Closer on the brink (USAT)

All's well that ends well, especially when you're beating a division opponent on the road. But as the Diamondbacks celebrate their 5-3 victory at Los Angeles on Tuesday night, they also have to ponder the state of their closer situation.

J.J. Putz entered the game in the bottom of the ninth, fresh off his recent vote of confidence, but he wasn't around long. He walked Nick Punto on four pitches and shortly after that sullenly walked off the field, dealing with elbow stiffness (per beat writer Jack Magruder, tests are scheduled for Wednesday). Heath Bell relieved Putz and handled the assignment just fine, setting down Juan Uribe, Carl Crawford and Dee Gordon. Give this one to the Union of the Snakes.

Bell was the closer choice here given David Hernandez had already pitched (scoreless eighth, dodging two base runners). Lefty Matt Reynolds, the man mowing down everyone in 2013, didn't work in the game.

Big Game James (USAT)

Leaving a home park that ranked first, second and seventh when it comes to suppressing runs scored over the past three years respectively (according to Park Factors) and a defense that has the highest UZR over that span as well, I was down on James Shields entering 2013. After all, he was just two years removed from a season in which he posted a 5.18 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. But I’ve been dead wrong. Shields has been one of the best pitchers in baseball so far in 2013, as he’s currently sporting a 2.52 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a 48:12 K:BB ratio over 50.0 innings. His average fastball velocity (92.4 mph) is a career high, but it’s been the increased use of his cutter that’s led to the early season success. Shields is not only becoming a better pitcher than I gave him credit for, but his change in environments might have been overblown as well. For one, leaving the AL East for the Central was a plus, and the Royals’ defense currently leads the American League in UZR by a wide margin, and while that’s an extremely small sample when it comes to defensive numbers, it’s also worth pointing out Kauffman Stadium has a HR Park Index for LHB of 81 over the past three years, which is the eighth lowest in MLB. Shields is legit, and while those who criticized the Wil Myers trade (myself included) may very well be right in the long term, the deal certainly looks good for Kansas City right now.

Junichi Tazawa (USAT Images)Well, it didn't take long for details of the latest Boston bullpen re-org to hit the street. If you're chasing saves in fantasy (as most of us are, eternally), you'll want to go get the dude pictured over on the right, Junichi Tazawa. He's currently available in 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan checked out of Monday's game with an injury that doesn't sound minor, and Tazawa is the next man up.

Boston manager John Farrell offered these comments on Tuesday on SiriusXM MLB Network Radio:

"I think what we'd look to do is close Tazawa. We'd keep Koji [Uehara] in that eight inning role that he's been in."

Nothing vague about that quote. Tazawa it is. He's a hard-thrower (93-96) who perhaps fits the traditional closer profile better than Uehara. Tazawa's numbers have been absurd over the past two seasons: 58.1 IP, 8 BB, 63 Ks, 1.70 ERA, 0.96 WHIP.

Yup, that's right: Eight walks and 63 strikeouts. His stuff is solid. Just check the tape.

Love that dirty water (USAT)

Monday was a fun day to be a sports fan in The Hub. The Bruins took care of business in the YYZ, thumping Toronto, while the Red Sox enjoyed a walk-off win over Minnesota. John Farrell's club has a 21-11 record through the opening five weeks, the best mark in baseball.

A high-octane offense is driving much of the Red Sox story: Boston currently stands fifth in runs, third in OBP, third in slugging, and second in stolen bases. There's solid production all over this lineup. And with that in mind, let's check in with the most under-appreciated part of the group, shortstop Stephen Drew.

Drew was the hero of Monday's victory at Fenway, collecting four hits. His homer in the seventh inning tied the score for the locals, and a wall-scraping double in the bottom of the 11th (thanks, Ryan Doumit) ended the game. Drew also made a couple of snappy plays in the field.

Marcell Ozuna (Getty Images)

A week ago, when Giancarlo Stanton hit the disabled list with a hamstring strain, the Marlins called up 22-year-old outfielder Marcell Ozuna from Double-A Jacksonville. Ozuna was off to a noisy start in the Southern League, hitting .333/.383/.810 over his first 10 games with five homers and 15 RBIs.

Upon joining the Fish, he actually picked up the pace.

Ozuna has hit safely in every game he's played for Miami thus far, going 11-for-23 with four doubles, four runs scored and four RBIs. He hit his first major league home run on Saturday, a wall-scraper off Cole Hamels, then went 4-for-5 on Sunday with a pair of doubles.

So it's time we kicked the tires on this kid. He's owned in just eight percent of Yahoo! leagues, available to most of you.

Hard times for Halladay (USAT)

Sports mismatches are usually easy to spot a mile away. Verlander against the Astros. The Patriots against the Bills. Usain Bolt against anyone.

In 2013, oddly, we can add Kevin Slowey versus Roy Halladay to that list.

The worst team in the majors finally had a day to laugh about Sunday, as the Marlins crushed the Phillies, 14-2. Slowey was brilliant over seven two-hit innings (2 BB, 7 K), lowering his ERA to 1.81 and his WHIP to 0.94. Halladay was the opposite extreme, allowing nine earned runs and leaving in the middle of the third. He's now carrying an 8.65 ERA and 1.41 WHIP; looking at his stat page is like staring into the sun. Step away from the laptop, gamer.

Halladay conceded after the game that he's been pitching through a sore shoulder. It's just about a lock he'll go on the disabled list. It's sad to see a likely Hall of Famer struggle like this. That said, if you're limited in your DL slots, I'm not sure Halladay is even worth a stash at this point. He turns 36 in the middle of the month, he's been dealing with velocity problems all year, and he's coming off a messy 2012 season (4.49/1.22). Gravity always wins.

New kid in town (USAT)

Sunday Night Baseball. Giants and Dodgers. Cain and Ryu. That should be enough of a hook right there.

The usual subjects apply: baseball real and fake, music, food, film, crayons. Grab a drink, vote in a poll, learn a stat. Come get silly with your pretend internet friends.

The chat applet is yours after the jump, jumpers. Cancel all engagements, this is where you need to be. 

Many have already written him off, but Vick isn't done yet. (USAT)

On the NFL calendar, May is usually marked with contract disputes, unsubstantiated rumors and, in the case of Justin Blackmon, unlawful acts. However, an interesting tidbit trickled off the wire last week prompting Eagles, and fantasy, fans to reminisce about 2010.

Ahh, the good ol’ days.

Last Thursday, with teammates looking on, Michael Vick went all Usain Bolt on LeSean McCoy, burning the gum-flapping youngster, a player eight years his junior, in a 40-yard footrace, a resounding victory for thirty-somethings everywhere.

Most will understandably brush off the four-yard dusting as nothing more than a meatless bite on an otherwise slow news day. Their perspective, to a point, is legitimate, but when you take into account the big picture, Vick’s triumph offers so much more.