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April 6, 2008, 3:11 PM

Forecaster: Lineups, matchups, two-start pitchers

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By Tristan H. Cockcroft
ESPN.com
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On tap: Week 1 sensation Johnny Cueto gets his first career two-start week; Nationals Park in Washington sees its first full week of action, ready to reveal whether it's truly a bandbox; the Tigers get quite a challenge as they try to wake up their offense with three early-week games in Boston; and that historic rivalry, Yankees-Red Sox (ever hear of it?), resumes with three games at Boston to round out Week 2...

Quick click by section: Game breakdowns | Hitters' matchups | Basestealers' matchups | Pitchers' matchups | Two-start pitchers

Note: Weather reports are based on upcoming weather forecasts (through Friday), as well as historical trends in those cities. "Poor weather" doesn't guarantee rainouts; those are merely the teams with the highest probability of one or more.

Note: Hitter-friendly ballparks are based primarily on three-year statistical data (2005-07) comparing home/road performance, much the same method as our Park Factor page. Some personal opinion does go into making ballpark selections.

Player tips: Ken Griffey Jr. (CIN) is a combined .413 hitter with (19-for-46) eight homers lifetime against the Brewers' Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush, their scheduled April 8-9 starters, and he's a .356 hitter with six homers in 29 career games at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, where he'll play April 11-13. ... Mark Kotsay (ATL) is a .317 hitter with eight homers in 42 career games at Colorado's Coors Field, where he'll play April 7-10. ... Nationals Park sure appeared homer-friendly in its debut on March 30, and with the Nationals playing there for all of Week 2, load up on their lefty-killers: Austin Kearns batted .292 with an .883 OPS against them, Lastings Milledge batted .317/.956 and Ryan Zimmerman .374/1.103 against them in 2007. ... Delmon Young (TB) is a .609 hitter (14-for-23) with two homers and eight RBIs in six career games at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field, where he'll play April 7 and April 9-10.

Note: Matchups are determined by examining both an opponent's catcher and pitching staff. Obviously, teams like the Tigers (catcher: Ivan Rodriguez) and Cardinals (Yadier Molina) rate as tough teams to run on, while teams like the Padres (Josh Bard/Michael Barrett) and Indians (Victor Martinez) rate as easy teams to run on.

Player tips: Michael Bourn (HOU) might be off to a hot start in the stolen-base category, but be a little more conservative with your expectations from him this week, and avoid the rest of his teammates in terms of steals. ... Rafael Furcal (LAD) terrorized the Padres last season, successfully stealing on all 13 of his attempts in 18 games. That included two separate three-steal efforts. Juan Pierre (LAD) also stole 12 bases against the Padres in 18 games, while Russell Martin (LAD) swiped five bags in 18 meetings. ... Carlos Guillen (DET) managed three of his 13 stolen bases in 2007 in 16 games against the White Sox. ... If there's any week to exploit Athletics baserunners, it's this one. Travis Buck and Mark Ellis might be about it, though, from a roster notoriously conservative on steals. ... As a team the White Sox were successful on only five of 12 steal attempts (41.7 percent) against the Tigers in 2007. That's not a promising track record for Orlando Cabrera owners.

Note: As with the hitter-friendly ballparks, pitcher-friendly ballparks are based mostly on 2005-07 data, with some personal opinion involved.

Player tips: Joe Blanton (OAK) is 0-2 with a 6.88 ERA and 1.94 WHIP in three career starts at Cleveland's Jacobs Field, where he's scheduled to start on April 11. Keep that in mind if you play in a shallow mixed league. ... Another tip for that format: Jeremy Bonderman (DET) is 0-3 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in four career starts at Boston's Fenway Park, where he's scheduled to start on April 9. ... Exploit Doug Davis' (ARI) final start before he undergoes thyroid surgery, as he had a 1.83 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in three starts against the Dodgers in 2007, and gets to face them on April 8. ... Tom Glavine (ATL) has lost back-to-back starts at Colorado's Coors Field, totaling 10 earned runs and 17 hits allowed in 12 innings. He's a must-avoid when he pitches there on April 7. ... Tim Hudson's (ATL) 0-2 record, 13.00 ERA and 2.89 WHIP in two career starts at Coors, where he's scheduled to start on April 9, might scream out "must-sit." But I'm taking the chance on the ground-baller, especially with the Rockies not seeming quite themselves with the bats yet. ... Dustin McGowan (TOR) was 8-3 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 13 starts at home in 2007, and he'll host the Athletics, one of the game's weakest offenses, on April 9. ... Gil Meche (KC) is 6-3 with a 4.05 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 12 career starts against the Twins, whom he's scheduled to face at home on April 11. ... Even in what was a terrible year for him, Ervin Santana (LAA) finished 2007 with a 6-4 record, 3.27 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 12 starts at home. He's scheduled to pitch at Angel Stadium on April 8, so even though his opponent is the Indians, he's worth a look in all but shallow mixed leagues. ... Adam Wainwright (STL) is a one-start standout working in San Francisco on April 10. The Giants totaled eight runs in their first four games, and are a clear bottom-five offense. ... Jarrod Washburn (SEA) has an unreal 5-1 record, 1.99 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in seven career starts at Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field, where he's scheduled to start on April 9.

Sunday change: The Mariners moved Felix Hernandez up to Sunday, eliminating his two-start Week 2. Erik Bedard, whom Hernandez replaced, might take two turns instead, if his hip injury allows. He'd rank No. 1 on my list if fully healthy.

Tristan H. Cockcroft covers fantasy sports for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.