MLB Grind Down: Sunday, May 25th: Page Three

by Ryan138 Last Updated 2014-05-25 14:51:57

Minnesota at San Francisco

Minnesota					San Francisco
Ricky Nolasco		Vegas Moneyline			Madison Bumgarner		Vegas Over/Under
RIGHT		SFG (-163)			LEFT		7.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.274	0.768	0.343	17.7%	SP vs. Left	0.185	0.515	0.234	35.2%
SP vs. Right	0.260	0.675	0.302	20.2%	SP vs. Right	0.230	0.636	0.292	22.0%
Batter Splits	MIN BvP		MIN vs L		Batter Splits	SFG BvP		SFG vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Ricky Nolasco – Nolasco has been terrible so far this season and has given up 3 or more earned runs in 8 of his 9 starts. This adds up to a 5.50 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Combine those numbers with the fact that he has 37 strikeouts in 55.2 innings, and Nolasco is not an option today. Rating = 3

Salaries: $5600 FD, $11413 DS, $10450 DD, $6100 DK, $66900 FF, $13400 SS, $10900 FTD

• Madison Bumgarner – Bumgarner is one of the biggest favorites on the day. This is for good reason as we saw what Vogelsong was able to do yesterday against this poor Minnesota offense. Bumgarner has pitched well this season with a 3.38 ERA, but has allowed a lot of hits adding up to a 1.43 WHIP. Hits may not be a huge problem today as the Twins have a team average of .240 against LH pitching and have the 4th most strikeouts as a team against lefties as well. Bumgarner has a great 9.97 K/9 and makes a great option today. Rating = 8

Salaries: $9000 FD, $21291 DS, $15400 DD, $9600 DK, $111800 FF, $26800 SS, $16200 FTD

Batter Grind Down

Minnesota

I I will be avoiding the Minnesota bats today.

San Francisco

Hunter Pence – Pence is 10/32 with 4 home runs against Nolasco in his career. He is also on a heater with 2 home runs in the last week. This Giants team should be able to put up some runs here so a mini-stack is in play.

Additional Plays: Pablo Sandoval Buster Posey

Chicago Cubs at San Diego

Chicago Cubs					San Diego
Jason Hammel		Vegas Moneyline			Ian Kennedy		Vegas Over/Under
RIGHT		SDP (-136)			RIGHT		6.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.286	0.834	0.368	14.9%	SP vs. Left	0.257	0.787	0.345	24.1%
SP vs. Right	0.229	0.622	0.279	19.7%	SP vs. Right	0.256	0.705	0.326	20.0%
Batter Splits	CHC BvP		CHC vs R		Batter Splits	SDP BvP		SDP vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Jason Hammel – Hammel has been a decent option for the Cubs this season and gets a great matchup against the poor hitting offense of the San Diego Padres. We saw Travis Wood put up a very good game yesterday at Petco and today’s game should be no different. Hammel holds a 2.91 ERA and a very good 0.90 WHIP on the season. He also brings a decent 7.52 K/9 into the game as well. He is a decent underdog, but if he is cheap Hammel makes a good option. Rating = 6

Salaries: $6400 FD, $15991 DS, $13700 DD, $9500 DK, $85100 FF, $25500 SS, $13300 FTD

• Ian Kennedy – When a pitcher is a favorite in a game at Petco that features a 6’ total, they usually make a pretty good play. Kennedy is a bit complicated as his numbers are actually much worse at Petco than they have been on the road this year. I do not see that continuing over the course of the season and he has been very good in those away games. Overall, he has a 3.79 ERA and career high 9.63 K/9. This Cubs team is in the back of the league in most offensive categories and Kennedy has held them to a .213 BA in over 100 at bats. I would play him with confidence today. Rating = 8

Salaries: $6700 FD, $17748 DS, $15000 DD, $9000 DK, $74900 FF, $25500 SS, $12800 FTD

Batter Grind Down

It is really hard to trust any of the bats in this series. The one offensive explosion of Friday night is all I think we are going to see and this game should end up 3-1 at the most. Avoid the guessing game of taking bats here.

Houston at Seattle

Houston					Seattle
Dallas Keuchel		Vegas Moneyline			Hisashi Iwakuma		Vegas Over/Under
LEFT		SEA (-164)			RIGHT		6.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.279	0.733	0.332	29.2%	SP vs. Left	0.221	0.601	0.265	19.3%
SP vs. Right	0.286	0.780	0.346	15.7%	SP vs. Right	0.212	0.625	0.276	23.4%
Batter Splits	HOU BvP		HOU vs R		Batter Splits	SEA BvP		SEA vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Dallas Keuchel – Keuchel has been a good pitcher on a bad team this year. He got an extra day off yesterday and should be well rested to take on the Mariners today. He brings a 2.92 ERA into this matchup with a respectable 8.03 K/9. This game’s total is at 6’ and should feature a decent pitching duel today. His fantasy value does drop a bit due to the fact that the win may be tough to get today. Rating = 6

Salaries: $7700 FD, $21146 DS, $15300 DD, $10300 DK, $89800 FF, $27500 SS, $11500 FTD

• Hisashi Iwakuma – Hisashi Iwakuma has been great since returning to the rotation in early May. He has 4 starts under his belt and only has given up 6 earned runs, with 4 of them coming in his first start against these Astros. Since then, he has settled into what we should expect from him this season. He has a 1.76 ERA and a ridiculous .72 WHIP on the season and gets the Astros today, who we know, strikeout a ton. That should boost Iwakuma’s strikeout numbers, making him a very good start today. Rating = 8

Salaries: $8400 FD, $20887 DS, $13800 DD, $10800 DK, $126200 FF, $29400 SS, $16200 FTD

Batter Grind Down

Houston

Iwakuma has been pitching to well to trust any of the Houston bats today. I predict them being able to put up 2 runs or less after yesterday’s offensive explosion on Maurer.

Seattle

Robinson Cano – I am going to ignore the L/L matchup today and focus on the fact that Cano is one of the hottest hitters in baseball. In the last week he is hitting .522 and was able to hit his 2nd homerun of the season. He makes a great GPP play today as I think many will be off of him due to the matchup.

Colorado at Atlanta

Colorado					Atlanta
Franklin Morales		Vegas Moneyline			Julio Teheran		Vegas Over/Under
LEFT		ATL (-163)			RIGHT		7.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.218	0.568	0.285	19.8%	SP vs. Left	0.258	0.736	0.327	17.5%
SP vs. Right	0.311	0.923	0.409	15.2%	SP vs. Right	0.212	0.578	0.271	25.1%
Batter Splits	COL BvP		COL vs R		Batter Splits	ATL BvP		ATL vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Franklin Morales – Morales has been a pitcher I have really liked to pick on this season. He has given up 3 or more earned runs in each of his last 5 games on the season giving him an ERA of 5.30 on the season. He’s allowed opposing batters to hit for a .287 BA and does not strikeout enough batters to be a viable fantasy option in any scenario. Rating = 3

Salaries: $5000 FD, $10496 DS, $13550 DD, $5800 DK, $40000 FF, $13200 SS, $NA FTD

• Julio Teheran – Teheran has been an ace this year and continues to pitch like it regardless of the matchup. He has struggled against the Giants, but other than that has allowed 2 or less earned runs in his other 7 starts this season. He is coming off a gem against the Brewers and brings his 1.92 ERA and 0.95 WHIP into a matchup against the Rockies. He is one of the top options on the day. Rating = 8

Salaries: $8700 FD, $17685 DS, $18250 DD, $10300 DK, $121400 FF, $28700 SS, $14700 FTD

Batter Grind Down

Colorado

Charlie Blackmon – We have seen Blackmon start to struggle a bit over the last week or two and picking him is strictly for GPPs only. He was lights out over the first month of the season and now is price has depressed across the industry. He is still crushing RH pitching and will be under owned if he has a big day.

Atlanta

Justin Upton – Morales has allowed RH hitters to bat .294 against him with a wOBA of .409. Upton has been mashing LH pitching so far this year with a .394 average and a amazing 1.492 OPS.

Additional Plays: B.J. Upton Chris Johnson

St. Louis at Cincinnati

St. Louis					Cincinnati
Adam Wainwright		Vegas Moneyline			Mike Leake		Vegas Over/Under
RIGHT		STL (-143)			RIGHT		6.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.237	0.625	0.282	22.9%	SP vs. Left	0.259	0.708	0.317	13.3%
SP vs. Right	0.240	0.601	0.270	22.8%	SP vs. Right	0.250	0.662	0.300	16.9%
Batter Splits	STL BvP		STL vs R		Batter Splits	CIN BvP		CIN vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

• Adam Wainwright – Wainwright is a top option any time he takes the field this year. He comes into this game with a 1.85 ERA and .86 WHIP. The only team that has been able to hit him so far this year is the Cubs as he has given up 1 or less earned runs in 6 other starts this season. Waino has also increased his K rate to a respectable 8.01 K/9 on the season. The Reds are still without Votto, which should help today, making Wainwright a top option. Rating = 9

Salaries: $10400 FD, $22669 DS, $20800 DD, $12500 DK, $133400 FF, $32000 SS, $19800 FTD

• Mike Leake – Leake has not pitched like Wainwright, but has been a very good starter for the Reds recently. He has not allowed more than 2 earned runs in each of his last 4 starts, and has an overall 2.91 ERA on the season. The problem with Leake is he is not going to strikeout a ton of batters (38 in 65 innings) and he will struggle today to get a win due to Wainwright being on the mound. These reasons depress his value considerably, but could still pitch a good game against the Cards. Rating = 6

Salaries: $7000 FD, $14267 DS, $12700 DD, $7800 DK, $84200 FF, $21500 SS, $12200 FTD

Batter Grind Down

St. Louis

Matt Carpenter – Carpenter is really starting to heat up with 10 hits in his last 25 at bats. We have all seen how consistent he could be when he is playing well, and now is the time to jump on that cash game bandwagon that Carpenter is good for.

Cincinnati

Jay Bruce – Bruce came back off the DL last night and has been a thorn in Waino’s side in his career. He is 11/30 with 2 home runs off of Wainwright. Bruce could be a sneak GPP play due to salary and matchup.