Joe Ross was spectacular again Friday night, pitching 7.1 innings, allowing just six hits, one walk, one earned run and striking out 11 Pirates. He grabbed his second win after coming off an 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 K gem last week in Milwaukee. Owning the zone, like a Boss. Striking out hitters, like a Boss. Racking up wins, like a–Ross. Ohh. See what I did there? Ross holds a 2.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 23/2 K/BB rate in 20.1 innings. It’s not like this is coming out of no where either, Ross has been pretty boss all year. In 50.1 innings at AA, Ross held a 54/12 K/BB rate, a 2.81 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP. Unfortunately, despite his boss-like tendencies of late, with Fister back and Strasburg set to return, Joe Ross is likely headed back to the minors for more seasoning. Gordon Ramsay might say any more salt would kill this dish, but the Nats and fantasy owners have to be pleased with Ross’ performance and he is certainly a name worth watching as the season goes on. Is it bad that I kind of want him to stay in the rotation over Strasburg? It is? Well, how about Roark? Maybe Doug Fister can get injured again? Here’s hoping we see Joe Ross again sooner rather than later.
Here’s what else happened in fantasy baseball Friday night:
Chris Sale – 8.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 14 K. Wow. Umm. Yeah. He’s my Cy Young. Since giving up 5 ER to Detroit on May 6th, Sale has been hot fire extinguished with gasoline and whisky. He’s pitched 60.4 innings in eight starts, going at least seven in in all but one and 8.0 IP in five. He has a 98/9 K/BB rate in that stretch and most amazingly, perhaps, is that he’s only won three of those games. This is a fantasy ace, folks.
Matt Wisler – 8.0 IP, 6 hits, ER, 2 K and his first win. Well, hello there, new friend! Grey told you to BUY a few days ago. He and Prospect Mike called him “safe and boring,” which are coincidentally the same words I use on my Tinder profile. You’d be surprised how well it works. Wisler gets the Nats next week, I don’t love the match up but he’s worth a flier.
Phil Hughes – 8.0 IP, 2 hits, ER, 4 K and his fifth win. Hughes has strung together three straight quality starts. The WHIP and strikeout numbers leave a lot to be desired but he gets the White Sox next week and they can’t hit anyone.
Kyle Hendricks – 5.0 IP, 11 hits, 6 ER and his third loss. After a nice stretch of quality starts he was overdue. I like you Kyle, but if you can’t handle the Twins, I have to look elsewhere.
Anthony Rizzo – 2-for-4, 2 HR (14). Ant Man has 5 HR, 10 runs and 10 RBI in the past two weeks. Who says that would make a stupid movie? I will see anything with Paul Rudd, even if its a big piece of ish. Rizzo’s got 14 homers and 10 steals on the year. After the game I took him out to a nice seafood dinner, he ordered the risotto (obvs!) and we talked about other ways he can help my fantasy team going forward. How do you feel about closing games?
Brian Dozier – 2-for-4, 2 runs, SB (5). He’s got 10 runs, 3 homers, 6 RBI and two stolen bases in the past two weeks. Don’t sleep on him!
Colby Lewis – 8.0 IP, 9 hits, ER, 7 K and his 7th win. Colby’s has a 2.79 ERA and three wins in June. The success of the Rangers starting pitcher staff should be filed under strange and explainable phenomena. Someone get Mulder and Scully out to Arlington.
Jace Peterson – 2-for-3, 2 RBI. Grey told you to BUY. He’s batting .358 with 7 runs in the past two weeks but still under 50% owned. He leads off for the Braves, people, I don’t understand the hesitation. Is it because he’s safe and boring? Swipe right.
Mike Leake – 7.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K and his 4th win. Yesterday was the day of the average to middling pitcher having the above average game.
Dan Haren – 6.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. See above. Please keep this in mind. I’m not necessarily recommending you own these pitchers, but I do feel its my duty to make you aware that they pitched an above average game. Although this line is a lot closer to average, isn’t it?
Nathan Karns – 5.1 IP, 6 hits, ER, BB, 4 K and his 4th win. Karns’ performance I hope was a little less fluky because I like him and the Rays and wish them only great success, but at the same time I would avoid his start next week vs. Toronto because they hit baseballs far.
Brad Boxberger – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, K, SV (17). Jake McGee pitched the 8th inning and I think I told you last week he was the closer again. Well, he’s not, again. Brad Boxberger is. For now! Dum dum dum!
Joey Butler – 2-for-4, HR (16). The Butler did it again! He’s hitting .336, slugging .556 and has now homered in back-to-back games. We call that the back-2-backer. He’s also got 8 RBI and a SB in the past two weeks. Grab him, Butler is here to serve you!
Manny Machado– 2-for-4, 2 runs, SB (11). Flying elbow drop! Oh yeeeeeah!
Marco Estrada – 7.0 IP, 1 hit, ER, 4 BB, 6 K. He took a no-hitter into the eighth! Yes, Marco Estrada. Just to switch things up a bit, in this instance we have a particularly below-average pitcher, throwing an very above-average game. What a Freaky Friday! Marco has won all his starts in June and gets Tampa next week. Sure I’d give him a stream!
Brett Cecil – 1.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, K, SV (5). But he got the save! So who cares!? ¯\_(”/)_/¯
Kolten Wong – 1-for-5, 2-run HR (8). I pledge to love Kolten for a [content deleted] [extended and indefinite period of] time, [as measured in hours, minutes, days and years.]
Yadier Molina – 2-for-3, HR (2), 2 RBI. Yaddy is starting to heat up with two homers in the past week. Too bad he’s already owned everywhere.
Randal Grichuk – 3-for-5, 2 run, HR. Those who need outfield help in deeper leaguies should take a look at Grichuk. He’s got a little pop and some speed and hits for average. He’s also named Randal, and who doesn’t like a guy named Randy?
Ryan Howard – 1-for-4, 3-run HR (13). With the back-2-backer! If you need power you could pick up Howard, or work for the government! You power-hungry fascist!
Adam Warren – 8.0 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 7 K and his fifth win. Basically, if you are a borderline ownable fantasy pitcher, you had yourself a game last night. Warren does get the Phillies next week and I could see using him there.
Justin Verlander – 6.2 IP, 10 hits, 6 ER, BB, 2 K. Lol. I said ownable.
Brett Gardner – 4-for-5, 2 runs, HR (7), 3 RBI. In the past two weeks, Gardner’s got 12 runs, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 3 SB and is hitting close to .300. Perhaps the Yanks are better off without D Ellsbury?
Alex Rodriguez – 1-for-4, HR (13). Took the first pitch he saw from Justin Verlander into the seats for his 3,000th career hit, joining a club that includes a list of baseball greats that are generally a lot more likable than him.
Ben Paulsen – 3-for-4, 2 RBI. If you still don’t know who Ben Paulsen is, all you really need to know is he’s playing he’s next five games at home, and he calls Coors field home.
Aramis Ramirez – 3-for-5, HR (8), 2 RBI. Hey, I told you to buy ARam last week and he did nothing until last night to help me save face. Whew! Making predictions is rough business, you guyz, but I still believe Ramirez could be useful.
Shane Peterson – 3-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI. I don’t know who this is, but he’s batting .450 in the past week and I’ve had a lot of luck with Peterson’s this year in fantasy.
Ryan Braun – 1-for-4, 2-run HR (14), SB (7). With the slam and eggs and an HGH smoothie to wash it all down. It was just muscle milk, bro. Relax!
Rubby De La Rosa – 7.0 IP, 5 hits, ER, 3 BB, 6 K and his sixth win. Not going to lie, Rubby scares the hell out of me. But if you choose his starts carefully he can be useful. Next week at Colorado, well that’s the scariest one yet.
Roenis Elias – 7.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 10 K and his 4th win. This was likely Roenis’ best start in, well, ever. In ever.
Carson Smith – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, K, SV (4). He is the Mariners closer people, meaning there’s no reason he should be just 30% owned. Get on that.
Justin Turner – 3-for-3, 2 runs, HR (7), 2 RBI. Justin’s hitting .420 with 2 homers in the past week, and yet he’s just 10% owned. I’m the one who’s high on psychedelics right now, why is it I feel that all you other fantasy owners are tripping!? Can someone get me a giant glass of water and a dozen oranges, I feel another big wave of epiphanies coming.
Buster Posey – 3-for-4, Grand Slam HR (10), SB (1). I checked yelp reviews for slam & legs, and the consensus in SF is that Posey’s can’t be beat.
Eduardo Rodriguez – 6.1 IP, 6 hits, ER, 5 K and his 3rd win. After getting destroyed (4.2 IP, 9 ER) by the Blue Jays last week, this was encouraging. Let’s just chalk that one up to Toronto being awesome, and move on. If someone bailed on him, I’d own Ed-Rod in all leagues.
Mookie Betts – 4-for-5, RBI, SB (11). Betts is hitting close to .600 in the past week. He is a hot bowl of chowdah right now and he’s been known to go on hot streaks like this. Me and Mookie were partying about town last night, bar-hopping, wingman-ing and painting the town red. When he stole that base we cheered so loud and hugged so hard, the bartender thought we were brothers. That’s when I realized the man I had been hugging and buying drinks for all night was not the man on TV stealing second at all but some hobo drifter in a Red Sox hat. Sigh. I have got to stop assuming everybody in a baseball hat is a baseball player.
Eric Hosmer – 2-for-4, HR (8). That’s why he’s the top voting getting All Star first baseman!
Albert Pujols – 2-for-5, 3 run, Grand Slam HR (20), 5 RBI. Alby’s hit 6 homers with 13 runs, and 14 RBI in the past week! I love all the things that you choose to be. Welcome back, old friend.
Billy Burns – 3-for-5, 2 runs, RBI, SB (14). Billy’s batting .375 with 8 runs and 3 SB in the past week. In May, I recommended a commenter pick up Burns over Delino DeShields for some sweet SAGNOF action. Deshields went off the wall immediately afterwards, and as I always do when I give so-so advice, I felt horrible about it. I was restless. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. But now, Delino is sidelined and Billy is not and it looks like I is more smarter than I thinks? Ask me question, I am more bigger genius. I guess?
Stephen Vogt – 2-for-4, HR (13), 3 RBI. No, you shouldn’t drop him. No, not even for that player.
Sonny Gray – 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. Hey there, guy. Grey just told you to SELL Sonny boy. What a strange and interesting coincidence, how funny. Must be all his expert insight and analys–he’s a wiiiiiiiiiitch!
Ben Zobrist -2-for-5, 3-run HR (4). BenZo is hotter than a binding legal contract with Christian Grey. He’s got 11 runs, 2 homers, 8 RBI and is hitting .417 in the past week! Now that’s what I call a dominant!
Thanks for reading! Questions? Problems? Complaints to management? Advice, small gifts or large bribes? Please leave it in the comments below. Join us next Saturday for another Friday recap as fantasy baseball continues next week, all week long!
