ZACH’S PICKS

Paulino @ Porcello – Not a good matchup for Paulino. I’ve given up trying to figure out Porcello so I’ll pass.

Diamond @ Peavy

Harden @ Jimenez – Giving Harden a mulligan for last start as it was @NYY.

Alvarez @ Reyes

Hughes @ Beckett – I totally don’t trust Hughes here.

Shields @ Ogando

Haren @ King Felix

LeBlanc @ Lilly – LeBlanc not worth the risk.

Lopez @ Bumgarner

Volstad @ Capuano – Can’t possibly sit Capuano coming off two-hit shutout.

Lee @ Willis

Lannan @ Lowe

McDonald @ Happ – McDonald very impressive lately.

Westbrook @ Wolf

Rogers @ Collmenter – Tough test for Collmenter, but he’s rebounded nicely from mini-slump.

Hey everyone,

First, I’d like to offer my condolences to any of you who lost your playoff matchup because you owned too many players on the teams that got their games rained out this past weekend. Stats from the rescheduled games should really be added to this week’s total, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. And I know, it’s very unfair. Just another reason why I’m not a big fan of head-to-head leagues.

Well, enough griping. Let’s get to Pitch or Ditch.

-Zach

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ZACH’S PICKS

Francis @ Fister

Cahill @ TBD (CLE) – Cahill extremely inconsistent of late but I’ll throw him out there vs. below average Indians’ lineup.

Cecil @ Guthrie – I expect Cecil to bounce back.

Sabathia @ Lackey – Don’t be fooled by Lackey’s 12 wins. He’s had a miserable season.

Hellickson @ Feldman

Swarzak @ Stewart – Stewart an intriguing AL-only play but too risky for mixed leagues.

Williams @ Vasquez

Vazquez @ Pelfrey – Vazquez: 3.51 ERA  1.07 WHIP and more than a strikeout per inning since All-Star break.

Halladay @ Arroyo – Bronson’s on a nice roll but no way am I pitching him here.

Livan @ Jurrjens

Morton @ Sosa

Jackson @ Marcum – I don’t trust Edwin vs. dangerous Brewers’ lineup.

Cook @ Miley

Stauffer @ Kuroda

Garza @ Vogelsong

Hey everyone,

This should be a pretty interesting weekend here on the East Coast with Hurricane Irene wreaking havoc on the baseball schedule. Part of today’s show dealt with how daily league owners should manage their rosters in light of all the postponements, and all I can say to you weekly leaguers is  “Sorry.” Simply put, there’s nothing you can do. And one word of advice to those of you expecting to be hit by the storm: set your lineups for the entire weekend as soon as you can as there’s a chance you can be left without internet connection for a period of time.

Well, here’s Pitch or Ditch for the weekend. Keep in mind that this list of probable starters is very much subject to change.

-Zach

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***NOTE: The Mets/Braves games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday have both been postponed due to Hurricane Irene.

                                                                                                                                                    ZACH’S PICKS

SATURDAY

Moscoso @ Lester (Gm 1)

TBD (OAK) @ Bedard (Gm 2)

Nova @ Matusz (Gm 1)

F. Garcia @ Britton (Gm 2)

Niemann @ Perez – Tough matchup for Niemann but he’s earned the nod.

Verlander @ Pavano – I don’t see much upside in pitching Pavano here.

Duffy @ Carmona – Duffy cannot be trusted in mixed leagues.

Pineiro @ Wilson

Danks @ Pineda – Pineda no longer a must-start but home ERA is 2.86

An. Sanchez @ Halladay (Gm 1) – Playing it safe and passing on Anibal.

TBD (FLA) @ Lee (Gm 2)

Jurrjens @ Dickey – Dickey on a nice roll.

Millwood @ Billingsley – Billingsley maddeningly inconsistent but he’s been excellent at home.

Karstens @ Carpenter

Dempster @ Gallardo – Dempster working on six straight quality starts.

Detwiler @ Leake – Detwiler strictly an NL-only play for this unfavorable matchup.

Harang @ Saunders – This could be 10-9 or 3-2…I’ll say either pitch both or ditch both.

Myers @ TBD (SF) – Myers should rebound from Coors Field pounding.

                                                                                                                                                 SUNDAY

Chen @ Masterson – Chen a decent gamble in deeper leagues if you have innings to spare.

Price @ Morrow

Colon @ Simon – Colon not the same pitcher he was in first half.

Penny @ Duensing – Nice matchup for Penny.

Floyd @ Vargas – Vargas fading. I don’t trust him.

Weaver @ Lewis

Minor @ Gee – I’ll give Minor a shot…love the K’s!

Zimmermann @ Cueto

Coleman @ Greinke

Lincoln @ Lohse – Not a fan of Lohse, but it’s the Pirates.

Norris @ Cain

Chacin @ Eovaldi

Luebke @ Kennedy

                                                                                                                                              MONDAY

Hochevar @ Scherzer

Sabathia @ Guthrie

McCarthy @ Huff – Taking a chance on McCarthy.

Davis @ Romero – I don’t trust Davis quite enough to pitch him here.

Slowey @ Buehrle

Big Erv @ Beavan – Strangely enough, Beavan has fared better on the road (3.00 ERA) than at home (5.12 ERA).

Vazquez @ Pelfrey (Gm 1)

Volstad @ TBD (NYM ) (Gm 2)

Hamels @ Bailey

Ohlendorf @ Wandy

White @ D. Hudson

Latos @ Kershaw

Wells @ Lincecum – Wells decent in August (3-0  4.26 ERA  1.07 WHIP).

CORY’S PICKS

Paulino @ Jimenez – Paulino should be OK since he’s not facing BOS or NYY… Ubaldo, notsomuch

Burnett @ Hunter – guh

Shields @ Alvarez – I like Alvarez but he’s not ready for the big boys yet

Gonzalez @ Wakefield – Gio hasn’t had a good start on the road in months; play it safe here

Haren @ Holland

Porcello @ Swarzak

Peavy @ Furbush

Hensley @ Oswalt

T. Hudson @ Capuano – Cappy fading fast, play it safe

Wang @ Willis

Lopez @ Wolf

McDonald @ Westbrook – J-Mac a risk/reward pick at this point

LeBlanc @ Collmenter

Rogers @ Lilly

Happ @ Bumgarner

CORY’S PICKS

It happened during a commercial break.

And it sure took JB by surprise.

How about that Astros’ lineup? Not too long ago, we were making fun of this group, doubting if they could even score seven runs in a week, let alone seven runs in a game like they did this past Saturday. J.D. Martinez has done a nice job since being inserted into the everyday lineup, Jose Altuve is batting .317 through 30 big league games and even Brian Bogusevic is making a contribution (3-for-4 with a homer last night). Look, the Houston offense is still very weak, but since the beginning of August they rank a respectable 9th in the NL in runs scored. Just something to think about.

Now let’s get to Pitch or Ditch.

-Zach

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CORY’S PICKS

King Felix @ Tomlin

Beckett @ Harrison – Harrison hasn’t handled a good team in a long time

Cahill @ Sabathia – Cahill has a 13.50 ERA in four career starts vs. Yankees

Hochevar @ Romero

Scherzer @ W. Davis

Guthrie @ Slowey

Stewart @ Weaver

Marcum @ TBD (PIT)

Pelfrey @ Kendrick – Kendrick excellent in spot starts this year

Kuroda @ J. Garcia

Wandy @ Cook – Wandy has handled Coors in his career

D. Hudson @ Livan

Arroyo @ Vazquez

Lowe @ Wells

Stauffer @ Lincecum

CORY’S PICKS    

Beavan @ Masterson (Gm 1)

TBD (SEA) @ TBD (CLE) (Gm 2)

McCarthy @ Colon – still riding Colon at home vs. weak A’s

Chen @ Morrow

Penny @ Price

Lackey @ Lewis – Lewis en fuego, Lackey “not”

Simon @ Duensing

Buehrle @ Big Erv – Buehrle’s earned it

Kennedy @ Zimmermann    

Estrada @ Ohlendorf

Niese @ Worley

Cueto @ Nolasco – Nolasco is pre-disastered

Minor @ Coleman

Kershaw @ Lohse

Norris @ White – I trust Norris, even here

Latos @ Cain – the most likely 1-0 game of the night

R.A. Dickey

ZACH’S PICKS

SATURDAY

Huff @ Fister

Burnett @ Liriano – I wouldn’t pitch Burnett against anyone. Period.

Wakefield @ Paulino – Wakefield not a bad gamble vs. KC but now is the time for conservatism.

Furbush @ Hellickson

Ogando @ Danks – Losing patience with Ogando but CWS lineup not too scary. I’ll be bold and take a chance on Danks.

Hunter @ Pineiro – Nice matchup for Hunter.

Alvarez @ Gonzalez

Willis @ Morton – D-Train let me down last time out so I’ll pass. Morton solid of late but this matchup scares me.

Lilly @ Rogers – Can’t sit Lilly right now despite rough matchup.

Wolf @ Capuano – Capuano a bit risky though as he’s been mediocre lately.

Jackson @ Garza – Jackson’s move to STL hasn’t gone as well as expected but I’ll pitch him.

Kendrick @ Lannan

Bumgarner @ Lyles – Ditch Lyles even against Giants. 7 ER allowed in each of his last 2 starts.

Miley @ Beachy

Hensley @ Harang – Hensley intriguing if you’re feeling lucky, but more of an NL-only play.

                                                                                                                                               SUNDAY

Jimenez @ Porcello – Porcello not instilling a whole lot of confidence in me these days.

Pineda @ Shields – Sitting Pineda here is understandable but I haven’t jumped ship yet.

Lester @ Duffy

Nova @ Blackburn – Nova should rebound here.

Holland @ Floyd – Holland so unpredictable but six of his last eight starts have been strong. Floyd not trustworthy at this point.

Matusz @ TBD (LAA)

Perez @ Moscoso – Playing it safe and sitting Moscoso.

Gallardo @ Dickey – Dickey has earned the nod but if you’re running out of innings don’t waste them on this start.

Collmenter @ T. Hudson – Collmenter’s last two starts encouraging but the wheels could fall off again at any moment.

Leake @ McDonald – Great matchup for Leake…not the case for McDonald.

Halladay @ Wang – Remember when this was a battle between two AL East aces?

J. Sanchez @ Sosa – Sanchez questionable for this start.

Billingsley @ Millwood – This could get ugly for Billingsley.

An. Sanchez @ Luebke – Anibal surprisingly effective @COL. Now he gets rewarded.

Westbrook @ Lopez

                                                                                                                                             MONDAY

Vargas @ Carmona – Fausto a PoD special!

Verlander @ Niemann

Bedard @ Wilson – Bedard not great since trade to BOS. I’m ditching him here in tough matchup.

Britton @ Pavano

Narveson @ Karstens  (Gm 1)

Greinke @ Lincoln  (Gm 2)

Saunders @ Detwiler – Saundo cannot be trusted in mixed leagues.

Gee @ Lee

Jurrjens @ Dempster

Eovaldi @ Carpenter

Myers @ Chacin – Disaster alert for HR prone Myers.