Far out brussel sprout! Kevin Gausman with a 5.10 ERA? *cracks knuckles, puts on ‘Danger Zone’* this could take a while… Okay really, you can break down Gausman’s season into four chunky sized Manilla folders. First, there’s April/May Gausman: 7.50 ERA, six home runs, innocent bystander in Red Sox kafuffle. June Gausman: 19 earned runs allowed, fantasy owners convulsing with hate. July Gausman: 45 strikeouts, serious trust issues. August Gausman: urge to add rising, “I told you he’d come good” from every armchair expert. Gausman starts today @ the Angels. Good call, he is one of my pitcher picks for today’s slate ($9,100) and since the Angels have struggled against righties at times this year, there’s no rhyme or reason why you shouldn’t take full advantage of that discounted price tag. Here’s who else I like for Wednesday’s slate:
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Zack Greinke, SP: $9,800 – You’re throwing darts trying to find a reliable starting pitcher today. There is Alex Wood, but since he looks in need of a weeks rest, a good nap, and a pop-tart, Greinke is my go-to guy (don’t laugh). His last start was cringe against the Cubs (6ER’s on 2HR’s) but Greinke does hold a 2.39 ERA at home this season, so that’s something I guess. The Dodgers are the bringers of the dingers right now, but they do also hold the seventh highest K-rate this week (25%). Throw in how good Greinke’s slider has looked over the last month (47% swing rate in his last start) you could see some nice numbers from the 33-year old.
Bartolo Colon, SP: $5,900 – I’ll just leave this here… the Brewers have struck out 78-times this week.
Mike Zunino, C: $2,100 – Jharel doesn’t JaRule against the M’s. Cotton has given up two home runs and walked 11% of the hitters he’s faced vs. the Mariners, and you all know (or probably don’t know) that Zunino has hit four home runs at the Coliseum in his career.
Yulieski Gurriel, 1B: $3,700 – Yuli for me, Yuli for you, let’s have a homer, you have one too. Big night for Gurriel on Tuesday (3 hits, HR, RBI). He’s got another dream pitching match up tonight vs. Miguel Gonzalez – the same Miguel Gonzalez that gave up seven earned runs in 1.2 IP last week against the the Red Sox.
Brian Dozier, 2B: $3,700 – Get a load of the Dozier show. Four home runs in a week and another one Tuesday night? Nurse, prepare the cups. Wait, you know what, urine you’re right. He did do this last year. Guess we better play him from now until September, rain, hail or shine.
Mike Moustakas, 3B: $4,000 – What you don’t know won’t hurt you. Mike Moustakas has never faced Mike Leake in his career – all you need to worry about though is this: two home runs and four RBI’s this week. Moustakas currently holds the highest HR/FB rate of his career (19.5%) and holds a .286 AVG since the All Star break.
Tim Beckham, SS: $3,100 – You’ve gotta smother yourself in some Orioles lovin’ today, and if you don’t want to fork out for Machado, Beckham is your next best runner up. He’s hit three home runs, good for a .396 AVG over the last 15 days, and he’s facing some guy named Tony Scribner. Make like Nike and Just Do It.
Yoenis Cespedes, OF: $3,200 – High-vis-fluro-dude is only 28 HR’s away from where we thought he’d wind up by the end of this season, fancy that? Cespy hit another tater last night and is a pretty likable matchup vs. lefty Martin Perez at Citi Field. The Mets outfield is pretty killer against southpaws, which brings me to…
Michael Conforto, OF: $4,300 – Cesp and Conforto have combined for 10 HR’s and 22 RBI’s vs. lefties this year. Perez went full meltdown mode in his last start, allowing seven earned runs on three homers, and since the Mets are actually hitting this week (10HR’s) you can’t say no to this.
Andrew Benintendi, OF: $3,800 – Benintendi is the only Red Sox outfielder not to have registered multiple hits against Jake Odorizzi, but still, this entire unit is firing on all cylinders, so he’s definitely due.
Adam Duvall, OF: $3,800 – I always like me some Adam Duvall when the Reds are at home, and he’s been particularly good this month: two home runs and five RBI’s. Better yet, Duvall’s overall contact rate continues to draw closer to the 77% career high he set in 2014. He’s not your cheapest option today, but he’s a great addition if you’re looking for some power.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
There’s a slight chance of a thunderstorm smack bang in the middle of the Phillies/Braves game tonight, but aside from that, it’s all systems go. The wind is likely to get up to 16 MPH during the Cubs/Giants day game, so that will also be one to watch.
Doing Lines in Vegas
The Diamondbacks are sitting at +110 for their game against the Dodgers tonight, an interesting line considering I think their lineup can certainly handle Alex Wood. The Pirates are also set at +115 away at Detroit, another set of odds that are favorable since the Pirates are batting .255 this week.
