Thompson hit hard

Reds rookie Daryl Thompson struggled in his second Major League start, and he really struggled tonight. Thompson worked just 4.1 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits in a 9-5 loss to the Pirates. Thompson yielded four runs in the first, then settled down the rest of the way. He did cough up two solo shots to Xavier Nady in the third and the fifth.

Fantasy Impact: Thompson is just another one of those Reds rookie starters who has to take a few lumps on his way to serviceable MLB pitcher. It might take a while, but he's got a ton of upside.

Thanks to Danks

The White Sox can thank starter John Danks for their dramatic 3-2 win over Cleveland Tuesday. Danks matched Cleveland ace Cliff Lee pitch-for-pitch, going eight innings, striking out eight, while giving up just one run. With their teams deadlocked after eight, things were turned over to the bullpens, which, in turn, gave up three runs in the ninth inning. The Sox win the game, 3-2 on an RBI base hit by Orlando Cabrera in the 10th after Alexei Ramirez's game-tying home run.

Fantasy Impact: Danks is making the South Siders forget the guy they traded for him. Brandon McCarthy was dealt to Texas for Danks and two other prospects just before Christmas, 2006. McCarthy is hurt this year. He hasn't pitched. Danks has pitched brilliantly. His ERA is down to 2.50, and he deserves better than his so-so total of five wins.

Cain can pitch

Giants starter Matt Cain turned in his best performance of 2008 against the Cubs Tuesday, striking out 10 while yielding just one run over eight innings. He wins his 5th game, 2-1.

Fantasy Impact: This is Cain's second double-digit strikeout game of the year, of which he only had one all of last season. Cain held opponents to one run or less eleven times in 2007, but many of them came early in the year. With this victory, Cain's picked up his fifth start of holding an opponent to one run or less -- which has to make you wonder if he's saved something special for the second half. His ERA is down to 4.13 as it was 6.64 back on April 18th.