Gerrit Cole takes home spotlight honors for the hundredth (kidding, but it’s been a lot) time this year with another dominating performance in a win over the Mariners. He racked up 14 strikeouts across seven shutout innings while only allowing two hits and walking zero. He led all players in DFS scoring on both DraftKings and FanDuel. It was his eighth straight start with double-digit strikeouts and the 20th time he has accomplished that feat this year. He has a 1.79 ERA across 13 starts since the All-Star break. He will carry a 19-5 record and 2.52 ERA into his final regular season start. Unfortunately for Cole, he is still likely to finish 2nd in the AL Cy Young voting to his teammate.

Strong Outings

  • Mike Clevinger was also lights-out, hurling seven shutout frames in a win over the White Sox. He gave up five hits while striking out 10. It was his seventh time reaching double-digit strikeouts this year. He will carry a 13-3 record and 2.39 ERA into his next outing. He will be a popular AL Cy Young pick next year.
  • Jack Flaherty was a stuck with a no-decision, despite pitching seven shutout innings against the Dbacks. He gave up just one hit while striking out 11. This game ended up going 19 innings! Flaherty now has a 0.97 ERA(!) since the All-Star break (14 starts). He will carry a 10-8 record and 2.85 ERA into his final regular season outing.
  • Jake Odorizzi took advantage of his matchup with the Tigers, tossing six innings of one-run ball in a win. He gave up just two hits while striking out seven. It was his tenth straight start of allowing three or fewer earned runs. He will carry a 15-7 record and 3.51 ERA into his final regular season start.
  • Jordan Montgomery tossed two shutout innings in a no-decision against the Rays. He gave up three hits while striking out three. A much stronger second start off TJ surgery than his first go around last week. The Yankees will probably stretch him out to three or four innings in his final start and see if he is worth having on the postseason roster.

Hitter Highlights

José Ramírez made his return off IL and wow what a return it was! He went 2-3 with grand slam and a three-run homer! That may have been a huge boost to fantasy owners in a heated race. He is now hitting .256 with 22 home runs and 24 stolen bases; his second straight 20-20 season.

Michael Conforto also had a big night at the dish, going 3-4 with a pair of dingers, a walk, and four RBI. He is now hitting .255 with 33 home runs, 91 RBI, 88 runs, and seven stolen bases. Those are all new career highs outside of the batting average.

Garrett Hampson stayed hot, finishing 3-6 with two home runs, two walks, two RBI, and three runs scored in the Rockies 16 inning win over the Giants. Hampson is having a ridiculous month of September, hitting .371 with five home runs and seven stolen bases. He is now hitting .253 with eight home runs and 13 steals for the year.

Trea Turner went 2-4 with a double and a clutch grand slam in the Nationals comeback 6-5 victory over the Phillies. It’s been a strong season for Turner, as he is hitting .298 with 18 home runs, 34 steals, and 94 runs scored. He probably won’t be a first round pick next year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes in round 2.

What to Watch for Today

Jordan Lyles (11-8, 4.17 ERA) will look to continue his strong run since joining the Brewers when he takes on the Reds. Lyles has made 10 starts and pitched to a 2.35 ERA and 6-1 record since joining Milwaukee. The Reds are not a bad matchup and he should be able to keep it rolling.

Jacob deGrom (10-8, 2.51 ERA) will look to put a cap on his Cy Young campaign when he takes on the Marlins tonight. He has pitched to a 1.55 ERA across 13 start since the All-Star break and a good outing will seal the deal on a second straight NL Cy Young Award.

Shane Bieber (15-7, 3.23 ERA) will look to take advantage of a good matchup with the White Sox tonight. Bieber made big strides this year and has really upped his strikeout rate, which has turned him into a bit of a fantasy stud.