(Photo by Stephen Hopson/Icon Sportswire)
You’ve been waiting for Johnny Cueto to give you something close to valuable this year and last night’s game may be the tipping point of frustration with a line of 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 0 Ks. First and foremost – HAISTFMFWT?! Second, Cueto hasn’t been himself, Bochy has said he hasn’t been himself, and Cueto himself said he hasn’t been himself. Now I’m expecting him to pull off a mask and yell at us all. Groundskeeper Franklin!? I wouldn’t be shocked if Cueto misses some time as the Giants might want to preserve their chances for 2019 the best they can. I think you’re safe dropping him if there’s a solid add that can help now is on the wire.
Let’s see how every other SP did Saturday:
Luis Severino – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Okay, this is getting bad. Three straight duds from Severino, tallying 16 ER and driving you up the wall. What I’m seeing is a guy who isn’t carrying the same fastball command, while his changeup has gone missing. It’s not a death sentence and far from something that can’t be fixed. I’d actually call Sevy a decent buy low as three starts do not define a second half. But what about the 3 ER outing prior? Ehhhh sure? Pretty neutral to me. He’s going to fall behind Bauer tomorrow – still ahead of Kluber – and hold tight if you’re nervous. We’ll get through this.
John Axford – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks. This was a False Start as Axford isn’t actually a starter. Come on, let’s get real.
Trevor Richards – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. Speaking of getting real, Richards had eight strikeouts yesterday. Whaaaaa. This is a guy who has exceed 5 strikeouts just three times prior this season. It’s not legit so yes, you can quit.
Trevor Williams – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. I debated between Williams and Barria for the stream and fortunately they both worked so everyone is happy. Yay. You won’t be if you think T-dub can go this often. Nay.
Alex Wood – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks. Wood gave us a Philly against his former team and it’s a bit frustrating. I can’t be actually mad since this start helps across the board, but you know.
Jhoulys Chacin – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. Chacin will do well when Jhoulyst expect it. Actually, I would have labeled him the Call Boy if he weren’t owned in over 50% of leagues. Crazy how good he’s been to earn that.
Max Fried – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks. Okay, this is interesting. Fried had that ridiculously good start with double-digit strikeouts and it was fueled by a massive curveball. Here? That deuce had just 4 CSW and he got work done with heaters and changeups. Call me chicken, that’s not the Fried I’m buying.
Gio Gonzalez – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks. He’s still wildly inconsistent and has fanned more than four just once in his last nine starts (and it was five strikeouts…) so I wouldn’t blindly trust him even with this 1 ER game. Play your circumstance.
Blaine Hardy – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks. Hardy has a 4.01 ERA with a 16% K rate this year. That is all. Noooo really? Oh, my bad. Just one strikeout Hardy?! HAISTFMFWT?!
Ariel Jurado – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks. He was a Cup of Schmo with two strikeouts when he pitched his MLB debut against the ChiSox, he’s still one now even after the Astros. I expect whoever he faces next with smoke AJ and feel good about life.
Antonio Senzatela – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks. Senz-A pulled it off and that’s cool. I sure wouldn’t expect him to master this soon.
Jaime Barria – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks. Our Call Boy got the Mariners and he gave you solid ratios as I’m back in the Win column. Can’t say I’m much of a Barria fan these days, but against a weak team, there are worse choices out there. Streaming Record: 60-36.
Mike Clevinger – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks. Clev was a little under the weather and powered through it because he didn’t want to disappoint his owners. What. A. Guy.
Kevin Gausman – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Just 12 splitters here with 0 whiffs returned and I can’t be a fan of Gausman at this point. He’s not locked in.
Matt Harvey – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Decent rebound from Harvey as this is a start that I think he can do somewhat regularly with some deviation toward the negative side of things a little here and there. That’s a bad sentence. YOU’RE A BAD SENTENCE.
Miles Mikolas – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks. This is such a typical Mikolas start and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
CC Sabathia – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. CC was lifted after an awkward fall that preceded his only two walks of the game, leading to an early pull under 80 pitches. It’s too bad as he had a 34% CSW here and could have touched double-digit Ks. Keep starting the veteran southpaw.
Vince Velasquez – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 5 BBs, 4 Ks. And here is the floor I’m worried about. Not the 2 ER, that’s cool, it’s the 4:5 K per BB that destroys your WHIP and gets him out early. All you need to know is that 25 breaking balls returned 4 CSW and just 2 whiffs. Yep.
Justin Verlander – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. Aces gonna ace…kinda. I don’t like a 2.00 WHIP Verlander. Not at all.
Jacob deGrom – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks. Aces gonna ace. It says a lot that you see 3 ER and you’re disappointed. HOW COULD YOU.
Heath Fillmyer – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks. Yeaaaaah I talked about Fillmyer last time as someone that isn’t so bad, but you want nothing to do with this Cup of Schmo.
Ryne Stanek – 2.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks. A False Start as Stanek is back to taunt me. GO AWAY.
Brett Anderson – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks. Anderson is the number 2 on the A’s and that’s hilarious. Also how he has a starting job given that strikeout rate. And yes, for like the 10th time this roundup…Just one strikeout? HAISTFMFWT?!
Patrick Corbin – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. Corbin ran into some trouble in the third, but outside of that frame, he dominated the Padres like he should have. Enjoy your Gallows Pole via 24 whiffs – 18 with the slide piece because duh – and keep starting Corbin.
Brad Keller – 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks. Keller Schmeller, am I right? One punchout (HAISTFMFWT?! It’s one of those days…) and absolutely nothing to be happy about here. *Suit man whispers in my ear* You can’t be serious. HE GOT A WIN? I hate that stat so much. So much.
Rick Porcello – 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Blegh. I want more from Porcello when he gets the Twins. It’s been a weird rough patch for Porcello, allowing 8 ER just wo starts prior and feature 10 of his last 12 starts with 5 Ks or fewer. Nevertheless, I think you keep rolling him out there. Still a definitive step up from wire options.
Tyson Ross – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks. Ross is holding a 5.74 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 16% K rate, 10.6% BB rate, and 5.60 FIP across his last 11 starts. ELEVEN. Why are you still rostering him.
Lucas Giolito – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. It is good to see Giolito consistently hovering 93mph these days, it’s bad to see how everything else is just not good.
Jake Odorizzi – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. You might want to hate on Odorizzi here, but this was the Sawx and, well, come on. Let’s give him a break. Be happy he’s still doing the elevated fastballs + low secondary pitches that could make his next start against the Royals go well.
Jose Quintana – 3.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks. Entering this start, Quintana had a 2.94 ERA in nine starts, which we were hoping suggested a turnaround. Okay not really as it came with a 19.4% K rate, 10.2% BB rate, and 4.38 FIP. So this isn’t that surprising. Can’t help but root for him, can help from rostering him.
Felix Hernandez – 2.2 IP, 7 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks. Prince Felix is turning into a Pauper and it’s sad to see. Just one strikeout? HAISTFMFWT?! Seriously though, forget the name.
Today’s Streamer
Joe Musgrove vs. New York Mets – I’m tempted to go Clay Buchholz against the Padres instead, but I can buy into Musgrove having a higher floor against the poor Mets offense (yes poor, even with what they did to Kingham).
Tomorrow’s Streamer
Derek Holland vs. San Diego Padres – I love the changes he’s made and it’s the Padres.
Day After Tomorrow’s Streamer
Homer Bailey vs. Detroit Tigers – He’s the only option that faces a weak offense. Hooo boy.
Game of the Day
J.A. Happ vs. Burch Smith – It’s Happ’s first start as a Yankee + I had a raised eyebrow last time watching Smith. A most likely unsustainable raised eyebrow.
Harvey looked dirty last night. Sitting 96 with the fastball (averaged 96 and topped out at 98.5 per Brooks) with a wipeout 90-91 mph slider. Nasty stuff. Lucky swing from Hoskins on a great pitch was the only thing that kept this outing from being even better. Any team who wants him at the deadline will have to pay dearly.
How many swinging strikes did Harvey have last night?
16!
hey Nick, what do you think about including the starter’s team and who he faced in these roundups? I think that would be very nice and would save me a bit of cross-referencing work. Big fan!
I’m using a tool to help me write these and unfortunately that isn’t a part of it at the moment.
I’m with you! Hopefully we can make that happen.
In a 5×5 standard, season-long roto league that uses QS. I’m in the market to trade for another starter to keep pace in the QS category w/o blowing up my ratios. I was thinking Stripling, but his ERA over the past 30 days is 3.97. In order of preference for QS, who would you target?
1. Stripling
2. Kuechel
3. Wood
4. Taillon
5. Heaney
6. Flaherty
Prefence with a heavy focus on QS?
1. Keuchel
2. Taillon
3. Stripling
4. Heaney
5. Flaherty
6. Wood.
Remember, QS heavily.
Thanks, Nick. I agree Keuchel for QS, but have concerns about him blowing up ratios. Is he the best for both QS and ratios? Not concerned about K’s…I lead in that category.
I was at this Giants game, Cueto didn’t even look good during his warmups. Once he was on the mound he had nothing; fastballs sitting at 87-89mph, hardly any changeups to speak of, and neither with a shred of command. The only pitch that looked normal was his slider but even though he couldn’t get in the zone. It was a low strike zone night and he didn’t have the command to throw strikes in general, let alone locate anywhere specific in the zone. He bounced two pitches against Chacin, all bad.
He occasionally shook his arm as though there was something off, stiffness maybe. Either way it was bad from front to back. Then Ty Blach comes in and promptly gives up a home run and like 7 more hits. Ray Black looks like an exciting reliever though.