White Sox bats. Pelfrey has been pounded by lefty hitters this season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Its a measure of how far Dale Earnhardt Jr. has come that people are talking like hes in a slump.?Sure, NASCARs most compelling star hasnt won a race since November at Phoenix International Raceway. But sitting 12th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, second among winless drivers so far in 2016, doesnt exactly hark back to 2008-12, when Earnhardt truly was embroiled in a slump.?He has come close to winning a number of times this year, logging four second-place finishes, the most recent in early June at Pocono Raceway. But a poor month of May and an inordinate number of crashes -- most notably at the restrictor-plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega, places normally considered an Earnhardt specialty -- have resulted in four finishes of 32nd or worse and the perception that not all is well in the No. 88 camp.?Dale Jr. admits that this years results arent up to the standards he and crew chief Greg Ives expect out of their group at Hendrick Motorsports, especially on the heels of two consecutive three-win seasons. Theyve sometimes struggled in qualifying, making it harder for the driver and pit crew to get themselves into a competitive position on race day.?We are a little frustrated with how we ran through the month of May, Earnhardt said Thursday at Daytona while waiting out the summer rain.?We have seen more speed out of our cars but had some bad finishes, wrecks and so forth. Tore up a lot of cars this year, and its uncharacteristic, I think, for us to be in so many accidents. In the past several years, we have sat around the top five in points throughout the season and things just came easier for us. They are not coming so easy today.? ? ?So where we are in points is very frustrating, he continued.?It creates a lot of anxiety between me and Greg.?I think we are way better than where we are, and we both are not happy with where we are in the points. We are wondering and worrying about trying to make the Chase, and it shouldnt be something that this team is concerned with.?Earnhardts No. 88 Chevrolet has qualified for the Chase every year since 2011, but it wasnt until 2014 that he put together the kind of consistent season that made people think of him as a potential Cup champion.?Last year, he made a smooth transition between crew chiefs as Steve Letarte departed to pursue a television career with NBC, opening the door for Ives. The 2015 campaign was highlighted by restrictor-plate wins at Talladega in the spring and the summer Daytona race. Hendrick brought that car, named Amelia, back for the plate races this year, but Earnhardt crashed out of both.?In retrospect, he thinks the 88 teams dependence on a proven steed ended up costing it because other teams developed their cars better over the past 18 months.? ?Amelia has taken a place of honor in the race car graveyard on the property outside Earnhardts North Carolina home.?No, were not going to be naming cars anymore, he said with a laugh. I knew as soon as we did that, it sort of took off and put a lot of pressure on that car and the team. These cars just dont stick around long enough to get names. You used to race cars for years and years and they would show a personality. These days, you only keep a car for maybe a year before its unrecognizable or its cut out of the herd.?We had so much success with that car last year that we ran it this year, and we probably shouldnt have, he added. There are newer ideas and theories and better ways to do things that car didnt have. We have a new car, and well see how this car does. Weve got some good direction on trying to improve and built this car with some newer ideas. Hopefully its going to go out there and be quick.?Letarte, who was involved in the build and development of Amelia in 2014, said he was surprised Ives and the No. 88 team raced the car at Talladega after the crash at Daytona.?I was pretty shocked, just because the sport moves along so quickly that normally you can always build something better or newer, Letarte said. Its no different than Joe Gibbs Racing or Stewart-Haas Racing, where you see new cars week in and week out.?I would expect the guys and the group with the 88 and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports to feel very confident in the car they bring, he added.?No doubt the fact that they are in Daytona can only help. Earnhardt seems to have inherited plenty of restrictor-plate savvy from his late father, recording a total of 10 Cup Series wins at Daytona and Talladega.?He has earned a total of 17 victories at Daytona across all NASCAR platforms. And even if he cant win this weekend in the Coke Zero 400, Dale Jr. realizes that he needs to get a win sometime between now and September, or at least put together a series of consistent results, to guarantee another Chase appearance.?At 12th in the standings, he is second to Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott among winless drivers. But he is only 25 points ahead of the 16th-place driver idling on the Chase cutoff line -- another Hendrick teammate, Kasey Kahne.?I definitely come in here to Daytona thinking this is a great opportunity to win a race, Earnhardt said.? Hopefully, we can put a string of races together that will give us a good cushion between us and the next guys fighting for those last few spots [in the Chase].?Obviously, we need to get a win to put all that to bed, but nothing is guaranteed, he noted.?If we dont get a win going into the Chase, we are going to have to do well in these next 10 races and just be real consistent. Hopefully, we just get to Richmond and we dont have a lot of pressure about trying to make the Chase. Cheap Asics Online . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. Asics Shoes Sale Ireland . LUCIE, Fla. http://www.cheapasicsireland.com/ . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Asics Shoes Deals . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Asics Shoes Clearance . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Youve heard this story before -- another Thursday, another ugly slate.Only nine games are on the schedule, and outside of two or three names, cash pickings are slim, especially considering the days only elite option isnt eligible for the late slate. Nonetheless, well wade through the wasteland and do our best to make it work. Is it Friday yet?PitchingElite Its a one-man show in the elite tier on Thursday, with Stephen Strasburg leading the way with a home start against the Dodgers. Since returning from the disabled list, the right-hander has picked up where he left off, allowing just two runs over his last 21 2/3 innings. His 10.8 K/9 is top five in baseball, and his 24.4 hard-hit percentage is the fourth-lowest mark in the game. A matchup against the Dodgers isnt cake by any means, but Los Angeles has been middle of the road versus righties this year, so its not exactly an intimidating matchup, either. On a day where the pitching depth is thin, Strasburg stands out as a premium arm worth paying for. Keep in mind, though, that an afternoon start means hell be ineligible for late-slate contests.Solid It appears that vintage Adam Wainwright is back. Not only did the former Cy Young winner toss a three-hit shutout against Miami his last time out, he now owns a 2.30 ERA and 8.4 K/9 since the beginning of June, spanning eight starts. That dominance should continue with the Padres coming to town. San Diego just might be the most exploitable team in baseball versus right-handed pitching, with an 81 wRC+ and a 25 percent strikeout rate. With Strasburg and the Nationals having an early start time, Wainwright is one of the days top cash-game anchors for evening action.Going to Yankee Stadium to face the Yankees isnt what it used to be. What was once the most intimidating matchup in baseball is now a below-average lineup that does little damage at home and is one of the worst in the AL versus righty pitching. Enter Chris Tillman. The Orioles right-hander has delivered three straight seven-inning, one-run performances and should keep on rolling in this favorable spot. Although the Yankees arent a big strikeout team, its worth noting that Tillman whiffed a season-high nine batters in seven frames when he last faced the Bronx Bombers in June.Even on a short slate, Francisco Liriano cant be considered cash-game viable. He walks too many batters (5.7 BB/9), allows too many homers (hes on pace to allow 25 dingers after surrendering 15 all of last year) and gives up too much hard contact (36 percent). That said, he definitely warrants consideration in GPPs. The left-hander owns a career 9.2 K/9 and is squaring off a Brewers team thats below average against lefties and fans at a 24 percent clip.Sonny Gray is hard to trust in cash games. A 5.12 ERA will do that. However, the thin slate, combined with a prime home matchup against Tampa Bay, puts the As righty on the radar. The Rays have been one of the worst teams in baseball against right-handed pitching, mustering a .302 wOBA and 25 percent strikeout rate. Things have only gotten worse in July, with a .277 wOBA and 24 percent whiff rate. While Gray has struggled this year, he has posted quality starts in four of his last five outings, so hes at least showing positive signs. Its hard to get a matchup much better than this.Opposing Gray is Matt Moore, who draws an appealing road matchup against Oakland. The As are better against lefties than righties, but theyre still only league average, at best, and have really floundered so far in July (85 wRC+). Moore, meanwhile, sports a 2.51 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over his last seven starts. Dont expect a high strikeout total, as the As make tons of contact, but this is still a great spot for the left-hander to succeed.Streamers Theres not much confidence to be found among Thurssdays streaming options, but Jerad Eickhoff looks like one of the days better bets.dddddddddddd. Available in 65 percent of ESPN.com leagues, Eickhoff draws a home start against a Marlins team thats merely average versus righty pitching and sports the second-lowest ISO (.133) in the National League. Take out his Coors Field start, and the Phillies righty owns a 2.34 ERA over his last eight outings.After Eickhoff, it might be best to just sit tight and wait for some safer streaming options to emerge Friday. Tom Koehler has a favorable matchup against a bad Phillies offense, but his 4.7 BB/9 is worrisome and he hasnt posted a quality start in over a month. Although the Orioles arent as dangerous as you might think against left-handed pitching (91 wRC+), CC Sabathia has a 7.94 ERA over his last five starts. It might be worth rolling the dice with James Shields, who has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last four starts. Then again, a guy with homer problems facing the Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field, which greatly boosts both right- and left-handed power, carries a fair amount of blowup potential.Weve witnessed Julio Urias upside, but he has battled inconsistency and the Nationals hammer left-handed pitching. And even if you like what youve seen out of Mike Foltynewicz this season, you certainly arent going to run him out there in Coors Field.HittingFirst off, lets focus on the Coors Field game. The Braves lineup is as weak as they come, but its still a good idea to get some exposure against Chad Bettis, who has posted a 6.09 ERA at Coors this season. Freddie Freeman, who has five career homers at Coors in 14 games, is the most enticing option here.Squaring off against Bettis in the Coors game is Mike Foltynewicz. The right-hander has shown some good things this year, but left-handed swingers have still been a problem. In 72 career innings against them, he has surrendered a .396 wOBA. If you can afford them, Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez are both prime plays.Saturdays road start against the Red Sox does not set up well for Tyler Duffey. The right-hander has trouble against right-handed hitters (.377 wOBA) and also has trouble keeping the ball in the park. Not only does Fenway Park inflate right-handed power, but the Red Sox have plenty of right-handed bats -- Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez -- that can do damage.With Mike Pelfrey taking the mound for the Tigers on Saturday, feel free to load up on White Sox bats. Pelfrey has been pounded by lefty hitters this season (.390 wOBA), but righty hitters have hit him hard, too, (.368 wOBA), so you dont need to focus only on batters that carry the platoon advantage.Andrew Cashner could be in for a long night against St. Louis, which sports the best offense in the NL against right-handed pitching (117 wRC+). Cashner has been drilled by right-handed bats this season (.395 wOBA), and he has had trouble with lefty bats in the past (.383 wOBA against lefty hitters in 2015). He also has been a powder keg away from Petco Park this season, sporting a 7.83 ERA. All Cardinals bats are in play here regardless of platoon advantage, making this a nice stacking opportunity if you have the funds.Most likely to go yard: Carlos GonzalezGonzalez mashes righties. Foltynewicz struggles against lefty hitters. Coors Field is the venue. Mix it all together and chances are well see Cargo go deep on Thursday.Most likely to swipe a bag: Ian KinslerJames Shields has not been good at holding runners on this season, so the Tigers will be looking to take advantage. Kinsler, who has nine swipes on the year, will test the veteran right-hander if he gets the chance. ' ' '