I don’t expect this to be shocking, but even with Nick Pivetta going 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks against the Dodgers last night, I’m still not buying in. Yes, I know that he struggled in his first inning last time out – the first inning in the majors for over a month – and has since been unreal in the 10 innings after, but this changes nothing. Pivetta is the pinnacle of a Cherry Bomb and if you search your heart, you know it to be true. It’s one start and change. I’m thrilled his curveball worked and his fastball wasn’t laced today, who knows what it will be like the next time. If you’re a gambling man and have nothing else to chase on the wire, by all means, go for Pivetta and his 40% CSW. Don’t turn away more consistent options flying too close to the sun here.
Let’s see how every other SP did Sunday:
Lucas Giolito – 7.1 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks. Giolito. Dude. This is getting nuts. Fine, you got the Indians and you dominated like you should dominate the Indians lineup, but still. 39/103 CSW even with just 4/14 on breaking balls as this was heavily focused on fastball/changeup. And I didn’t even love his changeup locations! He’s overpowering with heat at 95 mph consistently and that’s everything. I don’t see Top 20 and an AGA coming without that phenomenal secondary stuff, but hot dang I love owning him right now.
Cole Hamels – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. See? No problems with Hamels after last weeks mishap. Am I the only one that pronounces that my-shap? Yes. Yes you are. Oh Mishap’tin, mishap’tin!
Rich Hill – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 9 Ks. 38/103 CSW as you’re like me and can’t believe Hill gets 13/63 whiffs on a 90.3 mph heater. The man has been locked in, which means a blister will appear in one or two starts. DON’T PUT THAT JUJU ON US! Sorry, sorry, just under promising, over-performing n all.
Jake Odorizzi – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks. The Odorizzi train continues to chug along at full steam as Odorizzi threw…no way this can’t be real…81% four-seamers in this game. Whoa. Here is what his strikeout plot looked like, depicting the bloodbath of a start in full force. And what’s crazier is the heater earned 20 whiffs along the way. Absurd, the Rays just couldn’t handle his heater in the slightest. You’re not going to stop starting Odorizzi and while I doubt he’s this good through the year, I’ll keep creeping him up The List until he gives me a reason to stop.
Trevor Richards – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. I love when Richards’ changeup dominates like it should, though this game felt like a product of the Padres affinity for strikeouts and less about Richards’ deserving hitters to bend the knee. Just 25% CSW is a bit disappointing as he allowed 37 foul balls. I don’t think I’ve seen a higher mark all year. No wonder he was bounced after five.
Julio Teheran – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks. The Tigers are bad, but I won’t judge Teheran harshly there as he’s been rolling. I won’t be the guy that tells you to run away from a decent Vargas Rule – 19 Whiffs are super impressive, after all – but at least keep him on a short leash, okay?
Adam Wainwright – 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 7 BBs, 8 Ks. It’s weird how easy we can brush aside a seven-walk start when he holds a 1.13 WHIP at the end of the day. I’m a bit surprised to see Waino collect 18 Ks across his last two starts, featuring two of his three starts above an 11% swinging-strike rate. No, I don’t think it’s a turned corner, just weird things.
Merrill Kelly – 7.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks. Kelly went off against the Mets in the same way he did against the Red Sox – comfort with his curveball for strikes as he went 15/25 strikes on hooks. This isn’t the start that makes me reconsider Kelly, but at least I’ll stick him in the 90s today and go from there. I don’t believe this is the Kelly ship leaving for a massive resurgence.
Zach Plesac – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. Ayyyy Plesac worked! Streaming Record: 41-23. I don’t really like the kid, though, with a 23/96 CSW, zero whiffs on his changeup – his second-best pitch – and a wild fastball. He’ll have a more starts like this one and even more where he gets burned for it, likely as soon as next time against the Yankees. You can let him go now.
Jeff Samardzija – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks. Nothing like Loose Lips holding this line with a 25% CSW. Good to see him go 5/17 whiffs on splitters though. Sure ain’t trust this.
Adrian Sampson – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 11 Ks. Sampson, what. His slider was as good as we’ve seen it, earning 12/29 whiffs. Nothing else was all that good, but the Royals just couldn’t touch the breaker. Oh hey, the Royals allowing a massive K game again! Blame it on the Royals. Now this makes sense(r).
Max Scherzer – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 15 Ks. Aces. Gonna. ACE. It’s like Scherzer is doing everything he can to hold onto that #1 spot. Fine, fine, we can go get ice cream after the dentist. Yeesh. Enjoy the Gallows Pole at 26 whiffs because duh.
Antonio Senzatela – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks. Sure, whatever Senz-A. I still don’t believe you have your license to run this dojo. *Inspects the mats.* Why do all of these say “Welcome” on it?
Gerrit Cole – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. Aces gonna ace. Cole, didn’t you just see what Scherzer did? Weren’t you like that at some point?
Zach Davies – 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. And here I was thinking that Davies’ 6 ER game on the 22nd would be the beginning of the end. Nope, that’s 2 ER total in two starts since and he’s still a massive TEEs. Can you guess what his SIERA is despite the 2.20 ERA? 4.00? 4.50? Nope. 5.07. Be careful, y’all.
Sonny Gray – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. Yep, I’d have full confidence starting Sonny moving forward until he does something to legit scare us.
David Price – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. Really nice to see Price continue in stride despite heading to the Bronx. Easily Top 20 at this point.
Gabriel Ynoa – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. Ynoa, what? I’m not going to hate on Gabriel today. REALLY?! Nah, just kidding. Ynoa nothing, Jon Snow.
Chris Bassitt – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks. It’s weird to see Bassitt striking out just one – HAISTFMFWT?! – but at least you got a VPQS and decent WHIP to help us endure the time of Bassitt failing to get whiffs again. It should come back as his curveball improves and the four-seamers get elevated, and now that the Astros are behind him, it’s time to pick up Bassitt again…I think. Arlington is next and that could be a bit of trouble. Fine. Wait one more start.
Matt Boyd – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks. I’m still very much a Boyd Boy as he holds a 3.01 ERA, 31% K rate and 1.02 WHIP through 13 starts. Life is good.
Brad Keller – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 9 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks. Hey, Keller wasn’t so bad today! Hey, I don’t care! BK, it’s not what you crave.
CC Sabathia – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks. I’m surprised that CC was able to go six frames full, especially against the Sawx, and he was able to fan eight along the way. Wild. This may be one of his more productive starts of the year for those in QS leagues, don’t get used to it.
Jose Suarez – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks. Yeah, I’m not a big fan of what Suarez brings to the table. It’s a great changeup – 11/32 whiffs! – but it’s all middling outside of it and we’re not talking a Trevor Richards slow ball here. Unsure if he’ll get another start in the next rotation pass (it would be the Mariners again, though they could easily skip him) and I’d be looking elsewhere.
Jordan Lyles – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. I don’t think Lyles pitched poorly here at all and if Thames doesn’t launch a two-run shot, we’re pretty happy with this. The Brew Crew are no joke. Keep on holding.
Aaron Sanchez – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks. Sanchez went into Coors. Sanchez did exactly what we expected.
Steven Matz – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Honestly, this is Matz. He didn’t do much differently here save for incorporating more sliders suddenly…which weren’t the pitch of old. He’s a Toby and that’s fine.
Matt Strahm – 4.1 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks. Strahm noooooooo. Just one whiff on 25 sliders is terrible, his fastball was just 90.6 mph, and everything is sad. I was really hoping he figured it out with his slider and was taking a step forward, but now we’re realizing the floor that I was surprised hadn’t shown up earlier. Baseball really knows how to mess with you. At this point, I have no idea which Strahm we’ll see next time. I’m imagining more of a Toby and that the high slider-whiff game was the exception, not the new trend, and I’m sad. Hold for one more and see what we get against the Nationals.
Ryan Yarbrough – 7.0 IP, 7 ER, 10 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. The Fratty Pirate gave us a healthy reminder of the floor that comes with False Starters. Womp womp.
Marco Gonzales – 4.2 IP, 10 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks. His cutter was gone and his fastball velocity was sub 89 mph. If you haven’t moved on yet, it’s time. There just isn’t enough upside here.
Today’s Streamer
For those unaware, I’m forced to make my Streamer picks under the condition of sub 20% owned in Fantasy Pros’ consolidated ownership rates.
Corbin Martin vs. Seattle Mariners – There are just four games on Monday and I’ll go with Martin’s strikeout upside instead of Lauer, Cahill, and LeBlanc against tough opponents.
Tomorrow’s Streamer
Devin Smeltzer vs. Cleveland Indians – I didn’t expect Smeltzer to get this start – I thought the Twins would skip him! – and now slated against the Indians, I’m game.
Day After Tomorrow’s Streamer
Dakota Hudson vs. Cincinnati Reds – There aren’t many streaming options here, so I’ll go with Hudson pulling off his sinkerball ways against the Reds offense away from GABP. Also stoked for Jimmy Nelson to finally return.
Game of the Day
Aaron Nola vs. San Diego Padres – Please have your fastball back. PLEASE.
(Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire)
