The user’s guide to two-start pitchers, Week 7

No team gets an off-day in Week 7, so we have a heaping buffet of double-dip starters for you. You'd think that with a loaded slate like this nobody would have to think about using Josh Johnson, but things aren't that simple for all of us. I'm confident desperately hoping this will be the week that his BABIP finally dips below .400, and just maybe he'll pick up his first win in 2012.

Ozzie sounded encouraged after Johnson's last start, but of course it's his job to sound encouraged. Johnson is still delivering strikeouts at an acceptable rate (7.51 K/9) and he's allowed only one homer in seven starts, so he's doing a few things well. He's obviously had no luck on balls-in-play. That has to change at some point, right?

No?

Not even against the Pirates?

Well, if I can't sell any you cowards on JJ, there are plenty of other options listed below. It took me all day to knit this beautiful quilt of two-start pitchers. Really hope you enjoy it.

Also, please note that interleague play begins this week — the blood feud between the Indians and Marlins is renewed! — so please be mindful of potential DH benchings.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

OK, you win

Stephen Strasburg — SD (Bass), BAL (Chen)

You probably win, too, unless you're facing Strasburg

Clayton Kershaw — ARI (Kennedy), STL (Westbrook)
Zack Greinke — at NYM (Gee), MIN (Marquis)
Cliff Lee — HOU (Lyles), BOS (Beckett)

Heartily endorsed

Anibal Sanchez — PIT (Bedard), at CLE (Gomez)
Ryan Dempster — at STL (Westbrook), CHW (Danks)
Tim Lincecum — COL (Guthrie), OAK (Colon)
Ian Kennedy — at LAD (Kershaw), at KC (Chen)

Quietly endorsed

Josh Johnson — PIT (Correia), at CLE (Lowe)
Kyle Lohse — CHC (Maholm), at LAD (Billingsley)
Ross Detwiler — SD (Stauffer), BAL (Hammel)
Yovani Gallardo — at NYM (Batista), MIN (Pavano)
Chad Billingsley — ARI (Miley), STL (Lohse)

Situationally endorsed

Ryan Vogelsong — COL (Friedrich), OAK (Ross)
Jake Westbrook — CHC (Dempster), at LAD (Kershaw)
Joe Blanton — HOU (Harrell), BOS (Lester)
Erik Bedard — at MIA (Sanchez), at DET (Smyly)
Wade Miley — at LAD (Billingsley), at KC (TBA)
Anthony Bass — at WAS (Strasburg), LAA (Santana)
Johnny Cueto — at ATL (Hudson), at NYY (Sabathia)
Tim Hudson — CIN (Cueto), at TB (Price)
Tim Stauffer — at WAS (Detwiler), LAA (Haren)

You've gone rogue

Dillon Gee — MIL (Greinke), at TOR (Alvarez)
Christian Friedrich — at SF (Vogelsong), SEA (Vargas)
Randall Delgado — CIN (Bailey), at TB (Niemann)

Yikes. How did it come to this?

Paul Maholm — at STL (Lohse), CHW (Peavy)
Homer Bailey — at ATL (Delgado), at NYY (Nova)
Jeremy Guthrie — at SF (Lincecum), SEA (Beavan)
Lucas Harrell — at PHI (Blanton), TEX (Feliz)
Jordan Lyles — at PHI (Lee), TEX (Lewis)
Miguel Batista — MIL (Gallardo), at TOR (Morrow)
Kevin Correia — at MIA (Johnson), at DET (Scherzer)

AMERICAN LEAGUE

You don't need an expert for this

Dan Haren — OAK (Ross), at SD (Stauffer)
Brandon Morrow — TB (Niemann), NYM (Batista)
Jake Peavy — DET (Scherzer), at CHC (Maholm)
David Price — at TOR (Alvarez), ATL (Hudson)
CC Sabathia — at BAL (Chen), CIN (Cueto)

Approved for heavy use

Colby Lewis — LAA (TBA), HOU (Lyles)
Jon Lester — SEA (Vargas), at PHI (Blanton)
Drew Smyly — at CHW (Danks), PIT (Bedard)
Derek Lowe — at MIN (Marquis), MIA (Johnson)
Jeff Niemann — at TOR (Morrow), ATL (Delgado)

Approved for use in moderation

Max Scherzer — at CHW (Peavy), PIT (Correia)
Ervin Santana — OAK (Colon), at SD (Bass)
Bartolo Colon — at LAA (Santana), at SF (Lincecum)
John Danks — DET (Smyly), at CHC (Dempster)
Ivan Nova — at BAL (Hammel), CIN (Bailey)
Henderson Alvarez — TB (Price), NYM (Gee)
Jason Hammel — NYY (Nova), at WAS (Detwiler)

Not officially approved, but I'll look the other way

Jason Vargas — at BOS (Lester), at COL (Friedrich)
Josh Beckett — SEA (Beavan), at PHI (Lee)
Bruce Chen — at TEX (Feldman), ARI (Kennedy)
Wei-Yin Chen — NYY (Sabathia), at WAS (Strasburg)
Jeanmar Gomez — at MIN (Pavano), MIA (Sanchez)

Please, do not do this thing

Carl Pavano — CLE (Gomez), at MIL (Gallardo)
Jason Marquis — CLE (Lowe), at MIL (Greinke)
Tyson Ross — at LAA (Haren), at SF (Vogelsong)
Blake Beavan — at BOS (Beckett), at COL (Guthrie)