Tim Lincecum collected his 14th win of the year last night and I continue to have a massive man crush on the kid. He's incredible. Period. He's probably my 2nd round draft pick next year. I'm not kidding. Lincecum pitched 8 innings, allowing just 4 H and 3 BB while striking out 8. His season numbers are flat out filthy – 14 wins, 2.47 ERA, 1.20 ERA, 10.2 K/9 and he is undefeated when the Giants give him 3 or more runs. Could you imagine his record if he played with a decent offense in front of him? The kid probably has 20 W already in that situation. I still think he's a top Cy Young candidate this year but he'll be very hard pressed to beat veterans like Brandon Webb and Johan Santana.
It was like the days of old last night for Randy Johnson as he continued his improbable second half run with a sparkling performance for the D-Backs. Johnson struck out 13 Marlins in 7 innings, allowing just 1 ER on 5 H and 3 BB. Despite the fact that Florida strikes out more than any team in the majors, the outing is still very impressive and it also marks Johnson's 7th consecutive quality start. He also has 8 QS in his last 9 tries, making his second half ERA an absurd 1.50, accompanied by a K/9 of 8.22. If you scooped him a month back when I recommended him as a short term pickup, he has certainly helped your staff down the stretch.
Ryan Braun looks to be just fine after having back problems earlier in the month as he went 2-5 last night with a 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R and a SB. Braun has put up some pretty gaudy numbers this season and all of you owners who knew he had the goods and wouldn't have a sophomore slump have been rewarded. His numbers for the season now read .301/31/87/70/11. He was projected to be the 10th ranked player in the fantasy world under Yahoo's standards and right now he sits at 18, so he's close. So many guys have had phenomenal seasons thus far that I think it's more a product of great competition than Braun not quite cutting it. I mean seriously, nine Ryan Braun's and you run away with any league in the universe. He's not doubt among the elite in the game and if we by chance see him step the running game up to say 20 SB, you have yourself David Wright Jr. with more power. Scary.
Adam Wainwright was surprisingly solid in his first start since being put on the disabled list in early June. The young reliever converted to starter showed absolutely no rust last night as he allowed only 1 ER on 5 H with 1 BB and 4 K. Actually, if it weren't for one mistake pitch to Greg Norton in the 5th inning, Wainwright would have tossed a shutout. I think he has some really solid down-the-stretch value, particularly in playoff formats, considering the Cards are still in the mix for a playoff spot and he looks very healthy.
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