Fantasy Notes: Kemp Saves Lowe From Flaming Out
- Matt Kemp hasn’t done much since his recall after previously setting the NL on fire. A couple of days ago, however, he helped save the hottest Dodgers pitcher from going down in flames. With a diving, run-saving catch? Not exactly. Derek Lowe was standing in the dugout, preparing to go out on the on-deck circle, when Kemp said to him “Dude, you’re on fire.” Lowe assumed the rookie was paying him a compliment on his pitching performance. But the fact was that Lowe’s right leg was perilously close to a space heater and, lost in his focus on the game, he didn’t notice that his polyster pants had caught ablaze. So Kemp was more clear: “Literally,” he clarified to Lowe. The flames were immediately doused, but not before Lowe had burnt holes in his pants and socks. He rushed into the clubhouse for new gear and afterwards wound up autographing the burnt pair of pants. They’ll probably be worth quite a bit — after all, Lowe earned his 100th career win that night.
- He’s hardly been dominant, but at this point anything positive for Jeff Weaver is huge. And last night he earned his first win in nine home starts since he joined the Cardinals. He’s actually won three straight overall to improve to 5-4, and over his past three starts, he has given up 19 hits in 17 2/3 innings — again, nothing noteworthy, but a remarkable improvement for a pitcher who’s allowed opponents to bat a ridiculous .320 against him since arriving in St. Louis. His command has also shown improvement over this stretch with three walks against 11 Ks. It’s been a real nightmare season for Weaver, essentialy kicked off the Angels because he was being replaced by his own brother. But a late-season flourish lends hope that he’ll have some value in 2007, or at least a job.
- No one is mentioning his name when talking about the National League Rookie of the Year race, but how about Russell Martin? I’m not saying he can hold a candle to some of the superb freshman performances we’re seeing in the senior circuit this year, but here’s a rookie catcher with 65 runs, 10 homers, 65 RBI, 10 steals and a 795 OPS who’s the main man for a team that’s probably playoff-bound. Not too shabby. The 23-year-old Canadian has scored four runs in the past two games, but none more important than last night’s go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning on a wild pitch to lead the Dodgers to a 4-3 win over San Francisco and into a share of the NL West lead.
