After a run that included two flirtations with perfection and an absurd amount of Ks, Max Scherzer put up a clunker with 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks. It’s about time Scherzer had another rough outing to show how mortal he is. It’s very easy to forget that he is capable of a start like this after his awesome run, and he’s still the #2 guy, but I think this shows why he’s not #1. Sure, this has very little meaning for all of y’all because you’re A) not selling the guy and B) don’t have any investment whether Scherzer is regarded as the best or second best guy around, but whatever, it’s fun. Anyway, I’d rather have Kershaw for his history and better rates in grounders, strikeouts, and xFIP. You know how many starts Kershaw has with 4 Ks or fewer this season? None.
Let’s see what every other SP did yesterday:
Johnny Cueto – 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 11 Ks. Those who drafted Cueto expecting a re-run like it was 1:00am on TBS have been having a great season with his 7+ IP per start, 25.1% K rate and 3.07 FIP/3.12 xFIP. He’s pretty sturdy though his upside isn’t realized as often as some of the guys ahead of him.
Jose Quintana – 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks. Jose is a great floor guy. He may have a start like this every so often, but most of the time he’ll go 2-3 ER with a handful of Ks and a WHIP that doesn’t kill ya. I’m not too much of a fan as a start like this one aren’t common for the ChiSox lefty, but I totally get those that like his consistency these days.
Matt Cain – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks. He got another chance at an NL Easy team in the Mets and this time took advantage. I really don’t think you should be going with Cain outside of the occasional matchup, but this was cool to see.
Robbie Ray – 7.2 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. It’s solid, but he doesn’t strike enough guys out for me to think that he can do this often.
Corey Kluber – 6.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks. Aces gonna ace.
Felix Doubront – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. He did well in the minors before getting his first shot in 2015 starting on the hill, and if you need SP help badly in a 12 teamer, I recommend Doubront for the end of your staff. Don’t expect a whole lot, but he looks a bit improved this year.
Francisco Liriano – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. I’m impressed he went back out there after a major delay following the third inning, but he came back and shut down the Padres for a few more innings. There’s little not to love with Liriano, as he leads the majors in soft contact at an incredible 29.4%. To give you an idea how good that is, Dallas Keuchel is second with 25.3%.
Dan Haren – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Haren is still trying to be the ace in Miami. Come on duder, let’s get real here.
Tim Cooney – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. He’s in the rotation until Garcia returns, which means one more before the ASB and that could be it for The Cooooooon.
Andrew Heaney – 7.1 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks. It’s unclear how long Heaney will be in the Angels rotation, but he’s doing an excellent job so far. This games was in Coors if you wanted an extra whoa factor.
Kyle Gibson – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. That’s two straight games of 7 Ks and 6 ER across his last four starts. That’s the best I can do to show love for Gibson, as you will feel his weight if you hold him for too long. Thanks for the guitar joke Nick! No problem fella.
Vincent Velasquez – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Ehhhhh I like Velasquez’s matchup on Sunday, but I’m hesitant to stay on the Vincent train much longer.
Wade Miley – 6.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks. Miley can put up some solid K numbers from time to time – fourth game of the year with at least 8 strikeouts – but he can also tank like Thomas – seven games with two or fewer strikeouts. Not my kind of guy to run with regularly, but someone to keep in mind when in need of a Hail Mary.
Edinson Volquez – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. He was a common pick for Monday’s stream before a rainout pushed him back. I guess this is fine.
Sonny Gray – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. Another shaky start, making three straight for Sonny with at least 3 ER. He has 7 walks in that span and while it’s possible the illness didn’t help him out, I’m cautious that we’ll see the same sparkling fella in the 2nd half.
Dallas Beeler – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks. Just A Cup of Schmo.
Matt Andriese – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. Blegh.
Chad Billingsley – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. EXTREEEEEEEME Blegh.
Jake Arrieta – 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. I’m looking for more out of Arrieta on a given night, but I guess I’m okay with this. Little disappointed, but okay.
Tyson Ross – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks. His start was cut short after a rain delay saw him hit the showers early. Too bad he’s not a beast like Liriano who stayed in the game. TOO FREAKIN’ BAD.
Manny Banuelos – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks. We’re gonna see some bumps with Manny, but there is some streamer value to be had.
Nathan Eovaldi – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. Another day, another middling start from Eovaldi.
Chris Young – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. There’s something soothing about this from Young. Maybe it’s that his luck so far seemed so…wrong.
Bartolo Colon – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks. He got Singled Out, which is gonna to happen a bit with Colon as he rarely misses off the plate.
Brett Anderson – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Our Call Boy didn’t cruise like he was supposed to, so this is a bummer. I still like Anderson for his weekend game and so should you.
Taijuan Walker – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. He walked a guy! But more importantly, he finally got punished for his frequent mistakes, allowing three HRs on the night all on poorly executed pitches. It’s the risk I saw in his GIF Breakdown, and it’s sad to see that he still has some sutff to figure out even with his recent surge.
Tyler Cravy – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. Garza is out for a while, which will mean Tyler will get a decent amount of chances in the rotation. He’s nothing special, but if you want chances at QS, he could be just Cravy.
Chad Bettis – 2.1 IP, 10 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BB, 2 Ks. Bettis has limited upside, pitches his home games at Coors Field, and doesn’t deserve a spot on your team. This should be the blurb for every Colorado starter.
Tyler Lyons – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks. He came up for the spot start in a double header and was sent back to AAA. Yay.
Yovani Gallardo – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 5 BBs, 4 Ks. It was a fun run with YoGa while it lasted, but now it’s time to put the mats away and move to Soul Cycle.
Matt Moore – 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks. There is still a chance that Moore becomes close to the Top 30 pitcher we envision, but I’m not banking on it with his history and missing essentially two years of ball.
Kyle Ryan – 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks. The Tardy Tiger should not be on your team.
Kevin Gausman 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BB, 4 Ks. He was sent back down after the game, but it’s simply because he won’t get another shot in the rotation until after the ASB. Still, it’s hard to be super pumped after Gausman struggled in the second time throw the lineup. When you throw Fastballs over 70% of the time, it can be difficult to confuse batters and keep them from lining up your heater. Still, he has the stuff – especially his Split-Change – to keep hitters off balance, but it may require some more polish.
Today’s Streamers
Mike Fiers vs. Atlanta Braves – Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of the streaming options, but you gotta go with Fiers and his ability to strikeout batters. He’s owned in under 25% of ESPN Leagues, making him a wildly available guy to go with on Wednesday.
Tomorrow’s Streamer
Cody Anderson vs Houston Astros – Do I want to select a guy who has a K/9 under 4.00? Not at all, but he’s the only guy out there with any sort of track record in a good matchup as he faces the Astros. If there is any team that can give him some decent K numbers, it’s the gang in Houston.
Game of the Day
Jason Hammel vs. Michael Wacha – Another Cubs v. Cards game with two studs squaring off.