#2xSP (9.18-9.24)

The season numbers aren’t great but we’ve picked up some steam over the last few weeks and hopefully will finish strong. As always, if you have any suggestions or tips, please feel free to mention them in the comments section, and thank you for reading.

Here’s how we’re doing so far this season (through half of Week 22)

41-40 record
4.74 ERA
7.8 K/9
2.5 K/BB
1.40 WHIP
44 quality starts

Here are this week’s recs (with team wRC+ for this season in parentheses):

RHP Dinelson Lamet – 36.6% ESPN – v. ARI (95), v. COL (86)

Lamet dueled with Ervin Santana at Target Field on Wednesday night, and while his team came out on the short end of a walk-off loss, it was a giant step forward for the 25-year-old righty who has put together an intriguing season, to say the least. He’s allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his last 10 starts, and that’s good for a 2.44 ERA, .553 OPS against and 66-28 K/BB ratio over 59 innings. However, this week he not only has matchups against two teams with so-so or worse offenses, but he’s also pitching at home, where he’s been markedly better (3.59 ERA) than on the road (4.73).

RHP Luis Perdomo – 5.4% ESPN – v. ARI (95), v. COL (86)

We didn’t expect to nominate two Padres this week either, but here we are. Perdomo has been very up-and-down for the Friars this year, posting a 4.61 ERA (4.50 FIP) with peripherals that range from ehh (6.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.0 HR/9) to oh no! (1.51) on a club that is relying very heavily on youth. There isn’t much in the splits to suggest Perdomo as a slam dunk this week, but he does have a 3.75 ERA through two September starts and again, gets a couple of offenses which are by no means world beaters.

RHP Dan Straily – 47.5% ESPN – v. NYM (100), @ARI (95)

Straily has pitched reasonably well for the Marlins this season (4.24 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 2.6 BB/9), and for that reason we’re going to *try* overlook that he’s coming off giving up eight earned runs on THIRTEEN hits to the freaking Phillies. But prior to that, he had a 3.95 ERA on the season, and has consistently gotten healthy swinging strike rates in recent starts. He allowed three or fewer earned runs in all of his August starts and in general just looks fairly….stable. It’s not sexy, but not much is in non-contending baseball right now.

Last men out: Steven Brault (v. MIL, v. STL), Lucas Giolito (@HOU, v. KCR), Tyler Skaggs (v. CLE, @HOU)