Saturday, September 9, 2017

Yonder Alonso is out of lineup

Yonder Alonso is out of the lineup for Seattle's game against the Angels on Saturday.

Fantasy Implications: Alonso will take a breather on the bench as the Mariners deploy a right-heavy lineup against left-hander Andrew Heaney who is on the bump for the Angels. The day off will give Alonso time to clear his head after going 1-for-11 at the plate in his last three games. Taking his place at first base will be Danny Valencia, who will bat sixth.

Ben Gamel is out of lineup

Ben Gamel is out of the lineup for Seattle's game against the Angels on Saturday.

Fantasy Implications: Gamel will head to the bench as Seattle will deploy a right-heavy lineup against southpaw Andrew Heaney.  The 25-year-old outfielder went 2-for-4 last evening with a three-run homer, his most productive game in weeks. Taylor Motter will take Gamel's place in left field and bat ninth.

Mike Zunino is out of lineup

Mike Zunino is out of the lineup for Seattle's game against the Angels on Saturday.

Fantasy Implications: Zunino will head to the bench after starting four straight contests behind the plate. Carlos Ruiz will take his place and bat eighth.

Jarrod Dyson is out of lineup

Jarrod Dyson is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels.

Fantasy Implications: This will be the sixth consecutive game that Dyson will miss as he attempts to recover from  a recurring groin strain. The 33-year-old outfielder was able to play only two games since coming off the 10-day disabled list because of the groin injury.  Guillermo Heredia will take his place in center field and bat seventh.

Edwin Diaz records save

Edwin Diaz worked around a hit, allowing no runs over one inning to notch his 32nd save of the year. He also struck out two.

Fantasy Implications: Diaz recovered nicely from his last outing when he surrendered a two-run homer to Houston's Cameron Maybin in the ninth inning, thereby being tagged with the loss. The 23-year-old right-hander has been subject to the occasional blow-up of late, caused in most part by his lack of control, as evidenced by his 10/8 K/BB over his last  9 2/3 innings prior to last night's game. Diaz though is the Mariner's irrefutable closer, and should remain entrenched in fantasy lineups of all settings. 

Ben Gamel hits homer

Ben Gamel went 2-for-4, hitting a three-run blast to propel the Mariners to a 4-3 win over the Angels Friday night.

Fantasy Implications: Gamel came into the game mired in an awful second-half swoon, hitting an unsightly .208/.246/ .315 with only 37 hits in 187 at-bats over 47 games. He saw his  batting average for the campaign plummet from .322 to .275 in that span. It was only the 25-year-old outfielder's eighth homer of the year. It would be prudent for fantasy GM's to wait to see if and when Gamel truly gets off the schneid prior to inserting him back into their lineups.

Mike Leake earns win

Mike Leake (9-12) was credited with the win after giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits while walking none over six innings in Seattle's 4-3 win over the Angels. He also struck out five.

Fantasy Implications: Leake had an inauspicious first inning, giving up hits to the first three batters he faced, which eventually led to two runs being scored. The 29-year-old right-hander then bore down, allowing no earned-runs on three hits in his final five frames. It was Leake's second straight win and quality start in a Mariners uniform since being acquired by Seattle in a trade with the Cardinals on August 30. Leake had struggled since the All-Star break, but perhaps the change of uniforms is what he needed. With Seattle, Leake has spun a 2.77 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 8.3 K/9 over 13 innings.