Jon Lester (SP - BOS) - Lester gave up three runs in six innings which barely pushed his ERA under five, but it was on nine hits with two home runs against a bad Mariners lineup in Safeco Field. The southpaw is going through the worst season of his career by far as his strikeout rate has continued a two-year downward trend and his LD% is way up. There's not much to suggest that he's a bounce back candidate in 2013 unless he reverses a declining skill set and he should definitely be avoided against the Yankees in his next start.
Jesus Montero (C - SEA) - Montero had three hits to raise his line to .264/.302/.406. He has large splits, as he's hitting almost 300 points of OPS higher against left-handed pitching and almost 200 points outside of Safeco Field. He's held his own for a 22-year old in his first full big league season and makes for a nice value pick next year as he retains catcher eligibility with a high-ceiling bat.
Brandon Moss (1B - OAK) - Moss continued his pleasant surprise of a season, hitting his 16th home run. He is now hitting .255/.320/.559 with almost all of the damage coming against right-handed pitching. While it's highly unlikely to continue into next year as he's almost 29, has never shown this kind of power before in the majors or minors and is striking out four times as often as he's walked, he's a strong option against righties for the remaining four weeks.
Jarrod Parker (SP - OAK) - Parker pitched well against the Angels, allowing two runs on eight hits in seven innings with no walks and five strikeouts. His peripherals have been mediocre, so it was good to see him be able to miss some bats (13 swinging strikes in the outing). The 24-year old's strikeout rates have declined as he's moved up the ladder, but he's compensated this year with solid groundball tendencies. He'll be a nice value pick next year pitching half his games in Oakland, although he should not be used in a rematch with the Angels Monday as he's struggled outside his home confines.
Alex Gordon (OF - KC) - Gordon went 2-4 with his 11th homer of the year, raising his line to .298/.368/.453. After a poor first two months, he's hit .333/.392/.494 since May 29. While a .360 BABIP may seem fluky, this is the second year in a row he's been there as he's proven that last season's breakout year wasn't a fluke. He's regressed against southpaws (last night's homer notwithstanding), but he's a strong option against right-handed pitching and will likely put up another year like this next season.
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