Last night, I attended the Single-A New York-Penn League game between the IronBirds and the Auburn Doubledays at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. Therefore, I wasn't able to watch any of last night's Orioles-Toronto Blue Jays game.
From what I hear, that's probably a good thing because of the finish that left Orioles closer George Sherrill with his third blown save in the past two weeks. Despite holding the lead in all three games of the series, the Orioles were swept by Blue Jays. All three games were decided by a single run.
The Orioles have dropped five straight games, tying their longest losing streak of the season. They are quickly sinking into the basement of the American League East and will now travel to Boston for three games against the Red Sox.
The Red Sox are currently 1 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the division. They just swept the Minnesota Twins, winning the series finale 18-5.
Here's a question for you – If someone told you at the beginning of the season that the Orioles would be near .500 at the All-Star break, would you be happy?
Probable pitching matchups
Friday 7/11: Brian Burres (6-5, 5.07) vs. Clay Buchholz (2-3, 5.53)
Saturday 7/12: Radhames Liz (3-1, 5.94) vs. Tim Wakefield (5-6, 3.75)
Sunday 7/13: Daniel Cabrera (6-4, 4.40) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-1, 2.84)
Who you should play from the Red Sox
Dustin Pedroia, 2B – Pedroia has been doing his best recently to prove why he deserves to start in the All-Star Game over Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler. Pedroia currently has a 17-game hitting streak. During that span, he is hitting .473 (36-for-76) with three home runs, 12 RBIs, 20 runs scored and two stolen bases. While I'll admit that I'm not one of Pedroia's biggest fans, he's certainly showing why he is one of the better second basemen in the majors right now.
Who you should bench from the Red Sox
J.D. Drew, RF – After hitting .337 with 12 home runs and 27 RBIs in June, Drew has stumbled a bit this month. He's only hitting .258 with no home runs and four RBIs in eight games in July. Drew's back has apparently been bothering him recently as well. The Red Sox expect him to play during the series against the Orioles, but it might be a good idea to rest him for your fantasy team until the All-Star break.
Who you should play from the Orioles
Adam Jones, CF – OK, I know I've been adamant about not playing Jones this season, especially on the road. However, the kid is finally showing that he's going to be something special in the future. In his past 13 games, Jones is hitting .404 (21-for-52) with 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored. He is 10-for-36 in nine games against the Red Sox this year, including 3-for-12 at Fenway Park. While it would be much better for fantasy owners if Jones had some more power, he's shown the ability to drive in runs and should be given more time in your fantasy lineup.
Who you should bench from the Orioles
Luke Scott, LF – Scott can be one of the top outfielders on your fantasy team if he's hitting well. Obviously, he doesn't have much fantasy value when he's struggling. He's stuck in a major slump right now (3-for-28 in July) and it's impossible to tell if he'll start hitting in the near future. To be safe, it's a good idea to find other alternatives until Scott shows any hint of breaking the slump. You'll need to get him back into your lineup as soon as that happens because you wouldn't want to miss out on his production.
