Fantasy Baseball: Will Zack Greinke Fade in September Like Last Year?

Zack Greinke was 8-11 with a 3.81 ERA entering September last year.

The wheels came off the wagon in September, though, as he went 2-3 with a 5.92 ERA to raise his season mark to 4.05.

Will that happen again this year, or will he continue to pitch effectively?

If the way he’s pitched this summer is any indication, the latter will hold true. Since the start of July, Greinke is 6-2 with a 2.70 ERA.

It’s hard to imagine somebody pitching that well to suddenly go cold, especially the way he has pitched against his divisional foes.

Greinke is a combined 8-2 with a 3.95 ERA. His mark would be even better, but it is skewed because of a seven-run 6.1 inning disaster against the Pirates on August 22nd.

Aside from the nightmare, Greinke has not allowed more than two earned runs in a game since July 3rd.

Plus, if anything, last year’s September nosedive was a fluke. In his epic 2009 season, Greinke was 3-0 with a 0.55 ERA in September (1.38 if you include a failed October start).

In 2008, he was 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA. In 2007, he was 2-2 with a 2.33 ERA. His lifetime September mark is 16-8 with a 2.95 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and a .240 BAA.

His next start is Friday at Houston. He won there earlier this year giving up one run in seven innings (1.29 ERA). You never know what the future will bring, but I would bank on a strong finish from Greinke.

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