MLB Daily Grind Down: April 5th

by Kyle Koch (Jackandsoda) Last Updated 2013-04-05 15:49:35

Yesterdays Grind Down truly was that because as I tried to upload the article it grinding down the website crashing the server. Did you miss us? Were back on track today and ready to help you grind your way through the MLB.

It is Friday and it feels like old times. We have a $10 DFBC qualifier to look forward to tonight, a full slate of MLB games to breakdown, and my boy, Brian Roberts is back on the DL after injuring his hammy. Hey Brian, if you see Grady Sizemore roaming the halls of obscurity with you, tell him I said hello.

There is 75K on the line in tonights King of the Court. Is it wrong that I am more excited about todays DFBC?

NY Yankees at Detroit

• Ivan Nova K/9 ratio make him fantasy relevant. His breaking pitches are some of the best in baseball. He hung way to many of them last year surrendering 28 long balls in 28 starts. He is a better pitcher on the road then he is at home, though. He had a horrible spring and many think he will be moved to the bullpen when Phil Hughes returns.

• Doug Fister had a great year with DET last year. He was a little bit wild in Spring but normally has great control. Tough to pull the trigger today vs. the Yankees

• 6 out of 9 of the Tigers starters have a .400 or better BAA vs Nova. The team as a whole is batting .333 vs. him. Fire at will.

• Yankees have hit Fister well to the tune of .280 BAA. Brennan Boesch and Travis Hafner have had the most success. Hafner is still pretty cheap. I like him today. Chris Stewart has favorable numbers also if he gets the start. I also like Cano in this one since fister is a weird lefty who actually has better success vs. right-handed hitters and I think Cano is due.

LA Angels at Texas

• We have two heavy hitting teams meeting each other on the back end of their rotations. This one showed be a high scoring one. Vegas has the line at OU at 10. Enough said about pitching

• The current Angels are batting .333 vs Holland and Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, and Mark Trumbo all have OPS of over .900 against him. He was Hamiltons teammate last year so there are no numbers there but he is in play also. I like the angels today after that bats finally came to life in the last game of their series in CIN. Chris Iannetta has been hot.

• The rangers BvP vs. Vargas are not that great. However, most of those stats were comprised in a more friendly ballpark. Vargas has had an awful spring so I think all the Rangers are in play. Nelson Cruz and Kinsler are to two Rangers that have had the most success vs. him. Adrian Beltre struggled vs. Lefties last year and has not been swinging the bat all that well.

Minnesota at Baltimore

• Despite their high ERAs, Vegas only has the OU of this game at 8 so it is not immfeasible that one of these two pitchers has a decent 2nd starter kind of game. Out of the two Arrieta gets the most Ks and his problem in the past has been getting lefties out. Most of Min best hitters are lefties. Use at your own risk though.

• You have to be living under a cave to not have noticed how hot Chris Davis, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters have been to start the season. Davis is batting .667 with 3 HR. Nick Markakais normally hits righties very well. I like him to get his bat going today

• Morneau and Mauer have both been swinging the bat well lately and historically pound righties. Move them to the top of depth charts. Morneau is still a great value and if he get back close to his 09 form than is a steal.

Kansas City at Philadelphia

• On a day in which pitching is hard to come by, Wade Davis could be your best bet in the early games. His 10.7 K/9 ratio on the road puts him in the upper tier of starters. If he can recreate the 2.81 ERA and .179 BAA then you can play him ease. However, Davis spent most of his time in the pen last year and as everyone knows it gets a whole lot easier to hit a guy the second and third time you see him in a day so do not expect those numbers.

• Kyle Kendrick is finally getting a chance to be a regular in the rotation. He made great improvements from a year ago and many expect a great season from him. His k/9 ratio make him a viable play as a number 2 starter.

• The only person on the Phillies that has been hot is Chase Utley. He has accounted in some way for 8 of there 9 total runs scored. He draws a righty today so the lefty is certainly in play. Howard has killed lefties in the past but he has just 1 TB on this young season. No thanks.

• Jeff Francoeur has owned Kendrick in the with a .407 BAA vs. him. Because of the opposing leagues, no one else has seen him that much. Feel free to sprinkle in some of the lefties like Gordon and Hosmer. I wouldn’t load but one or two might work for you.

San Diego at Colorado

• Here is what you need to know about the pitching in this one. It is in COL and Vegas has the OU at 11.

• The entire Colrado squad has owned Marquis in the past. Helton has the most impressive numbers but they all are a great play. They are your load of the day. Fire away. I do not need to tell you how hot Tulo and CGo have been. Get them in your LUs together.

• Francis has struggled at home. If you are looking to free up some salary then invest in a few padres because they are going to score some runs today. The rookie, Gyorko has been stroking that bat well.

St. Louis at San Francisco

• I like Barry Zito is a sneaky play today. He has started of the last few seasons very well. Last year he had a 1.67 ERA in the month with a BAA .186. He seems to breakdown after the break.

• Likewise, “Jake Westbrook(player-profile)”:/players/Jake_Westbrook-10660’s low road ERA make him a viable play vs. a SF team that is batting .208 to start the season. I do not expect to many runs in this one Westbrook is the safer play. I like both guys as a number 2 or 3.

• The Card’s stats vs. Zito or off the charts. If I am wrong about Zito then I could be really wrong because they have hammered him in the past. Allen Craig has 3 HR vs. him in only 10 at bats. A Cards stack will probably be used by more than one person today.

• The Giants have been pretty bad on offence. Buster Posey is batting .200 to start the season. It is hard to recommend any of these players until they start scoring runs, only 8 on the season.

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