On Tuesday, June 14 Justin Verlander nearly threw his second no-hitter of the season. After not allowing a hit until the eighth inning, he went on to throw a complete game, 2-hit shutout with 12 K's against the Cleveland Indians. Francisco Liriano owns the only other 2011 no-hitter and he also almost threw his second one on Sunday. Verlander has been on of baseball's best hurlers this season and he is a two-start pitcher this week so don't miss out.
Also, Oakland pitcher Rich Harden is nearing a return and may soon join these sluggers as a player ready to contribute to your fantasy team right off the DL. Harden has had some big problems with staying healthy, but when he is on the mound he can be one of the best in baseball. He has a 3.42 ERA in his career with Oakland.
Thursday, June 16
New York Mets starter R.A. Dickey takes on the Braves at home on Thursday. On May 14 Dickey's ERA shot up over five after a rough outing against Houston, but since then he has been fantastic. He has lasted at least 7.2 inings in each of his last three starts and his ERA has now settled in under 4.00 for the first time since April. On June 5 against Atlanta he earned the win by throwing 8 innings of 1-run baseball with 3 K's. Dickey is back on track and deserves to see his ESPN ownership climb from 5.8 percent, go get him and start him.
Friday, June 17
Brian Matusz was rocked by Tampa Bay on Sunday to the tune 4 earned runs in 1.1 innings of work. Rays coach Joe Maddon suspects that Matusz might not be fully healthy, but Matusz says he is at 100 percent. Matusz gets the Washington Nationals on Friday for the first time in his career as interleague play resumes. Matusz was fine in his first starts of the season before being trampled by the Rays and he should rebound this weekend against the Nats, Start him.
Cleveland's Josh Tomlin has hit a major skid and no end is in sight, not even against the Pirates on Friday. Tomlin has lost 3 of his last four starts and has given up 6 runs in each of his last three outings. The Pirates are a different team this year than in the past and actually have a .500 record. If Tomlin is going to right the ship, he'll have to do it after he faces Pittsburgh, sit him.
Saturday, June 18
While filling in for one of the many injured Oakland starters, Guillermo Moscoso has gone 2-3 with a 3.91 ERA in 25.1 innings. He hasn't been great and doesn't strike out many hitters, but he gets a fovorable matchup in the weekend series at home against the Giants. The Giants are 29th in baseball in runs scored and the games against their cross-bay rivals are always close. If you're looking for a cheap quality start, look no further than Moscoso.
