Friday Lineup Card: Ride The Closer Carousel

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Friday's Starters
Braves (Tommy Hanson – R) at Nationals (Stephen Strasburg – R), 7:05
Orioles (Miguel Gonzalez – R) at Indians (Derek Lowe – R), 7:05
Marlins (Ricky Nolasco – R) at Pirates (Kevin Correia – R), 7:05
White Sox (Jake Peavy – R) at Tigers (Justin Verlander – R), 7:05
Giants (Tim Lincecum – R) at Phillies (Vance Worley – R), 7:05
Blue Jays (Aaron Laffey – L) at Red Sox (Josh Beckett – R), 7:10
Dodgers (Aaron Harang – R) at Mets (Johan Santana – L), 7:10
Mariners (Hisashi Iwakuma – R) at Rays (James Shields – R), 7:10
Brewers (Marco Estrada – R) at Reds (Homer Bailey – R), 7:10
Twins (Nick Blackburn – R) at Royals (Luke Hochevar – R), 8:10
Cubs (Ryan Dempster – R) at Cardinals (Kyle Lohse – R), 8:15
Astros (Bud Norris – R) at Diamondbacks (Trevor Cahill – R), 9:40
Yankees (Ivan Nova – R) at Athletics (Tom Milone – L), 10:05
Rangers (Derek Holland – L) at Angels (Jered Weaver – R), 10:05
Rockies (Drew Pomeranz – L) at Padres (Jason Marquis – R), 10:05

Day Game After Night Game: None

Injuries

Day-to-Day
Ryan Braun, OF, MIL (groin) – Expects to be back in the lineup Friday
Colby Lewis, SP, TEX (forearm) – Removed after five innings Wednesday due to tightness
Cameron Maybin, OF, SD (wrist) – Out of the lineup for the second straight game Thursday
Jon Rauch, RP, NYM (knee) – Fluid drained from both knees Wednesday, but pitched (1 IP, 0 R, 2 K)

Disabled List
Evan Longoria, 3B, TB (hamstring) – “Getting better”; still no timetable
David Ortiz, DH, BOS (Achilles) – No rupture or tear, so he’ll probably serve minimum time on DL
Jayson Werth, OF, WAS (wrist) – Rehab assignment starts Friday in High-A Potomac
Tim Stauffer, SP, SD (elbow) – Throwing bullpens Monday/Wednesday, then going on rehab trip
Jhoulys Chacin, SP, COL (shoulder) – Next simulated game could be pushed to Saturday
Brett Gardner, OF, NYY (elbow) – Headed for arthroscopic surgery next week; out for the year
Andrew Bailey, RP, BOS (thumb) – Close to facing live batters; early August remains return estimate
Matt Capps, RP, MIN (shoulder) – Rotator cuff irritation; out indefinitely
Todd Helton, 1B, COL (hip) – Starting rehab assignment in rookie ball this weekend
Eric Stults, SP, SD (shoulder) – Threw four innings in second rehab start
Chris Carpenter, SP, STL (shoulder) – Had surgery Thursday and remains out for the year
Chris Iannetta, C, LAA (forearm) – Rehab assignment will start this weekend
Vernon Wells, OF, LAA (thumb) – Going on rehab trip Friday; will be a part-timer when he returns
Scott Baker, SP, MIN (elbow) – Will begin throwing program first week of August
Erasmo Ramirez, SP, SEA (elbow) – Will throw a bullpen Thursday
Wilson Ramos, C, WAS (knee) – ACL surgery went well Wednesday
Aubrey Huff, 1B, SF (knee) – Back to High-A ball for more rehab; seemingly no setback
Sam Fuld, OF, TB (wrist) – Played nine innings in Triple-A Wednesday
Rafael Perez, RP, CLE (shoulder) – Could rejoin Indians as soon as middle of next week
Mark Lowe, RP, TEX (abdomen) – Hopes to throw a bullpen this weekend, then rehab trip
Jason Castro, C, HOU (knee) – Had an injection and fluid drained Wednesday; looking at next week

Transactions

Activated from DL
Dustin Pedroia, 2B, BOS
Edward Mujica, RP, MIA
Drew Storen, RP, WAS

Placed on DL
Jhonatan Solano, C, WAS (oblique)
Charlie Furbush, RP, SEA

Optioned to Triple-A
D.J. Mitchell, RP, NYY
Pedro Hernandez, SP, CHW
Rick Ankiel, OF, WAS (DFA)
Vin Mazzaro, RP, KC
Sam Dyson, RP, TOR
Mauro Gomez, 1B, BOS
Jairo Asencio, RP, CHC
Mark Hamburger, RP, SD (DFA)
Jeremy Hermida, OF, SD

Called Up
David Phelps, RP, NYY
Donald Veal, RP, CHW
Sandy Leon, C, WAS
Will Smith, SP, KC
Yan Gomes, C, TOR

Traded
Justin Germano, RP, CHC (from BOS)

Closer Watch

Cubs – Would Carlos Marmol be Carlos Marmol if he didn’t make things… interesting? A walk and a hit plated a run Thursday, but Marmol held on for his 11th save – and ninth in a row. In fact, that was the first run Marmol has given up in a save situation since April 24. Bet you wouldn’t have thought that was possible.

Giants – Santiago Casilla’s 10th-inning blown save against the Braves on Wednesday prompted Bruce Bochy to announce that change is coming to the back end of the San Francisco bullpen. After Casilla blew five of his last eight save chances, Bochy had clearly seen enough. Look for Sergio Romo to finally take over the job that should have been his in the first place. He’s quietly been the ace of the Giants’ bullpen for the last two years.

Phillies – Jonathan Papelbon has blown three of his last seven save tries, including giving up two runs in the ninth Wednesday against the Dodgers. That said, he has about as much job security as any closer in the game because, well, what other Phillies reliever can Charlie Manuel possibly trust to go get the last three outs (or any three outs)?

Brewers – Francisco Rodriguez didn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence Wednesday, walking three batters and giving up a hit and a run, but he struck out two for his third save. He’s not the answer to Milwaukee’s closing problem, but John Axford certainly isn’t either. No one else has made a strong case, though, so K-Rod is basically it, and he’s a wily enough pitcher that he probably won’t blow too many saves, but he’s not going to help you in ERA and WHIP either. Closers like K-Rod must be responsible for – and this is purely an estimate – 94 percent of revenue from sale of Rolaids.

Nationals – Drew Storen is finally back from the DL after missing all season to this point, and while he’ll be eased back into action, Tyler Clippard’s hold on the closer’s role is weakening by the moment. The Nationals have always seemed to prefer Clippard serve as their “bullpen ace,” coming in for the highest-leverage situations, rather than confining him to the ninth inning. If Storen shows he hasn’t missed a beat, he’ll be back in the closer’s seat in no time.

KEY MATCHUPS: HOT
Hot Batter Matchups			At-Bats	AVG	HR	XBH	RBI	BB	K	SLG	OBP	OPS
J.J. Hardy - SS	BAL @ CLE 7/20 7:05 PM	Derek Lowe	5-15	.333	0	0	1	1	1	.333	.375	.708
Mark Reynolds - 3B	BAL @ CLE 7/20 7:05 PM	Derek Lowe	8-24	.333	1	4	5	0	4	.625	.333	.958
A.J. Pierzynski - C	CWS @ DET 7/20 7:05 PM	Justin Verlander	17-52	.327	3	7	12	1	5	.577	.340	.917
Kevin Youkilis - 3B	CWS @ DET 7/20 7:05 PM	Justin Verlander	5-14	.357	2	2	3	0	1	.786	.357	1.143
Austin Kearns - OF	MIA @ PIT 7/20 7:05 PM	Kevin Correia	3-10	.300	2	2	2	1	2	.900	.364	1.264
Carlos Lee - OF	MIA @ PIT 7/20 7:05 PM	Kevin Correia	5-11	.455	0	2	2	0	1	.636	.455	1.091
Ryan Howard - 1B	PHI vs SF 7/20 7:05 PM	Tim Lincecum	6-19	.316	3	5	5	3	6	.895	.409	1.304
Juan Pierre - OF	PHI vs SF 7/20 7:05 PM	Tim Lincecum	6-12	.500	0	3	3	1	1	.917	.538	1.455
Matt Kemp - OF	LAD @ NYM 7/20 7:10 PM	Johan Santana	4-12	.333	0	0	1	1	2	.333	.385	.718
Rickie Weeks - 2B	MIL @ CIN 7/20 7:10 PM	Homer Bailey	8-15	.533	0	1	2	2	5	.600	.611	1.211
Jason Bay - OF	NYM vs LAD 7/20 7:10 PM	Aaron Harang	17-46	.370	5	12	9	1	11	.870	.408	1.278
Ronny Cedeno - SS	NYM vs LAD 7/20 7:10 PM	Aaron Harang	6-21	.286	2	3	6	1	8	.619	.318	.937
David Wright - 3B	NYM vs LAD 7/20 7:10 PM	Aaron Harang	8-12	.667	1	3	5	2	3	1.083	.714	1.797
Chone Figgins - 3B	SEA @ TB 7/20 7:10 PM	James Shields	10-27	.370	0	3	1	2	4	.481	.400	.881
Miguel Olivo - C	SEA @ TB 7/20 7:10 PM	James Shields	5-15	.333	0	2	0	0	7	.467	.333	.800
Ichiro Suzuki - OF	SEA @ TB 7/20 7:10 PM	James Shields	11-30	.367	1	2	1	2	7	.500	.406	.906
Adam Lind - 1B	TOR @ BOS 7/20 7:10 PM	Josh Beckett	8-18	.444	1	5	4	2	3	.833	.500	1.333
Alexi Casilla - SS	MIN @ KC 7/20 8:10 PM	Luke Hochevar	4-10	.400	0	4	3	1	0	1.000	.455	1.455
Joe Mauer - C	MIN @ KC 7/20 8:10 PM	Luke Hochevar	9-17	.529	0	3	2	3	0	.765	.600	1.365
Justin Morneau - 1B	MIN @ KC 7/20 8:10 PM	Luke Hochevar	2-11	.182	1	2	2	4	4	.545	.400	.945
David DeJesus - OF	CHC @ STL 7/20 8:15 PM	Kyle Lohse	8-16	.500	1	2	4	1	2	.813	.529	1.342
Alfonso Soriano - OF	CHC @ STL 7/20 8:15 PM	Kyle Lohse	15-39	.385	2	5	7	2	4	.615	.415	1.030
Matt Holliday - OF	STL vs CHC 7/20 8:15 PM	Ryan Dempster	6-18	.333	0	0	1	0	1	.333	.333	.666
Skip Schumaker - 2B	STL vs CHC 7/20 8:15 PM	Ryan Dempster	18-40	.450	0	3	5	1	5	.525	.463	.988
Erick Aybar - SS	LAA vs TEX 7/20 10:05 PM	Derek Holland	5-15	.333	1	2	1	0	2	.600	.333	.933
Torii Hunter - OF	LAA vs TEX 7/20 10:05 PM	Derek Holland	2-10	.200	1	1	2	3	2	.500	.385	.885
Hot Pitcher Matchups			At-Bats	Opp AVG	HR Allow	XBH Allow	RBI Allow	BB	K	Opp SLG	Opp OBP	Opp OPS
Tim Lincecum	SF @ PHI 7/20 7:05 PM	Phillies Batters	29-144	.201	5	16	12	10	39	.404	.259	.663
Jake Peavy	CWS @ DET 7/20 7:05 PM	Tigers Batters	10-65	.154	0	4	2	5	21	.219	.214	.433
Johan Santana	NYM vs LAD 7/20 7:10 PM	Dodgers Batters	26-162	.160	2	10	8	10	40	.259	.215	.474
Nick Blackburn	MIN @ KC 7/20 8:10 PM	Royals Batters	15-68	.221	1	3	7	1	10	.290	.251	.541
Jered Weaver	LAA vs TEX 7/20 10:05 PM	Rangers Batters	65-287	.226	4	20	17	15	55	.324	.271	.595

 

KEY MATCHUPS: COLD
Cold Batter Matchups			At-Bats	AVG	HR	XBH	RBI	BB	K	SLG	OBP	OPS
Gordon Beckham - 2B	CWS @ DET 7/20 7:05 PM	Justin Verlander	2-10	.200	0	0	1	0	2	.200	.182	.382
Paul Konerko - 1B	CWS @ DET 7/20 7:05 PM	Justin Verlander	5-41	.122	1	1	2	3	12	.195	.200	.395
Alexei Ramirez - SS	CWS @ DET 7/20 7:05 PM	Justin Verlander	5-28	.179	1	1	1	1	4	.286	.207	.493
Miguel Cabrera - 3B	DET vs CWS 7/20 7:05 PM	Jake Peavy	2-22	.091	0	0	0	2	10	.091	.167	.258
Jhonny Peralta - SS	DET vs CWS 7/20 7:05 PM	Jake Peavy	2-14	.143	0	2	1	0	3	.286	.143	.429
Mike Fontenot - 2B	PHI vs SF 7/20 7:05 PM	Tim Lincecum	1-13	.077	0	0	1	0	6	.077	.077	.154
Hunter Pence - OF	PHI vs SF 7/20 7:05 PM	Tim Lincecum	3-22	.136	0	1	0	1	7	.182	.174	.356
Jimmy Rollins - SS	PHI vs SF 7/20 7:05 PM	Tim Lincecum	3-18	.167	0	1	0	0	3	.222	.167	.389
Carlos Ruiz - C	PHI vs SF 7/20 7:05 PM	Tim Lincecum	2-10	.200	0	2	0	1	1	.400	.273	.673
Chase Utley - 2B	PHI vs SF 7/20 7:05 PM	Tim Lincecum	2-20	.100	1	2	1	1	7	.300	.182	.482
Shane Victorino - OF	PHI vs SF 7/20 7:05 PM	Tim Lincecum	4-21	.190	1	2	2	1	5	.381	.227	.608
Rod Barajas - C	PIT vs MIA 7/20 7:05 PM	Ricky Nolasco	2-10	.200	0	0	1	0	2	.200	.182	.382
Clint Barmes - SS	PIT vs MIA 7/20 7:05 PM	Ricky Nolasco	1-12	.083	0	0	0	0	3	.083	.154	.237
Ryan Zimmerman - 3B	WAS vs ATL 7/20 7:05 PM	Tommy Hanson	3-15	.200	0	2	3	0	6	.333	.235	.568
Nick Punto - 2B	BOS vs TOR 7/20 7:10 PM	Aaron Laffey	2-11	.182	0	1	0	2	2	.273	.308	.581
Mark Ellis - 2B	LAD @ NYM 7/20 7:10 PM	Johan Santana	1-14	.071	0	1	0	1	4	.143	.188	.331
Jerry Hairston Jr. - 3B	LAD @ NYM 7/20 7:10 PM	Johan Santana	0-13	.000	0	0	1	1	3	.000	.067	.067
Juan Rivera - OF	LAD @ NYM 7/20 7:10 PM	Johan Santana	2-12	.167	0	1	1	0	1	.250	.167	.417
Juan Uribe - 3B	LAD @ NYM 7/20 7:10 PM	Johan Santana	9-62	.145	1	5	2	0	19	.258	.145	.403
Corey Hart - OF	MIL @ CIN 7/20 7:10 PM	Homer Bailey	3-17	.176	0	0	1	1	5	.176	.222	.398
Scott Hairston - OF	NYM vs LAD 7/20 7:10 PM	Aaron Harang	2-10	.200	0	1	0	1	4	.300	.273	.573
Yunel Escobar - SS	TOR @ BOS 7/20 7:10 PM	Josh Beckett	1-11	.091	0	0	0	0	3	.091	.091	.182
Jeff Mathis - C	TOR @ BOS 7/20 7:10 PM	Josh Beckett	2-10	.200	0	2	1	0	3	.400	.200	.600
Chris Getz - 2B	KC vs MIN 7/20 8:10 PM	Nick Blackburn	2-11	.182	0	0	2	0	1	.182	.167	.349
Alex Gordon - OF	KC vs MIN 7/20 8:10 PM	Nick Blackburn	2-11	.182	0	1	1	0	4	.273	.250	.523
Denard Span - OF	MIN @ KC 7/20 8:10 PM	Luke Hochevar	3-22	.136	0	2	1	2	5	.273	.208	.481
Rafael Furcal - SS	STL vs CHC 7/20 8:15 PM	Ryan Dempster	2-26	.077	0	0	0	1	8	.077	.111	.188
Kendrys Morales - 1B	LAA vs TEX 7/20 10:05 PM	Derek Holland	2-10	.200	0	2	0	1	3	.400	.273	.673
Adrian Beltre - 3B	TEX @ LAA 7/20 10:05 PM	Jered Weaver	8-46	.174	0	3	2	0	9	.239	.204	.443
David Murphy - OF	TEX @ LAA 7/20 10:05 PM	Jered Weaver	5-28	.179	0	1	1	1	8	.214	.200	.414
Cold Pitcher Matchups			At-Bats	Opp AVG	HR Allow	XBH Allow	RBI Allow	BB	K	Opp SLG	Opp OBP	Opp OPS
James Shields	TB vs Sea 7/20 7:10 PM	Mariners Batters	31-84	.369	1	8	3	4	22	.488	.393	.881
Aaron Harang	LAD @ NYM 7/20 7:10 PM	Mets Batters	37-100	.370	9	21	22	6	27	.767	.417	1.184
Luke Hochevar	KC vs Min 7/20 8:10 PM	Twins Batters	24-75	.320	1	13	10	11	9	.572	.407	.979
Kyle Lohse	STL vs ChC 7/20 8:15 PM	Cubs Batters	30-81	.371	3	8	14	5	9	.555	.407	.963

Recommended Pickup
Sergio Romo, RP, SF – As noted above, Romo is the frontrunner to close for the Giants with Santiago Casilla on his way out of that role, and yet he’s still only 40 percent owned on Yahoo, 22 percent owned on ESPN and 26 percent owned on CBS. Don’t fall behind the times – snatch Romo up, as he could be one of baseball’s best closers the rest of the way. All he's done so far this year is put up a 0.66 ERA and 0.73 WHIP with a 34:8 K:BB over 27.1 innings.

Other Recent Recommendations: Francisco Rodriguez, Anthony Gose, Jacob Turner, Adam Lind, Ben Sheets

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DraftStreet Lineup

C: Matt Wieters, BAL ($5,648)
1B: Anthony Rizzo, CHC ($6,353)
2B: Daniel Murphy, NYM ($5,720)
3B: Alex Rodriguez, NYY ($6,685)
SS: Alcides Escobar, KC ($7,202)
OF: Carlos Beltran, STL ($7,355)
OF: Justin Upton, AZ ($5,932)
OF: Michael Morse, WAS ($4,126)
UT: Ike Davis, NYM ($5,371)
UT: Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE ($5,341)
SP: Marco Estrada, MIL ($12,242)
SP: Ivan Nova, NYY ($12,315)
RP: Rafael Betancourt, COL ($2,130)
P: Jered Weaver, LAA ($13,369)

Total: 99,789

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