Two-Start Pitchers: Week 19 (Aug. 17-23)

My results so far

33-38 (98 starts, 52 quality starts)
4.58 ERA
6.61 K/9
2.53 BB/9
1.34 WHIP

Start!

Francisco Liriano: Tue-ARI (Anderson), Sun-SF (Leake)
Gerrit Cole: Mon-ARI (Hellickson), Sat-SF (Heston)
Michael Wacha: Mon-SF (Heston), Sun-@SD (Rea)
Danny Salazar: Mon-@BOS (Wright), Sat-@NYY (Sabathia)
Scott Kazmir: Mon-TB (Ramirez), Sat-LAD (Anderson)
Cole Hamels: Mon-SEA (Walker), Sat-@DET (Boyd)

Tier 1

Garrett Richards: Tue-CWS (Danks), Sun-TOR (Hutchison)
Jason Hammel: Tue-DET (Norris), Sun-ATL (Wisler)
Jake Odorizzi: Tue-@HOU (Feldman), Sun-@OAK (Brooks)
Taijuan Walker: Mon-@TEX (Hamels), Sun-CWS (Danks)
Andrew Heaney: Mon-CWS (Rodon), Sat-TOR (Estrada)

Tier 2

Chris Tillman: Mon-OAK (Brooks), Sat-MIN (Milone)
Mike Leake: Tue-@STL (Lynn), Sun-@PIT (Liriano)
Jordan Zimmermann: Tue-@COL (De La Rosa), Sun-MIL (Garza)
Trevor Bauer: Tue-@BOS (Rodriguez), Sun-@NYY (Eovaldi)
Erasmo Ramirez: Mon-@HOU (Kazmir), Sat-@OAK (Graveman)
Chris Heston: Mon-@STL (Wacha), Sat-@PIT (Cole)
Kevin Gausman: Tue-NYM (deGrom), Sun-MIN (Gibson)
Carlos Rodon: Mon-@LAA (Heaney), Sat-@SEA (Nuno)
Raisel Iglesias: Tue-KC (Volquez), Sun-ARI (Anderson)
Matt Garza: Mon-MIA (Conley), Sun-@WSH (Zimmermann)
Edinson Volquez: Tue-@CIN (Iglesias), Sun-@BOS (Rodriguez)
Nathan Eovaldi: Tue-MIN (Pelfrey), Sun-CLE (Bauer)

Tier 3

Daniel Norris: Tue-@CHC (Hammel), Sun-TEX (Gonzalez)
Matt Wisler: Tue-@SD (Shields), Sun-@CHC (Hammel)
Colin Rea: Mon-ATL (Perez), Sun-STL (Wacha)
Chase Anderson: Tue-@PIT (Liriano), Sun-@CIN (Iglesias)
Aaron Nola: Tue-TOR (Dickey), Sun-@MIA (Phelps)
Chi Chi Gonzalez: Tue-SEA (Iwakuma), Sun-@DET (Norris)
Kyle Gibson: Mon-@NYY (Sabathia), Sun-@BAL (Gausman)
David Phelps: Tue-@MIL (Cravy), Sun-PHI (Nola)
Jeremy Hellickson: Mon-@PIT (Cole), Sat-@CIN (DeSclafani)

Not this week

Aaron Brooks: Mon-@BAL (Tillman), Sun-TB (Odorizzi)
Adam Conley: Mon-@MIL (Garza), Sat-PHI (TBD)
John Danks: Tue-@LAA (Richards), Sun-@SEA (Walker)
Jorge De La Rosa: Tue-WSH (Zimmermann), Sun-NYM (Harvey)
Scott Feldman: Tue-TB (Odorizzi), Sun-LAD (Greinke)
Williams Perez: Mon-@SD (Rea), Sat-@CHC (Haren)
Eduardo Rodriguez: Tue-CLE (Bauer), Sun-KC (Volquez)
CC Sabathia: Mon-MIN (Gibson), Sat-CLE (Salazar)
Steven Wright: Mon-CLE (Salazar), Sat-KC (Ventura)

My Week 19 Picks

Chris Tillman, Orioles (OAK, MIN)

Tillman got banged around his last start (literally), allowing five runs on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings against the Mariners and getting a comebacker off his right triceps that currently has the Orioles right-handed starter listed as day-to-day. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be serious and Tillman is on track to make his first of two starts against the Athletics on Monday, followed by a start against Tommy Milone and the Twins Saturday - with both starts coming in Baltimore, where Tillman owns a 4.34 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and .244/.309/.375 slash against (compared to a 5.05 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and .284/.356/.475 slash). Tillman hasn't been stuck with an "L" since the last day of May, spanning 11 starts and going 6-0. In those 11 starts, he's seen his season ERA plummet from 5.94 to 4.66, spinning seven quality starts in that span with a 2.86 ERA and a 41/14 K/BB ratio in 63 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander gets Oakland and Minnesota, which rank 22nd and 25th, respectively, against RHP in terms of wOBA.

Erasmo Ramirez, Rays (@HOU, @OAK)

Ramirez has flown under the radar in 2015, posting respectable splits and earning 1.6 fWAR with a 3.68 FIP and 3.96 xFIP. Although he's been better at Tropicana Field (2.61 home ERA, 4.70 road ERA), his Week 19 matchups at least warrant consideration if you're looking for a widely available two-start pitcher. If you take out his 12 innings as a reliever, Ramirez owns a 3.20 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and .217/.285/.331 slash line against over 98 1/3 innings with a 75/27 K/BB ratio. His strikeout rate is still only around league average at 19 percent, but the most positive developments are a shrunken walk rate (10.1 percent in 2014, 6.7 percent in 2015), and a groundball rate that has spiked from 37.7 percent to 48.3 percent, and allowing just eight home runs in 18 starts. He's been very good lately, allowing one run or less in eight of ten starts (he's twice given up a five-spot), but his Week 19 matchups are favorable.

Carlos Rodon, White Sox (@LAA, @SEA)

Chris Heston or Edinson Volquez might be the smart play(s) here, but the upside of Rodon is too good to pass up. I've been burned once before by the 22-year-old rookie, but the Angels and Mariners are both bottom-third offenses when facing a left-handed pitcher (in terms of wOBA). And Rodon isn't your typical southpaw. Lets give him another twirl because this might be the last time you'll feel comfortable using him in a two-start week. He had his best career start his last time out against the Halos, striking out 11, walking one and allowing only four hits and no runs.

Stats from FanGraphs.com