I didn't get to watch the first game of the World Series because I was covering the Stars and Canucks. Here's the edited version of what I wrote.
From time to time, I did peek at the Gameday. First, I saw that the Giants had scored three runs in the first inning and Hunter Pence had scored a run and driven in two. That made me think he had hit a home run (I couldn't scroll down as far as HR on the new-fangled version of Gameday). And that made me think that if I had survived the Championship Series in either Inner League, I would have received credit at least for that run and the one he scored later.
Everyone on the panel for Fox's pregame show Wednesday picked the Royals to win Game 2.
That wouldn't square with the idea that this year's Royals are the 2007 Rockies reincarnated.
I would have thought at least one person would have favored the Giants, but I guess most if not all of them had been caught up in Rockies -- I mean Royals -- fever and picked KC to win the Series.
Here are a few reasons I think the Giants can win tonight (the leadoff batter currently has a 2-2 count in the top of the first).
Rookie RHP Yordano Ventura is pitching for the Royals.
Pence
Pablo Sandoval and his World Series history (remember his three-homer game)
Well, it's now 1-0, courtesy of Gregor Blanco, so the Giants may be making this too easy.
Buster Posey
2010 and 2012
I'm not really sold on San Francisco RHP Jake Peavy, but I believe he should receive enough help, or Bruce Bochy will know not to leave him in too long, for the Giants to be able to win in any case.
Hey! I remembered which other World Series this one brings to mind. Of course! The 1980 Dickie Noles and Willie May Aikens Series. I'll tell you why in a later post. I want to send this one before you begin to think I wrote it after the fact. All I know is it's 1-0 going to the bottom of the first.
Showing posts with label Jake Peavy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jake Peavy. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Struggles for Meche, Peavy, Burnett, Hughes, Chapman
On Monday, March 22, both the winning and losing pitchers struggled and finished the game with 6.55 ERAs as the Royals defeated the White Sox 9-5. It was a day that signaled hope for some players and concerns about others.
Kansas City RHP Gil Meche left because of a stiff shoulder after producing a pitching line of 343311. White Sox RHP Jake Peavy’s ERA really soared with his line of 3 10 7704. Royals reserve middle infielders Willie Bloomquist (.556 average) and Mike Aviles (.538) continued to hit. Let’s see how they do back in KC.
In the Tigers’ 8-2 victory over the Blue Jays, Detroit 3B Brandon Inge hit his first home run this spring. He’s recovering from surgery on both knees, but manager Jim Leyland expects Inge to be ready for Opening Day.
The Phillies roughed up Yankees RHPs A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes to win 9-7. Starter Burnett had a line of 475534, and Hughes’ line of 4 1/3 4406 included three homers. SS Wilson Valdez went deep against Hughes in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game.
In one of the spring’s best performances, Indians RHP Fausto Carmona looked like the 19-game-winning 1997 model Carmona in a 9-2 victory over the Cubs. His line was 620002, and Chicago manager Lou Piniella said Carmona had the “best start of any of the pitchers who’ve faced us.” Cubs RHP Jeff Samardzija clung to his hope of landing a spot in their rotation with a line of 442224 that improved his ERA to 6.75.
3B Ryan Zimmerman and LF Josh Willingham hit two homers and drove in three runs apiece against Mets RHP Mike Pelfrey, whose line was 4 2/3 76513 in a 7-5 loss to the Nationals.
The Rockies defeated the Reds 9-1, but the news was all about Cincinnati rookie LHP Aroldis Chapman’s difficulty – a line of 1 2/3 24022 before leaving the game because of a stiff lower back. SS Drew Sutton’s error led to the runs. Colorado 1B Brad Eldred did some damage with two homers, and LHP Jorge De La Rosa dominated with a line of 5 1/3 31115. The Reds’ only run came on OF Drew Stubbs’ third homer.
Back to Chapman. His injury was diagnosed as back spasms, on a day when backs were all over the news. Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols underwent an MRI exam and received an anti-inflammatory injection because of a tight lower back.
Kansas City RHP Gil Meche left because of a stiff shoulder after producing a pitching line of 343311. White Sox RHP Jake Peavy’s ERA really soared with his line of 3 10 7704. Royals reserve middle infielders Willie Bloomquist (.556 average) and Mike Aviles (.538) continued to hit. Let’s see how they do back in KC.
In the Tigers’ 8-2 victory over the Blue Jays, Detroit 3B Brandon Inge hit his first home run this spring. He’s recovering from surgery on both knees, but manager Jim Leyland expects Inge to be ready for Opening Day.
The Phillies roughed up Yankees RHPs A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes to win 9-7. Starter Burnett had a line of 475534, and Hughes’ line of 4 1/3 4406 included three homers. SS Wilson Valdez went deep against Hughes in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game.
In one of the spring’s best performances, Indians RHP Fausto Carmona looked like the 19-game-winning 1997 model Carmona in a 9-2 victory over the Cubs. His line was 620002, and Chicago manager Lou Piniella said Carmona had the “best start of any of the pitchers who’ve faced us.” Cubs RHP Jeff Samardzija clung to his hope of landing a spot in their rotation with a line of 442224 that improved his ERA to 6.75.
3B Ryan Zimmerman and LF Josh Willingham hit two homers and drove in three runs apiece against Mets RHP Mike Pelfrey, whose line was 4 2/3 76513 in a 7-5 loss to the Nationals.
The Rockies defeated the Reds 9-1, but the news was all about Cincinnati rookie LHP Aroldis Chapman’s difficulty – a line of 1 2/3 24022 before leaving the game because of a stiff lower back. SS Drew Sutton’s error led to the runs. Colorado 1B Brad Eldred did some damage with two homers, and LHP Jorge De La Rosa dominated with a line of 5 1/3 31115. The Reds’ only run came on OF Drew Stubbs’ third homer.
Back to Chapman. His injury was diagnosed as back spasms, on a day when backs were all over the news. Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols underwent an MRI exam and received an anti-inflammatory injection because of a tight lower back.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Comebacks: Russ Ortiz si, Payton no
We just know some team, or maybe lots of teams, wore green hats for St. Patrick’s Day. We just didn’t care to look to see which ones they were. Nor did we go to Ebay to buy any pieces of “alternative” green uniforms.
The Braves beat the Marlins and LHP Andrew Miller 4-2. All four Atlanta runs were unearned – but don’t fret about more defense, Florida fans, whoever you are. The Marlins’ three errors were all by guys who might not play anywhere in Florida this season. Their hitters suffered at the arm of Braves RHP Tommy Hanson, whose pitching line was 561104. We thought he was the real deal last year; we’re sure of that now.
Not to be outdone, at least not by much, by a namesake to whom he has become inextricably linked, RHP Russ Ortiz made an audition for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation but lost to the White Sox 5-1. Ortiz’s line was 462223, but his ERA still is just 2.00. For Chicago, RHP Jake Peavy pitched the way the Sox have hoped he would, with a line of 531126 (and ERA of 1.13).
Making his 2010 debut and pitching like a relief version of Athletics RHP Ben Sheets, Yankees LHP Damaso Marte entered their game against the Phillies in the bottom of the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. Four batters later, the score was 5-2. Phillies OF Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer against Marte, whose line was 043301. In fairness to Marte, in a regular-season game he probably wouldn’t be facing the righthanded-batting Werth with two runners on base. But, come on! Isn’t his job to get someone out?
In the Mets’ 4-2 win over the suddenly slumping Red Sox, red-hot New York OF Fernando Martinez hit his third homer this spring. The three-run shot came against RHP Ramon S. Ramirez – the Ramon Ramirez who was with Boston last year and not his namesake/new teammate who pitched for the Reds in 2009. For the Mets, overly hyped RHP prospect Jenrry Mejia lowered his ERA to 1.08 with a line of 100000.
The Blue Jays may not be able to get LHP Brian Tallet out of their rotation. That’s good for him, but maybe not so for Toronto. Anyway, his line was 410003 in a 4-2 victory over the Orioles.
In the Rockies’ 6-3 win over the Indians, Speier – that’s RHP Justin Speier, most recently with the Angels – had a line of 100001. OF Jay Payton’s comeback attempt with Colorado seems ill-fated. He’s batting just .185 and he was both thrown out stealing and picked off first base, the kind of rookie mistakes a grizzled veteran shouldn’t make. The flukiest line of the day was the 400013 by Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco. We defy him to do that well even once during the regular season.
In the aftermath of manager Ron Washington’s admission that he used cocaine during last season, the Rangers’ 8-1 victory over the Mariners was an anticlimax. Texas pounded the ball as if its big hitters were auditioning for the All-Arizona team. RF Nelson Cruz was 3-for-3 with three RBI to raise his average to .448, with homers against RHPs Ian Snell and David Aardsma. 1B Chris Davis improved to .500 with a homer against RHP Brandon League, and LF Josh Hamilton (.429) returned to the lineup with a four-bagger against Snell. Closer Aardsma was hit particularly hard, with a line of 2/3 34410.
Sample Scouting Report:
Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Mets
Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 165 T: R Age: Inj. Risk: 10 Alt. Pos.: SP, RP
{2010} Mejia has generated a lot of buzz with some early success in exhibition games. He throws a mid-90s fastball with sinking action that allows him to get plenty of ground-ball outs. That helped him strike out 91 in 94 2/3 innings last year. Mejia started the season 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA in nine starts at high Class A Port St. Lucie, and finished it 0-5 at Double-A Binghamton, where his ERA more than doubled and he averaged just 4 1/3 innings per start. That resulted in part from a strained middle finger that kept Mejia out seven weeks. He needs to develop his low-80s changeup and possibly another breaking ball to complement the cut fastball he throws at times. It seems likely that he would return to Binghamton to begin the season, but with the New York media machine having little good to say about the Mets, they might be tempted to rush him. Don’t bite on Mejia – not this year, at least. Born: Oct. 11, 1989, Dominican Republic.
Projection
IP: 15 W: 1 ERA: 4.80 WHIP: 1.53 S: 1 SO: 11 Value: $0
The Braves beat the Marlins and LHP Andrew Miller 4-2. All four Atlanta runs were unearned – but don’t fret about more defense, Florida fans, whoever you are. The Marlins’ three errors were all by guys who might not play anywhere in Florida this season. Their hitters suffered at the arm of Braves RHP Tommy Hanson, whose pitching line was 561104. We thought he was the real deal last year; we’re sure of that now.
Not to be outdone, at least not by much, by a namesake to whom he has become inextricably linked, RHP Russ Ortiz made an audition for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation but lost to the White Sox 5-1. Ortiz’s line was 462223, but his ERA still is just 2.00. For Chicago, RHP Jake Peavy pitched the way the Sox have hoped he would, with a line of 531126 (and ERA of 1.13).
Making his 2010 debut and pitching like a relief version of Athletics RHP Ben Sheets, Yankees LHP Damaso Marte entered their game against the Phillies in the bottom of the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. Four batters later, the score was 5-2. Phillies OF Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer against Marte, whose line was 043301. In fairness to Marte, in a regular-season game he probably wouldn’t be facing the righthanded-batting Werth with two runners on base. But, come on! Isn’t his job to get someone out?
In the Mets’ 4-2 win over the suddenly slumping Red Sox, red-hot New York OF Fernando Martinez hit his third homer this spring. The three-run shot came against RHP Ramon S. Ramirez – the Ramon Ramirez who was with Boston last year and not his namesake/new teammate who pitched for the Reds in 2009. For the Mets, overly hyped RHP prospect Jenrry Mejia lowered his ERA to 1.08 with a line of 100000.
The Blue Jays may not be able to get LHP Brian Tallet out of their rotation. That’s good for him, but maybe not so for Toronto. Anyway, his line was 410003 in a 4-2 victory over the Orioles.
In the Rockies’ 6-3 win over the Indians, Speier – that’s RHP Justin Speier, most recently with the Angels – had a line of 100001. OF Jay Payton’s comeback attempt with Colorado seems ill-fated. He’s batting just .185 and he was both thrown out stealing and picked off first base, the kind of rookie mistakes a grizzled veteran shouldn’t make. The flukiest line of the day was the 400013 by Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco. We defy him to do that well even once during the regular season.
In the aftermath of manager Ron Washington’s admission that he used cocaine during last season, the Rangers’ 8-1 victory over the Mariners was an anticlimax. Texas pounded the ball as if its big hitters were auditioning for the All-Arizona team. RF Nelson Cruz was 3-for-3 with three RBI to raise his average to .448, with homers against RHPs Ian Snell and David Aardsma. 1B Chris Davis improved to .500 with a homer against RHP Brandon League, and LF Josh Hamilton (.429) returned to the lineup with a four-bagger against Snell. Closer Aardsma was hit particularly hard, with a line of 2/3 34410.
Sample Scouting Report:
Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Mets
Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 165 T: R Age: Inj. Risk: 10 Alt. Pos.: SP, RP
{2010} Mejia has generated a lot of buzz with some early success in exhibition games. He throws a mid-90s fastball with sinking action that allows him to get plenty of ground-ball outs. That helped him strike out 91 in 94 2/3 innings last year. Mejia started the season 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA in nine starts at high Class A Port St. Lucie, and finished it 0-5 at Double-A Binghamton, where his ERA more than doubled and he averaged just 4 1/3 innings per start. That resulted in part from a strained middle finger that kept Mejia out seven weeks. He needs to develop his low-80s changeup and possibly another breaking ball to complement the cut fastball he throws at times. It seems likely that he would return to Binghamton to begin the season, but with the New York media machine having little good to say about the Mets, they might be tempted to rush him. Don’t bite on Mejia – not this year, at least. Born: Oct. 11, 1989, Dominican Republic.
Projection
IP: 15 W: 1 ERA: 4.80 WHIP: 1.53 S: 1 SO: 11 Value: $0
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