Strategic Spot Starting - Weekend Edition

This is an ominous weekend upcoming, starting with a Friday the 13th. Now I'm not superstitious, though I didn't touch a razor for the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs...

Friday: The surprisingly effective Justin Masterson faces Cincinnati at Great American Ballpark. That lineup, with Bruce, Phillips, Dunn, Votto, Griffey, etc., makes for a difficult match-up, but the Boston lineup could well get him a victory anyhow if you're desperate for wins. Greg Smith against San Francisco and Jon Garland in Atlanta are much better match-ups and should produce good stats and victories. 

Saturday: Masterson's teammate, Tim Wakefield, is also a decent pickup against Cincy. Jeff Suppan against Minnesota and Tim Redding at Seattle are also decent match-ups. I would normally recommend Matt Garza, but not against Florida, and I can't in good conscience recommend Mike Mussina in Houston, even though he pitched well his last start.

Sunday: Finally, some match-ups worth playing. Micah Owings against the always-mediocre Kansas City Royals and Greg Maddux against a Cleveland lineup that just has no punch this season are both excellent starts. I'm okay with Daniel Cabrera against Pittsburgh, because you can count on the Pirates to rack up the strikeouts. Clayton Kershaw seems to be settling in to the big leagues, but against Detroit probably isn't the best place for him to progress. 

So overall, there aren't too many stellar options this weekend. Depending on your needs, though, there is - as always - plenty of potential for break out performances. Best of luck in your match-ups this weekend.