Mike Leake Dances with Perfection
Mike Leake had the night of his life last night, taking a perfect game into the ninth before a leadoff grounder made its way into right field to end the bid. Leake finished off the shutout, allowing just the one hit and a walk while striking out seven. Leake is currently only rostered in 17% of Yahoo! leagues and 12% of ESPN leagues. Chances are he’s available in your league too if you want to stream him.
The Mariners backed up Leake with 10 runs. Mallex Smith just keeps running all over the league, grabbing his 27th stolen base of the season. Daniel Vogelbach hit his 22nd and 23rd home runs of the season, also driving in six runs. Vogelbach continues to prove that he’s worthy of a CI spot on our rosters. Don’t look now, but forgotten former Rockies catcher Tom Murphy is shining in his backup role in Seattle. Last night Murphy went 2-for-4, raising his season batting average to .275.
Stroman shows off his skills
It’s no secret that Marcus Stroman will be moved at the July trade deadline. The only question is to where and at what cost? Last night Stroman proved once again why he belongs in the rotation of a playoff contender. Stroman was strong through his seven innings and picked up his sixth win. He didn’t walk a single batter and struck out five. The performance lowered Stroman’s ERA to 3.06.
The Blue Jays were able to put up 12 runs in defense of their ace. Eric Sogard added three hits and two RBI of his own. Sogard is currently slashing .304/.370/.492 and only rostered in 17% of Yahoo! leagues and 18% of ESPN leagues. You can certainly do worse than Sogard on your roster, who is on pace to have a career year. Vlad Jr. showed us some signs of life with a three-hit night.
Jeimer Candelario had two hits of his own. Since being called up on June 26, Candelario is batting .318. If you need a corner infielder or a deep league third baseman, ride the hot Candelario, then feel free to toss him after. His peripherals aren’t exciting.
Verlander and Minor Struck by the Long Ball
Justin Verlander has now not given up a home run in only three of his 21 starts this season. Verlander’s case for MLB to make changes to the ball is only getting stronger. Nonetheless, Verlander was able to limit the damage to allowing only two runs while striking out 12 en route to his 12th win of the season.
Mike Minor has been struggling with the long ball lately, too. Last night Minor allowed seven hits, four of which were home runs. All solo home runs. Minor continues to impress in Texas despite having a severe case of gopheritis. He was still able to strike out 10 and only walked one.
The Houston offense for the night was your typical standout Astros. Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Yuli Gurriel all had home runs. Gurriel, in particular, is notable — he’s been red hot in July and has set a career-high in home runs and is still an asset in batting average.
Rizzo Powers Cubs
Anthony Rizzo has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Last night Rizzo hit a third-inning grand slam off of Eric Lauer. At this point, you can basically lock Rizzo in for a .290 batting average, 30 home runs, and 100 RBI. His teammate Jason Heyward had a good night at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a walk.. Heyward has earned a spot in five outfielder leagues — he’s provided a solid average with good pop. Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel struck out the side for his fifth save of the season.
Yankees Welcome the Rockies to the Bronx
Former Colorado Rockies DJ LeMahieu and Adam Ottavino faced their former team for the first time. LeMahieu had a 2-for-5 night with a couple of runs and RBI, while Ottavino struck out the side in the sixth inning. The combination of J.A. Happ, Ottavino, and Stephen Tarpley shut down the Rockies offense and racked up 17 strikeouts. Besides LeMahieu, Aaron Judge and Edwin Encarnacion were the offense for the Yankees. Judge and Encarnacion each had a home run, Encarnacion’s being a grand slam in the third off of Kyle Freeland.
Diamondback hit for the Cycle… as a Team
It was a slugfest last night in Phoenix. The notable moment being in the third inning when as a team, the D-backs hit for the cycle with consecutive batters. It started with a Jarrod Dyson single, followed by a Ketel Marte double, an Eduardo Escobar triple and then capped off by a Christian Walker home run. All four of those players should be rostered somewhere.
Christian Yelich hit his league-leading 35th home run for the Brewers. Lorenzo Cain had a home run of his own. That being his third this month. Cain is starting to resemble the player that we thought we drafted. Keston Hiura who is the hottest second baseman in all of baseball is only rostered in 58% of Yahoo! leagues and 32% of ESPN leagues. If Hiura is available, he is a must-add in your league.
News and Notes:
-Scherzer throwing off flat ground.
-Padres recall Luis Urias (2B).
-Phillies move Nick Pivetta to the bullpen.
-Phillies sign LHP Drew Smyly.
-Angels DFA RHP Matt Harvey.
-Astros DFA Tyler White (1B/DH).
-Padres promote LHP Adrian Morejon.
-Orioles re-sign Jace Peterson (UTIL) on a minor deal.
-Cubs place RHP Albert Alzolay on minor league injured list.
