It was an unstoppable force (the Grimace Mets) meets an immovable object (Rowdy Tellez – 2 for 4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 Runs) in the box Friday night in Pittsburgh and Rowdy held his ground knocking two dingers including a grand salami. Also double donging in this one was Brian Reynolds (4 for 5, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 Runs) who also hit a grand slam. The Mets were serving up meatballs and the Pirates were happy to knock them over the wall. Some guy named Paul Skenes (7 IP, 8 Ks, 2 ER) pitched pretty well and also made history striking out seven plus in nine of his first ten starts. The seven dingers by the Pirates were the real story here though. Suwinksi, Grandal, and Michael A. Taylor also got in on the fun. The Pirates hit so many HRs, the stadium ran out of scoreboard fireworks. Impressive. I’d look to add Rowdy if you are hurting for pop at the corner, and Suwinski in case this and his three hit game Tuesday are the start of a heater. Here’s what else I saw last night in fantasy baseball:
Justin Steele – 9 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1st win – Pitched an absolute gem against the hapless Halos. That’s one way to keep a hot June rolling. Steele’s 2.13 ERA in June is a far cry from his 4.88 ERA in May and it really looks like he’s turned a corner.
Ian Happ – 2 for 3, 2 RBI – Nothing can stop the Happening.
Luis Garcia Jr. – 4 for 5, 2 RBI – Slam (10) and legs (12) taste so good on a long weekend. Garcia has stretches of absolute boredom but is putting together a fantastic season. Nonetheless, I find myself wanting to bench him for more interesting options all the time. 20/20 looks very doable though.
Sonny Gray – 5 IP, 5 ER, 6 Ks – Even daddy has a bad game once in a while. KC at home is next up and he’ll be right back to his usual self.
Colt Keith – 2 for 4, 3 RBI – Double slam (5,6) as Keith is getting hawt. I was a huge Keith guy on draft day, held him all through a rough April/May, dropped him in June, picked him back up where I could mid June but I’m sad to be missing out on the heat in some leagues where someone else scooped him. Over his last 30 games he’s hitting .266 with 3 dingers and steal. Not world=beating, but better than Jeremy Pena.
Reese Olson – 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – Keep waiting for the other show to drop here and it just isn’t. I’ve added and dropped him more times in my RCLs than probably any other pitcher. The three wins are rough, but can’t argue with the ratios and solid Ks.
Spencer Steer – 2 for 4, 2 RBI – Steer stole Candelario’s juice and popped his 12th homer of the season. I gotta say, I thought he’d have more by now but the 13 steals are keeping me interested. 20/20 from the corner is definitely something.
Luis Robert Jr. – 2 for 3 – A double legs (5,6) in a game that happened (CWS @ MIA). Robert is doing seemingly anything he can to get traded with Garret Crochet at the deadline. A trade in division to the Guardians could be fun!
Trea Turner – 2 for 5, 4 RBI, 2 Runs – A double slam (6,7) or the Braves killer, Treat Urner. Turner is hotter than the sun right now, his last 30 has him hitting .348 with 5 HR and 7 SBs. My lawdy.
Austin Riley – 1 for 3, 2 RBI, 2 Runs – Speaking of hot, Riley’s power binge continued as hit number 11 and his fifth in two weeks. Hope you bought low 3 weeks ago.
Aaron Nola – 6 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 Ks – Even his bad games are good. (Just forget about that start in Boston)
Brenton Doyle – 3 for 4, 2 RBI – Continues to be everything I hoped Nolan Jones (0 for 4, 3 Ks) would be. I’m so glad I picked him up everywhere I could for early streaming and held him. Doyle is the lone bright spot on some teams this year. Meanwhile, Jones has forgotten how to hit entirely.
Shane Baz – 6 IP, 7 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks – Everyone’s favorite IL stash has returned and threw 92 pitches in the loss. Despite the loss, I’d be encouraged by this start. We should see 100 pitches next time out, the Ks were there, the walks were not, if he avoids the WHIP’ing post next time out, things looks bright for Baz.
Tanner Bibee – 4.2 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – A rough first inning filled with 3 hits and both of his walks did Bibee in. Just when I’m ready to say he’s looking acely one unravels for him. Still, the Ks were there and we can hope for a return to form next time out.
Tanner Houck – 3.1 IP, 2 hits, 3 Runs (1 ER), 4 BBs, 1 K – An error ended things for Houck who once again wasn’t his sharpest Friday night. The Bronx is a scary place to pitch though and I’m not even sure I’d have tossed him out there.
Ceddanne Rafaela – 1 for 4, 2 RBI – Another guy I was in on and wish I was more patient with because his tenth blast of the season to go with 11 steals is giving me the ragrets.
Clay Holmes – 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER – It’s been a rough stretch for Holmes (6.23 ERA in last 30 days) and I wonder if the Yankees go bullpen shopping real soon. Kyle Finnegan in the Bronx sounds like a terrible idea and Mason Miller in the Bronx sounds absolutely filthy. Miller for Dominguez? What do you think Yankees fans?
Brooks Lee – 3 for 5, 2 RBI, Run – Can’t stay at the bottom of the lineup for long!
Jose Miranda – 4 for 4, 2 RBI, 3 Runs – Hit his ninth homer and remember how high everyone was on this guy a couple seasons ago? Seems like he might be breaking out in a big way and living up to that hype.
Carlos Correa – 1 for 6 – But that one was a grand salami that made the score 13-12. What a slugfest. The homer was off Josh Hader who had to enter a game where the Astros were up 13-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Nothing like getting warmed up in a hurry as the bullpen implodes. Hader secured his 15th save nonetheless.
Jeremy Pena – 3 for 5, 3 Runs, 3 RBI – Pena heard me giving him a hard time up there and responded with a nice little night filling up the counting stats. Still, 7 HRs and 10 SBs has me yawning. The .286 batting average can stick around though. It was batting practice off Pablo Lopez who looks totally cooked as Alex Bregman had two hits with a dong and Joey Loperfido had a hit and 2 RBI.
Shea Langeliers – 1 for 4, HR – Number 16 as Shea creeps up on a 30 homer pace!
Albert Suarez – 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks – His fifth win, ERA at 2.48, just out there taking care of business as a starter, definitely a streaming option, especially if you’re chasing wins.
Luis Castillo – 6.2 IP, 2 Hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 Ks, Win (7) – Vs. Kevin Gausman (6 IP, 6 Hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 Ks) in a game of two pitchers who have not been themselves this year. Seattle is usually a good bet for a get right game and the Blue Kays can be too. I’m still running both of these guys out there and I’d even buy low on Gausman if I could.
Rhys Hoskins – 1 for 4 – Another grand slam on the night! So much salami the day after our national processed meat holiday! The homer was Rhys’s 12th and off Glasnow, a sonovabench for me, as Hoskins had been ice cold, but maybe this gets that motor going.
Will Smith – 3 for 3, 4 Runs, 3 RBI, 3 HR (12,13,14) – Will Smith celebrated Independence Day a day late by being a Bad Boy, really Getting Jiggy With It, and Just Cruisin to a three homer day. It was the Wild Wild West Friday night as Will said it’s Just The Two of Us to Aaron Civale in the first, and again in the third. Bryan Hudson got introduced to Summertime at Dodger Stadium in the seventh. Smith is really in Focus and burning Bright in July.
Aaron Civale – 5 IP, 5 Hits, 4 ER, 3 BBs, 8 Ks – Still stinks, even in Miluawkee.
Alek Thomas – 1 for 4, 4 RBI, HR (2) – Alek will be the object of my desire come FAAB tomorrow. Resident FAAB/Waiver writer, Mike C has broken Thomas down at the beginning of the season, and will do so again later today, BUY, BUY, BUY.
Manny Machado – 4 for 5, 3 Runs, 2 RBI, HR (12) – Hitting .270 and while he’s had very boring stretches, he’s also chipped in five stolen bases and has been boring but steady at the corner. 20/10/.270 plays, though not as a fifth round pick. The homer won the game for SD in a game no one wanted to win. Robert Suarez blew his second save giving up homers to Thomas and pinch hitter, Randal Grichuk before Sewald came along to blow his second save of the season on a Machado blast. Both relievers have been excellent though, Suarez especially and I’ll blame the July warm weather/juiced ball.
