Paul Maholm (SP-PIT)  9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W 

Paul Maholm, beneficiary of the Pirates unusual offensive barrage on Sunday, pitched the team to a 9-0 victory over the Houston Astros. Maholm pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits, no walks and struck out one. The win marked Pittsburgh’s first shutout of the 2010 season, who has surrendered 489 runs to opponents thus far, second to only the Arizona Diamondbacks (524). 

Prior to Sunday’s winning effort, Maholm was just 5-7 in 18 starts for the Pirates with a 4.37 ERA. The twenty-eight year old Maholm is currently striking out a career low 4.8 batters per nine innings and is walking 3.43 batters per nine, the most since his 2006 season. 

Maholm was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft out of Mississippi State University. He debuted for the Pirates against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 30, 2005, pitched eight shutout innings and earned his first career victory.  

In 2007, Paul Maholm won a career high ten games, lost a career high 15 games and finished the season with a 5.27 ERA. Maholm’s best season in Pittsburgh came in 2008 when the southpaw finished 9-9 with career bests in ERA (3.71), strikeouts per nine (6.06) and walks surrendered per nine innings (2.75).  

Maholm features a fastball that hits 88-89 MPH (with the wind at his back), a curveball, slider and changeup in his modest repertoire.  

I can’t help to wonder what his career numbers would look like if he were playing anywhere else but Pittsburgh. 

Paul Maholm is currently owned in 17% of Y! leagues.  

The “Double Dipper” is a starting pitcher who will get two starts in the same week. Each Sunday we will preview top three options in each league and highlight streaming options for players owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues. 

The No Brainers in the NL: 

Chris Carpenter/STL ( vs. PHI, @ CHC) – Back to his self after two consecutive losses. 
Ubaldo Jimenez/COL (@ FLA, @ PHI) – Nice and rested.  
Clayton Kershaw/LAD (vs. SFG, vs. NYM) – Only lasted 4.1 innings last outing. Don’t be scared. 
Tim Lincecum/SFG (@ LAD, @ ARI)- 2-0, 15:3 K:BB in last two trips 

The No Brainers in the AL: 

Phil Hughes/NYY (vs. LAA, vs. KC) – Monitor to be sure they don’t skip him. 
Matt Garza/TB (@ BAL, @ CLE) – Three of last four starts were QS. 
Daisuke Matsusaka/BOS (@ OAK, @ SEA) – Two strong match-ups 

Warning: Streaming can be lethal. The following are owned in less than 50% of Y! leagues. 

Tommy Hunter/TEX (@ DET, vs. LAA) – Hunter is 6-0 in eight starts. Ride it. 
Kris Medlen/ATL (vs. SD, @ FLA) – Solid ratios and two decent match-ups 
Madison Bumgarner/SFG (@ LAD, @ ARI) – 2-0 in last two, allowing only one ER and logging a 11:3 K:BB ratio. 
R.A. Dickey/NYM (@ ARI, @ LAD) – Lost last two, but no support. 
Daniel Hudson/CHW (@ SEA, @ OAK)- Tons of K potential on MLB’s hottest team.  

Don’t Touch ‘Em 

J.D. Martin, Blake Hawksworth, Jeff Karstens, Luis Atilano

Who will win the pitching duel of the week: Lincecum or Kershaw? 
Who will be the best 2-Start Pitcher owned in 50% or less in week 16? 
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