Saunders gets backing for third win: Diamondbacks pitcher Joe Saunders picked up his first win since April 27 on Wednesday night against the Dodgers. He allowed four runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings in the 11-4 victory. The left-hander made it through his first three frames scoreless before surrendering a solo homer to A.J. Ellis. Then in the seventh, he gave up two runs before being pulled for Bryan Shaw, who allowed an inherited runner to score. Saunders also struck out seven with one walk while earning his third win of the season. (Updated 05/24/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Saunders had gone 0-2 with a 7.40 ERA in four starts since his last win so it was nice to see him get back on track Wednesday. He now has 36 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks in 57 innings pitched. The 30-year-old does not put up the numbers to make him an option in most Fantasy formats but Saunders can continue to be utilized in deeper leagues heading into Week 9 (May 28-June 3). His next start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Giants. When Saunders faced San Francisco on May 13, he allowed six runs over five innings in the loss. (Updated 05/24/2012).
05/13/2012 23:32 The Lineup: A grand Mother's Day
All of baseball celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday. All of Cincinnati and Miami celebrated walk-off grand slams on Sunday.
05/13/2012 19:05 Cabrera, Blanco carry Giants to win
Melky Cabrera singled four times to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, Gregor Blanco drove in three runs with a pair of hits and the San Francisco Giants beat Arizona 7-3 on Sunday to take two of three from the Diamondbacks.
05/10/2012 13:58 Beyond the Numbers: Why infield defense matters
How much does a pitcher benefit from a good infield defense? Our Al Melchior shares some observations about a few pitchers that every owner should consider in his latest Beyond the Numbers.
05/09/2012 12:27 Dear Mr. Fantasy: New world order for closers
The relief pitching landscape sure has changed on a dime since opening day. Who are the right replacements to target? Our Scott White re-ranks his top closer options and answers your questions in Dear Mr. Fantasy.
05/09/2012 00:18 Top 25 thriving free agents so far
The Tampa Bay Rays have a knack for finding the free-agent gem, and they lead the pack with three of 25 on the list of free agents who are off to nice starts.
The 30-year-old Joe Saunders had one of his best career ERAs in 2011 as the Diamondbacks played into the postseason. Saunders posted a 3.69 ERA over 33 starts and 212 innings for Arizona. He was a bulldog on the mound, despite finishing below .500 at 12-13 for the season. That said, Saunders will have to continue to pitch well to remain in a crowded and talented rotation. The team added Trevor Cahill to a solid rotation and that pushes Saunders to the No. 5 spot in the tentative pre-spring depth chart. Saunders has topped 200 innings in two straight seasons despite losing an average of 15 games per year over that span, and that gives him value in NL-only and deeper mixed Fantasy leagues heading into 2012. (Updated 2/21/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
= probable start