Featured matchups.
Roger Clemens vs. A.J. Burnett in Florida. Houston is 1-14 on the road. It was good to see Pierre get five hits and three steals yesterday. Burnett was touched a couple of times in Atlanta last time out, but was still not bad. His career record against Houston is not good (but in only five starts). Clemens has been very inconsistent this season – sometimes he has been terrific and other times merely very good. Bagwell’s shoulder felt poorly yesterday so he’s not a great play (as are any of these guys against Burnett really). But no one’s a particularly good play against Clemens either. Should be a fun game to watch.
I’ll be curious to see how Tim Hudson does in Colorado. It was interesting that Barmes was moved up to leadoff yesterday and Miles down to two. Miles’ grand slam masks a couple of really bad at bats, so I am not at all convinced that it signals an end to his slump. However he now has both a home run and a walk this year (who had one month in the pool?) He’s going at a rate that will net him 60 or so runs and RBI’s for the season after having batted leadoff for a month. He has a .289 OBP and the grand slam lifted his slugging over .400. (twenty points a pop worse than Luis Gonzalez, who despite slumping and not playing much also has a home run and three!! walks). Anyway, I’ve been pimping Barmes since halfway through last season, so I’m looking pretty good there now.
Two of my favorite second tier starters go in Arizona. Livan and the surprisingly lively Nationals go in against Webb and the Snakes without Vidro, who goes from missing three to five days to wearing a boot and an update to come on Friday…Ouch..Boy, have injuries sidetracked this guy. I have to say though, perhaps it is his chronic knee problems, but he has always looked a bit out of shape in recent years. Since the Nationals didn’t use Ayala and Cordero yesterday when they needed them (probably costing Loaiza a win), presumably they are available today, but I still like Webb at home.
I kind of like Young at home for the Rangers against Detroit. He’s been quite good (and is a pretty good two-starter this week too I think) and I don’t particularly like Wakefield against Oakland in a cold Fenway, Oakland’s offense has been about as a bad as possible, but I wonder whether Wakefield will get a consistent grip or control over the knuckler on such a cold and wet night as is predicted.