Randy Wolf was good on Sunday. Really good.Let's start with his 7.2 innings of work on the mound. Wolf gave up three earned runs and five hits. But he struck out an amazing ten batters while walking none. And this isn't the first good outing for Wolf in a while. In fact, quite the opposite.
If you take out the four earned run game on August 6th against Atlanta, you have to go all the way back to June 24th to find another day where Wolf didn't provide the Dodgers with a quality start. Nine of his last ten outings have been quality starts and he's sporting a 3.13 ERA over that time. He only has four wins to show for it, but that sounds like a run support issue and not a dig on Wolf.
I mentioned earlier that we should start with Wolf's pitching because he brought his lumber to the yard on Sunday as well. Wolf went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run. He drove in three runs and scored twice himself. If you seem to be having a run support issue, maybe that kind of day at the plate is a good idea for every start.
Bits From the Box Scores:
• You don't lose your job by giving up one walk and one hit in two innings of relief. Especially when it's was errors in the field that caused the loss, not pitching. But Fernando Rodney is already in hot water and his loss today, even though he didn't give up an earned run, only fuels the speculation of a closer change in Detroit.
• Josh Willingham hit his 18th home run of the season on Sunday and now has seven over the last month while hitting .312 with 24 RBI. He's available in over half of all fantasy leagues and worth a look.
• I never thought I would have to say this. Mike MacDougal has been fantastic for the Nationals as their closer. In seven innings of work in August he's recorded six saves, only given up three hits and allowed zero earned runs.
• With the bombs Carlos Gonzalez hit on Sunday (one in each game of the Rockies double-header) he has four dingers in his last six games. He's also batting .400 in 54 August at-bats.
• Marco Scutaro went 3-for-5 on Sunday with a home run. The round-trip job was his 11th (career high) and now his three hits put him at .300 for the season. Scutaro's best season prior to 2009 was in 2004 in Oakland when he batted .273.
• Julio Borbon has seven hits in the four games since he was called up earlier in August. He's batting .429 with five stolen bases now and showing why he's such a hot prospect.
• Hunter Pence has found his power stroke over the last week. His blast on Sunday gave him four home runs in the last five games.
• Since returning from his back injury, Roy Oswalt has given up 11 earned runs in 11 innings. Raise your hand if you think everything is ok with him.
• If you can only muster one stinking hit Joe Mauer, why even come out and play. Your 1-for-4 performance on Sunday did you no good in your quest for .400.
• Have a week Adrian Gonzalez. Three home runs, eight RBI and a 20-for-34 stretch (.588) over his last seven games is incredible. Sunday was just another day at the park going 4-for-5 with a home run and RBI.
• The Yankees lost on Sunday? Inconceivable.
• Andre Ethier went 4-for-5 on Sunday with four RBI. He now has 24 home runs on the season and is batting .352 during the last month of play.
• Ryan Howard, himself, crushed the Braves on Sunday. He had four RBI while blasting two home runs.
The Afflicted: Matt Harrison underwent surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome on his left shoulder last month. He's progressing and could begin throwing this week. Martin Prado was scratched from the lineup on Sunday as a result of dizziness he felt in the batting cage prior to the game. He did pinch hit late in the game. Three players took baseballs to the head on Saturday. Ian Kinsler was back in the lineup on Sunday, but David Wright and Hiroki Kuroda both required hospital stays. Wright was placed on the disabled list on Sunday and his season is in jeopardy. Kuroda says he feels lucky to be alive. The Blue Jays have decided to keep Shaun Marcum on the disabled list for the remainder of the season. His rehab is going fine, as are his checkups. This is a precautionary measure. Tim Hudson is said to be two minor league starts away from returning to the Braves rotation.
Lineup Lock Time: Arizona and Atlanta are getting things started at 4:05 PM ET.
