(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.
