FanHouse Chris Tillman

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.

Before we get our heaping of box score browsing, let's look at a related subject: The fantasy baseball stretch run. With the annual ushering in of September baseball, we see roster changes galore. Not only are there call-ups with the legal expansion of rosters, but players with seemingly minor injuries are shut down on teams who have fallen out of the race. You also have younger players being given an audition for 2010, or being shut down so the team doesn't overwork them in their first season of increased workload. If you are in the thick of things in your fantasy baseball race, now is not the time to use a laissez-faire approach.

There are only 39 pitchers starting twice this week and while you have your normal distribution of both good and bad options, it's the guys in the middle who are intriguing.

Of the seven pitchers who I call "Solid" headed into fantasy week 18, six are owned in less then 70% of fantasy leagues. This week would be a great week to go trolling for two-start pitchers on the waiver wire.

• Jamie Moyer is only owned in 12% of fantasy leagues
• Randy Wells is only owned in 53% of fantasy leagues
• Ryan Rowland-Smith is only owned in 2% of fantasy leagues
• Mat Latos is only owned in 15% of fantasy leagues
• Brett Anderson is only owned in 27% of fantasy leagues
• Zach Duke is only owned in 67% of fantasy leagues

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.

Update: FanHouse's Ed Price has word that Lee will in fact be starting tomorrow for the Phillies. Richmond will be our spot-start play.

I usually exercise caution when dealing with a prospect's first big-league start, but I threw caution to the wind to take Chris Tillman last night, who predictably didn't make it out of the fifth inning. He should be much better next time around. Lesson learned: don't start a guy in his first game. Today we have Jorge de la Rosa pitching the back end of a doubleheader; I'm just glad he didn't have to face Johan Santana.

BALTIMORE -- Sheila Dixon ought to dig up Bill Bavasi's address and send him a long, well thought out thank you note. Someone in the Charm City ought to show some appreciation for the former Mariners general manager for doing his best to get the Orioles turned around, it might as well be the mayor of Baltimore.

It was two winters ago that Bavasi sent Adam Jones, Chris Tillman and George Sherrill to the O's in exchange for Erik Bedard. For the first time since that deal, all three appeared on the same major league field together.

Jones homered and had four RBI in Baltimore's 7-3 win. Sherrill was in line to get the save, warming up in the bullpen in the bottom of the eighth inning before getting the night off when the Orioles tacked two runs onto their lead. And Tillman, making his major league debut, got a no decision after allowing three runs in 4 2/3 innings. Not bad for a start.

"We can hit, it's a matter of good pitching," Jones said after the win.

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.

The second half of the season is in full swing and lo and behold if capitalism hasn't reared it's ugly head once again. Billy Beane was spun off Matt Holliday (as expected of course) and the eleventy billion dollar payroll machine that is the New York Yankees are in first place in the AL East. (Of course, that can't explain why the Mets are horrible but that's a whole other thing.)

Will the Yankees' surge be enough to propel them into the critically important No. 1 slot of the FanHouse MLB Power Rankings? Find out after the jump.

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.

Tonight's a big night for Chris Tillman, my spot-start pick for today. He'll be battling Zack Greinke and the Royals in his first major-league start; make sure you tune in and see the youngster in action. Marc Rzepczynski was our pick last night, and he was cruising through five innings before allowing a couple runs in the sixth and departing. We'll take the eight strikeouts, even if the ERA was a little high.

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.

Hey, two straight wins for the Stream Team, first from Phille Joe Blanton, then from his teammate Jamie Moyer. Moyer pitched around trouble beautifully last night, allowing six hits and four walks but no runs. Our post-All Star Break ERA is down to 2.79, and we've got 56 Ks in 67.2 innings. If you're playing along with us in your league, I have a no-brainer add for tomorrow.

These Kids Are Alright is FanHouse's look at minor league prospects who could have a fantasy impact in the near future.

I had planned on writing about Chris Tillman, a pitcher in the Orioles' system, for the latest edition of Kids anyway, but now the piece has added significance. Reports have been rampant around the web that Tillman will be getting the call early next week. We knew that, but Tillman has now been scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday night in Triple-A. Considering no injury is being reported, it would appear the Orioles are ready to let the youngster get his first taste of of the bigs very soon.

Tillman is a 6-foot-5, 21-year-old right-hander who has had good success in the minors.

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

Before David Price took the mound Thursday, he said he was looking to rediscover his missing edge. "I just haven't had that edge, haven't had that mentality when I was out there," said Price. "I have to get back to the same way I was last year, the same way that got me to this point..."

For one night, at least, the 23-year-old lefty found what he was looking for.

The Daily Jolt is a dose of baseball reality every weekday morning.

Why Brian Roberts and why now? The Orioles haven't had a winning season this millennium. Andy MacPhail is entering his second full season in control of the team's baseball operations. The five-year plan, it would seem, is still several seasons away from coming to fruition.

Baltimore handed Roberts a four-year, $40 million contract extension over the weekend. He is 31, and that question lingers. Why give Roberts $10 million a season when he figures to be on the down slope of his career before the O's are in any position to win?