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07/20 Padres at Cardinals Game Preview

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Hey there, sports fans! Boy howdy, we got a heck of a barnburner lined up, I tell you what.

Getting the start for San Diego will be Edinson Volquez. Ol' Eddie has stru-- no, he just hasn't been very good this year. He was extra not-good his last time out, when he gave up eight earned runs on nine hits and a walk in five innings of work. But it'll be different this time! I swear.

Here's how today's Cardinals starters have fared against Volquez:

Matt Carpenter: 2-2, 2 2B, K
Jon Jay: 2-9, 2K
Carlos Beltran: 6-15, 7 RBI, K
Allen Craig: 2-4, 2B, 2 BB, RBI
Yadier Molina: 3-19, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K
Matt Adams: 0-1, 2 BB
David Freese: 1-4, 2 BB, 2 K
Daniel Descalso: 2-6, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 K
Lance Lynn: nada

Speaking of Lance Lynn, let's see how our guys have done versus him:

Everth Cabrera: 1-3, K
Chase Headley: 1-3, RBI, K
Carlos Quentin: cherry intact
Yonder Alonso: 1-3, BB
Jedd Gyorko: firstness
Will Venable: 3-4, 2B, HR, RBI
Alexi Amarista: 0-1
Nick Hundley: 0-3, RBI
Edinson Volquez: negatory

See what I told you? Barnburner. It's gonna be good. 'Cause we're gonna win.


Around the League: NL and AL

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Call-Ups

Junior Lake is worth a pickup if you need a SS or MI. He's hit well at AAA this year and has above average speed. Despite playing mostly infield throughout his minor league career he'll play center-field for the Cubs until David DeJesus returns in about week. After that Lake's status will be up in the air.

Henry Urrutia was called up by the Orioles and is worth a pickup in AL-only leagues. He should hit for a decent average and has potential for about 10 HR the rest of the way with regular at-bats.

Notes

Francisco Rodriguez is likely to be traded. I think that Jim Henderson will return to his closer role if K-Rod is shipped out. John Axford has been much better since his early season blowup and would also be an option to close.

Donovan Hand has pitched well this season and will get a start on Tuesday vs. the Padres. I like him as a streaming option in NL-only leagues.

Chris Carpenter is pitching at AAA right now and will likely be an impact fantasy SP if he's deemed healthy enough to return to the Cardinals rotation. I suggest picking him up right now if he's un-owned in your league and you have the bench or DL space.

Pick up Blake Parker and/or Pedro Strop if you want to speculate on saves. There's a good chance Kevin Gregg will be traded. I prefer Parker.

Brad Miller hit 2 HR yesterday and is arguable a top 12 guy at 2B and SS, respectively. If he is somehow un-owned in your league then you should change that.

Tom Wilhelmsen's hold on the Mariners closer job is shaky and Yoervis Medina should be picked up because he's probably within one blown save by Wilhelmsen from taking over.

Injuries

Matt Holliday was placed on the DL today but will probably only miss about a week due to the filing being retroactive. It sounded like he could be ready to rock this weekend so he should be fine when he's eligible to come off the DL on July 27th.

Peter Bourjos could still miss another 3 weeks with his wrist injury and it's possible that his hitting will be affected upon his return.

Tommy Hanson should return within the next 2 weeks.

If you own Yoenis Cespedes, then like me you may have been excited after his impressive HR derby showing but now the excitement has turned into worry. He's been dealing with pain in his left wrist and even if he returns in a few days which is what they're saying this could affect his power stroke.

J.A. Happ could be ready to rejoin the Blue Jays rotation in about 3 weeks.

Paul Maholm sprained his left (throwing) wrist today against the White Sox and will likely need to be placed on the DL. Brandon Beachy should be ready to replace Maholm in the Braves rotation if needed. Either way, Beachy could be activated within the next 10 days.

Aramis Ramirez will miss at least another couple weeks with his knee injury.

Ryan Vogelsong is set to return to the Giants rotation in about 3 weeks.

Curtis Granderson is about 2-3 weeks away from returning the Yankees lineup.

Alex Rodriguez will probably make his season debut on Monday.

Paul Konerko will likely be activated from the DL by next weekend.

Rafael Betancourt will miss about two weeks after getting his appendix removed. Rex Brothers will take over at closer during that time. Betancourt is a trade candidate and Brothers is worth hanging on to even after he returns.

Sunday Pebble Report: Sam Moll throws a combined no-hitter for Tri-City

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Short-season Tri-City - W 3-0 (17-19)

Starter Sam Moll (#27 PuRP) and the rest of the Dust Devils pitching staff combined to no-hit the Giants Short-season affiliate on Saturday. Moll lasted five innings, giving up just two walks and striking out five. The Tennessee native was able to produce most of his outs via the groundball with a 6-to-2 groundball rate and his ERA now sits at 2.28 after the contest. Relievers Shane Broyles, Jerad McCrummen and Trent Daniel combined to strike out five and work four shutout innings to uphold the no-hitter.

Rockies General Manager Dan O'Dowd was in the stands watching the action and had the following comments for the Tri City Herald:

"It's pretty neat for the organization. Everything is about the kids. I look at all these kids as they are my own."

First baseman Patrick Hutcheson was the offensive star of the night, going 2-for-3 and scoring two runs. Right fielder Marcos Derkes contributed both the RBI with a pair of hits, driving in Hutcheson and shortstop Patrick Valaika, who reached on a walk in the second.

Triple-A Colorado Springs - W 6-2 (53-46)

Starter Collin McHugh took the mound for the Sky Sox against the Padres affiliate on Saturday. McHugh pitched a gem, allowing just a solo home run in six innings on five hits, and earning six strikeouts. A throwing error by second baseman Hernan Iribarren led to Tucson scoring an unearned run in the fourth.

Shortstop Charlie Culberson (#28 PuRP) saw his average rise above .300 after going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Right fielder Kent Matthes returned from an injury and scored a run after reaching on a base hit. Matthes is batting .588 in Triple-A this year.

Double-A Tulsa - L 6-5 in 10 innings (47-50)

Starter Chad Bettis (#6 PuRP) had a rough first inning, giving up a three run homer and eventually four earned runs in the inning. Bettis settled down and went on to pitch three scoreless innings. by then the damage had been done and he finished with a line of four earned runs in four innings pitched, eight hits allowed, six strikeouts and one walk.

Starting at first base, Kyle Parker (#5 PuRP) earned a run back in the second when he doubled and scored on an RBI groundout from Angelys Nina. Shortstop Cristhian Adames (#20 PuRP) contributed two hits and a walk, raising his batting average to .266 on the season. Joseph Gardner struck out the third batter in the ninth before the Drillers endured a 29 minute rain delay with the game tied 5-5. When the rain subsided, Gardner returned for the 10th and allowed the winning run to reach base and eventually score to earn the loss.

High-A Modesto - L 6-7 (48-52)

The Nuts held the lead late in this game, before their normally reliable bullpen gave up four late runs. Closer Scott Oberg earned the loss after giving up a pair of runs in the ninth. The outing raised Oberg's ERA to 2.04 on the season. The game spoiled a strong outing from Dan Winkler (#14 PuRP), who allowed just three earned runs in six innings, while striking out eight.

The first six batters for Modesto notched a run in the game, including second baseman Taylor Featherston (#25 PuRP), who went 2-for-4 raising his average to .274 on the year. Catcher Ryan Casteel (#24 PuRP) had just one hit, but he made it count with a grand slam in the first. It was Casteel's 20th home run of the season, just four behind the Modesto Nuts record of 24 held by Jared Clark in 2012. With 40 games to play, Casteel has a chance to catch Modesto's all-time record of 29 set by Ryan Ludwick before John Thurman Field was renovated in 1997.

Low-A Asheville - L 1-4 (50-45)

Lefty Jayson Aquino (#12 PuRP) made his third start for the Tourists and earned the loss after being betrayed by his defense. Aquino scattered six hits, allowing just one earned run while striking out five batters. Three errors in the seventh led to three unearned runs scoring and an elevated pitch count that kept Aquino from going deeper into the game. The Dominican has an ERA of 2.28 at the Low-A level this year.

Shortstop Rosell Herrera (#8 PuRP) struck out twice, but also had two hits in the against the Giants affiliate. Herrera is in the middle of his hottest month of the season, with a 1.171 OPS in July. Catcher Tom Murphy (#11 PuRP) went 0-for-4 and has been hitless in his last three games, he's batting just .179 in his last 10.

Rookie Grand Junction - L 4-7 (18-11)

Left fielder Raimel Tapia extended his hitting streak to 20 games against the White Sox affiliate on Saturday. Tapia went 2-for-5 with a double and is seven games shy of David Dahl's (#2 PuRP) record of 27 for Rookie-level Grand Junction. First baseman Correlle Prime had a pair of hits, raising his average to .293 on the season.

Fifth round pick Blake Shouse made the start for Jonathan Gray, who's start was pushed back till Sunday. Shouse lasted just one inning, giving up three earned runs on three hits, he also walked a batter and hit a batsman. Helmis Rodriguez came on in relief and gave up a solo home run in 3.2 innings. Four errors doomed Grand Junction and allowed an additional three runs to score in the game.

Jason Marquis injury: Padres SP lands on 15-day DL

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The San Diego Padres placed starting pitcher Jason Marquis on the disabled list Sunday with an elbow strain, reports U-T San Diego's Bill Center.

More Padres coverage: Gaslamp Ball

Marquis started Friday's game for the Padres and struggled, allowing six runs over 5.1 innings. His fastball also saw a significant drop in velocity. Following the game, Marquis told team officials that his elbow wasn't feeling right.

Marquis, 34, has a 4.05 ERA over 20 starts in 2013, but also has a 1.521 WHIP and a 5.2 BB/9 that almost matches a 5.5 K/9. He originally joined the team as a minor-league free agent mid-season 2012 after being cut from the Minnesota Twins.

The U-T suggests that the injury may mean that Marquis has pitched his last game as a member of the Padres.

San Diego called up pitcher Miles Mikolas from Triple-A Tucson. Mikolas has pitched in 26 games out of the bullpen for the Padres the last two years with a 3.51 ERA overall. He has posted excellent relief numbers in the minors throughout his career.

More from SB Nation:

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Tigers trade rumors: Tigers interested in Rodriguez, Gregerson, Street?

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JP Morosi at Fox sports has posted on twitter that the Tigers have inquired of the San Diego Padres about their relief pitching. Morosi speculates that the Tigers may be interested in closer Huston Street, or set up man Luke Gregerson.


I, for one, would be reluctant to trade for Huston Street. Of all the relief pitchers that we profiled here on BYB, Street would be at the bottom of my wish list. Gregerson, on the other hand, has been a solid set up man and could give the Tiger bullpen a lift.

Street is under contract for $ 7 million in 2013, $ 7 million in 2014, and the Padres hold an option for 2015 for another $ 7 million. The once dominant closer has been almost completely ineffective this season, although injuries may have played some part in that. The nine year veteran has spent four seasons with Oakland, three with Colorado, and two with the Padres, including this year.

Street has an impressive career stat line. In 506.2 innings, he has struck out 507 batters, has an ERA of 3.06, a WHIP of 1.04, and chalked up 207 saves. He has struck out a batter per inning, while walking just 2.3 per nine frames.

This year, however, has been a struggle. Street has an ERA of 4.02, and peripheral stats that suggest that number is probably lucky. Street has an FIP of 6.76, a BABIP of just .220, and a WAR of negative 1.3. His K rate is down sharply, to just 5.4 per nine innings, while his walk rate has remained constant.

The cost to acquire the San Diego closer could be high, particularly if there are other bidders for his services. The Red Sox are known to be looking for bullpen help also, as are the Atlanta Braves.

Luke Gregerson is in his fifth season in the majors, and he earns a salary of 3.2 million with one year of arbitration remaining before he can become a free agent. He has an ERA of 2.93, and FIP of 2.98, strikes out 8.1 batters per nine, and walks just 1.8 per nine innings. His career numbers are similar, just over one strikeout per inning, a 2.92 ERA and an FIP of 3.00. He would be more in line with the type of pitcher I'd be looking for if I were Dave Dombrowski.

Typically, a closer takes more to acquire in a trade, but it may be the case that Street's recent injury history and his salary would reduce the asking price. For Gregerson, the Padres trade of Mike Adams to Texas in 2011 might be a comparable deal. San Diego traded Adams, who was similarly good as a set up man for a couple of second tier prospects in Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.

Ken Rosenthal, meanwhile, is the latest to report that the Tigers and Red Sox have been talking to the Milwaukee Brewers about their closer, Francisco Rodriguez.


The Brewers have a collection of relievers that might interest either Boston or Detroit. Rodriguez is the new closer, who signed a minor league deal in the winter, a real bargain, and regained his dominant form just as former closer John Axford was struggling. Axford now seems to be back on track as well.

Former Tigers' minor league pitcher of the year, Burke Badenhop, who was traded to Florida in the Miguel Cabrera deal, could be available, as could starter/ reliever Tom Gorzelanny. Once again, the closer would be the one that would require the most to obtain.

For a complete list of relief pitching trade candidates and how they compare with current Tiger relievers, check this chart. at fangraphs.

More Roars

Trade deadline 2013 coverage

- Tigers trade rumors: A closer look at trade candidates

BYB Fan poll: Which reliever would you like to see the Tigers acquire?

Minor League Ball Gameday, July 21

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Good morning prospect watchers. Let's get down to business.

***In my work queue: Prospect Retrospectives for Erik Bedard, Marco Scutaro, Chris Davis, Brooks Kieschnick, and Jef Kent. Prospect of the Day tomorrow will be Junior Lake of the Cubs. I will also be looking at Drake Britton of the Red Sox, Michael Choice of the Athletics, and Josh Satin of the Mets this week. I am also working on the Top 20 Prospect List reviews. . .not new lists, but reviews of the pre-season lists to get a feeling for how things are going in each farm system. We did the Twins and Rangers earlier today.

We will also cover any prospects involved in deadline trades.

***Chicago Cubs prospect Arismendy Alcantara went 3-for-4 with double and two runs scored yesterday for Double-A Tennessee, raising his season line to .284/.359/.477. His future division competitor in the middle infield, Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals, went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for Triple-A Memphis, raising his season line to .301/.359/.464.

***Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Kyle Zimmer made his debut for Double-A Northwest Arkansas yesterday with strong results: six innings, three hits, one walk, seven strikeouts, no runs. After a spotty beginning to the season he was pitching quite well recently down in High-A, so it is good to see him maintaining the momentum in his first game at a higher level.

***Houston Astros outfield prospect Robbie Grossmanwent 5-for-5 for Triple-A Oklahoma City yesterday. He has had a hot July, hitting .377/.457/.557 this month. He'll get another shot in the majors later this year if he maintains his current pace.

***Milwaukee Brewers 25-year-old farmhand Jason Rogershit three homers for Double-A Huntsville yesterday. Rogers is not a hot prospect and is old for the level, but the former 32nd round draft choice (Columbus State University, 2010) has done enough to keep himself employed in the upper minors for awhile, hitting 13 homers this year.

***San Diego Padres prospect Keyvius Sampson rang up 12 strikeouts in seven shutout innings for Double-A San Antonio yesterday, giving him a 2.67 ERA with a 94/30 K/BB in 84 innings this year. He was ineffective in four Triple-A starts back in April, but he's been blowing away the Texas League, pitching excellently in six of his last seven starts. Another chance at Tucson seems likely soon.

***Boston Red Sox prospect Matt Barnes was also excellent yesterday, fanning 10 in seven shutout innings for Double-A Portland, allowing three hits and three walks. He now has a 4.75 ERA in 78 innings with a 91/31 K/BB and 84 hits allowed. I think it less likely that he'll see Triple-A this year; he's been more erratic than Sampson from start to start.


More from Minor League Ball:

Jason Lane Returns To The Padres Organization... As A Pitcher

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I love this stuff. I loved it when Ron Mahay came back and had a long career as a relief pitcher after flaming out as an outfielder. I loved when Rick Ankiel fought his way back to the majors as an outfielder after Steve Blassing his way out of the show. So of course I was intrigued when I heard that Jason Lane was reinventing himself as a pitcher in independent ball.

If you don't remember Jason Lane, I don't blame you. After six seasons with the Astros- three as a starter- Lane came to San Diego at the tail end of the 2007 season for what are to date his last three major league games. He was hitless in his two at-bats with the team and came in on defense during-- no. No. I swore I'd never talk about that game again. Holliday never touched the plate. Leave me alone. STOP! LET ME BREATHE.

Anyway, Lane has never set a foot in the majors since that fateful day. He stuck around AAA as an outfielder for a couple years; with the Yankees and Red Sox organizations in 2008, and then Florida and Toronto's affiliates in 2009, '10 and '11. The Marlins and Jays used him mainly as an outfielder but tried him out of the 'pen a few times. Before the 2012 season, Dumpster diver Kevin Towers signed him to a minor league deal as just a pitcher for the first time. He put up an ERA just south of eight in 21 innings over 15 games with AAA Reno and then latched on with the independent, now-(in)famous Sugarland Skeeters.

Used as a reliever during his transformation in affiliated ball, Lane was almost exclusively a starter for Sugarland. He started 17 of 18 games last season, going 9-5 with a 3.17 ERA against a collection of misfits. This year he started all 16 of his games and put up an 8-3 record backed by a 2.80 ERA. He seems to be an enemy to three-true-outcome hitters as strikeouts, walks, and homers don't show up that often on his ledger. Whatever works, man. I'll take grounders and weak pop-ups all day.

While I shouldn't get excited because, come on, longshot and filler and all those negative words, I still want him to succeed. I mean, how could you not?

2013 Midseason Position Rankings: Third Base

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Third base has been a very interesting position so far this year. I came into the season thinking that third base was going to give first base a run for its money in terms of depth and fantasy production. And if Chris Davis didn't exist, Miguel Cabrera may have been able to make it close. Injuries and some poor performances have left third base with much to be desired. The top of the position is rich and better than it has been for a long time, but it drops off quickly. There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel and Manny Machado, Kyle Seager and Nolan Arenado are hope that it's not a freight train.

Here are our top-20 third basemen:

Rank

Name

Ray

Jason

Zack

Kevin

Daniel

Alex

Dan S.

Avg

1

Miguel Cabrera

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

147

2

David Wright

2

2

2

3

3

2

4

136

3

Adrian Beltre

4

4

3

2

4

3

2

132

4

Hanley Ramirez

3

3

5

4

6

5

3

125

5

Evan Longoria

5

5

4

6

2

4

5

123

6

Manny Machado

6

7

6

10

5

6

10

104

7

Ryan Zimmerman

7

9

8

5

7

7

9

102

8

Josh Donaldson

8

6

12

9

12

8

7

92

9

Pedro Alvarez

10

10

9

7

9

11

8

90

10

Kyle Seager

12

8

7

8

13

9

11

86

11

Pablo Sandoval

9

11

10

11

8

12

12

81

12

Matt Carpenter

13

13

13

12

10

10

6

77

13

Chase Headley

14

15

11

13

11

15

17

58

14

Aramis Ramirez

11

12

15

17

16

14

18

51

15

Martin Prado

20

16

14

24

15

18

13

34

16

Chris Johnson

16

18

20

19

19

17

14

31

17

Nolan Arenado

15

14

18

18

17

20

29

18

Todd Frazier

17

17

19

13

16

26

19

David Freese

19

14

16

20

16

20

Juan Francisco

15

15

The Top-5

No surprise that Miggy is the unanimous number one in our rankings and if you don't know why, you don't have a pulse. I feel like David Wright is the clear cut number two third baseman and only three rankers had him lower. He has a chance to go 25/25 with a .300 average and more than ninety runs and RBIs. Three, four and five were a fairly consistent group with varying orders and understandably so. Beltre, Hanley and Longo are all studs when they are on the field but each one of them has been bitten by the injury bug over the past few seasons. Only Cabrera has had more home runs, runs and RBIs at the position than Adrian Beltre since 2010 while Hanley Ramirez is the only player who might be able to join Wright in the 25/25 club. Evan Longoria is the third base counterpart to shortstop's Troy Tulowitzki. When they're on the field, they're MVP candidates. When they're on the field...

Manny Machado

Yeah, I'm an Orioles fan. What of it? Machado gets his own blurb. Be thankful I'm not filling the site with articles about Henry Urrutia like Craig Goldstein or Eddie Gamboa like Andrew Ball. Anyway, Machado deserves the praise, don't ya think? He just turned 21 years old, he's chasing the single season doubles record and he's been the catalyst for a playoff team since he was called up last year. Jeez, after that sentence you'd think I was writing about Mike Trout. Some people point to Machado's anemic walk rate and high BABIP and will cry regression. The kid is hitting 23.3% of batted balls on a line, doesn't strike out much and is hitting in front of a monster middle-of-the-order. Machado had a great approach in the minors and I think the BB% is more likely to regress (move toward the mean - not always a bad thing) to his minor league numbers than anything else.

Josh Donaldson and Kyle Seager

Daniel Kelley and I were the lowest on Donaldson, ranking him at twelve while most had him somewhere between seven and nine and even as high as six. Jason was the most optimistic about Donaldson and, even with all of the blacked out games in his area of California, he probably sees Donaldson more than any of us. I don't think Donaldson is the sixth best third baseman but I'm not sure he should have been as low as he was on my board. I would actually split the difference of the consensus at eight and mine ranking of twelve and slot him in at ten. Donaldson is good. He's very good. And I think what he's doing is pretty sustainable. He's shown power in the minors and the ability to take a walk. He doesn't strike out and has a strong batted ball profile. The main reason I think I am too low on Donaldson is because of my ranking of Kyle Seager. Take a look at their numbers side by side:

Name

Team

Age

G

PA

H

2B

3B

HR

R

RBI

SB

BB%

K%

ISO

BABIP

AVG

OBP

SLG

wOBA

wRC+

LD%

GB%

FB%

Kyle Seager

Mariners

25

96

420

108

24

1

16

57

46

3

8.6%

15.7%

0.196

0.309

0.286

0.352

0.483

0.362

130

23.0%

36.1%

40.9%

Josh Donaldson

Athletics

27

96

403

108

23

1

16

50

61

2

9.9%

16.9%

0.204

0.331

0.303

0.370

0.507

0.378

143

21.1%

44.6%

34.4%

Crazy, right? These two have almost identical stat lines 96 games into the year. The reasons that Seager gets the nod for me include the fact that he is two years younger, has more speed (although hasn't shown it this year) and hit batted ball data. The 2% difference in LD% could just be a difference in classification by the scorer on a few batted balls but Donaldson has a ground ball rate 8.5% greater than Seager. I would like to see Donaldson hit a few more balls in the air to keep his ISO over .200. Also, I think Seager's BABIP is right around where it should be and I could Donaldson's coming down a little which would make their batting averages very similar as well.

Pedro Alvarez

I thought for sure that I would be the highest on Pedro Alvarez when I was starting my rankings and I came in middle of the pack. Alvarez was probably the most similarly ranked player after the top five or so and I think there is good reason for that. We all know what Alvarez is and it seems like we all feel the same way about how that compares to the rest of the player pool. He's going to hit .240. He's not going to steal bases. He's going to strike out a ton, walk at an average rate and clog up the bases. He can also unclog the bases with one swing of the bat. I've been talking about the value of "knowing what you're getting" recently and Alvarez is a perfect example of that. Sure, you can take a guy like Nolan Arenado with a lot of upside and he might be a superstar. But what if he's not? You can't depend on guys like that. And Pedro Alvarez is nothing, if not dependable. Yes it's only his second year doing it but we all knew the power this guy had coming up through the Pirates' system. The question always seemed to be if he could hit enough to make use of the power. Well, the operative word in that question is "enough". And that's about all Alvarez does - he hits just enough. I think he can hit another sixteen home runs and finish the year with forty bombs. Even with the average, the home run and RBI totals make him a top ten guy for me.

Chase Headley

Sigh.

Oh... you wanted more analysis than that? Well, how's this for analysis? Chase Headley has finally done it. He lost me. I was a big Chase Headley fan since he broke into the league in 2008 and after failing to be what I had expected him to be, I kind of let him go. Then, last year, he finally did it! He was everything I dreamed of and more. So, of course this year, I'm all like "I knew Chase Headley could it. I've liked him for a while. It was only a matter of time. I told you guys." (Flash forward to four years from now and replace Chase Headley with Yonder Alonso. When will I learn?) Back to reality and Headley is who you all thought he was. He was dealing with an injury early in the year so we'll give him a little slack. But not much. His run production is back to pre-2012 numbers and his ISO stands - well, let's call it how it is - sits at .129. He's striking out in more plate appearances than he has since his rookie year and hit walk rate is down. Having said that, I believe he is a good hitter and his batting average will be around the .285 it's been the last two years. He has some of the better speed at the position and I'm still slightly bullish on the Padres offense now that everyone is back and healthy.

More from Fake Teams:


Padres' July record puts them on pace for worst month ever

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The 2013 Padres are currently on pace to have their worst month (at least 20 games) in franchise history. They're 3-14 (17.64%) since July 1 and if they lose 8 of their next 10 games, which they are on pace to do, they'll tie the 1969 team's worst record of 5-22 (18.52%), which came in August of that year.

July record as of 7/21

Month

Year

Wins

Losses

Games

Win%

Jul

2013

3

14

17

17.65

To avoid the worst July record in franchise history they'll have to win 5 of the next 10 games, which seems like a tall order for this team. Four more wins would give them a win percentage of 25.93% for the month.

Worst Months in Padres History with at least 20 games

Month

Year

Wins

Losses

Games

Win %

Apr

1971

5

16

21

23.81

May

2003

6

23

29

20.69

Jun

1969

7

22

29

24.14

Jul

1969

7

19

26

26.92

Aug

1969

5

22

27

18.52

Sep

2002

8

19

27

29.63

Ryan Braun suspended before series with the Padres

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Ryan Braun has murdered the Padres in recent years but he won't be appearing in the series that starts tonight. It was just announced that he has been suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season due to violations of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. He admitted it too.

Before we start casting stones, remember Padres SS Everth Cabrera could face the same type of punishment for his involvement with Florida's biogenisis facility and Yasmani Grandal served a suspension to start the season.

Tonight's Matchup: Brewers (Gorzelanny) v Padres (Cashner)

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Tonight the Brewers get a chance to prove they've improved against other teams, not just the Marlins.

At 7:10 tonight they'll send Tom Gorzelanny (1.88 ERA, 3.64 FIP) to the mound to face the Padres in just his fourth start as a Brewer. Gorzelanny is on nine days' rest since facing the Diamondbacks on July 12 and allowing two unearned runs on three hits over six innings with a walk and four strikeouts.

The next couple of months could determine if Gorzelanny is a starter or a reliever for the long term. Entering play tonight he has 114 career appearances in each role, and the 3.11 ERA he's posted in relief is significantly better than the 4.51 mark he's posted as a starter. This season, though, he has a 0.56 ERA over three starts.

Gorzelanny faced the Padres twice in relief earlier this season, facing three batters and retiring them all. The only current Padre who has faced him ten times or more is Carlos Quentin, who is a career .143/.364/.571 hitter against him over eleven plate appearances.

He'll face fellow starter/reliever Andrew Cashner (3.81 ERA, 3.68 FIP) in his 22nd career start. Cashner, who was the #19 overall pick in the 2008 draft, last pitched against the Rockies on July 10 and allowed three runs on eight hits over five innings, walking two and striking out five.

Cashner's career splits suggest he's actually been a little better as a starter. He has a 3.92 ERA over 114.2 innings in the rotation, but a 4.22 mark out of the bullpen. He throws a mid-90's fastball and a pretty steady diet of changeups to go with some sliders.

As of this writing tonight's lineup has not been posted. If you've seen it, please drop it in the comments.

And in the bullpen:

  • Michael Gonzalez pitched an inning (ten pitches) yesterday, and also pitched on Saturday.
  • John Axford pitched two innings (23 pitches) yesterday.
  • Francisco Rodriguez pitched one inning (17 pitches) yesterday.
  • Jim Henderson pitched one inning (18 pitches) yesterday.
  • Brandon Kintzler pitched 1.2 innings (19 pitches) on Saturday.
  • Burke Badenhop pitched .1 innings (three pitches) on Saturday.
  • Tyler Thornburg's stuff is already packed for this weekend's trip to Colorado.

Tonight's forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms later and a game-time temperature around 81. Expect the roof to be open but don't be surprised if it closes sometime in the middle innings. While the roof is open, expect the wind to blow in from right field or from right to left.

Jason Marquis' UCL has significant damage

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It was announced yesterday that Jason Marquis was placed on the 15 day disabled list and Miles Mikolas recalled. Bud Black said that the injury was not sustained by a specific incident but more likely a result of cumulative throwing. He was seen by a Cardinals doctor after throwing 86 pitches in 5 1/3 innings on Friday, but wasn't diagnosed until today.

Marquis placed on disabled list, Mikolas recalled | padres.com: News

"Where he is in his career, he knows that this is not a short-term thing," Black said. "He will be out. We don't know exactly how long or the extent of the injury. … I think when the MRI comes back, we can be more specific."

Well the MRI came back and the injury is more serious than they first though and will likely keep Marquis on the DL for much longer than first anticipated. I only play doctor, but I suspect he'll be out for the remainder of the year.

UPDATE:


San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

PlayerInjury TypeInjury Date
Cameron Maybinother-excused06/10/2013
Kyle Blanksachilles-tendon07/12/2013
Jason Marquiselbow07/20/2013

60 Day DL / Out for the season

PlayerInjury TypeInjury Date
Cory Luebkeelbow03/22/2013
Joe Wielandelbow02/28/2013
Yasmani Grandalknee07/07/2013
Clayton Richardshoulder06/22/2013
Casey Kellyelbow03/31/2013

The Padres' first 100 games

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One hundred games down and 62 to go. The season's end can't come soon enough. It's still so far off, but in my heart I'm already there.

These last few weeks have been so depressing. While our local sports writers have turned their attention to the football pre-season, I threw myself into Le Tour de France rather than watch the Padres commit a slow painful suicide. Le Tour was so much more scenic, relaxing and foreign. I can watch hours of cyclists climbing the Pyreneese peaks, but I can''t get myself to watch more than a few innings at bats of these Padres games. One loss after another, then a meaningless win and then more losing. It just seems like an endless cycle.


44 - 56

8

Won 1

62


With 44 wins the 2013 team is tied with the 2011 team after 100 games and 2 ahead of the 2012 team. The records the past 3 years are so strikingly similar, but this team did it different. While it was sure fun watching the them hoard wins in the first half, it's been unbearable watching them lose in the latter half. They just pissed their season away all at once in one long frothy stream. How about a courtesy flush?

First 100 games by Winning %

Year

Wins in first 100 games

Winning % in first 100

Season Wins

Season Games

Season Win %

1973

33

33

60

162

37.04

1969

34

34

52

162

32.1

1971

34

34

61

161

37.89

1981

36

36

41

110

37.27

1987

36

36

65

162

40.12

2003

37

37

64

162

39.51

1993

38

38

61

162

37.65

2008

38

38

63

162

38.89

2009

38

38

75

162

46.3

1970

39

39

63

162

38.89

1994

39

39

47

117

40.17

1972

41

41

58

153

37.91

1974

42

42

60

162

37.04

2002

42

42

66

162

40.74

1977

42

42

69

162

42.59

1980

42

42

73

163

44.79

2012

42

42

76

162

46.91

2013

44

44




2011

44

44

71

162

43.83

1990

44

44

75

162

46.3

1979

45

45

68

161

42.24

2000

45

45

76

162

46.91

1975

46

46

71

162

43.83

1988

46

46

83

161

51.55

1976

48

48

73

162

45.06

1997

48

48

76

162

46.91

1978

48

48

84

162

51.85

1991

48

48

84

162

51.85

1989

48

48

89

162

54.94

1986

49

49

74

162

45.68

1999

49

49

74

162

45.68

2001

49

49

79

162

48.77

1983

49

49

81

163

49.69

1995

50

50

70

144

48.61

2005

50

50

82

162

50.62

1982

53

53

81

162

50

2006

53

53

88

162

54.32

1996

53

53

91

162

56.17

1992

54

54

82

162

50.62

1985

54

54

83

162

51.23

2007

54

54

89

163

54.6

2004

55

55

87

162

53.7

1984

59

59

92

162

56.79

2010

60

60

90

162

55.56

1998

65

65

98

162

60.49

Mountaineer Morning Links: Tuesday (7/23/13) Edition

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Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's nationally recognized best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions. We're being brought to you today by Roth Brewing Company's Sex Viking Wheat Ale.


What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Now: Tuesday, July 23 - WV MetroNews
In this edition of Gold and Blue Now, Tony Caridi and Allan Taylor break down the opener of Big 12 media days, and we hear from Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Kansas State coach Bill Snyder.

Baseball Summer League Update #6 - WVU Athletics
This edition features updates through games on Sunday, July 21.

Fox Sports 1 will make a run at 'College GameDay' with Saturday morning pregame show - SBNation.com
Erin Andrews will host the presently untitled show, which will air at 10 a.m. ET on Saturdays. SB Nation's Steve Lepore takes an exclusive look at the new cast of FS1's college football pre-game show.

Furfari: Grant Wiley starts his musical career in NYC - Register-Herald
“We will be focusing on Electric Fusion music,” said Wiley, one of just 11 WVU consensus All-Americans.

Fanspeak's FREE 2013 College Football Preseason Guide - Fanspeak - Voice Your Passion!
There's a little bit of everything as you see below with detailed analysis and predictions.


News of Note:

WVU football: Turnover hasn't slowed Oklahoma State - Charleston Daily Mail
Casazza's Notebook

Hickman: Plenty of confidence on display - Charleston Gazette
Cleaning out a crowded notebook and a cluttered mind between Bob Bowlsby's scathing critique of the NCAA on Monday to start and West Virginia's appearance today to end what is almost certainly the most lavish and well-organized media day event this side of a Super Bowl

Tech's Kingsbury Raves About WVU RB Sims - WVillustrated
Former Houston assistant recalls working with Dana Holgorsen and Charles Sims as he begins first year with Red Raiders.

Kingsbury thinks Sims is great fit for WVU - WV MetroNews
Click the video to hear what a perfect fit Sims to to be for WVU’s offense.

Eddie George: Year of the running back - WV MetroNews
The Heisman Trophy winner, now working as an analyst for Fox Sports, also said he’ll be interested to see whether WVU regains the rushing attack that abandoned it at times last fall.


Media Days:

The State of the Big 12 Conference - WVU Athletics
Bowlsby touched on several issues that are on his radar screen heading into the 2013-14 season.

Video: Big 12 media days -- Day 1 - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
David Ubben and Jake Trotter wrap Day 1 of Big 12 media days.

Big 12 commish sees change on NCAA horizon - Charleston Daily Mail
"I think we all have a sense that transformative change is going to have to happen," he said. "This is not a time when trimming around the edges is going to make very much difference."

5 Takeaways from Big 12 Media Days (Day 1) - Wide Right & Natty Lite
In which Bob Bowlsby talks some crap and Charlie Weis correctly identifies it

Big 12 blog: Cowboys confident - WV MetroNews
A rolling blog from the Omni Hotel deep in the heart (heat?) of Texas, where you can barely get through an interview without a Wildcats mascot hugging up on you …

Big 12 High Tech - BGN
Every school and conference across the college landscape has their digital media platforms in place, but the Big 12 has plans for even more innovative items in the tech world.

Coach Musings from Media Days - DA Sports Blog
Day one of Big 12 Media Days is in the books. Oklahoma State, TCU, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech all participated in what was an eventful first day. Here are some of the things that grabbed my attention from today’s breakout session interviews.

Zimmerman Highlights Day 1 Players at Media Days - DA Sports Blog
Below are interviews with some players that spoke at Big 12 Media Days in Texas


Pro News:

Jets sign Geno Smith to a four-year deal - Green and White Report via BGN
After a lengthy negotiation process, rookie signal-caller Geno Smith signed on the dotted line Monday, just in time for the start of training camp.

Darius Reynaud making moves to return for Titans - Pros Report
Now, with some in-camp competition, Reynaud is making it hard for the Titans to replace him.

The Gyorko Diamond Review: 7-23 - Pros Report
Here's the breakdown of his week:


Around the League (and Beyond):

HERTZEL COLUMN: Big 12 is anyone’s to win - Times West Virginian
“I think it will be a very interesting year. Our champion — and many of you probably know this — but our champion the last two years was picked in the second division of our conference. I think they were both picked sixth, Kansas State and Oklahoma State,” he said.

2013 Preseason All-Big 12 Team - Sporting News
There may not be a tougher conference to project this season than the Big 12.

Baylor’s Seastrunk snares Big 12 Offensive POY award - Waco Tribune

How does Iowa State manage to compete against big spenders? - Des Moines Register

Strength coach Holsopple has Jayhawks hoppin’ - Lawrence Journal World

Kansas State will have to rebuild on defense - Wichita Eagle

Fiery Blake Bell invigorated by quarterback derby - Oklahoman

Mike Gundy calls up-tempo offenses "the very best thing that's happened to college football" - Oklahoman (autoplay video)

Texas Longhorns football: Pre-camp injury report - Burnt Orange Nation

Big 12 Media Days kick off TCU’s second season in the league - Dallas-Fort Worth Star Telegram

Linebackers seek big-play formula - Lubbock Avalanche Journal


What's On Tap:

Big 12 Media Days: Day Two - West Virginia to be featured at Noon today


Video of Interest:

About 90 West Virginia University football players visited southern West Virginia on July 19, 2013 as part of the Reaching the Summit Community Service Initiative. It's just one example of WVU's service to West Virginia in connection with the 2013 National Scout Jamboree.


Video of (Dis)Interest:

Roll Damn Holy Sh...



Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is yet another lovely South African. CLICK HERE for today's gallery(which is actually a pair of videos, some stills and a gif) of Elbe van der Merwe.


More from The Smoking Musket:

Cubs possibly asking for Chase Whitley in Alfonso Soriano deal?

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The pieces seem to be falling into shape for the Yankees and Cubs in their supposed talks to bring righty outfielder Alfonso Soriano back to New York. Joel Sherman reported that the Cubs were scouting Triple-A righty reliever Chase Whitley over the weekend, and Scranton writer Donnie Collins also noted that about five to six scouts in the past month had asked him about Whitley, who has pitched to a 3.52 ERA and 3.28 FIP in 38 1/3 innings this year.

I wrote about Whitley back in Spring Training when he was a non-roster invitee:

Chase Whitley, RHP

Age: 24 (born 6/14/1989)

2012 (AA/AAA): 43 G, 84.1 IP, 3.09 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 1.055 WHIP, 6.6 H/9, 2.9 BB/9, 7.8 K/9

The last of the pitchers did not actually become one until his junior year at Troy University in Alabama. Whitley turned some heads and was then taken by the Yankees in the 15th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He moved quickly, spending about half a season each at Staten Island, Tampa, and Trenton before joining the Traveling Roadshow in Triple-A on April 13th of last season. Scouts consider Whitley’s changeup his best pitch, and former Padres great Trevor Hoffman demonstrated that if mastered, that’s all one needs out of the ‘pen. Whitley also has a low-90s fastball, and the fastball/change combination might give him an outside shot at a bullpen spot. More than likely though, he will begin 2013 looking to improve further with Scranton. (Video 1) (Video 2)

Whitley appears to be another one of the Yankees' nice late-round relievers with a decent shot of succeeding in the majors. He has an 8.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 this year, but he does have some red flags. Strangely, he has a reverse split going on in that lefties are only hitting .197/.304/.212 against him in 79 plate appearances, but righties are pounding him to a .315/.363/.438 triple slash. He did not have these problems last year in Scranton (lefties and righties hit him about equally as hard), so it could just be a small sample size abnormality.

Regardless, the Yankees have plenty of relief talent at least at Whitley's level in the pipeline. Sherman noted Shawn Kelley, Preston Claiborne, Dan Burawa, Dellin Betances, and Tom Kahnle to name a few, and that's not even including the rehabbing Mark Montgomery. Parting with Whitley would not be a major blow at all to the Yankees; he's not even close to the relief prospect that Mark Melancon was in 2010 when they dealt him to the Astros for Lance Berkman in a similar salary dump.

If the deal only involves the Yankees on dealing Whitley and paying Soriano about $6 million, then that's not a bad trade at all. Nothing is definite yet though, so we will see.

More from Pinstriped Bible:


Black says Jason Marquis will have Tommy John Surgery

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Bud Black interview with Darren Smith (MP3)

  • Black said he got a vague call from the Brewer's manager at 2:30 pm and was able to get the news that Ryan Braun had been suspended out of him. Black says the team knew that eventually the news would come out but no one knew when.
  • Black says that having Everth Cabrera and Yasmani Grandal on the biogenesis list hasn't distracted the players as far as he can tell. He's hoping that Grandal's admission from last year was "good enough for the MLB." As for Cabrera they are still in the dark. "How this all plays out, we're not quite sure."
  • The Padres organization has talked and prepared for the possibility of Everth Cabrera being suspended. "I don't know, I hope he doesn't." They are hoping for the best.
  • Jason Marquis traveled to see his long time doctor in Cincinnati. The UCL is torn significantly. "For him to pitch again it will require the Tommy John surgery.
    For the rest of the season Jason will not be playing -Bud Black on Marquis' impending surgery

    For the rest of the season Jason will not be playing. I do think from talking with him that he does want to continue to play." Black says players should "do it" if they still have the drive. "There's nothing worse than shutting it down too early, you'll always have that regret."
  • Tyson Ross will start for the Padres today. Black wants to see him try to throw 90 pitches and get to the 6th or 7th innings. Black says that there's "no doubt" that it's sink or swim time for Ross. The injuries have given lots of pitchers opportunities, he hopes Ross makes the most of it.

Tonight's Matchup: Brewers (Hand) v Padres (Ross)

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If you'd like a break from all the Braun stuff, there is a baseball game tonight.

At 7:10 tonight the Brewers will send Donovan Hand (3.27 ERA, 3.59 FIP) to the mound to take on the Padres and look to even this week's series. Hand recorded a single out in relief on Saturday, allowing a walk but noting else. He last started on July 4, allowing three runs on six hits over five innings.

Despite only throwing more than 64 pitches one time, Hand has pitched into the fifth inning in each of his three major league starts. Almost 55% of the balls put in play against him have been hit on the ground: only Johnny Hellweg (62%) and Brandon Kintzler (55.5%) have higher rates.

Hand has never faced the Padres in the majors.

He'll face 26-year-old righty Tyson Ross (3.60 ERA, 4.16 FIP), who has also been a swingman in 2013. This is Ross' 23rd appearance this season but only his fourth start. He last pitched in the majors as a reliever on July 7 against the Nationals, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over two innings. Since then he's made a pair of starts for AAA Tucson.

Ross was the A's second round pick in the 2008 draft, but was dealt to San Diego over the winter. His peripheral numbers are largely ok except for his walks: He's given out about 4.2 free passes per nine innings for his career. Unless you're Nolan Ryan, that's probably not going to work.

Ross has not faced the Brewers in the majors.

Here's tonight's lineup:

Norichika Aoki RF
Logan Schafer LF
Jean Segura SS
Jonathan Lucroy C
Carlos Gomez CF
Rickie Weeks 2B
Juan Francisco 1B
Jeff Bianchi 3B
Donovan Hand P

And in the bullpen:

  • Burke Badenhop pitched 1.1 innings (21 pitches) last night.
  • Brandon Kintzler pitched one inning (10 pitches) last night.
  • Tyler Thornburg pitched one inning (eight pitches) last night.
  • John Axford pitched two innings (23 pitches) on Sunday.
  • Jim Henderson pitched one inning (18 pitches) on Sunday.
  • Francisco Rodriguez pitched one inning (17 pitches) on Sunday.
  • Michael Gonzalez pitched one inning (ten pitches) on Sunday.

It's a rare cool July day in Milwaukee. Expect a game-time temperature around 70 under sunny skies with winds blowing from left to right.

Padres 6, Brewers 2: Offense struggles again

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Win: Tyson Ross (1-0)
Loss: Donovan Hand (0-2)

HR: Will Venable (12), Nick Hundley (7), Khris Davis (1)

MVP: Jeff Bianchi (.080 WPA)
LVP: Tyler Thornburg (-.181 WPA)

Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph

Boxscore

For the second consecutive night, the Brewers offense was unable to find its way against an inexperienced pitcher and can only manage to collect four hits in a loss to the Padres.

The Padres wasted little time getting something started against the Brewers tonight scoring a run in the first inning. Everth Cabrera started the game off with a single and moved over to third on grounders from Alexi Amarista and Chase Headley before Yadier Alonso singled with two outs to score Cabrera.

Puzzled for most of the night by Tyson Ross, the Brewers were unable to answer until the third inning. Jeff Bianchi started the inning off with a single and promptly stole second base. As pitcher Donovan Hand prepared to sacrifice bunt Bianchi to third, a pitch got away from Tyson Ross and hit Hand on his throwing hand.

Aoki followed the hit by pitch with a ground ball to second base resulting in a force out of Hand. Ross attempted to pickoff Aoki at first, but missed his target on the throw allowing Schafer to score from third and tie the game at 1-1.

After allowing the training staff to take a long look at his hand, Hand came back out to pitch the fourth inning and gave up a home run to the inning's first batter Will Venable. Hand would be removed after the inning and replaced by Tyler Thornburg. X-rays came back negative and he will be day-to-day with a right hand contusion.

Thornburg struggled in his four innings of work this evening, giving up two runs in each the sixth and seventh inning. In the sixth, Mark Kotsay led off the inning with a single before Nick Hundley homered for the seventh time this season. Next inning, Thornburg was able to get the first two outs before giving up three consecutive singles and two runs to bring the tally to 6-1.

In his first at-bat since being back in Milwaukee, Khris Davis crushed a ball to the opposite field for his first career Major League home run. After watching Davis struggle with the Brewers earlier this season, it was good to see him show off his skills and lift one into right field. Ultimately, Davis's first home run would be the only thing the Brewers added to their tally and they fell 6-2.

The Brewers will be back at it tomorrow in the third game of their four-game series against the Padres. Kyle Lohse will take the mound looking to bring the Brewers their first victory of the series against Sean O'Sullivan for the Padres. O'Sullivan will be making just his second start of the season for the Padres. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m.

Dbacks Minor League Round-Up 7/23: Another Closer on the Horizon in Sherfy

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Jimmy Sherfy isn't built nor look like your typical closer. He's barely 6-0 (and more like 5-10) and is thin at 170 pounds. He has long, flowing blond hair. He has a funky herky, jerky delivery that hardly fits any classic mechanical profiles. But don't be fooled by the looks, he's a closer all the way. He'd been closing for Oregon for 2 years and winding up a 2nd Team All American. After being taken in the 10th round he now joins an impressive roster of closers up and down the Dbacks organization. He deserved to go higher than the 10th round but a stress fracture in his elbow at the end of his sophomore season probably scared lots of people away. The Dbacks took a chance on him in the 10th round and he didn't sign until just before the deadline.

His professional career is off to a solid start. He struck out the side last night for his 2nd save in 3 games and really looks the part. I compare him to Sergio Romo with a fastball. He throws anywhere from the low to mid 90s, but it's his devastating slider that makes him a frightening bullpen candidate. He's your basic fastball-slider reliever and he still hasn't turned 22 yet. I see him hanging around in Hillsboro for a few more weeks but I expect him to get a taste of a higher level well before this season runs out. He has a real chance to go all the way if he can stay healthy.

Snake Stars
3 Stars: Andrew Barbosa, Visalia 6 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 10 K, 0 ER
2 Stars:Juan Rivera, Reno 4 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR (4), 3 RBI
1 Star:Matt Davidson, Reno 2 for 3, 2 BB, 3 R, 1 HR (16), 2 RBI
0 Stars:Felipe Perez, Missoula 4.1 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 10 R, 5 ER

Triple A: Reno 10 @ Las Vegas 12.Charles Brewer didn't have it last night as he couldn't get out of the 3rd inning when Las Vegas scored 10 runs. The offense kept scoring runs the whole game in an effort to overcome the huge deficit, but it was not to be. Juan Rivera went 4 for with 3 RBI in his bid to carry the offense. Matt Davidson is having a torrid July and went 2 for 3 with his 16th home run. Mike Jacobs hit his 12th home run in 36 games.

Double A: Mobile 1 @ Birmingham 3.David Holmberg had a very "un-Holmberg-like" game last night allowing just 1 run over 5 innings, but he allowed 4 walks along with 4 hits. Holmberg is not known for walking guys so it's not a pitching line we're used to seeing from him. The offense only came up with 1 run of its own and the bullpen couldn't keep the score locked down. Nick Evans led the 5-hit attack with 2 doubles and an RBI.

High A: Visalia 6 Stockton 5.Andrew Barbosa had perhaps his finest start as a professional with 6 shutout innings on just 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 10. It's the kind of performance in the California League that provides hints of a real pitching prospect. Consistency to perform at the level is what will provide actual evidence of such. Barbosa didn't get rewarded for his effort as the bullpen surrendered 5 runs over the final 3 innings to send the game into extra innings long after Barbosa was gone. The offense won it in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the 11th inning when Tom Belza singled home Evan Marzilli with 2 outs. Belza went 3 for 5 with a triple and 3 RBI. David Peralta also had 3 hits including a double and an RBI.

Low A: South Bend - Off Day

Short Season A: Hillsboro 9 @ Salem-Keizer 6. 1st round pick Braden Shipley made his 5th start of the year and as in his others has yet to get through 3 innings. He got through 2.2 innings allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits while striking out 3. He has 12 Ks and 4 walks in 9.1 innings thus far. The offense came through with 9 runs on 13 hits led by George Roberts with 2 hits and 4 RBI. Jimmy Sherfy struck out the side in the 9th for his 2nd save.

Rookie: Missoula 7 @ Idaho Falls 12. Felipe Perez had a rare poor start getting knocked out in the 5th inning after allowing 10 runs (5 earned). The offense battled to try and get back in it led by Colin Bray with 3 hits including a double. He's hitting .305 on the season. Stryker Trahan went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and 2 runs scored. Following a shaky June in which he posted a .661 OPS, Trahan is having a powerhouse July with a .317 average, 10 RBI and a .956 OPS.

AZL Rookie: Dbacks 0 @ Padres 5. Brad Keller hit his first bump in the road pitching just 3 innings and allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits and 3 walks. The offense did nothing collecting just 4 singles and no walks.

Biogenesis scandal: Alex Rodriguez facing possible lifetime ban

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New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez may face a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball due to the league's ongoing investigation into his involvement with Biogenesis, according to Jim Axelrod of the CBS Evening News.

If Rodriguez is not banned for life, it is very likely that he will face a suspension similar to the one handed out to Brewers' outfielder Ryan Braun on Monday. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported on Tuesday that A-Rod's suspension was "all but a certainty", and that the former superstar is one of fifteen players who will be suspended in connection to the case.

Rodriguez has no plans to ask for a plea deal similar to Braun's, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Nightengale also notes that the soon-to-be 38-year old is likely to receive a suspension that exceeds 100 games and will likely appeal any sanctions from the league.

Rodriguez recently met with league officials about the matter for 4.5 hours and was presented with "evidence far beyond what the league had on Braun", according to T.J. Quinn of ESPN.com.

By establishing the seriousness of the issue by suspending Braun for the remainder of the season, Major League Baseball has signified to Rodriguez that he will be punished for his actions this time.

In nineteen major league seasons, the fourteen-time All-Star has hit .300 with 647 HR and 1,950 RBI. He has missed the entire season due to injury, and a recent setback with his quad has put the remainder of his season in doubt.

In addition to Braun and Rodriguez, players linked to the Biogenesis scandal include Melky Cabrera (Blue Jays), Everth Cabrera (Padres), Francisco Cervelli (Yankees), Bartolo Colon (Athletics), Nelson Cruz (Rangers), Fautino de los Santos (free agent), Yasmani Grandal (Padres), Fernando Martinez (Yankees), Jesus Montero (Mariners), Jordan Norberto (free agent), Jhonny Peralta (Tigers), and Cesar Puello (Mets).

More from MLB Daily Dish:

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