by George Utter on May 4, 2009
Cleveland Indians SP Cliff Lee fell to 1-4 after giving up 3 runs in 7 innings vs Detroit on Sunday.
Our instinct: Lee scattered 12 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4. Though he lost his 4th game of the season, he has a 3.92 era and should lower it to the mid threes before season end. Keep him in your rotation.
Cleveland Indians OF Grady Sizemore went 0-4 with 2 k’s against Justin Verlander on Sunday.
Our instinct: Grady is only hitting .240 but has 6 hr’s and 19 rbis on the season. He still hasn’t found his groove, but as the months get warmer – so should Sizemore.
Cleveland Indians C/1B Victor Martinez had 1 of the 3 hits of f of Justin Verlander on Sunday.
Our Instinct: V-mart is hitting a robust .388 on the season with 5 hr’s and 13 rbi’s. To put this into prospective, he hit .288 with only 2 hr’s in 266 ab’s last season. It’s clear that hes over his injury in 2009.
Cleveland Indians OF Matt LaPorta made his major league debut on Sunday, going 0 for 4 with 2 k’s.
Our instinct: LaPorta was rudely introduced to the majors by an on fire Justin Verlander. LaPorta didnt stand a chance, but should get plenty of opportunities to prove himself.
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by George Utter on May 4, 2009
Atlanta Braves 2B Omar Infante 4 hits in 9 ab’s vs Houston this weekend.
Our instinct: Infante continues to take away ab’s from Kelly Johnson. He’s hitting .367 on the season, with no stolen bases or home runs. It’s probably for the best to stay away from him and Johnson until this resolves itself.
Atlanta Braves SS Yunel Escobar went 4 for 10 with a couple doubles vs the Astros this weekend.
Our instinct: Escobar has just 6 extra base hits and no stolen bases in 83 ab’s on the season. He has to hit better than .289 to be a useful 2B without any of the extras.
Atlanta Braves SP Jo-Jo Reyes looked his usual self on Sunday, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings while walking 3 and striking out 3.
Our instinct: Thats about what you can expect from Reyes. Last weeks 7 inning, 7 k, 1 walk outing vs the Cardinals is pretty out of the ordinary for Reyes. He’s got a 5.00 era, so if you roll him out there you should know what to expect 99% of the time.
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by George Utter on May 4, 2009
Houston Astros OF Michael Bourn went 7 for 14 with 2 stolen bases in the 3 game series vs Atlanta.
Our instinct: Bourn is now hitting over .300 and has 8 sb’s on the season. He’s a .214 career hitter vs the Nationals, but he’s on a hot streak so keep using him.
Houston Astros SS Miguel Tejada had 2 hits and an rbi on Sunday against the Braves.
Our instinct: Tejada continues to hit at .300, but it’s very empty. He’s gone over 100 ab’s without a hr on the season, and only has 5 rbi’s and 6 extra base hits. If he stops getting on base he will be totally worthless.
Houston Astros SP Wandy Rodriguez wasn’t as sharp against the Braves on Sunday, giving up 3 runs in 5 innings.
Our instinct: Rodriguez is going to have a so-so outing every once in awhile, it just happens. However, he’s shown a lot this season so far to make us think that hes taking his game to the next level. No reason not to keep using him.
Houston Astros RP Latroy Hawkins picked up his 3rd save of the season, striking out the side against the Braves in the 9th inning Sunday.
Our instinct: Hawkins picked up his 1st save in 13 days, so he’s not exactly getting a lot of opportunities. He does have a 2.92 era and 11 k’s against 3 walks in 12.1 innings, so he’s been pretty useful.
Houston Astros 1B Lance Berkman 4 hits in 13 ab’s against the Braves this weekend.
Our instinct: Big Puma raised his average from .165 to .184 with the effort. He’s got a long ways to go to make up for a horrible April.
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by George Utter on May 4, 2009
Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Andy LaRoche went 2 for 3 on Sunday against a red hot SP Johnny Cueto of the Reds.
Our instinct: Laroche is hitting .250 after starting off the season horribly. He hasn’t hit a home run yet and is a pretty lousy option at 3B right now, but there is signs of life there.
Pittsburgh Pirates RP Evan Meek allowed his 1st hit of the season on Sunday vs the Reds.
Our instinct: Meek hasn’t allowed a run in his 5.2 innings pitched, however the 6 walks vs 4 k’s isn’t pretty. There’s no reason he should be on any fantasy roster right now.
Pittsburgh Pirates OF Nate McLouth went 5 for 13 over the weekend against the Reds.
Our instinct: It’s good to see that McLouth didn’t need a trip to the DL. Get him back into your lineup if you have not already done so – though keep in mind Yovani Gallardo has struck him out 5 out 10 times.
Pittsburgh Pirates Of Nyjer Morgan had 4 hits this weekend against the Reds.
Our instinct: Morgan hasn’t stole a base since April 22nd, but he is still hitting pretty well. He has a career .310 average vs the Brewers, but doesn’t do well against Yovani Gallardo at all. Keep that in mind.
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