The Hook

Two Start Pitchers - June 25 - July 1

Let's Play Two will be something we'll be doing every Saturday throughout the year which will be highlighting all pitchers projected to make two starts in the upcoming fantasy week, running Monday through Sunday each week. This can be a particularly useful tool for those of you either in leagues that use weekly transactions and for those of you in head to head leagues. To play along, we'll select a starter from each league and keep track of our statistics based on our Start of the Week. All home games are in CAPS.

American League

Jeremy Guthrie - NEW YORK YANKEES, LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Julian Tavarez - Seattle, TEXAS
John Danks - Tampa Bay, Kansas City
Jon Garland - Tampa Bay, Kansas City
Cliff Lee - OAKLAND, TAMPA BAY
C.C. Sabathia - OAKLAND, TAMPA BAY
Chad Durbin - TEXAS, MINNESOTA
Jeremy Bonderman - TEXAS, MINNESOTA
Scott Elarton - Los Angeles Angels, CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Bartolo Colon - KANSAS CITY, Baltimore
Scott Baker - TORONTO, Detroit
Kevin Slowey - TORONTO, Detroit
Andy Pettitte - Baltimore, OAKLAND
Chad Gaudin - Cleveland, New York Yankees
Dan Haren - Cleveland, New York Yankees
Jeff Weaver - BOSTON, TORONTO
J.P. Howell - CHICAGO WHITE SOX, Cleveland
James Shields - CHICAGO WHITE SOX, Cleveland
Kameron Loe - Detroit, Boston
Vicente Padilla - Detroit, Boston
Roy Halladay - Minnesota, Seattle
Shaun Marcum - Minnesota, Seattle

Start of the Week

Since we seem to be getting shredded lately, we're avoiding playing a matchup that's favorable because of past performance. Instead, we're going to go out on a limb with Jeremy Bonderman, who won for the eighth straight start Wednesday after failing to record a decision in his first five starts. Bonderman will have the advantage of pitching both of his games at pitcher-friendly Comerica Park. While he's yet to face either the Twins or Rangers in 2007, his luck hasn't been so hot in the past, but I still like my gut instinct here.

Last Week's Selection: John Lackey - 0-0, 4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 K... Lackey was cruising along until the wheels fell off in the fifth inning. He wound up having his worst start of the year so far against a bottom ten offense.

On the Year: 6-5, 82.1 IP, 88 H, 31 BB, 48 R, 45 ER, 58 K (4.92 ERA, 1.45 WHIP)

National League

Micah Owings - LOS ANGELES DODGERS, San Francisco
Brandon Webb - LOS ANGELES DODGERS, San Francisco
Tim Hudson - WASHINGTON, Florida
Jason Marquis - COLORADO, MILWAUKEE
Homer Bailey - Philadelphia, ST. LOUIS
Jeff Francis - Chicago Cubs, Houston
Rodrigo Lopez - Chicago Cubs, Houston
Sergio Mitre - PITTSBURGH, ATLANTA
Jason Jennings - Milwaukee, COLORADO
Wandy Rodriguez - Milwaukee, COLORADO
Brad Penny - Arizona, SAN DIEGO
Chad Billingsley - Arizona, SAN DIEGO
Ben Sheets - HOUSTON, Chicago Cubs
Jorge Sosa - ST. LOUIS, Philadelphia
Oliver Perez - ST. LOUIS, Philadelphia
Kyle Kendrick - CINCINNATI, NEW YORK METS
Paul Maholm - Florida, WASHINGTON
Justin Germano - San Francisco, Los Angeles Dodgers
Tim Lincecum - SAN DIEGO, ARIZONA
Brad Thompson - New York Mets, Cincinnati
Todd Wellemeyer - New York Mets, Cincinnati
Mike Bacsik - Atlanta, Pittsburgh

Start of the Week

While we went all out with the gut feeling in the American League, we're going with a proven product in the NL. Brandon Webb won the Cy Young last season in part because of how much he dominated his own division, and that certainly included the Dodgers and Giants. He was 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.06 WHIP against the two last season, and started 2007 off on the right foot against them this season, winning both of his starts while allowing just one run in fourteen innings.

Last Week's Selection: Adam Wainwright - 1-1, 13 IP, 16 H, 3 BB, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 K... Wainwright allowed five in his first four innings before eventually settling in

On the Year: 8-6, 117.2 IP, 106 H, 43 BB, 57 R, 54 ER, 78 K (4.13 ERA, 1.27 WHIP)

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