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Starting Marte had two hits over the weekend series as the Pirates hosted the Nationals. Both were home runs. Marte drove in three and stole a base as well, padding his already fantastic numbers. He now sits above Justin Upton in second place for offensive players in rotisserie scoring with a .352 BA, 24 R, 5 HR, 16 RBI and 10 SB. His 5 homers matches his 2012 season output, and his ten SB have come in twelve attempts. He is due for some regression, but it looks as though Marte is here to stay and he could become one of the best 5x5 performers in 2013. His power is continuously rising and his speed on the bases is fantastic.
Roy Halladay had shown some promise recently, giving hope to fantasy owners and Phillies' fans that he could be turning the corner. Then on last Tuesday the Indians chased him after just 3.2 IP. And yesterday in Philadelphia the wheels fell completely off. The Miami Marlins had bases loaded in the first inning via two walks and a hit batter. Doc had no control or command of his pitches; when he was over the plate, it was with offspeed stuff and he got hit hard. He lasted just 2.1 IP and allowed a disgusting 9 ER.
After the game it was reported that “Doc” was going to see Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles due to shoulder discomfort. A trip to the disabled-list looks imminent and-- dare I say it-- Roy Halladay is borderline droppable in most formats. His 8.65 ERA and 1.46 WHIP simply are not rosterable.
Weekend Hot Shots:
National League:
- Brian McCann will be activated today from the disabled-list. He has had a productive rehab stint, going 8-for-23 with 4 HR and 9 RBI.
- Matt Cain finally had a solid outing, going 7.1 IP and surrendering just 1 ER on 5 hits.
- Marcel Ozuna stayed hot for the Marlins going 5-for-8 with a homer and 4 RBI over the weekend; he has now hit safely in all six games since being called up. He nearly hit a grand slam off of Halladay in the first inning yesterday-- the ball hit about a foot off the top of the fence in Philly.
- Hunter Pence warmed back up with a 4 RBI performance Sunday; he’s fun and painful to watch at the same time.
- Nolan Arenado went 6-for-14 in the weekend series versus the Rays. The rookie hit two home runs and drove in six during the three-game set.
- Jaime Garcia moved to 4-1 on the year with a 2.25 ERA thru 44 IP after beating the Brewers Sunday.
- Gio Gonzalez commanded the corners with his fastball and defeated the Pirates; in the process, he lowered his ERA from 5.34 to 4.97.
- David Wright continues to be a fantasy asset, hitting his third home run in as many games.
- Jhoulys Chacin did not fare well in his first start back from the disabled-list, giving up 5 ER with only 3 K in a loss to the Rays; Dexter Fowler went 0-5 after hip soreness forced him out of Saturday’s game.
- Ian Kennedy continued to struggle and now owns a 5.19 ERA and has given up 23 runs over his last 36.1 IP.
- Hanley Ramirez hit the DL and Dee Gordon got the call, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and 2 SB Saturday, before adding another RBI and SB Sunday. His speed is unreal and he has 50-SB potential if he can keep getting on base.
American League:
- Justin Verlander flirted with a no-hitter through six frames in a win over Houston. He now has a 1.55 ERA and a 50/13 K/BB ratio over 47 innings of work.
- Alex Gordon walked off the White Sox Sunday and is now sporting a .303 BA with 20 RBI for the Royals.
- Manny Machado homered Saturday and Sunday. He now boasts a .308 BA, 5 HR and 21 RBI.
- Brandon Morrow struck out eight over eight innings Sunday.
- Andrew Bailey will have an MRI on his biceps Monday.
- Jake Peavy (back spasms) could be headed for a DL stint, meaning Dylan Axelrod’s spot in the rotation could be safe for now. Hector Santiago has looked good and will most likely remain in the rotation even once John Danks returns.
- Yoenis Cespedes hit a 2-run HR off of Andy Pettitte Sunday in a win over the Yankees; Luke Montz (1) and Josh Donaldson (3) also went deep in the game. Cespedes now has 14 RBI and has driven in at least a run in 3 straight games.
- Prince Fielder (8), Bryan Pena (1), Andy Dirks (2) and Omar Infante (3) all homered for the Tigers Sunday after Miguel Cabrera went deep twice and Victor Martinez got his first longball of the year on Saturday.
- Jeremy Guthrie threw a complete game shutout Saturday moving to 4-0 with a 2.39 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 41.1 IP.
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