Obviously y’all know how conflicted I am with Dallas Keuchel and after yesterday’s line of 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 13 Ks it’s tough to deny the numbers for much longer. He’s raised his K/9 to near 8.00 while averaging 7.2 IP per start, FIP and xFIP near 2.60, a soft contact rate above 25%, walking batters at a 2.12 BB/9 clip and a 64.0% GB rate. So why on earth wouldn’t I be super high on him? Because the multiple CGSHOs he’s had before are masking that he’s been a bit crummy a bunch this year. He’s a major boom/bust guy that is relying on one of the rarest stats in baseball to accumulate – complete games – to propel him. You have to imagine he starts throwing fewer innings per game and experience those shakier starts more often (he had back to back 3 ER games before this one) as the strikeouts drop closer to the 6.57 K/9 rate from 2014.
Let’s see what every other SP did yesterday:
Zack Greinke – 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 11 Ks. This scoreless streak of 43.2 IP is absurd. So is his 1.30 ERA. Wow.
Jake Arrieta – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 10 Ks. Aces.
Chris Archer – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. Gonna.
Max Scherzer – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks. Ace.
Marco Estrada – 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks. Is Estrada going bonkers again? Probably not :(
Jesse Chavez – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks. Chavez is waking up again, so add him back to your streamer pool, but I don’t think it sticks around for a generous amount of time like you want it to.
Jonathon Niese – 7.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. Niese is trying to be a decent streamer again. Maybe bud. Just maybe. What am I saying, I highly doubt I’ll feel good throwing Niese out there for streams.
Danny Duffy – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. Naahhhh Duffy, we know who you really are.
Tim Cooney – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks. Cooney’s days are numbered due to Jaime Garcia due back in the rotation within a week or so. Feel free to run him out there against the Braves before that happens.
Taylor Jungmann – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. Yes Jungmann is a serviceable add to your staff. Just don’t expect the world because female pop stars already claimed that.
Carlos Carrasco – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. He was pulled after only 73 pitches for a pinch runner despite being up 3-1. Seriously? Dude had complete game written all over it.
CC Sabathia – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. This is CC’s best start of the entire season. Yup.
Shelby Miller – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 8 Ks. Whoa, 8 Ks? Whoa, 4 walks? And you’re holding on to your lucky ERA. Weird.
Madison Bumgarner – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. I’m starting to think that Bummy should be shoved down near 10 or so this week. I need to consider it some more, but I’m leaning towards it.
Felix Hernandez – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. It may be time to bump Felix down a bit as well.
Patrick Corbin – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. The best start we’ve had from Corbin so far…which isn’t that good.
Jeff Locke – 7.1 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks. Has anyone been excited about Locke yet?
Miguel Gonzalez – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. Miguel…no.
Johnny Cueto – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 6 BBs, 2 Ks. Those six walks led to over 90 pitches after four and were the death sentence for Johnny. I’m thinking of lower Cueto a little more this week given the amount of talent inside the Top 20. Not 100% about it yet, but I think it’s due.
Chris Sale – 6.1 IP, 4 ER, 11 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. Those gritty Royals will do that to you. Stupid Pesky Kansas!
Dan Haren – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks. Our Call Boy got manhandled. But Phils, you’re in the bottom five in so many hitting stats, can’t you just let Haren have this one?
Tommy Milone – 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks. He also allowed an extra pair of unearned runs, making Milone’s 63 pitches through 8 outs all she wrote. That’s not true, she wrote A LOT of stuff, but no one seems to care about the deep cuts like Me and my Paperclip and She Ordered a Pizza…With A House Salad!
Yovani Gallardo – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks. YoGa! YoGa! *Looks at tonight’s line* NoGa! NoGa!
Justin Verlander – 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. Verlander’s value is name and name alone.
Cole Hamels – 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks. You’re so close Hamels, don’t slow down now! Maybe he feels that his price needs to be lowered to get out of there. Whatever, he’s still a solid Top 20 guy.
Today’s Streamers
Rubby De La Rosa vs. Miami Marlins – Sure, Rubby has looked a bit shaky the past, but the Marlins are an excellent matchup for the Diamondbacks’ #1 guy. Crazy to say that.
Tomorrow’s Streamer
Nate Karns vs. Philadelphia Phillies – He has a very interesting matchup against Mr. Nola, and while he may not grab a win, he could take advantage against a poor offense.
Game of the Day
Matt Harvey vs. Gio Gonzalez – It’s the best set of pitchers on the day, as the Nationals face a tough opponent for the third straight day, with deGrom and Thor to follow. Dang that’s brutal.