Mr. Anderson’s Red Pill

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)

I feel like I’ve actually talked a decent amount about Tyler Anderson but after last night’s 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks, he’s now sporting an impressive 2.19 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 26.4% K rate, and 6.3% walk rate over his last eight starts, including five home outings. His whiff rate has remained elevated at 12% in that time, and if you’re staying away because of the whole Coors factor, or saving him for the Rocky Mountain Way, I’m beginning to believe Anderson can pull off a Toby-esque season with occasional strikeout upside along the way. Obviously don’t keep a blind eye to matchups, but be a little more lenient than his teammates.

Let’s see how every other SP did Sunday:

Lucas Giolito – 6.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks. Wait, what? He was 10/22 in first pitch strikes, held 20/102 CSW and induced 33 foul balls. Yep, something had to be super weird here.

Julio Teheran – 6.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks.  Ayyyynot only did Teheran succeed against the Diamondbacks, he did it AT HOME. Y’all know I detest the floor of Teheran, but if you’re a guy that needs some chance at good per start, you could do worse than Julio.

Jhoulys Chacin – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks. Chacin will do well when Jhoulyst expect. But this was the Pirates and they aren’t good. So kinda expected it? But that’s what we wouldn’t expect because you don’t know when you expect it. Uh huh…right.

Jeremy Hellickson – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks. The Devil did his part to seduce you today, don’t let it lull you into a fall sense of security. He will destroy you if you’re not careful.

Mike Leake – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. Really impressed Leake was able to get through six frames with 77 pitches in Coors. Coors! I obviously wouldn’t have started him here, but keep in mind it is a 2.92 ERA and 1.19 WHIP now in his last 11 starts. Sure, a 4.28 SIERA with a laughable 14.3% K rate that isn’t even close to Chatwood’s walk rate, but there may be value for you in 12-teamers. Maybe.

Francisco Liriano – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks. Liriano left with back stiffness and dozens – DOZENS – of owners were upset. It’s a really tight knit community.

Corey Oswalt – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks. It’s the False King (this is a Roy Oswalt joke for those that have been lost the past few weeks) and Corey is lame like royalty that elects to eat only peanut butter sandwiches. Live a little, ya know?  Oh, and of course, HAISTFMFWT?!

Ryne Stanek – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks. The streak came to an end, the pitchers were all legit bullpen, and there’s nothing else to talk about. Cool.

Trevor Bauer – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. Aces gonna ace. Bauer really is this good, guys – this was against the Yankees! It’s not going away.

Brian Johnson – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks. It’s a long way to the top if you roster Johnson.

Sean Manaea – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks. Yes, I’m happy with this start n all, but Manaea, buddy, one strikeout? HAISTFMFWT?!

Burch Smith – 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks. I went with Burch to start a fire. It’s just the best way to do it.

Masahiro Tanaka – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Great start from Tanaka, especially against the Indians. I think he’s a little undervalued heading into the second half.

Clayton Kershaw – 6.2 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 8 Ks. Okay, so that ERA isn’t so bad and it’s eight strikeouts but that WHIP is blegh and this isn’t supposed to happen to TATIAGA. I didn’t sign up for this. Here’s to hoping a second half of vintage Kersh awaits.

Jon Lester – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks. Lester got the Padres and got the 7 Ks you were hoping for, but that WHIP and ERA are…not very good. He’s moving to that expected 3.70 ERA/1.25 WHIP we’re seeing for the second half and don’t be shocked when it fully gets here.

Deck McGuire – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks. Not gonna lie, if I were the Dodgers, I’d be holding a contest among the hitters to “Hit The Deck.” Yep, I went there. I will always go there.

Miles Mikolas – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks. Blegh. Sure, the strikeouts aren’t always Mikolas’ thing, but a 2.00 WHIP and 6.75 ERA is far from what we ordered. I have a little worry, slight worry, but nothing to act on now.

Marcus Stroman – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. Meh, it’s super mediocre, just like the Jays team. At least Stroman knows it. Can he be a Toby through the second half? Sure, I can see it. I’m not holding on tight, though.

Miguel Castro – 2.2 IP, 4 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks. The Orioles are doing this thing of seeing if Castro can start even if they know perfectly well that he can’t with any sort of efficiency. But hey! It doesn’t matter. It’s a lost 2018 season. And probably 2019 as well…

Patrick Corbin – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. Corbin had a difficult third frame allowing all four runs, and settled in the rest of the start. He wasn’t his massively deceptive start, but this wasn’t a day of labor and struggle that 4 ER might look.

Fernando Romero – 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks. Romero was called back up for the Twins – you know, the strikeout upside arm with Feral Command^TM – and he was flat out bad. Singled Out and just not close to the deceptive guy we want. HASTFMFWT?!  Can’t say I expect him to get more time in the rotation right away after the ASB, so don’t feel like you need to hang on here.

Andrew Suarez – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Welp, this one didn’t go as planned. I don’t see Suarez as a Top 50 arm anyway, but still a TOp 100 play. He’s going to swing from bad to good, good to bad, and we’re all the turn of the pendulum now. So it goes. Streaming Record 56-32.

Enyel De Los Santos – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks. I got a lot of questions about De Los Santos during my Friday AMA, which surprised me a bit as if you’re a regular reader, you know I labeled DLS as a Cup of Schmo. I can fathom some upside showing up with his repertoire, but that’s nothing to chase, which turned into that CoS label. Avoid it y’all.

Eric Lauer – 2.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. And that’s why we call him El. O. L. It stands for Only Losses. Yes I’m funny. Sometimes.

Mike Minor – 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks. This was the Orioles and we wanted more. A lot more. What we got was a started that hurt everywhere. HAISTFMFWT?!

Joe Musgrove – 7.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks. Blegh, Musgrove had a bit of a Careful Icarus here, loading the bases in the eighth frame, all three coming in to score on his final pitch to Brett Phillips. Womp womp. You want a better floor from Musgrove, and I think you’ll get one, but this hurts a bit.

Jose Urena – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks. Say it with me y’all, If you roster Jose, Urena a boatload of trouble.

Justin Verlander – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 12 Ks. Four HRs allowed here that made this a super weird start as he earned himself another Gallows Pole. Remember, it’s not all about ERA, that’s still a 1.00 WHIP and a boatload of Ks. Yes, a boatload is now officially defined as a dozen. Take note.

Anthony DeSclafani – 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. I really want to have fun on the dance floor, but Tony Disco is just ruining it for everyone. It’s like he doesn’t understand what personal space is.

Today’s Streamer

ALL-STAR BREAK – Treat yourself to something nice.

Tomorrow’s Streamer

ALL-STAR BREAK – Yeah, it’s still the break. Crazy, I know.

Day After Tomorrow’s Streamer

ALL-STAR BREAK – Guys, it lasts four days save for the Cards and Cubs. We can get through this.

Game of the Day

Chess – I like it.