Games of the Day - 6/6/11

Update - 6/7/11 @ 12:20 PM: Not a prediction. All four matchups lived up to their billing, and John Danks got his first win. He's a great waiver wire add. Tomlin's recent struggles should be very worrying if he's anything but a low-end option on your fantasy team.

Top pitching matchups tonight (6/6/11):

7:05 pm EST
Dodgers - Lilly (4-4, 4.22)
@ Phillies - Lee (4-5, 3.94)
***Both lefties have struggled to live up to expectations in 2011. Lee recently lost badly to weak-hitting Washington and Jon Lannan. We'll see if his offense can help against a tougher veteran lefty in Lilly.

7:05 pm EST
Athletics - Gonzalez (5-3, 2.49)
Orioles - Matusz (0-0, 1.59)
***Gotta like a matchup of two promising young lefties. Matusz won his first outing on June 1st after a lengthy DL stint. Gonzalez is looking to prove he can maintain consistency as a an above-average fantasy starter.

7:05 pm EST
Twins - Baker (4-2, 3.86)
@ Indians - Tomlin (7-2, 3.27)
***The focus is on Tomlin. He gave up 7 earned runs last week but still beat the Blue Jays. A light-hitting Twins order without Joe Mauer and potentially without table-setter Denard Span would look to get Tomlin back on track. If not, his fantasy status takes a major hit.

8:10 pm EST
Mariners - Pineda (6-2, 2.60)
@ White Sox - Danks (0-8, 5.25)
***Pineda is rolling. Danks looks like he might roll right out of the Sox rotation. Then again, against one of the worst offenses in baseball, this could be his chance to turn things around. The Sox own some slumbering big bats in a small ballpark. Let's see if Pineda can overpower them.

Readdressing Lee

Earlier this year we talked about the trouble in considering Cliff Lee a No. 1 starter in fantasy baseball. Several things contributed to our analysis that Lee should not be regarded as a top-flight pitcher, among them: an average K/9 rate and the dangerous afterglow following a career year.

All things change, however, and Lee's move to the National League has Spitting Seeds rethinking his value down the stretch. Lee tossed a stellar two-hit complete game on Wednesday, dropping his NL ERA to 0.72. Lee's K/9 has climbed by three full points to 9.3/9, putting him on par with elite-level pitchers. That's what a National League full of hitters that have rarely seen you can do for your numbers. Just ask CC Sabathia.

Fantasy Impact: Lee is back at fantasy ace status until further notice. He's 4-0 since joining the Phillies and will certainly get Cy Young consideration even with just a couple of full months in the NL.

Ug-Lee

Indians starter Cliff Lee threw the Chicago White Sox batting practice in game two of their series giving up 7 runs on 11 hits in three innings. His ERA soars to 3.39, which is obviously very respectable but still bot that of a frontline fantasy ace.

Fantasy Impact: Earlier in the year we talked about Lee's inflated value after his Cy Young season. Certainly there are fantasy managers out ther who over-valued the solid lefty. The fact of the matter is this: Lee is a good to very good pitcher, but he's not one of the top 10 or even 20 pitchers in baseball. He'll never dominate like the game's best, and therefore he'll continue to be a top-end No. 3 or low end No. 2 fantasy starter. If you drafted him high or kept him, here's hoping you moved him prior to this paltry showing.

Glee for Lee

Cleveland starter Cliff Lee outpitched White Sox ace Mark Buehrle for a 4-0 win, just Lee's second of the season. It was Lee's first victory in nearly a month. Buehrle offered his worst effort of 2009, and it wasn't that bad, save for a pair of homers he allowed to Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko.

Fantasy Impact: Lee's disappointing start to the season leaves him unlikely to regain his 2008 Cy Young numbers, but he's still a solid fantasy option. Last season's breakout prompted overbuying of Lee in 2009, as his average draft position jumped to 64th overall in CBSsports.com fantasy leagues. That pegs Lee as a high-end No. 2 starter in most fantasy leagues, which he is not. Lee is more likely a low-end No. 2 or a No. 3 starter at this point in his career. We lean toward Lee as a No. 3, especially on an Indians team that's mired in last place.