o wanting to do more in his Test career, Prince said. In the first innings [in Perth] he came out | Forum

Here we go again. Adidas Superstar Cheap . Its another shortened Thursday slate with limited options at the top. We do have one hurler who (barely) qualifies for elite status, so thats better than nothing. But even the middle and lower tiers dont bring much excitement. On the bright side, there should be plenty of funds available for plenty of top-tier hitters.PitchingEliteThe days only elite option is Drew Pomeranz, who earns a 61 Game Score with a road matchup against the Dodgers. The left-hander has been terrific this season, even away from Petco Park (2.66 ERA), and hes set up very well against a Dodgers team thats been dreadful against southpaws this season (79 wRC+). The Dodgers are middle-of-the-road in terms of whiffs, but Pomeranz combats that with a 10.3 K/9 that ranks top-10 in baseball. Hes also shown a nice floor, fanning six or more in seven straight starts. There arent many options I really like for cash Thursday, but Pomeranz is one of them.SolidRich Hill is another lefty who finds himself in a promising spot, particularly in terms of strikeout potential. The Astros whiff at a 24 percent clip against southpaws, and Hill does a fine job making batters miss, as his 10.3 K/9 would rank top-three in AL if he qualified. And despite featuring a lineup that contains plenty of right-handed power, the Astros have been well below average against lefty pitching in 2016. Hill is both cash and GPP viable.Since the beginning of June, spanning seven outings, Trevor Bauer owns a 1.81 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Hell look to continue that stretch of dominance against the Yankees, who have not fared well against righty pitching this season (88 wRC+). Bauers K upside is a bit limited in this one considering the Yanks make so much contact, but hes showcased a nice floor this year. Only once in 12 starts has he allowed more than three runs. Bauer is a worthy cash-game play.The Pirates offense is showing signs of life after completely tanking in June, but Adam Wainwright is showing signs of life as well. After posting a 6.80 ERA through his first eight starts, hes held a 3.09 mark in nine starts since. Hes also put up a respectable 7.9 K/9 rate in those nine outings (5.2 K/9 in the first eight). Theres not enough upside to justify Wainwright as a tournament option. I dont love him for cash, either, given the Bucs recent hot streak (won eight of last 10), but hes at least worth consideration on the shortened slate.Danny Duffys ESPN.com ownership is on the rise, but hes still available in nearly 50 of percent of leagues. Thats kind of hard to fathom considering he owns a 3.14 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 as a starter. In fact, his 6.00 K/BB ratio would rank top-five in baseball if he qualified. On Thursday, Duffy gets a Mariners team thats middle-of-the-road against lefties and strikes out at an average clip. Thats a usable scenario on a short slate like this one.At the halfway mark of the 2016 season, the Braves are still the worst team in baseball versus right-handed pitching, sporting an MLB-worst .284 wOBA and 74 wRC+. In other words, Thursday looks like a fine time to fire up Jason Hammel. Its worth noting that the right-hander is coming off one of the worst starts of his career (10 ER, including five homers, in 4 IP to the Mets). Then again, Hammel has been a stable option this season, allowing more than three earned runs only three times in his 16 starts, and hes in an ideal matchup. Hes worth considering in cash as an SP2.StreamersDoug Fister is not what youd call exciting. He whiffs less than six batters per nine, after all. He has, however, allowed more than three earned runs just twice in his last 14 starts, giving him a solid floor. And his home matchup against the As is prime. The As have been the worst team in the AL against righties this season, sporting an 85 wRC+. Fister is still available in nearly 50 percent of ESPN leagues.Say what you want about Bartolo Colon (that his ESPN.com ownership is just 36 percent says plenty). But the guy just keeps getting it done. Although he still doesnt miss many bats (6.0 K/9), his control continues to be outstanding (1.6 BB/9). A home tilt against the Nationals, who are below average against righty pitching, puts Colon in play as a nice streaming option.Lucas Giolito had his first big league start shortened by rain, but he tossed four scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Mets before he left. He gets another crack at the Mets, and this time the weather forecast looks much more promising. One of baseballs top pitching prospects, Giolito whiffed just one batter in his first outing, but he showcased plenty of K potential in the minors and matches up well with a Mets team thats fanning 23 percent of the time. Hes still a free agent in 45 percent of leagues.AvoidJustin Verlander has been a DFS asset at times this season, but Thursday is a time when Im steering clear, at least in cash. A trip to Toronto to face the Blue Jays is one of the toughest spots in the game. Not only does the Rogers Centre inflate homers for both right- and left-handed batters, but the Jays mash there, putting up a .339 wOBA this season. They also do plenty of damage against right-handed pitching (.331 wOBA). There are other pitching options available in much better spots.The Rays may whiff at a 24 percent clip versus left-handed pitching, but theyre also the most dangerous team in baseball against lefties this season (127 wRC+). Theres also the fact that Hector Santiago has a tendency to get himself in trouble with walks (3.9 BB/9) and has had homer issues this season. Some will think Santiagos strikeout upside is worth the risk, but for me its not.Perhaps if Tyler Glasnow were debuting against a different team it would be a different story but the last thing you want to do versus the St. Louis Cardinals is give them extra runners via the walk, which is exactly what the Pittsburgh Pirates prized prospect has been doing. Despite a sparkling 1.78 ERA and 1.14 WHIP at Triple-A Indianapolis, Glasnow walked 52 in 96 innings, a 4.8 BB/9. Minor league hitters struggled making contact facing the 22-year old right-hander, fanning 119 times with only 57 hits. A team like the Redbirds should take advantage of the wildness and make better contact, even without Matt Carpenter. If things go as planned, there will be well over 300 more chances to use Glasnow over the next ten years or so, its fine to avoid his first.HittingWe highlighted Fister as a potential streaming option, but the fact remains that hes had trouble against left-handed hitters this season, as theyve put up a .393 wOBA against him. The As may be punchless against righty pitching, but Josh Reddick, whos batting .355 against right-handed pitching this season, and Stephen Vogt are definitely in play. Switch-hitters Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie could be worthy punts.There are two 10 hitter ratings Thursday, and one goes to left-handed Cleveland bats against Ivan Nova. Playing the top three hitters in the Indians order -- Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor -- should pay dividends for DFS players.Chad Bettis, whose 5.85 ERA is the worst in baseball, has not fared well at Coors Field this year, as his 6.69 home ERA can attest. Hes shown reverse splits in his career, making Maikel Franco and Cameron Rupp prime plays. Odubel Herrera, who is hitting .329 with all 10 of his homers against righties this season, should be on your radar as well.Opposing Bettis in the Coors Field game is southpaw Adam Morgan, summoned from the bullpen to give Aaron Nola a mental break, not to mention avoiding a confidence-deflating beating. Youll also want to get some exposure to Rockies bats. Morgan has been equally poor against all hitters, so theres no need to get picky here, as most Colorado hitters will be viable options. Nolan Arenado will be one of the days top plays if you can afford him.Chi Chi Gonzalez has yet to prove he belongs in the big leagues. In 16 career appearances, hes walked more than hes struck out and been hammered for a 4.79 home ERA. The Twins are in town and should have plenty of opportunity to get their licks in.Most likely to go yard: Nolan ArenadoArenado versus lefty Morgan at Coors Field? Book it.Most likely to swipe a bag: Jason HeywardTyler Flowers has thrown out just two of 34 basestealers this season. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for Heyward to try to generate ?offense on the basepaths. Adidas Superstar Cheap China . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. Cheap Adidas Superstar . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. http://www.cheapadidassuperstar.com/ . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. South Africa batsman JP Duminy was considering retiring from Test cricket in January, when he was dropped for the New Years Test against England, before he was talked out of it by Ashwell Prince, who was a selector at the time. Duminy ended a run of patchy form by scoring 141 in the second innings to give South Africa a 300-plus lead over Australia in the ongoing Perth Test.When he was dropped in January, he was considering retiring from Test cricket, Prince told ESPNcricinfo in Perth. He had the conversation with me because the convener of selectors was not at the Cape Town Test, so I had to go and take him the news that he wont be playing.At that time, he was at a real low point and he was being honest and giving his feelings. As a selector, and with him being an important player to South African cricket, you try and convince him to think about it. Im sure when he thinks back about that conversation this afternoon or this evening, he will know how he was feeling then and with the feeling he is having now, he will be happy that he carried on.Duminy admitted that at that time he lacked direction, especially in Tests. There was indifferent feelings. I wasnt sure where I was going in terms of my career but I am very grateful to get another opportunity.He had gone 12 innings without a hundred when he was dropped, and in that time he had only passed fifty once. Like his team-mates, he struggled in India and with South African cricket itself on the wane, had several reasons to walk away. Its difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was but he was out of form, Prince said. With the type of calendar that they have these days, he has got a young baby, a young family, all that might have played a role.That was when Prince reminded Duminy, who had replaced him in the 2008 Perth Test and made a half-century in a famous victory, of the prestige of the longest format. I was talking to him as a friend, rather than a selector. I was making him understand how important Test cricket is for a player. You can play hundreds of ODIs and T20 and make millions but when you are done playing, you always think about what you did in the Test-match arena, Prince said. You can play fifty ODIs quickly and not remember anything. These type of performances, thats what the game is all about.During the conversation, Prince said Duminy told him that he needed a bit of a break, and was going to take the New Years week off but then he decided to play in a franchise first-class match. He scored a career-best 260. I dont know what changed from him wanting a break and then playing in that match but he got 250 straight away and I think the next Test he was back in.Faf du Plessis was dropped for the next ggame and Duminy returned but not with much success. Wholesale Adidas Superstar. . He scored 19 and 29 against England at SuperSport Park and it was only when he struck 88 against New Zealand seven months later that it seemed he had found form again. Then, Duminy was able to realign his goals with his performances.The change came for me just before the West Indies tour, Duminy said. I sat down and reassessed my goals. Test cricket has always been a big part of my goal setting and I knew I was at a crossroads in my Test career. I wanted to leave my Test career knowing that Ive given it my all, and I committed to myself that I was going to give myself the best chance, so that was the difference. It was a personal thing. I didnt necessarily speak to anyone about it. I just sat down, wrote a few things down, where I want to go, what I still want to achieve.In that match, played without the injured AB de Villiers, Duminy was moved to No. 4, which is where he has batted in this Perth Test, and the change of position might have led to a change in fortune.If you are at No. 6, 90% of the time, you are batting with the bowlers so you will always have to try and think how am I going to marshall my way through this innings, Prince said. Do I trust them? Are they looking good on the day or are they looking like its going to be a matter of time? You are taking everything into consideration, whether its spinning, whether they are getting in line behind the ball. Maybe upfront he is a lot more relaxed, he has a lot more time to bat, he doesnt have to think should I attack more, should I defend more, or how the tail is lining up. He just has to bat.For Duminy, the move to No. 4 refreshed his approach. I was pleased with the opportunity. It is something I have always enjoyed in the first-class arena. To be given the nod to go ahead, especially with it being such a crucial position in the South African team, was a big positive for me and I knew I had to step up and fill some big boots. You had Kallis and AB de Villiers batting there before. Today [in Perth] was a step in the right direction.But more than the change of position, Prince believed it was a mental shift that did the trick for Duminy. I think its 100% mindset. I think maybe he has thought about and committed to wanting to do more in his Test career, Prince said. In the first innings [in Perth] he came out looking to play more positively and maybe once or twice was a little loose, in the second innings he came out positive again but a lot more selective. His shot selection and his stroke play has been sublime. ' ' '