Mike Trout is batting .435 with a 1.143 OPS in AAA right now. Vernon Wells is blocking him. Vernon Wells. I hate this fucking organization.
First start: Verlander throws 8 scoreless innings, gets a ND when Valverde blows it in the 9th. Second start: Verlander throws 8 scoreless innings, gets a loss when he allows 4 runs in the 9th. Third start: Verlander throws 8 innings of 1 run ball, goes out for the ninth, allows one run, loads the bases, and then throws pitches 128, 129, and 131 at 100 mph to get a strikeout to finish it. BOSS HOSS
Well, you see, the Nationals have a pretty intelligent GM and staff, and now they've got several top-talent type people on the roster or on their way, plus lots of useful average players so that very few shitty players get much time. That's how you build a winner.
They've always played the Phillies fucking hard, no matter what their record... They're all the more intimidating now that it seems the team is really coming together with many different pieces.
The slow starters all had good nights, so everyone is finally over .200. Colby Lewis is looking good this year, 22Ks to 1 BB.
God I hate Mike Scioscia. Anyone who calls him "one of the best managers in baseball" doesn't know shit. His decisions cost the team so many fucking games. Lets pull Dan Haren after 85 pitches and bring in the shitty excuse for a bullpen.
To be fair, Dan Haren's velocity sucks this season. He never did seem like a pitcher that took particularly good care of himself. It's not good to be a 31 year old righty and trying to work with 88 mph. He's never been a power pitcher but I don't think he topped 90 tonight. He averaged exactly 90 last year. EDIT - But yeah, Scioscia never seemed like a great manager to me either.
It definitely helped that they got the number one draft pick two years in a row to get two pretty incredible players.
Well, he lets Scot Downs (the only good reliever on the team) face one batter, and then brings in the worst reliever on the team to pitch the 8th in a one run lead. Hilarity ensues. Same shit, different year.
Drafting is a skill, too. Tigers got Verlander #2 when the Padres passed on him to get Matt Bush at #1, who recently ran over a 72 year old motorcyclist's head with his car. EDIT - Also, it's more than just those two players, especially because one of them hasn't hit MLB yet. Zim and Zimm are great players. Werth is good, though the contract is outsized. Gio is very good. Jackson was a great pick up. It's easy to get a few good players. It's harder to get them and then put competent players around them so you're not giving ABs and IP to shitty players. Look at the Dodgers. They have two of the best players in the NL, and then fucking nothing behind them.
If drafting was easy, The Pirates should have the greatest team ever. After 18 straight losing seasons...
Looking back on the trade that sent Edwin to Arizona, I'm not sure I'd want Scherzer in return anymore. I hate watching him pitch. He's got the stuff, but something fucked him up badly last year and it seems like every start he gets more and more afraid to be aggressive in the strike zone. He darts around the sides, throws useless pitches, and the ones that hang will undoubtedly be hit for extra. For every batter he's faced: 31% strike out (cool) 2.3% go for HR (okay) 6.8% get walked (below average still, okay) 11.4% hit for at least a double (wut) That last number accounts for 39% of the hits off of him. He's a fly ball pitcher with no confidence. He can't turn double plays, and even with a huge K% he gives up way too many XBH to be a solid pitcher - especially with CoPa's outfield and Delmon I-refuse-to-DH Young playing left. He needs a shot of Macallan before every start, methinks. edit: Oh, and Gio is the man indeed. Oakland wanted our top two prospects for him and now that we've got two AAA pitchers in our rotation, I almost wish we would've. That Smyly kid though, I'm still in love with him. 6IP/1ER/4K/1BB/101 pitches in his second big league start? Okay.
Well, consider it's his curveball that he got most of his strikeouts on ... He might have had two strikeouts on the changeup. But his signature pitch is definitely the curve at about 79 mph.
Fucking filthy pitcher's duel tonight between Cain and Lee. Granted it's against two positively anemic offenses, but still.
Gj phillies offense. Way to letdown a starter that gave you ten shutout innings... Way to fucking go.
Yeah, holy shit, a double 'complete' game shut out? What a pitcher's duel that must have been. Anyone in Philly stay up to watch the whole thing? Think y'alls reliever that lost it is a bastard? By the way, Eric, should be a good series this weekend. But we've already locked up a winning road trip so I'll be happy taking one of four and Hamilton not getting hurt diving into home like last year. You going to any games or do you still live in Chicago (or Montana now, wow)? My buddy is going to Verlander vs Feliz on Saturday, which should be a Detroit win.
I lay pretty much all the blame on the offense and Charlie Manuel's decision to bat Thome in the 11th. We had a man on 3rd, 1 out, and Charlie puts in Thome against a lefty. Thome, btw, who's had maybe one hit thus far this season and hasn't even been making great contact.
Sadly, I was watching Flyers vs. Penguins and then Kings vs. Canucks. Woke up to this news and went Lee: 10 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Cain: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Fuck This just reminded me that we need to fucking pay Hamels already. Damn it.
Yeah, you guys get shut out and can't score one run, so you better sign your third best pitcher to an outrageous extension. KLEM - I live in MT now, so no games for me unless I trek to Seattle. I listen to most of them. Got fed up with all the bad tv announcers around the country, so I just do radio now, and it feels better. I'd be happy to split that series with you guys. Texas looks incredible right now.
I meant seeing Cain, who will probably be the barometer for what Cole will be paid even though it was way too much. Cole claims it doesn't matter but I feel like it would be disconcerting to go months without a deal even though there were talks. Seems like a distraction, whereas Cain has his payday and can focus on pitching.
Our current TV play by play was one of the former radio guys, and the color guy is Tom Grieve, so I guess I luck out in that regard. I absolutely hate it when the game is only on Fox or ESPN. Terrible announcers.
