Splitsville had a racous fireworks display at the town square on the Fourth of July and celebrated thirteen weeks of predicting Fantasy failures and successes based on the numbers. With the party over and the summer in full swing, let us not waste any time in bringing you the Week 14 splits.
Five Strikes (Positive Splits)
Bud Norris, SP, Astros
Upcoming Schedule: July 9
start vs. St. Louis
Norris is 2-5 on the season with an ERA just
under 6.00. He's coming off a start in which he allowed just three hits
over seven shutout innings, but didn't win and hasn't won since May 13.
That last victory is significant, however. It contributes to an
extraordinary split that turns Bud into Chuck Norris against the
Cardinals. Norris' last victory came in St. Louis. He allowed one run on
six hits over eight awesome innings and struck out eight in the process.
His ERA was 7.52 entering that start. Norris has absolutely owned the
Cardinals thus far over his season-plus in the majors. He has started
against his division rivals four times and has won them all. Norris is
4-0 versus St. Louis and has allowed exactly one earned run in those
four starts spanning 26 innings with 25 strikeouts. In two starts this
season, Norris has averaged 11.8 Ks per nine innings pitched against
them and averages 8.7 overall for his career against the Cards.
Nick Markakis, OF, Orioles
Upcoming Schedule:
Three games at Detroit, Four games at Texas
Markakis has been a
terrible disappointment this season in terms of power. He has been the
only Orioles hitter to remain above .300 for most of the season,
however. Consistency is something Markakis does well and for what that's
worth, July has consistently been his best month of the year. Already
with one homer this month after just two games, Markakis is a career
.335 hitter in the seventh month of the year. Last season, he hit .291
with four homers and 20 RBI. Owners would certainly take that production
in all mixed formats. What's more, Markakis is in for a solid Week 14 as
he's a great hitter at Texas' Ballpark in Arlington. Markakis is 3 for 6
in Texas this season and is a career .352 hitter there over 71 at-bats
with a .471 on-base percentage.
Johnny Damon, OF, Tigers
Upcoming Schedule: Three
games vs. Baltimore, Three games vs. Minnesota
He might be aging, he
might be hitting just .269 for the season and he might not be playing
every single game any longer, but Damon remains a viable mixed-league
Fantasy option and Week 14 should prove to be a healthy one for the
outfielder. Damon homered on Friday against Seattle to end a long
drought and it could be more of the same in the upcoming scoring period.
With July in full swing, it should be noted this is Damon's best hitting
month with a career .300 average. Damon is 107 for 328 (.326) since the
beginning of 2005 against the Orioles and Baltimore's pitching has deen
dismal again this season. Damon has 16 homers against the Orioles in his
last five seasons. He's a .296 career hitter agains the Twins over 487
at-bats as well.
Randy Wolf, SP, Brewers
Upcoming Schedule: July 6
start vs. San Francisco, July 11 start vs. Pittsburgh
Wolf was solid
in a win in St. Louis in his last start but at 6-7 on the year with a
4.70 ERA, he hasn't exactly endeared himself to Fantasy owners this
season. Go ahead and start Wolf in Week 14, though. Trust us, you'll
want to. His splits for the upcoming scoring period practically put a
gun to your head. Wolf pitches twice and faces the Giants and Pirates at
home. Wolf is a combined 16-6 for his career against those two teams.
Wolf is 8-4 against the Giants with a 3.23 ERA over 16 starts. He is 3-0
against San Francisco since the beginning of 2008 over six starts and
has allowed just eight earned runs spanning 39 innings over that time
with 22 strikeouts and a WHIP under 1.000. Wolf is 8-2 against the
Pirates with a 3.42 ERA over 15 career starts. He's gone 1-1 this season
over three starts against the Bucs and the loss was his first to that
team since 2000. That loss happened in Pittsburgh on May 19 and Wolf
will be looking for sweet vindication this time around.
Russell Branyan, 1B, Mariners
Upcoming Schedule:
Three games vs. Kansas City, Four games vs. N.Y. Yankees
Branyan hit
in his final seven games with the Indians and has base hits in his first
four with his new old team. Branyan is definitely happy to be back with
the Mariners and they are happy to have him. That said, Fantasy owners
should also be happy if they start him Week 14. That is because of the
11 home runs that Branyan has hit this season, six have come against his
opponents in the upcoming scoring period. Branyan is 6 for 21 (.286)
versus the Yankees this season with three homers and six RBI. He
actually homered at Yankee Stadium on June 30 for Seattle in his second
game since being acquired. Branyan is 5 for 16 (.313) against the Royals
this season with three homers and five runs driven in.
Five 7-10 Splits (Negative Splits)
Clayton Richard, SP, Padres
Upcoming Schedule:
July 6 start at Washington, July 11 start at Colorado
There is a lot
to like about Richard right now. Coming off two straight victories in
Florida and against Colorado -- and striking out a career-high 10
batters in the latter -- Richard sits at 6-4 with an impressive 2.74 ERA
on the season. Can he keep up the good vibrations in Week 14? The splits
suggest it to be unlikely. His first start of the scoring period comes
in Washington. He's never pitched in D.C., but is 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA
against the Nationals for his career. Richard has faced the Nats this
season and lost with four runs allowed over seven innings. He beat the
Rockies in his last start against them, but the last time he pitched at
Coors Field, Richard allowed three runs over seven innings and took the
loss. What's more, July is easily his worst month as he's 1-3 with a
6.44 ERA and a WHIP of 1.534 over six starts for his career in the
seventh month on the calendar.
Ronny Paulino, C, Marlins
Upcoming Schedule:
Three games at L.A. Dodgers, Four games at Arizona
Fantasy owners
have begun taking notice of the Marlins' catcher, who is batting .305 on
the season for the Fish after 210 at-bats. Paulino isn't a starter for
all mixed Fantasy leagues but he's certainly been worth having on
rosters. Week 14 should be one scoring period he's kept on your bench,
however. Paulino has terrible matchups during a seven-game week. The
Marlins are on the road for the whole week and Paulino has never hit
well at either ballpark they will be playing in. Paulino is career .150
hitter over 40 at-bats at Dodger Stadium with just three RBI and 14
strikeouts. Paulino has the same amount of RBI (3) in Arizona over fewer
at-bats (25), but he's just a .160 hitter at Chase Field.
Felipe Lopez, INF, Cardinals
Upcoming Schedule:
Three games at Colorado, Three games at Houston
Lopez entered
Saturday with 10 hits in his previous 23 at-bats for a .435 average and
has seen even more regular playing time at third base with David Freese on the disabled list. We just can't call Lopez a viable
start in mixed Fantasy leagues for Week 14, though. Unlike others,
Lopez's bat doesn't get excited about hitting at Coors Field. Lopez is
10 for 52 (.192) with five RBI and five runs scored in Colorado since
the beginning of the 2006 season. He's been really bad in Houston,
however. A career .184 hitter at Minute Maid Park over 98 at-bats, that
is far and away his worst offensive production at any stadium in which
he's seen at least 10 games played.
Jeff Francis, SP, Rockies
Upcoming Schedule: July
6 start vs. St. Louis, July 11 start vs. San Diego
Francis might
pitch twice in Week 14 but he's coming off an outing in which he gave up
eight runs over three innings in a loss at San Diego. He'd been throwing
well prior to that start but the splits suggest more negativity in the
upcoming scoring period. Despite solid career numbers against the
Cardinals, Francis will unfortunatley be facing the Padres once again.
We know how he fared against the Pads the last time out but consider
he's 5-11 against San Diego for his career with a 5.66 ERA. Since going
2-0 against them in 2004, Francis is 3-11 and has a career WHIP of 1.596
when he faces the Padres.
B.J. Upton, OF, Rays
Upcoming Schedule: Three
games vs. Boston, Four games vs. Cleveland
First it was his dugout
run-in with Evan Longoria and then
Upton missed time due to a quadriceps injury. When it was all said and
done, Upton missed just about the entirety of Week 13, returning to the
lineup on Saturday. Batting .226 on the season over 261 at-bats, he's
making it tough for Fantasy owners to trust him in any format. Because
of his upside and insane skills, owners continue to trust him
regardless. They should reconsider in Week 14, at least. Upton is coming
off a fiasco of a week and will be playing the two American League teams
he hits worst against over his major-league career. Upton, over 98
at-bats, has hit .204 against the Indians with just seven RBI over that
span. He's faced the division-rival Red Sox for 216 at-bats and has just
a .194 average with 68 strikeouts an a slugging percentage of .329. The
only team he slugs worst against is the L.A. Angels.
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