Looking to cycle spot-starters each day? Check out the Stream Team, where we tab pitchers that are likely to help you in your quest for fantasy gold.
With the lack of options available to us yesterday, I have to say I'm pleased with the effort turned in by Ryan Rowland-Smith. He wasn't going to get us another win, since he was facing John Lackey in Anaheim, but he went 7 innings and allowed just 3 runs, striking out 5 guys along the way. I hope those 5 Ks will be the difference in your H2H playoff! We streamed Hiroki Kuroda today against the Giants -- hopefully he'll stick to his impressive ratios in a win.
Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
On Sunday, Ichiro Suzuki became the second fastest player to ever reach the 2,000 hit milestone as he doubled in the first inning and later scored.
It took Suzuki 1,402 games to reach 2,000 hits. The fastest was Al Simmons who did it in 1,390 games. Suzuki needs five more hits to reach 200 for the season, which would break the record he shares with Willie Keeler at nine consecutive seasons with 200.
As milestone talk goes, Ichiro is playing second fiddle to what's about to happen in New York.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Vladimir Guerrero's had a rough 2009, with injury issues and his dwindling power (his .466 slugging percentage would easily be his career low if the season ended today) causing concern the 34-year-old was full-on in the middle of a career decline.
With two cracks of the bat Monday night, "Vlad the Impaler" reminded us that he's been swinging a hot stick of late. In fact, he's been the old Vlad for quite some time. He just needed to shake the Earth a little bit to ensure everyone took notice.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
In 2005, Tom Gorzelanny pitched in the majors for the first time. He was just 22. Two years later, he went 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA -- logging more than 200 innings in 32 starts for the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates. He did allow too many hits, but he was only 25 years old, so it appeared he would settle in as an anchor for the ever-rebuilding Pirates.
Instead, he had a disastrous past two seasons and had been relegated to the minors. Last week, Gorzelanny was traded to the Cubs, and Tuesday night he passed his Cubs debut with flying colors.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Many times when fantasy owners wait patiently on a potential star to be promoted to the majors, they have to deal with disappointment initially before the payoff finally comes. Take Adam Lind and Felix Hernandez as a few guys who didn't start to fulfill their potential until this year. Sometimes, though, you get a Ryan Braun, Evan Longoria or Tim Lincecum, who immediately start paying dividends. The latest? Braves' 22-year-old phenom hurler Tommy Hanson.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... Jason Marquis is three wins shy of his career high.
Marquis won Sunday for the Rockies, giving him 12 for the season, most in the majors. Not bad for a guy the Cubs essentially dumped in the offseason so they could sign Milton Bradley.
Against the Padres on Sunday, Marquis got 16 ground-ball outs in eight innings, allowing five hits and walking none -- despite a blister on his middle finger.
"If today is any indication of what the second half is going to be like for Jason Marquis, we will take that," manager Jim Tracy said. "He's one of the best in our league when he's pounding the strike zone early in the count like he was today."
Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.
The most remarkable thing about this season as we hit the not-halfway halfway point of the All-Star break isn't Albert Pujols' RBI total. Or Zack Greinke's ERA. Or the PED suspension of one of the game's biggest stars.
It's the standings. And they not only reflect the season so far, they give us a clue as to the weeks head leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline.
The Phillies and Dodgers are the only first-place team with a lead of more than 2 1/2 games. And 21 of the 30 teams are within 7 1/2 games of a playoff spot: nine of 14 in the AL and 12 of 16 in the NL.
Giants' left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, in his first start since a two-week banishment to the bullpen, pitched the franchise's first no-hitter in 33 years, blanking the Padres, 8-0, on Friday night at AT&T Park.
Sanchez, 26, retired the first 22 hitters before Chase Headley reached on an error by third baseman Juan Uribe, the only gaffe that denied Sanchez a perfect game. Sanchez retired the final five batters to finish the no-hitter. Center fielder Aaron Rowand made a leaping catch at the fence for the second out of the ninth inning.
Sanchez then struck out Everth Cabrera to end it. It was his 11th strikeout.
"I feel awesome," Sanchez said. "I didn't think about the no-hitter till the seventh inning. Aaron Rowand was awesome."
SAN FRANCISCO -- An MRI of Randy Johnson's left shoulder on Monday revealed only a strain, but that will be enough to put the Big Unit on the shelf for at least two or three weeks.
A day after Johnson strained his shoulder swinging a bat, he was placed on the disabled list. Jonathan Sanchez, who had lost his spot in the starting rotation, will take Johnson's next start on Friday.
NEW YORK – Thanks in part to the influence of a 300-game winner, and the brother of a 300-game winner, the Rangers no longer have to try to out-slug people.
In the most remarkable turnaround of the season, Texas' pitching staff is actually pretty good, with a 4.46 ERA after shutouts Thursday and Friday and allowing three runs Saturday. If the Rangers can keep it there all year, it would mark the first time since 1993 the franchise had an ERA better than 4.50.
Not coincidentally, Texas leads the AL West at 35-26, the second-best record in the league.
"This is my third year here," right-hander Brandon McCarthy said, "but in two years I got sick to death of hearing, 'Texas pitchers stink. Texas pitchers stink.'
"Now we can turn those tables a little bit, be the group that maybe changes that whole mindset. It would be an awesome accomplishment."
Looking to cycle spot-starters each day? Check out the Stream Team, where we tab pitchers that are likely to help you in your quest for fantasy gold.
Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
Starting Five
SAN FRANCISCO -- An MRI of 
NEW YORK – Thanks in part to the influence of a 300-game winner, and the brother of a 300-game winner, the Rangers no longer have to try to out-slug people.
