Daily Notes: Buchholz debuts in Sox/Angels doubleheader
By Tristan H. CockcroftSee projections for every game: Tomorrow's boxscores, today!
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Ervin Santana, RHP (5-11, 6.22 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) versus
Clay Buchholz, RHP (1st career MLB start)
Notable Injuries: none
Game Story: It's still a tad unclear which pitchers will pitch in which game of the doubleheader, but all reports indicate the aces will get the nightcap, while the spot starters will get the day affair. That leaves Santana to pitch in a road start at Boston, a terrible matchup for him, and that's before accounting for the fact that he has spent the past four weeks with Triple-A Salt Lake, and not pitched well there at that, registering a 5.01 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and .305 BAA (batting average against) in five starts. Coco Crisp (2-for-2, 2 doubles) and David Ortiz (4-for-6, .667, 1 HR) each hits Santana and night starter Lackey effectively, and there should be enough offense on Boston's side to make all Red Sox worth the start despite facing Lackey in the second contest. Buchholz, meanwhile, makes his big-league debut after breezing through Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, managing a 3.26 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and .205 BAA in six starts for the latter. Don't count on him lasting deep into this game, not in a spot-start scenario, meaning he'd be a better AL-only and deep-mixed consideration if Santana, not Lackey, is his opponent. With Angels hitters, pick and choose more based on your level of comfort with them against night-game starter Beckett ...
Game 2: 7:05 p.m. ET (20 percent chance of rain, low of 58 degrees, winds up to 14 mph)
John Lackey, RHP (15-6, 3.07 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) versus
Josh Beckett, RHP (15-5, 3.24 ERA, 1.11 WHIP)
Game Story: ... Which means that among Angels hitters, Garret Anderson (3-for-8, .375) and Orlando Cabrera (8-for-28, .286, 1 HR) make strong bets. Don't merely assume Angels hitters, especially left-handers, are automatics facing two right-handers in the doubleheader. Buchholz was tough on lefties in the minors, and Beckett is, too (.255 BAA, .685 OPS). Still, Casey Kotchman is one Angels lefty who warrants the start against any right-hander (.301/.859 against them). Assuming this pitching matchup sticks, this could be quite the pitchers' duel, low scoring and a good one in which to exploit the closers. Don't be surprised if the Red Sox do option Buchholz back to the minors before Game 2, though, clearing a roster spot for rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. AL-only owners can add Ellsbury in that instance, but a start for him here is hardly guaranteed.
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Nate Robertson, LHP (7-9, 5.01 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) versus
Andy Pettitte, LHP (9-7, 3.93 ERA, 1.44 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Ivan Rodriguez, C (illness, day-to-day)
Game Story: Though the Yankees do struggle more often than not against left-handers (hitting .275/.763 as a team), Robertson is not the kind of southpaw who should scare them. He's 1-4 with a 4.46 ERA in six career starts against New York, 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three Yankee Stadium assignments. Look at the Yankee lefties who tear him up: Johnny Damon (8-for-17, .471) and Jason Giambi (6-for-10, .600), though those who follow the team know only one of those two gets to play on most nights, meaning you'll have to check the early lineup to see who to exploit. If Shelley Duncan sneaks in a start, he'd warrant AL-only attention. Keep Pettitte active -- so long as you're not preserving innings/starts -- despite his facing a Tigers offense that's best in baseball against lefties (.296/.835 team rates). Expect Marcus Thames, 8-for-28 (.286) with two homers in seven games since his return from the DL, to start at first base, making this a fine matchup for him.
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Garrett Olson, LHP (1-1, 4.60 ERA, 2.11 WHIP) versus
A.J. Burnett, RHP (6-6, 4.09 ERA, 1.23 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: none
Game Story: Burnett looked just fine in his first start fresh off the DL last Sunday, going 7 1/3 innings strong, allowing only one run on three hits. Two trends you must consider with him: He's 9-3 with a 3.13 ERA in 16 career starts at Rogers Centre, and 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA in four career starts against the Orioles, beating them twice already this season. He's a risk worth taking here, as Nick Markakis (3-for-10, .300) is about the only reasonable Orioles hitter with a good track record against him. Avoid Olsen against a Blue Jays team with sterling .293/.832 team rates against left-handers, especially since its loaded with right-handed pop. Reed Johnson (.372/1.089) and Frank Thomas (.322/1.1.026) are especially attractive against lefties, and even a less-than-100 percent Troy Glaus (.314/1.081) is a must-start against such an inexperienced southpaw.
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Paul Byrd, RHP (10-5, 4.53 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) versus
Edwin Jackson, RHP (3-11, 5.84 ERA, 1.70 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Ryan Garko, 1B (groin, day-to-day)
Game Story: The Devil Rays historically have handled the hittable Byrd well over the years, including handing him a six-inning, 10-hit, six-run (four earned) stat line in an April 21 meeting in Tampa Bay. Of course, with Jackson his opponent, this is hardly an attractive pitching matchup for fantasy, so the win could really go to anyone here. Load up on hitters on either side, particularly Greg Norton (2-for-3, .667, 1 HR), Carlos Pena (5-for-13, .385) and B.J. Upton (3-for-5, .600) based on their histories against Byrd, and Travis Hafner (2-for-4, .500, 1 HR) and Jhonny Peralta (2-for-4, .500) based on their track records against Jackson. It's actually not a bad day to sub in a red-hot middle reliever, either, like the Indians' Rafael Betancourt (2.76 second-half ERA) or Devil Rays' Juan Salas (2.53).
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Kason Gabbard, LHP (5-1, 3.83 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) versus
Carlos Silva, RHP (9-12, 4.30 ERA, 1.30 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Kason Gabbard, SP (forearm, scheduled starter); Jason Bartlett, SS (hamstring, likely DL-bound)
Game Story: Gabbard has pitched remarkably well so far this season, with four quality starts and a 3.83 ERA in 10 tries, and despite his having left his last start with forearm stiffness, this isn't a bad matchup for him at all. For one thing, these Twins are ice cold, averaging only 3.36 runs per game in August, and two of their best hitters -- Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau -- are left-handed, which plays to Gabbard's strength against that side (.196/.516). The Twins' "lefty-killers" are thinning out with Bartlett likely headed to the DL, with only the well-known Michael Cuddyer (.331/.940) and Torii Hunter (.336/1.011) real standouts. Go for Silva in AL-only formats, but only because the Rangers' offense isn't what it once was. Brad Wilkerson (7-for-12, .583) and Michael Young (8-for-21, .381, 1 HR) do hit Silva remarkably well, though.
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Brian Bannister, RHP (8-7, 3.41 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) versus
Dan Meyer, LHP (1st career MLB start)
Notable Injuries: Esteban Loaiza, SP (knee, DL/still on rehab)
Game Story: Meyer is actually a bit fortunate that his first big-league start will come against the Royals; that's a lefty-heavy lineup and the Royals are averaging only 3.62 runs per game in the month of August. Still, it's important to remember that while Meyer was 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA and .247 BAA in 19 starts for Triple-A Sacramento, he's still awfully wild (4.44 walks per nine) and left-handers do hit him well (.347 BAA). Consider this more of a "sit-and-evaluate" start for him, and go for lefty-killing Billy Butler (.320/.875). Bannister, meanwhile, actually matches up rather nicely, against an Athletics team ranked only 23rd in scoring (4.44 runs per game), at pitcher-friendly McAfee and against whom he had a quality-start effort on May 15. Jack Cust (.284/.986 against righties, .303/1.094 at home) is about the only standout for the Athletics, and he's not even guaranteed to start.
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Jose Contreras, RHP (6-14, 6.24 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) versus
Miguel Batista, RHP (12-8, 4.13 ERA, 1.51 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: none
Game Story: After more than a week of waffling on the issue, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen finally decided to get Contreras back into his rotation, perhaps impressed by the latter's seven innings without allowing an earned run in his last two relief appearances. Nevertheless, it's hard to ignore that Contreras is 1-10 with an 8.87 ERA in his last 12 starts, which is way too risky a track record to trust against an underappreciated Mariners offense. Richie Sexson, finally hitting again (7-for-21, .333, 2 HR in his last five games), handles Contreras nicely (3-for-7, .429, 1 HR), and so does Raul Ibanez (5-for-9, .556). There are worse matchups for AL-only and deep-mixed owners to exploit than Batista's, against the 27th-ranked White Sox (4.27 runs per game). Batista just beat this team for the second time in two tries this season last Saturday, and really, the mediocre Darin Erstad (7-for-13, .538, 1 HR) is the only White Sox who gets to him historically.
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Braden Looper, RHP (10-9, 5.08 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) versus
Rich Hill, LHP (6-7, 3.85 ERA, 1.22 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Juan Encarnacion, OF (knee, day-to-day); Cliff Floyd, OF (bereavement, day-to-day)
Game Story: The Cubs have really struggled of late, and it doesn't help one bit that the two times Looper faced them this season (April 20 and July 26), he mastered them to the tune of seven innings, five hits and one run each time. That makes Looper a respectable NL-only option for this game, though it's worth considering Jason Kendall taking into account hit recent hot streak (.372/1.062 in August) and history against the right-hander (7-for-13, .538). Hill should keep his Cubs in the game, though, as these Cardinals are pretty weak against lefties (.270/.730). Keep the southpaw active, especially knowing that one of the Cardinals who hits him best -- Encarnacion (3-for-6, .500, 1 HR) -- might not even be available due to his knee injury.
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Tom Glavine, LHP (10-6, 4.25 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) versus
Matt Chico, LHP (5-6, 4.85 ERA, 1.58 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Ramon Castro, C (back, day-to-day); Carlos Delgado, 1B (leg, day-to-day)
Game Story: Five times in his career Glavine has pitched at RFK, and five times he has dominated, with either a victory or a quality-start effort; he's 3-1 with a 2.27 ERA there overall. There's little reason to believe that mastery won't continue here, not with the Nationals still mired in last place in MLB in runs per game (3.91). Still, owners of Ronnie Belliard (6-for-15, .400) and Dmitri Young (8-for-23, .348, 1 HR) can exploit their favorable histories against the southpaw. Avoid Chico, though. These Mets are averaging 6.31 runs per game in August and they hit left-handers (.291/.802 team rates) much better than they did when Chico beat them back on April 27. In particular, Moises Alou (.364/1.096 against lefties), Lastings Milledge (.387/1.051) and, if he heals in time, Castro (.308/.956) should be in for strong efforts here.
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J.D. Durbin, RHP (4-2, 5.73 ERA, 1.81 WHIP) versus
Tom Gorzelanny, LHP (11-6, 3.29 ERA, 1.23 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Adam Eaton, SP (shoulder, DL); Xavier Nady, OF (hamstring, day-to-day)
Game Story: Durbin gets the call here because Eaton landed on the DL on Wednesday, though most believe the move was made as a conscious decision by the team to make a rotation switch. If so, it wasn't a bad idea; Eaton pitched terribly for most of the year, and Durbin hasn't been terrible in four spot starts this season (4.38 ERA, 1.50 WHIP). NL-only owners can probably find better, but Durbin isn't a terrible option in deeper formats. Still, with the Pirates' offense red hot in August -- 6.57 runs per game, ranking behind only the Yankees -- it's well worth using guys like Adam LaRoche (.296/.861), Nate McLouth (.294/.950) and Freddy Sanchez (.397/1.044). As always, stick with Gorzelanny, one of the more consistent under-the-radar types all season. Right-handed hitters are really the only ones who touch him up (.262/.720) rates, not that you should sit Ryan Howard, but beyond your usual Phillies, only reach for red-hot Pat Burrell (.367/1.125 since the break).
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Barry Zito, LHP (8-11, 5.13 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) versus
Scott Olsen, LHP (9-9, 5.39 ERA, 1.64 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Randy Messenger, RP (hand, DL)
Game Story: Zito continues to struggle with his command and serving up the long ball, averaging 4.28 walks and 1.23 home runs allowed per nine for the season, each a career worst (excluding his 14-start 2000 rookie campaign). Plus, he's backed by the game's second-worst offense (4.24 runs per game), and he'll be facing a Marlins team with solid .279/.811 rates against southpaws, so this is a matchup to avoid. The Giants barely touch left-handers themselves, with MLB-worst team rates against that side in batting average (.239) and OPS (.679), so one could actually make the case that the inconsistent Olsen is the better option. Olsen's inconsistency should limit him to NL-only and deep mixed formats, but that should show how limited Zito's appeal is here. The Marlins' Cody Ross (2-for-2, 1 HR against Zito, .419/1.337 against lefties) actually makes for an interesting sleeper choice.
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Brandon Webb, RHP (12-8, 2.77 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) versus
Lance Cormier, RHP (0-2, 13.50 ERA, 2.68 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Chad Tracy, 3B (knee, DL)
Game Story: Webb is in the midst of a 33-inning scoreless streak, and with the Braves averaging 6.08 runs per game in August, 6.06 since the All-Star break, this should be quite the exciting battle. Given the choice, always go with the red-hot pitcher ahead of the red-hot offense, especially accounting for Webb's 1.53 ERA in four career starts against the Braves, and the fact that he's facing the shaky Cormier, an ex-Diamondback. Go for Kelly Johnson (.303/.922 against right-handers), but don't reach for Willie Harris (.336/.877). With Cormier their opponent, the D-backs actually look good for once on offense, despite their No. 28 ranking in runs per game (4.26). Red-hot Mark Reynolds (.474/1.117 in August) gets a bump up in value with Tracy's DL assignment.
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Bronson Arroyo, RHP (5-13, 4.63 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) versus
Jeff Suppan, RHP (8-9, 4.90 ERA, 1.55 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Alex Gonzalez, SS (bereavement, out)
Game Story: Arroyo has a 4.07 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in seven starts since the All-Star break, which isn't bad, but it's not great, either. Even though the Brewers have slumped of late -- they're averaging 4.31 runs per game in August -- they have enough people who get to Arroyo to limit him to NL-only and deep mixed consideration: Johnny Estrada (4-for-10, .400), Prince Fielder (4-for-12, .333, 1 HR) and Geoff Jenkins (5-for-15, .333, 1 HR). Call Suppan about the same despite his astonishing 10-2 record and 3.03 ERA in 19 career starts at Miller Park. After all, the Reds have touched him up for a 6.65 ERA and .304 BAA in eight career meetings, with Ken Griffey Jr. ridiculously good against him in the past (11-for-22, .500, 5 HR). Adam Dunn (8-for-14, .571, 1 HR) and Scott Hatteberg (5-for-12, .417) have great track records against Suppan, too.
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Woody Williams, RHP (6-12, 5.09 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) versus
Jake Peavy, RHP (13-5, 2.23 ERA, 1.07 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Milton Bradley, OF (hamstring, day-to-day)
Game Story: Peavy got pushed up a day to stay on four days' rest, despite the fact that he's 6-0 with a 1.48 ERA in nine starts on five days' rest this season. That's hardly a reason to knock him, though, nor is the fact that he's 7-0 with a 1.06 ERA in 10 road starts, and this game is at home. Peavy actually has a 2.33 ERA in 11 career starts against the Astros, and current Astros are a combined 36-for-178 (.202) with one homer and 49 strikeouts against the right-hander lifetime, meaning you should steer clear of Astros wherever possible. That includes Williams, despite his 3.38 ERA in 26 career games (25 starts) at Petco. Sure, he could keep this game closer than you'd think, but Bradley (4-for-11, .364, 2 HR), Mike Cameron (8-for-27, .296, 3 HR) and Brian Giles (14-for-49, .286, 3 HR) each hits him well, and that's only naming three from the Padres' side.
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Josh Fogg, RHP (7-7, 4.64 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) versus
Eric Stults, LHP (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.63 WHIP)
Notable Injuries: Willy Taveras, OF (quadriceps, DL)
Game Story: Starting Fogg here, at least in NL-only or deep mixed formats, is not as crazy an idea as you might think. He's 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break, granted, mostly against poor or cold offenses (Pirates, Nationals, Brewers and Cubs), but then the Dodgers are baseball's weakest-hitting team in the month of August (2.57 runs per game). Still, don't totally ignore Jeff Kent's (13-for-27, .481, 5 HR) or Juan Pierre's (13-for-27, .481) ridiculously good track records against the right-hander. Stults, making his fourth career start after managing a 2.76 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in his first three, is a bit too risky to trust against a red-hot Rockies offense (6.36 runs per game in August). Don't fear left-handed Rockies, not with Stults allowing .406/1.299 career numbers to that side. Go especially for Ryan Spilborghs (.455/1.300 against southpaws).
Moises Alou, NYM, OF @ Washington Nationals
Garret Anderson, DH, LAA @ Boston Red Sox
Brian Bannister, SP, KC @ Oakland Athletics
Miguel Batista, SEA versus Chicago White Sox
Billy Butler, DH, KC @ Oakland Athletics
Jack Cust, DH/OF, OAK versus Kansas City Royals
Josh Fogg, SP, COL @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Kason Gabbard, SP, TEX @ Minnesota Twins
Tom Glavine, SP, NYM @ Washington Nationals
Scott Hatteberg, 1B, CIN @ Milwaukee Brewers
Raul Ibanez, OF, SEA versus Chicago White Sox
Geoff Jenkins, OF, MIL versus Cincinnati Reds
Reed Johnson, OF, TOR versus Baltimore Orioles
Jason Kendall, C, CHC versus St. Louis Cardinals
Casey Kotchman, 1B, LAA @ Boston Red Sox
Adam LaRoche, 1B, PIT versus Philadelphia Phillies
Mark Reynolds, 3B, ARI @ Atlanta Braves
Cody Ross, OF, FLA versus San Francisco Giants
Richie Sexson, 1B, SEA versus Chicago White Sox
Ryan Spilborghs, OF, COL @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Marcus Thames, 1B/OF, DET @ New York Yankees
Frank Thomas, DH, TOR versus Baltimore Orioles
Brad Wilkerson, 1B/OF, TEX @ Minnesota Twins
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.
