There is a two-game set to be played this afternoon, but I am going to skip over that and just do a “late” version of my BvP picks.
I absolutely love today’s slate of games, not just for BvP purposes. There are some salivating matchups between lefty pitchers and right-handed pitchers. We get some potential high-scoring games — Diamondbacks-Rangers, although Gallardo has been great in his last 4 or 5 games — then there’s Marlins-Red Sox at Fenway, Cardinals-Cubs at Wrigley, Blue Jays face a lefty at U.S. Cellular and the Brewers face a lefty at Miller Park. We get the opportunity to use Mike Trout and company at Coors Field. There also some great pitchers to use today (Gray, Liriano, Scherzer, Cueto and Kluber).
Pricing for that Coors game and those pitchers will be awfully high, so we have to find other means of scoring points. Let BvP for MVP be your guide today. We are off to a great start this week after some solid lines from our plays last night.
Good luck all!
Ike Davis – 1B – Athletics – vs. Nathan Eovaldi – 5-for-13, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 1.471 OPS, .570 wOBA – DK – $3,600, FD – $2,200
Analysis: Value? Check. Mediocre pitcher? Check. Shown ability for some pop? Check. Hitter’s park? Check. Short right-field porch? Check.
Denard Span – OF – Nationals – vs. Johnny Cueto – 5-for-10, 2 BB, 1 SB, 1.083 OPS, .483 wOBA – DK – $4,000, FD – $3,300
Analysis: Johnny Cueto is a really good pitcher, but he is one of those pitchers I will completely avoid on the road because he just never seems to make his value. Today he is at Nationals Park and Span has shown ability to get on base against the Reds’ ace. I like Span to continue that success today hitting at the top of the order.
David Ortiz – 1B – Red Sox – vs. Dan Haren – 8-for-23, 1 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 1.226 OPS, .506 wOBA – DK – $4,200, FD – $3,200
Analysis: This play is strictly for chasing the long ball. Ortiz has come alive of late and his pricing hasn’t reflected his recent success. With three dongs off of Haren already, Big Papi gets a chance to add to that total tonight at home where he has flourished this season. I like it when you call me Big Papi…
Paul Goldschmidt – 1B – Diamondbacks – vs. Yovani Gallardo – 5-for-9, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SB, 1.333 OPS, .572 wOBA – DK – $5,800, FD – $5,200
Analysis: So Gallardo has been the biggest surprise for the Rangers this season (that’s a Rangers’ fan opinion). He has easily become the ace of the staff and his recent success can’t be overlooked. He has four-straight games without giving up a run and five such games in his last six. But all good things must come to an end…and Gallardo is no Sale or Kluber or Scherzer. In an earlier meeting with the Diamondbacks, Gallardo gave up 3 ER in 5 IP. If you remember in an entry last week I wrote that Goldy has failed to reach base just 3 times all season. Since then, that number still remains. I’m making my call today for Goldy to hit, not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6….(ok, maybe just 1 HR today).
Melky Cabrera – OF – White Sox – vs. Felix Doubront – 3-for-8, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1.375 OPS, .580 wOBA – DK – $4,000, FD – $2,600
Analysis: In Texas we say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. After a solid outing yesterday, the streaking Melky Cabrera has another solid BvP matchup today against Red Sox reject Felix Doubront (his first start for Toronto tonight). Cabrera will hit from the right side today (just like he did yesterday), so I am going back to the well (#cliche).
Ruben Tejada – 3B/SS – Mets – vs. Matt Cain – 5-for-13, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1.044 wOBA, .452 wOBA – DK – $2,200, FD – $2,300
Analysis: Matt Cain struggled in his first outing back from the DL, but he gets another solid matchup in his first start at home since returning from injury. I love Cain today, but I also like Ruben Tejada as a BvP value play. He’s got six hits in his last four games and Cain could still be trying to work out some kinks, allowing Tejada to capitalize on a mistake or two.
Blue Jays vs. Jose Quintana
Chris Collabello – OF – 3-for-8, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 1.125 OPS, .479 wOBA – DK – $3,300, FD – $3,000
Edwin Encarnacion – 1B – 3-for-10, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1.017 OPS, .437 wOBA – DK – $4,400, FD – $3,900
Analysis: Blue Jays versus a lefty, that’s all you really need to play these guys. However, I’ll provide just a little bit more to convince you. Encarnacion has reached base in his last six games. He has 6 walks in that span with 1 HR and 3 RBI. He has been bit of a disappointment this year, but he is clearly showing signs of patience at the plate. You know I am a proponent of using walks in gauging success, so I like what I am seeing from Edwin. As for Colabello, he’s my boy this year. He always seems to come through and he’s flashed power against Quintana. Colabello is cheap and hits in the heart of the order.
Giants vs. Bartolo Colon
Brandon Crawford – SS – 4-for-7, 1 BB, 1.196 OPS, .528 wOBA – DK – $3,700, FD – $3,000
Buster Posey – C/1B – 3-for-7, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1.016 OPS, .417 wOBA – DK – $4,400, FD – $4,600
Angel Pagan – OF – 4-for-9, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1.000 OPS, .436 wOBA – DK – $3,300, FD – $2,200
Analysis: This play is here for two reasons: 1. It will be a super-contrarian stack. 2. It comes from the gut. The success for all three guys against Colon is a small sample, but these three guys can make life miserable for the aging wonder boy Bartolo Colon. His 5.03 road ERA isn’t helping his cause and the Giants are one of the best teams against right-handers at home. Time to tattoo Bartolo’s Colon (yes, you read that right).
Alternate Options:
Asdrubal Cabrera – SS – Rays – vs. Edinson Volquez – 3-for-8, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 1.194 OPS, .506 wOBA
Shane Victorino – OF – Red Sox – vs. Dan Haren – 3-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2.067 OPS, .823 wOBA
Melvin Upton Jr. – OF – Padres – vs. Francisco Liriano – 8-for-22, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB, .900 OPS, .384 wOBA
Jordy Mercer – SS – Pirates – vs. Tyson Ross – 5-for-8, 1 BB, 1 SB, 1.292 OPS, .568 wOBA
(Follow hotdogphingers on Twitter @hotdog_phingers. All stats referenced are courtesy of dailybaseballdata.com)
