Bobby Parnell (SP—Mets) Well, this wasn’t how the script was supposed to play out. The way it’s supposed to go is if you pitch poorly and then you follow it up with an outstanding performance, your next start is supposed to keep that momentum rolling, not come to a screeching halt. On Wednesday, Bobby Parnell was definitely not following the “feel-good” script as his outing was more of a Greek tragedy where the pitching mound was a sacrificial alter and Mets manager Jerry Manuel left him out there as if trying to make an offering to appease the baseball gods. Parnell was toasted by the Braves as he allowed 9 earned runs in 3 innings. It’s obvious that in 3 starts Parnell hasn’t yet figured out that same formula for success from game to game. Parnell’s ERA made a big jump from a very nice 3.50 to a much less attractive 4.74. What’s interesting is that Parnell’s FIP is at 3.74, so it seems that his fielders are not doing him any favors and he has pitched better when he has command of his 95 mph fastball. If fantasy owners where on the brink of pulling the trigger and picking up Parnell for their roster based upon this start, chances are their finger is off the trigger unless they are playing a game of Russian Roulette. Perhaps the baseball gods have been satisfied with the sacrifice made tonight, but if not, Parnell is a risky option at best.
John Smoltz (SP—Cardinals) OK, so let’s try this again, but this time let’s move a little closer to the Mississippi and trade in the red sox for some Cardinal red. John Smoltz has agreed to sign with the Cardinals and it’s expected that he will take a stab at the 5th starter position since the Cardinals have had difficulty finding someone who wants to own that role. This is a sticky one. In many respects this is a better situation for Smoltz going back to the familiar NL and having to pitch to the DH-less lineups. But after a slew of poor outing with the Red Sox, it’s difficult to know what to expect. Against right handers Smoltz did quite well with hitters batting .232 against him and a K/BB ratio of 10.50. It was left handed hitters that took Smoltz to town with a .440 BA and an OPS of 1.047. Against a lineup like the Phillies, Smoltz would be a virtual punching bag. Still, Smoltz appears to have a little bit left in the tank but at 42 and coming off of shoulder surgery, he is very, very risky. If Smoltz fails to perform effectively and he is banished to the bullpen, what little value Smoltz has will practically disintegrate. Proceed with caution.
Cliff Lee (SP—Phillies) If Cliff Lee continues to pitch like he did on Wednesday night, the City of Brotherly Love is going to replace the statue of Rocky Balboa in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and erect one of Lee. On Wednesday, Lee won his 4 game as a Phillie in as many tries beating the Diamondbacks. Lee went the distance allowing just two hits and no walks and only 1 unearned run. Oh, and by the way, he struck out 11. Since his move to the NL, Lee has an ERA of 0.82 with opponents batting just .146 against him. In addition he has been able to stay away from the home run ball which is no small accomplishment playing at Citizens Bank Park. But this is not unusual for him as he has an excellent ratio of allowing about a home run every 2 games. Lee is looking every bit the Cy Young winner he was last year and fantasy owners should stack up the wins that Lee wasn’t getting in Cleveland. Nothing like a change of scenery.
Joey Votto (1B—Reds) Uh oh. This doesn’t sound real good. Joey Votto had to leave the game on Wednesday at the top of the 1st inning because of vision blurriness. Fantasy owners are now white-knuckling it as this is very reminiscent of the beginning of the season when Votto missed several games due to dizziness and anxiety. Although, Reds’ officials are saying this is unrelated, vision blurriness is never a good thing when you’re trying to hit a baseball. Although Votto did hit a home run the night before, hits have been hard to come by of late as Votto has dropped 22 points off his BA and is hitting just .217 for the month of August so far. Even more frustrating is that Votto has been striking out during that span 35% of the time and has only been able to put together an OPS of .662. He still remains a top notch fantasy option but fantasy owners need to hold their breath a little as its unknown how long this vision issue will keep Votto out of the lineup. With any luck, a good night’s sleep will do the trick, but owners should develop a contingency plan if the issue lingers.
Michael Bourn (OF—Astros) Consistency is a wonderful thing. Having a player on your team that provides you with consistent output is even more wonderful. From June 1 through Wednesday, Michael Bourn’s average has ranged at its highest of .302 to its lowest at .282. He has maintained his BA within that 20 point range for almost 3 months. Talk about not deviating from the norm. But when looking around for players, it’s a great find to someone who has that kind of steadiness rather than the streaky player who may play great one week and then poorly another. On Wednesday Bourn went 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored, an RBI, hitting a triple and stealing 2 bases. With those two stolen bases, Bourn’s total is now up to a league leading 46 on the season. While he has been the model of consistency, it’s important to note that Bourn’s BHIP is .360 which is extremely high. But with Bourn’s speed he can carry a higher than average BHIP. As proof of that he has a terrific GB% of 55% and LD% of 21.8, so he is able to use his speed and maintain his average where other players would be recording outs. Chances are Bourn may have been an after thought on draft day but he has proven to be a solid offensive contributor and should continue through the rest of the season.
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