It was definitely a Happy Mother’s Day at our house. Hope it was at yours as well. This week, we’re looking back at the gems the Cardinals’ pitched against the Rockies this weekend, a marquee outfielder who can’t get going, and more. Here we go:

Who’s Hot?

Shelby Miller, St. Louis Cardinals

How do you pick which start was more impressive? I finally had to choose Miller’s since I’ve seen Adam Wainwright’s greatness before. I don’t think it’s a stretch at all to say that the 22-year-old pitched the single best game by a rookie starter since Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout masterpiece against the Astros in 1998. Miller struck out 13, walked NONE and allowed only a broken-bat base hit against the Rockies. Some of the strikeouts were absolutely jaw-dropping. Perfectly placed fastballs. Breaking balls that dropped right over the plate. You name it. Miller had it all working for him. He said after the game on MLB Network that it was the best game he had ever pitched. Among the many stats and charts I’ve seen over the weekend about the pure greatness of this start, this one really jumped out at me: in the past 10 years, how many starts have there been where the pitcher allowed one hit (or none), struck out at least 13 batters, while walking none? Three. That’s it.  Here they are:

• 5/18/2004 – Randy Johnson, age 40, Arizona vs. Atlanta (perfect game)
• 6/13/2012 – Matt Cain, age 27, SF vs. Houston (perfect game)
• 5/10/2013 – Miller

The fact that the Big Unit pitched a perfect game at age 40 quite a feat as well, but a subject for another day. This is a damn impressive list. Miller is 22 and just scratching the surface of his abilities. If you own Miller on your fantasy team, here are a couple of other stats that will have you patting yourself on the back: he has yet to allow more than three earned runs in a start and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is 51-to-11. That is dominating for any starter. Of course, it is important to remember that Miller has less than a dozen major-league starts under his belt and there is bound to be some adjustment as opposing teams become more familiar with him. It would be unrealistic to expect no regression. Then again, as he matures, he figures to get even better. So far, it appears that the #1 starter-like projections predicted for Miller are right on target. After Friday night, Rockies hitters are in position to argue that point.

Who’s Not?

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

When your most noteworthy accomplishment of the season is a post-game altercation with another player, you know you’re off to a bad start. Someone please alert Kemp that the 2013 season started over a month ago. Entering Sunday’s games, Kemp’s batting line looked like that of a fourth outfielder on a good team: 1 HR, 14 RBI, 5 SB, .268 average. Okay, the RBI total is a little better than that of a reserve, but that’s about it. He just can’t get on track. How much longer can fantasy owners keep saying, “it’s early – he’ll be fine”? Fantasy owners cannot be happy to see that he is on pace for 4 HRs and 71 runs scored. Kemp has driven in one measly run and stolen a single base since Cinco de Mayo. He might have had an 11-game hitting streak going, but those hits aren’t translating to other stats for fantasy owners (or the Dodgers). Since you likely paid big auction dollars or used a high draft pick on Kemp, you really have no realistic choice but to wait and hope that he gets going soon. Trading him now would be a pennies-on-the-dollar move.

Playing the Name Game

Player A: .298/.365/.632, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 10 runs, 1 SB

Player B: .285/.379/.551, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 10 runs, 0 SB

Player A is the Angels’ Mike Trout. Player B is the Indians’ Mark Reynolds. Trout is being viewed by some baseball analysts as a bust, while Reynolds is being hailed as the best bargain free-agent signing of the year. Both are incorrect. Trout is on pace for 27 homers, 112 RBI, 22 steals and 100 runs scored. Reynolds is not going to hit 50 homers and drive in 150, as he is currently on pace to do. But it’s a mighty nice hot streak for the Sons of Geronimo and fantasy owners to enjoy. Anyone who considers Trout a bust, or who thinks Reynolds is going to maintain his current numbers, is an idiot. Let’s check back in a month.

Player A: 1-0, 3.85 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 22 Ks, 14 IP

Player B: 2-0, 2.31 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 16 Ks, 11 2/3 IP

Player A is Yu Darvish of the Rangers. Player B is Ubaldo Jimenez of the Indians. I had to read those numbers three times to make sure I wasn’t mixing them up with, say, James Shields or another front-line AL starter. Jimenez has actually put together back-to-back quality starts for the Tribe. In fact, Jimenez out-pitched Justin Verlander on Saturday, his third straight win.  Results like that are more in line with what the Indians had in mind when they dealt two of their top pitching prospects to the Rockies for the former All-Star starter in  July 2011. Personally, I wouldn’t trust that Jimenez has made some sort of breakthrough, but his success and that of Scott Kazmir, Cleveland is on a roll the past couple weeks and is bearing down on Detroit for first in the AL Central. The Indians have plenty of hitting. If, by chance, Jimenez can continue pitching this effectively, the Indians will be a big step closer to being a genuine contender.

Random Thoughts

• One final note on Shelby Miller: he has been quoted as saying that he has not shaken off a single pitch Yadier Molina has called for all season. Not only do you not run on Yadi, you don’t shake off Yadi, either.

• Let’s not forget Jon Lester. He pitched a beauty of his own last Friday night against the Blue Jays. He allowed just one hit, a double by Maicer Izturis in the 6^th inning. For the season, Lester is 5-0 with a 2.73 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. It’s not a coincidence that he is pitching like an ace and the Red Sox are winning again.

• Wainwright’s shutout of the Rockies on Saturday was no slouch, either. He didn’t strike out as many batters as Miller did Friday, but he had dazzling command of that 12-to-6 bender that gets hitters bailing out of the batter’s box, only to watch the ball drop right in the zone. When he gets that pitch going, he’s as fun to watch as any dominant ace.

• Wainwright Walk Watch: 4. That’s four batters that Wainwright has walked this season (in a National League-high 58 2/3 innings), compared with 55 strikeouts. That’s a 13.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is so far beyond ridiculously good that it’s, well, ridiculous.

• On the other hand, there’s poor Philip Humber of the Astros. First he was banished to the bullpen by Houston. Then, after getting hammered out of the pen Saturday night, his stats sit thusly: 0-8, a ghastly 9.59 ERA, 2.02 WHIP, 43 ERA+. When you see that Humber has allowed 14 hits and nearly four walks per nine innings, it’s no wonder he has been charged with the loss in eight of his nine appearances this season. How did he ever pitch a perfect game?
• I think enough has been said and written about how terrible Angel Hernandez as an umpire. On second thought, no, it hasn’t been enough – his continued employment in an embarrassment to baseball. Likewise with Bob Davidson. A scientific poll (read: not scientific at all) reveals that the overall quality of umpiring would double if just those two were pink-slipped.

• As incompetent as Hernandez’s blown home run call was, it pales in comparison to the fiasco the following night with Astros manager Bo Porter just making up rules regarding pitching changes. Botching a call is nothing compared to not knowing the stinking rule book. My idea for an outside-the-box punishment for those umpires? Having to umpire a game while wearing dunce caps.

• They could borrow them from the ESPN executives who think it’s a good idea to pay John Kruk a salary to talk about baseball on TV.

Follow me on Twitter: @ccaylor10

The Royals host Minnesota for three games and Tampa Bay for the final four games of the season. There are only a couple Royals worth starting this week.

Joakim Soria converted his 40^th and 41^st save last week. He is one of the top closers in Major League Baseball. Soria has not given up a run since July 28, which is up to 21.2 scoreless innings. Soria has converted 41 of 43 save opportunities. On the season, he has a 1.58 ERA with 69 strikeouts through 62.2 innings. Keep him active in all formats for the final week.

Billy Butler continues to have his most productive month of the season. Last week he batted .360 with one home run and four RBI’s. His season batting average is up to .320. This season against the Twins and Rays he is batting .275 with no home runs and four RBI’s through 17 games. I expect Butler to continue hitting well for the final week and make sure you have him active.

Zack Greinke imploded last week against favorable matchups. Going into last week he had a 3.36 ERA against the Indians and Tigers. He went 0-2 with an 11.74 ERA and 2.83 WHIP through 9.2 innings. With that performance his season ERA raised to 4.23. Most likely if you started him as I recommended, your pitching stats took a big hit. Greinke actually has a solid strikeout to walk ratio of 172 to 53 this season. He is scheduled to pitch Thursday against the Rays. In his one start against Tampa Bay this season he took the loss while allowing one run over eight innings. Hopefully you are not relying on Greinke this week. I would sit him unless you have no other options.

Hopefully Soria and Butler can give you the help your team needs for a final week push. Greinke is too much of a risk and I do not have the confidence in him performing enough to give help. Tampa Bay is on a mission for home field advance so they will pull all punches for a win.

No other Royals are worth giving your fantasy team the help for the final week.

This week the Cardinals travel to Cincinnati for three games and host Chicago for a three game weekend series. Look for a good week from these Cardinals to give your fantasy team a boost.

Albert Pujols showed last week that having a batting average under .300 was just temporary. The last seven games, he has batted .500 with five home runs, 11 RBI’s, and scored 10 runs. Pujols is now batting .310 with 28 home runs, and 82 RBI’s. He looks to be on track for another MVP season and making fantasy owners very happy. This season he is batting .338 with seven home runs and 20 RBI’s against the Reds and Cubs. Matt Holliday should have a good week. This season against the Reds and Cubs he is batting .353 with two home runs and 11 RBI’s. On the season he is batting .299 with 22 home runs and 67 RBI’s. Those stats put Holliday in outfield elite status. As always Pujols and Holliday should be active in all fantasy formats.

Colby Rasmus has been a mystery as of late. He has been inconsistent and it has become difficult to know when he should be in the line-up. The last seven games Rasmus is batted .333 with two home runs, five RBI’s, and scored seven runs. Those are the stats fantasy owners can live with. This season against the Reds and Cubs, he is batting .232 with three home runs, seven RBI’s, while striking out 21 times in 16 games. With those stats I recommend to sit Rasmus this week. Jon Jay will not put up the power numbers as a typical outfielder. He is batting .371 and an on base percentage of .417. As long as he continues to get on base, take a flier on him. Jay can definitely help a team which needs batting average help.

Adam Wainwright showed fantasy owners why he is an elite fantasy starting pitcher with a complete game two hit shutout against the Marlins in his last start. This season he is 16-6 with a 2.07 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 154 strikeouts. He is currently scheduled to pitch Wednesday against Cincinnati. Wainwright is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in two starts against the Reds. He is a must start in all fantasy formats. Chris Carpenter is currently scheduled to pitch Monday against Cincinnati. He has not lost to the Reds in the last two seasons going 7-0 with a 1.29 ERA. This season in three starts against the Reds he is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and three walks over 21 innings pitched. With those numbers, Carpenter has to be a must start pitcher in all fantasy formats.

Jaime Garcia is currently scheduled to pitch Tuesday against Cincinnati. In two starts against the Reds this season he is 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA. Even though Garcia was knocked around against Houston in his last start, hopefully he can rebound and give a strong outing. So far he is 9-5 with a 2.52 ERA. He remains a solid option in all fantasy formats. Ryan Franklin had another bad outing on Saturday. He was charged with his second blown save of the season. With two bad outings in a row, confidence that Franklin will finish the season out strong is diminishing. His fantasy value is still solid in mixed leagues but I would monitor his performances this week. If Franklin continues to pitch like his last two outings, he will join the find and replace group.