MLB Daily Grind Down: Thursday, September 20th Part 2

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2013-09-19 16:54:38

Houston vs. Cleveland

7:05 PM	Houston – ROAD					Cleveland – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.239	0.683	25.60%	0.54		0.253	0.732	21.10%	0.63
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.239	0.679	25.20%	0.41		0.270	0.768	19.50%	0.52
SP STATS	Keuchel – LHP					Jimenez – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.55	5.17	7.09	6.72		1.38	3.49	9.16	10.77
LAST 14 DAYS	2.67	11.00	12.00	7.00		1.04	0.42	9.38	18.03
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	HOU vs R		HOU BvP			CLE vs L		CLE BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Dallas Keuchel – Keuchel has an ERA over 5 on the season and faces an Indians lineup that can string hits together and really put up some big innings. For a guy that has had quite a few bad innings this year, this isn’t the matchup for him. Rating = 2

• Ubaldo Jimenez – It’s really nice to see Ubaldo pitching well. Since the All-Star break, Ubaldo has a 1.83 ERA while striking out 10 batters per 9 innings. Those are as good of numbers as anyone since the All-Star break. Today he faces the Astros who have been piling up the strikeouts all season long. Rating = 9

Batter Grind Down

HOU – The Astros are in play every once in a while when they have a nice matchup. Today is not that day.

CLE – The Indians have quite a few lefties in their lineup, but Keuchel is giving up a .296 batting average to lefties this season so don’t shy away from them just because it’s a lefty/lefty matchup. I like Kipnis, Santana, and Swisher in this one.

Miami vs. Washington

7:05 PM	Miami – ROAD					Washington – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.231	0.623	19.80%	0.43		0.247	0.700	20.20%	0.54
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.234	0.663	21.10%	0.38		0.258	0.734	19.90%	0.46
SP STATS	Alvarez – RHP					Gonzalez – LHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.22	3.97	5.21	7.73		1.26	3.40	9.04	11.21
LAST 14 DAYS	1.18	4.24	5.29	9.00		1.09	2.18	8.47	14.07
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	MIA vs L		MIA BvP			WSN vs R		WSN BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Henderson Alvarez – Alvarez has a low K rate, plays on a bad team, and faces a Nationals lineup that has been red hot lately. No fantasy appeal here. Rating = 2

• Gio Gonzalez – Gio has to be one of the top pitchers today. I think I would rank the pitchers Bum, Ubaldo, and then Gio. He has a great matchup against the Marlins and has pitched well at home all season long. Rating = 8

Batter Grind Down

MIA – Giancarlo Stanton is the only hitter you should be considering here. He has good power against lefties and homered last night.

WAS – Alvarez is giving up a .300 batting average to left hand hitters so focus on getting Bryce Harper, Denard Span, and Adam LaRoche into your lineups.

NY Yankees vs. Toronto

7:07 PM	NY Yankees – ROAD					Toronto – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.246	0.685	19.40%	0.55		0.252	0.733	18.00%	0.62
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.245	0.694	19.80%	0.42		0.254	0.744	18.00%	0.49
SP STATS	Kuroda – RHP					Redmond – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.14	3.13	6.56	10.17		1.16	4.10	9.40	8.01
LAST 14 DAYS	1.44	5.40	7.46	7.37		0.63	3.18	7.30	10.05
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	NYY vs R		NYY BvP			TOR vs R		TOR BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Hiroki Kuroda – Kuroda has not been himself lately. Over the last two months he has an ERA over 5 which isn’t promising. My gut tells me that he will pitch well in this one, but I am going to trust the numbers over my gut. He is struggling and is pitching in a hitter’s park. Rating = 5

• Todd Redmond – When Redmond gets the start you hear a lot of people say to take a bunch of hitters against him. While that may be true when he is on the road, there is something in the water in the Rogers Centre that has him pitching well. Redmond has a 2.19 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP at home. I’m not saying start him, but don’t automatically think to stack a few Yankees bats. Rating = 6

Batter Grind Down

NYY – You just get the feeling that the Yankees are going to make a run at this Wild Card. I don’t love the matchup for the Yankees, but it’s hard to pass on Robinson Cano against a righty in a hitter’s park.

TOR – Kuroda has really pitched well against the Blue Jays in the past, but Jose Reyes looks like he could get on base a couple of times tonight. He has 4 doubles in his last 5 games.

Texas vs. Tampa Bay

7:10 PM	Texas – ROAD					Tampa Bay – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.262	0.740	16.80%	0.62		0.262	0.748	18.70%	0.62
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.266	0.751	17.50%	0.48		0.250	0.734	19.00%	0.48
SP STATS	Darvish – RHP					Moore – LHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.04	2.79	11.93	15.08		1.24	3.11	8.54	11.58
LAST 14 DAYS	1.11	3.32	9.47	10.67		1.41	0.61	8.87	10.40
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	TEX vs L		TEX BvP			TBR vs R		TBR BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Yu Darvish – The Rangers had a tough loss last night in extra innings where Nathan blew the save. This game is by far the most meaningful game on the schedule tonight and you couldn’t ask for two better pitchers. Yu is the strikeout king and is a nice play against the Rays. For my money I’d rather have one of the three pitchers I talked about earlier though. Rating = 7

• Matt Moore – Moore has only allowed 1 earned run over his last 3 starts. He looks good and has been slowly picking up his K numbers. The matchup is tough, but I think he steps up and pitches well. Rating = 6

Batter Grind Down

TEX/TB – To me, this game is all about pitching. It could be one of those games that you just avoid altogether and then sit back and watch the game just because it will be a good game.

Baltimore vs. Boston

7:10 PM	Baltimore – ROAD					Boston – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.264	0.755	18.10%	0.63		0.273	0.780	20.40%	0.68
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.267	0.767	18.00%	0.52		0.284	0.819	20.40%	0.57
SP STATS	Tillman – RHP					Lackey – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.22	3.70	7.55	11.04		1.20	3.56	7.65	10.71
LAST 14 DAYS	1.10	4.43	7.16	10.03		1.36	6.52	6.60	7.70
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	BAL vs R		BAL BvP			BOS vs R		BOS BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Chris Tillman – Tillman has been very good for the Orioles this season, he has a 3.70 ERA and an impressive 7.55 K’s per 9 innings. But you can quote all the stats that you want and the question comes down to this: Do you really want to take a pitcher against the Red Sox in Fenway. My answer is no. Rating = 4

• John Lackey – Lackey is in the same boat as Tillman. He has good numbers, but a tough matchup. With all these other good pitching options available to you, why take a pitcher against the Orioles? Rating = 4

Batter Grind Down

BAL – Chris Davis seems to have Lackey’s number. In his career, he is 11/26 with 2 HR’s and 3 doubles off of him. Manny Machado has also had some success against Lackey with 2 HR’s against him.

BOS – The Red Sox have not hit Tillman that well in the past, but they are a scrappy team that can score runs in many different ways. I’m looking at someone in the bottom of that order to have a big game. Maybe Will Middlebrooks or Stephen Drew.

Minnesota vs. Oakland

10:07 PM	Minnesota – ROAD					Oakland – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.241	0.698	22.20%	0.54		0.244	0.718	19.40%	0.59
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.237	0.692	22.40%	0.43		0.250	0.730	19.00%	0.48
SP STATS	Correia – RHP					Straily – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.42	4.31	5.15	7.76		1.24	4.11	7.26	9.16
LAST 14 DAYS	1.21	4.26	5.21	8.33		0.87	2.04	7.85	13.40
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	MIN vs R		MIN BvP			OAK vs R		OAK BvP

Pitcher Grind Down

• Kevin Correia – Correia’s ERA is almost as high as his K rate. At this point in the season, you should know that you don’t want a pitcher with those type of numbers. Rating = 2

• Dan Straily – Straily has a nice K rate of more than 7 per 9 innings. He also has a favorable matchup against this Twins team that is counting down the days until the end of the season. Straily has great upside for his price. Rating = 7

Batter Grind Down

MIN – The Twins seem to have a different lineup every single day so if you want to take a Twins hitter, make sure to check the lineup before putting anyone in your lineup. I’m going to pass on the Twins today.

OAK – This is a great spot for the A’s. Correia doesn’t strike out many batters and the A’s tee off against weak pitchers.