If you’re shopping the waiver wire for some starting pitching to end the week, check out Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Villanueva and these three options which can help you finish your week well. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
There’s still some solid starting pitching to help you finish the week strong if your hunting the waiver wire in your fantasy baseball leagues. If you need a spot starter or are looking to pull off a buzzer-beating win in any category, here’s four quality options available in 50% or more of ESPN leagues and schedule to start on Sunday.
Possible Pickups
Carlos Villanueva-Chicago Cubs: (42.7% owned in ESPN) In his first four starts this year, all against playoff-probable team, Villanueva has allowed just five total runs in 29 1/3 innings for an ERA of 1.53. Sunday he finishes the series with Miami looking to continue their early season offensive woes. If he’s available in any format, he’s the top option on top for Sunday
Apr 23, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Patrick Corbin (46) pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at AT
Patrick Corbin-Arizona Diamondbacks: (41.8%)Corbin is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA through his first four starts of the season. He’s only pitched one other game at home coming into Sunday. In that matchup, he held LA scoreless for six innings on just three hits. He faces Jon Garland who’s 2-1 with a 4.68 ERA. He’s faced some solid lineups and has excelled so I think he’ll pitch Arizona to the win ove Colorado.
Bartolo Colon-Oakland Athletics: (10.1%) Colon pitches at home Sunday against Baltimore. He’s started off his season with four solid starts and will look to improve to 4-0 after getting with #3 in the rain-shortened game at Fenway when he threw seven scoreless. Colon is a pickup if you need wins and WHIP/ERA but a win again could be difficult.
Apr 16, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Axelrod (33) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dylan Axelrod-Chicago White Sox: (0.1%) Axelrod faces David Price and the Rays as the reigning Cy Young champ looks for his first win of the season. Tampa has struggled to score on the road and Axelrod will try and continue their slumps. He looked solid in his last start going six innings and allowing just one run on three hits. So far at the Cell he’s put up a 0.77 ERA. I think he’s a good source of ERA and WHIP although a win is an iffy proposition.
Past Performance
| Starter | Date | IP | ER | K | H | BB | W | L | ||
| Kyle Kendrick | 21-Apr | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Justin Grimm | 21-Apr | 6 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Wily Peralta | 21-Apr | 6 2/3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Mike Leake | 22-Apr | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Felix Doubront | 22-Apr | 6 2/3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Dylan Axelrod | 22-Apr | 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Kevin Correia | 23-Apr | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Tony Cingrani | 23-Apr | 7 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Patrick Corbin | 23-Apr | 7 1/3 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Jose Quintana | 24-Apr | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Wade Davis | 24-Apr | 3 2/3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Wandy Rodriguez | 24-Apr | 5 2/3 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Lucas Harrell | 24-Apr | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Ted Lilly | 24-Apr | 5 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Kevin Slowey | 25-Apr | 6 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Jorge De La Rosa | 25-Apr | 6 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Garrett Richards | 25-Apr | 7 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| James McDonald | 25-Apr | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Nick Tepesch | 25-Apr | 6 2/3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Justin Grimm | 26-Apr | 7 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Hiram Burgos | 26-Apr | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Wei-Yin Chen | 26-Apr | 8 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Kyle Kendrick | 26-Apr | 9 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Felix Doubront | 28-Apr | |||||||||
| Travis Wood | 28-Apr | |||||||||
| Jeremy Guthrie | 28-Apr | |||||||||
| Mike Leake | 28-Apr | |||||||||
| ERA | WHIP | |||||||||
| Totals: | 146 2/3 | 44 | 112 | 127 | 40 | 10 | 3 | 2.70 | 1.14 |
