MLB Grind Down: Saturday, August 19th

by Justin Van Zuiden (stlcardinals84) Last Updated 2017-08-20 02:35:34

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The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down will give you an in-depth analysis into the upcoming 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: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code, FanDuel promo code, and FantasyDraft promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

Stackability Rating System:

GREEN – A viable full stack in cash games and GPPs.
YELLOW – A viable mini-stack in cash games and full stack in GPPs.
ORANGE – A viable stack in large field GPPs.
RED – Not a recommended stack for cash games or GPPs.

Toronto at Chicago Cubs – 2:20 PM ET

Toronto								Chicago Cubs
			Nick Tepesch							Jose Quintana
			RIGHT							LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline							Vegas Over/Under
			CHC-250
Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%	Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%
SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.434	0.439	50.0%	0.0%	10.0%	33.3%	SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.272	0.280	32.1%	4.3%	23.6%	50.5%
SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.548	0.382	37.5%	8.8%	20.6%	33.3%	SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.310	0.304	33.1%	7.7%	23.0%	38.7%

Pitcher Grind Down

Nick Tepesch
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$5,500	Salary:		$4,800	Salary:
	Salary Rank:		27 of 30	Salary Rank:		29 of 30	Salary Rank:		of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	1	4.53	11.25	15.8%	0.0%	25.0%	31.3%	12.5%
	2017	2	5.05	9.00	17.1%	8.6%	38.5%	50.0%	11.5%
	L30	1	4.80	10.38	18.2%	4.6%	29.4%	47.1%	11.8%

For the second consecutive Saturday, we have a small early slate with just four games starting before the main lock time of 7:05 PM EST. For the second consecutive Saturday, FanDuel and DraftKings are splitting the slate up differently. The primary early slate on FanDuel has the first three of the four early games (excluding the 6:10 PM EST start), while the primary early slate on DraftKings has the last three of the four early games (excluding this first game). However, DraftKings is offering a pick ‘em slate that does include this game? Does this all make sense? I didn’t think so.

Anyhow, let’s get on with the analysis for the day. We are going to have a game without much of a wind factor at Wrigley Field, after a couple of days where the wind has favored offenses. That’s about where the good news ends with Nick Tepesch. He has a 4.71 career ERA and a 4.65 career SIERA in over 200 major league innings, and he has a 6.29 SIERA in his three major league starts this year. We don’t need to waste a lot of time on this one.

Quick Breakdown: Tepesch is not a fantasy option in any format.

Jose Quintana
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$8,700	Salary:		$12,000	Salary:
	Salary Rank:		6 of 30	Salary Rank:		2 of 30	Salary Rank:		of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	32	4.01	3.20	21.6%	6.0%	40.4%	32.7%	18.6%
	2017	23	3.98	4.42	25.4%	8.3%	43.0%	33.2%	17.3%
	L30	5	3.38	4.20	28.3%	5.8%	43.4%	38.5%	12.8%

Jose Quintana checks in as the most expensive pitcher on the early slate on FanDuel, which is more of an indictment of the other options than anything else. Quintana has been a bit shaky for his new team of late, but he will need to step it up with Jon Lester sidelined for the foreseeable future. Quintana has not pitched more than six innings since his first start as a Cub, and the strikeouts have been on the decline as well. His overall marks for the year are right around or slightly better than league average, with a 4.06 SIERA and a 25% strikeout rate. Given the limited pitching choices on the early slate, Quintana is certainly worth a look, and the matchup sets up reasonably well. Toronto is hurt by the loss of a designated hitter in this series, and Josh Donaldson is one of the only true RHBs that scares you.

Quick Breakdown: I can see using Quintana on the early FD slate because the pitching options are hard to come by, and he’s probably worth a look in DK pick ‘em contests, but I wouldn’t use him in an “all day” slate.

Batter Grind Down

Toronto

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)

While he isn’t having a fantastic year, Quintana is also not a guy that I run out trying to pick on. He’s a solid if unspectacular pitcher, and we don’t have a favorable wind for offense at Wrigley this afternoon. Quintana is your typical traditional splits lefty, so if you go anywhere, make it right-handed hitters. Justin Smoak leads the team with a .486 wOBA against LHP this year, so he is the strongest option (assuming he starts despite the loss of the DH; he played first base on Friday and Morales sat). Outside of Smoak, you could consider Josh Donaldson or Jose Bautista for their power upside, but that’s about where my interest ends.

Elite Plays – Justin Smoak, Josh Donaldson

Secondary Plays – Jose Bautista

Stackability – YELLOW / ORANGE

Chicago Cubs

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)

This is a tough spot for me, because I love picking on Tepesch, but I hate targeting hitters in games where the wind will be blowing in at Wrigley Field. The good news is that we aren’t going to have a strong wind today, and Tepesch is bad enough that the Cubs should be able to score some runs. Tepesch has leaned to being splits neutral or slightly reverse splits in his career so far, so upgrade the RHBs more than you usually would. Kris Bryant is my favorite play here, but you can certainly consider anyone in the lineup. Alex Avila or Victor Caratini are viable plays that come a little cheaper, depending on who catches this game.

Elite Plays – Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo

Secondary Plays – Ian Happ, Alex Avila OR Victor Caratini (value)

Stackability – YELLOW / GREEN

LA Dodgers at Detroit – 4:05 PM ET

LA Dodgers								Detroit
			Hyun-Jin Ryu							Michael Fulmer
			LEFT							RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline							Vegas Over/Under
			LAD-135							10.0
Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%	Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%
SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.398	0.347	35.2%	7.3%	20.2%	51.7%	SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.279	0.313	32.4%	6.8%	18.3%	47.1%
SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.316	0.296	35.9%	6.9%	23.9%	42.6%	SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.280	0.284	27.9%	5.2%	19.7%	51.6%

Pitcher Grind Down

Hyun-Jin Ryu
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$7,800	Salary:		$11,200	Salary:
	Salary Rank:		9 of 30	Salary Rank:		4 of 30	Salary Rank:		of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	1	4.81	11.57	16.7%	8.3%	41.2%	44.4%	5.6%
	2017	17	3.95	3.63	23.2%	6.9%	45.6%	35.1%	18.6%
	L30	4	3.50	1.88	27.8%	6.7%	41.4%	39.0%	11.9%

I expect Ryu to be the highest owned pitcher on the early slate on both FanDuel and DraftKings (since this game is available on both sites). Ryu has been pitching much more effectively over the last month, having allowed just three total runs over his last three starts. Naturally, all of them came in his last outing against the Padres. Still, he has been very effective with a 20/3 K/BB ratio over 19 innings in those three starts. His SIERA is down to 3.96, a very respectable figure, and the Tigers offense can be beaten if you can get through the top of the order. There is a lot of merit to using Ryu on a short slate.

Quick Breakdown: If you are playing the afternoon only slates, Ryu makes a case to be the top pitching option on the board.

Michael Fulmer
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$7,800	Salary:		$6,700	Salary:
	Salary Rank:		9 of 30	Salary Rank:		18 of 30	Salary Rank:		of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	26	4.03	3.06	20.4%	6.5%	49.1%	30.4%	19.2%
	2017	21	4.32	3.59	17.5%	5.4%	49.7%	29.8%	17.4%
	L30	4	4.37	5.47	15.2%	4.8%	51.2%	36.6%	17.1%

Even when he is on his game, it’s tough to trust Michael Fulmer in DFS because of his limited strikeout ability. Now, he is fresh off a lengthy absence due to injury, and he got hit hard by Texas in his last start. In that game, Fulmer allowed five runs in five innings while walking three and striking out just two. The discussion becomes really interesting with regard to the Dodgers hitters here, but there’s no reason to take Fulmer against this dangerous offense. That would fit the definition of being “too cute,” even on a smaller slate.

Quick Breakdown: Thanks to the fact that he missed a lot of time due to injury and was poor in the first start upon his return, it’s tough to trust Fulmer. He’s an easy fade against the potent Dodger lineup.

Batter Grind Down

LA Dodgers

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)

The most interesting part of this game revolves around what to do with the Dodgers hitters against Fulmer. The Detroit starter is not a pitcher that I generally pick on, as he has allowed a sub-.300 wOBA to both LHBs and RHBs this season. However, his ground ball rate declines and his line drive rate soars against lefties, and he also allows quite a bit more hard contact to lefties. In other words, I would expect LHBs to have the edge in the long run. I am not going to go nuts with exposure to the Dodgers in this spot, as I respect Fulmer enough, but there’s appeal for the lefties. We’ll see if Adrian Gonzalez can keep it up after a nice return on Friday. I am not listing Yasmani Grandal here as I have doubts about him catching in a day game after a night game, but he’s a fine play if he’s in the lineup.

Elite Plays – Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger

Secondary Plays – Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson

Stackability – YELLOW

Detroit

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)

This isn’t exactly the best matchup for the Tigers. Even though they are a right-handed heavy lineup, Ryu has shown significant tendencies of being a reverse splits LHP — which is very rare. The data backs it up, though, as Ryu has allowed a .402 wOBA to LHBs and a .304 wOBA to RHBs this year. Those mesh with the splits he has shown for his career at the MLB level, though not to that extreme. I don’t have much, if any, interest in the Detroit offense besides a peek at the white hot Justin Upon, who has six home runs and 18 RBIs already in the month of August.

Elite Plays – Justin Upton

Secondary Plays – Nick Castellanos, Miguel Cabrera

Stackability – ORANGE

St. Louis at Pittsburgh – 4:05 PM ET

St. Louis								Pittsburgh
			Michael Wacha							Chad Kuhl
			RIGHT							RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline							Vegas Over/Under
			PIT-102							9.0
Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%	Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%
SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.311	0.317	29.5%	8.4%	19.2%	46.5%	SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.362	0.335	36.3%	9.9%	19.5%	39.2%
SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.339	0.307	28.5%	6.8%	21.8%	47.4%	SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.296	0.303	29.6%	7.8%	18.4%	48.5%

Pitcher Grind Down

Michael Wacha
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$7,900	Salary:		$9,400	Salary:
	Salary Rank:		8 of 30	Salary Rank:		7 of 30	Salary Rank:		of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	24	4.31	5.09	18.8%	7.4%	46.6%	30.0%	18.8%
	2017	22	4.06	3.85	22.8%	7.7%	47.5%	27.6%	20.7%
	L30	6	3.97	3.25	21.0%	5.6%	49.5%	24.8%	22.9%

The Cardinals almost blew an 11-3 lead last night, a lead which they held with just six outs to go. The bullpen is an abomination and is totally gassed right now. They desperately need a long outing from Wacha today, and he should have a long leash. That is a positive from a DFS perspective. Wacha has also improved his pitching nicely this year. His strikeout rate is up by 4%, and his ERA, SIERA, and xFIP all sit nicely in the mid to upper threes. He also does a solid job at limiting hard contact. The Pirates don’t present the best matchup for upside, but Wacha is one of the better pitchers on the early slate. With the Cardinals needing a big game, I expect him to step up.

Quick Breakdown: Wacha makes a lot of sense as a cash game target on the early slate, and he is even GPP viable given the lack of pitching options.

Chad Kuhl
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$6,800	Salary:		$7,200	Salary:
	Salary Rank:		17 of 30	Salary Rank:		13 of 30	Salary Rank:		of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	14	4.50	4.20	17.6%	6.6%	44.3%	33.0%	19.6%
	2017	24	4.80	4.64	19.7%	10.0%	44.0%	32.5%	17.8%
	L30	6	4.62	3.86	22.0%	11.3%	49.0%	32.3%	23.2%

In theory, the Cardinals present a nice matchup for Chad Kuhl. St. Louis carries a very right-handed heavy lineup, and Kuhl has always been a better pitcher against RHBs. He has held righties to a .297 wOBA this year, and his batted ball profile is better against righties. However, his 4.82 SIERA leaves a lot to be desired, and Kuhl struggled in his last start against the Cardinals. His overall profile just isn’t all that spectacular, and it’s a tough sell even on a short slate.

Quick Breakdown: Kuhl tends to be popular at times, but if I am taking a pitcher in this game, I prefer Wacha on the other side.

Batter Grind Down

St. Louis

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)

If you are looking to take hitters against Chad Kuhl, the easy choice is to take as many left-handed bats as you can. Lefties have posted a .361 wOBA and 36% hard contact rate against Kuhl this year, and that is where he has traditionally struggled. I don’t have much interest in the righties, although it is worth noting that the Cardinals have a solid implied run total of 4.8 this afternoon.

Elite Plays – Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler

Secondary Plays – Paul DeJong

Stackability – YELLOW

Pittsburgh

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)

Wacha is very much a splits-neutral pitcher, so we can’t really exploit him with hitters from either side, especially since he does a good job of limiting hard contact. If you want to do anything here, let’s play the BvP angle. Andrew McCutchen has posted dominant numbers against Wacha in the past, with a 12-for-28 mark and a .490 wOBA in their previous matchups. That’s about the only interest I have in the Pirates today, though Starling Marte remains interestingly cheap in DFS.

Elite Plays – Andrew McCutchen

Secondary Plays – Starling Marte

Stackability – YELLOW / ORANGE

Seattle at Tampa Bay – 6:10 PM ET

Seattle								Tampa Bay
			Ariel Miranda							Jake Odorizzi
			LEFT							RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline							Vegas Over/Under
			TB -130							9.0
Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%	Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%
SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.324	0.326	32.1%	8.5%	18.3%	43.1%	SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.283	0.291	31.5%	7.4%	23.7%	35.7%
SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.314	0.318	32.7%	8.2%	20.4%	28.8%	SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.335	0.348	37.7%	7.8%	19.0%	33.5%

Pitcher Grind Down

Ariel Miranda
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$7,300	Salary:		$5,900	Salary:
	Salary Rank:		13 of 30	Salary Rank:		24 of 30	Salary Rank:		of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	10	4.77	3.88	19.0%	7.8%	31.2%	37.1%	17.7%
	2017	24	4.83	4.75	20.4%	8.5%	31.8%	30.7%	21.9%
	L30	6	4.44	6.68	25.4%	8.0%	22.2%	38.5%	18.7%

The last of the early games is not available on the FanDuel afternoon slate, so this is primarily a DK-only game (it is available via the “all day” slate on FanDuel). Ariel Miranda has one of the highest fly ball rates in all of baseball, so he tends to have good outings when the BABIP luck is on his side and terrible outings when the ball is flying out of the yard. A matchup against the Rays would seemingly be a rough one for him, since Tampa Bay brings a lot of power to the table. However, the Rays rank just 24th in team wOBA and ISO against LHP this year, and they have really fallen off against lefties. Miranda owns a 4.84 SIERA and doesn’t have a ton of strikeout upside, but a matchup against the Rays does enhance that ability.

Quick Breakdown: If you like the YOLO approach, Miranda is an interesting SP #2 choice on DraftKings at a cheap price. There is bust potential, but the matchup sets up reasonably well.

Jake Odorizzi
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$7,000	Salary:		$6,300	Salary:
	Salary Rank:		16 of 30	Salary Rank:		21 of 30	Salary Rank:		of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	33	4.21	3.69	21.5%	7.0%	36.6%	33.7%	16.8%
	2017	19	4.84	4.38	20.0%	8.8%	30.3%	37.9%	15.4%
	L30	3	5.57	3.00	19.1%	11.1%	22.7%	40.9%	15.9%

Odorizzi was a hot prospect when he first came through the minor leagues and made his debut back in 2012, but he has fallen on hard times since then. He has failed to live up to the promise that he once showed, and his numbers this year are well below average in almost every category. His SIERA is 4.92 this year, his xFIP is over five, and he is allowing hard contact at a whopping 37% clip. There’s too much risk here against a capable Seattle offense.

Quick Breakdown: Odorizzi can be safely avoided in all formats, as he is having a very poor season in 2017.

Batter Grind Down

Seattle

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)

Odorizzi is largely splits neutral with his overall data, but his batted ball profile this year actually shows some strong reverse splits. He is allowing hard contact to RHBs at a massive 44.6% clip, which is almost 17% higher than the mark that LHBs have. This makes Nelson Cruz an interesting power target this afternoon. The entire top and middle of the order is certainly worth a look here, and Seattle is an interesting stack in DraftKings GPPs on the last game of the early slate.

Elite Plays – Nelson Cruz, Jean Segura

Secondary Plays – Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager

Stackability – YELLOW / GREEN

Tampa Bay

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)

As I mentioned in the pitcher breakdown, Miranda is one of the heaviest fly ball pitchers in all of baseball. His ground ball rate dips all the way to 29% against RHBs this year, so look for right-handed power if you want to take anyone from the Rays. Miranda is not a pitcher that it is wise to put a full stack against, because it’s difficult to string hits together against him. I would stick to some one-off power plays from Tampa Bay, if you take anyone. Evan Longoria is nowhere near the hitter he used to be, but he comes at an interesting discount these days. Logan Morrison actually leads the team with a .217 ISO (which isn’t exactly great) against LHP this year, even though he hits from the left side. That’s mainly a testament to how bad this team has been against lefties this year, which adds to Miranda’s appeal as a pitching option.

Elite Plays – Evan Longoria

Secondary Plays – Steven Souza, Logan Morrison

Stackability – ORANGE

LA Angels at Baltimore – 7:05 PM ET

LA Angels								Baltimore
			J.C. Ramirez							Kevin Gausman
			RIGHT							RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline							Vegas Over/Under
			BAL-150							9.0
Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%	Stats	wOBA	xwOBA	HC%	BB%	K%	GB%
SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.344	0.339	36.7%	7.6%	17.0%	50.6%	SP vs. Left (2016-17)	0.324	0.324	33.2%	8.3%	22.0%	38.0%
SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.297	0.287	28.2%	7.2%	18.1%	53.2%	SP vs. Right (2016-17)	0.349	0.335	32.0%	6.9%	22.3%	47.5%

Pitcher Grind Down

J.C. Ramirez
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$6,600	Salary:		$7,000	Salary:		$13,800
	Salary Rank:		18 of 30	Salary Rank:		15 of 30	Salary Rank:		11 of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	0	3.81	4.35	17.6%	6.6%	54.9%	26.4%	21.2%
	2017	23	4.62	4.26	17.6%	7.9%	50.2%	35.8%	16.6%
	L30	6	5.20	3.72	14.6%	10.3%	54.5%	28.5%	18.7%

The first game of the main evening slate pits the inconsistent J.C. Ramirez against the resurgent Kevin Gausman. We’ll start with Ramirez. His overall profile is certainly not desirable, with ERA-based numbers sitting in the mid fours and a healthy hard contact rate allowed. His strikeout data is also below average, with a 17.6% strikeout rate and an 8.8% swinging strike rate this year. I want no part of a league average (at best) arm against an offense that has been warming of late, and the Orioles are playing well right now.

Quick Breakdown: There is more risk than reward with Ramirez tonight, and he is not on the fantasy radar on a night that features plenty of good arms.

Kevin Gausman
	FanDuel			DraftKings			FantasyDraft
	Salary:		$8,800	Salary:		$8,500	Salary:		$16,500
	Salary Rank:		5 of 30	Salary Rank:		8 of 30	Salary Rank:		5 of 30
	Stats	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	GB%	HC%	SC%
	2016	30	3.81	3.61	23.0%	6.2%	44.1%	31.1%	18.3%
	2017	25	4.54	5.21	21.1%	9.2%	42.4%	34.4%	18.4%
	L30	5	3.48	1.64	29.2%	8.5%	47.5%	35.8%	21.0%

The terminator! The ol’ number 1, the Terminator. You get a piece, you can rename it. You can’t get a piece of Kevin Gausman right now, as he has looked every bit of the promising pitcher that we saw in 2016 lately. Here is his ERA, strikeouts, and walks by month this year:

April – 7.50 ERA, 20 K, 17 BB in 30 innings
May – 4.30 ERA, 22 K, 10 BB in 29 innings
June – 6.41 ERA, 25 K, 14 BB in 27 innings
July – 3.63 ERA, 45 K, 11 BB in 35 innings
August – 3.26 ERA, 20 K, 4 BB in 19 innings

The turnaround speaks for itself, especially the solid increase in strikeouts. Gausman is officially back, and there is no reason to be scared off a matchup against the Angels.The overall profile still doesn’t look great for the year, but his rapid improvement speaks volumes.

Quick Breakdown: He is no longer priced like a value option, but Gausman is still very much a viable pitching selection on this evening’s slate.

Batter Grind Down

LA Angels

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)

I have zero interest in a generally low upside Angels offense against a surging pitcher like Gausman. Of course, Mike Trout could always do Mike Trout things. Kole Calhoun has been hitting cleanup and comes at a nice value. You can leave the rest of them alone.

Elite Plays – None

Secondary Plays – Kole Calhoun, Mike Trout

Stackability – ORANGE

Baltimore

Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)

The Orioles have brought out the power sticks this week, and Manny Machado hit three home runs — including a walk-off grand slam — in Friday’s wild win. The team is finally starting to show the offensive upside that they had been missing all year, and perhaps the addition of Tim Beckham was the key piece, as strange as that sounds. He has provided a nice spark at the top of the lineup. The problem with tonight’s matchup is that J.C. Ramirez has clearly been much weaker against LHBs this year, allowing a hefty wOBA and 44% hard contact rate to lefties. Outside of the always inconsistent and struggling Chris Davis, who missed last night’s game due to illness, the Orioles don’t have much to offer from the left side. This is a tough spot, but Baltimore still has an implied team total right around five runs.

Elite Plays – Chris Davis (GPP only if he plays), Manny Machado

Secondary Plays – Seth Smith, Adam Jones

Stackability – YELLOW / GREEN

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