#2xSP: 5.16-5.22

The weird part of this is that the updates come with the back half of one week and the front half of the next. So these current stats recap the tail of a strong week four (5-0, 2.45 ERA, 9.4 K/9, 1.19 WHIP, 3.5 K/BB and six (!!!!!!) QS) and leads us into a murky week five (0-2, 5.68, 5.2, 1.53, 1.8 and just one QS). Here’s what we’re working with so far:

12-8 record
3.60 ERA
8.0 K/9
2.9 K/BB
1.29 WHIP
16 quality starts

I can’t really complain. It’s a lot better than last year. Anyway, one thing I feel good about this week — even in a lean week where I didn’t really like many of the options — is that all six starts will come at home for these guys. Here are this week’s recs (with team wRC+ in parentheses):

RHP Jerad Eickhoff – 19% ESPN – v. MIA (100), v. ATL (58)

Admittedly I don’t love Eickhoff here, but the Braves offense on the road (54 wRC+) is just too juicy of a matchup to ignore. Strangely, the Marlins are actually much better on the road — 113 wRC+ — though their home park might take some of the surprise off that. Eickhoff has had his moments this year; he’s fanned seven or more batters three times in seven starts. He’s got a couple games with double-digit groundballs. He’s kept the walks in check (36-8 K/BB ratio in 40.2 innings) and he’s only really had one huge blowup. I’ll take my chances here on a guy that is obviously talented.

LHP Carlos Rodon – 37.3% ESPN – v. HOU (100), v. KCR (92)

Rodon has been up and down this year, but here’s where I’m at with him: he’s been really good in the things I worry about most with him lately. In his last five starts, he has walked two or fewer batters four times and just three in the lone outlier. He’s had a better than 2-to-1 K/BB ratio in his last four starts while mixing in pretty healthy groundball rates. The two six-run blowups are a bit concerning — Orioles and Rangers — but I’m still betting on the raw stuff with better command that I would be if he were say, holding down teams like the Twins but walking everyone in the building. That’s what happened at Target Field on April 13, yet he still somehow escaped by allowing zero runs. I think the process here is good. Feel free to disagree in the comments section.

RHP Juan Nicasio – 29.5% ESPN – v. ATL (58), v. COL (93)

This is another predatory set of matchups, with the aforementioned road Braves and the road Rockies, who are historically awful away from Coors but at last check were pretty even in terms of production at home and on the road. That is to say, not good in either place really. Nicasio has been pretty shaky lately, but I still like the strikeout potential (37 in 37.1 innings), how tough he has been to hit (.234 BAA) and maybe a little added juice to defeat his old friends the Rockies.

Then again, I could have recommended Doug Fister. Ha.