Dan Uggla (2B--Braves) Dan Uggla continued his improbable hit streak going 3-for-3 with two home runs. He's now up to 32 games and all of this for a guy who has a lifetime contact rate of just 73.4%. Somewhat ironic is that over the past thirty days since the hit streak has been going on, Uggla has improved his contract rate, but not as high as one would think. It's only just a tinge above 78%. So for a guy with a poor contract rate and a high strikeout rate, it is even more amazing that he has kept this streak going. He's now batting .370 during the steak having vaulted his average from .173 at the start to a still ugly .229. That's a 56 point improvement but when you started near the bottom like Uggla, he's had to put this streak together to just get to a respectable point. Still, with having hit his 25th and 26th homers of the year, he has kept very consistent with that part of his game as he is pretty much a shoe-in to reach the 30 home run plateau once again.
Carlos Zambano (SP--Cubs) Oh, that crazy, nutty Carlos Zambrano! There he goes again getting all hot under the collar. Just because he gives up back-to-back homers and gives up eight runs in 4.1 innings and then throws inside to Larry "Chipper" Jones doesn't mean you gotta loose your temper. Oh, wait. We are talking about Zambrano. Apparently, Big Z has been missing some of his anger management classes as he got tossed from Friday's affair. His ERA bumped up to 4.82 on the season and he took his seventh loss against nine wins. Zambrano has bouts of being hot and cold and with this kind of inconsistency; it makes it tough for fantasy owners to put much faith in him on a regular basis. He's a stronger option in deeper leagues where in shallow leagues there are enough options not to have to tolerate Zambrano's antics. He'll start next against Houston, so while you have to be cautious going with him, it's a decent matchup that could produce positive results.
Bronson Arroyo (SP--Reds) Bronson Arroyo left Friday's game against the Padres as the losing pitching of record despite having put together his best outing in almost two months. Fortunately he walked away with a no decision. He pitched six innings and allowed two runs (one earned), walked two, allowed six hits and struck out six. His ERA is still high at 5.31, but perhaps this is a sign of better things to come for Arroyo. He pitched his second quality start of the month having gone since June 19th without one. However, despite the positive forward movement, Arroyo still seems to give up home runs like he was handing out candy at Halloween. He allowed his 33rd of the season (a career high)and averages about two per nine innings. Arroyo is going to have to prove himself even more than just one decent outing every two or three games. Fantasy owners should proceed with great caution.
Bryan Petersen (OF--Marlins) Mike Cameron was scratched from the Marlins' lineup on Friday and rookie Bryan Petersen took his place and had a very productive night with three hits including a double and a stolen base. Petersen is batting just .254 on the year with limited playing time but he's had a few impactful moments including his first career home run this past week. He's had a hit in four of his last five appearances and as we saw Friday he has decent speed to swipe a base or two. Petersen's value is closely tied into how long Cameron is out, but he could be worth a quick add in deeper N.L. leagues as long as he has consistent playing time. Other than that he has limited fantasy value.
Mat Latos (SP--Padres) Mat Latos was excellent again on Friday against the Reds and actually left on the winning side of the game. However, Josh Spence blew the Padres lead, giving up three runs, taking the loss and providing Latos with a no decision. However, Latos has vastly improved over his rough start to the season. Friday he pitched seven solid innings, allowing just two earned runs. It was Latos' ninth quality start in a row as he lowered his ERA down to 3.80 where most of the season it's been over 4.00+. During the past nine games, Latos has an ERA of 3.22 and has averaged almost a strikeout per inning. Latos will struggle to get wins, as proven on Friday night, but he has picked his game up and should be started in mixed formats.
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