Glenn Sparkman takes home spotlight honors for yesterday’s action. Yes, you read that right, Glenn Sparkman . He came into his start last night with a 5.18 ERA and had given up 17 earned runs in his last 14.2 innings pitched, but none of that mattered last night as he tossed a gem against the White Sox. He tossed a complete game shutout in the win and gave up just five hits (all singles) while striking out eight. The shutout was the first of his career and the eight strikeouts were a new career high. He led all players in DFS scoring on both DraftKings (36.6) and FanDuel (61.0). He should still be left on the wire in seasonal fantasy, despite this strong showing, as he will carry a 3-5 record, 4.54 ERA, and a very poor 4.8 K/9 into his next outing.

Strong Outings

  • Jack Flaherty was dominant for the second straight outing, holding the Pirates to just one run over seven innings of work in a no-decision. He gave up just three hits while striking out eight. It has been a disappointing year to this point for Flaherty, but that is now two outings in a row of seven innings of one-run ball. He will carry a 4-6 record and 4.41 ERA into his next start.
  • Brandon Woodruff continues to pitch lights-out baseball. Last night, he hurled 6.2 innings of one-run ball in a win over the Braves. He gave up five hits while striking out seven. It was his third straight of at least six innings and only allowing one run in each. In fact, it was the eighth time in his last 14 starts that he has allowed one or fewer. He will bring an 11-3 record and 3.53 ERA into his next start.
  • Daniel Mengden held the Mariners to one run over seven innings in a win. He gave up four hits and walked zero while striking out three. It was a nice bounce back outing for Mengden, who has given up eight earned runs across 11 innings of work in two previous outings. He will carry a 5-1 record and 4.21 ERA into his next start. He is not an option in fantasy.
  • Alex Young just continues to get the job done for the Dbacks, he tossed 5.1 innings of one-run ball in a win over the Rangers. He gave up three hits while striking out four. The rookie left-hander had a 6.09 ERA prior to getting called up, but he now has a 0.96 ERA through four starts at the MLB level with a 3-0 record.
  • Austin Voth hurled six innings of one-run ball in a win over Baltimore. He gave up four hits while striking out four. It was his first win of the season and he is still not a viable fantasy option, as he will carry a 4.35 ERA into his next outing and that is with facing the Tigers, Royals, and Orioles in three of his four starts.
  • Jordan Yamamoto pitched well again in a win over the Padres. He held San Diego to three runs (two earned) across five innings. He gave up four hits while striking out four. He hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in any of his six starts and the Hawaiian rookie will carry a 4-0 record and 1.59 ERA into his next start.
  • Zach Plesac had his outing cut short by a lengthy rain delay, but he was twirling a gem before the rain hit. He tossed three innings of hitless, shutout baseball in the Indians 8-0 win. The rookie now has a 3.56 ERA through his first nine career starts.

Hitter Highlights

Bryce Harper had a big night in the Phillies win over the Dodgers, going 2-3 with a home run, a pair of walks, a double, and five RBI. His home run was a deep bomb to centerfield and his double was a walk-off winner. He is now hitting .257 with 17 home runs, 67 RBI, and five steals in his first campaign in Philly.

Matt Chapman went 3-4 with a home run, a double, and five RBI in Oakland’s 9-2 trouncing of the Mariners. Chapman is now 9-15 with a home run and seven RBI since the All-Star break, bringing his totals for the year up to a .280 batting average with 22 home runs, 63 runs, and 59 RBI.

Christian Yelich had another MVP type of a night as he finished 1-3 with a dinger, two walks, a steal, three runs scored, and four RBI. He is now hitting .332 with 33 home runs, 72 RBI, 71 runs scored, and 23 steals on just 25 attempts. There is not a thing that this guy isn’t doing in elite fashion right now. He’s no Trout, but he’s the next best thing.

Keston Hiura also had a big night for the Brew Crew in their 13-1 win, going a perfect 3-3 with a home runs, a walk, three runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Since being recalled for the second time, Hiura is hitting .357 with four home runs, nine RBI, and four steals in 15 games. It’s a good thing they sent him down for nearly a month after he hit .281 with five home runs in his first stint (sarcasm).

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 3-5 with a triple, a double, a run scored, and a stolen base in the Blue Jays 10-4 win over the Red Sox. Just when it appeared that he was finally cooling off (had just two hits in his last 17 at-bats), he does this. He is now hitting .295 with 16 home runs, 37 RBI, and five steals across 58 games played.

Michael Conforto went a perfect 4-4 with a run and a RBI in the Mets 3-2 win over the Twinkies. He had been struggling a bit and this was his first multi-hit game since June 24, but maybe this will be the game that gets him going. He is hitting .251 with 17 home runs and 48 RBI on the year while going a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.

Omar Narváez was the Mariners only source of offense last night as he went 3-4 with a pair of solo home runs. He is having a fantastic season with a .297 batting average, 16 home runs, and 38 RBI in his first year with Seattle. He can be looked at as a top-five player at his position for the remainder of the season.

What to Watch for Today

Sonny Gray will take on the Cubs in Wrigley. Gray has somewhat quietly (despite making the All-Star game) has had a very strong campaign to this point with a 3.42 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. He also has struck 112 batters across 97.1 innings of work, which is the best strikeout rate of his career. This match-up with the Cubbies is a tough one, but he just managed to toss seven innings of one-run ball in Coors Field his last time out.

Homer Bailey will make his Oakland debut after being traded to the club just a few days ago. Bailey isn’t a good pitcher and his 4.80 ERA speaks to that, but the change of scenery will likely benefit him a tad bit. That being said, you should leave him on the wire in fantasy.

Mike Clevinger will take on the Tigers in what looks like a prime match-up for a big time game. Clevinger got roughed up in his return from a long IL stint, but has been dominant in his last two outings, giving up just one run across 11 innings while racking up 15 strikeouts. I would be surprised if he doesn’t keep it going today.