Evan Gattis and the Astros keep on winning

The Houston Astros have the fourth-best record in MLB history for a team that had 90 or more losses in the previous season, the best since 1978, as they won their 10th-straight game to move to 18-7 on the season. On the other side of the spectrum, the league-worst 7-18 Milwaukee Brewers have fired their manager, Ron Roenicke, as they look to regain their playoff form. This is the daily update for May 4, 2015.

Recap

Evan Gattis slugs Astros to 10th-straight win
Gattis has become a top-10 catcher this season, as he now has six home runs and 17 RBI after a 2-for-4 outing against the Mariners, including a three-run home run and solo home run. Those power numbers numbers should dictate a top-five rating, but, like teammate Chris Carter last season, Gattis has done very little else beyond hitting for power. He has 25 strikeouts and three walks this season, posting only a .667 OPS in 86 at-bats. The Astros are the hottest team in baseball, but all is not perfect for Houston, as Jose Altuve‘s 11-game hitting streak ended against the Mariners on Sunday.

Slugging 2B highlight Blue Jays-Indians matchup
Devon Travis has been the best second baseman in baseball in 2015, a title Jason Kipnis held seasons passed. Each had a great outing on Sunday. Travis was only 1-for-5, but his one hit was a grand slam. Travis now has seven home runs and 23 RBI this season, each top-five in baseball. Kipnis was even better on Sunday, as he finished 4-for-5 with a home run, double, two RBI, and three runs scored. Each are top-five 2B this season, even with the rough start for Kipnis.

Sonny Gray outstanding for A’s
Gray has been outstanding for the Athletics this season and Sunday was no different, as he struck out double-digit batters for the second time in his career. Gray pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out 10. Gray has only allowed batters to hit .184 against him this season for a 0.95 WHIP and 1.67 ERA. He has only allowed more than two runs in one of his six starts this season. All was not perfect for Gray, as he walked seven on Sunday. The walks should not be something to worry much about. He only walked six batters in 36 1/3 innings in April and had never walked more than four batters in an outing before Sunday. The 25-year-old Gray is only getting better, and is a low-tier SP1 in all formats.

Julio Teheran and Braves shut down Reds
Teheran and the Braves held the Reds to only four hits in a shutout on Sunday. Teheran outdueled Johnny Cueto, who allowed five runs in six innings, limiting the Reds to five baserunners in six frames. Teheran had a season-high six strikeouts to run his record to 3-1 this season. His outing was much needed for fantasy owners that saw Teheran allow 12 earned runs over his past 15 innings pitched. Teheran had an awesome 2014 season, finishing with a 2.89 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, but has opened 2015 allowing a hit per inning and a 1.42 WHIP. His career 3.53 K:BB ratio has dipped to 2.00 this season, but Teheran has also allowed three hits or fewer in three of his six starts. The 24-year-old Teheran should be seen as an SP3 as is, but if his walk rate drops, his value will rise.

Tim Lincecum turns back the clock against Angels
Lincecum rejuvenated his career in the early going of 2015, seeing his ERA drop to 2.40 after an eight-inning shutout against the Angels. He allowed only three hits and one walk against the Angels, striking out four batters. Lincecum is now 2-2 this season and has his WHIP (1.23) and batting average against (.245) near their career averages. Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young award winner, posted a 4.76 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over the past three seasons, dropping him off the fantasy landscape. Although 2015 has been successful in a lot of ways for Lincecum, mainly that he has walked three batters or less in each start, he has not struck out more than five batters in any appearance. Lincecum had a K/9 of 9.8 over the first six seasons of his career, and had an 8.8 K/9 in 2013, so fantasy owners would hope he regains his strikeout form. Lincecum has been solid this season and may be a good option at the back-end of a fantasy rotation.

What to watch for

Clayton Kershaw is seeking his 100th career win tonight as the Dodgers face the Brewers. He has a career 2.51 ERA. The last starter with that low of an ERA and 100 wins was Tom Seaver in 1972. Dallas Keuchel looks to extend his outstanding start to the 2015 season and the Astros game winning streak to 11 games. Madison Bumgarner, Carlos Martinez, and Felix Hernandez all will also pitch tonight, headlining an ace-laden slate.

Chris Zolli is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @thezman2010.