Tuesday teasers (from Monday’s games)

As if crafting the first double-complete-game in almost a calendar year wasn’t enough, Luke Hochevar and Alex Cobb enhanced the oddity by taking opposite paths to that end: no runs, 7 singles, 8 Ks for Luke; 8 runs, 13 hits, 1 K for Alex. It was the first CG since 1998-07-05 allowing that many runs, and the first with that many hits since 2010-06-30. For Hochevar, it was his 2nd shutout and 4th CG in 111 career starts, and his first-ever consecutive scoreless starts. Both hurlers used 113 pitches, and Cobb (no walks; first CG) threw one more strike than Hochevar (74-73).

  • In 3 games back, Royals C Salvador Perez has 4 hits and 4 RBI.
  • Alcides Escobar (3-2-3-0) now batting .307 with a .346 OBP, both figures 50+ points above his prior career marks, with 17 doubles in 78 hits.

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This one went down a lot smoother: Rick Porcello held Texas to a run over 6 innings in their own park. His previous start against them lasted all of 1 inning, with 10 hits and 9 runs. This time, his opposite number got the quick shower: In his 2nd career game, Justin Grimm didn’t get an out in the 2nd, allowing 6 runs and 8 hits.

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First 4-K game in 10 years for Scott Rolen, 4th of his career.

  • Brandon Phillips is the 2nd cleanup starter this year with a sacrifice, and the first since last August with a sac and a swipe. (OK, that’s weird and all, but this guy did all that plus 2 HRs.)
  • Career-high 13 Ks and 2nd career CG for Mat Latos, who came in with a 5.20 ERA.

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Third 4-K game this year for Adam Dunn, 16th of his career; the rest of the ChiSox fanned just twice. In his last 38 games, Dunn has 12 HRs, a double, 11 singles, 30 walks and 69 strikeouts, hitting .178 but with a .777 OPS. He’s fanned at least once in 68 of 73 games. Here’s the complete list of qualifying years with OPS at least 4 times the BA:

Rk Player OPS BA Year G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP GDP OBP SLG Pos
1 Barry Bonds 1.379 .328 2001 153 664 476 129 156 32 2 73 137 177 35 93 9 5 .515 .863 *7/D
2 Mark McGwire 1.222 .299 1998 155 681 509 130 152 21 0 70 147 162 28 155 6 8 .470 .752 *3
3 Mark McGwire 1.120 .278 1999 153 661 521 118 145 21 1 65 147 133 21 141 2 12 .424 .697 *3
4 Adam Dunn .879 .212 2012 73 316 255 42 54 10 0 23 53 58 1 119 1 2 .358 .522 *D3/7
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used. Generated 6/26/2012.
  • Since returning from bullpen duty, Francisco Liriano has a 2.41 ERA in 6 starts, with 40 Ks and 14 walks in 37.1 IP. First time he’s gone 7+ since last August.
  • Two doubles and two double plays for Denard Span; 19th game since 1944 with at least 2 of each, including 3 days before by Carlos Beltran (table below). It’s a star-studded list, including 3 HOFers. The other thing that grabs me: The list includes 16 ABs more than absolutely necessary to meet the search criteria, and 8 extra hits — but not one of those resulted in an extra double, nor a triple, nor a HR. No extra DPs, either.
Rk Player Date Tm Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SH GDP WPA BOP Pos. Summary
1 Denard Span 2012-06-25 MIN CHW W 4-1 5 5 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.038 1 CF
2 Carlos Beltran 2012-06-22 STL KCR W 11-4 5 5 2 2 2 0 0 4 0 0 2 0.204 4 DH
3 Luis Rodriguez 2008-09-05 SDP MIL L 2-3 6 5 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 -0.361 2 SS 3B
4 Jose Vidro 2007-05-12 SEA NYY L 2-7 5 5 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 -0.029 2 DH
5 Luis Gonzalez 2006-07-15 ARI MIL W 8-1 5 5 0 3 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0.080 3 LF
6 Mike Sweeney 2005-06-04 KCR TEX L 9-14 5 5 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 -0.038 3 DH
7 Albert Pujols 2001-04-24 STL MON W 7-2 5 5 0 2 2 0 0 3 0 0 2 0.122 4 1B
8 Lou Merloni 2000-09-20 (2) BOS CLE L 4-5 4 4 1 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 -0.252 7 3B
9 Jeff Conine 2000-09-02 BAL CLE W 8-6 5 5 1 3 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0.071 5 3B
10 Ivan Rodriguez 1997-09-23 TEX OAK W 14-6 5 5 3 3 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.057 2 C
11 Kirby Puckett 1995-06-21 MIN OAK W 3-2 5 4 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 -0.055 3 RF
12 Robin Ventura 1991-09-27 CHW SEA L 8-10 6 6 1 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0.016 2 3B
13 Willie McCovey 1975-09-03 SDP ATL W 10-9 5 5 1 3 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0.261 4 1B
14 Roy White 1970-05-24 (2) NYY CLE W 8-7 5 4 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 -0.139 3 LF
15 Wayne Causey 1964-08-18 (1) KCA CLE W 13-9 6 6 1 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 -0.097 2 3B
16 George Kell 1949-07-05 DET CLE L 1-8 5 5 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.014 2 3B
17 Danny Litwhiler 1948-05-23 CIN BRO W 6-5 4 4 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 -0.058 5 RF
18 Pat Seerey 1944-08-13 (2) CLE WSH L 1-4 4 4 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 3 LF
19 Bob Elliott 1944-06-14 PIT CIN L 2-3 5 5 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.000 4 3B
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used. Generated 6/26/2012.

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Is there a stat category for what Heath Bell did Monday? He blew a 4-run lead in the 9th, but not a save situation. Bell had been on a good roll, no runs in his last 9.1 IP, with 16 Ks and 2 walks. But he walked the leadoff man, and the snowball rolled downhill.

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Oakland’s 3 hits in a 1-0 win matched the 2012 MLB low for a victory; out of 11 games, only the A’s have 2. Wasted was a gem by Seattle rookie Erasmo Ramirez: 10 Ks, 1 walk, 3 hits in 8 IP, in his 3rd career start. Tommy Milone went 7 scoreless, on the heels of his first CG; he has 3 scoreless stints of 7+, but no shutout yet.

  • Third 1-0 game with a HR this year; the previous 2 were on the same day, 1 of them also against Seattle. There were 15 such games last year, 16 the year before.
  • The entire game featured just 2 ABs with a runner in scoring position, both for the losing Mariners, both hitless.
  • More common than I thought: Ramirez allowed only 3 runners besides the HR, but got 2 GDPs. Six others have done that since 2010. (In case you have the same mental block as I do, Roberto Hernandez is the guy we used to know as Fausto Carmona. He’s also the only one of these guys to get 2 DPs in as many chances.)
Player ▾ Date Tm Opp Rslt App,Dec IP H R ER BB BR SO HR Pit Str GSc BF AB 2B 3B IB HB R/E DP
Erasmo Ramirez 2012-06-25 SEA OAK L 0-1 GS-8 ,L 8.0 3 1 1 1 4 10 1 103 72 81 26 25 0 0 0 0 0 2
Brandon Morrow 2012-05-03 TOR LAA W 5-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 3 0 0 0 3 8 0 102 75 89 28 28 1 0 0 0 0 2
Mike Leake 2011-09-06 CIN CHC W 4-2 GS-9 9.0 3 2 2 0 4 6 1 91 65 79 30 28 0 0 0 1 0 2
Josh Johnson 2011-04-19 FLA PIT W 6-0 GS-7 ,W 7.0 2 0 0 1 3 9 0 98 64 81 22 21 0 0 0 0 0 2
Jaime Garcia 2010-08-22 STL SFG W 9-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 3 0 0 0 3 6 0 89 65 87 28 28 0 0 0 0 0 2
Jeremy Hellickson 2010-08-10 TBR DET W 8-0 GS-7 ,W 7.0 3 0 0 0 3 7 0 86 61 78 22 22 0 0 0 0 0 2
Roberto Hernandez 2010-06-12 CLE WSN W 7-1 CG 9 ,W 9.0 3 1 1 0 3 7 1 106 73 84 28 28 0 0 0 0 0 2
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used. Generated 6/26/2012.

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Jimmy Rollins homered for the 4th time in 5 games, but the Phils are only 2-2 in those games. Rollins has started 71 of the 75 games at SS, and has boosted his OPS+ up to 98 with a strong June (.998 OPS in 23 games). Since 1901, only 10 men age 33 or older have had a season of 150+ games at SS with OPS+ of at least 100. Check out the spread in time:

Rk Yrs From To ▾ Age
1 Derek Jeter 2 2007 2009 33-35 Ind. Seasons
2 Miguel Tejada 1 2009 2009 35-35 Ind. Seasons
3 Omar Vizquel 1 2002 2002 35-35 Ind. Seasons
4 Mike Bordick 1 2000 2000 34-34 Ind. Seasons
5 Barry Larkin 1 1999 1999 35-35 Ind. Seasons
6 Cal Ripken 1 1996 1996 35-35 Ind. Seasons
7 Ozzie Smith 1 1991 1991 36-36 Ind. Seasons
8 Luke Appling 3 1940 1943 33-36 Ind. Seasons
9 Honus Wagner 1 1908 1908 34-34 Ind. Seasons
10 George Davis 2 1904 1905 33-34 Ind. Seasons
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used. Generated 6/26/2012.
  • Clint Barmes (.205 BA/.528 OPS) is on pace for the lowest OPS with 400+ PAs since 1990. His 47 OPS+ would be tied for the 7th-lowest in that span — tied with himself, among others.

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The Blue and the Red are now tied for 4th and last, both at 38-35.

  • BoSox are now 30-7 when Big Papi doubles up on the taters. I had expected better. But hey, they were only 19-9 when Manny homered twice. By the way, from 1993-2006, the winning percentage when any player homered twice was .762 (4,116 games). From 2007-12, it’s .754 (1,440 games).
  • Boston reliever Clayton Mortensen has 13 Ks and no walks in 14 IP. Only 5 pitchers have had more IP and no walks, and none has had more Ks with no walks. In Mortensen’s prior 3 years, he had 39 walks and 50 Ks in 95 IP.
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GrandyMan
GrandyMan
11 years ago

Hey John,

This is kinda off-topic, but I noticed that Brendan Ryan is hitting .179/.282/.277 for an OPS+ of 62. However, due to his defensive capabilities, his season WAR is 2.5, which puts him on pace to have a WAR of at least 5 by the end of the season.

Do you know of anyone who has had a season WAR of 5 with an OPS+ of under 70? Or even 4? (I looked up Bill Mazeroski, and he never did it. I can’t think of any other viable candidates off the top of my head.)

GrandyMan
GrandyMan
11 years ago
Reply to  GrandyMan

(I did just find one that comes very close: Ozzie Smith, 1980: .230/.313/.276 (71 OPS+) and 4.9 WAR. His dWAR was 3.5 and he had 57 steals.)

Doug
Editor
11 years ago
Reply to  GrandyMan

Mark Belanger is the only player with OPS+ under 70 and WAR above 4. He had 4.8 WAR and 64 OPS+ in 1975 with a slash of .226/.286/.276 .

Next highest WAR is only 3.3, by Belanger twice, Freddie Patek and Hughie Critz.

GrandyMan
GrandyMan
11 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Wow, can’t believe I didn’t think to search for Belanger or Patek. Good work.

leatherman
leatherman
11 years ago
Reply to  GrandyMan

Luis Aparicio has the lowest OPS+ for a player with a WAR of 5 or more. In 1960, he had a 5.4 WAR with an OPS+ of 82.

Perhaps more impressive is Darrin Erstad’s 6.1 WAR with an OPS+ of 86.

Jim Bouldin
Jim Bouldin
11 years ago

Twins have sort of quietly played 500 ball over the last month+, which is a huge step forward given how they started.

deal
11 years ago

Some Pix from the Monday Phillies game. Rollins HR is one of the longest I have seen him hit. Carlos had 3 hits and scored 3 runs including a SB.

http://phungo.blogspot.com/2012/06/snapshots-pirates-phillies-2012-06-25.html

Jake Diekman had a somewhat odd 1 inning(7th) of relief. Threw 6 consecutive balls – then finished inning w/ 7 consecutive strikes – Induced DP from Neil Walker 2-2 Pitch and got a K vs Pedro Alvarez.

Little surprised Barmes 2 GIDPs and an Error wasn’t enough to get him on the worst batting game score list, but he did have a hit.