MLB Daily Grind Down: Thursday, August 1st

by Kyle Koch (Jackandsoda) Last Updated 2013-08-01 22:18:40

The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the MLB schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit. While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy baseball, there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, weather, and salaries.

The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. No sport has more variance than baseball. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.

Note: Any Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s MLB Scoring System, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review

• FPAB – Fantasy Points Per At Bat
• K% – Strikeout Percentage
• K/9 – Strikeouts Per 9 IP

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Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland

12:05 PM	Chicago White Sox – ROAD					Cleveland – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.248	0.687	20.30%	0.52		0.258	0.744	21.50%	0.66
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.254	0.697	20.00%	0.41		0.265	0.763	20.00%	0.51
SP STATS	Sale – LHP					Masterson – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.02	2.69	9.79	14.16		1.15	3.42	9.18	13.36
LAST 14 DAYS	1.06	1.59	9.53	16.00		0.49	0.61	10.14	18.60
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	CHW vs R		CHW BvP			CLE vs L		CLE BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7

• Favored Team – CLE -134

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home I think the field is going to gravitate towards Matt Harvey and Chris Sale but Justin Masterson is my play of the morning. He is a 2.63 pitcher at home, 2.06 pitcher in day games, and is obliterating right-handed pitching to the tune of a .180 BAA and .492 OPS. CHW is batting .256 on the road, .252 versus right-handers, and .248 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 9

• Away Chris Sale numbers do not take much of a dip on the road. He has been fantastic in July with a 2.35 ERA but CLE has pounded him in his 2 starts against them on the year. He has gone 12.1 with 11 ER and 13 Ks versus CLE on the year. CLE is batting .260 at home, .265 versus left-handers, and .293 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 6

Batter Grind Down

• Home Chris Sale is holding left-handers to a .139 BAA so that rules a few bats out of the equation. Carlos Santana has been hot with 23 fp over the last week. He is batting .295 versus left-handed pitching. Yan Gomes, Ryan Raburn, Nick Swisher, and Drew Stubbs are all hitting left-handers at a high clip as well. RG Stack Rating 2

• Away Adam Dunn has been hot over the last 7 days with 23 fp. He is 10-35 with 1 HR versus Masterson as well. Gordon Beckham is batting .352 versus right-handed pitching. RG Stack Rating 2

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NY Mets vs. Miami

12:40 PM	NY Mets – ROAD					Miami – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.237	0.684	22.40%	0.55		0.232	0.623	19.10%	0.43
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.235	0.682	22.50%	0.42		0.234	0.620	18.40%	0.31
SP STATS	Harvey – RHP					Koehler – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	0.88	2.11	10.18	14.62		1.30	4.67	6.00	5.61
LAST 14 DAYS	0.60	0.00	10.20	18.00		1.67	4.50	9.75	11.50
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	NYM vs R		NYM BvP			MIA vs R		MIA BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 6.5

• Favored Team – NYM -160

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home With only 3 games going on the AM side, Tom Koehler is wroth consideration. Matt Harvey is the obvious choice but If you do not play Harvey then Koehler should make his way in your LU. His numbers take a plunge at home but his 1.30 WHIP makes him playable against this NYM team that has recorded the 4th most Ks on the season. NYM is batting .248 on the road, .243 versus right-handers, and .256 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 5

• Away Matt Harvey will be in at least 2/3 of the LUs this morning and for good reason. MIA is still one of the league’s lowest scoring offenses. They rank 29th in July in runs scored and Harvey in one of the league leaders in Ks. Overlay will be the only concern and Mia has gotten to him once this year. They spotted him for 4 ER on June 2nd in MIA. MIA is batting .231 at home, .231 versus right-handers, and .222 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 9

Batter Grind Down

• Home Giancario Stanton is super hot over the last 7 days with 37.25 fp. He is batting .333 at home with a 1.000 OPS. MIA as a team has a .343 BAA if you want to play the fade. RG Stack Rating 2

• Away Daniel Murphy remains super hot with 35.75 fp over the last 7 days. He is 3-8 with 1 HR versus Koehler. Juan Lagares, Marlon Byrd, David Wright, and Eric Young Jr. have been hot as well. RG Stack Rating 5

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Kansas City vs. Minnesota

1:10 PM	Kansas City – ROAD					Minnesota – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.255	0.684	17.20%	0.53		0.243	0.696	21.10%	0.54
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.259	0.681	17.10%	0.38		0.239	0.692	21.60%	0.43
SP STATS	Shields – RHP					Diamond – LHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.24	3.09	7.53	10.96		1.52	5.26	3.87	5.59
LAST 14 DAYS	1.36	1.93	5.14	11.50		1.44	4.76	0.81	3.05
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	KCR vs L		KCR BvP			MIN vs R		MIN BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 7.5

• Favored Team – KAN -150

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Scott Diamond has a 6.06 ERA and .330 BAA at home this year. Both left-handers and right-handers are batting near .300 against him. KAN is not a powerhouse offensively but they could call up their AAA squad today and have a chance. KAN is batting .263 on the road, .260 versus left-handers, and .277 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 3

• Away James Shields has actually been much better on the road than at home. Even if he was not then he would still be worth playing because MIN has been one of the worst offensive teams on the year. MIN ranks 26th in runs scored for July and he is a near lock to get the win versus Diamond. MIN is batting .258 at home, .239 versus right-handers, and .202 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 10

Batter Grind Down

• Home Joe Mauer is 11-31 versus Shields. Justin Morneau is 11-32 with 2 HRs. Josh Willingham is 7-22 versus him as well. RG Stack Rating 2

• Away Alex Gordon has been hot over the past 7 days. He is 5-11 versus Diamond. Both he and Eric Hosmer are batting over .300 versus left-handers. Billy Butler, Salvador Perez, and Justin Maxwell also make interesting options RG Stack Rating 6

Night Games Coming Soon

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Houston vs. Baltimore

7:05 PM	Houston – ROAD					Baltimore – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.234	0.672	25.20%	0.52		0.267	0.763	18.40%	0.63
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.230	0.660	24.80%	0.39		0.277	0.791	17.90%	0.54
SP STATS	Lyles – RHP					Norris – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.48	4.92	5.95	7.20		1.41	3.93	6.43	8.81
LAST 14 DAYS	2.44	13.00	4.00	0.00		1.42	6.75	6.75	6.00
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	HOU vs R		HOU BvP			BAL vs R		BAL BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 8.5

• Favored Team – BAL -260

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home All season long, we have said to avoid Bud Norris because he plays for the Astros. My how things change! He know gets to face the team that crippled his fantasy value all year in his very first start as an Oriole and is a -260 favorite to boot. His K totals should get a boost from HOU as well. HOU is batting .243 on the road, .231 versus right-handers, and .232 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 9

• Away Jordan Lyles has come unraveled here in July with a 7.77 ERA for the month. Even if he were pitching well, I would not recommend him today versus the league’s 3rd highest scoring offense. BAL is batting .258 at home, .276 versus right-handed pitching, and .222 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 2

Batter Grind Down

• Home Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Nick Markakis, Nate McLouth, and Brian Roberts are all hitting right-handers for a high average. Adam Jones has been hot for BAL. RG Stack Rating 8

• Away Left-handers are batting .306 versus Norris. A hot Jason Castro is in play. Marc Krauss and Brett Wallace are worth a look as well. RG Stack Rating 2

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St. Louis vs. Pittsburgh

7:05 PM	St. Louis – ROAD					Pittsburgh – HOME
TEAM BATTING	AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB		AVG	OPS	K%	FPAB
SEASON	0.274	0.751	17.30%	0.61		0.243	0.700	22.30%	0.55
VS. LEFT/RIGHT	0.284	0.761	17.50%	0.49		0.242	0.698	22.10%	0.41
SP STATS	Kelly – RHP					Morton – RHP
	WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG		WHIP	ERA	K/9	FPPG
SEASON	1.38	3.44	6.71	3.16		1.30	3.59	7.04	8.78
LAST 14 DAYS	1.64	0.00	4.43	9.10		1.43	4.63	8.84	12.10
BATTER SPLITS	Note: Batter Splits Below Open in Pop Up Window
	STL vs R		STL BvP			PIT vs R		PIT BvP

What Vegas Says

• Over/Under Total Runs – 8

• Favored Team – PIT -117

Pitcher Grind Down

• Home Charlie Morton threw 100 pitches 2 starts ago and then followed up with an 80 pitch performance versus MIA. He has only thrown 7 IP once on the year so his upside is too capped to consider him even if he is listed as the slight favorite. It is just too dangerous a play to use him versus this STL team that chews up right-handed pitching. STL is batting .280 versus right-handers, .264 on the road, and .213 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 3

• Away Joe Kelly is pitching well but after 5 starts in the rotation, it is safe to say that he is only going to throw around 80 pitches a game. He faces a very tough home team in PIT. PIT has already hit him hard on the year and owns a .333 BAA versus him as a team. PIT is batting .247 at home, .242 versus right-handers and .255 over the last 7 days. RG Start-Ability 1

Batter Grind Down

• Home Neil Walker, Starlin Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez have all been hot for PIT. Alex Presley Andrew and McCutchen are both hitting right-handers for a high clip. McCutchen is batting .341 at home. RG Stack Rating 6

• Away Allen Craig is 7-12 versus Morton. Matt Holliday is 6-18 with with 1 HR. Robinson, Allen Craig, Matt Carpenter, and Carlos Beltran are all batting over .300 versus right-handed pitching. RG Stack Rating 5

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