June 22, 2008
Blackburn Ground
Nick Blackburn
Photo: Scott D. Weaver/Icon SMI
Nick Blackburn helped the Twins pull to 2 1/2 games behind the White Sox as he allowed three hits over seven innings as Minnesota defeated Arizona 6-1. Blackburn's 3.68 ERA ranks 14th in the American League this season. While he's not Johan Santana, Blackburn helped stabilize the rotation. Like Johan, Nick rarely issues a walk, none Saturday night.
Nick, however, usually gives up hits. His .337 OBA allowed despite a low walk total is not impressive. Blackburn's OBA is deceptive, however, since he does a very good job of inducing double plays. With two against Arizona, opponents grounded into fourteen DPs this season with Nick on the mound. That lowers his effective OBA to .301. While that won't lead the league, it means he's well below the American League average for pitchers of .329.
Nick also shuts down the running game. Not only have base runners attempted just one steal against Nick, it resulted in a caught stealing. While Blackburn's overall stats are not that impressive, he does a few things to bring his ERA to a very productive level.
Posted by David Pinto at
09:42 AM
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