BBC Preview: Interleague play returns

For even more statistics and advice to help you set your Baseball Challenge lineup, check out Tristan's Week 10 Fantasy Forecaster.

It's baaaaaaaaaaack.

Interleague play returns during the upcoming weekend, wreaking havoc on our lineup preparations, what with little historical data of upcoming hitter-versus-pitcher matchups. (Boy, the Friday through Sunday "daily dips" were toughies this week.)

But the other key aspect of interleague play, as always, is the impact of the designated-hitter rule. For example, you might be tempted to grab the White Sox's Jim Thome for his eight-game week, but since three of those games will be played in Milwaukee without the DH and he has typically sat at National League parks in recent seasons, Thome actually makes a weak choice for Week 10.

Thome isn't the only one. The Red Sox's David Ortiz will almost assuredly be relegated to a pinch-hitting role in what would normally be a fantasy-friendly matchup at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park; the Athletics' Jack Cust could always slide into right field to remain in the lineup but will almost assuredly miss at least one game (Sunday's against the Giants' Randy Johnson); and the Twins' Jason Kubel will be at risk to sit once and possibly twice if the Cubs pitch Sean Marshall during the weekend. (That depends entirely on Rich Harden's health.)

I've made it a common practice to list my top-five DH choices -- and by that I mean players listed as designated hitters -- in the Baseball Challenge when interleague play arrives, and I'm a man who sticks with his traditions. (Case in point: Chicken parm sub Tuesday at the café! Though strangely in these parts, they call 'em grinders.)

1. Hank Blalock, Rangers (4.0 price tag): Love him, love him, love him, and that's in spite of the Rangers' being scheduled to face three left-handed starters. It's a seven-game week played entirely at home, and Blalock is a .303 hitter with a .900 OPS in 418 career games at Rangers Ballpark. Even with him being set to face right-handed starters only four times, Blalock's overall matchups look pretty favorable.
2. Hideki Matsui, Yankees (4.0): I'm not even a Matsui fan, but the guy eats up these "Subway Series" matchups, batting .330 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs and a .983 OPS in 26 career games versus the Mets. Plus, those games will be played at new Yankee Stadium, with the DH rule in effect.
3. Gary Sheffield, Mets (4.0): The Phillies are going to throw all left-handed starters against the Mets to begin the week, then Sheffield and crew will head to Yankee Stadium to face one more lefty (Andy Pettitte), for a grand total of four lefties in six games. The Mets need Sheffield's bat in the heart of their order, and he's a .378 hitter with a 1.060 OPS versus southpaws this season.
4. Marlon Byrd, Rangers (3.6): The only reason I like him less than Blalock in a seven-home-game week is that he's just not the power source Blalock is. But that's about it. Outside of that, they're almost equally appealing. Plus, Byrd is going to play almost every day in center field for as long as Josh Hamilton is out.
5. Nick Johnson, Nationals (4.9): His position-high price tag hurts him, as does the fact that he has only 38 BBC points in his past 14 games (2.7 per game). Still, Johnson has maintained a .300-plus batting average all year, and he's at no risk of sitting with a three-game weekend trip to Tampa Bay (and the use of the DH) on the docket.

Tristan's top three pitching staff values

1. Atlanta Braves (PIT-4, @BAL-3 -- two-start pitchers Kenshin Kawakami and Derek Lowe), 6.0 price tag: Though keeping him in the minors this deep into the season might have been one of the dumber things the Braves have done this year, Tommy Hanson's promotion -- along with the release of over-the-hill vet Tom Glavine -- is easily one of the smarter things they have done all season. I know we have yet to see Hanson pitch a game at the big league level, so call this a hunch, but I think his presence will put a charge into a staff that hasn't been half-bad, registering a 3.63 team ERA in its past 16 games. Pittsburgh's offense became even shakier with the trade of Nate McLouth to, who else, these Braves, and I think it's an advantage that Atlanta's weekend interleague opponent, the Orioles, has yet to face Hanson or Kawakami and might have a tough time getting accurate scouting reports on both. Adding Lowe, a sinker-baller, in that series in Baltimore only sweetens the deal.

2. Detroit Tigers (@CHW-5, @PIT-3 -- two-start pitcher candidates Jeremy Bonderman, Armando Galarraga and Dontrelle Willis; only two will work twice), 6.1: This rotation, which has performed far better than anyone expected, will get a boost from the healthy return of Bonderman during Monday's doubleheader, and if you don't believe that, then you haven't noticed he has a 3.00 ERA in his four minor league rehabilitation starts, capped by eight shutout innings in his most recent turn in Triple-A. What his return does is grant the Tigers the ability to demote the least effective one of the aforementioned two-start candidates once the team's weekend series in Pittsburgh comes around, and that's a fantasy-friendly series besides. But what I like most of all about the Tigers: They play eight games, and quantity goes a long way in the BBC.

3. San Francisco Giants (@FLA-1, @ARI-3, OAK-3 -- two-start pitcher Matt Cain), 5.6: One of the primary things holding me back from ranking the Giants higher is they'll probably need a spot starter on Monday; Billy Sadler is one possibility. But Cain threw only 82 pitches during his start Thursday and thus shouldn't be too taxed in his two starts. His matchups are fabulous, as Cain faces the strikeout-happy Marlins and light-hitting Athletics (who will be down one normal lineup spot because of the lack of the DH). Arizona is a pretty K-prone offense too. I see the Giants racking up a healthy number of points on strikeouts this week.

Smack talk!

Want to talk smack? Feel free: E-mail me. And don't be afraid to bust my chops. I can take it.

Mark of Redwood Shores, Calif., writes: Hey Tristan, that was great advice about taking the Angels' pitching staff in Week 8. Santana was horrendous in his two starts. I don't think I'll be taking your advice again, I was doing better on my own. Good luck with your future picks.

Tristan: Happy to oblige, Mark, and what more can I say about the Angels. Ervin Santana is obviously hurting; he has a 9.50 ERA and 2.22 WHIP in his four starts, and that 4.5 walks-per-nine-innings ratio of his is what has me most troubled looking forward. That said, he did have a 3.09 ERA in his first two starts, holding the Red Sox and Mariners to a .680 OPS, so I doubt I was the only one teased. Until Ervin gets himself straightened out -- with 2 or 3 consecutive quality starts against talented opponents, including at least one on the road -- I wouldn't go anywhere near the Angels again. Which is actually frustrating since their Week 10 schedule might otherwise be a favorable one, especially the three weekend home games against the Padres.

Daily dips

Monday, June 8 -- A.J. Pierzynski, C, White Sox (versus Armando Galarraga and Jeremy Bonderman), 3.1 price tag: Love them doubleheaders -- double the point potential. Pierzynski is one of the White Sox's most effective batsmen against right-handed pitchers, batting .319 with an .836 OPS versus them this season. In his career, he's a combined 13-for-37 (.351 BA) with three doubles and two homers against these particular righties. Oh, and the games are at hitter-favorable U.S. Cellular Field to boot.

Tuesday, June 9 -- David Ortiz, DH, Red Sox (versus Chien-Ming Wang), 4.0: When a slow-starting hitter goes up against a slow-starting pitcher, who gets the matchup advantage? Ortiz has historically gotten the best of Wang, going 16-for-36 (.444 BA) with four doubles, two homers and six walks, and I'll call it a big advantage that the game will be played at Fenway Park.

Wednesday, June 10 -- Magglio Ordonez, RF, Tigers (versus John Danks), 3.8: He's a lifetime .588 hitter (10-for-17) with three doubles and one home run versus Danks, and a .354 hitter (46-for-130) with four homers and a .915 OPS in 33 games at U.S. Cellular Field as a visiting player. Sweat Ordonez's April slump if you want, but the fact remains he's a .342 hitter (26-for-76) in his past 20 games.

Thursday, June 11 -- Hunter Pence, RF, Astros (versus Ryan Dempster), 4.7: Between this and last season, Pence is a .571 hitter (8-for-14) with one double and two home runs against Dempster. He's also plenty comfortable at Minute Maid Park, batting .364 (36-for-99) with a 1.045 OPS in 28 games there this season.

Friday, June 12 -- Andre Ethier, RF, Dodgers (versus Vicente Padilla), 4.3: Though this will be their first-ever matchup, Padilla has served up a career OPS 199 points higher to left-handed hitters than right-handed hitters, and in the past four years, lefties have batted at least .305 with an .877 OPS against him each season. Ethier, meanwhile, has batted .303 with an .873 OPS against righties in his career.

Saturday, June 13 -- Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees (versus Livan Hernandez), 5.2: He's 10-for-16 (.625 BA) in his career against Hernandez, including four doubles and three home runs. A-Rod is also plenty comfortable -- unsurprisingly -- at the new Yankee Stadium; he has hit six of his seven home runs this season there.

Sunday, June 14 -- Adrian Beltre, 3B, Mariners (versus Jason Hammel), 3.7: This will be Beltre's first trip back to Coors Field since leaving the Dodgers after the 2004 season, but it's unlikely he's forgotten how friendly an environment it has been to him historically. He's a .395 hitter (81-for-205) with 15 home runs, 57 RBIs and a 1.147 OPS in 52 career games at Coors and will be facing a right-hander, Hammel, who has allowed a .329 batting average and .786 OPS to righties this year.

Tristan's Week 10 lineup

Total points: 2,516 (through Thursday).
Percentage: 98.7. Overall rank: 681st.
Ranking in Fantasy Editorial Group: 70th.

C -- Victor Martinez, Indians (KC-3, STL-3), locked at 4.8 price tag, 5.7 market: Three things in life are certain -- death, taxes and V-Mart on my BBC roster.
1B -- Mark Teixeira, Yankees (TB-1, @BOS-3, @NYM-3), locked at 5.0, 5.6 market: If you look at what Tex has done throughout his career, especially when Alex Rodriguez has been healthy and batting behind him, you'd have to put at least a little weight on the importance of lineup spots. I agree that it's an overrated angle for most guys, but for some of the most special players in the game, there's something to it.
2B -- Ian Kinsler, Rangers (TOR-4, LAD-3), 5.3: Have I mentioned how much I like Rangers hitters in full weeks at home?
3B -- David Wright, Mets (PHI-3, @NYY-3), locked at 4.7, 5.6 market: I don't think I could give you a better example of a player who has run so hot sometimes, yet so cold other times, this season. But when I look at those matchups, there's no way I can toss Wright back onto the pile.
SS -- Hanley Ramirez, Marlins (SF-1, STL-3, @TOR-3), locked at 5.0, 5.5 market: Outside of DH, this is the weakest position in the BBC thus far. When all else fails, take the greatest raw talent on the list.
LF -- Ryan Braun, Brewers (COL-3, CHW-3), locked at 4.8, 5.4 market: That .213/.364/.425 (BA/OBP/SLG) at home this season is a total aberration.
CF -- Curtis Granderson, Tigers (@CHW-5, @PIT-3), 5.1: Yes, four of those games come against left-handed starters, but the guy has a respectable .775 OPS against that side this year and has racked up 48 BBC points in his past 10 games.
RF -- Jermaine Dye, White Sox (DET-5, @MIL-3), 4.9: Yup, I did it, I let Nick Markakis go. Tough to ignore this eight-game schedule, though.
DH -- Gary Sheffield, Mets (PHI-3, @NYY-3), locked at 4.0, 4.3 market: Besides the fact that he'll get a shot at showing off against his former team, these are games the Mets desperately need to win.
Pitching staff -- Braves (PIT-4, @BAL-3), 6.0: This might have been the closest call I've had to make all season; I was this close to picking the Tigers.

Tristan H. Cockcroft is a fantasy baseball analyst for ESPN.com and a two-time champion of the League of Alternative Baseball Reality (LABR) experts league. You can e-mail him here.