Soriano vs. Gonzalez, Pt 2, Beckett Wins Again, Oliver with 10 Ks?

Rafael Soriano/Mike Gonzalez: Well, round 2 goes to Rafael Soriano as he notched the save last evening. The thing to note here is that Howard and Utley were due up in the 8th inning, so that's where Gonzalez pitched, and then Soriano came in for the 9th and the save. Again, nothing definitive can be taken from this as it was obvious that Gonzalez was better suited to pitch the 8th inning with the tough lefties up. Bobby Cox is a strategic manager, and I believe he's smart enough to understand that matchups are a key part of baseball, and with Wickman out, a committee is the most likely scenario.

Josh Beckett: 6-0 now for this man who's off to a scorching start. Great ratios, great K-rate, and potential finally being fulfilled here. He was a great undervalued pitcher to target in fantasy leagues this year, and he's proving why. Arm/blister problems are always a possibility, but he's not really that much greater of a risk than many star hurlers. He definitely won't keep his ERA under 3, but an ERA under 4 pitching in the AL East with a strong K rate and a high win total will make him very valuable all season long.

Oliver Perez: He unraveled a bit in the 6th inning, but he's bouncing back rather nicely after several lost years. I read he has his velocity back, and it seems like he has his control in check for the most part. He'll never be a pitcher that consistently pitches deep into games, but he has great K potential and has a potent offense supporting him. The occasional blowup will frustrated you such as the 7 walk outing earlier this season, but he's a good matchup pitcher who should be owned in all leagues.

Jhonny Peralta: This man is on fire at the plate, hitting close to .400 with 4 HRs and 12 RBIs over the past week. His batting average is still a bit sub-par thanks to a slow start, but perhaps he can maintain the type of performance we saw from him in 2005. If your SS is off to a slow start and he's still available, grab him.

Alfonso Soriano: 2 days, 2 HRs. Perhaps he's about to go on a major tear, although he's already hitting .300. Kudos to those who bought low or rode out his early cold streak...Alfonso is back.