Two-Start Pitchers: Week 9 (June 1-7)

I really thought things were headed in the right direction. Then Carlos Frias' second start happened. I'm searching, praying, really, for a way to dig out of the early-season funk. Through one turn in Week 8, I went 2 for 3: Drew Hutchison was awesome in a complete-game shutout of the White Sox, Brett Anderson was a tough-luck loser (two runs in seven innings), and David Phelps was totally mediocre in a loss (four runs in six innings). Here's hoping to three wins today, because I could really use it  (clanks beer glass, shatters...).

My results

8-20 record
5.28 ERA
7.00 K/9
2.50 BB/9
1.36 WHIP

Start!

Max Scherzer: Tue-TOR (Estrada), Sun-CHC (Lester)
Clayton Kershaw: Mon-@COL (Butler), Sat-STL (Garcia)
Felix Hernandez: Mon-NYY (Pineda), Sat-TB (Colome)
Jon Lester: Tue-@MIA (Hand), Sun-@WSH (Scherzer)
Gerrit Cole: Mon-@SF (Vogelsong), Sun-@ATL (Wood)
Chris Archer: Tue-@LAA (Wilson), Sun-@SEA (Paxton)
Zack Greinke: Tue-@COL, Gm. 1 (Kendrick), Sun-STL (Lynn)
Jordan Zimmermann: Mon-TOR (Dickey), Sat-CHC (Hendricks)

Tier 1

Jacob deGrom: Mon-@SD (Cashner), Sun-@ARI (Collmenter)
Carlos Carrasco: Tue-@KC (Duffy), Sun-BAL (Wright)
Garrett Richards: Mon-TB (Colome), Sun-@NYY (Pineda)
Lance Lynn: Tue-MIL (Fiers), Sun-@LAD (Greinke)
Michael Pineda: Mon-@SEA (Hernandez), Sun-LAA (Richards)
Andrew Cashner: Mon-NYM (deGrom), Sun-@CIN (Lorenzen)

Tier 2

Clay Buchholz: Mon-MIN (Pelfrey), Sat-OAK (Kazmir)
Jeff Samardzija: Tue-@TEX (Lewis), Sun-DET (Simon)
Collin McHugh: Tue-BAL (Wright), Sun-@TOR (Dickey)
Kyle Hendricks: Mon-@MIA (Urena), Sat-@WSH (Zimmermann)
Jaime Garcia: Mon-MIL (Garza), Sat-@LAD (Kershaw)
Ubaldo Jimenez: Mon-@HOU (Feldman), Sat-@CLE (Salazar)
Alex Wood: Mon-@ARI (Bradley), Sun-PIT (Cole)
Ryan Vogelsong: Mon-PIT (Cole), Sun-@PHI (O'Sullivan)
Rick Porcello: Tue-MIN (Hughes), Sun-OAK (Graveman)

Tier 3

Alfredo Simon: Tue-OAK (Graveman), Sun-@CWS (Samardzija)
Phil Hughes: Tue-@BOS (Porcello), Sun-MIL (Garza)
Mike Pelfrey: Mon-@BOS (Buchholz), Sat-MIL (TBD)
Alex Colome: Mon-@LAA (Richards), Sat-@SEA (Hernandez)
Archie Bradley: Mon-ATL (Wood), Sat-NYM (Colon)

Not this week

Eddie Butler: Mon-LAD (Kershaw), Sun-MIA (TBD)
Josh Collmenter: Tue-ATL (Miller), Sun-NYM (deGrom)
R.A. Dickey: Mon-@WSH (Zimmermann), Sun-HOU (McHugh)
Danny Duffy: Tue-CLE (Carrasco), Sun-TEX (Lewis)
Scott Feldman: Mon-BAL (Jimenez), Sat-@TOR (Hutchison)
Matt Garza: Mon-@STL (Garcia), Sun-@MIN (Hughes)
Kendall Graveman: Tue-@DET (Simon), Sun-@BOS (Porcello)
Colby Lewis: Tue-CWS (Samardzija), Sun-@KC (Duffy)
Sean O'Sullivan: Tue-CIN (Lorenzen), Sun-SF (Vogelsong)

My Week 9 Picks

Kyle Hendricks, Cubs (@MIA, @WAS)
2015: 1-1, 3.76 ERA, 1.14 WHIP

In a severely limited week of two starters, why not got for one who gets to pitch in Miami? Hendricks gets the Marlins in his first turn, matched up against a rookie named Jose Urena. I don't know much about Urena except that he really struggled in his first big-league start, giving up a five spot on ten hits in 4 2/3 innings against Pirates. That's what I call a winnable game. And Hendricks, who two starts ago tossed his first complete-game shutout, is on a roll with just one earned run allowed in his last 16 innings. There's some, not much, upside in strikeouts, as the 25-year-old right-hander has twice punched out seven and once eight. The second start in Washington is scary, but he did hold the Nationals to one run in seven innings in his last start. This is a pitcher who rarely creates extra trouble (4.9 percent career walk rate), making him an attractive option.

Jaime Garcia,, Cardinals (MIL, @LAD)
2015: 1-1, 3.46 ERA, 1.38 WHIP

Assuming Garcia makes it through start No. 1 healthy, I like the Cardinals left-hander in a pair of National League contests. He hasn't been overly impressive in his first two starts, but he's gone seven and six innings and posted two quality starts. He somehow escaped his first start against the Mets despite five walks, and then followed with a no-walk performance against the Diamondbacks. The real reason I like Garcia this week is because the Brewers and Dodgers both rank in the bottom third in terms of weighted runs created plus (wRC+) against southpaws. And the Cubs fan in me can't recall the last bad start from Garcia when he's been healthy. (Don't look that up.)

Ryan Vogelsong, Giants (PIT, @PHI)
2015: 4-2, 4.24 ERA, 1.35 WHIP

I know this pick is stupid. Why? Because everyone is recommending Vogelsong, and you know what that means: he's going stink. I thought about Archie Bradley, and James Paxton crossed my mind (again), but I'll stick to the NL West pitcher who has tossed quality starts in his last five turns (missing a fifth by 1/3 inning). You can't deny that these matchups are nice on paper, but Pittsburgh's hot run has me at least a little worried. The Phillies flat out stink against right-handed pitching, so there's some safety built in to going with the underwhelming  Vogelsong. He has some higher walk games, but both teams from Pennsylvania don't like to walk. Vogelsong it is... Gulp.

Stats from FanGraphs.com