MLB - 2010 Fantasy Baseball Pitching Sit/Start Line-up Planner (Week 18)

Posted by: RichardSchortemeyerIII

RichardSchortemeyerIII
We tell you who to sit and who to start in setting your pitching line-ups each week. For the top pitchers for the week, we focus on questionable pitchers that may or may not normally start for you that have favorable schedules this week. We won't bother listing pitchers like Lincecum, Halladay, or Carpenter in this article, because you always start them, regardless of schedule. Likewise, we won't list lousy starters in the bottom section, because you'd obviously bench a pitcher Jason Marquis visiting Philadelphia without our having to tell you to do so. For the bottom pitchers, we focus on the average and better than average (but not star) pitchers that you would normally start with poor schedules this week.

Ask a question about your keepers in our FORUM. Leave a comment about this article down below.

Top Two-Start Starts (#1 being the best)

  1. Tim Hudson (ATL) -- Mon-NYM (Santana), Sat-SF (Cain) - After giving more than 4 ER in a start for the first time this season on July 17th against MIL, has gotten back on track, giving up only 1 ER in his last two. In two combined starts vs. both teams this season, he's given up only 2 ER (14 IP).
  2. Colby Lewis (TEX) -- Tue-@SEA (Vargas), Sun-@OAK (Cahill) - Is 2-2 in his last four starts, but could easily be 4-0, as he's only given up 10 ER in that period. Will face two teams he's only given up a combined 9 ER in six starts in '10.  
  3. Travis Wood (CIN) -- Mon-@PIT (Ohlendorf), Sun-@CHC (TBD) - Not sure if this rookie can find his way to Great American Ballpark on his own yet. Five of his first six starts have been on the road, but he's been impressive so far, allowing only 11 ER in 31 1/3 IP. Will be on the road again this week, and should be similarly successful against a CHC team he gave up just 2 ER in his first start (7 IP) and a PIT squad that will feature a pitcher that lost to CIN on May 10th.
  4. A.J. Burnett (NYY) -- Mon-TOR (Morrow), Sun-BOS Beckett - It's been the usual inconsistent season for him. Is currently on the upside, winning three of his last four starts, only giving up 6 ER in the process. Has been a better pitcher at home, and will face two teams he didn't give a ER against in his last starts against them at Yankees Stadium.  
  5. Brian Duensing (MIN) -- Tue-@TB (Price), Sun-@CLE (Talbot) - After giving up just 8 ER in 43 IP in relief, has moved into the rotation and has had similar success, giving up just 3 ER in 11 IP. Will face two teams he hasn't given up a R against in six combined appearances this season.  

Top One-Start Starts (#1 being the best)

  1. C.J. Wilson (TEX) --Wed-@SEA (Pauley) - Has won three straight starts after losing two of his previous three. Wiil face a SEA team that he's given up only 3 ER combined in two starts in '10 (14 IP).
  2. John Danks (CHW) -- Thu-@DET (Scherzer) - After four-start winning streak, suffered an L in his last start. Has a great chance to start another winning streak against a DET squad he one-hit in 7 IP in a winning effort on June 10th. 
  3. Jair Jurrjens (ATL) -- Thu-SF (Lincecum) - The Braves pitching staff has been pretty solid in his absence, so having him return to the rotation makes it even more solid. Though he's given up 9 ER in his last two starts, will face Giants team he gave up only 1 ER (7 2/3 IP) against in his one start against them last season.  
  4. Dan Haren (LAA) -- Thu-@BAL (Arrieta) - Since returning to the AL, has given up only 4 ER, but has suffered the L in both starts. Has a real good chance to get his first W as an Angel as he's a lifetime 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts at Camden Yards.
  5. Tommy Hanson (ATL) -- Fri-SF (Zito) - Is 0-2 in his last four starts, but has only given up 8 ER in the process. Like his staffmate Jurrjens, he beat SF in his only start against them last season (7 IP, 3 ER, 11 K).

Top Set-Up Weeks (#1 being the best) 

  1. Kenley Jansen (LAD) -- (4 SD, 3 WAS) - Has made a real good first impression on the Dodgers. Since being called up in late July, has been spotless in three relief appearances, which has included a SV (3 IP, 5 K). Has a great chance to remain spotless against two teams that have a BA under .250 away from their home parks.   
  2. Tyler Clippard (WAS) -- (4 @ARI, 3 @LAD) - You take away the SV opportunities (more than half the ER he's given up have been in those situations), and he's been fantastic. Will face a LAD team that he's earned 2 Holds in two '10 appearances against (3 IP, 0 ER, 5 K) and a D-backs squad that is one of the worst when it comes to late-inning offense (batting under .240 from the 7th inning on).
  3. Logan Ondrusek (CIN) -- (3 @PIT, 3 @CHC) - Like Jansen, has been an impressive rookie, especially recently. So impressive that he didn't allow an ER in all of July (13 2/3 IP). Will face two teams he hasn't given up an ER against in four combined appearances.    

Bottom Two-Start Starts (#1 being the worst)

  1. Livan Hernandez (WAS) -- Mon-@ARI (Lopez), Sat-@LAD (Kuroda) - Has been a fantastic find for the Nationals. However just like last season with NYM, he's starting to fall apart in the second half, as he's lost three of his last four starts. Look for that to continue against two teams he was a combined 0-3 in five starts in '09 (24 ER in 24 2/3 IP).  
  2. Jeremy Bonderman (DET) -- Tue-CHW Game 1 (Buehrle)Sat-LAA (TBD) - Will not miss the month of July, as he was 1-1 with a 7.77 ERA in four starts. Will face a CHW team he's 5-10 with a 4.79 ERA lifetime against and an Angels squad he hasn't gotten a W against in two starts in '10.  
  3. Jonathan Sanchez (SF) -- Tue-@COL (Cook), Sun-@ATL (Lowe) - His ERA has increased with each month passing, finishing the last month with a 4.50 ERA. Don't look for his ERA to improve against two teams he couldn't get past the fifth inning against in his earlier starts against them this season.
  4. Aaron Cook (COL) -- Tue-SF (Sanchez), Sun-@PIT (Maholm) - After a promising winning effort at Cincy (7 IP, 0 ER, 5 K), has lost his two outings (10 ER in 7 IP). It doesn't look promising this upcoming week against a SF team he has a 5.84 ERA against in two '10 starts and a Pirates squad that 'Cook'ed him up in his last start (2 1/3 IP, 5 ER). 
  5. Fausto Carmona (CLE) -- Mon-@BOS (Lackey), Sat-MIN (Pavano) - With Jake Westbrook happily getting out of Cleveland, it leaves him as the leader in the Indians staff. After suffering his worst start of '10 against NYY (2 2/3 IP, 7 ER), will face two teams he has a combined career 4-10 record against, including a L to each this season.  

Bottom One-Start Starts (#1 being the worst)

  1. Ricky Romero (TOR) -- Tue-@NYY (Moseley) - Is 2-1 (5 ER) after a three-start losing streak. However, it has a great chance of being 2-2 in his last four starts as he'll revisit a ballpark that haunted him in his last appearance (2 2/3 IP, 8 ER on July 3rd).
  2. Kevin Correia (SD) -- Thu-@LAD (Billingsley) - Had a good finish to the month of July, going 2-1 in his last three starts (8 ER). Doesn't look like he'll start the new month off positively against a LAD team he's 0-2 with 6.35 ERA in '10 so far.  
  3. Ryan Dempster (CHC) -- Fri-CIN (Arroyo) - Is winless in his last three starts (0-1, 12 ER), which isn't a good prep for a Reds squad that he's winless against this season (0-2, 4.72 ERA).
  4. Phil Hughes (NYY) -- Wed-TOR (Marcum) - It looks like the inexperience of being a full-time starter is starting to affect him. Joins Sanchez and Bonderman in the will not miss the month of July club, as he suffered two L for the first time in a month this season (2-2, 5.52 ERA). One of the reasons he's not tearful with the month passing is TOR, which got 5 ER (3 HR) against him on July 4th.
  5. Clay Buchholz (BOS) -- Fri-@NYY (Vazquez) - After a bad return from the DL start at OAK, rebounded nicely against the Angels. However, he's winless in four career starts against NYY (0-2, 6.53 ERA), which includes a L earlier this season (5 IP, 5 ER on May 8th).  

Bottom Set-Up Weeks (#1 being the worst)

  1. Jason Frasor (TOR) --  (3 @NYY, 3 TB) - Received some interest during the trade deadline, but remains a Blue Jay. However, that's not necessarily a good thing because he remains in a tough division, which has given him fits this season, especially TB (8 ER in 3 IP in five appearances).
  2. Joba Chamberlain (NYY) -- (3 TOR, 3 BOS) - If you take BAL out of that division and you would see that he has had similar success against the AL East as Frasor has had in '10. In 8 1/3 IP combined against both teams in '10, he's given up 6 ER on 13 H, which includes a BS.
  3. Daniel Bard (BOS) --  (4 CLE, 3 @NYY) - Has fared well in big spots against the good teams this season. However, when it comes to the lower-tier squads, he's had some struggles. One of those teams, CLE, has given him a 10.13 ERA in three appearances in '10, which includes a L and BS. You sensed a theme here? Trust me, it's just coincidence that it was an all AL-East trio.

Again, ask a question about your keepers in our FORUM. Leave a comment about this article down below. 

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