SIANO’S PICKS

Colon @ Britton

Hellickson @ Romero -Helloween for Jays or Hellickson since he has a very scary monster in Bautista to deal with.

Coke @ Buchholz

Masterson @ Peavy

Ogando @ Duffy

Pavano @ McCarthy – Pitch B-Mac vs. worst team in MLB.

Weaver @ Vargas -  See Guthrie for Vargas.

De La Rosa @ Hamels

Dempster @ Volstad – Dempster on fire go for it.

Morton @ Arroyo

Gorzelanny @ Gee -Nats are awful hitting team and Mets lost their corners. Feeling lucky?

Norris @ Lohse

Teheran @ Saunders

Gallardo @ Moseley

Cain @ Kershaw

ZACH’S PICKS

Nova @ Shields - Nova too inconsistent to trust right now.

Litsch @ Porcello – Porcello not a bad start here but he’s pitched better on the road than at home and this is a tough matchup.

Britton @ Lackey – Surging Red Sox present tough challenge for Britton.

Carrasco @ Mazzaro

Harrison @ Danks

Chatwood @ Gonzalez

Liriano @ King Felix – Great opportunity for Liriano to dominate.

Wandy @ Lowe – Lowe’s been shaky in two of his last three starts.

Morton @ Zimmermann – Gotta start Zimmermann coming off 11 K game.

J. Sanchez @ Jimenez – I expect Ubaldo to pitch well here.

Garza @ Volquez

Nolasco @ Niese

Oswalt @ J. Garcia

Stauffer @ D.Hudson – Despite poor performance last time out, Stauffer has earned this one.

Wolf @ Kuroda – Wolf awful in two straight starts now…I’m passing.

CORY’S PICKS

SATURDAY

Bedard @ White – going back to Bedard again while he’s pitching well

Floyd @ Ross – I like Ross a lot more at home

Haren @ Holland

Bergesen @ W. Davis – would like to see more K’s from Davis

Francis @ Penny

Reyes @ Blackburn

Beckett @ Sabathia – Niiiiice

An. Sanchez @ Livan

Blanton @ Jurrjens

Harang @ Chacin

Dickey @ Happ

Karstens @ Narveson – I trust him vs. the Pirates

McClellan @ Cueto

Collmenter @ Billingsley

Vogelsong @ D. Davis – don’t like Vogelsong in Arizona

ZACH’S PICKS

SUNDAY

Davies @ Scherzer

Pineda @ Tomlin – Tomlin’s on a roll and it’s the M’s!

Arrieta @ Sonnanstine – Will take a gamble on Arrieta here.

Morrow @ Duensing – Morrow a bit risky, even in favorable matchup.

Big Erv @ Wilson – I’m staying away from Erv here.

Buehrle @ Cahill – Great matchup for Buehrle.

Lester @ F. Garcia

Carpenter @ Wood – Wood improving but I’m passing here.

Vazquez @ Marquis – I don’t trust Marquis.

Halladay @ T. Hudson – This game could take less than two hours!

Capuano @ An. Rodriguez

Correia @ Greinke – Correia started to show signs of slowing down in last start.

Lincecum @ Zambrano

Latos @ Hammel - Wouldn’t blame Latos owners for sitting this one out though.

Kennedy @ Lilly

MONDAY

Burnett @ Price – Can’t argue with Burnett’s results so far.

Drabek @ Porcello – Drabek struggling lately. Porcello not a bad play for those willing to take the risk.

Tillman @ Matsuzaka – Dice-K too inconsistent.

Carrasco @ Mazzaro – Carrasco could be solid option before long.

Lewis @ Jackson – Not willing to gamble on Edwin here.

Pineiro @ Anderson

Liriano @ King Felix – If you don’t feel comfortable pitching Liriano here you might as well drop him.

Lee @ Westbrook

Maholm @ Lannan

Garza @ Bailey – A few more strong showings by Homer and he’s a PoD grad.

Johnson @ Pelfrey

Myers @ Hanson – Myers too erratic to count on right now.

J. Sanchez @ Jimenez – Great opportunity for Ubaldo to get back on track.

Richard @ Galarraga – Only trust Richard at home.

Marcum @ Kuroda

CORY’S PICKS

Buchholz @ Colon – hard to trust either in this matchup

Hochevar @ Verlander – Encore! Encore!

Fister @ Carmona

Guthrie @ Hellickson – Guthrie’s getting hammered lately

Weaver @ Ogando – Ogando way over his skis, and coming off a blister… dangerous

Romero @ Pavano – I trust Romero vs. Twins

Humber @ McCarthy

Bumgarner @ Dempster- he’s turned the corner nicely

Volstad @ Gorzelanny

Lohse @ Arroyo – don’t believe either can maintain, but gotta ride the wave…

Hamels @ Beachy

Gee @ Norris

McDonald @ Gallardo – good challenge for improving McDonald

Moseley @ De La Rosa – not trusting K-less Moseley in Coors

Saunders @ Kershaw

CORY’S PICKS

Shields @ Masterson – good test of Masterson’s legitimacy

O’Sullivan @ Nova

Vargas @ Britton – Britton has not been great, but great matchup

Niese @ Jimenez (Wednesday’s game PPD)

J. Garcia @ Coleman

D. Hudson @ Cain

Garland @ Morton

Zimmermann @ Lowe – Zimmermann’s K rates don’t warrant this start

CORY’S PICKS

Coke @ Baker – Baker’s back baby!!

Gonzalez @ Harrison

Chen @ Burnett – Don’t trust AJ. Not quite DTM, but untrustworthy IMO

King Felix @ Tillman

Price @ TBD

Lackey @ Litsch

Peavy @ Chatwood

Stauffer @ Wolf – I’ll use pretty much anyone vs. SD

Volquez @ Wandy

Niese @ Jimenez

Kuroda @ Maholm

Lee @ Nolasco

Lannan @ Hanson

Westbrook @ Garza

Galarraga @ J. Sanchez

***SIANO SAYS:

-I’ll pitch Burnett.

-Coke is working his way back to the bullpen if he can’t shut down the Twins but he has to be a ditch.

-Harrison could have given up 100 runs his last start vs. Yankees but after some great escapes he actually settled down so maybe he can straighten out vs. A’s but I’m not optimistic.

***SCROLL DOWN FOR OUR UPDATED PoD CATEGORY CHART!

Hey everyone,

Here’s an updated version of our renowned Pitch or Ditch category chart:

PoD chart 5-10-11

For those of you who are new to the blog, here’s how it works.

In an effort to help you make those all important Pitch or Ditch decisions, the 411 tribunal of Mike, Cory and I have divided all the starting pitchers in the Majors into groups. It used to be four groups (Aces, Pitch or Ditch Graduates, Pitch or Ditch guys and DTMs) but we’ve now added a fifth category: Indifferent.

The difference between Indifferent and DTM  is that Indifferent refers to guys who we would never even think about starting at this time. DTMs are pitchers who we’ve lost patience in but we used to start fairly regularly at some point over the past few years.

Keep in mind that these classifications are geared towards 12-team mixed leagues. We will be updating the chart frequently throughout the season so stay tuned.

Your comments are more than welcomed!

-Zach

CORY’S PICKS

Davies @ F. Garcia

Pineda @ Arrieta – throw out Arrieta’s rout at TEX and he’s been terrific

Sonnanstine @ Tomlin – Rays are en fuego and I don’t believe Tomlin can keep it up

Lester @ Drabek – big Drabek fan but the walks are a concern for now

Anderson @ Lewis

Porcello @ Liriano – wait and see on Liriano

Danks @ Pineiro – gamble on Pineiro vs. struggling ChiSox

Lilly @ Correia

Halladay @ Johnson – oh, baby!

Marquis @ T. Hudson

Bailey @ Myers – Myers not the same as last year

Carpenter @ Zambrano

Richard @ Marcum – Richard on the road = ditch

Pelfrey @ Hammel – Pelfrey on the road = ditch

Kennedy @ Lincecum

***SIANO SAYS “Pitch on Tomlin. They can’t win every day those Rays.”

ZACH’S PICKS

SATURDAY

Duensing @ Buchholz – Clay has been erratic but this is a nice matchup.

Hellickson @ Guthrie – Last time Guthrie faced TB…eight shutout innings.

Verlander @ Romero

McCarthy @ Hochevar – McCarthy starting to fade but how bad can he be vs. KC?

Colon @ Holland – A bit dangerous for Colon but can’t sit him right now regardless of opponent.

White @ Weaver

Floyd @ Fister

Arroyo @ Coleman

Gallardo @ Lohse – Wouldn’t blame Yovani owners for sitting this one out. I’ve never owned Lohse and never will, so maybe I’m biased!

Jurrjens @ Oswalt

Norris @ Morton – Let’s see how Bud follows up his roto monster performance!

Garland @ Young – I’ll take a shot on Garland here in decent matchup.

Gorzelanny @ Volstad – Gorzelanny on a roll.

D.Hudson @ Moseley – Moseley bound to crash at some point though.

Chacin @ Bumgarner – Bumgarner’s back on track.

SUNDAY

Penny @ Reyes

Pavano @ Matsuzaka – Pavano’s been roughed up in two of his last three starts…I’ll roll the dice on Matsuzaka.

Davis @ Bergesen

Sabathia @ Ogando – Ogando’s lone non-quality start came against Yankees, so he’s risky.

Ross @ Francis – After hot start, Francis has been awful of late.

Carmona @ Haren

Buehrle @ Bedard – Outstanding matchup for Buehrle. Bedard worth a gamble in deeper leagues.

Kershaw @ Dickey

Livan @ An. Sanchez – Livan still inconsistent. Anibal needs to get back on track.

Happ @ McDonald

Narveson @ McClellan – Narveson fading and I don’t like this matchup.  Also scared to pitch McClellan.

Cueto @ Dempster – Don’t like playing guys in first start back from DL. Need to see one more solid outing from Dempster.

Saunders @ Harang – Starting to get a little concerned about Harang but will pitch him here.

De La Rosa @ Vogelsong

Hanson @ Hamels

MONDAY

 Scherzer @ Morrow

Liriano @ Lester - A no-no will do a lot to quiet the critics.

Cahill @ Wilson

Jackson @ Big Erv – Pitch Jackson though his inconsistency has been maddening.

Billingsley @ Karstens

Worley @ Vazquez

Wood @ An. Rodriguez – Rodriguez impressive in first career start but I don’t trust him just yet.

Latos @ Greinke

Capuano @ TBD – Passing on Capuano at Coors.

CORY’S PICKS

Shields @ Britton
Coke @ Litsch
Baker @ Matsuzaka – Have to start Dice-K vs. awful Twins, though I won’t watch…
Nova @ Harrison
Gonzalez @ O’Sullivan
Masterson @ Chatwood – Masterson due for some “regression” but won’t be here
Humber @ King Felix
Volquez @ Garza
Lowe @ Lee
Wandy @ Maholm
Kuroda @ Niese
TBD @ Nolasco
Wolf @ J. Garcia – Cards can rake but Wolf is en fuego
Galarraga @ Stauffer
Jimenez @ Cain

***SIANO SAYS “Dice-K was not good last start, had some elbow tightness and then pitched in the mess Wednesday night. He may not even make that start but if he does I don’t trust him against anyone due to those circumstances. Lowe was on a roll but has cooled off so I agree on him and the rest including Baker, who has been red hot but now gets a test. Worth running him out there but I’d be nervous.”