Roto Riteup: August 22, 2015

Today’s Roto Riteup finds it odd to celebrate the collective failure of a group of nine men to do their job.

On today’s agenda:
1. Spitting hot Fiers
2. Various news and notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

Spitting hot Fiers
If you’ve been under a rock or spent your Friday evening doing the lord’s work at a local social establishment, it will be news to you that Mike Fiers threw a no-hitter last night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was not a cheap no-no, as Fiers struck out 10, but he did walk three.

After Fiers was dealt from the Brewers to the Astros, I was worried that the move to the AL would hurt Fiers, especially as a pitcher in Minute Maid Park. So far, through three starts and another relief appearance, Fiers has held up well; his strikeout rate has dipped a percent or two, but he’s still striking out over eight per nine, and his home run rate has stayed steady. As a member of the Astros, Fiers had halved the use of his cutter, but he threw it 23 times last night, suggesting that perhaps that change wasn’t permanent.

It took 134 pitches to get through the Dodgers lineup, so perhaps Fiers will have his next start skipped or pushed back to give him plenty of time to recuperate. The Astros have the depth to do it, with Lance McCullers ready to jump back in the rotation and Vincent Velasquez also standing by.

Various news and notes

Two young starters also put together good outings yesterday. Jerad Eickhoff, making his MLB debut for the Phillies, struck out five Marlins over six innings, walking just one while not allowing a run. Eickhoff’s fastball sat 93 and touched 95.

Henry Owens also pitched nicely, making it through eight innings against the Royals. Owens struck out four and allowed a homer to Alcides Escobar, walking just one. The best news is that Owens generated 13 swings-and-misses — five with his fastball, six with his change, and two with his curveball, according to Brooks Baseball.

Matt Harvey is going to be skipped by the Mets on Sunday to save some wear-and-tear on his arm, with Logan Verrett stepping in to take his place. The Mets say this will be the only time they skip Harvey, but there’s reason to be skeptical; if their planned six-man rotation does not work out, they’ll likely need to skip another start of Harvey’s to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Verrett’s had some success in the Mets’ bullpen, but he’s not worth streaming in Coors.

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Streaming Pitcher Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers or play DFS, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Joe Ross vs MIL (Taylor Jungmann)
Ross has been solid, and should be able to deliver a quality start against the Brew Crew.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Kevin Gausman vs MIN (Mike Pelfrey)
Even with the Twinkies away from home in a hitter’s park, expect Gausman to cruise to a victory of Big Pelf.