Samardzija (1-5) held the Reds to three runs on nine hits over 6.2 innings Sunday, striking out eight in an 8-3 win.

EDGE Analysis

The Shark was hittable in this one, but he managed to reach back for his strikeout stuff to escape trouble. The veteran's ERA still sits at an unsightly 5.26 on the season, but his career-high 10.7 K/9 is contributing to a 3.63 FIP, which is actually lower than the 3.90 mark that accompanied his 3.81 ERA last year. The main culprit of his early struggles have been untimely hits, as his 56.2 percent strand rate is easily the lowest of his career. If and when his luck turns around, we could see a Samardzija that better resembles last season's fantasy-relevant version.