Hisanori Takahashi signed a two-year deal with the Angels. The former Mets reliever will make $8 million. He posted good strikeout and walk numbers in 2010, working both as a starter and reliever. This is a nice deal for the Angels.
Meanwhile, Francisco Rodriguez avoided jail by pleading guilty and agreeing to additional anger management classes due to K-Rod’s assault on his girlfriend’s father.
The Mariners go for a sweep of their home stand and their seventh win in a row as Ted Lilly and the Cubs take on Felix Hernandez. Seattle allowed one or zero runs in their last six games, three runs total. The Angels beat up Lilly in his last outing. Despite striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings, Ted gave up nine hits and two home runs. Hernandez has his great control back this month, walking six in his last 31 2/3 innings while striking out 32.
The Mets go for a sweep of the Tigers as Armando Galarraga battles Hisanori Takahashi. Galarraga has not fared well since his perfect game that wasn’t, allowing 20 hits in 17 innings and walking more than he’s struck out. Takahashi moved from the bullpen to the rotation seamlessly. His ERAs in the two roles are almost identical. He reduced his strikeouts as a starter, but he brought his walks down as well.
Enjoy!
Hisanori Takahashi might be the most popular man in Japan right now, as twice he pitched six shutout innings against the Yankees. Against one of the best offenses in baseball, in front of the media glare of a subway series, the Mets import allowed just nine hits in 12 innings, seven of them singles. He walked just three. The lefty held the Yankees left-handed batters to a 1 for 10, but he also kept the right-handers at bay with a .286 OBP and a .273 slugging percentage. Those two starts make him worth every penny of the $1 million the Mets are paying him this season.
For the fourth game in a row, the Philadelphia Phillies failed to score against the opponent’s starting pitcher. Hisanori Takahashi lasted six innings, and the Mets bullpen finished the job as New York won 5-0. Takahashi walked none and struck out six, lowering his ERA to 2.13. On the season, he has struck out 44 in 38 innings, allowing 32 hits.
The Phillies have now gone 28 innings without scoring against the opponent’s starter. That’s amazing for what should be one of the league powerhouse offenses. More on this tomorrow.