Best Starting Pitcher Pickups for Saturday June 30

There’s some solid options available for Saturday if you are in search of starting pitching salvation after a rough week. Here’s the three best options who are owned in less than half of ESPN leagues and the results from our past week of picks.

June 24, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Garrett Richards (43) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Pickups

Garrett Richards – LAA: (20.2%) His lack of long-term job security is actually helpful if you just need him for a spot start since it scares away some owners. He and the Angels are in Toronto Saturday at 1:07 for a tough pitching matchup, but Richards has looked good in his four starts making him an option despite the matchup. He has allowed just five earned runs in 26.2 innings and enters Saturday with a 2-0 record, a 1.63 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. With Jerome Williams nearing a return, Richards may be pitching for his job and should be able to excel as he faces off with Henderson Alvarez who enters the game with a lately-rising 4.36 ERA although he did dominate LA earlier his season.

June 01, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher J.A. Happ (30) walks off the mound in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE

J.A. Happ – Hou: (2.3%) Saturdya, Happ will face Matt Garza and the Cubs at Wrigley at 4:05 ET. He’s coming off of back-to-back solid starts against AL opponents going 13 innings and allowing just three earned runs on eight hits. He help the Cubs to just a run in six innings when he faced them on May 22 and will look to improve his personal record back to .500 with the win. He comes into the game at 6-7 with a 4.83 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.

Scott Diamond – Min: (20.9%) Coming off his longest start of the season, Diamond faces the Royals and Jonathan Sanchez in game one of the AL Central double-header. He’ll look to build on his eight inning performance in Cincinnati where he allowed three runs on eight hits with a season-high seven strikeouts. He has yet to face Kansas City in any of his ten starts so far this year. In those ten starts, he has allowed 19 earned runs in 64 innings for a 2.67 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP and 37 strikeouts compared to just nine walks. He’ll look to be in control once again against the Royals as he goes for his seventh win of the year.

The Payoff

Here’s how our picks have fared recently: