Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Wednesday game. I apologize for the jokes written in my delirium in advance. Have questions? Ask me during my office hours on Playback.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Michael Lorenzen (PHI) vs WSH (W) – 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 124 pitches.
There isn’t much to say about Michael Lorenzen after tossing the fourth no-hitter of 2023 against the Nationals with a final line of 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 124 pitches. Y’all know I love stories like these where pitchers get their moment to shine and leave their mark on history. Y’all also know that Lorenzen against the Nationals is exactly the kind of start we roster him for.
And sadly, this start doesn’t change anything – just look at Valdez’s start on Monday after his no-no if you need a recent example of no-hitters not outlining future success. As far as the no-hitter hangover, the Phillies are utilizing a six-man rotation and they have an off-day before then. And yet, it’s the Jays. I don’t want to start Lorenzen against the Jays. Lorenzen’s game is to throw a lot of strikes, hoping he can maintain a sub-8 hit per nine and low .265 BABIP, while his bread and butter is four-seamers that have somehow returned a .183 BAA, a slider thrown 32% of the time for 36% hard contact, and a changeup that holds a 24% CSW.
This is a wonderful moment and I couldn’t be happier for a guy who has had to fight constantly just for the chance to start, get a contract with the Tigers, find a way to the All-Star Game, be a desired arm at the deadline, and enter the books with a no-hitter. That’s so dang awesome. Let’s not start him against a legit offense though, okay?
Let’s see how every other SP did Wednesday:
Kevin Gausman (TOR) @ CLE (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 90 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Even at a lower velocity, Gausman is dope and makes us feel dope.
Shohei Ohtani (LAA) vs SF (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 97 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. He was visited by the trainer at the start of the sixth and finished the inning, though he may be dealing with a blister issue or something similar still. We saw sweeper/four-seamer once again and I’m for it with his improved fastball and fantastic breaker. So we keep on keepin’ on.
Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs LAD (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 83 pitches.
Two strikeouts and yet it’s against the Dodgers and I don’t care. What an incredible campaign Kelly is having and so what if I won’t touch you in 2024, I can still appreciate how you’ve kept so many fantasy teams afloat.
Bobby Miller (LAD) @ ARI (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 91 pitches.
Bobby, if you want to soar, you can’t throw just 10/22 strikes with your curveball. I do believe that Bobby can eventually get that curve over the plate and return more than four whiffs on sliders, while pumping competitive fastballs at 100 mph (he hit 101 in this one too). How can you not love that?
Yu Darvish (SD) @ SEA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 89 pitches.
We watched this one on Playback as a community and while I had some disagreements about his pitch approach, Darvish did what he needed to as he leaned once again on sweepers, sliders, and fastballs. It doesn’t appeal to me nearly as much as those two wonderful games a few weeks ago, but who cares what I think, the fella has been a stud in five of his last six now.
Austin Pruitt (OAK) vs TEX (ND) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 34 pitches.
He opened for Freddy Tarnok, who produced four frames of shutout ball for a Win and huge props to him for allowing just three hard-hit balls. Can’t say I really dig what he does, nor do I like his situation in the slightest, but I’ll keep an eye on him for you if something legit starts to appear. I got you.
Ian Hamilton (NYY) @ CWS (ND) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 1 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 10 pitches.
The Yankees tried to use an opener for Luis Severino in hopes it would help him get comfortable. Narrator: It didn’t. 2.0 IP and 4 ER and it’s just so sad how far he’s fallen. What an unreal season.
Ryan Walker (SF) @ LAA (ND) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 65% CSW, 17 pitches.
He opened for 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Ks of Sean Manaea. And? What, you want more? That looks like a good line! So does the Be Held Like Simba line at Disney World, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend time experiencing it.
Graham Ashcraft (CIN) vs MIA (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 103 pitches.
Whoaaa, a King Cole for Ashcraft?! His PLV darling of a slider was spicy with a 50% CSW and 8/38 whiffs, while the cutter was suddenly fantastic with eight whiffs of its own. Throw in sinkers actually landing armside and…wait. Am I actually falling for Ashcraft?! IS IT TIME?! He gets the Guardians next…let’s give it a whirl. Please keep this command…
Mike Clevinger (CWS) vs NYY (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 86 pitches.
With the horrific Yankee morale these days, I’m still really that surprised Clevinger did this well? But fine, enjoy your Gold Star. Now please, let me be.
Logan Allen (CLE) vs TOR (L) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 87 pitches.
Wow, the Jays can’t hit anything these days. But on the real, it was a legit BSB approach from Allen out of nowhere, but his change and breakers were…meh. I wonder if we’ll see him continue to do that or if the word got out that the Jays hate high fastballs after Bibee and Gavin steamrolled them. He’s an avoid in Cincinnati.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) vs SD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 87 pitches.
It was a fun debut to watch, especially with me yelling at Hancock to stop trying to get Tatis out with a sinker inside. JUST THROW THE DANG CHANGEUP ALREADY. After coughing up a run in the first on a walk, two stolen bases, and a comebacker to the mound, Hancock settled down and was able to confound the Padres with sinkers on both sides of the plate, solid cutters, and a changeup that I adore when he actually executes it (and trusts it, for that matter). With his east-west sinker approach, I dig how he jammed many right-handers, but I question if there’s enough here for me to consider him anything more than a solid Toby. No, those eight sinker whiffs aren’t likely to be repeated in my book. I think he’s fine against the Royals next, just don’t expect a whole bunch of strikeouts.
Jordan Montgomery (TEX) @ OAK (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 95 pitches.
Seeing two runs in six return a loss against the Athletics is a bit of a shocker, but seeing Monty still struggle to have his best changeup is not. That slowball has evaded him for a bit now and I’ll keep the faith for all of us that he’ll get it back soon. Meanwhile, we’re still starting him regularly.
Kyle Hendricks (CHC) @ NYM (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 94 pitches.
See? Just don’t start Hendricks against elite offenses like Atlanta. His changeup and sinker command is easily good enough to start against middling teams.
Cristian Javier (HOU) @ BAL (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 105 pitches.
THE SLIDER. IT EARNED 65% STRIKES…and the four-seamer wasn’t great. COME ON. If this means he figured something out with the slider, this could legit be the start of the rebound for Javier. It’s just one start, but maybe, just maybe, it’s the beginning of REDEMPTION.
Nick Pivetta (BOS) vs KC (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 90 pitches.
Guess what. Pivetta’s slider was solid once again and the curveball got in on the fun with seven whiffs of its own. And now he gets the Nationals?! SIGN ME UP.
David Peterson (NYM) vs CHC (ND) – 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 62 pitches.
He’s not stretched out, it was the Cubs, and even with 4/12 slider whiffs, that pick isn’t what we want it to be. Please don’t.
Jalen Beeks (TB) vs STL (ND) – 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 32 pitches.
With Glasnow pushed to the weekend, the Rays did their best with a bullpen game. Cool.
Johnny Cueto (MIA) @ CIN (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 77 pitches.
This wasn’t the time to start Cueto as you don’t want to run pitchers out in Cincy. Next up, Houston…No. For the love of Koufax, NO.
Dakota Hudson (STL) @ TB (W) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 73 pitches.
Wow, look at that cheap Win from Hudson. I know it’s real, but I can’t stop staring at it, wondering if he didn’t just print out that degree and frame it. Really? Columbia?!
Jack Flaherty (BAL) vs HOU (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 98 pitches.
The velocity is back to normal, around 93 mph, but the four-seamer was fantastic at 43% CSW and the breakers were solid as well. Some days you face the Astros and life just ain’t fair.
Alex Faedo (DET) vs MIN (ND) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 85 pitches.
The slider was everything you could hope for with a 46% CSW and 8/39 whiffs, but hot dang are the other pitches slacking. Like George from my junior chemistry class slacking. Why did I always have to be in group projects with him? AND WHY DID WE ALL RECEIVE THE SAME GRADE. It’s hard to bet on the heater and change stepping up to support Faedo consistently, let alone Faedo always having this good of a slider.
Jordan Lyles (KC) @ BOS (L) – 8.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 102 pitches.
Hey, that’s a complete game for Lyles and we really don’t see those anymore. Appreciate the little things, y’all. It’ll take you far.
Adrian Houser (MIL) vs COL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 67 pitches.
Womp womp. At least the WHIP isn’t so bad and you got a strikeout per inning, but maybe chucking fastballs over the plate and hoping for the best isn’t the greatest approach. Also sitting 1-2 ticks down on everything isn’t ideal. No, no it’s not.
Bailey Ober (MIN) @ DET (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 11 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 93 pitches.
After Crawford earning 20 whiffs in a horrible outing, here’s Ober earning a Gallows Pole while also getting Singled Out. WHAT IS GOING ON THIS WEEK. These pitchers deserve better dangit!
Quinn Priester (PIT) vs ATL (ND) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 86 pitches.
I can’t believe that happened.
Max Fried (ATL) @ PIT (ND) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 79 pitches.
Wait. No no no, you got the starts in reverse. This was supposed to be last week’s game. On the plus side, at least Fried was sitting 95/96 mph instead of 93/94. Gotta love that. Welp, keep starting him because duh.
Chris Flexen (COL) @ MIL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 106 pitches.
At least it’s cool he’s getting another shot to start. But it’s Colorado and this one wasn’t even in Colorado. Why do you have to ruin everything.
MacKenzie Gore (WSH) @ PHI (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 83 pitches.
You know, we should be thanking Gore for making it an easy choice to let Lorenzen pitch through the ninth. If this were a close game, I’m not sure they would have let him.
Game of the Day
Aaron Nola vs. Washington Nationals – Please, I want to live every day like it’s Nola day again.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photos by Bernard Hermant/Unsplash and Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports | Featured Image by Ethan Kaplan (@DJFreddie10 on Twitter and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)