3B Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks: A HR and a SB brings the thrid baseman's season totals to 16 and 13, respectively. On top of that, Reynolds hit three doubles. The strikeouts will always, always be a risk for a wicked cold streak.
SP Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves: The rookie picked-up is his 1st major league win despite an ugly pitching line - five walks and nine hits over 5.2 innings. Watching his 1st inning on the MLB Network, like listening to MLB Homeplate on XM radio with visuals, Hanson looked like he had too much movement for major league hitters to chase.
C Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Wieters has not impressed in his first 39 major league ABs. It is unfair, but the divinity imbued in him by the prospecting world made that an almost certainty. That disclosed, Wieters went 2-4 and is now 6-11 in his last three starts.
C Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins: With a HR last night, Mauer has now tied his career high with 13. I wonder if anyone doubts the power surge is real. Once it is accepted as fact, expect to see the focus on Mauer turn to the chance he continues to hit .400. That ability to hit flyballs for hits will serve him better than his prior lack of that ability.
SS Derek Jeter, New York Mets: A HR and SB brings Jeter's season totals to 9 and 13, respectively. In all honesty, that is about what I expected from the future Hall-of-Famer. What I failed to forsee was the short right center porch in the new Yankees Stadium that is a custom fit for his Jeterian swing. Seven HRs at home and two on the road and no road homers since April 14th.
1B Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals: A HR and SB brings' Pujols season totals to 20 and 9, respectively. In a season that has seen Hanley Ramirez, David Wright, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Reyes, Grady Sizemore and Josh Hamilton disappoint and/or fail in one way or another, there is an almost irrefutable argument that Pujols is the safest player to select #1 in fantasy baseball. Of course, I think he needs to steal bases to make the decision a slam dunk, but I'm unable to look past his position eligibility.
OF Don Kelly, Detroit Tigers: The Tigers sent Clete Thomas to AAA after hitting him 3rd and recalled Kelly and hit him 3rd. I looked through three years of prospect books and a couple years of Baseball Prospectus annulas and couldn't find anything on Kelly. Finally, I went to Baseball Reference to learn more about the 29-year-old.
A left-handed hitter listed at 6'4, he played a lot of middle infield up until this season. His power is middle-infielder-esque (career-high 10 HRs) as is his speed (career-high 23 SBs). He did have a good batting eye in the minors - 328 walks to 307 Ks over 3,310 minor league ABs.
Um, do the Tigers possess some proprietary research hinting that the three hitter is over-rated?
SP Ricky Nolasco, Florida Marlins: While Nolasco didn't get a Win, he did thrown six innings of two-run ball and allowed just five hits while walking one and striking out nine. Is he back or was this a case of an American league team being unfamiliar with his style?
OF B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays: a .212 AVG and 20 SBs? Talk about having a long leash. How many other players could have an OPS of .616 and play enough to accumulate that many swipes?
8th Inning Holds: Luis Ayala (1) and Jose Mijares (8) and Matt Guerrier MIn (10), Pedro Feliciano NYM (11), Hideki Okajima BOS (11), Joe Smith (3) and Rafael Perez CLE (6), Zach Miner DET (1)
Saves: Joe Nathan MIN (14), Fernando Rodney DET (12)
Blown Saves: Ramon Ramirez, BOS (1), Francisco Rodriguez NYM (1)