Happy Friday, everyone! Some people say you can't find great baseball until the postseason, but those people clearly weren't paying attention to the Mets-Braves game from Thursday night. The Braves were victorious after a walk-off three-run blast in the 10th inning brought home a wild comeback win for them that had major Fantasy Baseball implications. 

The Braves took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, only to witness the Mets storm back with five runs in the second. The game continued to swing back and forth, with the Mets leading 10-7 in the eighth inning. However, Mets closer David Robertson, gave up a game-tying homer to Orlando Arcia, leading to extra innings. Finally, Ozzie Albies sealed the victory for the Braves with the walk-off three-run shot in the 10th inning that we referenced above.

Starling Marte had an impressive performance, going 3 for 5 at the plate. Over his last 11 games, Marte has been batting .333 with a homer and three steals. Francisco Alvarez got the start as designated hitter and went 2 for 5, including a double and a home run. With a total of 11 home runs, Alvarez is just one home run behind Sean Murphy and Salvador Perez from leading all catchers in long balls, despite playing significantly fewer games. He is currently rostered in 75% of leagues and that should be closer to 100%.

Switching our focus to the Braves, Austin Riley had a standout game, going 4 for 6 at the plate, including his 11th home run of the season. His impressive performance included four hard-hit balls. Michael Harris also had a notable game, going 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. His performance included two hard-hit balls with an average exit velocity of 108 mph.

Let's now dive into some of the other action from Thursday:

Struggling starters

Lance Lynn had a rough outing against the Yankees, surrendering five earned runs over five innings. Lynn's performance has been inconsistent at best this season, with a 6.72 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. It's time to stack him on your benches for now.

Luis Severino also endured a challenging start, giving up four earned runs over five innings against the White Sox. He has struggled in his past two starts, with diminished velocity. You may still be able to sell him based on his name-brand value, and that's a move that could work well for your team right now.

Week 12 spark notes preview

Schedule

    • Three teams have five games -- Brewers, Yankees, Mets
    • 18 teams have six games
    • Nine teams have seven games -- Rangers, Phillies, Rays, Angels, A's, Dbacks, Braves, Rockies, Tigers
    • The Rockies have seven games but all seven are unfortunately on the road
    • We broke down options for Week 12 on the FBT in 5 podcast here.

Two-start pitchers to add and stream

    • James Paxton vs. COL, vs. NYY (lost his two-start week?)
    • Reese Olson vs. ATL, at MIN
    • Dane Dunning vs. LAA, vs. TOR
    • Dean Kremer vs. TOR, at CHC

Single-start streamers

    • Bailey Ober vs. MIL
    • Logan Allen at SD
    • Louie Varland vs. DET
    • Pablo Sandoval at KC
    • AJ Smith-Shawver at DET
    • Griffin Canning at KC

Sleeper hitters

    • Matt McLain @KC3, @HOU3
    • Jake Fraley @KC3, @HOU3
    • Marcell Ozuna @DET3, COL4
    • Ke'Bryan Hayes @CHC3, @MIL3
    • Royce Lewis MIL2, DET4
    • Adam Duvall COL3, NYY3
    • Eddie Rosario @DET3, COL4
    • Nick Pratto CIN3, LAA3
    • Orlando Arcia @DET3, COL4
    • Willi Castro MIL2, DET4

Best hitter matchups

1. Braves @DET3, COL4

2. Phillies @ARI4, @OAK3

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3. Rays @OAK4, @SD3

4. Royals CIN3, LAA3

5. Twins MIL2, DET4

Worst hitter matchups

1. Yankees @NYM2, @BOS3

2. Nationals @HOU3, MIA3

3. Brewers @MIN2, PIT3

4. Padres CLE3, TB3

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5. Guardians @SD3, @ARI3

News and notes

  • Yordan Alvarez exited Thursday with right oblique discomfort, and after the game Dusty Baker suggested Alvarez will likely miss time.
  • Pete Alonso underwent both a CT scan and MRI on his left wrist. Buck Showalter added he's hopeful Alonso will be ready to play Friday against the Pirates.
  • Eloy Jimenez left the second game of the doubleheader with an apparent leg injury.
  • Nestor Cortes was officially placed on the IL with a left rotator cuff strain, retroactive to June 5.
  • Jorge Polanco was pulled with left hamstring tightness, the same hammy that recently sent him to the IL. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli expressed optimism that Polanco will avoid the IL.
  • Cody Bellinger is expected to participate in live batting practice and engage in other controlled exercises. He's been on the IL since the middle of May with a knee injury.
  • Hunter Greene's hip felt great during his bullpen session and he's on track to start Sunday in St. Louis.
  • Alek Manoah will miss at least two turns through the rotation.
  • C.J. Cron is still experiencing pain in his lower back and has no timetable for a return. This likely means Nolan Jones will stick around for the foreseeable future.
  • Yandy Diaz was out of the lineup Thursday due to a minor hip issue.
  • Noah Syndergaard was placed on the IL with a blister on his right index finger. Julio Urias is close to a return and could potentially take Syndergaard's next start in the rotation.
  • Christopher Morel has now sat out three straight as he's 1 for 25 since May 25.
  • Kevin Kiermaier left after getting hit by a pitch on his left wrist. X-rays came back negative.
  • Hunter Renfroe is expected to return from the paternity list Saturday.
  • Michael Brantley hit in the cage, ran the bases and made throws Thursday as he continues to recap his surgically-repaired right shoulder. He could begin a rehab assignment soon.