FanHouse CarlPavano

MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.

It's a funny thing, sometimes, to see how Power Rankings shape up over the course of the season. Just like when we started the year, there are a number of teams from one particular division sitting atop the rankings. Of course, there are plenty of surprises -- WHERE DID THE FREAKING GIANTS AND ROCKIES COME FROM?? -- and some other interesting stuff, like the fact that the Mets and Cubs just haven't been that good, which we discussed on the inaugural BaseCast recently.

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

There I am. Bottom of the 10th inning. Promenade section of Citi Field.

With my hands swollen from furious applause throughout the night and my legs bobbing to stay warm, Fernando Martinez laced a hit to right field. We came alive once more, while the old man sitting next to me grumbled: "Another friggin single? Pelfrey's the only one who drove somethin'."

Sixteen hits and pitcher Mike Pelfrey was the Met with pop.

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

When Willy Aybar's home run Thursday in Cleveland was upheld by a video review, it marked the sixth time in six days umpires made use of baseball's instant-replay rule.

So the natural question to ask Jimmie Lee Solomon, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, is why the flurry of trips to the secret chamber to watch replays? Are the umps more willing to consult the tape than in the past?

"These things come in bunches," Solomon told FanHouse.

MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.

Well, that took freaking forever ... but the Blue Jays finally started to stink the joint up. I swear to you, you can't stay long atop the MLB Power Rankings -- our failure by osmosis jinxing ability is just too strong, son. At any rate, it was a weird week for ranking baseball: the Cubs continued to skid, the Padres went on a tear and Toronto fell off the face of the planet. So, yeah, spiciness ensued, and you may take the jump to see how badly your team fared. Unless you're a Rangers or a Braves fan, in which case they couldn't have done that poorly.

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That all of that talk about the Blue Jays being legitimate contenders was perhaps premature. The Blue Jays had the best record in the league back on May 10, before they had played a single game against the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays.

Since then the Blue Jays are 5-10, including a 1-5 mark against Boston and New York. Now they've lost eight in a row, including the past two against the woeful Orioles.

"We're just in a rut right now," Kevin Millar said. "Eventually it's going to turn around. We've just got to keep plugging along."

The Blue Jays' main problem has been inability to hit in the clutch. They are hitting .141 with runners in scoring position during the losing streak.

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Maybe I'm being a bit hard on these guys, but almost 59 percent of the 41 pitchers who are starting twice this week are being placed in the "Risky Business" category.

There are a couple of touted rookies who make up the 59 percent like the Rays' David Price and Atlanta's Kris Medlen. There are also some big-named pitchers who should never be placed among the "Risky Business" pitchers who just are throwing well, or their teams aren't winning behind them. Jon Lester and Francisco Liriano come to mind immediately.

Like I said, in all there are 41 two-start pitchers this week. Make sure that you get your lineups locked early today as there are a bunch of afternoon games. The first is 1:10 PM ET when Houston plays Cincinnati.

It's not a terribly glorious week for two-start pitchers in week six (Monday, May 11th - Sunday May 17th) of the fantasy baseball season. With the light day of action on Monday there are only 34 total this week, and most of this week's pitchers are risky picks.

You won't need to set you lineups until 7:05 PM ET on Monday as the only four games are night starts

Must Start
Johan Santana, Mets - Monday vs ATL (D. Lowe) and Saturday at SF (R. Johnson)
Matt Cain , Giants - Tuesday vs WAS (J. Zimmermann) and Sunday vs NYM (M. Pelfrey)
Jered Weaver , Angels - Tuesday vs BOS (J. Masterson) and Sunday at TEX (S. Feldman)
Roy Halladay, Blue Jays - Tuesday vs NYY (A. Burnett) and Sunday vs CWS (G. Floyd)

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Carl Pavano is back and better than ever. Well, not really, but he's not as bad as he used to be. Still a long way from being the guy who earned that four-year, $40 million deal from the Yankees, Pavano is starting to pitch credibly for the Indians.

On Wednesday night he beat the Red Sox, pitching six innings and allowing two runs. Over his past four starts, Pavano has a 3.46 ERA. Manager Eric Wedge said the right-hander is improving.

"Carl has just kept getting better and better," said Wedge. "He's put together two good starts."

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MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.

What a zany week for a pair of pitchers with amazing stories: Zack Greinke is America's favorite story right now, somehow managing to be hotter than Twitter. (And if Oprah starts doing him too, I'm just quitting. And I mean everything.) Meanwhile, Rick Ankiel (you may hear word of this "podcast" we're doing about him, but that's because I'm shameless like that), a former star on the mound as well, nearly decapitates himself running into an outfield wall. And yet, life goes on. Just like our Power Rankings.

NEW YORK -- This wasn't Carl Pavano's fault. Pavano was rightfully blamed for most every bizarre happening that occurred when he was a New York Yankee, but he returned to the Stadium Sunday and pitched exactly like he was expected to pitch when the Yankees were paying him gazillions of dollars, and still he failed to leave with the W.

"Stuff happens," Pavano said with a shrug, the scars of the Yankees' controversial 7-3 win over the Cleveland Indians still fresh. "Nothing I can do about it."

For once, Pavano's blasé attitude made perfect sense. For once, he didn't deserve to be affiliated with a messy aftermath shaped by controversy. Pavano had pitched a perfectly fine six innings for the Indians, allowing just one run while extricating himself nicely from the sort of jams that used to confound him when he wore the pinstripes.