Even though everyone is a weekend removed from a four-day respite, eight teams are off on Monday. However, the reduced quantity does not result in poor quality as several aces return to action as their clubs used the short week to give them an extra day to recharge.If the weekend is any indication, the pitchers are a little ahead of the hitters, as scoring was way down compared to going into the break. It shouldnt be long before the hitters get their timing back and home runs return to leaving the yard at a record pace.This week also marks the homestretch for those making a playoff push in seasonal head-to-head leagues. No matter what game you play, everything you need to start the week in the right direction is here in Mondays daily notes.PitchingEliteWhile nothing has been announced officially, most expect Jose Fernandez to be capped around 180 innings, leaving him about 73 to go. That equates to 11, maybe 12, more starts. There are 11 weeks left in the campaign, so by delaying the rightys post-break debut through the weekend, the Miami Marlins will only need to skip their prized, soon-to-be 24-year-olds turn once or twice more. Fernandez opens his second half in Citizens Bank Park against a middling Philadelphia Phillies squad. Hell cost, but as usual, Fernandez is worth the hefty DFS price tag.With 125 frames and an All-Star start already on his 2016 ledger, the Chicago White Sox opted to give Chris Sale an extra day, as he was originally scheduled for Sunday. Now he draws a date in the Pacific Northwest against the Seattle Mariners. Sales strikeout rate is markedly down, and its decline is supported by a lower swinging strike rate along with fewer first-pitch strikes. Its premature to confidently declare this is a new baseline for the ace, though the safe approach is to temper expectation in terms of strikeouts going forward. Theres nothing wrong with a rate right around a batter per inning, but its just not the double-digit level everyone anticipated. As for this matchup, its better to pay up for Fernandez in DFS cash play and look for cheaper options for tournament action.While most hurlers would give their non-throwing arm for a 3.61 ERA, Corey Kluber and his fantasy owners deserve to be a little disappointed, as hes pitched to a slightly better ERA. The Cleveland Indians right-hander opens the unofficial second half in Kauffman Stadium against a Kansas City Royals club that is battling through injuries. There isnt much strikeout upside past Klubers usual hitter per inning, but the matchup is safe enough to deploy the All-Star in cash games.SolidAfter averaging 207 regular-season innings for the past eight years and pacing for another 200-frame campaign, no one may have benefited from a week off more than Jon Lester. The veteran lefty entered the break on a tailspin but is in a great spot to get things going again as he faces a New York Mets club that whiffs at a 24 percent clip against southpaws. This avails Lester the strikeout upside intrinsic to GPP action.StreamersMike Leake kicks off the potential spot starters as hes owned in just 41 percent of ESPN leagues. Not only is the St. Louis Cardinals righty in play as a seasonal league streamer, but with an affair in pitcher-friendly Busch Stadium against the strikeout prone San Diego Padres, Leake is a lower-end GPP candidate, too.Since I prefer to take chances early in the head-to-head scoring week, its worth incurring the risk and letting Nick Tropeano loose for a home date with the Texas Rangers. Angels Stadium is a pitchers park, which helps buffer the risk.Lets ignore the name for a moment. You have a chance to use a guy sporting 9.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and .94 HR/9 -- all much better than league average -- at home against the Marlins. Its a no-brainer, right? What if the pitcher in question is Aaron Nola? Not so easy anymore?Nolas June swoon and subsequent extra time off around the break is well documented, so no need to reiterate. The concern from a numbers perspective is his swinging strike rate plummeted as the first half progressed. Again, with an aggressive philosophy, I want Nola active when, not if, he gets back on track. I like his chances Monday night.There arent many spots where streaming Brandon Finnegan is a viable option. A home affair with the punchless Atlanta Braves qualifies.Since neither are going to make the avoid section, lets tackle the Coors Field dilemma as Drew Smyly and the Tampa Bay Rays head to the mountains for an interleague tussle against Tyler Anderson and the Colorado Rockies. Theres no more challenging rest-of-season projection than Smyly. The number crunchers still love him, contending all he needs to do is get the homers under control. The watch-the-game crowd asks, Have you seen him pitch? As a card-carrying member of both factions, Im still on the Smyly bandwagon but have a hard time trusting him a mile high.That said, theres serious strikeout potential, so if you need a boost in that category and can absorb a hit to ratios, the lefty is in play. The confidence level is a little higher for Anderson, one of the first halfs pleasant surprises. The Rays are one of the best teams in the league against southpaws but also whiff a ton in that scenario. Anderson is like Smyly, viable for punchouts with risk to ratios. Forced to pick one, the nod goes to Anderson.AvoidDespite falling short of the projected game score threshold of 45 to be an automatic avoid, Edinson Volquez, Matt Wisler, Ricky Nolasco and Christian Friedrich are all too risky for my tastes. If youre curious why, or have any other questions pertaining to Mondays slate, please post the query in the comments section or fire a tweet to @ToddZola, and Ill do my best to reply.Hitting The Baltimore Orioles get top billing as they square off with the only hurler falling in the auto-avoid range, Ivan Nova. The New York Yankees incendiary righty is equally charitable to all hitters, so platoon edge isnt as important. Using Yankee Stadiums inviting right-field porch as a tiebreaker, well favor lefty swingers like Chris Davis and Pedro Alvarez, but dont eschew Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop and especially Mark Trumbo.Until Wisler figures out how to keep left-handed batters in check, hes going to be vulnerable to rough outings. In homer-friendly Great American Ballpark, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce make for a great mini-stack.The Cardinals used to be a great stacking option with a righty on the hill, but with the emergence of Stephen Piscotty, Aledmys Diaz, Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham, along with veterans Matt Holliday, Jhonny Peralta and Yadier Molina, they can give southpaws like the San Diego Padres Friedrich fits.Nolasco doesnt beat himself. He pitches around the plate, forcing teams to put the ball in play to beat him. This can be a successful recipe at times, but a matchup at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers isnt one of them. For his career, the Minnesota Twins righty has exhibited reverse splits, which feeds right into the heart of the Tigers lineup. Starting with Ian Kinsler and Cameron Maybin, passing through Miguel Cabrera and Nick Castellanos and ending with Justin Upton, Nolasco could be in for a long evening. And that doesnt even include switch-hitting Victor Martinez, whos also in play.The contrarian stack consists of the Indians visiting Kauffman Stadium, where Volquez will take the ball for the Royals. Switch-hitters Carlos Santana and Francisco Lindor sandwich lefty Jason Kipnis at the top of the Tribes order. Further down resides Lonnie Chisenhall as a cheaper addition to the stack.Most likely to hit a homer: Despite the overall boost in long balls, Chris Davis is lagging behind last years pace. Look for Crush to pick up said pace against Nova and his 1.7 HR/9.Most likely to steal a base: Jose Reyes is in a great spot to jump-start his running game with Lester on the hill. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Sean-Taylor-Jersey/ . JOHNS, N. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Phil-Taylor-Jersey/ .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Ryan-Kerrigan-Jersey/ . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Hats/ . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Trent-Murphy-Jersey/ . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era.Joe Harts second-half heroics saved Manchester City in the first leg but Real Madrid have a formidable home record in Europe. With the Champions League semi-final in the balance, we look at Citys reasons for hope - and caution... We couldnt have wished for more at this stage, said Manchester Citys Vincent Kompany after last weeks Champions League semi-final first-leg 0-0 draw with Real Madrid at the Etihad.Los Blancos might have failed to score an away goal but City still face a huge task to knockout the 2014 winners. Vincent Kompany (left) was happy with Man Citys first-leg performance Here, we look at some key reason why Manchester City should be cheerful - and fearful - ahead of next Wednesdays decider...Hart the HeroWhere better to start than Joe Hart, whose second-half heroics single-handedly kept Citys hopes alive in the first leg. Make no mistake, if he hadnt prevented Pepe from netting late on, Manchester Citys chances of making the final would have suffered a serious blow before they had even stepped foot on their plane to Madrid. Joe Hart makes a great save to deny Pepe late on at the Etihad He is surely one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and is capable of making the kind of reaction save that will keep City in any match. The mark of a great goalkeeper is being able to pull out a world-class stop after a long period of inactivity, and he did exactly that on Tuesday night.Despite being a spectator for much of the tie, Hart was there when he was called upon, and he will be vital in the second leg too. Harts incredible reactions kept Real Madrid from scoring in the dying moments Ronaldo ready? Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo looked relaxed in the dug-out Cristiano Ronaldos absence from the first leg was announced as he sat in the away dugout at the Etihad, wearing CR7-branded shoes and shiny gold headphones. While he appeared relaxed, Zinedine Zidane may have felt slightly differently knowing his star man was missing Madrids biggest game of the season so far.In fact, Real Madrid have won just 43 per cent of their Champions League matches without him since 2009/10, while his inclusion in their starting XI has yielded a 71 per cent win rate. Worryingly for City, his return for the second leg seems to be on track. Ronaldo key for Madrid Ronaldo has scored/assisted 77% of Real Madrid’s goals in this season’s Champions League (20 out of 26). The prolific Portugal international had been out with a hamstring injury since April 20 but the 31-year-old joined his team-mates for training on Sunday - and Zidane says he is 100 per cent for Wednesdays clash. Ronaldo is the top scorer in this seasons Champions League with 16 goals from 10 appearances and his return for the second leg would obviously be a huge boost for Real.But Sky Sports Guillem Balague is not convinced he will take to the Bernabeu turf in mint condition.If you followed Ronaldos training session on Tuesday, he didnt shoot once with his right leg so he doesnt seem to be 100 per cent, no matter what Zidane says, Balague told Sky Sports News HQ on Tuesday. Of course he will start, though - hell probably be with Bale and Jese up front. Guillem Balague doesnt think Cristiano Ronaldo is 100 per cent fit ahead of Real Madrids Champions League 2nd leg semi-final against Manchester City. Clean-sheet kings Manchester Citys defence will have to hold firm at the Bernabeu Manchester Citys backline may have come unstuck against Southampton on Sunday, conceding four goals in a heavy defeat, but Manuel Pellegrini had made three changes to the four-man defence he fielded against Real Madrid.dddddddddddd The City boss will hope the return of Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and Vincent Kompany will help his side shut out the Spanish side again. Citys record run Manchester City are currently unbeaten in six Champions League matches; their longest run ever in the competition (W3 D3). City have kept clean sheets in three consecutive home Champions League matches, after managing just one in the previous 17. Now, after silencing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and PSG in the second-leg of their quarter-final tie, they must do the same at the Bernabeu to boost their chances of reaching the final. Second-leg success Karim Benzema has scored plenty of goals this season and could be vital in the second leg Manchester City fans will head to the Bernabeu on May 4 thinking they got their own way in the first leg, but was it all part of Real Madrids masterplan? The Spanish giants have won a remarkable seven of eight European ties in the second leg after drawing 0-0 in the first.A goalless draw was good for City because one away goal in the second leg leaves Madrid needing two to progress, but Real Madrid will be expected to get on the scoresheet in front of their own fans. Manuel Pellegrini believes his Manchester City side have the personality and footballing ability to beat Real Madrid Odds against Man City? Just 31 per cent of teams who have drawn 0-0 at home in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie have progressed to the next round (9 out of 29). The last team to do so were Atlético Madrid in the 2014 semi-finals (vs Chelsea). Despite a recent improvement, the English club have only kept a clean sheet away from home in the Champions League twice since 2011. Coupled with Real Madrids utterly ridiculous European home form, Pellegrini and his players are in for one hell of a ride - Real Madrid have failed to score at home in the Champions League just once in the last seven years.Not-so-super Sergio Sergio Aguero has been on form in the Premier League, but not in Europe If Man City are to progress, they are likely to need top scorer Sergio Aguero to deliver.In the Premier League this season, Aguero has thrived, scoring 23 goals. But on the European stage, he has struggled. The 27-year-old has now gone 432 minutes without a single shot on target in the Champions League. Reals strong defence Real Madrid have played five matches at home in the Champions League this season, keeping a clean sheet in all of them. Aguero has netted just twice in the Champions League this term. The former Atletico Madrid man will be desperate to net against his old rivals on May 4. Now is the time to make it count - Manchester City will be relying on him.Will Manchester City reach the Champions League final? Have your say by leaving a comment below if youre reading on skysports.com or tweet us @SkyFootball... Also See: Real Madrid v Man City preview Charlies European predictions Hart: City can do it Missed chance for City? Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '