Daily Notes: Interleague play begins!
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Byung-Hyun Kim, RHP (1-2, 10.50 ERA, 1.67 WHIP) versus
Edwin Jackson, RHP (0-5, 6.82 ERA, 1.78 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Mike Jacobs, 1B (thumb, DL); Rocco Baldelli, OF (hamstring, likely DL-bound)
Game Story: Kim has never been as successful in a starting role (17-29, 4.89 ERA, 1.46 WHIP in 66 starts) as in relief (3.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP in 303 appearances) but remember that 29 of those starts came at Coors Field, so they're a tad skewed. Still, it's hard to overlook that he's 3-8 with a 7.12 ERA in his last 14 road starts, so even though he's facing the righty-heavy Devil Rays, Kim should be avoided in his Marlins debut. Expect good things from Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, who tears up right-handers to the tune of a .316 batting average and .958 OPS. Go for the Marlins' left-handed hitters, too, against Jackson; Jeremy Hermida warrants your attention.
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Anthony Lerew, RHP (0-1, 6.52 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) versus
Devern Hansack, RHP (0-0, 13.50 ERA, 6.06 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Mike Gonzalez, RP (elbow, DL); Josh Beckett, SP (finger, out); J.D. Drew, OF (back, day-to-day)
Game Story This game has been postponed due to rain. The teams are scheduled to make it up as a part of a doubleheader on Saturday. Rain showers threaten that possibility as well. Check our Saturday game notes for further details.
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Kyle Lohse, RHP (1-4, 4.01 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) versus
Cliff Lee, LHP (1-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: none
Game Story: These Indians should be familiar with Lohse, a member of the Twins from 2001 to '06, and sure enough, he's 2-6 with a 7.31 ERA in 11 career games (eight starts) at Jacobs Field. He has lost four straight starts, so this game leans heavily in favor of the Indians, with Josh Barfield (2-for-4, .500, 1 HR) and David Dellucci (5-for-14, .357, 2 HR) two who historically have hit him well. I'd use Ryan Garko and Trot Nixon, too. Lee, incidentally, is 7-0 with a 3.54 ERA in 10 career interleague starts, so go ahead and use him in these games. Ken Griffey Jr. has two homers in six career at-bats against him, and Alex Gonzalez (2-for-4, .500, 1 HR) hits him, but don't dig too deep for Reds hitters.
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Braden Looper, RHP (5-2, 2.29 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) versus
Andrew Miller, LHP (1st start of 2007)
Notable Injuries: Jeremy Bonderman, SP (finger, DL); Placido Polanco, 2B (back, day-to-day)
Game Story: Bonderman's DL stint finally clears the way for Miller to join the Detroit rotation, and he does it in a game against MLB's 29th-ranked offense (3.39 runs per game). Sure, inexperience makes him a risk, but Miller does have some potential here based upon the matchup. That he's left-handed, which neutralizes Chris Duncan and Jim Edmonds, makes me think it's worth the gamble, but keep in mind, it is a gamble. Looper should be helped by facing a right-handed-heavy Detroit lineup, though with left-handed bats like Sean Casey, Curtis Granderson and Carlos Guillen on hand, it's not the best of matchups for him. Granderson in particular is the standout Tigers pick; he's at .328/1.070 rates against righties this year.
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Brad Penny, RHP (5-0, 1.39 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) versus
Ervin Santana, RHP (2-5, 5.51 ERA, 1.56 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: none
Game Story: It's a home game for Santana, and as always, I call him a must-start in his home games, and a must-avoid in his road contests. He's 21-6 with a 3.04 ERA in 34 career starts at home, and he has five consecutive quality starts there. Plus, Santana's awareness that his rotation spot might be in jeopardy if he doesn't fix his road issues could help inspire him to step up here, which is why I'd limit my Dodgers choices to Andre Ethier, Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra and Juan Pierre. Penny, meanwhile, isn't a bad pick in a road game against the so-so Angels offense. He dominates Orlando Cabrera (5-for-47, .106, 1 HR), and he has eight consecutive quality starts to begin the season.
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Barry Zito, LHP (3-4, 4.29 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) versus
Chad Gaudin, RHP (2-1, 2.93 ERA, 1.26 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Milton Bradley, OF (hamstring, day-to-day); Travis Buck, OF (wrist, day-to-day); Justin Duchscherer, RP (hip, day-to-day); Chris Snelling, OF (knee, DL)
Game Story: This will be Zito's first trip back to Oakland since leaving the Athletics as a free agent during the winter, so expect a hostile environment for the left-hander. Still, he should shape up awfully nicely against his former teammates, who rank in the bottom half among MLB offenses (21st, 4.38 runs per game). Limit your Athletics choices to the red-hot Jack Cust, Eric Chavez, Dan Johnson and Nick Swisher, and while that's picking against traditional thinking, going lefty on lefty, remember that Zito has historically been stronger on right-handers. As for Gaudin, he's not a terrible AL-only choice, though the Giants have enough left-handed hitters to get to him. With Barry Bonds, Ray Durham, Fred Lewis, Omar Vizquel and Randy Winn, expect a good day for San Francisco.
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Chris Young, RHP (4-3, 3.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) versus
Miguel Batista, RHP (3-3, 6.98 ERA, 1.66 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: none
Game Story: Young knows the AL West, and he certainly wasn't scared by those loaded AL offenses during last year's interleague play, with a 2.04 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in three starts. Though he has been a better pitcher at home this year, he's a safe fantasy start at pitching-friendly Safeco. Sure, Kenji Johjima (1-for-3, .333, 1 HR) and Richie Sexson (3-for-8, .375, 2 HR) hit him well, but this shouldn't be a great day for the Mariners' bats. It should, however, be a good day for the Padres' bats. They had little trouble with Batista when he was with the Diamondbacks, and Josh Bard (3-for-3, 1.000), Mike Cameron (3-for-8, .375) and Brian Giles (9-for-25, .360, 1 HR) hit him fine.
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Mark Buehrle, LHP (2-1, 3.61 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) versus
Ted Lilly, LHP (3-2, 2.53 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Mark DeRosa, 2B (finger, day-to-day); Derrek Lee, 1B (neck, day-to-day)
Game Story: White Sox-Cubs can actually get a little crazy at times, particularly at Wrigley Field. Consider that despite a productive career, Buehrle has always struggled in these games, with a 5.63 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in seven career starts. The Cubs are rather right-handed heavy, with Michael Barrett (5-for-13, .385, 1 HR), DeRosa (6-for-15, .400, 1 HR) and Lee (4-for-6, .667, 1 HR) hitting Buehrle well, and I'd also throw Matt Murton and Ryan Theriot in there as useful starters against the lefty. Go for Lilly, too, taking into account his 2.45 home ERA and the fact that the White Sox simply aren't hitting right now. Juan Uribe (3-for-10, .300, 2 HR) is one White Sox hitter who hits Lilly, though.
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Steve Trachsel, RHP (1-3, 3.94 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) versus
Jason Simontacchi, RHP (1-1, 5.56 ERA, 1.50 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Dmitri Young, 1B (Achilles tendon, day-to-day)
Game Story: Trachsel has allowed only one run in 12 2/3 innings in two career starts at RFK, and those came against better Nationals offenses than this year's. Sure, he walks more batters than he strikes out and he's at 4.14 walks per nine so far this year, both troubling trends, but it's actually not a bad matchup for him in AL-only formats. Still, Ryan Zimmerman owns him (5-for-8, .625, 4 2B), and Austin Kearns should be used, too, as Trachsel struggles a bit against right-handers. Expect the Orioles' bats to get to Simontacchi, meaning you should use even guys like Jay Payton and Jay Gibbons.
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Dustin McGowan, RHP (0-0, 7.59 ERA, 1.78 WHIP) versus
Jon Lieber, RHP (1-2, 2.83 ERA, 1.29 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: none
Game Story: McGowan has made 12 starts in his career, and none has been a quality-start effort, so an assignment at the bandbox Citizens Bank Park is a must-avoid. He simply can't get left-handed hitters out, which is why Phillies like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino should be due for big games. I'd even consider Greg Dobbs in NL-only formats, and of course, keep Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand and Carlos Ruiz active. Lieber, meanwhile, should give the Blue Jays a glimpse of what they passed on in the trade market in the preseason. He has a 2.20 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in five starts since his move to the rotation, so ride the hot streak. Still, keep Lyle Overbay active.
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Andy Pettitte, LHP (2-2, 2.68 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) versus
Oliver Perez, LHP (4-3, 3.00 ERA, 1.12 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Moises Alou, OF (quadriceps, DL); Jose Reyes, SS (hamstring, day-to-day)
Game Story: Yankees-Mets is another of those hard-fought interleague series, and Pettitte is a battle-tested veteran in these games. He has a 7-2 record and 3.39 ERA in 15 career starts against the Mets, though current Mets have batted .331 (84-for-254) with nine homers against him. Carlos Delgado (21-for-58, .362, 5 HR) hits him, but then so does potential platoon mate Julio Franco (8-for-17, .471, 1 HR). Go for your usual Mets, and whichever first baseman plays, but Pettitte should be fine regardless. As for Perez, with his command looking fine thus far, he could be rather frustrating to the lefty-heavy Yankees lineup. That the Yankees haven't seen much of him should play to his favor, meaning you shouldn't dig deep on their side. Avoid the first-base platoon and Robinson Cano.
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Boof Bonser, RHP (1-1, 4.33 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) versus
Chris Capuano, LHP (5-1, 2.93 ERA, 1.23 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Jesse Crain, RP (shoulder, DL)
Game Story: Bonser had a 2.30 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in three interleague starts in 2006, and with the Brewers in a mini slump, it's not that bad a matchup for him. Sure, Johnny Estrada, Geoff Jenkins and, if he starts, Tony Gwynn Jr., are worth using, and there's no way you can sit Prince Fielder or J.J. Hardy, hot as they have been. Still, while Bonser is worth consideration, Capuano nevertheless matches up a little better. He was 3-0 with a 4.68 ERA in four interleague starts in 2006, and he's 11-4 with a 3.33 ERA in his last 21 home starts. With the Twins' offense managing only 44 runs in its last 11 games, 16 of them coming against Tigers rookie Virgil Vasquez, it should be a fairly low-scoring affair. Jeff Cirillo, .413/.944 against lefties in 2006, isn't a bad spot start, though.
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Robinson Tejeda, RHP (3-3, 4.87 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) versus
Matt Albers, RHP (1-2, 5.47 ERA, 1.50 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Hank Blalock, 3B (forearm, day-to-day); Victor Diaz, OF (hand, day-to-day); Jerry Hairston Jr., OF (shoulder, day-to-day); Brad Wilkerson, OF (hamstring, DL)
Game Story: Tejeda would probably make a much better short reliever than a starter, since left-handed hitters routinely hit him hard, at .301/.958 rates. That plays quite a bit in favor of Lance Berkman (.276/.854 against right-handers this year), Mike Lamb (.350/.947) and Luke Scott, and with Hunter Pence red hot, he should be used as well. Of course, while the Astros' offense shouldn't have many problems scoring runs, neither should the Rangers against Albers. Blalock, Mark Teixeira and Sammy Sosa are each batting better than .300 this month, and Kenny Lofton should also be kept active.
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Jorge De La Rosa, LHP (4-3, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) versus
Jeff Francis, LHP (2-4, 5.08 ERA, 1.54 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: none
Game Story: Francis has back-to-back quality-start efforts and a 3.22 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in three starts in May, and in a game against the Royals' 25th-ranked offense (3.83 runs per game), he's well worth spotting in. Remember, the Royals lean more heavily toward the left-handed side, with only Esteban German a solid option from the right-handed side. De La Rosa, meanwhile, might be the game's biggest mirage to date. Sure, he has beaten some weak AL offenses, but in road games, he has been a bit shakier, with a 5.04 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. The Rockies are strong enough to get to him in a home game for them, with Garrett Atkins, Matt Holliday, Willy Taveras and Troy Tulowitzki matching up well.
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Doug Davis, LHP (2-4, 2.72 ERA, 1.68 WHIP) versus
Ian Snell, RHP (3-2, 2.38 ERA, 1.17 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Chad Tracy, 3B (oblique, DL); Jose Bautista, 3B (ankle, day-to-day)
Game Story: Davis' WHIP doesn't back up his ERA one bit, though in games against weaker offenses, like the Pirates' 28th-ranked attack (3.67 runs per game), he's not a bad fantasy option at all. Still, it's worth noting that Freddy Sanchez (11-for-26, .423, 1 HR) and Jack Wilson (14-for-42, .333) hit him well, while Xavier Nady isn't a bad play, either. I'd expect even bigger things from Snell, though. Facing a young Diamondbacks lineup that's largely unfamiliar with him should help his cause. Keep Orlando Hudson in there, as well as hot hitters like Eric Byrnes and Chris B. Young.
Josh Barfield, 2B, CLE versus Cincinnati Reds
Boof Bonser, SP, MIN @ Milwaukee Brewers
Jeff Cirillo, 3B, MIN @ Milwaukee Brewers
Jeff Francis, SP, COL versus Kansas City Royals
Jeremy Hermida, OF, FLA @ Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Cliff Lee, SP, CLE versus Cincinnati Reds
Andrew Miller, SP, DET versus St. Louis Cardinals
Matt Murton, OF, CHC versus Chicago White Sox
Carlos Pena, 1B, TB versus Florida Marlins
Ervin Santana, SP, LAA versus Los Angeles Dodgers
Please Note that the notable injuries are not meant to be a comprehensive report of each team's disabled list. For brevity, we include only day-to-day injuries or new DL additions for players you might otherwise consider using in these games. Long-term DL or day-to-day injuries to starting pitchers who were not scheduled to appear are omitted.
Tristan H. Cockcroft covers fantasy sports for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.
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