Saturday’s Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
Jon Garland (13-8, 3.29 ERA), San Diego Chargers
There have been plenty of nice surprises for the Padres this season and Jon Garland might have to be at the top of that list. Paying a potential 15-game winner who’s got an ERA under 3.30 for $4.7 million dollars seems like a steal.
Sure he walks too many (he’s flirting with a career-high season total) but he always seems to limit the damage. San Diego is 6-3 in his last nine starts and seven of those nine outings were quality starts too.
Rick Porcello (7-11, 5.20 ERA), Detroit Tigers
Porcello’s final 2010 numbers will look pretty ugly compared to his banner rookie season. Still, Detroit backers have to be happy with the way he’s ending his sophomore campaign. Porcello has allowed just one run and one walk in his last two starts.
The Tigers are 4-1 in his last five outings and he was a dog in three of those games.
Slumping
Travis Wood (4-2, 3.53 ERA), Cincinnati Reds
Wood is a solid young talent but if you’re a Cincy backer, you’ve got to be worried about him pitching for your club in October. Sure, the Reds have won six of his last seven times he toed the rubber but Wood’s given up 10 runs on 17 hits over his last nine innings pitched.
Not surprisingly, the over is 6-1 in his last seven starts.
Josh Johnson (11-5, 2.28 ERA), Florida Marlins
Look, Josh Johnson isn’t really pitching terribly. It’s just that the Marlins never seem to be able to win whenever the big righthander is on the mound. Florida is 2-5 in Johnson’s last seven appearances and the over is 6-1 over the same stretch.