Wednesday's Hot & Cold Starters 6/13/2013

[Freddy Wills]

Wednesday's MLB probable starters has a bevy of pitchers that are streaking right now with a total of 10 pitchers with ERA's under 3.00 over their last 3 starts combined with just 3 pitchers who are cold. We have seen signs of our luck changing despite losing another MLB POD in extra innings last night with the Rays not able to get the winning run in with bases loaded and 0 outs with Evan Longoria up. With that all said there is still over 3 months left in the season and I'm starting to put together nice runs on our free picks. Wednesday should be no different as I have found tremendous value on one of today's hot starters.


Phil Hughes gets a bad image because of the media in New York, but he continues to perform on the road posting a 3.44 ERA this season. He's been excellent over his last three starts with a 0.98 WHIP and a 2.95 ERA. He's been flat out dominant in his career in Oakland with a 0.60 WHIP, a 4:1 K to BB ratio and a 1.80 ERA. Oakland hitters have just a .537 OPS against him in 88 career AB and he's backed by a Yankees bullpen that has been dominant on the road with a 2.71 ERA which is better than the A's home bullpen ERA. Oakland also struggles more against RHP as they are only scoring 3.79 runs per 9 at home with a .210 average compared to over 5 vs. LHP. Home runs have been one of the stats that have hurt Hughes in his career because he's a fly ball pitcher at Yankee Stadium, but pitching in a spacious ball park he can really let loose and I think that's part of the reason he's pitched well here and will continue to do so on Wednesday.

On the flip side Dan Straily has struggled in his career at home for some reason with a 5.14 ERA this year and a 5.95 ERA last year. The Yankees got to him in their only appearance against while Robinson Cano is 2-3 against him. The Yankees are 35-17 in their last 52 meetings with the A's and Hughes is 9-4 on 5 days rest.


Dan STraily (3-0, 19 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 2.84 ERA)
Jerome Williams (2-1, 21 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 1.71 ERA)
Mike Leake (2-1, 18.1 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 1.96 ERA)
Francisco Liriano (1-2, 18 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 2.50 ERA)
Ubaldo Jiminez (1-2, 18 IP, 1.28 WHIP, 2.50 ERA)
Shelby Miller (3-0, 18.1 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 2.45 ERA)
Chris Sale (1-2, 21 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 2.14 ERA)
Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-0, 24 IP, 0.71 WHIP, 1.12 ERA)
Jordan Lyles (1-2, 19.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 2.29 ERA)


Kevin Slowey (1-2, 14.2 IP, 1.50 WHIP, 6.75 ERA)
Edinson Volquez (1-2, 15 IP, 1.93 WHIP, 8.40 ERA)
Alfredo Aceves (2-1, 14.1 IP, 2.16 WHIP, 6.91 ERA)

Note: Today's Free pick along with all of our sports picks will be backed by our third party .