Daily Dime: Midwest bias with Brian Dozier, Corey Kluber, Todd Frazier, Trevor Plouffe
Check some lineups, sort through some weather, set your path for domination. Here's a playbook to consider.
Brian Dozier, 2B, vs. CHC (Lester), $4000: I’m surprised the Twins have just 26 steals, tied for 23rd in the majors - Paul Molitor was the smartest baserunner I ever saw, and I figured this would be an aggressive team in all manners. Nonetheless, Jon Lester on the mound might give the home team a kick start (only Tiger Woods has a worse case of the yips), and Dozier has always been an overlord against southpaws (.869 OPS).
Ben Zobrist, 2B, vs. LAA (Weaver), $3200: The Z is one of the hottest hitters over the last week (1.683 OPS, 11 runs, two homers, eight RBIs) and he has a strong career line against Jered Weaver. The A’s knocked Weaver around for six runs in the last meeting, and they’ve scored 47 runs over their last six games. Bang on the drum all day.
Michael McKenry, C, vs. MIL (Lohse), $2900: Obviously the thin air is a fun place to take your hacks, but you might not have noticed how well McKenry has fared there of late. He’s a .336/.434/.549 slasher at Coors since the beginning of 2014, and a Kyle Lohse draw is certainly a favorable thing. McKenry slots sixth in the Saturday lineup.
Adam LaRoche, 1B, vs. TEX (Martinez), $2400: I can’t blame anyone who wants to play the fun picks at first base, but with the Nick Martinez Regression Tour likely to begin at any time, this could be a fun pick, too. The tidy 2.76 ERA belies a 4.22 FIP and 4.80 xFIP. Come on, U.S. Cellular Field, lstart correcting those numbers.
Carlos Gonzalez, OF, vs. MIL (Lohse), $4200: It’s pricy and he let us down Friday, but the overall form is on the upswing and Cargo has a strong career trend against Lohse (1.117 OPS over 20 plate appearances). A day game in the thin air, obviously you want exposure here. And Lohse’s 6.64 ERA also catches your eye. Anyone in Colorado’s lineup for Saturday has to be considered.
Adam Lind, 1B, vs. COL (Bettis), $3600: He’s slowly but surely become a middle-tier play after an extended period in the bargain bin, but Coors field and Chad Bettis push you to the case. For his career, Lind is a .292/.350/.508 swinger in the platoon advantage.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, vs. CHC (Lester), $2700:
He does his best work at home and against lefties, and the Twins are fifth in home scoring (they’re 27th out of a suitcase). Have some fun on the field, then grab a slice or two at Cossetta's at the end of the night. Plouffe and the pie, both tremendous values.
Corey Kluber, SP, vs. TB (Ramirez), $11000: Tampa’s offense is a little sneaky against lefties, but it falls to 22nd in weighted on-base average against righties. Kluber is at home and against one of the weakest Tampa Bay pitchers, which encourages me to cut the hefty check.
Avisail Garcia, OF, vs. TEX (Martinez), $2700: I’m curious to see if he takes off in the No. 2 position, where he’s slotted for Saturday (batting ahead of Jose Abreu is always a good thing). Maybe I’m forcing it with this attack Nick Martinez theme, but the stats simply do not add up with the Texas hurler.
Todd Frazier, 3B, vs. MIA (Koehler), $5200: The Toddfather nickname especially applies at home, where Frazier has 34 homers and a .985 OPS since the beginning of 2014. Whenever you can get Frazier in Cincinnati against an ordinary opposing pitcher, it’s probably worth it to pay the freight.
Carlos Frias, SP, vs. SF (Hudson), $6300: We go to 11 because St. Hubbins wants it that way. If you're in the mood for a discounted pitcher pick, Frias is a -150 favorite and the game has a modest total, 7.5 runs. Frias has much better stats on the road, but the Chavez Ravine backdrop is generally a good place for a pitcher to work.
