Tips 'n Trends: Friday's games

HITTERS:

Interleague play starts on Friday, which means different places and new faces for many people. It will be first times for players in certain cities to see certain stars they usually don’t get the chance to face. I think this might be there year that the National League dominates, unlike previous years. Luis Gonzalez has an old friend, Brett Tomko, coming to South Beach, but Luis is a bit more happy for Tomko’s temporary return to the National League . Gonzo is 15-for-34 with three bombs in his career versus the Kansas City veteran. Omar Vizquel is off the DL and looks like he’s in game shape. If you’re looking for some shortstop help — Jeff Keppinger and  Rafael Furcal owners— Vizquel might be the perfect replacement for the time being. He won’t hit many balls out of the park these days, but he’s still quick enough to steal a base for you. Lyle Overbay deserves starting consideration on Friday as he’s facing the Phillies’ Jamie Moyer. In a limited number of at-bats, Overbay is hitting .500 against the crafty lefty. With Johan Santana on the mound Friday, I would strongly consider benching Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon. It could be a long day at the park for these two Yankee boppers. Alex Gordon has shown flashes this year of what everyone expected last year, and at some point everything will all click for him and he’ll  be a perennial All-Star candidate. But as of right now, he’s still struggling against lefties, and I would bench him against a maturing Scott Olsen. All of Gordon’s fiver homers this year are off right-handed pitchers, and he’s hitting just .178 versus southpaws.

PITCHERS:

I think interleague gives a strong advantage to the pitchers. When a hitter is up there guessing against a guy they have never faced before, it’s usually in the pitcher’s favor. Jonathan Sanchez will face the White Sox for the first time and the Chi Sox could struggle. Sanchez, who can rack up the punch outs, pitches much better at home. While he has an ugly 9.45 ERA on the road, he has a stellar 2.79 ERA at home.  Start Sanchez and expect no less than six innings and six K’s. Another young stud to roll with while he’s in the groove is Joe Saunders. Saunders will face an inconsistent and lackluster Dodgers team and should be able to pick up win number seven. Meanwhile, be cautious with some of Friday’s pitchers who’ve been around the league for a while. Jeff Suppan strolls in to Fenway Park, where he’s never pitched well. Suppan is 7-9 with an ERA over 6 in Boston, and David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are a combined 16-for-48 (.330) with four homers, and 11 RBI off of the former Red Sox draft pick. This also might be the time that being around for 20 years come back to hurt Jamie Moyer. Moyer will face a Toronto line up that has seen plenty of him. The team is currently hitting .325 versus the ancient southpaw, and they’re not  likely to be fooled by his off speed junk tomorrow.

Friday’s Positive Trends:
Derrek Lee  [career against Tom Gorzelanny]: 7/12, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, .583/.643/1.250
Brian Giles  [career against Miguel Batista]: 9/28, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 2K, .321/.424/.500
Luis Gonzalez  [career against Brett Tomko]: 15/34, 4 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 8 BB, 4 K, .441/.548/.824
Omar Vizqeul  [career against Gavin Floyd]: 2/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .667/.667/1.667 

Manny Ramirez  [career against Jeff Suppan]: 7/21, 1 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, .333/.440/.810
Michael Young  [career against Shawn Chacon]: 5/11, 2 RBI, BB, .455/.500/.455
Ichiro Suzuki  [career against Chris Young]: 8/20, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SB, .400/.478/.750
Alex Rios  [career against Jamie Moyer]: 7/16, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, .438/.500/.938
Lyle Overbay  [career against Jamie Moyer]: 5/10, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 K, .500/.500/1.100
Placido Polanco [career against Dan Haren]: 8/19, 1 2B, 4 RBI, .421/.421/.474 

Friday’s Negative Trends:
Aramis Ramirez [career against Tom Gorzelanny]: 2/14, 2 BB, 4 K, .143/.250/.143
Alfonso Soriano [career against Tom Gorzelanny]: 2/14, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 6 K, .143/.143/.357
Orlando Hudson [career against Jeremy Bonderman]: 0/8, 1 BB, 2 K, .000/.111/.000 

Cliff Floyd  [career against Braden Looper]: 1/8, 1 BB, .125/.222/.125
Mike Lowell [career against Jeff Suppan]: 0/11, 1 K, .000/.000/.000
Johnny Damon  [career against Johan Santana]: 5/24, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 6 K, .208/.200/.333
Raul Ibanez  [career against Chris Young]: 3/20, 1 RBI, 3 K, .150/.150/.150

Comments

[Doc]

What do you guys think of Garza @ STL?

[Mike Navarra]

Garza has good numbers since coming back off the DL at 2-1 with a 2.19 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Look at the underlying numbers though. 9 K and 9 BB. You want a 2:1 K:BB ratio, and his is 1:1. Also, he has a 3.38 K/9 ratio. Again, low. I'd look out for it. You don't want to get that blow up when it comes.

[Doc]

Thanks Mike!

[TIPS]

Yeah, I just picked up Garza for a spot-start in another league. I also picked up Wakefield for a spot-start. Wakefield's knuckle seems to be better in the day time and it's a 3:00 afternoon game. Plus, the Brewers are something like 80 points worse as a team in OPS versus righties than lefties. I figure that with the Brewers sending out Bush at Fenway and with them not having many knuckleballers in he NL to face, I might pick up a cheap win.

Just my two cents. Good luck!
Jeff

[TIPS]

And just FYI.. the league I picked up Garza in is an 8x8 league that counts quality starts.

I'm not confident in this play.. but I'm behind in my innings (-40 IP) and I need to catch up with others in QS's.

The Cardinals are in the top 10 I believe when it comes to OPS against RHP, so be careful.

[Doc]

Garza got shelled. Good call on Sanchez!!