Fernandez, Sale open second halves on MLB.TV

One pitcher is on pace to post the third-highest strikeout rate in modern history. The other leads the Majors in wins.

The Marlins’ Jose Fernandez and White Sox’s Chris Sale were among the class of their respective leagues when it came to starting pitching in the first half. On Monday, the duo hopes to pick up where they left off before the All-Star break, with each making his second-half debut on games available on MLB.TV.

MLB.TV Premium has returned with the same features as last year, and is only $79.99 for the rest of the season. This package has the best value and provides access to more than 400 devices and a free subscription to the MLB.com At Bat Premium app (a $19.99 value). It offers the best picture quality ever — a new 60 frames per second — for supported devices. Monthly signups for MLB.TV Premium are now underway as well for $24.99.

The new MLB.TV Single Team package is also available as a $59.99 yearly subscription. You can watch a single team’s live out-of-market games in full HD.

Here is a look at what to watch for today in the Majors (all times ET):

Lots of K’s for Jose: MIA@PHI, 7:05 p.m. ET

Fernandez’s fastball-slider combination has been a nightmare for opposing hitters thus far in 2016. The Miami ace struck out 36.6 percent of the batters he faced in the first half, on pace to be the third-highest single-season rate by a qualified starter in MLB history, behind only Pedro Martinez in 1999 (37.5 percent) and Randy Johnson in 2001 (37.4 percent). Fernandez was especially brutal to right-handed batters, who struck out an incredible 44.3 percent of the time (90 times in 204 plate appearances) against him during the first half.

“I think it’s just making pitches and not trying to make pitches,” Fernandez said of his approach this year. “When the catcher calls a fastball away, it doesn’t have to be 100 [mph], it can be 93 — …

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