BOYD TOO UNEVEN TO TRUST?

Matt Boyd has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 13-of-14 starts as he’s posted some really solid work for the Tigers. However, concerns are exploding in the final week of the season. Though he tossed a one run, eight inning outing on September 20th, the two starts around that have been troubling. On September 13th Boyd allowed seven runs over 3.2 innings. On Sunday he allowed four runs without recording an out. If he makes another start… start him at your own peril.

BUNDY BATTLING

Dylan Bundy has lasted a lot longer than I thought he would.

Bundy allowed just one run Sunday over five innings to lower his ERA to 4.02 on the season. However, look at his last eight outings: 6.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 5.08 walks per nine. He’s not pitching well, at all, but he’s doing his best to continue to give the Orioles all the innings he can with the needs they have.

Speaking of the Orioles staff, here’s the update on Kevin Gausman. The righty felt good after throwing a bullpen session Saturday and reported on ill effects with his sore oblique. “I think it was more of a cramp maybe,” Gausman said. “Just a little bit of a tweak. But feel fine a couple days later, so ... After a couple days’ treatment, it feels ready to go, so I think it was more tightness than anything.” It sounds like he will start Tuesday against the Jays as he tries to put a bow on top of what has been an impressive second half effort: 7-58, 2.93 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.82 BB/9 and a total of 84 strikeouts in 79.2 innings.

COTTON STREAKING

Jharel Cotton has had a major push here in the final month of the season helping owners everywhere. He’s made four starts with each lasting at least five innings as he’s allowed zero or one earned runs each time. Since at least 1913, that marks Cotton as the first Athletics pitcher to do that in his first four career starts. He’s only struck out 5.76 batters per nine, and that .159 BABIP screams a potential blowup could be coming, but with his consistency to this point, one more solid outing sure seems likely.

NELSON CRUZ SOLDIERING ON

Nelson Cruz has a wrist issue that he is attempting to play through. The question becomes, if the Mariners are eliminated from the Wild Card Race will he shut it down (they are currently behind three clubs)? Seems possible. Be cautious with Cruz this week with the impressive 36 year old outfielder who has once again been a star hitting .286 with 41 homers and 100 RBI with 92 runs scored and a .915 OPS. Really impressive. Didn’t think he had it in him three years ago.

FINNEGON DONE

The Reds are shutting down Brandon Finnegan with one week to go. Finnegan tossed five shutout innings in his last start to drop his ERA down to 3.98. He struck out 145 batters in 172 innings, with a scary total of 84 walks, but he pitched much better down the stretch which will lead to his name being a hot one next spring when people talk about potential breakouts on the bump.

OH MY GOODNESS – SAVES NEED

In the month of September the Giants bullpen is allowing an average of 3.50 runs per game. Not an ERA of 3.50 but allowing three and a half runs per game folks. That’s 29thout of 30 teams. Sergio Romo has apparently taken over the 9th inning with saves in each of his last three outings, all scoreless affairs which you just saw really makes him standout given the crap the pen has been putting out there for the Giants.

LESTER UPDATE

Since the All-Star break Jon Lester has made 13 starts with a 1.34 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and has allowed just 56 hits in 87 innings. That is all.

MUSGROVE WORTH A START

If he’s still out there, Jose Musgrove lines up as a nice starter entering his final outing of the year. Joe allowed one run over seven innings against the Angels Sunday, and that’s the matchup he will have in his final start of the year in Anaheim. Over his last four starts Musgrove has allowed seven runs with three quality starts with the lone time he didn’t get there being a one run, 5.1 inning outing against the Athletics.

PINEDA – CAN YOU TRUST HIM?

Michael Pineda allowed one run to the Blue Jays Sunday over 5.2 innings. The start before that it was two earned runs. The start before that – zero earned runs. In fact, over his last five outings Pineda has allowed a total of seven earned runs. We’ve seen this before with Pineda, and by that I mean strong efforts, or at least not downers. It should be noted though that the Yankees have been very careful with Pineda as he’s been allowed to throw six innings not a single time in those five outings (three times he hasn’t met the five inning threshold). He starts Friday against the Orioles. No depth, a nausea inducing background… I can’t trust him in that outing.

RICHARD SOLID?

Clayton Richard allowed three runs, two earned, to the Giants Sunday to drop his ERA to 2.01 over 49.1 innings. That looks great. Beyond that though you would be wise to notice that he has a total of seven strikeouts his last three games as he’s walked eight batters. That’s hideous. He’s also allowed 22 hits over those 18 innings. He’s not pitching well, no matter what the ERA says.

RONDON BRINGS IT SUNDAY

Carlos Rodon tossed the best outing of his career against the Indians as he pitched eight scoreless innings with a career best tying 11 punchouts. In the outing Rodon allowed just two hits while walking three in a shutdown effort. "I was able to drive the ball today," Rodon said. "When I'm going good, that's the way it is, driving the ball through the zone and attacking hitters. It needs to stay like that." This was particularly heartening to see given that in his previous two outings that Rodon allowed 12 runs over nine innings. Over his last 10 outings he’s posted a 3.12 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP, 8.90 K/9 and 2.52 BB/9. That’s the type of pitcher we should see in 2017.

SAVES NEED, PART II?

Raisel Iglesias had three strikeouts in his inning of work Sunday to earn the save for the Reds. That’s the second save in a row for Raisel who may have finally passed Tony Cingrani for 9th inning work. There is no debating that Iglesias is a better pitcher, so it’s long been odd that the Reds have stubbornly left Cingrani working the 9th inning when all the tangible data at our disposal suggests that it should have been Iglesias for a long while now getting the final outs.

THOMPSON DONE

Jake Thompson has been shut down by the Phillies. Too bad too since some folks were using the youngster who had allowed three or fewer earned runs in 6-straight outings. He’ll end his abbreviated campaign with a 5.70 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with a pathetic 1.14 K/BB ratio though and he will enter 2017 with no fantasy buzz.

 

Ray Flowers can be heard Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday, 8 PM EDT, Wednesday 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 9 PM EDT PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).