Last fiesta of the season, amigos. Hope it's been fun for you, successful for you, lucrative for you.
We stream ahead, one last time. Consider everyone tentative, per usual September/October rules.
Razor Sharp
Chris Tillman at TB
Homer Bailey at STL
Travis Wood vs. HOU
Wood cruised to a victory against the Astros three weeks back (7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K), and I'm not going to penalize him too much for last week's messy turn in Arizona. Wood went five starts without giving up a homer before the Snakes took him deep twice; go up and down the Houston roster, you'll have difficulty finding anyone who scares you. … You never know what to expect from any pitcher after a no-hitter, but Bailey's strong finishing kick earns him some cred. … Tillman's late run also speaks for itself: check his stats over his last five appearances (30 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 9 BB, 23 K). And as everyone knows, pitchers tend to do well under the catwalk.
Close Shave
A.J. Griffin vs. TEX
Gavin Floyd at CLE
David Huff vs. CHW
Griffin's home stats have been discussed many times in this series; at this point you either trust him or you don't. … Floyd has won two of his last three starts and the odd turn was an eight-strikeout affair, so there's a case to be made for him. Huff is a soft-tossing lefty but he's sharpened his control, walking just three batters (against 17 strikeouts) over 22 innings.
Electric Shave
Scott Diamond at TOR
Andrew Werner at MIL
Blake Beavan vs. LAA
Edgar Gonzalez at CHC
If the opponents and/or locations were different, some of these names would be above the fold. Beavan can't blame his rank on the park, of course (we love you Safeco), but his lack of strikeout upside leaves you cold. …
Point Shave
Jeremy Hefner at MIA
Luis Mendoza vs. DET
Jeff Francis at ARI
Daisuke Matsuzaka at NYY
*Ben Sheets at PIT
Say whatever you want about Hefner's matchup - his ugly stats keep me far away. A 5.32 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, .295 BAA? None for me, thanks. … The Yankees have never had much problem figuring out Dice-K (5.52 ERA, 1.52 WHIP over 10 starts). The roster has turned over somewhat in recent years, but much of the core remains the same. … Sheets is making one final turn, then calling it a career for good. Tip your caps for a gutty comeback. That said, it's not clear how deep in the game he will go; MLB.com is talking about a two-inning appearance.
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