RADIO
Every day, we will be taking a quick look at the best and worst fantasy baseball performers from yesterday's games. They were mostly low-scoring affairs, but there were some offensive fireworks as well.
Here's a quick rundown of those who impressed on Thursday, and those who want to pretend the day never happened.
Editor’s Note: To read about even more waiver wire options, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily. Prefer using your phone? Our free waiver wire app is available for download in the Apple Store.
Fantasy Baseball Studs
Carlos Santana (1B, CLE): Santana homered twice and drove in four runs to help the Indians finish off a sweep of the Reds.
Rajai Davis (OF, CLE): Davis didn’t go deep last night, but he doubled twice, scored a run and stole a base. He has nine hits and nine RBI in his last four games.
Stephen Strasburg (SP, WAS): Strasburg moved to 7-0 with a six inning, 10 strikeout performance against the Mets. Over the past calendar year, he’s 15-3 with a 2.50 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 6.27 K/BB. Wonder if Max Petrie (or anyone else, for that matter) still thinks he isn’t an ace?
Daniel Murphy (1B/2B, WAS): Murphy just keeps right on raking. He went 2-for-4 with a homer against his old team, driving in and scoring a pair of runs each. Murphy has started 37 games and gone hitless only four times.
Matt Carpenter (3B, STL): Carpenter homered and doubled twice, knocking in six runs as the Cardinals murked the Rockies.
Stephen Piscotty (1B/OF, STL): Piscotty got in on the slaughter as well, going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and RBI.
Trevor Story (SS, COL): Story smacked his 12th homer of the year, drove in three, and fell a triple short of the cycle in a losing effort.
Chris Sale (SP, CHW): Sale tossed a gem against the Astros, going the distance and allowing only one run and four hits while striking out nine. He became only the second pitcher in major league history to win his first nine starts while posting an ERA under 2.00.
Edwin Encarnacion (1B, TOR): Encarnacion went 3-for-5, including a game-tying two-run homer, as the Jays beat the Twins to end their five-game losing streak.
Marco Estrada (SP, TOR): Estrada allowed only four batters to reach base in his eight innings, striking out nine.
Jeff Samardzija (SP, SFG): Shark kept his comeback season going with eight innings of one-run ball against the Padres. He struck out eight and allowed only three hits.
Chase Utley (2B, LAD): Utley singled twice and scored three runs. From presumptive backup to firmly entrenched leadoff man, it’s been an interesting season for Utley. He’s clearly got some life left, even at 37.
Carlos Beltran (OF, NYY): Speaking of old dudes, Beltran had himself a nice game. He homered and doubled, driving in three of the Yankees’ four runs in a win against the Athletics.
Mike Trout (OF, LAA): Just in case anyone forgot, Trout is pretty good at this whole baseball thing. He homered and stole a base last night, scoring twice and driving in three to help the Angels knock off the Dodgers.
Josh Reddick (OF, OAK): Reddick also homered and stole a base last night. Is he the next Mike Trout? I’m not saying that…but I’m also not not saying that.
Fantasy Baseball Duds
Matt Harvey (SP, NYM): Harvey was a disaster, surrendering nine runs (albeit “only” six earned) and failing to escape the third inning. He sports an unsightly 5.77 ERA and 1.66 WHIP, and Terry Collins is talking about skipping his next start. Yikes.
Michael Wacha (SP, STL): Staked to an early four-run lead, Wacha couldn’t hold it. He was chased after four innings, allowing six runs on eight hits…
Jon Gray (SP, COL): …But luckily for Wacha, Gray was even worse. He allowed more batters to reach base (11) than he retired (10), and nine of them came around to score.
Tyler White (1B, HOU): 0-for-4, three strikeouts. His insane opening week feels more and more like a dream every day.
Byung Ho Park (1B, MIN): Park went hitless in four at-bats and struck out twice. It’s the 10th time he’s whiffed multiple times in a game this season.
Matt Kemp (OF, SDP): Kemp struck out three times, giving him 35 whiffs on the year against four walks. That’s how you run an OPS in the low .700s despite hitting at a 40 HR pace.
Chris Davis (1B/OF, BAL): Davis was 0-for-4 for two strikeouts in a loss to the Mariners.
Jason Heyward (OF, CHC): Heyward was the only Cubs starter not to reach base in a loss to the Brewers last night, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. Even Jason Hammel got a hit! C’mon, son.
Freddie Freeman (1B, ATL): Freeman went hitless in four at-bats, striking out twice. After the game, his teammates said they’d “never felt closer to him.”
Lucas Duda (1B, NYM): Duda struck out three times in his four trips to the plate. More like Lucas Duda, am I right? Wait.
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