MLB Daily Grind Down: April 9th
I’m still feeling the aftermath from Roy Halladay getting blown up once again. Even though everything pointed toward him being done, I got suckered in by the name and by his numbers against the Mets. Oh well, that won’t happen again. Hopefully today will make up for it and I am taking a much younger Ace on the mound today that goes by the name of Gio.
Toronto at Detroit
| Toronto | Detroit | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comerica Park | 1:05 PM | ||||||
| BALLPARK RATINGS (LEFT) | BALLPARK RATINGS (RIGHT) | ||||||
| Left Handed Batters – 1.03 L-Rating, 0.028 HR/AB | Right Handed Batters – 1.01 R-Rating, 0.03 HR/AB | ||||||
| Brandon Morrow | Anibal Sanchez | ||||||
| SEASON | 0-0 REC, 1.50 ERA, 5.2 Avg IP | SEASON | 0-0 REC, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 Avg IP | ||||
| PvB | (13-55) H/AB, 4 XBHA, 1 HRA, 17 KA | PvB | (36-108) H/AB, 11 XBHA, 3 HRA, 24 KA | ||||
| LAST 3 | 0-0 REC, 6.0 IP, 1.50 ERA | LAST 3 | 0-0 REC, 5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA | ||||
| ROAD | 47 IP, 2.87 ERA, 0.195 BAA, 7.3 K/9 | HOME | 91.2 IP, 4.52 ERA, 0.258 BAA, 8.3 K/9 | ||||
| BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN | |||||||
TOR BvP  | DET BvP | ||||||
| TOR vs R | DET vs R | ||||||
| Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window | |||||||
Toronto
- Brandon Morrow is a high K pitcher with big upside when the matchup is right. Unfortunately, a matchup against the Tigers in Detroit isn’t exactly a great matchup. Morrow has a 5.79 ERA against the Tigers over the last few years and has a tough road ahead of him in this one.
- The Blue Jays hitters should be able to find some success against Sanchez, but I think Sanchez will go in with a bend but don’t break philosophy. Melky Cabrera is 8/15 against Sanchez in his career and Edwin Encarnacion is 3/7 with a HR against him. Consider those two and possibly the hot hitting Jose Reyes.
Detroit
- Sanchez has been very good for the Tigers ever since coming over in the trade with Miami last year. Today’s matchup with the newly revamped offense of the Blue Jays isn’t a great one, especially considering the fact that Encarnacion and Cabrera both have solid numbers against him.
- For the Tigers, I would stick to the usual suspects as far as their hitters go. Miguel Cabrera is never a bad play and could get a hold of one of those fastballs. Prince Fielder has never faced Morrow but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
LA Dodgers at San Diego
| LA Dodgers | San Diego | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PETCO Park | 6:40 PM | ||||||
| BALLPARK RATINGS (LEFT) | BALLPARK RATINGS (RIGHT) | ||||||
| Left Handed Batters – 0.89 L-Rating, 0.013 HR/AB | Right Handed Batters – 0.97 R-Rating, 0.026 HR/AB | ||||||
| Josh Beckett | Clayton Richard | ||||||
| SEASON | 0-1 REC, 4.50 ERA, 6.0 Avg IP | SEASON | 0-1 REC, 14.54 ERA, 5.2 Avg IP | ||||
| PvB | (13-49) H/AB, 4 XBHA, 0 HRA, 14 KA | PvB | (58-179) H/AB, 16 XBHA, 5 HRA, 20 KA | ||||
| LAST 3 | 0-1 REC, 6.0 IP, 4.50 ERA | LAST 3 | 0-1 REC, 4.1 IP, 14.54 ERA | ||||
| ROAD | 87.1 IP, 4.84 ERA, 0.261 BAA, 6.8 K/9 | HOME | 95.1 IP, 3.02 ERA, 0.245 BAA, 4.8 K/9 | ||||
| BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN | |||||||
| LAD BvP | SDP BvP | ||||||
| LAD vs L | SDP vs R | ||||||
| Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window | |||||||
LA Dodgers
- Josh Beckett has certainly been better since coming to the Dodgers, but he still hasn’t lived up to his potential. His matchup today however, is a good one. He gets to face the struggling Padres in the pitchers park that is Petco. I think he does enough to earn himself a win.
- Good BvP for the Dodgers all over: Gonzalez 7/8, Punto 5/8, Kemp 12/32. I like Kemp the most of the bunch because he is great against lefties.
San Diego
- Last season, Clayton Richard was two different pitchers. At home he was a very solid pitcher with an ERA of only 3.02 and averaging 5 K’s per 9 innings. On the road his ERA jumped to 4.74 and his K’s per 9 dropped a strikeout per game. While he is at home today, he has been absolutely owned by the Dodgers, I would stay away from him today.
- For the Padres, there isn’t much to like with their hitters against Beckett. No one has had success against him and they are playing in a pitcher’s park.
NY Mets at Philadelphia
| NY Mets | Philadelphia | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens Bank Park | 7:05 PM | ||||||
| BALLPARK RATINGS (LEFT) | BALLPARK RATINGS (RIGHT) | ||||||
| Left Handed Batters – 0.97 L-Rating, 0.03 HR/AB | Right Handed Batters – 0.99 R-Rating, 0.034 HR/AB | ||||||
| Dillon Gee | Cliff Lee | ||||||
| SEASON | 0-1 REC, 1.42 ERA, 6.0 Avg IP | SEASON | 1-0 REC, 0.00 ERA, 6.1 Avg IP | ||||
| PvB | (19-53) H/AB, 7 XBHA, 4 HRA, 7 KA | PvB | (45-161) H/AB, 17 XBHA, 4 HRA, 44 KA | ||||
| LAST 3 | 0-1 REC, 6.1 IP, 1.42 ERA | LAST 3 | 1-0 REC, 8.0 IP, 0.00 ERA | ||||
| ROAD | 44.1 IP, 4.06 ERA, 0.26 BAA, 7.5 K/9 | HOME | 99.2 IP, 3.52 ERA, 0.265 BAA, 9.5 K/9 | ||||
| BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN | |||||||
| NYM BvP | PHI BvP | ||||||
| NYM vs L | PHI vs R | ||||||
| Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window | |||||||
NY Mets
- Dillon Gee had a pretty good start to the season, but it was at home against the Padres. He struggled during the Spring and I think it is going to take some time for him to get back to form. While the Phillies aren’t the best offense, I think there are better options that Gee today.
- Ruben Tejada is the one hitter with good BvP against Cliff Lee, but sometimes you just have to ignore the BvP numbers. There have to be better options out there today than Tejada.
Philadelphia
- Cliff Lee has a great matchup today at home against the Mets, yet I’m a little worried about taking him after Halladay got rocked by the Mets last night. That being said, I think Halladay has lost his edge. Lee on the other hand has not after throwing 8 scoreless innings in his opener. Love the matchup if you can afford him.
- I like a few of the Phillies hitters today. Ryan Howard has 2 HR’s off of Gee in only 7 at bats and is a nice cheap play that could get you a HR. Jimmy Rollins and Michael Young also have good BvP and could be in for good games.
NY Yankees at Cleveland
| NY Yankees | Cleveland | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Field | 7:05 PM | ||||||
| BALLPARK RATINGS (LEFT) | BALLPARK RATINGS (RIGHT) | ||||||
| Left Handed Batters – 1.03 L-Rating, 0.029 HR/AB | Right Handed Batters – 0.9 R-Rating, 0.022 HR/AB | ||||||
| Andy Pettitte | Carlos Carrasco | ||||||
| SEASON | 1-0 REC, 1.13 ERA, 6.1 Avg IP | SEASON | 0-0 REC, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 Avg IP | ||||
| PvB | (22-74) H/AB, 8 XBHA, 0 HRA, 19 KA | PvB | (20-58) H/AB, 6 XBHA, 2 HRA, 12 KA | ||||
| LAST 3 | 1-0 REC, 8.0 IP, 1.13 ERA | LAST 3 | 0-0 REC, 0.0 IP, 0.00 ERA | ||||
| ROAD | 31.2 IP, 4.26 ERA, 0.266 BAA, 6.3 K/9 | HOME | 0 | ||||
| BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN | |||||||
| NYY BvP | CLE BvP | ||||||
| NYY vs R | CLE vs L | ||||||
| Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window | |||||||
NY Yankees
- Andy Pettite looked pretty good in his first start and will get to face quite a few left handed batters today. That’s the good news, the bad news is that this game is on the road and the Indians offense can put runs up on the board in a hurry.
- You have to love the matchup for the Yankee hitters. Not only do they seem to be in a rhythm, but Carrasco hasn’t pitched in the majors for a couple of years. Robinson Cano is the pick I think, he homered twice yesterday and should be locked and loaded for today. I also like the value for Ichiro Suzuki being that cheap and batting 6th.
Cleveland
- Carlos Carrasco hasn’t made a major league start since 2011 and that usually doesn’t bode well for pitchers. The Yankees bats are heating up too. Give it a few games before taking Carrasco.
- No one on the Indians has outstanding numbers against Pettite, but Swisher, Asdrubal, and Santana all hit well against lefties and I think they will be able to score a few runs today.
Chicago White Sox at Washington
| Chicago White Sox | Washington | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals Park | 7:05 PM | ||||||
| BALLPARK RATINGS (LEFT) | BALLPARK RATINGS (RIGHT) | ||||||
| Left Handed Batters – 1.02 L-Rating, 0.03 HR/AB | Right Handed Batters – 0.97 R-Rating, 0.029 HR/AB | ||||||
| Jake Peavy | Gio Gonzalez | ||||||
| SEASON | 1-0 REC, 1.50 ERA, 6.1 Avg IP | SEASON | 1-0 REC, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 Avg IP | ||||
| PvB | (26-119) H/AB, 14 XBHA, 4 HRA, 41 KA | PvB | (9-54) H/AB, 1 XBHA, 0 HRA, 13 KA | ||||
| LAST 3 | 1-0 REC, 6.0 IP, 1.50 ERA | LAST 3 | 1-0 REC, 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA | ||||
| ROAD | 117.1 IP, 3.61 ERA, 0.253 BAA, 8.1 K/9 | HOME | 90.2 IP, 2.38 ERA, 0.202 BAA, 9.1 K/9 | ||||
| BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN | |||||||
| CHW BvP | WSN BvP | ||||||
| CHW vs L | WSN vs R | ||||||
| Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window | |||||||
Chicago White Sox
- Tough to like the matchup for Jake Peavy today. The Nationals offense is pretty strong from top to bottom. To his credit though, he does have solid splits against the Nationals. He will likely be a big underdog though with Gio on the mound for the Nats.
- This game will likely be a pitchers duel which isn’t the most exciting game for fantasy baseball. All of the White Sox have struggled against Gio in the past and there is no reason that it will change.
Washington
- Gio threw 6 scoreless innings and struck out 5 in his first start and I think he tops that today against the White Sox. Last season, Gio was a monster at home regardless of who he was facing. It also doesn’t hurt that the best batting average against Gio of all White Sox players is only .273.
- Bryce Harper is on fire right now and I could see him continuing his hot streak, but outside of him, none of the other Nats hitters are that enticing. No one has good BvP and Peavy is a solid pitcher.
Atlanta at Miami
| Atlanta | Miami | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlins Park | 7:10 PM | ||||||
| BALLPARK RATINGS (LEFT) | BALLPARK RATINGS (RIGHT) | ||||||
| Left Handed Batters – 0.94 L-Rating, 0.016 HR/AB | Right Handed Batters – 0.97 R-Rating, 0.024 HR/AB | ||||||
| Kris Medlen | Wade LeBlanc | ||||||
| SEASON | 0-1 REC, 3.60 ERA, 6.0 Avg IP | SEASON | 0-1 REC, 3.60 ERA, 5.1 Avg IP | ||||
| PvB | (17-53) H/AB, 4 XBHA, 3 HRA, 12 KA | PvB | (16-63) H/AB, 7 XBHA, 3 HRA, 11 KA | ||||
| LAST 3 | 0-1 REC, 5.0 IP, 3.60 ERA | LAST 3 | 0-1 REC, 5.0 IP, 3.60 ERA | ||||
| ROAD | 61.1 IP, 1.32 ERA, 0.203 BAA, 7.3 K/9 | HOME | 33.1 IP, 3.24 ERA, 0.258 BAA, 4.1 K/9 | ||||
| BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN | |||||||
| ATL BvP | MIA BvP | ||||||
| ATL vs L | MIA vs R | ||||||
| Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window | |||||||
Atlanta
- Kris Medlen got off to a rockier start than he would have liked, but luckily for him he gets to face the Marlins who have one of the worst offenses in baseball. I think you can play Medlen with confidence today and expect to see the Medlen of last season.
- B.J. Upton, Uggla, and Heyward have all homered off of LeBlanc and Justin Upton is off to a ridiculous start. You have to think that they will knock LeBlanc around a bit. Keep taking Upton until he cools off or gets too expensive.
Miami
- Wade LeBlanc isn’t a bad pitcher, but he isn’t exactly a household name. He is also a guy that doesn’t get too many K’s which makes him a bit unappealing to fantasy baseball. I never like pitchers that are underdogs and he will likely be a big one.
- Solano and Polanco both have had success against Medlen in the past, but this is another one of those things where you can’t trust the numbers. Neither of those hitters are usually playable against bad pitchers, and Medlen is a really good pitcher.
Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs
| Milwaukee | Chicago Cubs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrigley Field | 8:05 PM | ||||||
| BALLPARK RATINGS (LEFT) | BALLPARK RATINGS (RIGHT) | ||||||
| Left Handed Batters – 0.95 L-Rating, 0.025 HR/AB | Right Handed Batters – 1.01 R-Rating, 0.031 HR/AB | ||||||
| Wily Peralta | Travis Wood | ||||||
| SEASON | 0-1 REC, 6.75 ERA, 5.1 Avg IP | SEASON | 1-0 REC, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 Avg IP | ||||
| PvB | (0-3) H/AB, 0 XBHA, 0 HRA, 1 KA | PvB | (20-101) H/AB, 13 XBHA, 4 HRA, 22 KA | ||||
| LAST 3 | 0-1 REC, 5.1 IP, 6.75 ERA | LAST 3 | 1-0 REC, 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA | ||||
| ROAD | 14 IP, 3.86 ERA, 0.245 BAA, 8.4 K/9 | HOME | 83.2 IP, 4.52 ERA, 0.235 BAA, 7.4 K/9 | ||||
| BATTER SPLITS BREAKDOWN | |||||||
| MIL BvP | CHC BvP | ||||||
| MIL vs L | CHC vs R | ||||||
| Note: Batter Splits Above Open in Pop Up Window | |||||||
Milwaukee
- Wily Peralta got off to a tough start to the season, and if the wind is blowing out to center field like it was yesterday, it could be another tough start. This is one of the few ball parks where wind really affects the flight of the ball. If wind isn’t a problem, he’s not a bad option.
- Wood is actually favored in this game and the over/under is only 7.5. This seems a bit low to me with these two pitchers going. I like both Ryan Braun and Jonothan Lucroy against Wood. Lucroy is dirt cheap right now and is really strong against lefties.
Chicago Cubs
- Travis Wood isn’t scaring anyone with his pitches and a matchup against the Brewers doesn’t instill any confidence in him. He didn’t pitch great at home last season and I think he will struggle in this one.
- For the Cubs, I think both Starlin Castro and Alfonso Soriano are both solid plays. Castro has 5 hits in his last 3 games and will hopefully turn a couple of those hits into some runs and RBI’s today. Soriano on the other hand is off to a slow start so he is really cheap.