AMERICAN LEAGUE GRUMBLINGS

AL SCHEDULE NOTES

The White Sox, Red Sox, Yankees, Angels, A's and Rangers play six games this week. Everyone else goes seven.

The Twins stay home for ALL seven in the Metrodome... Boston goes six in Fenway vs. Seattle and Los Angeles... Toronto stays home for seven vs. KC and Detroit... Texas plays three in Ameriquest before hitting the road.

On the pitcher-friendly side, Cleveland stays in Jacobs Field for seven, and the A's stay in Oakland for six at McAfee.

FAVORABLE

Minnesota Twins MIN: Three against the Yanks isn't easy, but then four games at home vs. Tampa Bay should be loads of fun. The Twins face three lefties this week, so the right-handed hitters will get at-bats and fare well.

Boston Red Sox BOS: Any week a team can face the back of the Mariners' rotation -- away from Safeco Field -- is a good week. Facing the Angels in a series won't be easy, but at least it's in the friendly confines of Fenway.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays TB: The D'Rays bring their youthful exuberance to Texas and Minnesota. Lots of home runs in both parks.

UNFAVORABLE

Chicago White Sox CWS: Face two strong pitching staffs in Oakland and Cleveland on the road.

Los Angeles Angels LAA: In the minority of the AL taking part in only six games this week; those games take place against strong pitching staffs in Cleveland and Boston.

Oakland A's OAK: The A's will need to score all the runs they can against the White Sox and Yankees, but the soft hitting Athletics will struggle to score runs this year, even against the Chicago and New York staffs. Pitching matchups include Javier Vazquez, Kei Igawa and Andy Pettitte.

FIELD GRUMBLINGS

ANGELS Shea Hillenbrand is losing some PT with a groin injury, but he's expected to be available this week... ORIOLES Ramon Hernandez is likely to placed on the DL with a strained oblique, so Paul Bako will continue to start behind the plate. Jay Payton could come off the DL this week after nursing a hamstring injury... The status of YANKEES OF Johnny Damon's calf is still unclear. He could go on the DL.

MOUND GRUMBLINGS

WHITE SOX starting pitcher Mark Buehrle appears on schedule to take his next turn in the rotation after fielding a liner off his left forearm last time out ... Jeff Karstens could join the YANKEES rotation this week if his elbow is healed. 

BULLPEN GRUMBLINGS

New RANGERS closer Eric Gagne is targeting an April 13 return  ... Speaking of closers, ROYALS Octavio Dotel could come off the DL from an oblique injury as soon as April 15 … RED SOX RP Mike Timlin should return from sore ribs early this Week 2.

FAVORABLE TWO-START ARMS

Could this be the season O's hard throwing right-hander Daniel Cabrera finally lives up to his potential? His two starts in  Week 2 against the Tigers and Royals offers him an SG favorable mark

J. Westbrook - SEA, CHW

J. Verlander – BAL, TOR

Z. Greinke – TOR, BAL

D. Cabrera – DET, KC

B. McCarthy -TB, SEA

NEUTRAL TWO-START ARMS

B. Bonser – NYY, TB

J. Sowers – LAA, CHW

N. Robertson – BAL, TOR

J. Garland – OAK, CLE

M. Buehrle – OAK, CLE

O. Perez – TOR, BAL

Jar. Wright – DET, KC

E. Santana – CLE, BOS

J. Washburn - CLE, TEX

R. Harden – CHW, NYY

UNFAVORABLE TWO-START ARMS

R. Ortiz – NYY, TB

M. Batista – BOS, TEX