Tuesday game notes (just a few)

@Yankees 7, Rays 0: Wow, Andy Pettitte! He shut down Tampa on 2 walks and 2 singles — one infield, one grounder into right — through 7.1 IP, with 10 strikeouts, including 5 straight. The Rays had 3 ABs against him with a runner in scoring position, and Andy fanned ’em all.

  • It was exactly 2 years since Pettitte’s last 10-K performance.
  • Freddy Garcia got the last 5 outs. Since moving to the ‘pen, he’s allowed 2 ER in 11 IP. But this is the first time he relieved in a win.
  • James Shields gave up a grand slam to Russell Martin, but he still has the best bases-loaded splits I can recollect: a .178 BA and .218 OBP in 78 PAs, with almost as many GDPs as hits (12, 13). Just 1 sac fly in 44 sacks-full chances.
  • On the other hand … Big Game James(?) is now 5-13, 4.55 in 23 career starts against the Yanks, and 13-25, 4.45 against the Bombers and BoSox combined. Against everyone else, he’s 65-42, 3.85.
  • Scoreless starts by Yankees this year: Pettitte-2, Kuroda-2, Phelps-1 … Sabathia-0. In fact, CC has allowed at least 2 runs in all 11 starts. Don’t get me wrong — his steady 6-to-8 IP on 2-to-4 runs has real value for a strong hitting team, as reflected in his 7-2 record. But it’s 5 games deeper into the year than he’s ever gone before without a start allowing 1 run or none.

Dodgers 2, @Phillies 1: When you look at the lineup that kept Cliff Lee winless despite 12 Ks in 7.2 IP, you get the feeling that Destiny has taken a hand against the Phils. And then there’s LA’s winning rally in the 8th:

  • Leadoff double by Matt Treanor (career .202 BA vs. lefties);
  • Attempted sacrifice by Tony Gwynn, but Treanor is thrown out at 3rd;
  • Pinch-single by Bobby Abreu, but Gwynn is thrown out at 3rd (he’s gone 1st-to-3rd just once in 8 chances);
  • Dee Gordon gets a hit (this alone is worth the price of admission!);
  • And finally, the rookie Elian Herrera, who didn’t get the ball out of the infield in his 3 prior trips, fouls off a couple of 2-strike pitches and booms a 2-run double that just eludes Juan Pierre at the LF wall. (Herrera in high-leverage situations is 6 for 13 with 8 RBI.)

@Padres 6, Giants 5: In his 2nd game of the year, Logan Forsythe collected the Pads’ first game-ending RBI of the season and first walk-off HR in over a year.

  • I’m not close to the SF situation, so maybe one of you can explain Bochy’s reliever usage: Having used just 2 relievers in the previous 2 games, for a total of 2.2 IP, and having gotten 6 IP from Lincecum and 1 from Clay Hensley to carry a 1-run lead into the last of the 8th, Bochy stirred up the bullpen lotto numbers and drew the name of lefty Jeremy Affeldt, who pitched 2 innings the day before, to face (a) a lefty with 1 HR on the season, (b) a righty power hitter, and (c) a switch-hitting power hitter who has really raked LHPs this year. It was (b) that blew up on him this time, as Carlos Quentin hit his 2nd HR of the night to tie the game and 5th in 6 games this year.
  • Then, still tied in the 9th, Bochy turned to Steve Edlefsen (6.57 career ERA at that point). Two pitches later, ballgame. Were Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla both unavailable? I’d hate to think he was saving them for a lead, rather than the highest-leverage inning there is.
  • Logan’s Run (or would you prefer The Forsyth Saga?): In his first game of the year Sunday, Logan Forsythe assembled a stats melange that has only 5 known matches: triple, double, GIDP, caught stealing (on a blown squeeze). He did all that in just 3 PAs, which no one else has ever done.

@Royals 1, Twins 0: KC’s last 1-0 win was 2010-08-15; there have been 88 1-0 wins since then, 33 of them by AL teams.

  • Minny’s last 1-0 loss was almost a year ago, 2011-06-07, with Francisco Liriano also the hard-luck loser (unearned run).
  • The Twins threatened in the 9th with Willingham’s 1-out double off Broxton and a walk to Morneau, but Broxton got the last 2 men for his 13th save (2 blown) and 8th without a strikeout. “Pitching to contact” seems to be working for him … for now.

Orioles 8, @Red Sox 6: Epic struggle in Fenway: BoSox down by 2 in the 9th and down to their last strike, Saltalamacchia fouled off 3 straight, then took Jim Johnson on a Monster ride to his first blown save of the year. But the O’s calmly went back to work, scored 2 in the 10th and regained a share of 1st place.

  • Baltimore tied a season high with 15 hits — no HRs and just 2 XBH, but they went 8 for 17 with RISP (Boston 1 for 8). It’s their 2nd win without a HR; every team has at least 2 except the Yankees (0-12).
  • Salty has 2 of Boston’s 3 tying or go-ahead HRs in the 9th or later this season, both in the last 10 days, both snapping season-long save streaks.
  • Still no sign of a breakout by Adrian Gonzalez (0-5, .262, 4 HRs) or Kevin Youkilis (0-5, .234, 12 RBI in 30 games and the worst walk rate of his career, by far). They went 0-4 with RISP combined, and Youk popped out in the 9th on a 2-0 count with the tying run on 1st.
  • No-confidence vote, or just foolishness? In the bottom of the 1st, no score, 1 out, Scott Podsednik tried to steal 2nd on the first pitch to Gonzalez and was cut down easily on a laser by Matt Wieters, who has thrown out 41%. Despite his struggles, Gonzalez leads the league with 20 doubles and has just 3 GIDPs.
  • 25 straight starts without a walk by Mike Aviles, tying the MLB season high. Among active players with 1,000 PAs, Aviles has the 4th-lowest walk rate, 1 BB per 25.2 PAs.

@Angels 6, Mariners 1: Eight Ks and the first career win for Garrett Richards, a 1st-round pick by the Angels in 2009. They had 5 of the top 49 picks in that draft, including Mike Trout and Tyler Skaggs, both as compensation for Teixeira signing with NYY. Skaggs is currently mowing ’em down in AA at age 20 (2nd-youngest in that circuit); in over 300 minor-league IP, he’s averaged over 10 SO/9 and 4 SO/BB.

  • What odds could you have gotten on this proposition bet? “The Angels’ season OPS+ mark will be shattered this year … but not by Albert.” Their record is 165, shared by Tim Salmon and the eternally underrated Bobby Grich. Trumbo is at 182. (OK, there’s a lot of season left….)
  • Ichiro now 0-17 since his 2 HRs (including 0-4 in the rest of that game). Three straight hitless games with 4+ ABs is one shy of his career long.
  • Michael Saunders had 3 hits with a HR and double; the rest of the lineup had 2 singles.

@Nationals 7, Mets 6 (12): Don’t even get me started. The play-by-play tells it all.

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RJ
RJ
11 years ago

Casilla was definitely out, but Romo was available. Why you don’t go to Romo in that situation I don’t know. In fairness, Edlefsen has not been terrible this year, 2.70 ERA before the last two starts, but it’s still saving your best pitcher for a hypothetical situation when there’s a real ballgame going on in front of you.

John Nacca
John Nacca
11 years ago
Reply to  RJ

HEAVEN FORBID a manager ACTUALLY uses HIS BEST PITCHER in THE MOST CRUCIAL GAME SITUATION!!! Really, the save rule has ruined baseball, even more then (shudder) the Steroid Era. Why?…because for all of eternity, players have tried to find “an edge”. Corked bats, greenies, Elston Howard scuffing Whitey Ford’s pitches with his shinguards, Gaylord Perry either ACTUALLY doctoring the ball or making the hitters THINK he did, the 1890’s teams that tried every tactic known to cheat on the field, watering the basepaths, tall grass, etc. Managers however, NEED TO GO TO THEIR CLOSER IN THE 9TH INNING, like it’s… Read more »

RJ
RJ
11 years ago
Reply to  John Nacca

Watching the game today, the decision makes slightly more sense. Romo was pitching with a brace on each knee, so you can understand the reluctance to use him last night. But by not introducing him in a tied game, you’re effectively banking on taking the lead and using him later anyway, so why wait?

Doug
Doug
11 years ago

I’m Chicago, John Farrell revamped the Jays order, batting Brett Lawrie and Colby Rasmus 1-2 instead of in the 6-7-8 mix. The result – 8 for 10 with 7 runs scored as the Jays romped 9-5.

Mark in Sydney
Mark in Sydney
11 years ago
Reply to  Doug

And Morrow threw another gem, backed by Joey Bats going big. I like the way the front four are lining up for the Jays.

bstar
11 years ago
Reply to  Mark in Sydney

It looks like the Braves will get Drabek, Hutchison, and Romero over the weekend against the Jays and miss Morrow. They’re retiring John Smoltz’ jersey on Friday so it’s imperative that your Jays take it easy on Atlanta, Mark. 🙂

donburgh
donburgh
11 years ago
Reply to  bstar

With Smoltz getting his number retired, maybe Doug Drabek should start the Friday game.

Doug
Doug
11 years ago

In addition to the two shutouts John mentioned, there were three more whitewashes, all by double-digit margins.

bstar
11 years ago

In other Tuesday action, Tim Hudson recorded his 13th career shutout and 185th career win as the Braves blanked the Marlins 11-0. Dan Uggla, former Marlin, continued to beat on his old team with three hits and two home runs. Uggla and rookie call-up shortstop Andrelton Simmons combined for 8 RBI in the game, the highest total to date this year for a 2B-SS duo.

bstar
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

I’m impressed that it took Andrelton four or five games to showcase his Furcal-like cannon at SS, but he just did it on a close play to gun out Omar Infante in the ninth as the Braves closed out the Fish again, 2-1.

Jimbo
Jimbo
11 years ago

Ichiro is done. Over his last 200+ games he has negative WAR and has gotten progressively worse it seems.

Can people who watch the Mariners say whether he looks worse? Or is it just the numbers that show the proof?

Evan
Evan
11 years ago

Re: Mets @ Nationals

I’m not sure that the play-by-play tells the whole story. Routine ground ball double plays booted into single outs, walking the opposing relief pitcher on 6 balls (2 of which were bunted at), twice nearly wild pitching in the winning run while attempting to issue an IBB, etc.

AlbaNate
AlbaNate
11 years ago
Reply to  Evan

John, I’m sorry that you didn’t include a wrap-up of this game. It was sloppy, sure, but it was an epic struggle that kept going back and forth…maybe the start of a NYM-Washington rivalry. It had a lot of great moments. Even though I was tired all through the next day, I don’t regret having stayed up to listen on the radio. It was worth listening to the game just to “see” Parnell’s performance. What did he get, five outs that inning? Six? He was terrific even though his infield betrayed him. Too bad his WPA for the game is… Read more »

Hartvig
Hartvig
11 years ago

For his career, Jim Palmer had 213 bases loaded situations. Batters hit .196 off of him and slugged .234 for an anemic .464 OPS. He did allow 36 hits (5 doubles, 1 triple, 0 home runs), 15 sacrifices and only 12 double plays. If Shields can keep this up for twice as long as he has already he’ll match Palmer in innings pitched and be the new king of the hill.

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
11 years ago
Reply to  Hartvig

Palmer gave up zero grand slams with 3948 IP. Since 1901 only Eddie Plank has thrown more innings (4505) without allowing a grand slam.

Ed
Ed
11 years ago

The Indians did something in their game against the Tigers that hasn’t happened since Sept. 21, 1998. Three triples but no other extra base hits. There are actually 183 games in the PI since 1918 with 3+ triples and no other extra base hits but this sort of feat has obviously become quite rare in recent times.

RichardKC
RichardKC
11 years ago

One more thing about the Royals-Twins game: Liriano struck out 4 in an inning. Fortunately, we only needed the 1 run to win, as he really went into lockdown mode after the first inning.

deal
11 years ago

Cliff Lee threw 92 STRIKES and still took the L for the Phils on Tuesday night. Not thinking that happens very often.

Couple of Photos from The game at link below.

http://phungo.blogspot.com/2012/06/snapshots-2012-06-06-dodgers-phillies.html

Also lots of good pitching performance on Tue – 1 or no runs from several starters.

Paul E
Paul E
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

JA:
Is it true that the Mets’ clubhouse guy used to have to sew two pair of pants together for Sid “The Wide Hawaiian” Fernandez?

deal
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

Thanks for looking into this one. Schilling threw a lot of CGs for some bad Phils teams in the middle 90s.