Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates: Hot Batter
Alvarez continues to swing a blazing hot bat, hitting a three-run bomb to give the Pirates a lead they wouldn't squander. The blast was his 21st of the season already and his 11th since the start of June. He is now third in the NL in home runs and sixth in RBI with 56. The pain he may have caused with his early season slump he has more than made up for in the past month and a half. And if last season is any indication on how Pedro trends, he should continue to hit well this month and tail off in August and September, but for now, he is capable of carrying teams for weeks on end. Don't fall too deep in love with this hot streak, because Alvarez is a guy who will demand a high price once he reaches the 30+ home run territory this year. He could be one of the better sell high prospects around.
Kyle Lohse, SP, Milwaukee Brewers: Pick Him Up
Lohse was clinical today with his pitches, stymieing the Nationals all day, surrendering just a solo home run to Anthony Rendon in the seventh inning of Milwaukee's 4-1 victory yesterday evening. The veteran right hander gave up just four hits in eight innings of work. His control was on point like usual, allowing just one walk, just his 17th in 102.1 innings (17 starts). Since the start of June (seven starts), Lohse has allowed just 10 earned runs and hasn't given up more than three earned runs in a game. His ERA has dropped almost a full point, from 4.39 to 3.43 during that span. He is just 3-0 in those seven starts, but he posts good WHIP, ERA, and K/BB numbers, even though he has just 66 punch outs this year. He is available in about half of Yahoo! leagues, so if you are looking for a guy to chew up innings and post consistently solid numbers, Lohse is your man.
Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado Rockies: MVP Candidate
CarGo got the Rockies on the board this evening with a solo home run in the first inning. The dinger was Carlos' 23rd of the season, good for second in the NL in that category. With his line at .294/.363/.604, he is putting up MVP like numbers, and the fact that he has stolen 15 bags already this year (career high is 26 in 2010), shows his maturity on the basepaths, and is a sign that he is on pace for quite the season. Gonzalez already has more home runs than he had last season, and has just 24 RBI before he matches last year's total in that category as well. Even without star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies offense is as dangerous as ever, so expect CarGo to see plenty of RBI opportunities moving forward, making him a viable candidate for a top five fantasy player this season.
Zack Greinke, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers: Caution
Greinke had his second straight rough outing, giving up five runs on six hits and tying a career high with seven walks. The ERA isn't a huge concern at 4.30, but considering his WHIP is now at 1.45 (24 walks and 76 hits in 69 innings). Since coming back from the broken collarbone he suffered in a scuffle with San Diego's Carlos Quentin, Greinke really hasn't been the same pitcher. He has given up a ton of hits, he hasn't been striking out batters at nearly the rate he is accustomed and as of recent, his control has been a concern. His value was never high enough this year to sell just yet, so owners will have to ride it out and hope that he can turn it around soon with the resurgence of the Dodgers offense now that Kemp is back and Puig is here for the long haul. He did earn the victory to improve to 6-2 on the season despite his woes, so it wasn't a completely lost start.
Francisco Rodriguez, RP, Milwaukee Brewers: New Closer?
First John Axford, then Jim Henderson. Is it K-Rod's turn to nail down the ninths for Milwaukee? When Jim Henderson started his stint on the disabled list, it was understood that John Axford would have his opportunities to earn the trust back of Manager Ron Roenicke. But Axford hasn't had the mojo this season, leaving Roenicke at an impasse. Enter, Francisco Rodriguez, who has been nothing short of magnificent since rejoining the club in May. In just over 20 innings pitched, K-Rod has given up just two runs and struck out over a batter per inning. Jim Henderson has 10 saves on the season and just a 2.05 ERA, but after blowing two this past month, K-Rod has taken advantage of his opportunity, saving all seven of his chances, with an 0.92 ERA. While Henderson didn't do much to lose the job, it looks like it is Rodriguez's to lose right now. He's too hot to take out of the ninth and Milwaukee, who is dead last in the NL Central, needs any sort of momentum they can get going into the All-Star Break. Hold onto Henderson, as K-Rod could falter at any moment, but he is cruising right now, and is known as one of the streakiest pitchers in baseball.
