MLB Gas Can Alert For Thursday, Aug. 11

Boston Red Sox vs. Austin Voth (5.53 ERA), Baltimore Orioles

The Red Sox are not having what we would call a great season in 2022. They started out hot, and looked like the team that was competing for a championship just last season. Then, they started to fall straight off a cliff, and have been painfully average at best during the second half of the season. The offense has struggled, but so has some of the pitching staff, and it has been a disappointing season following 2021. It could all change when they face Voth on Thursday, as for the season, he has struggled to keep his ERA below a poor 5.00 this season.

In his last start, Voth gave up three earned runs over five innings of work and picked up the win in a victory over the Pirates. He allowed six hits, struck out five batters and walked one. I'll be quite fair here, Voth has proven to be quite the pickup, posting a 3.19 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 36:11 K:BB over 36.2 innings since the Orioles claimed him off waivers from the Nationals in early June. I just really don't think this is the pitcher he is, and Boston has the ability with some talented players to put up runs.

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St. Louis Cardinals vs. German Marquez (5.18 ERA), Colorado Rockies

First of all, we are playing at Coors Field here, and that means runs will most certainly be scored at a high number. The Cardinals are an offense that can absolutely crush bad opposing pitching, and at Coors, they could be in store for a massive offensive explosion on Thursday. Nolan Arenado will be heading home, and you know the Colorado fans will be happy to see him until he smashes a 500-ft home run clear over the stands. Paul Goldschmidt is one of the best players in baseball in 2022, and he'll have a field day in this series. Cardinals pitcher Dakota Hudson probably will get shelled as well, but I trust the Cards more to put up a crooked number here against a terrible pitcher in Marquez.

In his last start, Marquez didn't factor into the decision during a 6-5 loss to Arizona, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in six innings of work. Again, I have to be fair to him here. He has now tossed quality starts in four of his last five outings, during which he's pitched to a 3.16 ERA across 31.1 innings to lower his season mark from 5.90 to 5.18. In addition to the 5.18 ERA, Marquez possesses a 1.41 WHIP with 98 strikeouts in 121.2 innings across 21 starts.

He does have a 6.11 ERA at Coors, and I don't think he can continue his good play.

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Cleveland Guardians vs. Garrett Hill (5.12 ERA), Detroit Tigers

The Tigers just fired their general manager after 22 years running the team, so that should tell you all you need to know about how they are performing in 2022 and how their organization is doing. It has been a total disaster in Detroit in a year in which they were supposed to at least compete for a .500 record. They haven't come close to that, and have been one of the worst teams in baseball this season. Cleveland can certainly take advantage of how bad they are this week, and I am sure they will. The Guardians, while not a great team by any means, are at least above .500 and still competing for their division race. Meanwhile, Detroit is the bottom feeder in that same division, the AL Central.

Garrett Hill will take the mound for the Tigers Thursday. In his last start, he gave up one earned run on six hits and three walks while striking out six to earn the win in a 9-1 victory over the Rays. He put together the second-best start of his young career in this one, but walks are a concern for Hill. His K-to-BB is now 17:14 over 31.2 innings this season. It has been a mixed bag for the young gun this year, but the likelihood that he can be that dominant in a second consecutive start is improbable.

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