Tag Archives: Barry Zito

September 30, 2015

Games of the Day

The Cardinals play two at Pittsburgh on Wednesday, and St. Louis needs to win just one of the games to clinch the NL Central. The first game offers a great match-up as Michael Wacha takes on Gerrit Cole. If the Pirates win two and the Cubs lose, the Pirates clinch at least the first wild card slot.

The Twins need wins if they are going to obtain an AL Wild card, and they play two against the Indains. Again, the first game offers the better pitching, as Kyle Gibson takes on Carlos Carrasco.

I can’t believe Oakland is starting Barry Zito against the Angels in a game that’s relevant to the division. Garrett Richards may get an easy win.

Enjoy!

September 26, 2015

Games of the Day

Two reunion games stand out on the penultimate Saturday of the regular season. The Rays at the Blue Jays features Chris Archer versus David Price. Not only are the former teammates, Archer considers Price his mentor:

“We’ve still got a lot of pitchers who still do things because Price did them,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “That’s what they talk about, is David Price. I think that speaks volumes about him as a person, as a leader, as a pitcher. It certainly seems like they’re following the right guy because he’s a had a tremendous career so far.”

Archer and Price are both having seasons worthy of Cy Young consideration, with Price at the moment the likely winner in the AL. Archer recorded 246 strikeouts in 203 1/3 innings. Price K’d 219 in 215 1/3 innings with just 16 home runs allowed. Cutting down on the homers pushed Price to the top of the ERA leader board in the AL.

In Oakland, the Giants send Tim Hudson against his old Athletics teammate, Barry Zito. The third of that famous trio, Mark Mulder will be on hand as well. Hudson has finally slipped at seasonal age 39, posting a 4.20 ERA as his strikeout rate dipped to about one every other inning. Zito was back in the majors for the first time since 2013, pitching in relief on 9/20. He pitched okay at AAA, but already allowed two runs in one inning of work.

Enjoy!

August 26, 2013

Games of the Day

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A possible playoff preview takes place in Detroit as Oakland sends A.J. Griffin against Anibal Sanchez. Griffin allowed 40 home runs in his short major league career, but with a .283 career OBP, 28 of those came with the bases empty. Sanchez may be the best pitcher on the Tigers this season, despite Scherzer’s W-L record. His time missed due to injury will cost him in the Cy Young voting, but his strikeout rate is phenomenal.

The slugfest of the day is likely in Colorado, where Barry Zito takes on Juan Nicasio. Zito has been both great and terrible at Coors Field in his career, but I’m betting on terrible showing up this evening. Nicasio pitched better at home this season, with a much lower walk rate.

Finally, Jake Arrieta and Zack Geinke square off as the Cubs play the Dodgers. Jake hasn’t pitched any better for the Cubs than the Orioles, but he did manage to cut his ERA in half. He’s still walking too many batters and allowing too many home runs. Greinke is finishing strong, with a 0.96 ERA in August.

Enjoy!

May 8, 2013

Games of the Day

Wednesday features fine pitching matchups from noon until midnight. The day starts with Felix Hernandez and A.J. Burnett battling in Pittsburgh. Both strike out a ton of batters with a low walk rate, but Felix’s BB/9 IP is half of A.J.’s.

Jake Westbrook remains successful despite his poor K/BB, as he takes on Carlos Villanueva in Chicago. Carlos is typical of the Cubs rotation this season, pitching well but not winning. Unlike other Cubs starters, he hasn’t been hurt of defensive errors.

Jonathan Pettibone face Barry Zito as the Phillies so for a sweep of the Giants. The 22-year-old rookie is off to a great start with 13 K and just two walks in 16 2/3 innings, although he has allowed three home runs. Zito is keeping RHB under control with a .282/.321/.388 slash line allowed.

The Tigers and Nationals try again with Anibal Sanchez and Jordan Zimmermann hoping to stay dry.

Finally, Wade Miley takes on Clayton Kershaw in Los Angeles. Miley is tough early on the Diamondbacks opposition, allowing a .169 BA in his first 45 pitches, .324 after that. Kershaw allowed just five runs, three earned at home this season for a 0.92 ERA in Dodger Stadium. Three of the five scored on solo home runs.

Enjoy!

April 27, 2013

Shutouts Keep Coming

There were four team shutouts Friday night, and five starters were credited with at least a short shutout as starters continue to roll in 2013. There have now been 77 short shutouts in the first 26 days of the season, the most in the range of the Day by Day Database (1957 on). In terms of percentage of starts, 11.5% is the highest since the expansion to 30 teams, and only trails the 1991 season, which saw 12.0% of starts result in short shutouts through this point in the season. The 1968 and 1972 seasons come in at 11.4%, third and fourth. The three seasons surrounding 2013 on the highest percentage list came about in a much lower scoring era. So far, 2013 produced 8.36 runs per game (RPG). The first 26 days of 1991 came in at 8.09 RPG, 1968 at 6.75 RPG, and 1972 at 7.43 RPG.

Some of that difference might be pitcher use. In 1968 and 1972, a starter throwing a shutout wasn’t coming out of the game. Therefore, he had more of a chance to lose the shutout, and the short shutout as well. You can see how over time the complete game shutout has disappeared, with more and more pitchers earning short shutouts:

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Note that there have already been more short shutouts in 2013 than there were complete game shutouts in 2012. Yu Darvish and Barry Zito lead the way with three short shutouts each, but 14 pitchers already earned at least two.

We’ll see how this plays out. This was a cold April, and that usually cuts down on offense. I do get the feeling that the spread of talent is high this season. In the first month of the season, however, it is always going to look high due to extremely small sample sizes. At the end of May, I suspect the spread of qualifying ERAs will be much smaller.

April 21, 2013

Home Body

Barry Zito pitched seven shutout innings against the Padres in San Francisco, allowing one walk while striking out four. He threw 102 pitches, 71 for strikes as he leaves with a 5-0 lead.

In three starts at home covering 21 innings, Zito has yet to allow a run this season. Maybe the Giants should just pitch him in San Francisco, as his only road start resulted in nine runs allowed in in 2 2/3 innings. While left-right platoons have been used for a very long time, you don’t see home/road platoons. For a while, I thought they may be useful in extreme parks, like Coors. Maybe one like that would work for Zito.

April 16, 2013

Games of the Day

The Red Sox travel to Cleveland for the first game pitting former manager Terry Francona against his old pitching coach John Farrell. Felix Doubront faces Ubaldo Jimenez. Neither is off to a great start in terms of ERA, but both are striking out batters at a good clip.

There are a few interleague games this Tuesday, the best of the group featuring Kansas City at Atlanta as Jeremy Guthrie tries to stop Kris Medlen from extending the Braves winning streak. Guthrie won his first two starts despite allowing three home runs. He walked just two batters in 11 innings to help keep the bases empty. Medlen walked more than he struck out, but has yet to allow a long ball. In his brief career he allowed just 24 homers in 327 2/3 innings.

Barry Zito, in the last year of his Giants contract, has yet to allow a run as he takes on Wily Peralta and the Brewers. Zito is holding right-handed batters to a .220/.238/.293 slash line. With San Francisco through 2012, RHB hit .263/.343/.425 against him. Peralta continues to be a high walk, high K pitcher.

Enjoy!

October 24, 2012

Giants Win Big

Pablo Sandoval

Pablo Sandoval celebrates after hitting his third home run in game one of the 2012 World Series. Photo: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants take game one of the 2012 World Series 8-3. They get three outstanding performances. The biggest came off the bat of Pablo Sandoval. He went four for four, hitting three home runs. That tied, Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols for most home runs in a World Series game. That’s very nice company. Pablo went 0 for 3 in the 2010 World Series, so he’s off to a much better start.

Barry Zito pitched into the sixth for the win. He gave up six hits, but only one run. He walked just one batter, as the return of his control has made a huge difference. Tim Lincecum followed Barry, and Tim was smokin’. He retired all seven batters he faced, striking out five.

Gregor Blanco also gets kudos for two great diving catches to rob Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder of hits.

The Giants beat probably the best pitcher in baseball. This is a game the Tigers should have won, so the rotation advantage they owned coming into the series disappears a bit as they send their 3-4 starters against the Giants 1-2 in games three and four.

As we saw in the last three games of the NLCS, every bit of luck goes the Giants way. They just need to keep that going for three more wins.

October 24, 2012

From A to Zito

In the bottom of the fourth, a leadoff walk to Brandon Belt leads to another run as Barry Zito lines a single by a diving Miguel Cabrera for an RBI. Belt moved up to second on a ground out, and scores as Delmon Young throws the ball into the ground. Everything continues to go right for the Giants on both sides of the ball. The Giants lead 5-0.

Update: Angel Pagan grounds out to end the inning. Verlander has thrown 98 pitches in just four innings.

October 19, 2012

Zito Done

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Barry Zito went a long way tonight to making up for all those years of under-performing his contract. He pitches 7 2/3 innings, allowing no runs, but is responsible for a man on first. He allowed just six hits and one walk. Down the stretch this season, he found his control and was able to keep home runs low, and that worked for him tonight. The Giants lead 5-0, and St. Louis is down to four outs.

Update: Santiago Casilla strikes out Matt Holliday to end the inning, and Barry Zito earns a short shutout.

October 19, 2012

Playoffs Today

The Cardinals take their first of three shots at eliminating the Giants as Barry Zito squares off against Lance Lynn in St. Louis. I keep reading that the Giants won Zito’s last 12 starts (including one against the Reds) as the reason he should be on the mound.

“You don’t win as many games as he’s won this year if you aren’t throwing the ball well,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s earned this. And we have all the confidence in Barry tomorrow. We do have to get these bats going, though.”

In the 11 regular season starts, Zito’s ERA was close to 4.00. He walk rate was very good, and he kept the ball in the park. If he can do those two things against a selective Cardinals lineup, the Giants have a chance. In his one start against the Cardinals this season, he did not walk a batter in 6 2/3 innings, but won despite allowing two home runs. Both were solo shots.

Lynn did not pitch well in the series opener, lasting just 3 2/3 innings. Madison Bumgarner did worse, however, lasting the same number of innings but allowing two more runs. Lynn comes into the game with an 8.59 ERA in the 2012 playoffs, his biggest problem allowing three home runs in 7 1/3 innings. Adam Wainwright gave the Cardinals a deep start last night, so the bullpen should be rested if Lynn gets knocked out early.

Enjoy!

October 10, 2012

Playoffs Today

The Cardinals and Nationals get the day started with Chris Carpenter facing Edwin Jackson. Carpenter has a great post-season record and ERA, 9-2 with a 3.05 ERA. That does seem to be low given his K, BB and HR rates. The Cardinals know Jackson, as he posted a 5.60 ERA for them in the playoffs in 2011.

Barry Zito and Mat Latos battle in Cincinnati as the Reds take their second shot at winning their NLDS. Did you ever think that Barry Zito would get the nod over Tim Lincecum in a playoff game? Mat Latos was reported ill, and is pitching on somewhat short rest after relieving in game 1.

Miguel Gonzalez takes on Hiroki Kuroda as the Orioles and Yankees move to the Bronx. The Orioles rookie was 2-0 against the Yankees with a 2.63 ERA in two starts. Kuroda owned a 2.72 ERA a Yankee Stadium this season, mostly due to great control.

Finally, Max Sherzer tries to pitch the Tigers to the next round as he faces the Athletics and A.J. Griffin. Max was wild in the playoffs last season, walking nine in 15 2/3 innings. Griffin gave up three home runs in his only start against Detroit this season.

Enjoy!

October 2, 2012

Games of the Day

The Yankees can clinch a tie for the AL East with a win as David Phelps hosts Jon Lester and the Red Sox. Lester’s ERA is approaching five as he’s pitched poorly down the stretch, with five homers and 14 walks allowed in 31 1/3 September innings. Phelps takes over from Ivan Nova in the Yankees rotation. He owns a 3.81 ERA as a starter, with 50 K in 52 innings.

The Orioles need to win to maintain a shot at the AL East title. Miguel Gonzalez takes on the Rays and James Shields in Tampa Bay. Gonzalez owns a 5.17 ERA in three starts against the Rays, allowing 11 walks in 15 2/3 innings. Shields can match his 2011 season total of 16 wins with a victory tonight. Only nine of his 24 home runs allowed came at home this season.

Mat Latos faced Chris Carpenter as the Cardinals try to clinch a wild card slot with a win. Latos has the 11th best ERA in the majors since Aug. 1, a great ranking considering his home park. Carpenter makes his third start, and his control is right on as he walked one batter in his first 11 innings.

Texas place their second match point as they try to clinch against the Athletics again. An Oakland win leaves the teams tied for the AL West lead, and turns tomorrow’s game into a playoff. Matt Harrison takes on Travis Blackley. Matt’s ERA is slightly lower than last season, but he stayed in games longer, helping him to increase his win total by at least four. Blackley managed just 18 innings in four starts against Texas this season allowing 14 runs for a 7.00 ERA. He only walked three, but that’s probably because Texas batters saw lots of pitches they liked, as they banged out 25 hits.

Finally, the Giants and Dodgers game may or may not matter, but LA hopes to stay alive as they host Barry Zito against Chris Capuano. Zito allowed 12 of his 20 homers on the road this season, which is worse than it looks due to pitching 24 fewer innings on the road. Capuano could not sustain his early season success, with an ERA of 4.71 since the All-Star break.

Enjoy!

September 9, 2012

Games of the Day

The Yankees go for a split with the Orioles as Freddy Garcia faces Zach Britton Sunday afternoon. It’s been a homer happy series, as the Orioles hit 12 home runs in the first three games, and the Yankees hit four. Garcia allowed 16 homers in 99 innings this year, so the O’s may add a few more to their total. Britton has not allowed a home run in his four-start hot streak, helping him to an 0.94 ERA in that stretch. The winner takes sole possession of the AL East lead.

It’s not really a game of the day, but Toronto goes for a sweep of the Red Sox, which would leave Boston buried in last place in the AL East. I wonder if the Red Sox are playing for a draft pick at this point.

Two rookies face off in Pittsburgh as Chris Rusin of the Cubs faces Jeff Locke. Rusin makes his third start, his first two being mirror images. He allowed one run in five innings against Milwaukee, then five runs in one inning against the Nationals. Locke walked one and struck out seven in 9 1/3 innings this season, a huge improvement over his 10 BB, 5 K outings in 2011. The Pirates really need a win to get back on track.

Finally, the Sunday night game features Clayton Kershaw against Barry Zito as the Dodgers and Giants play the rubber game of their series. Kershaw is suffering a frustrating season against the Giants. He’s 1-3, but with a 1.74 ERA in four starts. He hasn’t even allowed an unearned run. He walked four and struck out 32 in 31 innings. In his three losses, the Dodgers scored 1, 0, and 1 run. His only win was a 4-0 shutout. Zito is in a similar boat, 1-2 against the Dodgers in three starts with a 3.44 ERA. Barry has been wild, with eight walks and just 11 K in 18 1/3 innings. The Dodgers should win this game, and they need to do so to stay close in the NL West race. They don’t want to make up 5 1/2 games with just 21 left to play.

Enjoy!

August 24, 2012

Zito Magic

Raising Matt Cain comments on Barry Zito‘s pitching:

It’s all about pitching, not throwing, eh? Timing, location, movement, that’s the mix, and he’s a Master Mixologist. I wonder how he does with cocktails? I think it is pretty cool that pitchers can get guys out without having ridiculous stuff.

I hope he can make a decent Manhattan.

The author is right. Speed and strikeouts impress, but they are not the only way to be successful on the mound in the majors.

July 23, 2012

Finding Value

Beyond the Boxscore researches the players returning the most bang for the buck this season, as well as those producing the least value compared to their contracts. Impressively, Barry Zito still tops the list of worst pitchers, despite a decent season. Youngsters Mike Trout and Chris Sale head the list of best hitters and best pitchers.

June 26, 2012

Gaining on the Dodgers

Barry Zito should have earned a little love from Giants fans as he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers Monday night as San Francisco wins 8-0. Barry pitched decently against Los Angeles in his Giants career, although his 3.89 ERA is only good for a 6-9 record. Pablo Sandoval had the big night at the plate with three hits, including two doubles and three RBI.

The Giants closed the gap in the NL West to two games with the win. They also lead the NL Wild Card race, which also has a massive four-way tie for the second slot. I hope that holds up over the season. 🙂

June 19, 2012

Games of the Day

Lance Lynn and the Cardinals visit Detroit to face Justin Verlander. Lynn goes for his 11th win to tie R.A. Dickey for the major league lead. Lynn pitches well on the road, with a 6-1 record and a 2.32 ERA, although four of his five home runs allowed came away from St. Louis. Facing National League seemed to cure Justin Verlander’s slump as he pitched consecutive quality starts walking three and striking out 17 in 14 innings.

Out west, expensive free agents Barry Zito and C.J. Wilson square off as the Giants continue their series with the Angels. At 1.32, Zito owns his lowest WHIP since joining San Francisco. He continues to be “clutch”, with a .214 BA allowed with runners in scoring position. Wilson turned out to be a great free-agent signing, as his 2.30 ERA ranks first in the American League.

Enjoy!

June 14, 2012

Games of the Day

The Mets go for a sweep of the Rays as New York sends Johan Santana against Jeremy Hellickson. Thanks in part to his no-hitter, Santana allowed just 56 hits in 73 innings this season, good for a .210 BA allowed and a .269 OBP allowed. Hellickson comes close to that pitching at home, with a .217 BA and a .272 OBP allowed.

Wandy Rodriguez and Barry Zito face off in a battle of similar pitchers. Houston’s Rodriguez and San Francisco’s Zito are both lefties with five wins and ERAs in the 3.20s. Both give up home runs, Zito eight and Rodriguez ten. The main difference is that Wandy is more likely to allow a hit, Barry more likely to issue a free pass.

Finally, in the one late game, Edinson Volquez leads the Padres against the Mariners and Erasmo Ramirez. Volquez has trouble on the road this season with a 5.20 ERA away from San Diego. His home run rate nearly doubles outside the friendly confines of PETCO Park. Rookie Erasmo is off to a decent start. He issues a good number of walks, but so far opponents found him tough to hit.

Enjoy.

June 3, 2012

Another Zero for Zito

Barry Zito pitched a shutout in his first start of the season, and he came close today as he last 8 1/3 innings, Serigo Romo finishing the 2-0 Giants win over the Cubs. Zito showed good control, walking just two while striking out five. His ERA is down to 2.98. He’s only walked 28 in 66 1/3 innings this season, which isn’t bad for Barry. San Francisco is just three games behind the Dodgers now.

May 28, 2012

Zito Up

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Barry Zito pitched a nice game Monday afternoon, holding the Diamondbacks to two runs in seven innings. He showed good control as he walked just one batter.

Zito had his ups and downs this season. This good start comes off too poor ones. Overall, however, Zito posted six quality starts and holds a 3.41 ERA. In his position as fifth starter, he’s being quite useful.

May 13, 2012

Games of the Day

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Andy Pettitte returns to major league baseball as he starts for the Yankees against the Mariners. This is about as good as the Yankees could make it for Andy. Seattle is a very left-handed hitting team, the Mariners are scoring 3.69 runs per game, and Andy gets to pitch in front of a friendly Yankee Stadium crowd. I’m still not convinced Andy will do well this season, but I can imagine him doing well today. Kevin Millwood starts for Seattle. He’s allowed 43 hits and 15 walks in 33 2/3 innings, hence his 5.88 ERA.

Cole Hamels finished his suspension and faces Jeff Suppan as the Padres battle the Phillies. Jeff has four walks and three strikeouts in ten innings, but despite those poor number allowed just one run so far in two starts. Hamels posts numbers that could put him in contention for a Cy Young award this year. He struck out 44 and walked just six in 40 1/3 innings. Right-handed batters are hitting just .209 against him.

The Braves go for a sweep of the Cardinals as Tommy Hanson visits Lance Lynn. Hanson owns a 2.74 ERA on the road this season as opponents are hitting .233 away from Atlanta against him. They’re hitting .306 at Tuner Field. Lynn holds opponents to a .232 OBP and with so few batters reaching, all three home runs against him were solo shots.

Lefties rumble in Arizona as Barry Zito and Joe Saunders bring their unexpectedly good ERAs into the game. The Giants must be very pleased with Barry Zito and his 2.21 ERA. The 17 walks and 18 K in 36 2/3 innings aren’t great, but so far the latter number has not led to more hits. Opponents are just 3 for 30 against Zito with runners in scoring position. Saunders is showing great control, with just 10 walks in 39 2/3 innings.

Finally, the Angels send Jered Weaver against Texas and Neftali Feliz. Weaver reduces American League batters to good hitting pitchers as they post a .174/.214/.242 slash line against him. Feliz made the transition from relief to starting seamlessly. The right-handed pitcher holds left-handed batters to a .169 BA, although five of their 11 hits went for extra bases.

Enjoy!

May 7, 2012

Games of the Day

The Rangers continue their tour of playing first-place teams as they travel to Baltimore to meet the Orioles. Matt Harrison takes on Brian Matusz. Harrison’s control is top notch, with just seven walks in 30 innings, but batters are smacking his pitches in the strike zone for a .312 batting average and a .488 slugging percentage. The left-hander Matusz gets creamed by right-handed batters, hitting .308/.390/.462 against him. When that many batters reach base, even a low power offense will push them around to score.

Jered Weaver

Jered Weaver celebrates his no-hitter against the Twins. He faces them again Monday night. Photo: © Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Jered Weaver makes his first start since his no-hitter, once again facing the Twins. Francisco Liriano stands in opposition. This is Weaver’s second trip to Minneapolis this season, and he allowed five runs in his first game there. His hitless inning streak against the Twins stands at nine, as he gave up two singles in his last inning on 4/11/2012. Lirano lost two legs of the FIP stool this year, as he walked 16 batters and allowed five home runs in 21 2/3 innings. With only the strikeout leg to stand on, his ERA is 9.97.

The second and fifth best ERAs in the National League face each other as Lance Lynn (1.60) and Joe Saunders (1.24) square off as the Cardinals visit the Diamondbacks. Lynn showed impressive control since he came to the majors last season, walking just 18 and striking out 70 in 68 1/3 innings. Saunders has been tough on right-handed batters this season, holding them to a .198/.274/.260 slash line.

Finally, crafty lefties battle in Los Angeles as Barry Zito and the Giants take on Ted Lilly and the Dodgers. Zito’s walks and strikeouts are close to parity so I don’t see this sub 2.00 ERA continuing. He’s kept hitters off balance enough that they hit just .184 against him this season. Barry gives up line drives at the rate of 15.3% this season, well below his career norms. Lilly makes his fifth start of the season. He usually has trouble with the long ball, but allowed just one home run in his first 26 innings.

Just a mention, but Doug Fister returns to the Tigers rotation today. Detroit plays the Rays at the end of June, so there are a few weeks for Fister’s spot in the rotation to match David Price. 🙂

Enjoy!

April 25, 2012

From Zero to Zito

Barry Zito does it again, holding the Cincinnati Reds to one run during his six innings on the mound. He continued his good control, walking just two batters. His ERA now stands at 1.67.

Unfortunately, the Giants didn’t do as well once the bullpen came in. The Reds scored three unearned runs against the relief pitching, and Cincinnati took the game 4-2. Aroldis Chapman struck out two more batters to bring his total to 20 in 11 1/3 innings.

April 25, 2012

Games of the Day

Cole Hamels and Trevor Cahill square off as the Phillies and Diamondbacks play an afternoon game. Hamels cut his walk rate by about 1/3 in 2011 versus 2010, and now he’s on a pace to cut his 2011 rate in half. It seems Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are a good influence on Cole. Cahill has been wild but tough to hit so far in 2012, with 10 BB and 13 hits in 19 innings.

Two teams involved in the four-way tie for first in the AL East go head-to-head as Toronto send Kyle Drabek against Baltimore and Jason Hammel. Drabek is pitching like Cahill above, with lots of walks and few hits. His best game of the season came against these Orioles, 7 1/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts. Despite the wildness, his ERA stands at 2.00. Hammel comes by his 2.37 ERA the more conventional way, with good rates on all three-true outcomes. The right-hander is holding LHB to a .182 BA this season, although five of the six hits by lefties went for extra bases.

Barry Zito and Bronson Arroyo are each early comeback player of the year candidates as the Giants and Reds meet in Cincinnati. Zito found his control for really the first time in his career, and comes into the game with a 1.71 ERA. Arroyo was sick last season with mono, but now he’s healthy and pounding the strike zone as he’s walked one batter in 21 2/3 innings.

Finally, the Braves and the Dodgers each send a pitcher to the mound with an ERA under 1.00 as Brandon Beachy faces Ted Lilly. Opponents are just 11 for 68 against Beachy, but four of those hits came with runners in scoring position. Lilly is similar, with opponents batting .143 overall, but 3 for 7 with men in scoring position. Teams haven’t scored much against these two due simply to the lack of opportunity.

Enjoy!

April 14, 2012

Games of the Day

Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish can give an anatomy lesson on the muscles and ligaments of the arm with this pitch. Photo: © Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Yu Darvish makes his second start as the Rangers face Minnesota and Nick Blackburn. Darvish’s first inning in the majors was rough, allowing four hits and three walks. He allowed four hits the rest of the game with one walk. The Angels only went 5 for 24 against Nick in his first start, but a 3 for 5 with runners in scoring position pumped his ERA over 7.00.

In a battle for third place in the AL Central, the Indians send Jeanmar Gomez against the Royals and Jonathan Sanchez. Gomez makes his first start of 2012 after working two two perfect innings of relief against the White Sox, striking out three. An increase in his K rate this season would greatly complement his low walk rate. Sanchez showed his control issues in his first start, but also showed he was tough to hit as he gave up four hits and three walks in five innings.

Barry Zito goes for two good starts in a row as the Pirates continue their series with the Giants. Charlie Morton pitches for Pittsburgh. Morton comes off the disabled list to make his first start of the season after hip surgery last winter. His big improvement in 2011 came from reducing his home run rate by nearly one sixth. Zito started the season with a four-hit shutout. Zito abandoned his four seam fastball in favor of the two-seamer and the slider. The opposition generated few line drives in that game. Contact is fine, as long as the contact is not good.

Enjoy!

April 9, 2012

All Hail Barry Zito!

Now that Barry Zito is no longer the highest paid pitcher on the Giants, the pressure is off and he comes through with a shutout of the Rockies. The Giants knocked out ten hits and walked seven times as they scored seven runs in support, but Pablo Sandoval‘s first inning, two-run home run would have been enough.

Zito was in control, walking none and striking out four. The Rockies making contact means he pitched efficiently, throwing 113 pitches, 70 for strikes. I can’t wait to see his velocities tomorrow, to see if he’s adopted the Jamie Moyer slow and slower approach.

March 31, 2012

Maybe They Should Go to a Four Man Rotation

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Giants Win on Barry Zito:

So the Giants will start this season with the probability that they’re going to lose the games that Zito starts. None of the other prospective No. 5 starters seems to have pitched well enough this spring to merit getting Zito’s slot.

So Zito gets worse, and there’s no one to replace him. Ryan Vogelsong went on the disabled list, and should be ready for April 15th, the first time the Giants need a fifth starter, so Barry will get two starts in that time. Will the Giants start skipping his starts after that? Why not let the other four pitch every five days instead of every five games? That would keep fifth starter starts to around 20 instead of around 30, so he’ll do less damage.

March 30, 2012

More Moyer

Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti gave Barry Zito some advice: Watch Jamie Moyer:

“I askEd Barry to watch Moyer not because of how he’s doing, but to look at how he’s doing it,” pitching coach Dave Righetti said. “He needs to look at how relaxed (Moyer) is.”

…

The ancient left-hander has won 208 games since he turned 33, mostly with stuff that pales in comparison to what Zito has had in his underwhelming Giants career.

It’s a great idea. Mike Mussina did that his last season in the majors. Everything he threw was slow, but he would throw from 60 to 80 MPH and the speed difference and movement was enough to fool batters. Mussina was stubborn, and had to endure a 5.15 ERA in 2007 before he would change. At least he wasn’t as stubborn as Barry.

March 11, 2012

Zito in the House

Barry Zito worked with Tom House this winter, and House believes Barry can be a good pitcher for a long time:

“The skepticism is well-deserved,” House said by phone from Los Angeles. “In any sport you’re only as good as your last pitch, catch or throw. But I’m a firm believer that in today’s world you can pitch into your 40s. Barry is 33. From what I know about him physiologically, there is no reason he can’t be like Jamie Moyer and pitch into his 40s. What he has to do is optimize what he has as he goes through the aging process.

“I’m always optimistic. I think he’ll be just fine. He might not be a Cy Young again, but he definitely can continue for the next 10 years.”

Barry pitched well on Saturday. If he turns into a lefty junkballer, that fine with me. Pitchers like that have know success in this business.