nd-seeded Victoria Azarenka held off an upset bid by quali

The All-Star break stands a single game away, but fantasy never sleeps.?The axiom good pitching stops good hitting will be put to the test Sunday, as one of the top left-handers in the league faces one of the best lineups when theres a southpaw on the hill.PitchingEliteAmidst all the injured and underperforming upper-level starting pitchers, Madison Bumgarner is doing what he always does, sporting a sparkling 2.09 ERA and 1.02 WHIP -- all fully supported by outstanding peripherals. The Diamondbacks weighted on-base average (wOBA) vs. lefties is the best in the game, and its not all due to Chase Field either, as they carry the fifth-best mark on the road in that scenario into AT&T Park to close out the pseudo-first half demarcated by the All-Star Game. Theres not a lot of competition in terms of cash game play, so despite the tough opponent, Bumgarner is still the optimal choice for that format, though fading him for a cheaper option is the smart play for GPPs.If youre concerned that Bumgarner may get hit, Carlos Carrasco is also in a very good spot, taking the hill in Progressive Field to square off with the New York Yankees. After a rough stretch in early June after returning from the disabled list Carrasco has righted the ship, boasting a 1.21 ERA over his past four starts with 32 punchouts in 29 2/3 innings -- albeit with 10 walks. The free passes are the only concern here, as Carrasco remains a little inconsistent with his control, but fortunately for him, the Yankees arent nearly as disciplined as in past seasons (though they dont whiff much either). The lack of strikeout upside yields Carrasco as another ace better suited for cash play.Pop quiz: Which team leads the American League in woBA vs. lefties? If you guessed the Tampa Bay Rays, nice job. That said, they also whiff at an above-average rate in these conditions. When the Rays faced David Price in late June, they tagged him for nine hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings. However, the ex-Ray fanned 10 on his former team with only one walk, which has been a microcosm of his first half -- great peripherals, terrible results. Please dont interpret that as all bad luck, as Price hasnt been as sharp with runners on base along with allowing more homers than usual. Price will benefit from home-field advantage but, remember, Tropicana Field is a hitters park while Fenway favors offense; that means high strikeout potential, but also presents a risk of giving up some runs -- sounds like a GPP play.SolidThose who took a chance on Kenta Maeda in seasonal formats have to be ecstatic with his first half. Lets see what happens after the break, as the weather continues to warm and the workload continues to grow. As for Sunday, Maeda has a great chance to head into the break on a high note with the San Diego Padres closing out a set in Dodgers Stadium. The Friars tote a weak 0.298 wOBA and generous 24 percent strikeout rate against right-handers, and with a 8.8 K/9, the Los Angeles Dodgers?righty is set up nicely for either cash or GPP play.Since coming off of the disabled list in late June, A.J. Griffin has scuffled in his three efforts, tossing five innings only once. Look for Griffin to regain his early-season form as the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers meet up in Arlington. The guests are below-average vs. righties, while offering Griffin just enough strikeout upside to be a lesser-priced tournament hurler.Miami Marlins righty Tom Koehler doesnt have much upside, but with a home date against the Cincinnati Reds he profiles as a safe option as a second arm for cash play. The visitors carry a below-average wOBA in concert with an above-average strikeout rate in to Marlins Park.With 20 of the 32 scheduled starters falling in the streaming range, Ill open the floor if you have questions on the other options in the solid tier, John Lackey and Steven Matz, but to be honest, neither lines up well for DFS action. Please post your queries in the comments below or send them via Twitter to @ToddZola and Ill be sure to answer anything pertaining to Sundays ledger.StreamersShall we go to the well again? Earlier in the week this space recommended streaming James Shields, and those who heeded this advice were rewarded. Considering that the Atlanta Braves are one of the weakest clubs when a righty is on the hill, lets roll the dice again. Its encouraging that the Chicago White Sox veteran right-hander has surrendered only four homers in his past five outings, though one of those was a shellacking at the hands of the Cleveland Indians. Still, the litmus test with Shields is the long ball, and if he can do a better job keeping the ball in the yard hes still useful in American League-only formats.Head-to-head leagues have varying ways of dealing with the short week following the break. If your leagues scoring period ends Sunday and you need some strikeouts,?Cody Reed?could be your guy?as he draws the Miami Marlins and their 24 percent whiff rate against lefties. The Cincinnati Reds rookie southpaw has opened his career with a hefty 9.9 K/9 but beware, the punchouts may come at the expense of ratios.Masahiro Tanaka is a solid pitcher who has dropped to the streaming tier due to a tough road matchup with the Cleveland Indians. Even so, I dont sit a hurler of Tanakas caliber, so the New York Yankees right-hander remains an active option.Gio Gonzalez is another risky option for those chasing punchouts, as the Washington Nationals lefty toes the Citi Field rubber to face the New York Mets and their 25 percent strikeout clip against southpaws.Dallas Keuchel heads the list of first-half disappointments. The Houston Astros lefty will look to head into the break on a winning note as the Oakland Athletics send Sean Manaea to the Minute Maid Park hill. Keuchel should be favored if you need another win to capture the week.Mike Leake is another option for a late-week win, as the St. Louis Cardinals visit Miller Park. Leake doesnt miss many bats, but because the Milwaukee Brewers fan at a generous 26 percent clip against right-handers, he may tack on a couple extra punchouts while being in play for the win.AvoidThere are a number of potential streamers who werent highlighted, but arent so risky that you should categorically avoid them either; those discussed in the above category stand out as the best options to garner the late win or handful of strikeouts. The only three Sunday starters who are too dangerous unless you have no other choice are Tommy Milone, Tim Lincecum and Zach Eflin. Milone is tasked with keeping the Texas Rangers in check in Globe Life Park while Eflin has the unenviable job of facing the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field. Lincecum has had issues with the long ball, which doesnt bode well against the Orioles in Camden Yards. To reiterate, this may be the last day before the break, but well still be on alert, looking for your questions in the comments.Hitting The team hitter rankings corroborate the pattern discussed in pitching regarding a slew of borderline options, as there are only six lineups registering an overall ranking thats above a six. Two squads come in at nine, along with an eight and three sevens.The chalk play will be the Colorado Rockies facing Eflin. Eflin may not have the pedigree or hype of some of the more heralded Philadelphia Phillies prospect pitchers, but he does have a chance of becoming a major league-level starter. That said, hes currently overmatched in Coors, so look for Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story in order to take advantage.The Baltimore Orioles are the other top-ranked offense, squaring off with Lincecum. The Los Angeles Angels righty hasnt pitched more than four frames since his six-inning debut, and while the Orioles have been relatively quiet this series, look for that to change; that charge should be led by Chris Davis and Hyun Soo Kim with the platoon edge, along with Adam Jones, Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo, who are still in a good spot without it.The Chicago White Sox possess the eight ranking among those top six lineups, against Atlanta Braves right-hander Mike Foltynewicz. Adam Eaton is the strongest play, as hell enjoy the platoon split, with Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier also in play -- especially considering Foltynewiczs 2.4 HR/9.The first of the teams scoring a seven mark is the Philadelphia Phillies in Coors against Tyler Chatwood. Odubel Herrera and Cody Asche are the best plays, even though they struggled early in this series.Next up is the Seattle Mariners, who have an away affair in Kauffmann Stadium against Dillon Gee and his 19 HR/9. The usual suspects reign, including Leonys Martin, Seth Smith, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Nelson Cruz.Finally, the Texas Rangers right-handers are in play against Minnesota Twins lefty Tommy Milone. Most notably, Ian Desmond, Adrian Beltre and Ryan Rua are in the best spots.Most likely to go deep: David Ortiz has a flair for the dramatic, so sending the Fenway faithful home happy heading into the break is right up his alley. It helps that Jake Odorizzi and his 1.4 HR/9 will be doing the throwing, at least to start.Most likely to swipe a base: Lets stay in Beantown and tag Mookie Betts, especially if Hank Conger is back behind the dish for the Rays.Enjoy the break, everyone. Well be back Thursday with the Daily Notes for the first Friday of the second half. Air Max 97 Just Do It Outlet . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Air Max 97 Just Do It . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. http://www.airmax97outlet.it/scontate-air-max-97-argento.html . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Air Max 97 Grigie Outlet . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Air Max 97 2020 . PETERSBURG, Fla.MASON, Ohio -- Fresh off their inspired performances at the Rogers Cup, Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil are into the second round of the Western & Southern Open. Raonic, who dropped Sundays final in Montreal to Rafael Nadal, defeated Jack Sock 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday night to advance at the tournament just outside Cincinnati. "Mentally I felt good, it was a bit about getting used to the conditions and the environment," Raonic said of his slow start against the American. "I stuck through it and in the second set I stayed positive and started to play a bit more aggressive. The 12th seed from Thornhill, Ont., Raonic lost to Sock in Memphis in February after winning in San Jose the previous week for the third year running. Raonic, now ranked a career-high 10th on the ATP Tour after beating Pospisil in the Rogers Cup semifinals, disposed of Sock in just under two hours. He will meet Serbias Janko Tipsarevic in the next round. "Tipsarevic will be a tough opponent," said Raonic. "Ive got to keep doing what Ive been doing, clean up my service games a bit and get better at closing it out." Pospisil, now also ranked a career-best at No. 40, advanced when Frances Gilles Simon retired with an injury. Simon was trailing 6-3, 1-1 when he ended the match. "It was a strange match," Pospisil said. "I started out well but I noticed that something was going on with him, I think it might have been the hip. "It was difficult to play from that point. It was fortunate for me and unfortunate for him." The Vernon, B.C., native needed just 36 minutes to sweep the opening set against Simon, who lost his fifth match in a row and hasnt won since mid-June. Pospisil faces Belgiums David Goffin in the next round. "The match will be tough and I dont see a clear favourite," Pospisil said. "Hes a dangerous player, very talented, and has beaten some top players. Well have to see." Meanwhile, defending mens champion and fifth-seeded Roger Federer advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 7-6 (7) win over 29th-ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber. "It was just really important to play somewhat of a clean match," said Federer, who already has won a record five W&S championships and improved to 7-0 in his career against Kohlschreiber. "Straight sets is always a good match. Its a good win for me." John Isner defeated Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4, and Grigor Dimitrov defeated Brian Baker 6-3, 6-2. Third-seeded David Ferrer edged Ryan Harrison 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4. On the womens side, Maria Sharapovas return to WTA tournament play after more than a month away was short-lived following an upset loss to 17th-ranked American Sloane Stephens 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. In a match that lasted two hours 22 minutes, Stephens overcame double faults on ttwo match points to pick up her first victory over Sharapova in four meetings.dddddddddddd "It definitely started out rough," Stephens said. "A set and 0-2, she was killing it. Im glad I was able to turn it around and start playing good tennis." Sharapova, the 2011 W&S champion and a 2010 finalist, showed no traces of the hip injury that had kept her sidelined since a second-round loss at Wimbledon. "I thought I started the match off pretty well, but when you put yourself in a really good position, you cant let it go," Sharapova said. "Thats what I did tonight. I didnt continue what I was doing well for the first set and a half, and that hurt me. "You know, I stopped being patient. I started making a lot more errors, especially off the first ball -- just errors that I shouldnt make. Obviously I havent played in a long time, but I cant make that excuse for myself because Ive got to be ready from the first match. So its obviously disappointing, but thats the way it goes in this game." Jimmy Connors, who won the tournament 41 years ago, watched from the stands in his first match as Sharapovas coach. She hired Connors, the 1972 champion and a 1986 finalist, in mid-July. Fourteenth-seeded Jelena Jankovic, the 2009 champion and 2011 runner-up, advanced to the second round with a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-2 win over Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisiski. In earlier action, second-seeded Victoria Azarenka held off an upset bid by qualifier Vania King to pull out a 6-1, 7-6 (6) win and advance to the third round. Azarenka rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the second set to force the tiebreaker against the 140th-ranked American. Azarenka, who has been bothered by a lower back injury, won her first match since losing to Samantha Stosur in the finals of the Southern California Open two weeks ago. "I think the beginning of the second set wasnt very good for me," Azarenka said. "There were quite a few unforced errors and just really fast mistakes, which didnt happen in the first set." Varvara Lepchenko advanced with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 win over Flavia Pennetta, and Jamie Hampton needed three sets to overcome Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. Alize Cornet rallied past Ana Ivanovic 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4. Sorana Cirstea, the 21st-ranked Romanian who lost to No. 1 Serena Williams in the finals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Sunday, withdrew from her first-round match against Yanina Wickmayer. Cirstea was replaced by No. 43 Monica Niculescu, who lost in this past weekends qualifying but stayed around in case a spot opened up in the singles main draw and to play doubles. The Romanian capitalized on her second chance with a 6-1, 6-2 win over the 58th-ranked Wickmayer. No. 10 seed Caroline Wozniacki easily advanced with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Shuai Peng. ' ' '