Hitters
Play of the Day: Giancarlo Stanton - Cole received the call-up once again to start for the Nationals tonight, which will be his third vs the Marlins this season. He allowed nine runs over ten innings in those two starts, as well as allowing two home runs in each game. Stanton is 3-8, with two home runs off of Cole, and is in a great spot to break out of his recent slump today. Stanton is only two for his last 25 from the plate, but both hits have went for homers.
Value Play: Eduardo Escobar - Escobar remains a minimum price option tonight at SS on Y!. He went deep yesterday, giving him three home runs over his last two games, while also adding a triple and eight RBI in his last two. f paying up for pitching tonight, Escobar makes for a great salary relief option tonight.
Value Play: Ben Zobrist - Baez will miss tonight’s game after sliding head first into second base yesterday, which guarantees Zobrist the start tonight for the Cubs. Zobrist is 4-6, with two home runs off of Kuhl, who is 0-1, with a 11.07 ERA in six career starts vs the Cubs.
GPP Play: Carlos Gomez - Gomez missed out on going deep for the third straight game yesterday, but has shown the ability to hit the knuckleball pitcher Dickey, who takes the mound in an interleague matchup tonight in Atlanta. Gomez is 8-16 with a home run off of Dickey,
Pitchers
Play of the Day: Jake Arrieta - The N.L. pitcher of the month in August faces the Pirates for second straight time today. Arrieta allowed two hits, while pitching six scoreless innings in his start vs them last week, as the Cubs swept the Pirates in that series, outscoring them 27-5. Jake is 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA since the break, and is a heavy favorite to win again tonight, with the Pirates having a bottom three projected run total for this afternoon.
Top Play: Carlos Martinez - Martinez went 3-2 over August, with his only two losses coming against the Brewers. He faces the Padres at Petco this afternoon who currently have the second lowest projected run total of the day. Martinez struck out six, while allowing one earned run over six innings vs the Padres at home back on August 24th. He sits sixth in the N.L. with 182 strikeouts and eighth with a .234 average against him.
Pivot Play: Jose Berrios - Berrios is the underdog on the road tonight for the Twins vs the Rays. Berrios has allowed a combined three earned runs over his last three starts, while allowing just a combined ten hits. He struck out 27 batters, and walked only five over those 19.1 innings. His 11 K’s in his last start was a career high, and Tampa just struck out ten times yesterday to the White Sox's starter, Lucas Giolito.
GPP Play: Robbie Ray - Arizona enters the series vs the Dodgers as the underdog tonight with the lowest projected run total. The teams are 8-8 vs each other this year, but Ray has had the Dodgers number this season. He’s 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts vs them this season. He’ll be making his second straight start vs the Dodgers, as he allowed just one run over 6.2 innings, while earning the win and striking out ten. That was his third double digit strikeout game vs the Dodgers this season.