Felix Doubront - Felix Doubront took on the Giants on Wednesday and gave up 1 ER on five hits with three strikeouts. Doubront had struggled in his past two starts, allowing 9 ER over just eight innings. Despite those hiccups, Doubront still entered Wednesday's outing with a decent 3.92 xFIP and 3.95 ERA to go along with a solid 21% K%. He's struggling a bit with walks, owning a 10% BB%, but has done a great job of limiting homers. He's seen his HR/9 fall from 1.34 in 2012 to 0.68 this season, while his HR/FB% has plummeted 16% to 8%. That change in homers allowed has really helped the lefty's ERA, which has dropped by almost a run. I still like Doubront as an under-the-radar pitcher that should be able to help your fantasy team in the stretch run, especially in deeper leagues.
RA Dickey - RA Dickey faced the Yankees on Wednesday and allowed 4 ER in eight innings. Once again, the Blue Jays left Dickey in the game too long as he allowed a game-winning HR in the 8th to Alfonso Soriano. Dickey struck out nine and walked two. Dickey has been pitching better of late, allowing just 8 ER in his past 27 2/3 innings prior to Wednesday. He has struck out 20 and walked seven over that span. The biggest differences for Dickey this season have been his lower K% (25% K% in 2012 vs. 18% in 2013) and higher HR/9 (0.92 in 2012 vs. 1.44 in 2013). The right hander's been inconsistent for most of the season, but his recent performance indicates he may be able to help fantasy teams down the stretch.
Danny Farquhar - The Danny Farquhar bandwagon is filling up quick, even after his recent blown save last week. The Mariners' closer struck out the side in a perfect 9th inning against the Athletics on Wednesday. Farquhar now has nine saves with a 65:15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 42 1/3 innings. While his ERA is still 4.68, the xFIP is just 2.04. Farquhar has been struggling with a .366 BABIP and abnormally low 56% strand rate, and I expect both numbers to normalize moving forward. Farquhar should be a top-10 closer down the stretch based on his outstanding peripherals.
Justin Masterson - Justin Masterson faced the Angels in Cleveland's series finale against Anaheim and battled through some control issues en route to his 14th win. He tossed 6 2/3 innings and allowed five hits with seven strikeouts and five free passes. Masterson entered Wednesday's start with a 3.59 ERA and 3.30 xFIP. He's striking out a batter per inning, which is a huge improvement over the past few seasons where he was much closer to seven strikeouts per nine innings. He continues to get a lot of groundballs (58% GB%) and is also handling left-handed hitters more effectively with a 3.97 xFIP against southpaws compared to a 4.77 mark last season. He remains a solid, top-25 starter now that he's improved his ability to miss bats.
AJ Griffin - AJ Griffin faced the Mariners on Wednesday and yielded 4 ER on five hits with 2 HRs allowed. He now sports a 3.84 ERA and 4.42 xFIP. We've discussed Griffin in this space often in 2013 with the focus being on his inability to keep the ball in the yard. Entering Wednesday's start, Griffin had allowed 28 HRs in 158 innings this season. He's been fortunate with a .242 BABIP and 77% strand rate while also posting a decent 7.45 K/9 and 19% K%. The right hander is worth spot starter consideration in deeper formats, but he has limited upside until he can stop allowing long balls.
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