Players of the Night
Pitching
Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
vs. Cleveland Indians
7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 11 K, 1 BB
That makes two consecutive outings in which Verlander appears to once again becoming a legitimate fantasy starter. Going seven and fanning eleven will make anyone stop and take notice, but even more so with a guy who was once considered one of the best young arms in baseball.
Earlier in the season Verlander continued to struggle, though his strikeout totals have been consistent throughout. His K:BB ratio of 45:12 thus far serves as a reminder of the talent Verlander brings to the table.
He'll have another shot at the Indians this Friday and I'd certainly take my chances with him on the bump.
Batting
Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays
vs. Boston Red Sox
3-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 6 SB
Crawford set a modern day record while swiping six bags against the division rival Red Sox on Sunday.
He's already got 17 stolen bases on the young season and fantasy owners everywhere are rejoicing at this kind of production. Crawford is a rare mix of speed and power, capable of lacing a double, stealing third and scoring on the very next play. This is the kind of outfielder you should be targeting in the draft early on because the sluggish, power hitter a la Adam Dunn can be had for a dime a dozen.
More to come after the jump...
Last Night's Top Performers
Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
vs. Chicago White Sox
2-4 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
John Baker, Florida Marlins
vs. Chicago Cubs
3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R
Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds
vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
8 IP, 9 K, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB
Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants
vs. Colorado Rockies
7 IP, 4 K, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB
Bust of the Night
Matt Holliday, Oakland A's
vs. Seattle Mariners
0-7, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K, 6 LOB
Yikes.
In seven trips to the plate, Holliday did absolutely nothing. Nothing to warrant the $13.5 million he'll make this year, and definitely nothing to warrant the high pick used to select him on draft day.
Make no mistake, Holliday is struggling in his new home out on the West Coast. It's going to require some patience on your part, but don't give up on the slugger just yet.
Daily Leaders
RBI
4 - Jose Guillen, Royals
4 - Derek Lee, Cubs
3 - Orlando Hudson, Dodgers
3 - Ramon Hernandez, Reds
Pitching - K's
11 - Verlander, Tigers
9 - Cueto, Reds
8 - Chad Billingsley, Dodgers
8 - Brad Penny, Red Sox
7 - Dave Bush, Brewers
Matt Wood is a web editor for 
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