Mike Leake (SP-CIN) - Leake was dialed in Thursday against the reeling Giants, tossing eight innings of one-run ball while striking out 12 and lowering his ERA to 3.41. After allowing 14 runs in 15.1 innings over three starts, Leake has allowed just two in his last 16 innings over two starts with an 18:3 K:BB. For the year, Leake has a 7.0 K/9 versus a career mark of 6.0 and he's walking fewer hitters and holding them to fewer hits. Not bad combination. Leake really looks to be coming into his own in his age 26 season, and while his stuff will never be No. 1 or 2 starter material, he's got the look of a solid innings eater.
Josh Beckett (SP-LAD) - With the rumors that the Dodgers may go after David Price to form a formidable 1-2-3 with Kershaw and Greinke, I'd have to say the Dodgers already have a "Big 3" a la the Miami Heat. Beckett Thursday outdueled Adam Wainwright, tossing seven shutout innings in a no-decision game that the Dodgers eventually won in the eighth inning. Beckett walked two and fanned four in lowering his ERA to an impressive 2.11. The ERA is no fluke either, as Beckett has held hitters to a .199 BA while posting a strong 88:38 K:BB in 93.2 innings of work. Beckett entered the game with a .241 BABIP, so that will probably start to trend back up and impact his ERA, but overall he just seems more confident in throwing any pitch at any time in the count. He's not 2.11 ERA good, but as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter, a team could do far worse.
Tom Koehler (SP-MIA) - Koehler continued to surprise, holding the Phillies to two runs on seven hits over six solid innings in a no-decision Thursday. Koehler didn't walk a batter while fanning six and lowering his ERA to 3.70 in 97.1 innings. Koehler's K:BB is rather mediocre at 75:38 (just under 2:1). Including Thursday, Koehler has a 19:3 K:BB in his last 19 innings, and while it's too early to say that's anything more too small a sample size, it's still encouraging. Continue to roll with him in deeper formats, though the lack of a strong career track record (6.3 K/9) suggest trouble may lie ahead.
Christian Friedrich (SP-COL) - ...and the arrival of top prospect Jonathan Gray gets closer and closer. Former top pick Friedrich surrendered five runs in four innings Thursday against the Brewers. He allowed a pair of home runs on the night but incredibly fanned eight batters in seeing his ERA rise to 8.10 in two starts. Friedrich had a 6.17 ERA in 16 starts for the Rockies last year, and given he'll turn 27 next month, time is running out on what the Rockies hoped would be a successful career as a starter. Left-handers with good stuff can stay around as relievers for a long time and ultimately, that's likely going to be his role. Gray should get the call sometime in the next handful of weeks, if not this week given the need.
Hector Rondon (RP-CHC) - Neil Ramirez has a 1.33 ERA to Rondon's 3.68, but it was Rondon picking up the save Thursday, his ninth of the season. He tossed a 1-2-3 ninth, helping put his last outing on June 23 in the rearview mirror (.2 IP, 5 ER). Rondon throws in the mid-90s, and it's reflected in his 35:10 K:BB in 29.1 innings. We'd like to see his 1.26 WHIP come down, as elite closers should be closer to 1.00, but there's no doubt that he's the guy right now, with Ramirez and Pedro Strop as backup. It was actually Strop pitching the eighth with Ramirez the seventh on Thursday, so it may actually be Strop over Ramirez should Rondon need to be replaced.
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