Saturday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
Derek Lowe (14-12, 4.18 ERA), Atlanta Braves
This veteran sinkerball pitcher is making a late push to join the Braves playoff rotation, should they hold on in the NL Wild Card. The Braves are 4-0 in Lowe’s last four appearances and the righty owns a 1.35 ERA and a 16-1 strikeout to walk ratio over his last three starts.
Slumping
Chris Carpenter (15-8, 3.28 ERA), St. Louis Cardinals
Carpenter is one of many Cardinal players who thought the season ended a month earlier, or at least that what it seems like. The former Cy Young winner is 1-3 with a 6.20 ERA in September.
John Danks (13-11, 3.80 ERA), Chicago White Sox
Here’s another righty who’s lost his groove. Danks was one of the American League’s most consistent starters from start of June to the middle of August. Thanks to some subpar performances, the White Sox have lost eight of Danks’ last 10 starts.
Matt Garza (14-9, 4.01 ERA), Tampa Bay Rays
Is Garza out of juice? The hard-throwing California native hasn’t pitched a full six innings in any of his last four starts. He owns a big ol’ fat 10.93 ERA over his last three outings. Not surprisingly, the Rays are 0-3 in those three games.