Will missed opportunities haunt the Mirrors?

Week 21 has been full of missed opportunities for the Mirrors. Pedro Alvarez and Bryce Harper are on a tear but they are on the bench as the Mirrors battle for a playoff spot. Through three games, Alvarez is now 8 for 15 with three home runs, seven RBI, and five runs scored. Harper had two home runs last night, drove in three runs, and scored twice.

The Mirrors aren't alone in losing valuable production from bench players. The Slammers lost a brilliant start from James McDonald, John Axford has now earned two saves without giving up a run for High Cheese,  Tyler Colvin has a home run and six RBI in three games for the Cys, and Jonathan Broxton has two holds without giving up a run for the Machine.

Over the course of a season, every team will watch a bench player excel and wish they had him in the starting lineup. It's just a little more agonizing in a tight pennant race as the season winds down.

Wednesday's Stats

The Fishes continue to pound the ball this week. On Wednesday, it was A.J. Ellis who popped a grand slam home run as the team finished second in RBI and tied for the lead in runs scored...The legs of B.J. Upton have scored a point for the Mirrors as he stole another base yesterday. He was 2 for 5 with a homer, a stolen base, and three RBI...Yunel Escobar was a one man wrecking crew for the Machine on Wednesday. He went 4 for 5 with a home run, five RBI, and two runs scored as the Machine led the league in RBI...It's safe to say Twinkle Toes missed All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria when he was on the DL. His power production is exactly what the team needs and on Wednesday he delivered two home runs and three RBI...Bomba was rewarded yesterday for sticking by Bruce Chen. The veteran starter lasted eight innings, his longest appearance of the season, without giving up a run and allowing just four hits.

Overall Stats

Jacoby Ellsbury is in the middle of a big week for the Machine and may keep the team close enough in the offensive categories to allow a weekend comeback in their series with Twinkle Toes. Ellsbury has a home run, two stolen bases, four RBI, and five runs scored....Starting pitching is keeping Bacon in its series with Home Run 101. The starters are now 4 for 6 in quality starts, led by a complete game shutout by Felix Hernandez...High Cheese and Bomba are having a bullpen war. Each team has combined for six saves/holds in the first three games this week, far and away the best mark in the league. Greg Holland has two saves for Bomba while David Robertson has two holds for High Cheese.

Thursday's Projected Starters

The Nationals are hitting .306 in 49 at bats off Jaime Garcia but they have just four extra base hits, all doubles, and 10 strikeouts. Jayson Werth is 2 for 10 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and two strikeouts while Ian Desmond is 2 for 7 with a walk and a strikeout...The Rays are hitting a robust .361 in 72 at bats off Carlos Villanueva with five doubles, a triple, four home runs, and 13 strikeouts. Ben Zobrist is 3 for 6 with three home runs, five RBI, three walks, and just one strikeout while Desmond Jennings is 3 for 7 with a double, a triple, and a strikeout...The Red Sox have 62 at bats off Zack Greinke but Scott Podsednik accounts for 34 of those. Podsednik is hitting .500 off Greinke with six doubles, a triple, and three strikeouts. Dustin Pedroia is 2 for 9 with three walks, a double, an RBI, and a strikeout...In 35 at bats, the Twins are hitting .314 off Blake Beavan with three doubles, a home run, and six strikeouts. Ryan Doumit is 2 for 3 while Josh Willingham is 4 for 10 with two doubles, a home run, two walks, three RBI, and three strikeouts...The Cardinals are hitting .306 in 49 at bats off Edwin Jackson with two doubles, two home runs, and 11 strikeouts. Matt Holliday is 4 for 13 with a double, a home run, two RBI, a walk and three strikeouts while Yadier Molina is 7 for 8 with a home run and a walk...The Angels have just 28 hits in 122 at bats off Jon Lester with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 21 strikeouts. Kendrys Morales is 0 for 6 with an RBI while Howie Kendrick is 3 for 22 with a double, a walk, and six strikeouts...In 50 at bats, the Athletics are hitting .240 with two doubles, four home runs, and 11 strikeouts against Justin Masterson. Cliff Pennington is 3 for 9 with a double, three walks, and an RBI while Josh Reddick is 1 for 11 with a home run, a walk, and three strikeouts...The Dodgers are hitting just .176 in 91 at bats off Ian Kennedy with three doubles, three home runs, and a whopping 25 strikeouts. Andre Ethier is 4 for 15 with a double, a home run, two RBI, and two strikeouts while Matt Kemp is 3 for 13 with two home runs, three RBI, a walk and five strikeouts...The Astros have just two hits in 19 at bats off Ryan Vogelsong. Jose Altuve is 1 for 4 with two strikeouts...Rookie Jarrod Parker has held the Indians to six hits in 30 at bats with no extra base hits and two strikeouts. Shin-Soo Choo is 2 for 4 with a strikeout while Asdrubal Cabrera is 0 for 4...The Cubs are hitting .153 in 72 at bats off Shaun Marcum with five doubles, three home runs, and 23 strikeouts. Darwin Barney is 4 for 12 with three doubles, a home run, an RBI and two strikeouts while Starlin Castro is 1 for 13 with a home run, an RBI, and three strikeouts...The Blue Jays have just three hits in 30 at bats off Matt Moore with a double and eight strikeouts. Edwin Encarnacion is 0 for 3 with three walks while Yunel Escobar is 1 for 5 with  a walk...Clayton Kershaw owns the Diamondbacks. They are hitting just .150 in 107 at bats with six doubles, a triple and 32 strikeouts. Chris Young is 5 for 26 with a double, two walks, an RBI, and a three strikeouts while Justin Upton is 2 for 23 with a triple, two walks, two RBI, and eight strikeouts...The Phillies are hitting .220 in 141 at bats off Jonathon Niese with eight doubles, three home runs, and 31 strikeouts. Chase Utley is 2 for 12 with two walks, an RBI, and a strikeout while Jimmy Rollins is 6 for 29 with a double, two walks, and six strikeouts.

Fantasy pitching staffs scramble after aces trumped

Justin Verlander, Stephen Strasburg, Chris Sale, and Jered Weaver have been some of the most consistent starters in fantasy baseball this year. These are aces. Fantasy pitching staffs rely on these players to lower their ERA and WHIP, post quality starts, and pad their strikeout totals. But Tuesday brought numbers like this:

• Justin Verlander - 5.2 innings, 12 hits, three walks, eight earned runs.
• Stephen Strasburg - 5.0 innings, nine hits, one walk, five earned runs.
• Chris Sale - 4.0 innings, six hits, three walks, four earned runs.
• Jered Weaver - 7.0 innings, seven hits, one walk, four earned runs.

 Ivan Nova and Bruce Chen both called - they want their numbers back.

When a fantasy ace falters, it means someone else on that fantasy team's pitching staff has to step up and produce ace-like numbers or the team risks losing several pitching categories.

Tuesday's Stats

With batters beating the aces to a pulp, it was up to a former reliever and an unreliable veteran to post the day's top pitching numbers. Since moving to the starting rotation for the Braves, Kris Medlen has been sensational. On Tuesday, he pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing just five hits, while striking out nine batters for the Menehunes. The biggest surprise on the mound came from Ricky Nolasco, who dominated the Nationals. He tossed a complete game shutout for the Machine, allowing just five hits while striking out six batters...Wilin Rosario has emerged as one of the league's best catchers. HUMA needs his production this week as the pitching staff has stumbled out of the gate. Last night, Rosario was 3 for 4 with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored...An argument could be made that Austin Jackson is playing himself into a keeper for 2013. He's significantly reduced his strikeouts which has helped him get on base. He was on base five times yesterday, going 3 for 3 with two walks, while stealing a base and scoring three times. He has the Jersey Boys sniffing an upset of the Slammers...There were a couple of big time Sonavabench! moments last night. The Mirrors had Pedro Alvarez benched and he went 4 for 5 with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored to lead all fantasy players in scoring. The Slammers had James McDonald benched and he was the third highest rated pitcher on the night, tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing just two hits...The Bulls are setting a torrid pace to begin their pivotal series with Give it a Yankee so Chase Utley's heroics Tuesday was welcomed by Brian. The veteran second baseman was 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI.

Overall Stats

It's an interesting cast of characters that is generating offense for Twinkle Toes this week. Norichika Aoki, Seth Smith, and Stephen Drew have accounted for eight of the team's league-leading 11 runs. Evan Longoria is the only player to have two RBI for the Toes...Speaking of RBI, the Vicious Fishes are off to a monster start in that category, with 21 in two days. Five players have three or more RBI, including Yasmani Grandal, Alex Gordon, Ryan Howard, Dustin Ackley and Mike Moustakas...The Bulls are dominating the starting pitching this week. They are 4 for 5 in quality starts and have given up just three runs in those quality starts. Chris Tillman led the pack with seven innings of scoreless ball on Tuesday...Joe Nathan has emerged as this week's top closer. He's 2 for 2 in save attempts, striking out five of the six batters he has faced without giving up a run. He's helped the Lower Haighters stay even with the Menehunes in the pitching categories.

Wednesday's Projected Starters

The Brewers now have 39 at bats off Jeff Samardzija and have shown they can hit for average (.282), if not power (just three extra base hits). Ryan Braun is 4 for 10 with three walks, a home run and two RBI while Corey Hart is 2 for 10 with a double, a walk, two RBI, and two strikeouts...Rajai Davis has struggled against CC Sabathia, as have the rest of his Blue Jays teammates. Davis is just 5 for 32 with a double, one RBI, two walks and two strikeouts. As a team, the Blue Jays are hitting just .232 in 151 at bats while striking out 34 times...The Menehunes will send three pitchers to the mound today with Barry Zito facing the light-hitting Astros while Alex Cobb and Drew Pomeranz have much more perilous assignments. The Astros do have 11 hits in 35 at bats off Zito but the crafty left-hander has limited them to just two doubles while he's rung up 13 strikeouts. Jose Altuve is 2 for 2 with a walk while Justin Maxwell is 0 for 4 with two walks and a strikeout...Cobb draws the unenviable task of starting in Arlington where he'll face the red-hot Adrian Beltre and the hard-hitting Rangers. In a limited sample size, Cobb has been successful against Texas, holding them to a .176 average over 17 at bats with no extra base hits. Ian Kinsler is 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI while Beltre is 1 for 3 with an RBI...Finally, rookie Drew Pomeranz faces the suddenly loaded Dodgers in Coors Field. Gulp. The Dodgers are 7 for 26 against Pomeranz with one extra base hit and 10 strikeouts. Shane Victorino is 2 for 3 with a walk and a triple while Matt Kemp is 0 for 3 with two walks and two strikeouts...The Slammers will send Ross Detwiler against the Marlins in Crayola Canyon. The Marlins are hitting just .233 off Detwiler in 30 at bats with one extra base hit and six strikeouts. Jose Reyes is 2 for 8 with a walk and a strikeout while John Buck is 2 for 4 with an RBI...Bomba has two favorable starts today as Matt Harrison and Bruce Chen will both pitch at home. Harrison must negotiate a Rays lineup that is hitting a robust .318 against him in 66 at bats with seven extra base hits but 16 strikeouts. Desmond Jennings is 3 for 6 with a walk and a strikeout while Matt Joyce is 1 for 4 with a double, an RBI, and two strikeouts...Chen will need to maneuver around Miguel Cabrera and Delmon Young, two veteran hitters that have pounded the veteran hurler. Cabrera is 10 for 23 with two doubles, three home runs, seven RBI, seven walks and four strikeouts. Young is 7 for 16 with three doubles, a home run, three RBI, and a strikeout. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .303 in 132 at bats off Chen...Joe Saunders will be making his first start as an Oriole for High Cheese against a White Sox team that's had success against him. Kevin Youkilis is 6 for 21 with three doubles, two home runs, six walks, five RBI, and five strikeouts. Paul Konerko and Alex Rios have both taken Saunders deep...It might be make-or-break for Bacon today as three pitchers make difficult road starts. Joe Kelly travels to Pittsburgh, rookie Matt Harvey faces a veteran Phillies squad, and Anibal Sanchez faces the struggling Royals. Kelly has faced the Pirates once, allowing five hits in 20 at bats with just one extra base hit and four strikeouts. Jose Tabata was 0 for 1 with a walk while Pedro Alvarez was 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout...This will be the first time Harvey has faced the Phillies...Only two Royals have faced Sanchez. Jeff Francouer is 8 for 26 with a double, a home run, eight RBI, a walk, and two strikeouts while Lorenzo Cain is 0 for 3...The Cys will start C.J. Wilson at home against the squabbling Red Sox while Mike Fiers will pray the wind is blowing in for his start in Wrigley Field. The Red Sox are hitting .240 in 75 at bats against Wilson with seven extra base hits and 15 strikeouts. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 0 for 6 with a walk and two strikeouts while Dustin Pedroia is 6 for 13 with two doubles, a home run, a walk, four RBI, and just one strikeout...This will be Fiers first start in Wrigley Field. Only three Cubs have faced him, with Starlin Castro and Bryan LaHair both walking and Alfonso Soriano going 0 for 1...Mat Latos will pitch for HUMA on the road in Arizona, a notoriously hitter-friendly park. The Diamondbacks will give Latos little wiggle room, as they are hitting .338 with 12 extra base hits in 74 at bats off the Reds pitcher. Jason Kubel is 2 for 2 with two home runs, a walk, and three RBI. Miguel Montero is 3 for 13 against Latos with one walk, an RBI, and three strikeouts...On the surface, the Mirrors should benefit from a Cole Hamels start at home against the struggling Mets. But dig a little deeper and you'll find the Mets are hitting .304 with 25 extra base hits in 184 at bats against Hamels. Josh Thole is 1 for 3 with a strikeout while David Wright is 16 for 49 with three doubles, a triple, three home runs, two walks, nine RBI, and 13 strikeouts...After watching ace David Price fail to earn a quality start on Monday, it's imperative that Tommy Hanson and Joe Blanton man up in dangerous road starts today. Hanson is lucky enough to start in cavernous Petco Park but the Padres have been hot of late and they've had some success against Hanson, hitting .283 in 60 at bats with nine extra base hits and 12 strikeouts. Chase Headley is 4 for 10 with a double, a triple, a walk and two strikeouts while Cameron Maybin, Will Venable, and Carlos Quentin have all hit home runs off Hanson. Blanton is a fly ball pitcher who has on track to give up a career-high 30 home runs this season and is starting against a red-hot Rockies lineup in Coors Field. This cannot end well. Over his career, the Rockies are hitting .326 in 46 at bats with five home runs in six extra base hits. Dexter Fowler is 1 for 4 with a home run, Carlos Gonzalez has two home runs while Wilin Rosario and Chris Nelson have each taken Blanton deep....The Bulls need Jason Vargas to turn things around today and a cure for his ills may be facing the Twins at pitcher-friendly Target Field. Vargas has held the Twins to 26 hits in 105 at bats with just six extra base hits and 13 strikeouts. Josh Willingham is 0 for 16 with one walk and seven strikeouts while Jamey Carroll is 6 for 14 with an RBI and a strikeout. Denard Span and Justin Morneau have hit home runs off Vargas....The Cardinals have faced Wandy Rodriguez 181 times with both sides winning their fair share. The Cardinals are hitting .249 with 35 strikeouts and 18 extra base hits. Yadier Molina is 8 for 38 with two doubles, three walks, three RBI and six strikeouts while Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran have each hit three home runs off Rodriguez, with Holliday driving in eight RBI.

Carlos Gomez powers the Bulls to an early lead over Give it a Yankee

Carlos Gomez could prove to be one of the most important free-agent acquisitions of the season. The Bulls added the journeyman outfielder - who has played for three Major League teams since 2007 - on July 30. On Monday, he delivered, going 4 for 5 with a home run, a stolen base, three runs scored and an RBI.

His performance at the plate helped the Bulls grab the early lead over Give it a Yankee in their battle for the North Division pennant.

Since being added to the Bulls' roster, Gomez has struggled to reach base (.297 OBP), and get hits (.247 average) but he's injected speed into the lineup. He leads the team in stolen bases with six since July 30. Gomez is also the team's fifth-rated offensive player during that time, ranking ahead of Dan Uggla, Hunter Pence, and Brian McCann.

Monday's Stats

The Vicious Fishes are a hot team. Last night, Yasmani Grandal, Derek Jeter, and Nelson Cruz all hit home runs as the team led the league in that category and finished third in RBI. And while ace David Price struggled, setup man Matt Belisle earned a critical save...It happens so infrequently that it comes as a shock when Yankee closer Rafael Soriano blows a save but he did so in spectacular fashion last night, allowing three runs to cross the plate before finally getting three outs....Twinkle Toes jumped to a big lead over the Machine as recently acquired Brett Anderson and Bronson Arroyo both earned quality starts and Mike Adams added a hold. Anderson was exceptional, allowing just two hits over seven scoreless innings. He could be a major contributor for the Toes down the stretch...Adrian Beltre could single-handedly keep HUMA in the race for the final playoff berth. The league's hottest hitter was at it again Monday, going 3 for 3 with a home run and four RBI...Four relievers combined to pitch four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and earning two saves and a hold as High Cheese flexed its muscles in the 'pen...The Battle for the Wooden Spoon got off to a rip-roarin' start as Aramis Ramirez clubbed two home runs and drove in four runs for Home Run 101 and Felix Hernandez tossed a complete game shutout for Bacon. The onus is on Home Run as they need to win the series to climb out of the cellar...A.J. Pierzynski and Dayan Viciedo had dubious starts to the week, both going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts...Closer Kenley Jansen was caught up in the Coors Field Massacre last night, as the Dodgers lost 10-0 to the Rockies. Jansen was able to record just two outs before giving up four runs.

Tuesday's Projected Starters

The Padres have just six hits in 36 at bats against Kris Medlen with no extra base hits and seven strikeouts. Chase Headley is 2 for 5 with three strikeouts while Cameron Maybin is 1 for 4 with two strikeouts...The Angels are hitting .271 in 140 at bats off Clay Buchholz including eight doubles and two home runs. Buchholz has recorded 15 strikeouts. Albert Pujols is 2 for 2 with a double while Erick Aybar is 3 for 21 with a strikeout...The Royals have 37 strikeouts in 161 at bats against Justin Verlander and are hitting just .224 with 10 doubles and four home runs. Billy Butler is 16 for 46 with four doubles, two home runs, six RBI, and five strikeouts. Alex Gordon is just 7 for 39 with two doubles, a home run, and 15 strikeouts...Alfonso Soriano is just 4 for 23 with 10 strikeouts facing Yovani Gallardo but he does have a double, a home run, and four RBI. As a team against Gallardo, the Cubs are hitting .243 in 107 at bats with 37 strikeouts. Darwin Barney is 2 for 17 with six strikeouts....Arlington is a notoriously difficult ballpark to pitch in and the Rangers have had success against James Shields, hitting .258 in 163 at bats with 11 doubles, two triples, and six home runs. Adrian Beltre is 9 for 36 with three doubles, a home run, and 16 strikeouts while Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton both have a pair of home runs off Shields...The Red Sox are one of the few teams to have success against Jered Weaver, hitting .267 in 150 at bats including eight doubles, a triple, and four home runs. Jacoby Ellsbury has a triple and a home run while Dustin Pedroia is 4 for 28 with two doubles, two RBI, and seven strikeouts...The Indians have faced Tommy Milone just 25 times but they have seven hits, including a double by Asdruba Cabrera and a home run from Shelley Duncan. Michael Brantley is 2 for 3 while Shin-Soo Choo is 0 for 3 with a strikeout...Justin Upton poses a problem for Johnny Cueto. Upton is 4 for 12 with a double and two home runs off Cueto. As a team, the Diamondbacks are hitting .250 off the Reds ace in 60 at bats. Gerardo Parra and Aaron Hill have also taken Cueto deep...This will be the second look the Twins have of rookie Hisashi Iwakuma. The first look wasn't very good, as they managed just three hits in 22 at bats while striking out five times. Ryan Doumit was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts while Justin Morneau had the only extra base hit, a double...This will be the first time the Rays have seen Yu Darvish, which doesn't bode well for Tampa hitters...The Mariners are hitting .333 with a double and a home run in 30 at bats off rookie Scott Diamond. Jesus Montero is 1 for 5 with a strikeout while Dustin Ackley is 3 for 4 with an RBI...The Marlins have just 12 hits in 60 at bats off Stephen Strasburg and have struck out 22 times. John Buck is 2 for 9 with five strikeouts while Jose Reyes is 4 for 9 with a pair of doubles...Jake Westbrook has not fooled the Pirates with his sinker ball, as they are hitting .291 in 148 at bats with six doubles, two triples, and two home runs. Pedro Alvarez is 8 for 16 with a double, a home run, and just one strikeout while Andrew McCutchen is 7 for 18 with a double and four walks...The Orioles only have nine at bats against Chris Sale but catcher Matt Wieters likes what he's seen. Wieters knocked in two runs with a double with his only hit in three at bats off Sale...Matt Cain has dominated the Astros in his career, holding them to eight hits in 50 at bats while ringing up 15 strikeouts. Brett Wallace has struck out all three times he's faced Cain while Jose Altuve is 1 for 6 with four strikeouts...Now is not the time to believe Ricky Nolasco won't have a fiasco against the Nationals. The Nats are hitting .263 with eight doubles and four home runs off Nolasco in 190 at bats. Ryan Zimmerman is 11 for 40 with two doubles and three home runs while Jayson Werth is 4 for 21 with a home run and nine strikeouts...This is a huge night for the Bulls in their quest to repeat as champion of the North Division. They have four hurlers on the mound. Chris Capuano will have to negotiate Coors Field against a suddenly hot hitting Rockies offense. The Rockies are hitting .264 off Capuano in 72 at bats including four doubles and a home run. Carlos Gonzalez is just 3 for 13 but he does have a double and three RBI while Dexter Fowler is 5 for 14 with three strikeouts...Bud Norris will face the Giants, a team hitting .250 in 68 at bats against him. Marco Scutaro is 2 for 5 with a home run, Ryan Theriot is 4 for 16 with two walks, and Hunter Pence is 1 for 3...The White Sox have faced Chris Tillman 30 times, getting eight hits including two doubles and two home runs. Alex Rios is just 1 for 7 but he does have a home run and two RBI while Alexei Ramirez is 4 for 5 with a home run...Finally, Phil Hughes will take the hill against the Blue Jays, a team hitting .271 over 96 at bats with 12 doubles and three home runs against him. Adam Lind is 5 for 24 with two doubles and two home runs while Edwin Encarnacion is 8 for 20 with four doubles and a home run.

Scully's Slammers - the new sheriff in town

Week 20 was one of the wildest weeks in the SFRRC Fantasy Baseball League's three-year history and when the dust settled, Scully's Slammers emerged with the best record. But it didn't end there.

Give it a Yankee crushed Bacon and forged a tie atop the North Division standings with the Bulls. The two teams play each other this week.

The Cys were upset by High Cheese and fell 6.5 games behind Los Coche Bomba but the two teams will face each other next week in a series that could decide the South Division pennant winner and possibly the highest-seeded team for the championship playoffs.

And the biggest shock of all from a wild Week 20 was the resurrection of the defending champion Lower Haighters. They overcame a nine game deficit in one series, dismantling A-Rod's Mirrors 11-1 to take the lead in the West Division. The two teams will play again on the final week of the regular season in a series that should decide the division champion.

The Bulls pulled out an important come-from-behind victory over Home Run 101 in Week 20 to maintain a share of the division lead with hard-charging Give it a Yankee. Now the teams meet in a series that could decide the North Division title. The teams split their first two meetings this year, the Bulls winning 7-4 in Week 6 while Give it a Yankee won 9-3 in Week 10. Both teams had excellent starting pitching in their first series, with Give it a Yankee recording seven quality starts while the Bulls had six. Roy Halladay had two quality starts and 17 strikeouts for the Bulls while Luke Hochevar didn't allow a run in his start for Give it a Yankee. When they met again in Week 10, the Bulls had just one quality start and that was the difference in the series. Give it a Yankee was also strong offensively, as Mike Napoli, David Wright, and Corey Hart each had two home runs. Over the past month, Clayton Kershaw has been the best player in fantasy baseball. He's 6 for 6 in quality starts, allowing just 10 runs in his past 46.1 innings pitches while striking out 47 batters. For the Bulls, outfielder Matt Kemp is healthy and hitting. In his last 27 games, Kemp has a .403 OBP, three home runs, five stolen bases, 24 runs scored and 20 RBI. This series begins with a bang tonight as Josh Beckett, Francisco Liriano, and Luke Hochevar will all start for Give it a Yankee. Rookie Wei-Yin Chen will pitch for the Bulls. Final Prediction: Give it a Yankee 7, The Bulls 4.

The Lower Haighters enter this series on a roll following their 11-1 victory over A-Rod's Mirrors last week. They'll face a Menehunes team that saw its three-week winning streak snapped by the Vicious Fishes and leaves them on the outside looking in for the league's final playoff spot. When these teams first met, the Menehunes shocked the Lower Haighters with a 9-2 victory in Week 6 but the Lower Haighters took the second meeting, 9-3, in Week 10. The Menehunes dominated offensively in the first series, winning five of the six categories. Nick Markakis and Josh Reddick each had three home runs. Week 10 belonged to the Lower Haighters and their pitching staff, as the team won every category. Sean Burnett had three holds while Brandon Morrow earned a quality start with a shutout. Over his last 29 games, Jose Reyes has really turned it on for the Lower Haighters. He has six stolen bases, five home runs, has scored 21 times and driven in 16 runs. Kris Medlen has been a tremendous addition to the Menehunes pitching staff. In his last three starts, Medlen has posted a 0.83 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Neither team has a starter on the mound tonight. Final Prediction: Lower Haighters 11, Marin Menehunes 1.

The Mirrors are trying to pick up the pieces following a shocking loss to the Lower Haighters that saw them fall out of first place in the West Division. Now they play a Vicious Fishes team that has lost just once in the past five weeks and is playing its best baseball of the season. The Mirrors edged the Vicious Fishes 7-5 in their Week 6 meeting and then had a more comfortable 6-3 win in Week 10. The Mirrors won every pitching category in the first meeting as Jose Valverde and Craig Kimbrel combined for four saves without allowing a run and Jake Westbrook struck out eight and allowed no runs in a quality start. The Week 10 meeting was close with three categories - runs, stolen bases, and holds - ending tied. Kyle Seager had two home runs and seven RBI for the Mirrors while Pedro Strop had two holds for the Fishes. Over the past 28 games, Dustin Pedroia has been the best second baseman in fantasy baseball. He has a .376 OBP, four home runs, six stolen bases, 23 runs scored and 18 RBI for the Mirrors. For the Fishes, David Price has been the team's ace. He's 5 for 5 in quality starts the last month, allowing just five earned runs in his last 37 innings pitched while striking out 37 batters. Price is on the mound tonight to open the series for the Fishes and he'll get two starts in this series.
Final Prediction: Vicious Fishes 7, A-Rod's Mirrors 5.

HUMA gave Los Coche Bomba quite a battle last week before falling 5-7. The Cys lost ground in the South Division pennant race when they were upset by High Cheese. HUMA has owned the season series between these teams in 2012, beating the Cys 6-5 in week 6 and 7-5 in Week 10. In the first meeting, HUMA's bullpen won the series. Sean Marshall and Eric O'Flaherty both had holds while Jim Johnson had three saves. HUMA dominated both the starting and relief pitching in the second meeting, winning five of the six pitching categories. Jordan Zimmermann, Chad Billingsley, and Jon Lester each had two quality starts while Kenley Jansen had three saves. Todd Frazier has been an excellent addition for the Cys and is their hottest player over the past month. He has a .398 OBP with eight homers, two stolen bases, 25 RBI and 20 runs over his past 28 games. Josh Hamilton remains the offensive leader for HUMA. He has seven home runs in his last 28 games while driving in 28 runs. Both teams will have a starter on the mound tonight. A.J. Burnett will pitch for the Cys while Paul Maholm pitches for HUMA. Final Prediction: HUMA 7, The Cys 5.

High Cheese is playing the role of spoiler. The team upset the Cys last week and is looking for an upset of Bomba this week. Bomba erased a five-week losing streak with a victory over HUMA last week and now faced a team that it easily handled in two meeting this year.  Bomba beat High Cheese in Week 6, 8-3, and pounded them again in Week 10, 9-1. This has not been a competitive series this year. In a unique twist, Bomba's pitching staff helped win the first meeting. Derek Holland didn't allow a run in a quality start, Jason Motte had two saves and Luis Perez had two holds. The second meeting was actually closer than the final score would indicate, as Bomba won several closely contested offensive categories. Michael Bourn scored five times while Miguel Cabrera homered twice and drove in seven runs. Adam Wainwright is the hottest pitcher entering this series for either team. Wainwright is 5 for 6 in quality start attempts over the last month, allowing just eight runs over his past 42.2 innings while striking out 38 batters. Cabrera is the major force on offense and has seven home runs and 23 RBI over the last month for Bomba. Derek Holland will open the series for Bomba tonight. Final Prediction: High Cheese 8, Los Coche Bomba 4.

At one time the Machine was considered the favorite for the 2012 championship. That was before it lost Jose Bautista and David Ortiz, the heart of their lineup. They enter this series winner of just one series in the last six weeks and are in danger of missing the playoffs. As bad as it has been for the Machine, it's been worse for Twinkle Toes. They've won just one series over the last nine weeks. The teams have split their two head-to-head meetings, with the Machine winning 6-5 in Week 6 and Twinkle Toes winning 7-4 in week 10. Pitching was the difference in the first meeting, as the Machine won four of the six categories. Gavin Floyd and Brandon McCarthy each tossed shutouts while Antonio Bastardo had two holds without allowing a run. Twinkle Toes won four of the six pitching categories in the second series as Ubaldo Jimenez and Ryan Vogelsong each had two quality starts and Brett Myers had two saves. With Bautista and Ortiz both out, Chase Headley has led the Machine. Headley has 10 home runs in the past month and 29 RBI. Madison Bumgarner is the hottest pitcher in this series. He's 5 for 6 in quality start attempts over the last month, allowing nine runs over his last 43.1 innings while striking out 44 batters. The Toes open this series tonight with two starters, Bronson Arroyo and Brett Anderson. Final Prediction: The Machine 8, Twinkle Toes 4.

The Slammers have taken over the top spot in the league but this game could be a trap. The Jersey Boys have lost just once in the last six weeks and are coming off a 6-5 victory over Twinkle Toes in Week 20. While the Slammers won last week, it was only the second series win for the team in the last six weeks. The Jersey Boys have also upset the Slammers earlier this year, 6-5 in Week 10. The teams first met this year in Week 6, when the Slammers won 7-3. They won four of the six pitching categories as Zack Greinke tossed a shutout and Tyler Clippard had two holds. Andy Pettitte keyed the Jersey Boys in Week 10, earning two quality starts as the team turned the tables on the Slammers by winning four of the six pitching categories. If pitching is the key, the Slammers enter this series with the hottest hurler. James Shields is 5 for 5 in quality starts over the last month with 34 strikeouts in 37.2 innings. The Jersey Boys might be able to match Shields with Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda is 6 for 6 in quality starts, giving up just 10 earned runs over his past 45.2 innings. Kyle Lohse will start for the Slammers tonight. Final Prediction: Scully's Slammers 7, Jersey Boys 4.

The Battle for the Wooden Spoon begins! After getting thumped by Give it a Yankee last week, Bacon leads Home Run by 101 by just two games. Home Run 101 has been competitive over the last month, including a stunning 7-4 victory over Scully's Slammers in Week 19. They also thumped Bacon 9-2 in Week 6, though the squealers returned the favor with a 7-4 victory in Week 10. In the first meeting, catcher John Buck slammed three home runs, Johnny Cueto tossed a shutout, and Cory Wade had two holds for Home Run 101. In the second meeting, Bacon won four of the six offensive categories as Mike Trout scored 10 runs and stole four bases and Dan Uggla hit three home runs and drove in nine. Trout has the ability to control a series. In his last 27 games, he has 10 stolen bases, eight home runs, he's scored 25 times, and driven in 23 runs. Offensively, Home Run 101 will rely on Aramis Ramirez. He has six home runs in his past 24 games while driving in 16 runs. Bacon can get a jump on this series when they send ace Felix Hernandez and Marco Estrada to the mound tonight. They'll get two starts in this series. Final Prediction: Home Run 101 7, Bacon at Mile 11 5.

Sunday shakeup in the standings

We are on the verge of a major shakeup in the division standings. If Week 20 ended now, there would be new division leaders in the North and West. Here's a look at the scenarios:

• The Lower Haighters have dismantled the Mirrors in their key West Division series and the two teams seem destined to be separated by just several games with three weeks to play. It illustrates how fluid these division races are coming down the stretch.
• Give it a Yankee could be the new leader in the North Division entering Week 21. Or it could be a game behind the Bulls. Either way, the two teams are certain to have little between them when they go head-to-head next week.
• The Slammers have taken care of the the Machine and barring a complete collapse should win their first East Division title and make their first playoff appearance.
• Bomba should have a six or seven game lead in the South Division entering Week 21 but they still must face the Cys in Week 22 so the division will be in play until that point.

Saturday's Stats

The Mirrors are starting to wake up offensively. Kyle Seager went 2 for 4 with two home runs, four RBI, and two runs scored Saturday...Give it a Yankee's offense was led by veteran second baseman Chase Utley yesterday. Utley had just one hit but he scored, knocked in a run, and stole two bases...On the mound, Give it a Yankee relies on Clayton Kershaw and he delivered a gem yesterday, giving up just two runs over eight innings while striking out eight...Andre Ethier has now had a hit in his last nine at bats. He was 4 for 4 Saturday with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored...Ian Kinsler entered the week in a slump but he's broken out of it and has Twinkle Toes competitive again. Kinsler was 3 for 5 with a home run, four RBI, and a run scored.

Overall Stats

Adrian Beltre has made sure HUMA wasn't routed by Bomba this week. With the pitching struggling, Beltre has delivered. He's gone 13 for 26 with five home runs, nine RBI, and seven runs scored through six games...Ian Kinsler is officially hot. He's 10 for 23 with two home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored this week. If he remains hot, Twinkle Toes can beat a struggling Machine next week...Give it a Yankee's starting pitching has been tremendous this week. The team is 7 for 7 in quality start attempts and are led by Clayton Kershaw, who is 2 for 2, allowing just four runs over 16 innings while striking out 18 batters...Michael Saunders has had his struggles this year but if the Bulls are still hanging on to the North Division lead at the end of the day today, he's a primary reason. Saunders is 5 for 15 with three home runs, a stolen base, six RBI, and five runs scored this week...The Lower Haighters needed a player to spark its lineup this week and that's what Angel Pagan has done. He's 12 for 25 with 10 runs scored, two RBI, and two stolen bases.

Sunday's Projected Highlights

Danny Espinosa is 7 for 13 with a double, three home runs, five RBI and just two strikeout against Cliff Lee. That bodes well for the Mirrors, who need Espinosa and the Nationals to knock Lee out early. As a team, the Nationals are hitting .287 in 122 at bats off Lee, with Espinosa accounting for four of the 10 extra base hits....Scott Feldman should have a good shot of earning a quality start for the Mirrors when he faces the Twins Sunday. Feldman has allowed just two extra base hits in 60 at bats, a pair of home runs to Joe Mauer and Alexi Casilla. The Twins have hit .267 off Feldman including Mauer's 5 for 15...The Bulls need strikeouts from Chris Tillman when he faces the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays have just 25 at bats against Tillman, striking out six times while collecting eight hits, including a double and three home runs. Edwin Encarnacion is 3 for 12 with two strikeouts...Bomba needs Jimmy Rollins to have a big night against Jordan Zimmermann. Over his career, Rollins is 2 for 9 with a walk, an RBI, and a strikeout against Zimmermann. The Phillies are hitting .288 in 52 at bats off Zimmermann with a home run from Ryan Howard and a double by Chase Utley...The Cys need Edinson Volquez to rack up the strikeouts and earn a quality start to turn their series around against High Cheese. Volquez has had success against the Diamondbacks, striking them out 20 times over 74 at bats while allowing just eight extra base hits and limiting Arizona to a .230 average. Chris Young is just 1 for 12 with strikeouts against Volquez while Paul Goldschmidt is 3 for 6 with a double, a home run, and three RBI...Joe Saunders and Adam Wainwright will be charged with protecting the quality start lead that High Cheese has built and possibly overtake the Cys in strikeouts. Saunders has held the Padres to a .250 average over 96 at bats including a home run by Jesus Guzman and two doubles and a triple by Chase Headley...Wainwright has held the Reds to a .216 average over 125 at bats but Todd Frazier has taken Wainwright deep once in four at bats. Jay Bruce is 5 for 16 off Wainwright with a home run...The Menehunes have an opportunity to take three categories - ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts - but they need Tim Lincecum and Max Scherzer to excel. Lincecum faces the Braves, a team he's held to a .225 average over 142 at bats. Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, and Eric Hinske have each hit a home run off Lincecum while McCann also has five doubles...Mike Trout could prove to be trouble for Scherzer. He has a home run off him in just three at bats. Scherzer has struck out 11 Angels in 46 at bats and held them to a .239 average...A lot will be on the line when Twinkle Toes sends Ubaldo Jimenez and Tim Hudson to the mound on the final day of Week 20 while the Jersey Boys counter with Aaron Harang. Jimenez faces a tough Yankee lineup that he's held to a .207 average over 111 at bats while ringing up 31 strikeouts. Russell Martin is 9 for 31 with two doubles, five RBI, seven walks, and eight strikeouts while Curtis Granderson is 2 for 9 with a triple, four walks, and two strikeouts...Hudson has given up just three extra base hits to the Giants in 109 at bats while registering 16 strikeouts. The Giants are hitting .248 off Hudson including a 4 for 7 effort from Buster Posey and a 1 for 4 by Joaquin Arias...Aaron Harang has allowed 10 extra base his in 119 at bats to the Marlins, including Carlos Lee's 17 for 46 with four doubles, a triple, and a home run...The Slammers could take over the strikeout lead against the Machine when Mark Buehrle and Henderson Alvarez start. The Machine will defend the category with Gavin Floyd. Buehrle faces a Dodgers team that he has held to a .229 average in 153 at bats. Andre Ethier is 0 for 6 with a strikeout...Alvarez faces the Orioles who have hit just .200 in 60 at bats. Matt Wieters is 1 for 6 but he has hit a home run...Floyd has a good chance at a quality start as he's held the Mariner to a .189 average over 106 at bats while recording 25 strikeouts and allowing just eight extra base hits. Michael Saunders is 3 for 9 off Floyd with a home run.

Mirrors begin rally behind Pedroia

Dustin Pedroia provided a spark Thursday for a Mirrors team struggling to find points. The question is, can the team rally over the next three days against the Lower Haighters or will the West Division pennant race tighten like the North and South?

Pedroia went 4 for 6 with a home run, five RBI, and three runs scored. Cole Hamels also added a quality start, giving up three runs over six innings. The quality start was big, as it earned the Mirrors the category lead.

The Lower Haighters will try to retake the category today when Jeff Samardzija and C.C. Sabathia take the mound.

Thursday's Stats

A pair of pitchers - one veteran and one rookie - had superb starts Thursday. Veteran Justin Verlander allowed just two runs over nine innings while striking out 12 for the Jersey Boys while rookie Alex Cobb gave up just four hits and struck out eight in a complete game shutout for the Menehunes...David Freese went  3 for 4 with a home run and four RBI for High Cheese but his exploits at the plate were matched by Kendrys Morales of the Cys, who went 2 for 5 with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored...Can Mike Trout carry Bacon past Give it a Yankee? Last night, Trout went 3 for 6, stole two bases, scored twice, and drove in two runs.

Overall Stats

The Lower Haighters continue to be at or near the top of the leader board in five of the six offensive categories. Angel Pagan is a big reason why. Pagan is 8 for 16 with three walks, two stolen bases, and eight runs scored in his first four games this week...The Menehunes have been strong on the mound this week, tallying four quality starts, 38 strikeouts, and a sparkling 2.20 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. They'll try to continue that dominance tonight when Ben Sheets and Carlos Villanueva start...The Menhunes also have this week's top relief pitcher, though he's not in the starting lineup. Javier Lopez has pitched 1.1 innings without giving up a hit or a walk while earning two saves.

Friday's Projected Starters

The Rockies have seen very little of Jeff Samardzija, getting four hits in 13 at bats while striking out three times. Dexter Fowler is 2 for 5 with a triple while Carlos Gonzalez is 1 for 4 with two strikeouts...In 88 at bats, the Indians are hitting .206 off C.C. Sabathia with four doubles, a home run, and 31 strikeouts. Shin-Soo Choo is 4 for 12 with a double and a walk while Asdrubal Cabrera is 2 for 9 with three strikeouts...The White Sox have owned Jason Vargas, hitting .394 with four doubles and five home runs in 71 at bats. Alexei Ramirez is 5 for 13 with a home run while Dayan Viciedo is 3 for 4 with a home run...Four Athletics have a total of 11 at bats off rookie Matt Moore, hitting .364 with a double and two strikeouts. Jonny Gomes is 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI while Yoenis Cespedes is 1 for 3 with an RBI...In 62 at bats the Twins are hitting .290 off Matt Harrison with five doubles, a home run and 11 strikeouts. Jamey Carroll is 1 for 5 with two walks while Justin Morneau is 2 for 8 with two doubles and three RBI and Ben Revere is 2 for 6 with a walk...The Red Sox are hitting .365 in 52 at bats off Bruce Chen with four doubles, three home runs, and just six strikeouts. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 1 for 6 with a double and three strikeouts while Dustin Pedroia is 4 for 7 with a double and a home run...The Cardinals are hitting .373 in 83 at bats off Mat Latos with eight doubles, a triple, four home runs and 17 strikeouts. Jon Jay is 6 for 11 with a double and Yadier Molina is 4 for 12 with two doubles and three RBI...The Marlins are hitting .283 in 53 at bats off Chad Billingsley with one double, a home run, and nine strikeouts. Carlos Lee is 7 for 24 with a double, a home run, and six RBI while Jose Reyes is 1 for 9 with two walks and a strikeout...The Royals are hitting just .203 in 69 at bats off Jon Lester with three doubles, a triple, and 14 strikeouts. Billy Butler is 4 for 14 with a double and six strikeouts while Alex Gordon is 0 for 11 with six strikeouts...The Reds have just two hits in nine at bats off rookie Lance Lynn, striking out five times. Drew Stubbs is 0 for 2 with two strikeouts and Zack Cozart is 1 for 1 with a home run...The Brewers are hitting a healthy .320 in 222 at bats off Wandy Rodriguez with 13 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 48 strikeouts. Corey Hart is 17 for 46 with a double, three RBI, and seven strikeouts while Aramis Ramirez is 17 for 46 with a double, a triple, a home run, and five strikeouts...The Astros have just 34 at bats off Jonathon Niese, hitting .294 with a home run and six strikeouts. Brett Wallace is 2 for 5 and Jose Altuve is 1 for 2...The Phillies are hitting .276 in 76 at bats off Edwin Jackson with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 16 strikeouts. Ryan Howard is 0 for 7 with six strikeouts while Juan Pierre is 3 for 8 with an RBI...The Pirates have seven hits in 18 at bats off Mike Fiers with a double, two home runs and six strikeouts. Andrew McCutchen is 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBI while Neil Walker is 2 for 3 with a double...The Giants are hitting just .215 in 65 at bats off Ben Sheets with two doubles, a home run, and 15 strikeouts. Hunter Pence is 4 for 17 with a double and five strikeouts while Marco Scutaro is 2 for 6 with a strikeout...The Orioles are hitting .267 in 75 at bats off Carlos Villanueva with four doubles, three home runs, and 10 strikeouts. Nick Markakis is 2 for 11 with a strikeout while J.J. Hardy is 6 for 9 with two doubles and a home run...The Braves are hitting just .167 in 36 at bats off Ryan Vogelsong with just one extra base hit and nine strikeouts. Freddie Freeman is 1 for 4 while Dan Uggla is 0 for 5 with three strikeouts...The Rays have eight hits in 23 at bats off rookie Jarrod Parker, including two doubles and two strikeouts. Carlos Peña is 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI while Desmond Jennings is 1 for 2 with two walks...The Mariners have just 47 at bats off veteran Jake Peavy, hitting .234 with two doubles, two home runs, and 13 strikeouts. John Jaso is 1 for 5 with a walk and Kyle Seager is 2 for 6 with a double, a home run, and two RBI...The Tigers have 160 at bats against Zack Greinke, hitting .250 with five doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 34 strikeouts. Miguel Cabrera is 8 for 28 with four RBI and nine strikeouts while Jhonny Peralta is 10 for 41 with a double, a triple, and six strikeouts.

Adrian Beltre lifts HUMA with historic night

Adrian Beltre homered on three straight at bats over the course of two innings Wednesday night to lift HUMA to the league lead in homers and RBI yesterday. HUMA now leads in four of the six offensive categories and is playing Los Coche Bomba to a draw.

Rookie pitcher Scott Diamond will take the mound for HUMA with an opportunity to even the quality start category and narrow Bomba's advantage in both ERA and WHIP.

HUMA wasn't the only team piling on offensive numbers Wednesday. The Lower Haighters scored ten runs as Coco Crisp and Angel Pagan each scored three times and Ryan Braun twice. The team now has a .433 OBP for the week.

The Vicious Fishes are winning five of the six pitching categories in their series with the Menehunes and rookie Chris Sale was brilliant against the Yankees last night. He allowed just three hits over 7.2 innings while striking out 13 batters. Another rookie, Tommy Milone, was strong for High Cheese. He went eight innings, allowing just two hits, while striking out five. Milone's outing continued a string of excellent starts for both High Cheese and the Cys in a series that has featured excellent pitching.

Wednesday's Stats

The Slammers evened their series with the Machine Wednesday as Yovani Gallardo, James Shields, and Kyle Lohse earned three quality starts while striking out 23 batters. The pitching performance turned momentum in the series in favor of the Slammers...The Bulls earned two big saves from one player Wednesday to take the category lead and try to avoid the upset and possible loss of the North Division lead. J.J. Putz saved both games of a double-header pitching two perfect innings...Aaron Hill went 3 for 6 with three RBI, two runs, a home run and a stolen base in Wednesday's double-header as the Jersey Boys now find themselves in a dogfight with Twinkle Toes.

Overall Stats

Alex Rios is supplying the offense Give it a Yankee needs to maintain the series lead over Bacon and fight for the top spot in the North Division. The veteran outfielder has a home run, a stolen base, three runs scored and two RBI this week...David Murphy has had a solid week for the Mirrors as they try to survive the offensive onslaught unleashed by the Lower Haighters and position themselves for a weekend run. Murphy is 6 for 10 with two walks, three RBI and four runs scored...Cameron Maybin is 7 for 12 with two stolen bases and has kept Los Coche Bomba close enough several offensive categories that a big weekend run could score the team points.

Thursday's Projected Starters

The Reds are hitting just .206 in 126 at bats off Cole Hamels with a double, three triples, and four home runs. Drew Stubbs is 2 for 12 with five strikeouts while Brandon Phillips is 5 for 32 with two triples and eight strikeouts...The Astros are hitting .385 off Jake Westbrook but the sample size is small, just 26 at bats. Brett Wallace is 6 for 11 with a double and four RBI while Jose Altuve is 2 for 5...The Phillies are hitting .241 with seven doubles, a triple, and two home runs off Johnny Cueto. Jimmy Rollins is 3 for 15 but all three hits are doubles while Ryan Howard is 6 for 15 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run...The Angels have two hits in six at bats off Franklin Morales...Rookie Scott Diamond has never ventured into Arlington to face the Rangers...The Red Sox are hitting .246 in 61 at bats with three doubles and a home run off C.J. Wilson. Dustin Pedroia is 4 for 10 with a double while Adrian Gonzalez is 3 for 7...The Braves are hitting just .212 in 118 at bats off Barry Zito with seven doubles and two home runs. Dan Uggla is 6 for 22 with two doubles and a home run while Chipper Jones is 2 for 12 with a double and a home run...Rookie Alex Cobb has faced the A's once. They had five hits in 20 at bats while striking out six times. Josh Reddick was 0 for 3 with a strikeout while Coco Crisp was 3 for 3...The Giants are hitting a paltry .189 in 53 at bats against Tommy Hanson, striking out 18 times. Hunter Pence is 4 for 16 with six strikeouts while Pablo Sandoval is 1 for 12 with a double...Justin Verlander has dominated the Blue Jays, giving up just nine hits in 71 at bats while striking out 15. Jeff Mathis is 0 for 7 with five strikeouts while Edwin Encarnacion is 1 for 12 with a homer.

C'mon Yahoo, give us a break...

Bear with me this morning, but I need to unload on Yahoo! for a moment. Overall, I don't have any major complaints about how the site administers our fantasy baseball league, especially since it is free. But there are some minor issues that have me thinking we might be better served by CBS Sportsline or another provider in the future.

First, there is the issue of having the daily stats compiled for every owner to review in the morning. Sure, you can review your team and the team you are playing, but you can't easily review the stats from the day before for the entire league in one table. Why? For some reason, Yahoo eliminates the daily stats early in the morning rather than waiting for the first pitch of the first game the next day. Because the Padres and Pirates played extra innings last night and I went to bed before the game was over, I don't have the daily stats table, even though I was up at 4:30 this morning. Brutal.

Second, the player ranking system has long given owners in our league fits. What the hell is an O-Rank and how is it compiled? Of course, we've all learned not to trust it but it's misleading and confusing.

If you have thoughts about moving the league to another provider, let me know. Or, if you are happy with Yahoo, feel free to let me know why (simply being familiar with a system is a good thing).

Now, onto the rundown of last night's action.

Adam Wainwright rescued a drowning ERA and WHIP for High Cheese on Tuesday. He allowed just five hits over nine scoreless innings while striking out 12 hapless Astros. After Monday's meltdown by Joe Saunders, this start was needed.

Give it a Yankee continues to pressure the Bulls in the North Division pennant race. Last night, Luke Hochevar delivered a gem for Give it a Yankee, allowing just one hit over eight scoreless innings while striking out 10. Give it a Yankee is now 3 for 3 in quality start attempts to start the week with a sensational 2.01 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.

The Vicious Fishes have quietly become one of the league's better teams over the last month and they are now giving the Menehunes all they can handle. Yesterday, David Price showed why he's the team MVP for the Fishes and probably the Cy Young leader in the American League. He gave up just three hits in eight scoreless innings while striking out eight to help the Fishes build an 8-3 series lead.

Jimmy Rollins has been below average the last month but last night he delivered for Los Coche Bomba when they needed it most. Rollins went 2 for 5, drove in two runs, scored, and stole two bases. It was the top offensive performance of the night for a starting fantasy league player.

Finally, Kevin Youkilis was written off by the Red Sox earlier this year and nearly became fantasy league irrelevant. Since his trade to the White Sox, "Youk" has not only become a viable option for fantasy league rosters, but he's helping to power Chicago's pennant drive. On Tuesday, drove one over the wall with the bases loaded and looks to be on track for a 20 homer, 80 RBI season.

Overall Stats

Stephen Strasburg was filthy Tuesday night, striking out 10 Braves while allowing just four hits over six scoreless innings. The Mirrors needed his quality start, as the team is now 1 for 4 in that category...Three players are trying to carry a limping Machine into pennant contention in the East Division. Matt Thornton, John Mayberry, and Geovany Soto have come up big this week. Thornton has pitched 1.2 innings of perfect relief to earn two holds, Mayberry has a home run, three RBI, and three runs scored, while Soto also has a homer and three RBI...When fantasy teams begin rebuilding during the off-season, it won't be surprising if the Jersey Boys start 2013 with both R.A. Dickey and Justin Verlander in their starting rotation. Dickey has earned his keeper status this year...Another player that might have earned his keeper status is shortstop Ian Desmond for Home Run 101. This week, Desmond is 4 for 8 with two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored.

Wednesday's Projected Starters

The Marlins have just 14 at bats against Wade Miley and only one hit, a double by John Buck...The Giants are hitting just .170 in 47 at bats against Chris Capuano with three doubles and a home run. Hunter Pence is 1 for 11 with a double and three strikeouts while Marco Scutaro is 2 for 5 with a walk...The Cardinals are hitting .249 in 177 at bats against Bud Norris with 12 doubles, a triple, and four home runs. Jon Jay is 3 for 18 with three strikeouts while Matt Holliday is 7 for 27 with two doubles, two home runs, and five RBI...The White Sox are hitting .229 in 105 at bats off Phil Hughes with four doubles and two home runs. Dayan Viciedo is 0 for 3 with three strikeouts while Alexei Ramirez is 0 for 8 with a walk...The Orioles are hitting a measly .086 in 35 at bats off Derek Holland with no extra base hits and 12 strikeouts. Nick Markakis is 1 for 8 with two walks and three strikeouts while Adam Jones is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts...The Indians have faced rookie Hisashi Iwakuma just once, getting two hits in nine at bats. Asdrubal Cabrera is 1 for 2 and Shin-Soo Choo is 1 for 2 with a double...Rookie Matt Harvey has never faced the Rockies...The Red Sox are hitting just .228 in 114 at bats against Jered Weaver with four doubles, a triple, and four home runs. Dustin Pedroia is 4 for 25 with two doubles and six strikeouts while Jacoby Ellsbury is 5 for 18 with a triple, a homer and four strikeouts...The Twins faced rookie Tommy Milone earlier this year, collecting nine hits in 22 at bats. Ryan Doumit is 1 for 3 and Justin Morneau is 1 for 3 with an RBI...The Nationals are hitting .231 in 39 at bats off Kris Medlen with four doubles and 10 strikeouts. Jayson Werth is 1 for 6 with a strikeout while Ryan Zimmerman is 0 for 6 with three strikeouts...The Angels are hitting just .223 in 121 at bats off Clay Buchholz with seven extra base hits and 15 strikeouts. Erick Aybar is 1 for 18 with a strikeout while Howie Kendrick is 2 for 12 with two strikeouts...The Yankees have just three hits in 17 at bats off Chris Sale while striking out six times. Derek Jeter has faced Sale once and walked while Ichiro Suzuki is 2 for 8 with a double and a strikeout...The Phillies have hit Bronson Arroyo hard in his career. They have a .324 average in 136 at bats with six doubles, two triples, and five home runs to go along with 14 strikeouts. Juan Pierre is 12 for 34 with a double, a triple and two strikeouts while Jimmy Rollins is 6 for 18 with a double, two home runs, and five RBI...The Dodgers are hitting .271 in 255 at bats off Matt Cain with 12 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 42 strikeouts. Andre Ethier is 24 for 50 with two doubles, a triple, and three RBI while Matt Kemp is 10 for 41 with three doubles, a triple, a home run and 10 strikeouts...The Cubs are hitting .265 in 83 at bats off Yovani Gallardo including seven doubles and two home runs. Darwin Barney is 2 for 14 with five strikeouts while Starlin Castro is 9 for 23 with three doubles and four strikeouts...The Royals are hitting .317 in 60 at bats off James Shields including two doubles and a triple. Billy Butler is 7 for 18 with two doubles, three RBI, and three strikeouts while Alex Gordon is 3 for 19 with four strikeouts...The Braves are hitting .290 in 100 at bats off Ross Detwiler including eight doubles, a triple, and a home run. Juan Francisco has faced Detwiler once and was hit by a pitch while Martin Prado is 9 for 16 with three doubles and a triple...The Astros are hitting just .225 in 40 at bats off Kyle Lohse and have struck out eight times. Jose Altuve is 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBI while Brett Wallace is 2 for 6 with a double.

Saunders, Lucroy both go deep twice but Bulls trail

Michael Saunders and Jonathan Lucroy both hit two home runs but Roy Halladay allowed five runs over seven innings as the Bulls fell behind Home Run 101 in an important North Division series.

The Bulls led the league with five home runs Monday and tied for the lead with 10 RBI. The team was also third in OBP with a .442 mark. But despite the offensive prowess, it was a quality start from Home Run 101's Ryan Dempster that proved the difference to open the series.

At the same time, Give it a Yankee jumped on Bacon thanks to a quality start from Clayton Kershaw and zero offensive production from their opponent. Bacon scored just one run and had zero RBI.

With their ace beaten, the Bulls will turn to Chris Tillman tonight. It's a start fraught with peril as Tillman will be asked to earn a quality start against the hot-hitting Rangers in hitter-friendly Arlington.

Monday's Stats

Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw waged a pitching duel Monday that left both hurlers at the top of the pitching leader board one day into Week 20. Both went eight innings without allowing a walk while striking out 10 batters. Bumgarner did not allow a run while Kershaw gave up two...Outfielder Juan Pierre was running wild for the Jersey Boys last night. Pierre went 3 for 4, scored three runs, and stole two bases as the Jersey Boys opened a narrow one-point lead over Twinkle Toes...The Machine needs someone to step up in the absence of Jose Bautista and David Ortiz. On Monday, that somebody was John Mayberry. Mayberry was 3 for 5 with a home run, three RBI, and three runs scored...Home Run 101 had huge production from the catcher position last night as John Buck went 4 for 5 with a home run and scored three times...Three players wore an 0 for 4 with three strikeouts last night - Buster Posey, Mark Ellis, and Lorenzo Cain...Joe Saunders had the night's worst pitching performance. Saunders allowed 12 hits and nine runs in just 3.2 innings, leaving High Cheese with an ERA and WHIP in tatters to start the week.

Tuesday's Projected Starters

The Reds have had success against Cliff Lee, hitting .305 with seven doubles, a triple, and three home runs in 105 at bats. Drew Stubbs is 3 for 7 with three strikeouts while Brandon Phillips is 6 for 23 with two doubles and a home run...The Braves are hitting .303 off Stephen Strasburg in 99 at bats including six doubles and three home runs. Jason Heyward is 5 for 9 with a double while Dan Uggla is 8 for 15 with two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI...The Orioles are hitting .326 in 46 at bats against Scott Feldman including three doubles and a home run. Nick Markakis is 5 for 18 with three doubles while Adam Jones is 1 for 12 with three strikeouts...Chris Tillman has held the Rangers to a .200 average but the sample size is small, just 25 at bats. Nelson Cruz is 1 for 2 with a home run while David Murphy is 1 for 6 with three strikeouts...The Nationals are hitting .326 with four doubles and three home runs in 89 at bats off Paul Maholm. Jayson Werth is 9 for 24 with three doubles and a home run while Ryan Zimmerman is 6 for 18 with three strikeouts...The Marlins have just 14 at bats against Trevor Cahill but they are hitting .429 with a double and five RBI. John Buck is 3 for 8 with a double while Giancarlo Stanton is 1 for 2...The Indians are hitting .315 in 130 at bats against Felix Hernandez with eight doubles and four home runs. Shin-Soo Choo is 6 for 24 with a double, a homer, and 11 strikeouts while Asdrubal Cabrera is 3 for 13 with three strikeouts...The Yankees are hitting .244 in 213 at bats off Francisco Liriano, including 10 doubles, a triple, and five home runs. Nick Swisher is 6 for 26 with three doubles and seven strikeouts while Curtis Granderson is 6 for 28 with a double, a triple, a home run and 14 strikeouts...The Rays are hitting .288 in 104 at bats off Luke Hochevar, including six doubles and four home runs. B.J. Upton is 7 for 20 with two doubles and four strikeouts while Ben Zobrist is 4 for 15 with a double and three strikeouts...The Padres are hitting .333 in 54 at bats off A.J. Burnett including three doubles, a triple, and three home runs. Carlos Quentin is 5 for 12 with a double and a home run while Chase Headley is 1 for 3 with a home run...The Astros are hitting .250 in 44 at bats off Adam Wainwright without an extra base hit. Jose Altuve is 2 for 6 while Justin Maxwell is 0 for 4 with two strikeouts...The Dodgers are hitting .242 in 256 at bats off Tim Lincecum with 12 doubles and four home runs. Shane Victorino is 9 for 41 with a double, a home run, and eight strikeouts while A.J. Ellis is 0 for 7 with three strikeouts...The Blue Jays are hitting .320 in 75 at bats off Max Scherzer with five doubles, two home runs, and 18 strikeouts. Rajai Davis is 1 for 7 with a strikeout while Yunel Escobar is 11 for 23 with three doubles and a home run...The Royals have just 21 at bats off David Price, hitting .190 with a double and three strikeouts. Billy Butler is 2 for 6 while Alex Gordon is 0 for 3...The Giants are hitting .255 in 106 at bats off Joe Blanton with six doubles, two triples, and three home runs. Angel Pagan is 9 for 18 with a triple and two home runs while Buster Posey is 6 for 12 with a double...The Diamondbacks are hitting .300 in 80 at bats off Ricky Nolasco with five doubles, a triple, and four home runs. Stephen Drew is 11 for 21 with three doubles, a triple, and three home runs while Justin Upton is 2 for 10 with four strikeouts.

Give it a Yankee, the Cys, close in on division leaders

Following a monumental collapse by both the Bulls and Los Coche Bomba in Week 19, the pennant races in the North and South divisions are officially on.

The Bulls hold a narrow 3.5-game gap over Give it a Yankee while Los Coche Bomba has a 4-game lead over the Cys.

The trade deadline quietly slipped away yesterday with no major moves. From this point forward, you'll need to find free-agents to help your team. In just under two weeks, Major League teams will begin calling up minor league players as rosters expand for the final month of the season. There will be some good, young players available.

This influx of talent can make a difference for teams chasing a pennant or a final playoff spot.

The Slammers have now lost four of their past five series but the win was crucial - they beat the Machine soundly when they last met in Week 18. Still, the East Division leaders have to be concerned. Despite losing the heart of their lineup, the Machine has not lost touch and a big win this week could shake up the pennant race. When these teams last met, Carlos Beltran led the Slammers with three homers and six RBI as the East Division leaders took a convincing 8-4 victory. On the mound, Yovani Gallardo and James Shields each had two quality starts while Jim Johnson and Tyler Clippard had two saves apiece. Jose Bautista and David Ortiz both missed that series for the Machine and will likely miss this one. Chase Headley led the offense with three home runs and 11 RBI while the pitching was terrible, finishing with just three quality starts and a 5.94 ERA. Joel Perralta gives the Machine a significant advantage as a set-up man. He's earned five holds without giving up a run over the last two weeks. James Shields is on a roll for the Slammers, going 3 for 3 in quality starts over the past two weeks, allowing just six earned runs over 21 innings.  Final Prediction: Scully's Slammers 6, The Machine 6.

The Menehunes are on a roll. They've won three straight series and have closed to within a game of the Lower Haighters for seventh place in the league. A big week could get them off the hot seat that is the final playoff spot. The Vicious Fishes have lost just once over the past four weeks and they gave the Menehunes everything they could handle in their Week 18 meeting, falling .003 percentage points short in OBP of winning the series. Outfielder Alex Gordon had a great series for the Fishes, scoring six times, hitting three home runs, and driving in four. Chris Sale had two of the team's three quality starts and struck out 18 batters while Rafael Betancourt had three saves. The Menehunes finished the series with eight quality starts while Billy Butler hit four home runs, drove in seven, and scored seven times. Butler remains hot entering this series, smacking five homers and driving in 13 runs over the past two weeks. The Captain, Derek Jeter, has gone 23 for 62 in his last 14 games with two home runs and stolen base for the Fishes. Final Prediction: Vicious Fishes 7, Marin Menehunes 5.

The Bulls ran into a red-hot Menehunes team last week and now must regroup against a Home Run 101 team that pulled a big upset over the Slammers in Week 19. They also played the Bulls to a draw in Week 18. Aramis Ramirez had two home runs while Carl Crawford scored six times and drove in six runs. On the mound, Johnny Cueto struck out 12 in two quality starts while Ryan Dempster tossed a shutout. Marco Scutaro led the Bulls with a home run and nine RBI while Chris Capuano had two quality starts and 16 strikeouts. Cueto continues to be one of the best pitchers in the league, going 3 for 3 in quality starts the last two weeks with 20 strikeouts in 23 innings. Capuano can match Cueto, going 3 for 3 in quality starts while allowing just five runs over his past 22.1 innings. Bacon needs a big win to catch Bacon, Twinkle Toes, and the Fishes and avoid a second Wooden Spoon while the Bulls are fighting to win the North Division pennant. Final Prediction: The Bulls 7, Home Run 101 5.

Give it a Yankee won its first series in four weeks to take advantage of a Week 19 collapse by the Bulls but Bacon enters this matchup winning two of its past three series. Both teams struggled with starting pitching in their Week 18 meeting, finishing the series in a 6-6 draw. Bacon had just one quality start while Give it a Yankee had two. Adrian Gonzalez and Michael Morse led Give it a Yankee's offense. Gonzalez finished with 14 RBI while Morse clubbed three home runs. Clayton Kershaw and Jonathon Niese combined to strike out 17 batters in their two quality starts. Bacon hit just three home runs in the series, two off the bat of Mike Trout. Rookie Matt Harvey had the team's only quality start. Give it a Yankee has three hot offensive players, Erick Aybar, Gonzalez, and Nick Swisher while Bacon has the best player in the league over the last two weeks - Trout. Final Prediction: Give it a Yankee 9, Bacon at Mile 11 3.

High Cheese can play the role of spoiler this week. The team has won just one series over the past six weeks but has scored fewer than five points just once during that time period. The Cys can now smell their first South Division pennant and playoff berth, despite winning once in the last month. That win was a 6-5 victory over High Cheese in Week 18. The Cys won four of the six offensive categories as Kendrys Morales hit three home runs and Ichiro Suzuki drove in nine runs. Desmond Jennings hit a home run, scored nine times, and stole two bases for High Cheese. On the mound, Jered Weaver struck out 14 over two quality starts while the Cys had just two quality starts. The Cys have found a power source for their lineup in Todd Frazier. He has four home runs, 11 RBI, and a .413 OBP over the last two weeks. Hanley Ramirez is getting hot for High Cheese, clubbing three homers and driving in 15 runs over his past 13 games. Final Prediction: High Cheese 7, The Cys 5.

HUMA is on a roll. They have won five of their past six series and haven't lost since Week 13. Bomba has lost five straight, including a two-point disaster last week. HUMA upset Bomba 6-5 in their Week 18 series as Justin Morneau and Josh Hamilton each belted three home runs and rookie Scott Diamond earned two quality starts. Bomba struggled on the mound, earning just three quality starts and zero holds. Miguel Cabrera had two home runs and seven RBI to pace the offense. Hamilton is again hot for HUMA. He has five home runs and 12 RBI in his last 13 games. Cabrera has four home runs and 13 RBI in the same time period. Bomba needs production from their starting pitching, especially Blake Beavan. He hasn't earned a quality start in his last three attempts. This is going to be "mano a mano" a fight to the end with everything on the line for both teams. Final Prediction: HUMA 9, Los Coche Bomba 3.

Neither of these teams has a realistic shot at the playoffs and neither is playing exceptionally well. Twinkle Toes has won once in the last two months and memories of the 2010 championship are fading fast. The Jersey Boys have won two of their past four series and dismantled Twinkle Toes 9-2 in their Week 18 meeting as the Toes failed to win a pitching category. Ian Kennedy, Travis Blackley and Tim Hudson all finished the week with a 10.00+ ERA. Madison Bumgarner did strike out seven in a quality start while Buster Posey smacked three home runs and drove in seven RBI. Justin Verlander was dominant for the Jersey Boys, striking out 22 batters in two quality starts. Freddie Freeman had two home runs, nine RBI, and seven runs scored. Catcher has been an Achilles heel for the Jersey Boys. Jeff Mathis and Russell Martin are a combined 16 for 86 over the past two weeks. Ryan Vogelsong has imploded on the Toes. He's allowed 11 runs over his last 12.2 innings pitched, earning just one quality start in his last three. Final Prediction: Jersey Boys 7, Twinkle Toes 5.

This may be the last stand for the two-time West Division champions. They are coming off their first loss since Week 11 but that doesn't tell the whole story. They haven't scored more than six points in six weeks. The Mirrors have won three of their past four series, with the only loss coming to the Haighers, who slipped by, 6-5, in Week 18. The Haighters won four offensive categories in that series as Neil Walker had two home runs, nine RBI, and scored five times. Huston Street led the bullpen with three saves but he'll miss this series with a calf injury. Dustin Pedroia scored eight times and stole two bases for the Mirrors while Jake Westbrook had two quality starts and Cole Hamels tossed a shutout to lead the pitching staff. B.J. Upton, Pedroia, and Danny Espinosa have been tremendous the last two weeks and give the Mirrors a shot at matching the Haighters on offense. The Haighters will need Jaime Garcia, Brandon Morrow, and C.C. Sabathia to match the Mirrors on the mound if they hope to cut into the division lead. Final Prediction: Lower Haighters 8, A-Rod's Mirrors 4.

Trout has Bacon sizzling towards huge upset of Bomba

Bomba is on the ropes. They've lost four series in a row and are staring at yet another loss. Their only hope is quality starts from Blake Beavan and Matt Harrison while stealing some bases and pounding out some RBI. If they don't earn some category wins today, this could be a monumental loss.

While Bomba is struggling, The Cys have held their own against a persistent Jersey Boys team that could steal the series today behind Mike Minor and Hiroki Kuroda. The Cys will look back at this series and wonder what happened to their pitching. The team ERA stands at a league-worst 7.50 while the WHIP is second worst. Michael Fiers, Edinson Volquez, C.J. Wilson, and A.J. Burnett were a combined 1 for 6 in quality start attempts.

The North Division is also facing a shake-up as the Bulls are on the verge of their worst defeat of the season. It opens the door for both Give it a Yankee and Bacon to enter the pennant race. The Bulls desperately need Matt Moore and Wei-Yin Chen to earn quality starts today. Offensively, the Bulls need to find a source of power, as it has just five home runs on the week. Brian McCann is 0 for 12 with four strikeouts but is expected to start.

The Mirrors continue to keep the Lower Haighters and Menehunes at bay in the West Division with excellent pitching. The team is 6 for 6 in quality starts and four relievers have combined to pitch seven scoreless innings. Both teams could gain some ground today but the Mirrors are set up nicely for the run home.

It's nearly the same equation in the East Division, where the Slammers are trying to hold off an upset bid by a tenacious Home Run 101. The Slammers are 6 for 7 in quality start attempts and conjured up the one save it needed against a Home Run 101 team that is flush with set-up man but lacks a closer. A tie will help keep the Slammers comfortably in front of the Machine.

Saturday's Stats

Mike Trout was at it again Saturday. As good as Andrew McCutchen has been this year, Trout has outplayed him in this week's series. Trout was 3 for 4 with a walk, he homered, stole a base, drove in three runs and scored twice...High Cheese took the home run category lead Saturday as Hanley Ramirez went deep twice. Ramirez finished the day with four RBI...Edwin Jackson helped stabilize a starting staff for the Cys that has been reeling this week. He pitched seven strong innings yesterday, giving up just one run and striking out 11...Home Run 101 had just five opportunities to convert quality starts this week but Johnny Cueto made the best of his chance yesterday, allowing just two runs over eight innings while striking out eight batters....Ryan Braun slumped early in the week but he's hot now. Braun was 3 for 4 with a home run and a stolen base for the Lower Haighters, who led the league in RBI, runs scored, and tied for the league lead in home runs yesterday.

Overall Stats

Todd Frazier has given the Cys a chance to win their series today with his tremendous offensive showing this week. Frazier is 8 for 18 with three home runs, two stolen bases, five RBI, and seven runs  scored...The back end of the bullpen has been stout for High Cheese this week. Grant Balfour and Tom Wilhelmsen have combined for four of the team's six saves without giving up a hit or a walk...Give it a Yankee is leading Twinkle Toes in a pivotal series because of the offensive prowess of Nick Swisher. Swisher is the highest-rated player for the week, going 10 for 24 with four home runs, 11 RBI, and six runs...Mitchell Boggs continues to be the best arm in the 'pen this week. He now has four holds, in four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five...Ian Kinsler is mired in one of the worst slumps of his career. He's 0 for 18 with six strikeouts this series...Cody Ross is also struggling at the plate, striking out 11 times in 21 at bats...On the mound, Michael Fiers was a disaster this week. In his two starts, he allowed 12 earned runs in seven innings.

Sunday's Projected Starters

The Orioles are 23 for 84 with two doubles, three homers, and 18 strikeouts against Doug Fister. J.J. Hardy is 3 for 20 with four strikeouts and Nick Markakis is 7 for 17 with a double and a home run...Angel Pagan is just 4 for 19 with three strikeouts against Clayton Richard while Giants are hitting .301 in 113 at bats with seven doubles, a triple, and four homers. Buster Posey is 6 for 13 with a double and a homer while Pablo Sandoval is 6 for 22 with two doubles and a homer...The Cubs have just three hits in 26 at bats off Mat Latos, striking out nine times. Starlin Castro is 2 for 9 with three strikeout while Alfonso Soriano is 1 for 8 with a homer and three strikeouts...Chad Billinglsey has struck out 32 Atlanta batters and given up 26 hits in 107 at bats. Jason Heyward is 1 for 7 with two strikeouts while Dan Uggla is 1 for 17 with seven strikeouts...The Rockies have just five hits in 26 at bats off Josh Johnson, striking out nine times while hitting two doubles. Carlos Gonzalez is 0 for 5 with two strikeouts but Dexter Fowler is 2 for 4 wit a double...Zack Greinke has allowed just 31 hits in 152 at bats against the Rays while striking out 58 batters. Carlos Peña is 7 for 39 with three doubles, a homer, and 18 strikeouts while Ben Zobrist is 4 for 20 with a triple and eight strikeouts...Henderson Alvarez has allowed eight hits in just 22 at bats against the Rangers, including a double and two home runs. Nelson Cruz is 1 for 3 with a homer and Mitch Moreland is 3 for 3 with a homer...Matt Harrison has allowed 13 hits in 34 at bats to the Blue Jays, including four doubles, a triple, and a homer. Yunel Escobar is 5 for 8 with two doubles and a triple and Jeff Mathis is 4 for 5 with a double...The Twins have just 15 at bats against Blake Beavan but they have five hits including a home run and a double off the bat of Josh Willingham, who has gone 3 for 7 off the young Mariners hurler...The Tigers have just two hits off rookie Wei-Yin Chen in 18 at bats. Prince Fielder is 1 for 3 with an RBI double and Miguel Cabrera is 1 for 3...The Angels have nine hits in 44 at bats off Matt Moore, including a double and a home run off the bat of Mark Trumbo, who is 3 for 6 off Moore...The Dodgers have hit Mike Minor hard, going 12 for 39 with a double and three homers while recording just seven strikeouts. Hanley Ramirez, Juan Rivera, and A.J. Ellis have all taken Minor deep...The Red Sox are 27 for 98 with 10 doubles, four homers, and 11 strikeouts against Hiroki Kuroda. Adrian Gonzalez is 10 for 29 with four doubles and two homers while Cody Ross is 6 for 25 with two doubles and a homer...The Mets have just 11 hits in 70 at bats against Gio Gonzalez while striking out 20 times. Ike Davis is 3 for 5 with a homer while David Wright is 1 for 4 with a homer...Only two Astros have faced Ian Kennedy and they are 0 for 4...The Padres have just seven hits in 33 at bats against Ryan Vogelsong, striking out seven times while smacking two doubles. Yonder Alonso is 0 for 2 while Yasmani Grandal is 2 for 3 with a double...The Yankees are 114 for 423 with 17 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs and 104 strikeouts off Josh Beckett. Raul Ibanez is 4 for 17 with a triple and four strikeouts while Nick Swisher is 10 for 46 with three homers...Rookie Jarrod Parker has never faced the Indians.