Today I have two recommendations for pitching on Sunday. First of all, if Dustin McGowan is on your waiver wire, he should not be. I know that he is facing the Rocket, but young pitchers tend to pitch their best when they are against the Hall of fame pitcher. Also, if you have Willy Taveras, make sure you have him in your lineup on Sunday. He is going against Greg Maddux who can’t stop the speed players from doing their thing.  If Taveras is still injured and not playing, then go and look for Kaz Matsui who just returned from the DL.
Here are some pitchers for Sunday Sept 23rd:

Chad Billingsley - LAD vs ARI - This is another pitcher that may not be available. He has had several solid starts as of late, but at this point there are probably numerous owners who are not making roster moves and so he might be available. The Dodgers top pitching prospect has posted a 2.08 ERA over his last three starts, and has struckout 16 batters over 17 innings. Those are the numbers that I like to see. Billingsley’s issue revolves around the number of walks allowed. If he stays in control he will post solid numbers and go deeper into the game. The Arizona offense is very good at getting runs across the plate, and therefore the walks issued will be the focal point of his start. Another reason to take Billingsley is because the opposing pitcher, Edgar Gonzalez, doesn’t pitch deep into games very often. That means the Dodger offense should get into the Diamondback bullpen fairly quickly. Hopefully those factors equal out to a win.

Kevin Slowey - MIN vs CWS - I certainly do not mean to pick on the guy, but here is Gavin Floyd’s opponent once again. For the same reason that Gil Meche’s start was a solid matchup is why Slowey’s is good. As a huge Phillies fan, I watched Gavin Floyd pitch quite often. He has great stuff, and will be a solid starter in a few years. However, one thing Gavin is not, is consistent. He pitched well in his last outing, but the knack for allowing the long ball and inconsistency may catch up with him. Other then that, In Slowey you have a contact pitcher who is trying to prove that he belongs on the major league roster next year. His last outing was outstanding, and the Chicago offense is still not scoring runs. Jim Thome is the only one hitting homeruns on a regular basis, and even that is not a lot. Give Kevin Slowey a chance, and the free swinging White Sox should increase your strikeout totals.

Another pitcher to watch very closely is Rich Harden. I would not jump out there and take him for his next start unless your ERA is dreadful, and you are in the “well it can’t hurt anymore” mode. Harden is on a strict pitch count, and depending how he does over the weekend may make him a good pitch-and-ditch option for his final start.