Closing Time: If you started Arroyo and Silva, maybe it's time to try fantasy golf
This was Bronson Arroyo's(notes) fantasy line tonight:
1.0 IP, 0 W, 0 SV, 0 K, 81.00 ERA, 10.00 WHIP.
He allowed five runs in the first inning, then another four in the second without retiring a batter. If you used him in a head-to-head league – and he's 38 percent-owned, so you might have – then it's time to just go ahead and stream. Forget the Week 5 ratios. Those are cooked.
Pretty much every Brewer homered in Wednesday's 15-3 massacre: Fielder, Hardy, Braun, Oglive, Hisle (2), Thomas, Lezcano (2), Bando. A rough night for Arroyo for sure. The ninth was no picnic for shortstop Paul Janish(notes), either (1.0 IP, 5 H, 5 ER).
Perhaps some bullets will lift your mood, Arroyo owner …
• Aaron Laffey(notes) picked up a save against the Red Sox, but it was a non-event. He pitched the final three innings in Cleveland's 9-2 win. The Tribe's No. 2, 3, 4 and 5 hitters each had three hits, which seems like a recipe for success.
Travis Hafner(notes) received a fairly positive report from Dr. Andrews, which is not a positive report for Matt LaPorta(notes) speculators.
• Matt Capps(notes) reports no pain, and he could return as early as Saturday.
• Braves prospect Tommy Hanson(notes) lowered his ERA to 1.65 on Tuesday with a 10-strikeout, two-hit performance at Triple-A. He now has 48 Ks and 12 walks in 32.2 innings. We'll have more on Hanson tomorrow, but you can add him now in a majority of PLUS leagues.
• The mid-game interview with Ken Burns during the Marlins-Braves tilt lasted longer than any of his documentaries. In fact, it lasted longer than the Civil War, the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the entire history of jazz. There's no need to go the full inning, fellas. At some point the mercy rule comes into play.
• The Chicago-Detroit game was postponed tonight, but you'll note that Jayson Nix(notes) was penciled in at shortstop for the Sox. That's because Ozzie Guillen is currently disgusted with Alexei Ramirez(notes). A few choice quotes, via the Chicago Tribune:
As for Ramirez's benching, "it's not a rest," Guillen said. "I always tell my players, 'give yourself a chance. Get good at-bats.' But when you see one at-bat after another, and not have the results, no adjustments. We talked to Alexei a few times. … I'm going to give him a couple days to think about it, to see with (hitting coach) Mr. Greg Walker to figure it out. … We'll see what happens. I'm not saying the Missile (Ramirez) will be on the bench for the rest of the season, but I'm sending a notice - not for him - for everyone. We got to be better."
Ramirez had actually gone 4-for-13 over his past three games, nudging his average back over the Mendoza line. But many of his plate appearances this year have not been MLB-quality. If you're a Ramirez owner, find a replacement for a few days, but don't scrap him.
The 26-year-old Nix has demonstrated modest power/speed talents in the high minors over multiple seasons, and Guillen likes what little he's seen (seven regular season at-bats, 13 in the spring). Take a shot in AL-only, but recall that Nix did not distinguish himself in Colorado last year (.125/.234/.161).
• It really wasn't a great day for Alexeis/Alexis. The Twins demoted struggling second baseman Alexi Casilla(notes) to Triple-A on Wednesday. Ron Gardenhire gave us this nugget:
"He’s just mentally a wreck right now as far as being able to play the game."
Matt Tolbert(notes) got the call; the 27-year-old was hitting .260/.324/.375 at Rochester, and doesn't offer much to the fantasy community. (Minor league history here).
•Rich Harden(notes) didn't post a big strikeout total in his win against Houston on Wednesday, but he went seven innings and his velocity was just fine, maxing out at 96 according to Gameday. You're always in a state of heightened alert as a Harden owner, but there's no reason to feel too bad at the moment. Derrek Lee(notes) sat with what the Cubs call "stiffness" in his neck and what the Sun-Times calls "a bulging disk."
• The Royals don't have a hitter in the lineup who's 60 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues, yet they're leading the AL Central and they mauled Carlos Silva(notes) on Wednesday. They've also scored 37 runs on the current five-game winning streak. The 28 percent-owned Billy Butler(notes) delivered another multi-hit game, and the 56 percent-owned Mark Teahen(notes) went 3-for-5 and hit his fourth homer.
• Manny Corpas is, without question, the biggest waste of 18 imaginary dollars in my fantasy career. He's at risk of demotion, and deservedly so.
• Justin Upton(notes) interrupted a dominant Jake Peavy(notes) outing (7.0 IP, 4 H, 12 K) with the first of two home runs on Wednesday. Upton also gunned down Henry Blanco(notes) at the plate on a ridiculous attempt to tag and score.
• Brian McCann(notes) will test-drive his fancy new glasses at Triple-A on Thursday. He expects to return to the Braves when eligible on Friday. What will he do if things still aren't properly focused? According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution …
If McCann isn’t able to play at his accustomed level while wearing glasses, another round of laser-eye surgery might be a last-resort option. Some specialists, however, recommend against Lasik surgery twice in such a short span because of possible nerve damage.
• Brandon Wood(notes), we're sorry to see you go. After delivering a 3-for-9 line (with two hits off CC Sabathia(notes)), Wood has been sent down again. Reggie Willits(notes) was recalled, apparently for pinch-running purposes.
•Ubaldo Jimenez(notes) won his 18th career game tonight, denying Randy Johnson(notes) his 298th. Jimenez is now something like 16-2 on nights that I handle Closing Time. Apparently there are days when he pitches poorly, but not on my watch.
• Marlins first base prospect Gaby Sanchez(notes) is off to an outstanding start (.345/.414/.517), but he injured his right knee on Tuesday – possibly an MCL sprain, reports the Miami Herald – and he's awaiting MRI results. The early word is that it's a four-to-six week issue.
• Sean Gallagher(notes) will get a start for the A's on Saturday against the Jays, since Brett Anderson(notes) is blistered. Gallagher has thrown five no-hit innings at Triple-A, and he pitched 3.2 scoreless innings against the Angels on Monday, striking out three.
• This sounds unlikely, but Ryan Howard(notes) might have made the defensive play of the night. With two outs in the sixth, Howard dove to his right to collect a shot hit by Jose Reyes, then he made a nifty backhanded flip to Chan Ho Park(notes) at first … and Park dropped the ball. Reyes reached base. E1. No highlights. But you'll have to take my word for it: Howard made a sweet play.
Not the play of the day: Pedro Feliz's(notes) unconscionable throw in the seventh, which led to the game's only run.
That's it for tonight, everyone. Wish Remdog well.
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Photos via AP Images (Arroyo, Harden, Jimenez) and Getty Images (Ramirez)
