Depth Chart

Grilli struck out one batter en route to his 18th save of the season, giving him the most in the National League. The run was just the third he has allowed all season, and second in 9 2/3 innings in the month of May.

Grilli has a 1.31 ERA in 20 2/3 innings of work, with 11 hits, five walks and 32 strikeouts. 

Alvarez continues to struggle with his average (.201) and making contact (31.5 percent strikeout rate), but his power continues to show up. He's on pace for another 30 home run season with Sunday's blast.

McCutchen went 0 for 4 in the game, snapping a streak of three multi-hit games. He accrued no other stats in a 5-4 win. He is batting .274 with a .798 on-base plus slugging percentage in 164 at-bats. 

Snider went 1 for 2 with a run scored and four driven in, in a 5-4 win. Snider has two home runs on the season, both of which have come in the last five games. He is batting .278 with a .761 on-base plus slugging percentage. 

Rodriguez allowed three runs in the second inning, on four hits, but otherwise held the Cubs silent all game long.  He ultimately allowed just the three runs on six hits in six innings of work, while striking out five batters and walking none.

He needed just 87 pitches to finish his six innings of work. He exited the game down 3-0, but the Pirates rallied back in the bottom half of the sixth to put him in line for the win. Pittsburgh would hold on for a 5-4 victory, Rodriguez's fifth of the season. He lowered his ERA to 3.40.

Rodriguez is expected to make his next start Sunday, against the Brewers. He had his worst start of the season against the Brewers in April, but bounce back to limit them to one run in seven innings May 15. 

As Fantasy owners know, Liriano has shown flashes like this before, so he's not completely safe after just two starts. Based on what he's shown, he's worth a speculative pickup. But owners should be cautious with his usage. Liriano will pitch against the Cubs Wednesday.

Locke has a 2.73 ERA in nine starts, but his 4.47 FIP indicates that he's been pitching over his head. Locke said the stat hasn't picked up on the fact that he's throwing a two-seam fastball or the adjustment he made with his delivery. Locke believes he's getting more deception after learning from Erik Bedard. 

Nothing in Locke's profile suggests his performance is sustainable. Neither his walk and strikeout rate is elite, and his .224 BABIP will not last. Locke has been extremely homer-prone over his career, but getting that rate down could help his overall numbers. Still, the advanced stats are concerning, despite Locke's insistence.