Two-Start Pitchers: Week 20 (Aug. 11-17)

I hit a speed bump in Week 19, starting with a disastrous outing from Wade Miley (4.2IP, 9H, 10ER, 3BB, 4K). Dillon Gee, meanwhile, tossed a combined 12-plus innings in two starts and allowed only three runs, but didn't earn a win in either turn. Charlie Morton hurled seven innings of one-run ball in his first start, but, again, was held winless. The M&M boys, Miley and Morton, each throws today. Can I get a win?

Results (through 1/2 of Week 19)

43-30
7.24 K/9
2.59 BB/9
3.55 ERA
1.18 WHIP

Start!

Felix Hernandez: Mon-TOR (Hutchison), Sat-@DET (Verlander)
Adam Wainwright: Tue-@MIA (Cosart), Sun-SD (Despaigne)
Jon Lester: Tue-@KC (Guthrie), Sun-@ATL (Minor)
Sonny Gray: Mon-@KC (Ventura), Sat-@ATL (Teheran)
Julio Teheran: Mon-LAD (Haren), Sat-OAK (Gray)

Tier 1

Doug Fister: Tue-@NYM (DeGrom), Sun-PIT (Volquez)
Jake Arrieta: Mon-MIL (Gallardo), Sat-@NYM (Niese)
Rick Porcello: Tue-@PIT (Volquez), Sun-SEA (Young)
Hyun-Jin Ryu: Tue-@ATL (Minor), Sun-MIL (Peralta)
Jacob deGrom: Tue-WSH (Fister), Sun-CHC (Hendricks)
Collin McHugh: Tue-MIN (Pino), Sun-@BOS (Kelly)
Jesse Hahn: Mon-COL (Lyles), Sat-@STL (Miller)

Tier 2

Drew Smyly: Mon-@TEX (Lewis), Sat-NYY (Kuroda)
Justin Verlander: Mon-@PIT (Locke), Sat-SEA (Hernandez)
Shelby Miller: Mon-@MIA (Koehler), Sat-SD (Hahn)
Mat Latos: Tue-BOS (Kelly), Sun-@COL (Flande)
Yovani Gallardo: Mon-@CHC (Arrieta), Sat-@LAD (Haren)
Wily Peralta: Tue-@CHC (Hendricks), Sun-@LAD (Ryu)
Yordano Ventura: Mon-OAK (Gray), Sat-@MIN (Hughes)
Tom Koehler: Mon-STL (Miller), Sat-ARI (Miley)
Kyle Hendricks: Tue-MIL (Peralta), Sun-@NYM (DeGrom)
Jonathon Niese: Mon-@PHI (Buchanan), Sat-CHC (Arrieta)

Tier 3

Jordan Lyles: Mon-@SD (Hahn), Sat-CIN (Cueto)
Drew Hutchison: Mon-@SEA (Hernandez), Sun-@CWS (Danks)
Joe Kelly: Tue-@CIN (Latos), Sun-HOU (McHugh)
Josh Collmenter: Tue-@CLE (House), Sun-@MIA (Cosart)
Dan Haren: Mon-@ATL (Teheran), Sat-MIL (Gallardo)
T.J. House: Tue-ARI (Collmenter), Sun-BAL (Gausman)
David Buchanan: Mon-NYM (Niese), Sun-@SF (Lincecum)
Jeremy Guthrie: Tue-OAK (Lester), Sun-@MIN (Correia)
Chris Young: Tue-TOR (Happ), Sun-@DET (Porcello)
Colby Lewis: Mon-TB (Smyly), Sat-LAA (Richards)

Not this week

Chris Capuano: Mon-@BAL (Norris), Sun-@TB (Hellickson)
Kevin Correia: Mon-@HOU (Peacock), Sun-KC (Guthrie)
Jarred Cosart: Tue-STL (Wainwright), Sun-ARI (Collmenter)
Odrisamer Despaigne: Tue-COL (Flande), Sun-@STL (Wainwright)
Yohan Flande: Tue-@SD (Despaigne), Sun-CIN (Latos)
Jeremy Hellickson: Tue-@TEX (Tepesch), Sun-NYY (Capuano)
Jeff Locke: Mon-DET (Verlander), Sat-@WSH (Gonzalez)
Mike Minor: Tue-LAD (Ryu), Sun-OAK (Lester)
Brad Peacock: Mon-MIN (Correia), Sat-@BOS (De La Rosa)
Nick Tepesch: Tue-TB (Hellickson), Sun-LAA (Santiago)
Edinson Volquez: Tue-DET (Porcello), Sun-@WSH (Fister)

My Week 20 Picks

Collin McHugh, Astros
2014: 4-9, 102 IP, 10.15 K/9, 3.09 BB/9, 39.4 GB%, 3.18 ERA, 1.08 WHIP

McHugh *should* see a nice rise in weekly formats with tasty matchups against the Twins and Red Sox. But his 4-9 record and the Astros logo on his chest have his current ownership under 30 percent in Yahoo and under 20 in ESPN. Don't be fooled. McHugh's 27.7 percent strikeout rate is among the best in baseball, and his 8.4 percent walk rate is slightly above league average. He's been going well, too, with a 2.75 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 22 strikeouts over his last 19 2/3 innings. The lack of wins has really hurt his roto value, but a home matchup with the Twins is a recipe for success.

Tom Koehler, Marlins
2014: 7-9, 137.1 IP, 6.82 K/9, 3.34 BB/9, 44 GB%, 3.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP

In normal circumstances, I wouldn't recommend Koehler. But he happens to play in an pitcher's park and he's taken full advantage -- to the tune of a 2.45 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 66 innings while holding batters to a .194/.259/.288 (compared to a 5.05 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and .256/.348/.404 on the road). That will do. His stuff is ordinary outside of a nasty slider, but the home results are hard to ignore. Other than a seven-run outing against Milwaukee on May 23, the 28-year-old right-hander hasn't allowed more than four earned runs in any home start, including five starts of seven-plus innings and no runs. The Cardinals have scored the fewest runs since the break, and the Diamondbacks own an ordinary .297 wOBA on the road (22nd overall). Koehler gets the green light in Week 20.

Kyle Hendricks, Cubs
2014: 3-1, 34.1 IP, 5.50 K/9, 2.10 BB/9, 52 GB%, 2.10 ERA, 1.02 WHIP

Call this a homer pick (because it sort of is), but I'm tired of picking Mets and I need to change it up. Hendricks has been better than advertised for the Cubs since his call up, posting four quality starts in five turns. Since his four-run debut on July 10, the 24-year-old right-hander has allowed a total of four runs in 28 1/3 innings and recorded an impressive 0.95 WHIP (22 hits, five walks). Strikeouts aren't his game, but Hendricks has posted impressively low walk rates across every level, and his ground-ball stuff (52.7 percent ground ball rate in the minors) will work wonders in Wrigley. I'm not in love with the matchups, but I'm curious/excited to see what Hendricks can provide rest of season. So far, so good.

Stats from FanGraphs.com.