What We're Keeping Our Eis On -- Wednesday Edition

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Published on May 13, 2009

Don't worry, we'll watch tonight's MLB action while you're watching Ovechkin/Crosby. Or while you're on a boat (with the Roots!). Also, anyone who ruins LOST for me will be politely escorted from the premises, then socked in the stomach.

A bunch of games on tap tonight (a plethora perhaps?)

TB @ BAL

Jeff Niemann v Brad Bergesen

Niemann pitched a whopping 6.1 innings over his past two starts combined… He has a 3:7 K:BB ratio in those two starts…. He has reportedly tweaked his mechanics, but is a risky play… Bergesen has gone six innings in his past two starts, but has not factored in a decision since his debut… His three walks issued last start were a season-high

Lineup Notes: Felix Pie (illness) is available tonight, but will he play?… Adam Jones is 10-for-24 on the homestand with three home runs and is one home run shy of last year's total… Pat Burrell (neck stiffness) is out

Weather: Low near 56… slight wind

LA @ PHI

Randy Wolf v Jamie Moyer

Wolf has 36 K's in 42.2 innings and a sub-3.00 ERA, but has not factored in a decision since his second start of the season… He allowed a solo home run in each of his past two starts… Those were his only runs allowed in those starts…. Moyer has had the opposite fortune this season… Half the strikeouts of Wolf (18) and twice the ERA (7.26), but owns three victories… He allowed three home runs in his last start, lasting 2.1 innings

Lineup Notes: Juan Pierre is .476/.542/.667 with four doubles and two steals since the Manny suspension… Will Orlando Hudson continue to hit third? …. Matt Kemp seventh?… Jayson Werth stole four bases Tuesday… He had three entering the game… Jimmy Rollins may continue to bat fifth

Weather: Partly Cloudy, Low in the mid-50s

STL @ PIT

Joel Piniero v Russ Ohlendorf

Piniero has seven strikeouts over his last two starts after putting up just six in his first four… Ohlendorf has limited opposing batters to a .261 BAA in his past three starts, but has walked six and allowed four home runs

Lineup Notes: The once-crowded Cardinals' outfield is now somewhat thin with Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel on the DL… Shane Robinson will hit second in his second career MLB game… Nick Stavinoha is on the Cards' bench… Jack Wilson is batting eighth for the Pirates… Freddy Sanchez has a six-game hit streak… But that's just a .280/.379/.520 line

Weather: Scattered thunderstorms… Low in the upper-50s

NYY @ TOR

Andy Pettitte v Scott Richmond

Pettitte allowed four home runs in his last start, but that was at Yankee Stadium (aka the rich man's Coors Field)… He has nine walks to 13 strikeouts in his last three starts… Richmond is rebounding from his first loss of the year… he is yet to walk more than three batters in a start… Batters hit .220 off him at home

Lineup Notes: Johnny Damon's certainly playing for a 2010 (and beyond) contract… He is hitting .364/.404/.818 with five home runs in May… No steals though… Hideki Matsui left Tuesday's game with a tight hammy and is day-to-day… As is Jeter (oblique)… Ricky Romero will make a rehab start at Double-A New Hampshire tonight… Marco Scutaro-Aaron Hill-Alexis Rios-Vernon Wells have hit 1-2-3-4 all 35 games

Weather: Dome

FLA @ MIL

Ricky Nolasco v Braden Looper

Nolasco has allowed 51 hits in his first seven starts…. His .380 BABIP is nearly 100 points higher than last year (.284)… On the plus side, he walked just one over his past two starts… Looper lasted 3.1 in his last start… 18 percent of his pitches have been called strikes in his past two starts… 23 percent were called strikes in the two starts previous

Lineup Notes: Alfredo Amezaga starts in center and bats eighth… Cody Ross sits… Chris Coghlan in left and batting second… Hanley Ramirez looks to extend his hitting streak to 10… Craig Counsell starts over Bill Hall at third base… A trend against righties?… Mike Rivera returns Thursday

Weather: Retractable roof

SD @ CHI-N

Chris Young v Ted Lilly

Every note we write will compare Young to his 2007 campaign… He has had some very bad starts this year (4/17 @ PHI, 4/27 @ COL), but has given up just one long ball and has 31 K's in 39.2 innings… Lilly played in the WBC and had a horrendous spring, but has been the Cubs' most effective starter… He has 31 K's, but a third of those came in one game

Lineup Notes: Brian Giles bounced from the leadoff spot, as he is listed seventh… Scott Hairston bats first… Drew Macias won't see much more than pinch-hit duty… Ryan Freel is expected to make his Cubs debut at third…

Weather: Heavy rains and possible severe thunder storms, winds gusting up to 40… Double-header anyone?

SEA @ TEX

Jarrod Washbrun v Brandon McCarthy

Lineup Notes: Manager Don Wakamatsu decided to tinker… Ronny Cedeno at short, Yuniesky Betancourt out… Wladimir Balentien in left, Endy Chavez out… Andruw Jones remains in the Rangers' outfield, batting fourth… Both Michael Young and Josh Hamilton are playing for the second straight day… Nelson Cruz gets the day off

Weather: Low around 72 with a 20 percent chance of a thunderstorm… gusts up to 30 mph

DET @ MIN

Dontrelle Willis v Glen Perkins

Admit it, you set up a calendar on your wall with this date circled… You lost sleep waiting for Willis to make his 2009 debut… His ground ball/fly ball ratio worsened as he moved through the Tigers' minor leagues, and he issued six walks in two Triple-A games… Perkins allowed the Orioles to hit two home runs in his May 7 start… He had two K's in that game, his first start with less than four

Lineup Notes: Jeff Larish at DH for the third straight game… Magglio Ordonez has one extra-base hit in the month of May… Joe Mauer gets a night off from catching duties and is listed as the DH… Delmon Young sits… Brendan Harris is at short… Jason Kubel has the night off

Weather: Dome

HOU @ COL

Mike Hampton v Jason Marquis

Hampton issued four walks in his last start… He is coming off back-to-back losses… Hampton has thrown at least 90 pitches in all but one start and 100 pitches in all but two… This is his first start at Coors since May 1, 2004… The Giants roughed up Marquis in his last start, but it was his second time seeing them in a week… He has one walk over his past two games, but three home runs allowed

Lineup Notes: Does Berkman remain in the three spot? He went 1-for-4 with a single Tuesday… Ian Stewart hit two home runs on Tuesday, but remains in the eighth spot… Ryan Spilborghs bats cleanup for the third time this season

Weather: Partly cloudy with a low near 41

CIN @ AZ

Johnny Cueto v Bryan Augenstein

Cueto has allowed three runs over his past five starts, striking out 23 in 33.2 innings… He has not allowed a stolen base in those starts… Augenstein replaces Yusmiero Petit in the Diamondbacks' rotation… He had 31 strikeouts in 34.2 innings at Double-A Mobile… He also posted a .145 BAA… Expect strikes, but he is pitching for one of the worse offenses in the major leagues

Lineup Notes: Joey Votto (dizziness) is not in the lineup… Ramon Hernandez plays first… Chris Dickerson is in the lineup for the first time since May 5… Justin Upton looks to start a new hitting streak after snapping an 18-game one on Tuesday… Chad Tracy is at first, not Josh Whitesell… Stephen Drew bats cleanup

KC @ OAK

Brain Bannister v Josh Outman

The Royals claim they called up Brian Bannister, but he certainly hasn't pitched like Banny of years past… He struck out seven in his last start, but needed 105 pitches to get through six innings… Outman lasted 4.1 innings in his last start, needing 100 pitches to get there… He threw 10 strikeouts over his past two starts… In those starts, he allowed 21 fly balls and 11 ground balls

Lineup Notes: Look for Coco Crisp on the base paths - he has seven steals in his past six games… Still a bullpen-by-committee in Joakim Soria's absence… All quiet on the Oakland front

Weather: Clear with a low in the mid-50s

BOS @ ANA

Tim Wakefield v Matt Palmer

Wakefield has been unsuccessful in career at Angels Stadium… He has hit a batter in each of his past four starts for a total of seven on the season… He has given up just one home run for the year… Palmer has allowed a total of two earned runs over his past two starts… That includes a start at offense-friendly Yankee Stadium… Two of his three starts have contained three walks

Lineup Notes: Nothing yet… Check updates and comments later

Weather: Low near 60 with "patchy fog"

Note: All weather information found on www.noaa.gov