Week 2 is winding down and its time to starting planning for week 3. Here are the two start pitchers and those with favorable matchups for week 3:
Two Start Pitchers
No brainers
Roy Halladay: 4/16 @ SF; 4/21 @ SD
Stephen Strasburg: 4/16 vs Hou; 4/21 vs Mia
Josh Johnson: 4/17 vs ChC; 4/22 @ Was
Tim Lincecum: 4/16 vs Phi; 4/22 @NYM
Johnny Cueto: 4/17 vs Stl; 4/22 @ChC
All 5 of these guys are aces and should never leave your starting lineup, especially when they have two starts in a week.
Not too shabby
Erik Bedard: 4/16 @ Ari; 4/22 vs Stl
Chad Billingsley: 4/17 @ Mil; 4/22 @ Hou
Joe Blanton: 4/17 @ SF; 4/22 @ SD
Randall Delgado: 4/17 vs NYM; 4/22 @ Ari
Ryan Dempster: 4/17 @ Mia; 4/22 vs Cin
Yovani Gallardo: 4/17 vs LAD; 4/22 vs Col
Gio Gonzalez: 4/17 vs Hou; 4/22 vs Mia
Tommy Hanson: 4/16 vs NYM; 4/21 @ Ari
Ian Kennedy: 4/17 vs Pit; 4/22 vs Atl
Kyle Lohse: 4/17 vs Cin; 4/22 @ Pit
Cory Luebke: 4/16 @ Col; 4/21 vs Phi
Wandy Rodriguez: 4/17 @ Was; 4/22 vs LAD
These are quality pitchers with at least one out of their two starts favorable. They should definitely help your team this week.
Risky at best
Dillon Gee: 4/16 @ Atl; 4/22 vs SF
Jeremy Guthrie: 4/16 vs SD; 4/22 @ Mil
Joe Saunders: 4/16 vs Pit; 4/21 vs Atl
Kyle Weiland: 4/16 @ Was; 4/21 vs LAD
These are inconsistent or unproven starters. They could help you this week, but the risk outweighs the potential reward.
Other Favorable Matchups
Johan Santana: 4/17 @ Atl
Santana appears to be fully recovered from his shoulder issues and has a career 2.14 ERA against the Braves.
Cliff Lee: 4/18 @ SF
Lee is 4-0 with a minuscule 0.82 ERA against the Giants in his career.
Ricky Nolasco: 4/19 vs ChC
He has a career ERA of 2.57 against his former team, gets to pitch in his spacious home park and the Cubs are rebuilding. He’s in my lineup.
Cole Hamels: 4/20 @ SD
Hamels is 6-2 with a 2.28 ERA in his career against the Padres and gets the added benefit of pitching in Petco.
Clayton Kershaw: 4/21 @ Hou
Kershaw may not have the best career ERA against (3.19) of this group, but Houston is not much more than a AAA team this year.
Tomorrow, I’ll take a look at the AL pitching matchups.
