio Ordonez who with two outs got the big hit to tie the game at 4-4 and blow the game for Feliz.  He did manage to get the win, so it wasn't all bad.
APPEARANCES:
Carlos Marmol - Pitched 1.1 innings for some odd reason in a blowout.  Still, he struck out three out of the four batters he retured.
Jim Johnson - Gave up a hit in 1/3 of an inning against the Red Sox.
Rafeal Soriano - Got some work in against the Blue Jays.  Struck out two in an inning of work. His WHIP has gone down to 1.14 and his ERA is loking much better at 2.57.

To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

Labels: Arizona Diamindbacks, Baltimore Orioles, boston red sox, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, LA Angels, new york mets, san francisco giants, tampa bay rays, Texas Rangers, toronto blue jays

April 12, 2010  JunkyardJake.Com

Mike Leake, Cincinnati Reds, SP  

Hey, wait a minute, did we just waste the last few weeks anticipating the future exploits of Aroldis 'The Cuban Missile' Chapman? Was this not the left-hander who could tame wild beasts, alter the weather and defeat third world illiteracy with the magnificence of his 100 mph fast ball? Then, abruptly, just after most of us all learned how to spell his first name, it was like Janet Reno sent her SWAT team to apprehend the 22 year old Cuban defector in the middle of the night, loaded him on a bus and sent him down to Triple-A Louisville. Not to fret, because the Reds have probably made much worse decisions than choosing former Arizona State wunderkind Mike Leake to fill their number five rotation spot. Leake is a two-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, who really hit his stride in 2009, when he finished with a sparkling 1.71 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 142 innings. Although he doesn't make headlines with his 90 MPH fastball, it's his advanced control, plus changeup and the way he persuades hitters to constantly hit harmless groundballs which makes him an interesting prospect. Leake was especially stingy with walks over at Arizona State, granting just 1.68 free passes per 9 innings over his three-year amateur career. Certainly, if he can generate even half the success that he enjoyed at the collegiate level, he will make a worthwhile fantasy acquisition in the early weeks of the season.
Available in 50% of all CBSSportsline leagues.


Ian Desmond , Washington Nationals, SS  
The polls are in, and while Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, both Congressional Chaplains, the Obama family dog, Senator Blabby Blowhard from the great state of South Morontopia and even the guy who dry cleans John Roberts judicial black robe have all fallen into the teens on their approval ratings, the Washington Nationals have somehow escaped the wrath of the electorate, at least temporarily. So what's the justification for this blind optimism? Well, it can't be Washington's pitching staff as their best pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, was sent down to double-A before the season where he will work on destroying the confidence of minor league hitters for the next couple months. One possible reason for the early season enthusiasm is the arrival of rookie shortstop Ian Desmond. Drafted at the age of eighteen back in 2004, Desmond has always shown a penchant for stealing bases, but really didn't show much else for his first few years. In 2008, he started showing a bit of power hitting 12 HRs at the AA level, and then earned a promotion in 2009 to triple AAA, where he hit .354 over 55 games. He won the starting SS spot for the Nationals with a great spring, so it's his job to lose and he makes a solid fantasy pickup in the early going.
Available in 55% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

---

Austin Jackson , Detroit Tigers, OF  
Heralded as one of the top prospects in the NY Yankees farm system for the past couple years, Austin Jackson was essentially exchanged for Curtis Granderson in a trade between the Yankees and Tigers this offseason. Actually, to be fair, the trade was more confusing than that, as it also involved sending Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson to the Arizona Diamondbacks, some pork belly futures contracts, and an attempted return of Staten Island to the Lenape Indians. (They respectfully declined, and who could blame them). Time will tell if this trade works out, but amazingly enough, this might be the most frugal roster move the Yankees have made since they traded for Roger Maris in 1959. (Granderson is scheduled to make only $5.5 million this year, or about 10 million less than the typical retail price the Yankees typically pay for shiny new players.) As for Austin Jackson, he doesn't have Granderson's 30 HR power, but he is a smooth defensive player who could very well hit .280 with 10-15 HRs and 20 plus stolen bases. He's off to a good start this season and the Detroit Tigers seem committed to him for the immediate future so Jackson makes a good pickup to round out your fantasy outfield in mixed leagues.
Available in 47% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

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Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals, 1B/3B/OF  
It's hard to get too excited about the rookie whose primary job on the St. Louis Cardinals is possibly backing up Albert Pujols at firstbase. That's kindof like expecting Carrot Top to fill in for Conan O'Brien, or winning the thankless and lonely job as the George Clooney stand-in who specializes in only scenes that call for the actor to get hit in the face with a barstool. So why is Allen Craig an interesting waiver prospect? Well, for one thing, he is probably funnier than Carrot Top, just by default. More importantly though, his minor league numbers suggest a player who might be ready to start launching the ball over the walls at Busch Stadium if given the chance anytime soon. Over the past three seasons as he progressed through the Cardinals minor league affiliates, Craig has demonstrated consistent power, blasting 24 HRs in 2007, 22 in 2008 and then 26 homeruns in 2009. All three seasons, his average exceeded .300, including his .322 BA at AAA Memphis last year. Although Craig is not known for his defensive skills, he does play 3rd base in addition to 1st base, and should also see time at the corner outfield spots.
Available in 98% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

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Other Players To Consider:
Dallas Braden,Oakland A's,SP  
Available in 42% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Drew Stubbs,Cincinnati Reds,OF  
Available in 44% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Gaby Sanchez,Florida Marlins,1B  
Available in 77% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Carlos Gomez,Milwaukee Brewers,OF  
Available in 62% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Jaime Garcia,St.Louis Cardinals,SP  
Available in 69% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Labels: fantasy baseball, waiver wire

Just a quick email tonight, I will review the week during the Sunday night game.

Pitch & Ditch 4/11/10


No Brainer : (Your staff ace or Top Pitcher)


Verlander
Burnett
Shields
J. Santana
Halladay
Lincecum

Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)

Buehrle
Buchholz
Saunders
Braden
Oswalt
Jackson
Wolf
Feldman
Haeger
G. Smith
Garland



Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)


Westbrook
Millwood
Blackburn
Meche
Snell
Leake


If you feel Lucky: (A Gamble)


A. Sanchez
Marcum

Just a quick email tonight, I will review the week during the Sunday night game.

Pitch & Ditch 4/11/10


No Brainer : (Your staff ace or Top Pitcher)


Verlander
Burnett
Shields
J. Santana
Halladay
Lincecum

Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)

Buehrle
Buchholz
Saunders
Braden
Oswalt
Jackson
Wolf
Feldman
Haeger
G. Smith
Garland



Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)


Westbrook
Millwood
Blackburn
Meche
Snell
Leake


If you feel Lucky: (A Gamble)


A. Sanchez
Marcum

To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

Hey everyone, Saturday starts will be the 1st time this season that we will see pitchers
there 2nd time around and we all hope our Big ace will turn things around. On Sunday night i will go over my 'If you feel lucky' picks and see how i did. Most of these pitchers are on the wavier wire or on your bench. Also on Sunday i will go over 2 start pitchers that you may want to pick up if you are in a weekly league.

***** YOU WILL BE SEEING MY PITCH & DITCH BLOG ON THE PT's PODCAST SECTION OF THE WEB********

Pitch & Ditch 4/10/10

No Brainer : (Your staff ace or Top Pitcher)

Sabathia (8.44 ERA and playing a Hot Tampa team looks like a slow start for CC this year.)
King Felix( Going to Texas will be through but I do feel SEA bats will wake up.)
Beckett (9.64 ERA and playing KC should be able to cut that ERA in half.)
Greinke ( Bad Match he will have to do it all to get the Win.)
Gallardo ( He just got paid $$$$$)
Carpenter
J. Johnson
Haren ( Always a fast starter but trade him after the All Star break.)

Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)

Baker ( I thought he was overrated this preseason.)
Weaver ( Angels offense doesn't look go yet but Weaver is becoming an Ace.)
Harang( Will give you the K's but just can't win games.)
Sheets(3.60 ERA in his 1st start I want to see more but you have to start him.)
Moyer
Kawakami

Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)

Garcia (He still pitches?)
Harrison
D. Hernandez
Eveland
Bonderman
Talbot
O. Perez
Paulino ( Was one of my deep deep sleepers K's will be there but nothing else.)
Padilla ( Was one of my 'if you feel lucky' his 1st start this time I am not rolling the dice.)
McCutchen
Hammel
Gorzelanny

IF you Feel Lucky: (A Gamble)

W.Daive (The Rays look like the real deal this year and NYY bats are still sleeping. We all know what Lenny Melnick would say "A Rookie is a rookie" But I am picking him up and taking a chance.)

Lotos ( He has the stuff to be a future ace but doesn't have the head. Yes he has a through match up and at Coors but he could put things together at anytime and have a great game.0

Wellemyer ( Looked good in spring and won the 5th spot in the rotation plus he have the hottest hitter in baseball in Edgar Renteria)

A lot of Ditching day but Still some gems out there.

Pitch & Ditch: 4/9/10


No Brainer : (Your staff ace or Top Pitcher)

Vazquez (Not pitching against a NL line anymore, let see how he does.)

Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)

Danks
Liriano ( Everyone sleeper this all off season. Now it time to show what you got.)
De La Rosa ( Set to have a great game.)
J. Sanchez ( K machine)
Hudson (Pitching for contact so don't look for the strikeouts)
Happ (I Don't think he will be the as good as last year but this game he will)
Porcello (Low K's but gets the job done everyone else)
Wakefield
Bailey (This has to be his year or he will be out of CIN.)
Volstad ( I Picked him up in one of my leagues. Looked good this spring)
Kuroda

Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)

Huff
Morrow
Davies
Gonzalez
Palmer
Vargas
Silva ( Believe it or not, No Silva love from me.)
L. Hernandez ( If you need innings he is your man but hurting everywhere else)
Pelfrey
Norris (Can be a great source for K's but not today)
Lohse
Bush
R. Lopez
Morton
Richard ( I do like him just a really bad match up)

If you feel Lucky: (A gamble)

Price (Bad Match up but has upside)
Lewis (Tim McLeod has been pumping this guy all off season.)


To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.