It was a rough week for the Orioles as they dropped six of seven games to the A's, Red Sox and Indians.

This week, they'll look to get back on track as they travel to Detroit to face the Tigers and then return to Baltimore to host the Indians.

Here are the pitching matchups and fantasy nuggets for the week ahead.

For the three-game series at Detroit:

Monday, 7:05 -- Jeremy Bonderman (0-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. Daniel Cabrera (1-2, 4.09 ERA)

Tuesday, 7:05 -- Chad Durbin (1-1, 6.65 ERA) vs. Adam Loewen (2-0, 3.20 ERA)

Wednesday, 1:05 -- Nate Robertson (2-1, 2.43 ERA) vs. Steve Trachsel (1-2, 4.13 ERA)

For the three-game series against Cleveland:

Friday, 7:05 -- Erik Bedard (3-2, 6.09 ERA) vs. Jeremy Sowers (0-1, 4.40 ERA)

Pitching matchups for Saturday and Sunday have not been announced.

For the O's:

Who's hot?

Brian Roberts - After a slow start, the O's second baseman is putting up numbers like everyone expected. Against the Indians, he went 5-for-12 (.417) with a pair of RBIs, three runs and a stolen base. Over the last week, Roberts is batting .357. Overall, he's at .255 with 16 runs and eight stolen bases.

Adam Loewen - The O's lefty allowed two hits and one earned run in six innings in his last start against the Red Sox. Loewen is 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA on the season, but he's allowed five walks or more in three straight starts. Overall, he's walked 24 and struck out 18.

Who's not?

Nick Markakis - He's just 2-for-24 (.083) over his last six games. Markakis has driven in one run over his past seven games and hasn't homered in his last 10. Overall he's batting .235, but has driven in 15 runs.

Chris Ray - The O's closer has only allowed runs twice in 13 appearances this season. However, one of those times was last Thursday against the Red Sox when he surrendered a grand slam to Wily Mo Pena. Overall, Ray has seven saves. He's struck out 14 and walked two.

For the Tigers:

Who's hot?

Magglio Ordonez - The 33 year old is scorching after a slow start to '07. He hit .571 with a pair of homers and 11 RBIs in the past week. On the season, Ordonez is hitting .330 with four homers and 24 RBIs.

Chad Durbin - Detroit's starter is coming off his best outing of the year. Against the White Sox last week, Durbin tossed eight scoreless innings for the win. He struck out nine and didn't walk a batter. As stated above, Durbin is slated to start Tuesday against the O's.

Who's not?

Sean Casey - Detroit's first baseman is off to a slow start, batting .192 through 23 games. He has failed to homer in '07 and has just one RBI on the season.

Joel Zumaya - The hard-throwing reliever has given up at least one earned run in four of his last five appearances. Zumaya had 97 strikeouts in 83 1/3 innings last season. His strikeout numbers -- 13 in 15 1/3 innings -- have still been good this season.

For the Indians:

Who's hot?

Jhonny Peralta - Cleveland's shortstop is 6-for-19 (.316) with two homers and five RBIs in his last five games. Overall, Peralta is batting just .227 and he's struck out 24 times in 21 games.

Fausto Carmona - The Indians' starter tossed a gem against the Orioles, allowing one earned run in 8 1/3 innings Sunday. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight starts, but reports say Carmona will be sent down to Triple-A this week when Cliff Lee returns from injury.

Who's not?

Ryan Garko - Cleveland's first baseman has just one hit in his last 10 at-bats. Garko hit .292 in 50 games with the Indians last season. He's batting .255 through 16 games this year.

Joe Borowski - He pitched well in his lone appearance against the Orioles, but Cleveland's closer gave up runs in his previous two outings. Borowski's nine saves are impressive but his 9.00 ERA and 1.73 WHIP are not.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

UP

Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies: It took him awhile to get going, but Utley is now playing like the top second baseman. He's 11-for-20 (.550) with eight extra-base hits, two homers and 10 RBIs in his last five games. Overall, Utley is hitting .296 with four homers and 16 RBIs.

J.J. Hardy, SS, Brewers: Milwaukee's shortstop has homered five times and driven in 10 runs in his last seven games. On the season, he's hitting .279 with six homers and 14 RBIs, making him the seventh-ranked fantasy shortstop this season.

Rich Hill, SP, Cubs: The 27 year old is coming into his own with a 3-1 record and 1.57 ERA in four starts. He's thrown into the seventh inning in every outing and has struck out 23.

DOWN

David Wright, 3B, Mets: New York's third baseman is 2-for-21 (.095) in his last six games. Wright is still looking for his first home run. He has as many strikeouts as hits (20), has driven in just four runs and is batting .263.

Jermaine Dye, OF, White Sox: After a monster '06, Dye is off to a slow start this season, batting .209 through 18 games. He's still driven in 12 runs, but has struck out 19 times in 67 at-bats.

Jered Weaver, SP, Angels: The 24 year old was hit hard in his last start against the Tigers. Weaver allowed seven hits and five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. In his only other start, Weaver gave up three earned runs in six innings. He has as many losses (two) as he had in 19 starts last season.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Remember during football season how any fantasy owner that had LaDainian Tomlinson was a lock to finish the regular season in first place and make the playoffs?

The Chargers running back totaled over 2,300 rushing/receiving yards and 31 touchdowns.

L.T., meet A-Rod. While this sort of one-player dominance usually doesn't lend itself to fantasy baseball, teams with Alex Rodriguez have had a monstrous advantage so far this season. Think about it. In standard 5x5 leagues, A-Rod leads the majors in four categories -- average (.400), home runs (14), RBIs (34) and runs (26).

Sure, you can make up some ground with other players when playing against teams with A-Rod. But when I faced the Conshy Boys last week, I knew I had no shot in HRs and RBIs as Rodriguez hit five bombs and drove in 13.

Rodriguez's large leads in HRs and RBIs probably won't exist by the end of the season so that's where the similarities between him and L.T. end. That and the fact that Tomlinson is generally liked.

Some other observations:

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

I made my first trip to Camden Yards this season on Friday night. Good weather. A good pitching matchup. The home team playing well. It seemed like the right time. Some quick observations from the game before we get to some fantasy thoughts:

-- The ushers were RUTHLESS about letting fans move down to lower sections. I realize it was a "Student Night," and the middle school/high school/college kids tend to be rowdier than the average fan, but I was shocked to see people getting booted as late as the seventh inning. Does this always happen? I've never seen anything like it.

-- The listed attendance was right around 25,000, and there were plenty of empty seats. You'll never hear me telling people to go to games -- how fans spend their money is none of my business, and we all know it isn't cheap. However, much has been made in the past couple weeks (as we celebrated Jackie Robinson's legacy) about the lack of interest in baseball among today's youth. Doesn't there have to be some way to get kids without the economic means to attend a game in the stands when the stadium is that empty? If you ask me, it would be a win-win situation. The game is always more exciting with a packed house. And kids would get more interested in baseball. I know when I was 10 or 11 years old, I got excited any time I got to go to a game -- and keep in mind, this was in Philadelphia (where the team was a perennial loser), and the venue was Veterans Stadium. Just thinking out loud here.

-- The Orioles have a pretty glaring advantage in the late innings of close games with the way their bullpen is pitching. Once they tied it Friday night against Toronto, you just felt like they were in control. This will be an interesting theme to keep an eye on all year.

-- As I drove back home on 83 North, I noticed some of the lights in The Sun sign atop the newspaper building were out. It just read Sun. Isn't our motto "Light for All?" Hmm...I hope I don't get fired for this. If I do, it's been a good run.

And now on to the pitching matchups.

For the two-game series against Oakland:

Monday, 7:05 -- Erik Bedard (3-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. Dan Haren (1-2, 1.44 ERA)

Tuesday, 3:05 -- Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Dallas Braden

Note: Braden has not been named the official starter, but he will get the ball according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

For the two-game series against the Red Sox:

Wednesday, 7:05 -- Daniel Cabrera (1-1, 4.10 ERA) vs. Curt Schilling (2-1, 3.81 ERA)

Thursday, 7:05 -- Adam Loewen (2-0, 3.72 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (4-0, 2.55 ERA)

For the series opener at Cleveland (starters aren't listed yet for the last two games):

Friday, 7:05 -- Jake Westbrook (0-2, 9.15 ERA) vs. Steve Trachsel (1-1, 4.37 ERA)

For the O's:

Who's hot?

Miguel Tejada - The O's shortstop is 8-for-15 (.533) in his last four games. Tejada's driven in five runs in his last two games and went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the team's 7-3 win against the Blue Jays Sunday.

Chris Ray - Has anyone else noticed what the O's closer has done since he gave up the walk-off grand slam to Alex Rodriguez? He's piled up five saves and two wins without allowing a run in eight appearances. Ray has struck out 12 in 10 2/3 innings this year.

Who's not?

Aubrey Huff - Slow starts are nothing new to the Orioles first baseman. He's currently stuck in an 0-for-15 slump and is hitting .206 overall. Huff looked frustrated at times this past weekend when he hit the ball hard but right at people.

Adam Loewen - It's a stretch, but I had to pick someone on the pitching staff. Loewen is 2-0 with a 3.72 ERA in four starts. However, he's walked 12 in his last two outings and has yet to complete the sixth inning in any start so far this season.

For the A's:

Who's hot?

Eric Chavez - Keep in mind that as a team, Oakland is hitting just .231. Chavez hasn't been great, but he's been better than last year. Oakland's third baseman is batting .274 and has three hits in his last two games. Chavez struggled in '06, hitting a career-low .241.

Rich Harden - He'll miss his scheduled start Tuesday because of a shoulder injury, but Harden has allowed two runs or fewer in all three starts this season. Overall he's 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA, 20 strikeouts and six walks.

Who's not?

Mike Piazza - Oakland's new designated hitter is 3-for-26 (.115) in his past six games. Overall, Piazza is hitting .257 with one homer and five RBIs.

Justin Duchscherer - The A's reliever has a 6.75 ERA in eight appearances. In his last outing against the Rangers, he allowed three runs on two hits while walking two in 2/3 of an inning.

For the Red Sox:

Who's hot?

J.D. Drew - He's off to a good start in his first season with Boston, hitting .357 with eight RBIs and 11 runs scored through 17 games. Drew went 5-for-12 (.417) in his team's three-game sweep of the Yankees.

Josh Beckett - The Red Sox starter seems poised for a bounce-back year, with a 4-0 start and a 2.55 ERA. In his last start against the Yankees, Beckett allowed four earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. He posted a career-worst 5.01 ERA in '06.

Who's not?

Dustin Pedroia - In his first season as the club's everyday second baseman, Pedroia is batting .190. He's just 2-for-17 (.118) in his last six games. Pedroia hit .191 in 89 at-bats last season.

Julian Tavarez - Boston's staff has been very good so far. However, Tavarez has made two starts and is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. He was OK in his last outing, allowing three earned runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays.

For the Indians:

Who's hot?

Travis Hafner - Cleveland's designated hitter is hitting .345 with four homers and 13 RBIs. Last year, Hafner hit .308 with 42 homers and 117 RBIs.

C.C. Sabathia - He's 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 27 strikeouts in four starts. Sabathia has gone at least seven innings in three straight outings. He's struck out 18 batters in his last two starts.

Who's not?

Jhonny Peralta - Cleveland's shortstop is batting .216 and has struck out 17 times in 15 games. He's 2-for-26 (.077) in his last eight games. Peralta hit .257 with 13 homers and 68 RBIs in '06. The previous season, he hit .292 with 24 bombs and 78 RBIs.

Jake Westbrook - He's been shelled in two of his four starts this season. Overall, Westbrook is 0-2 with a 9.15 ERA. He's struck out 13 and walked 11.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Here are responses to some of the e-mails/comments I've received over the past week or so.

From Brooksflow:

Hey Fantasy Guys (I'm gonna refer to you as Fantasy Folks from now on for alliterative purposes and since I'm from NC),

Could y'all shed some light on the catcher situation in KC?

They've got John Buck and Jason LaRue who have appeared to split games 50-50 so far (about 8 apiece I think). Buck is ripping it up while LaRue is trash. Why isn't Buck in the lineup everyday at catcher or DH (at least until he cools down)?

KC players are no hot commodity -- no one in our league has a single one of their pitchers, but batters on any team can still be valuable. I've been in a pinch at catcher with Ramon Hernandez out, and my No. 2 catcher is expendable upon his return. I could use Buck's numbers, but it doesn't look like he's getting enough ABs to justify a roster spot.

Thanks, and I'll understand if anything KC (other than BBQ sauce) isn't worthy of a response.

A question about the Royals catchers! At least we know you're a serious fantasy player. You're right. Buck has been on a tear so far this season, batting .429 with three homers. However, keep in mind that he's only played in nine games. In 114 games in '06, he hit .245 and in 118 games in '05, he hit .242. He's shown OK power, hitting at least 11 home runs in three straight seasons. If Buck continues to play this well, Buddy Bell will have no choice but to make him the everyday catcher.

Meanwhile, LaRue has been terrible, batting .154. However, like Bell said last week, some pitchers prefer LaRue behind the plate. My advice would be to follow your league's trend and ditch Buck.

From Josh:

Has anybody else noticed -- whether they are in a fantasy league or not -- that the hitters are terrible so far this year? I know that many get off to a slow start, but for every Manny Ramirez there is usually someone like a Ty Wigginton killing the ball -- which makes everyone in the league go crazy because the guy who picked him up in the draft is sitting in first. I'm hitting .255 as a team and in first place! My team ERA is a reasonable 4.20 and I am in next to last. My WHIP is 1.3 -- still reasonable but it gets me a last place point. This is insane!

I and many others feel your pain Josh. A quick look at studs struggling so far: Albert Pujols (.197), Alfonso Soriano (.245, 0 HR), Ryan Howard (.213, 1 HR), Chase Utley (.213), Lance Berkman (.212, 1 HR), Manny Ramirez (.189, 1 HR), Mark Teixeira (.214, 0 HR).

And that's just to name a few. However, as Karl Ravech reminds us every night -- trust the back of the baseball card -- if your player has a proven track record, don't panic and give him away. It's a long season.

By the way -- to all readers -- if you want to go on a rant and rip a player who's killing your team, feel free to send it in. I'd love to publish some of these.

From reader Nicholas:

I'm currently playing in a 10 team head to head league (5x5 scoring).

I was wondering if you could critique my lineup, point out some flaws and/or gaps, and propose a few hypothetical trades/waiver pickups.

No problem. What better way to gauge a random sample of players throughout the league? Here is Nicholas' roster with comments

C - Jorge Pasada: Always a solid option; off to a hot start, batting .358 with 11 RBIs

1B - Justin Morneau: Can't go wrong with the reigning American League MVP; four homers and 12 RBIs so far in '07

2B - Rickie Weeks: Stole 19 bases in 95 games last season; four HRs, three SBs and 17 runs scored already this season

3B - Alex Rodriguez: A historic start -- 12 HRs, 30 RBIs through 15 games

SS - Felipe Lopez: Showed great speed last year with 44 SBs; added value because of eligibility at shortstop and second base

OF - Jermaine Dye: Batting just .204 so far; unlikely to match last year's numbers

OF - Adam Dunn: One of the top players so far; .302 with four homers and four SBs

OF - Magglio Ordonez: Probably on the downside of his career, but still a decent contributor, especially in the RBIs category

Utility - Frank Thomas: Unlikely to match last year's numbers; off to a slow start, batting .207

The lineup is solid Nicholas. Morneau, A-Rod and Dunn are absolute studs. Ordonez and Dye are not going to match last year's numbers, but you can still win with them, and they can be decent options as long as they stay healthy. Weeks has the potential to be a top-five second baseman. Lopez might be a player to keep your eye on. This is just his third full season as a starter, and while he stole 44 bases last season, he'll have to prove that wasn't a fluke this year.

On to starting pitching: Carlos Zambrano, Ben Sheets, Noah Lowry, Chuck James, Freddy Garcia, Justin Verlander

Zambrano, Sheets and Verlander all have the talent to be studs. However, owners are likely concerned about Zambrano's start. He's 1-2 with a 7.77 ERA and has walked as many as he's struck out (16). It's probably too early to panic, but not too early to worry. Does that make sense? I don't really know.

As for Sheets, he's had two good starts and two poor starts. As long as he's healthy, he should get more consistent and have a big year.

Verlander, meanwhile, has been very good, going 1-0 in three starts with a 1.42 ERA and 0.95 WHIP.

You're rolling the dice with the other guys. Lowry hasn't received the run support so far, but has looked good with a 2.70 ERA. James was very good last year, but this is his first full season as a starter. He's been solid so far, going 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts. And finally, Garcia has been injured for the Phillies and struggled in his only start. I wouldn't panic though. Don't expect a low ERA, but he should help you out with wins when/if the Philly offense gets going.

And finally your bullpen: B.J. Ryan, Bob Wickman, Mike Gonzalez, Scot Shields, David Weathers

Weathers has been decent so far with five saves. He blew an opportunity Thursday but should still get the bulk of Cincinnati's save chances. The Ryan injury hurts without a doubt. But on the bright side, Wickman has been outstanding. He's yet to allow a run and has five saves for Atlanta.

Overall, I like your lineup. You will definitely need some starting pitching help if Zambrano continues to struggle, and another closer wouldn't hurt because of the injury to Ryan. Hope this helps!

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Here's my weekly look at the top-scoring players overall at each position. This list is based on standard scoring in a 5x5 league. The number in parentheses is the number of consecutive weeks the player has been named to the All-Fantasy Team. For instance, this will be Russell Martin's second straight week as the top catcher:

Catcher: Russell Martin, Dodgers (2) // .327, 9 RBIs, 12 runs, 4 SBs

First baseman: Derrek Lee, Cubs (1) // .375, 11 RBIs, 10 runs, 2 SBs

Second baseman: Ian Kinsler, Rangers (1) // .318, 7 HRs, 14 RBIs, 12 runs, 2 SBs

Third baseman: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees (2) // .351, 10 HRs, 26 RBIs, 17 runs

Shortstop: Jose Reyes, Mets (2) // .356, 12 RBIs, 18 runs, 8 SBs

Outfielder: Carlos Lee, Astros (1) // .296, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs, 11 runs

Outfielder: Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks (1) // .306, 3 HRs, 13 RBIs, 10 runs, 5 SBs

Outfielder: Adam Dunn, Reds (2) // .317, 4 HRs, 9 RBIs, 11 runs, 4 SBs

Starting pitcher: Josh Beckett, Red Sox (2) // 3-0, 1.50 ERA, 18 K, 0.83 WHIP

Starting pitcher: Roy Oswalt, Astros (1) // 3-0, 2.89 ERA, 20 K

Starting pitcher: Felix Hernandez, Mariners (2) // 2-1, 1.56 ERA, 18 K, 0.69 WHIP

Relief pitcher: Huston Street, Athletics (1) // 2-1, 4 saves, 2.89 ERA, 10 K, 0.96 WHIP

Relief pitcher: Chris Ray, Orioles (1) // 1-1, 5 saves, 10 K, 0.46 WHIP

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

UP

Ian Kinsler, 2B, Rangers: He's the hottest player in the league not nicknamed A-Rod. Kinsler is batting .333 with seven homers, 13 RBIs and 12 runs scored. He had 14 homers in 120 games last season and was a popular breakout candidate going into '07.

Russell Martin, C, Dodgers: The 24 year old is batting .347 with eight RBIs, 12 runs scored and four stolen bases through 13 games. While Martin is capable of hitting .300, his value comes with his speed. He stole 10 bases last year, and looks like he'll shatter that mark in '07.

Tim Hudson, SP, Braves: Atlanta's veteran looks poised to bounce back from last season when he posted a career-worst 4.86 ERA. Hudson is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA through three starts. He's gone seven innings in every outing. The one negative? Hudson has walked four batters in two of his three starts.

DOWN

Manny Ramirez, OF, Red Sox: Boston's left fielder is still looking for his first home run of '07. Ramirez is batting .191 with six RBIs through 13 games. Don't panic. This guy has been one of the most consistent fantasy producers over the past 12 years. He'll put it together.

Mark Teixeira, 1B, Rangers: He got off to a slow start last year and is doing it again in '07. Teixeira has yet to homer and is batting .204 with two RBIs and 11 strikeouts. He's averaged 38 homers over the last three years so the power will come -- I'm just not sure when.

Carlos Zambrano, SP, Cubs: Chicago's ace has struggled through four starts, going 1-2 with a 7.77 ERA. Zambrano struck out over 200 batters in 2005 and 2006, but he's struck out just 16 so far in '07 and has walked 16 batters as well.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

In case you missed it, I made a post last week about the problems ESPN.com has had with its fantasy baseball leagues. This was the first year the site has offered its fantasy leagues for free, but the site experienced problems with live scoring, free agent pickups and other roster moves at the start of the season.

As a result, 10 days into the season, ESPN.com had to revert all teams back to their Opening Day rosters and change scoring for the first week based on those rosters. For instance, if I didn't have Rich Harden listed as a starter on Opening Day, I wouldn't get credit for his first start. Or if I picked up Akinori Iwamura during the first 10 days, it didn't matter. He was back to being a free agent.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a couple of your comments about ESPN.com's problems:

From 'Rookies:'

Is this the first year that ESPN has offered fantasy baseball? What freaking changed about this year that the waiver system no longer works (or didn't work for the first week and a half). Our league has been in constant turmoil for the first week, and I really don't think there is any excuse that ESPN can provide that would change my mind about not choosing to use their leagues next year when there are so many other free options out there. Good job ESPN!

This isn't the first year ESPN has offered fantasy baseball, but it's the first year it's been free. I'm guessing that drastically increased its number of users -- I used to use Yahoo but jumped on ESPN this season when I found out it was offering live scoring for free.

And Devin:

This "fix" and the problems that led up to it are unacceptable. As ESPN communicated their problems and the fix that ensued I gave them the benefit of the doubt. But after dropping in the standings considerably after this "fix," the recent rash of sloppy writing at ESPN's web site (Fatnasy Baseball? Evin Twin Pitchers? Get a spell checker, please) and a much better fantasy baseball experience with Yahoo and Fox Sports I doubt I'll give ESPN fantasy leagues another chance. Even their interface is sub-standard compared to other options out there. ESPN is slipping as a "leader" in sports.

Devin makes a good point. The typos on ESPN's main fantasy page have been very noticeable. As someone who produces headlines on this site, I would usually be forgiving if it was a minor slip-up that happened once, but that hasn't been the case.

And finally from my fellow league member Brendan:

Great decision to go with ESPN this season. We haven't had ANY problems so far. Way to go.

Can you feel the love?

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Here are the pitching matchups for this week, followed by who's hot/who's not on the Orioles, Devil Rays and Blue Jays.

For the three-game series against Tampa Bay:

Monday, 7:10 -- James Shields (1-0, 4.61 ERA) vs. Adam Loewen (1-0, 1.80 ERA)

Tuesday, 7:10 -- Casey Fossum (0-1, 7.59 ERA) vs. Steve Trachsel (0-0, 2.63 ERA)

Wednesday, 3:10 -- Scott Kazmir (1-1, 4.95 ERA) vs. Erik Bedard (2-1, 5.09 ERA)

For the home series against Toronto:

Friday, 7:05 -- Daniel Cabrera (1-1, 3.66 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett (1-1, 7.07 ERA)

Josh Towers (1-1, 2.03 ERA) is expected to start Saturday for Toronto, but the other probables have not been listed yet.

For the O's:

Who's hot?

Kevin Millar - He doesn't hold much fantasy value, considering he'll get fewer at-bats once Jay Payton gets healthy, but Millar has hit safely in eight straight games. In three games against Kansas City, he went 5-for-9 and scored three runs. Overall, Millar is batting .306 with a pair of homers.

Steve Trachsel - He's yet to earn his first win in an Orioles uniform, but that's not Trachsel's fault. The veteran starter has allowed seven hits and four earned runs in 13 2/3 innings this season. After two starts, Trachsel has an ERA of 2.63 and a WHIP of 0.73.

Who's not?

Corey Patterson - The O's center fielder went 2-for-12 in three games against the Royals and is batting .225 on the season. Patterson was placed on bereavement leave after the recent death of his grandfather. He's expected to rejoin the team Wednesday but might not play until the team's series opener with Toronto Friday.

Kurt Birkins - It's not easy to find an Orioles pitcher who's struggling so far this season so we'll have to go with a reliever who holds little fantasy value. Birkins allowed an extra-inning grand slam against the Tigers Wednesday in his only appearance this season. He was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk Sunday.

For the Devil Rays:

Who's hot?

Akinori Iwamura - The former Japanese star is off to a scorching start in his first season as the Devil Rays third baseman. Iwamura is hitting .395 with an on-base percentage of .540. He's shown the ability to fill up different statistical categories, having stolen three bases and scored 11 runs.

Al Reyes - The veteran reliever has already set a career-high with four saves. He's struck out six in five innings and has yet to allow a run.

Who's not?

Ben Zobrist - Tampa Bay's shortstop is off to a slow start, hitting .186 through 10 games. Zobrist saw his first major league action last season and hit .224 in 52 games.

Edwin Jackson - In two starts this season, he's allowed eight runs in 8 2/3 innings for an 0-2 record. In his last start against the Twins, Jackson walked five in three innings.

For the Blue Jays:

Who's hot?

Aaron Hill - Toronto's second baseman is hitting .370 with 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored through 12 games. Sunday's game against the Tigers marked the first time Hill hasn't reached base this season. He hit .291 last season but offers little else in terms of fantasy production.

Roy Halladay - The Blue Jays ace is 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA and 1.00 WHIP after three starts. In his last outing against the Tigers, Halladay allowed one earned run in 10 innings.

Who's not?

Frank Thomas - The 38 year old is off to a slow start in Toronto after signing a two-year, $18 million deal in the offseason. Thomas is batting .200 with 10 strikeouts and one homer through 12 games. He hit 39 bombs and had 114 RBIs with Oakland in '06.

A.J. Burnett - Toronto's starter is 1-1 with a 7.07 ERA in three starts this season. In his last outing against the Tigers, Burnett allowed four earned runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

From time to time, I'll take a look at who the top performers are overall at each position. Here's the first installment of the 2007 All-Fantasy Team. These players were chosen based on their production in a standard 5x5 mixed league:

Catcher: Russell Martin, Dodgers // .324, 5 RBIs, 8 runs, 3 SBs

First baseman: Ty Wigginton, Devil Rays // .341, 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, 7 runs

Second baseman: Orlando Hudson, Diamondbacks // .396, 8 RBIs, 12 runs

Third baseman: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees // .350, 7 HRs, 17 RBIs, 12 runs

Shortstop: Jose Reyes, Mets // .311, 11 RBIs, 13 runs, 6 SBs

Outfielder: Grady Sizemore, Indians // .321, 4 HRs, 10 runs, 3 SBs

Outfielder: Adam Dunn, Reds // .326, 4 HRs, 8 RBIs, 8 runs, 3 SBs

Outfielder: Vladimir Guerrero, Angels // .364, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs

Starting pitcher: Felix Hernandez, Mariners // 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 K, 0.47 WHIP

Starting pitcher: Josh Beckett, Red Sox // 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 13 K, 0.67 WHIP

Starting pitcher: Johan Santana, Twins // 2-1, 3.60 ERA, 25 K, 1.00 WHIP

Relief pitcher: Takashi Saito, Dodgers // 5 saves, 6 K, 1.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP

Relief pitcher: Bob Wickman, Braves // 1-0, 3 saves, 0.00 ERA

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

This year was the first time I have used ESPN.com for a fantasy league.

And unfortunately, the results have been awful.

The site has been having problems with fantasy baseball since the season began. This is the first time ESPN.com has offered to run leagues for free, and if you're like me, that caught your attention. However on Wednesday, the site was forced to do the following as its only course of action for fixing problems:

Luckily for me, I hadn't made any transactions. I wanted to see how the team I drafted performed -- for a couple weeks at least. However, my squad did move from first place to second place today because of the second bullet above. The main reason? I lost the 'wins' category by missing out on Rich Harden's first start -- 7 IP, 0 ER, 7 K against Seattle.

Anyway, I will give ESPN.com credit for a few things. Number one, they sent out multiple e-mails to users, explaining that they were having problems and doing everything in their power to fix them. Also, they are offering free ESPN Insider content throughout baseball season and free use of their site for fantasy football.

The bottom line is that it's pretty dumbfounding that an operation that serves as the measuring stick for sports Web sites had to completely reset leagues 10 days into the season -- so I assume ESPN.com had no other choice. Hopefully things run smoothly from here on out.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

UP

Akinori Iwamura, 3B, Devil Rays: The former Japanese star has started his American career with a seven-game hitting streak and is hitting .458 overall. Iwamura's scored eight runs and stolen a couple bases also.

Geoff Jenkins, OF, Brewers: He's 6-for-16 (.375) with three homers and six RBIs in his last four games. Jenkins has averaged over 24 home runs over the past four seasons but hit just 17 last year. He hit .133 against lefties in '06.

Ted Lilly, SP, Cubs: In his first two starts with Chicago, Lilly is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA. He's struck out 14 and walked just two while surrendering nine hits in 13 innings. Lilly signed a four-year, $40 million deal with the Cubs in the offseason after winning 15 games with the Blue Jays in '06.

DOWN

Alfonso Soriano, OF, Cubs: Baseball's biggest free-agent signee is off to a slow start in his new home. Soriano is batting .200 through eight games and has yet to homer or drive in a run. Soriano has also struck out seven times.

Lance Berkman, 1B, Astros: Houston's veteran first baseman has not been quick out of the gate, hitting .185 with one homer and three RBIs through eight games. No need to panic. Berkman has hit no worse than .288 in seven major league seasons. He hit .315 with 45 homers and 136 RBIs in '06.

Brad Lidge, RP, Astros: He lost the closer's job for the Astros after struggling in his first two appearances. Lidge blew his first save opportunity of the season against the Pirates, allowing a home run to Xavier Nady. He then gave up five runs (two earned) against the Cardinals in two-thirds of an inning.

Injury report

Eric Gagne is expected to take over the closer's role for the Rangers as soon as he returns from the DL Friday...Victor Martinez could return this weekend from a quad injury and isn't expected to go on the DL...Matt Kemp has been placed on the disabled list with a separated shoulder...Chris Carpenter has been placed on the DL with a right elbow injury...Mike Hampton is out for the year with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow...Rafael Furcal is expected to see his first action this Friday...Hideki Matsui is on the DL with a strained left hamstring...Hanley Ramirez is day-to-day with a hamstring injury...Arizona's Chris Young is day-to-day with a groin injury...Kevin Kouzmanoff is expected to miss a few games with an elbow injury.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

We'll start out the weekly observations with an e-mail question from reader Brooks:

I have an O's related trade question. In an overall stats league (weighted towards steals, homers, and RBIs) an owner is offering me Brian Roberts and Ken Griffey Jr. for Andruw Jones. Right now this seems like a good trade, even with Roberts' and Jones' respective early season starts.  Still, can Griffey last?  Jones hit 41 homers last year and Roberts is your preseason No. 2 second baseman.  My current second basemen are Orlando Hudson and Tadahito Iguchi.

Thanks for the question Brooks. Let's start with the second basemen involved. I had Roberts ranked No. 2 in the preseason because of his ability to steal bases. He had 36 SBs last season, which led all American League second basemen. That gives him the edge over Hudson and Iguchi. However, in the other major categories, all three second basemen are comparable. Hudson is off to a scorching start (.394) and will probably end up hitting around .280-.300. I expect Roberts' average to be in the same range even though he's off to a semi-slow start at the plate, batting .192. Meanwhile, Iguchi probably has better power potential than the other two players, but he's also a pretty good bet to hit around .280.

In the outfield, Jones is a significantly better option than Griffey. The Braves center fielder has hit at least 35 homers in four of the past five seasons, including totals of 41 in '06 and 51 in '05. But the biggest factor that gives Jones the edge over Griffey? He's never missed more than 10 games. On the other hand, Griffey has missed at least 50 games in five of the last six years. You just can't rely on him.

The conclusion? A combination of either Iguchi or Hudson with Jones is better than a combination of Griffey and Roberts. Jones is an absolute stud. Few players in the league can match his power production. If you're going to unload him, you have to get more than Roberts and Griffey.

And now the weekly observations:

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It was an up-and-down first week of baseball for the Orioles.

There was the good: The first starts of Daniel Cabrera and Steve Trachsel, taking two of three from the Yankees, Nick Markakis heating up.

The bad: The early struggles of Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts, getting swept by the Twins.

And the ugly: Jaret Wright's first start, the eighth and ninth innings in the loss to the Yankees and Chris Berman's suit on Baseball Tonight

Before we go more in-depth into who's hot and who's not for the O's, let's take a look at this week's pitching matchups.

For the three-game series against the Tigers:

Monday, 3:05 -- Daniel Cabrera (0-1, 3.86 ERA) vs. Chad Durbin

Tuesday, 7:05 -- Jaret Wright (0-1, 15.43 ERA) vs. Nate Robertson (1-0, 3.18 ERA)

Wednesday, 7:05 -- Adam Loewen (1-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander (0-0, 0.00 ERA - one start)

And the Royals series:

Thursday, 7:05 -- Steve Trachsel (0-0, 4.05 ERA) vs. Gil Meche (1-1, 4.40 ERA)

Friday, 7:05 -- Erik Bedard (1-1, 6.94 ERA) vs. Brandon Duckworth (0-0, 0.00 ERA - one start)

For the O's:

Who's hot?

Nick Markakis - The 23-year-old right fielder leads the club with a .320 average after six games and had a tremendous series against the Yankees. Markakis went 7-for-15 with a home run and three RBIs in three games in New York. Early on, he's dismissing any talk about a sophomore slump.

Daniel Cabrera - Sure, it was only one start, but Cabrera was impressive in his first outing against the Twins, allowing three earned runs in seven innings and striking out nine. He got ahead of hitters and gave the Orioles a chance to win. That's all you can ask for.

Who's not?

Brian Roberts - The O's leadoff man is off to a tough start with three hits in 22 at-bats (.136). However, keep in mind that he's walked seven times and his on-base percentage is still .345.

Jaret Wright - The offseason acquisition struggled in his Orioles debut, allowing four earned runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Twins. He also walked five batters.

For the Tigers:

Who's hot?

Ivan Rodriguez - Pudge hit the go-ahead three-run homer against the Royals Sunday night to cap a hot first week. Rodriguez is batting .381 with a pair of bombs and four RBIs through five games.

Todd Jones - Detroit's closer has already appeared in four games and converted all three of his save opportunities. Jones saved 37 games last season and 40 in 2005. Although certain fantasy owners -- me inlcuded -- would prefer hard-throwing Joel Zumaya, Jones appears poised to hold on to the closer role.

Who's not?

Magglio Ordonez - The 33 year old is off to a slow start with three hits in 17 at-bats (.176). Ordonez has one extra-base hit (a double) and no RBIs through five games.

Jason Grilli - The Tigers relief pitcher was hammered for five earned runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in his first appearance this season against the Blue Jays.

For the Royals:

Who's hot?

David DeJesus: His hot spring carried over into the start of the regular season as DeJesus is batting .391 with a .481 on-base percentage through six games.

Jorge De La Rosa: He got the win in his first start against the Tigers, allowing one earned run and four hits through seven innings.

Who's not?

Alex Gordon: The third baseman came into '07 as one of the league's most promising rookies, but it hasn't shown early on. Gordon has just one hit in 19 at-bats (.053), and he's struck out eight times.

Odalis Perez: The veteran hurler allowed four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings in his first start this season against the Red Sox. It wasn't an awful performance, and the Royals probably aren't expecting much more out of him this season.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

In his first start with the Yankees, Kei Igawa was pounded for seven earned runs and eight hits in five innings. Igawa was wild at times, walking three, and he left the ball up in the strike zone all game. He threw just 53 of 97 pitches for strikes. Not a good sign for fantasy owners. But then again, it was only one start.

As we approach the end of the season's first week, here is how some other hurlers performed in their debuts (note: some were making their first starts in the majors, while others were making their first starts with a new team):

Daisuke Matsuzaka, Red Sox: He was tremendous against the Royals, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out 10 in seven innings. Matsuzaka is scheduled to face the Mariners in his first start at Fenway, meaning he will square off against Ichiro with his first pitch in Boston.

Barry Zito, Giants: The lefty allowed two earned runs and five hits for the loss against the Padres.

Jason Schmidt, Dodgers: He allowed one earned run and three hits in five innings for the win against the Brewers.

Gil Meche, Royals: In his first game with Kansas City, Meche tossed a gem, allowing one earned run over 7 1/3 innings. However, Meche came back down to Earth against Detroit, giving up six runs in seven innings for the loss.

Livan Hernandez, Diamondbacks: He pitched well against the Rockies, allowing two earned runs and five hits in seven innings for a no decision.

Andy Pettitte, Yankees: He allowed two earned runs and six hits in four innings against the Devil Rays.

Ted Lilly, Cubs: The lefty got the win in his first start start with Chicago, allowing one earned run and striking out nine in seven innings against the Reds.

Rodrigo Lopez, Rockies: The former Oriole allowed one earned run in seven innings for the win against the Diamondbacks.

Jeff Suppan, Brewers: He got the loss in his first start in Milwaukee, but Suppan pitched well, allowing two earned runs in seven innings against the Dodgers.

Adam Wainwright, Cardinals: In his first major league start, the former reliever went seven innings and allowed one earned run for the win against the Astros.

Steve Trachsel, Orioles: The veteran pitched admirably in his first start against the Yankees, allowing three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings for a no decision.

Jason Marquis, Cubs: He allowed one earned run in six innings against the Reds for a no decision.

Randy Wolf, Dodgers: He was charged with four earned runs in six innings, taking the loss against the Brewers.

Greg Maddux, Padres: He lasted 5 1/3 innings and allowed four earned runs for the loss against the Rockies.

Brandon McCarthy, Rangers: The 23 year old allowed 10 hits and three earned runs in six innings against the Angels.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)