8/22/12: Even Stephens

Proposition: Stephen Strasburg will finish the 2012 season with a K/IP rate over 1 and an ERA below 3.

Odds: Even

Stakes: $20 

Parameters: If Strasburg doesn't meet both qualifications--if he has a high enough K/IP rate but an ERA over 3, for example--the bet is a push. 

Bettors: Me, Jake

***

We made this bet at the very beginning of the season. Jake has the under on both, and right now things are looking pretty sweet for him. After yesterday's dominant 10 strikeout performance against the dangerous Braves, Strasburg is averaging a gaudy 1.26 K's per inning pitched and there's little doubt Jake will win that half of the bet. His ERA, on the other hand, is a bit closer: at 2.73, and with Strasburg scheduled to make at least 5 more starts* before the end of the season, I can still get a push out of this.

My major concern here is entirely unrelated to our bet: I own Strasburg in my fantasy league, and he anchors what is already a deep and talented rotation.** Still--without him, a fantasy win looks increasingly improbable. I therefore beseech the powers that be to keep Strasburg to a reasonable 5 innings per start until the end of the season. 

In general my baseball bets this season have not been paying off. I took the under on 10 Yu Darvish wins and the under on 24 Adam Dunn HRs, not to mention the over on whether Manny Ramirez would make it back to The Show. On the other hand, my over on 30 HRs for Pujols is looking pretty solid, as is my bet that Josh Hamilton will finish with more HRs than Joey Bats. So I guess it could be worse. 

*Unless he reaches 180 innings before then, in which case the Nationals will shut him down. Pussies.

**Felix Hernandez, Matt Moore, Tim Hudson, Edwin Jackson and Craig Kimbrel. Also: Clay Buchholz.