The regular season is winding down, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still money to be made on the bases.
Some pitchers are stepping up their game in the heat of the playoff race, while others are ready to put their arm on ice for the winter.
Here are two pitchers to play and two to fade as we head into the home stretch.
Money makers
David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
David Price appears to be rounding back into form after enduring a rocky month of August in which he lasted beyond sixth innings only twice in five starts.
Walks are still an issue with Price, as he’s handed out six over his last two starts. But there’s no denying Price is heating up after allowing just six hits and two earned runs while striking out nine in his first two September starts.
Even though Price struggled in August, the Rays still managed to win three of his five starts. They’ve gone 7-2 over his last nine outings.
The Rays currently sit percentage points behind the Yankees for first place in the American League East, but they’re not facing a great deal of pressure. That’s because the runner-up in the East will undoubtedly win the Wild Card.
Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants
Jonathan Sanchez has been overshadowed by Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain this season, but make no mistake, he’s been every bit as important during their late-season push.
Sanchez has remarkably held opponents to a .208 batting average this season. He’s been nearly unhittable against left-handed batters, as they’ve posted a collective .164 average.
In two September starts, Sanchez has allowed only four hits over 12 shutout innings. He issued seven walks in his last outing, but that’s nothing new. He’s given up 85 walks this season and has offset those with 176 strikeouts in 169 2-3 innings of work.
With the Giants fighting for their playoff lives, we can expect Sanchez to receive plenty of support from his teammates. There’s no quit in this group and Sanchez is certainly worth a wager down the stretch.
Bankroll burners
Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays
Don’t get me wrong, Brett Cecil is having an outstanding sophomore season, but you don’t want your money anywhere near him right now.
The Jays have dropped two of Cecil’s last three starts and he’s clearly showing signs of fatigue in September. In his first two starts this month, the left hander has allowed 15 hits and 10 earned runs while posting an even 6:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in only 8 1-3 innings pitched.
Of course, Cecil’s struggles go back further than that. He’s made six starts since August 14 and has been tagged for 45 hits and 23 earned runs, including six home runs, in just 35 2-3 innings.
Keep in mind, Cecil threw only 93 1-3 innings in his rookie season. He’s already racked up 155 innings this season. The Jays have shut Brandon Morrow down for the year and they might be well advised to do the same with Cecil.
Livan Hernandez, Washington Nationals
We’re finally seeing the struggles we expected out of Livan Hernandez all season.
The Nationals have won just once in his last seven starts. They had gone 13-9 in his first 22 trips to the hill this season.
Hernandez has suddenly become very hittable, allowing 48 knocks and 28 earned runs in his last 34 2-3 innings of work. He has also topped out at four strikeouts or fewer in four of his last five outings.
The Nationals aren’t exactly a difficult team to fade right now. They’ve lost five games in a row and are already looking ahead to next season.
Find a spot where you can fade Hernandez without going north of -200 and pull the trigger.
Some pitchers are stepping up their game in the heat of the playoff race, while others are ready to put their arm on ice for the winter.
Here are two pitchers to play and two to fade as we head into the home stretch.
Money makers
David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
David Price appears to be rounding back into form after enduring a rocky month of August in which he lasted beyond sixth innings only twice in five starts.
Walks are still an issue with Price, as he’s handed out six over his last two starts. But there’s no denying Price is heating up after allowing just six hits and two earned runs while striking out nine in his first two September starts.
Even though Price struggled in August, the Rays still managed to win three of his five starts. They’ve gone 7-2 over his last nine outings.The Rays currently sit percentage points behind the Yankees for first place in the American League East, but they’re not facing a great deal of pressure. That’s because the runner-up in the East will undoubtedly win the Wild Card.
Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants
Jonathan Sanchez has been overshadowed by Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain this season, but make no mistake, he’s been every bit as important during their late-season push.
Sanchez has remarkably held opponents to a .208 batting average this season. He’s been nearly unhittable against left-handed batters, as they’ve posted a collective .164 average.
In two September starts, Sanchez has allowed only four hits over 12 shutout innings. He issued seven walks in his last outing, but that’s nothing new. He’s given up 85 walks this season and has offset those with 176 strikeouts in 169 2-3 innings of work.
With the Giants fighting for their playoff lives, we can expect Sanchez to receive plenty of support from his teammates. There’s no quit in this group and Sanchez is certainly worth a wager down the stretch.
Bankroll burners
Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays
Don’t get me wrong, Brett Cecil is having an outstanding sophomore season, but you don’t want your money anywhere near him right now.
The Jays have dropped two of Cecil’s last three starts and he’s clearly showing signs of fatigue in September. In his first two starts this month, the left hander has allowed 15 hits and 10 earned runs while posting an even 6:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in only 8 1-3 innings pitched.
Of course, Cecil’s struggles go back further than that. He’s made six starts since August 14 and has been tagged for 45 hits and 23 earned runs, including six home runs, in just 35 2-3 innings.
Keep in mind, Cecil threw only 93 1-3 innings in his rookie season. He’s already racked up 155 innings this season. The Jays have shut Brandon Morrow down for the year and they might be well advised to do the same with Cecil.
Livan Hernandez, Washington Nationals
We’re finally seeing the struggles we expected out of Livan Hernandez all season.The Nationals have won just once in his last seven starts. They had gone 13-9 in his first 22 trips to the hill this season.
Hernandez has suddenly become very hittable, allowing 48 knocks and 28 earned runs in his last 34 2-3 innings of work. He has also topped out at four strikeouts or fewer in four of his last five outings.
The Nationals aren’t exactly a difficult team to fade right now. They’ve lost five games in a row and are already looking ahead to next season.
Find a spot where you can fade Hernandez without going north of -200 and pull the trigger.
Comments