July 16, 2007
Games of the Day
The Blue Jays and Yankees, hanging on at the edge of the pennant race, meet today for the start of a four game series. Each team really needs to take at least three out of four, not only to improve their standings against the other but to keep pace with the Red Sox who go into Kansas City for a three-game series. Tonight's game may end up a high scoring one as Josh Towers faces Kei Igawa. Towers problem is lots of hits. He's only issued eleven walks in 71 innings, but he's given up 81 hits. On top of that, nine of the twelve home runs he's allowed came with men on base. The Kei to getting to Igawa is the two-strike pitch. Opponents are batting an amazing .309 (34/110) against Igawa with two strikes in the count. He's not putting batters away.
The Diamondbacks and Brewers offer a possible playoff preview as the meet in Milwaukee. Micah Owings takes the hill for Arizona, and he's getting pounded by left-handed hitters in 2007. The Brewers can put five lefties in the lineup against a pitcher who allowed a .547 slugging percentage to that side this year. Bush is doing everything right with strikeouts, walks and home runs allowed, but the opposition is still hitting him well and running up his ERA. He's another pitcher who doesn't handle the two-strike situation well, allowing a .247 batting average in that situation.
The other possible playoff preview pits the Padres against the Mets in San Diego. Jorge Sosa comes off the disabled list to face suspension appealing David Wells. All six of Sosa's home runs allowed this season were solo shots. Wells is getting hit this season and we may finally be seeing his swan song. He's allowing a .309 BA, a .349 OBA and a .468 slugging percentage. He's given up 115 hits, and 40 of those went for extra bases.
Enjoy!
Posted by David Pinto at
03:51 PM
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