Tag Archives: Matt Harrison

May 15, 2014

Rangers Lose 40% of their Rotation

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It appears likely that Matt Harrison and Martin Perez will miss the rest of the season due to injury:

Harrison, who left Tuesday’s game with a stiff back after 1 2/3 innings, was diagnosed with severe nerve irritation in his lower back. He will need spinal fusion surgery to eliminate the discomfort, which would force him to miss the rest of the season.

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Perez has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. He could try to rehab the injury and return in 10 to 12 weeks, if it responds. Or he will need Tommy John surgery, which would force him to miss the rest of the season.

The Rangers already used nine different starters this season. Colby Lewis and Robby Ross pitched better than their ERAs, so a Yu Darvish, Lewis, Ross top of the rotation is not so bad. We’ll see how the team ends up filling in the holes. Atlanta seemed to find a way this year.

March 31, 2013

Game of the Day

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The 2013 baseball season gets underway tonight as the Houston Astros play their first game as an American League franchise as they host their state rival the Texas Rangers. Matt Harrison takes the hill for Texas against Bud Norris.

I’m not surprised that Harrison’s improvement as a pitch coincided with the arrival of Adrian Beltre in Texas. Harrison doesn’t strike out many batters, but does induce ground balls. As a left-hander, he sees a high percentage of right-handed batters. Beltre and Elvis Andrus form a brick wall on the left-side of the infield. Combine that with Harrison finding his control, and the Rangers have a pitcher with an ERA in the low threes.

Norris could use some of that defense. In three of his four seasons in the majors, his ERA came in higher than his FIP. He strikes out a ton of batters, so he keeps pressure off his defense, but his walk and home run rates somewhat negate that.

Enjoy!

January 17, 2013

Money Matt

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The Texas Rangers made Matt Harrison a rich man:

The Texas Rangers have finalized a $55 million, five-year contract with All-Star left-hander Matt Harrison.

The deal announced Thursday includes a 2018 club option that could become guaranteed depending on the number of innings Harrison pitches.

Harrison seems to have had a Randy Johnson type epiphany after the 2010 season, as he cut his walk rate down below three per nine innings after that, and pulled his ERA down with it. He doesn’t strike out many batters, but his ERA is consistently below his FIP, likely due to the impressive defense on the left side of the Rangers infield.

Given the value he posted the last two seasons, The Rangers could wind up with a very good deal over the life of this contract.

October 2, 2012

Games of the Day

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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 27, 2012

Games of the Day

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The Brewers need a win to stay in the playoff hunt, and the Reds still have a chance at best record in the NL as Wily Peralta takes on Mat Latos.

R.A. Dickey goes for his 20th win as the Mets host the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates can only lose one more game in order to finish over .500.

Oakland can close the gap with Texas to two games with a win against Texas. Travis Blackley Takes on Matt Harrison. The teams play the final three game series against each other.

Finally, James Shields and the Rays travel to Chicago for a four-game series against the White Sox and Jake Peavy.Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives, so this could be a great series.

Enjoy!

August 24, 2012

No-Hit Harrison

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Matt Harrison just completed five no-hit innings against the Twins. He’s walked two and struck out three, and the Rangers offense gave him a comfortable 6-0 lead.

Update: Harrison retires the Twins 1-2-3 in the sixth, and now leads 7-0.

Update: Adrian Beltre has a double, triple, and home run. We could get a cycle and a no-hitter in the same game. Of course, that would mean the end of the world. 🙂

Update: David Murphy makes a nice diving catch on a sinking line drive for the second out in the seventh. It was a tough play for Murphy to judge as the ball was hit right at him, but he made a nice recovery.

Update: Plouffe goes the no hitter as Trevor Plouffe singles with two out in the seventh.

July 15, 2012

Turnabout is Fair Play

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Felix Hernandez shutout the Rangers on Saturday, then on Sunday, Matt Harrison shuts out the Mariners as Texas wins 4-0. Harrison was a little wild as he walked four and struck out just three, but Seattle batters managed just five hits, four of them singles. Harrison lowers his ERA to 2.87, and since the start of June owns a 1.22 ERA.

July 5, 2012

Games of the Day

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The Rangers try to avoid a sweep at the hands of the White Sox as Texas sends Matt Harrison against rookie Jose Quintana. Harrison goes for his 12th win, and is 7-0 over his last eight starts. He’s pitching to contact, with a low strikeout and walk rate, but those balls in play are not turning into hits. Quintana pitches in a similar manner, with low walks and strikeouts, but a .244 BA allowed.

The Giants and Nationals finish their series in Washington with the Nats going for the sweep. Washington scored 61 runs in their last seven games, including nine in each win over the Giants. Matt Cain tries to contain the offense as he faced Ross Detwiler. Cain owns a 3.18 ERA on the road versus 2.01 at home, mostly due to a higher walk rate. Detwiler runs into trouble with men on base. He’s allowed five of his seven home runs with men on base.

Finally, Cole Hamels takes on R.A. Dickey as the Phillies and Mets play the rubber game of their series. Cole won both his starts against the Mets this season, walking two and striking out 16 in 15 innings. Since Dickey’s only loss of the season, he is 10-0 with a 1.51 ERA and a 5.61 K to BB ration.

Enjoy!

June 3, 2012

Games of the Day

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The Nationals try to make it five games in a row against the Braves as Gio Gonzalez hosts Tommy Hanson. Hanson has flourished away from Atlanta this season, giving up home runs at about half the rate he does at home, leading to a 2.41 road ERA. Gonzalez ranks second in the NL in ERA at 2.04. In 28 innings pitching at home he walked five and struck out 32, giving up just 12 hits.

Kevin Millwood takes on AL ERA leader Chris Sale as the Mariners and White Sox play the rubber game of their series. In his last two full seasons pitching, 2009 and 2010, Millwood gave up a high number of home runs, 56 in 389 1/3 innings. He’s only allowed three this season. Sale tries to stop a Seattle offense that suddenly found its stride. He struck out 11 Mariners in 6 1/3 innings the first time he faced them this season.

Finally, Matt Harrison tries to stop the Angels surge as the Rangers face Dan Haren. Right-handed batters had a field day against Harrison this season, compiling a .345/.387/.537 slash line against him. With all their switch hitters, it should be easy for the Angels to put an amazing all right-handed lineup on the field today. Haren allowed five of his seven home runs in Anaheim this season.

Enjoy!

May 12, 2012

Games of the Day

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C.J. Wilson comes back after pitching to five batters Friday night to start a Saturday afternoon game as the Angels continue their series with Texas. Matt Harrison takes the hill for the Rangers. Wilson gave up four runs in his third of an inning, so this will give him a chance to bring his ERA back down. The only time I remember a pitcher starting consecutive games was in 1973, when Wilbur Wood started both ends of a double header for the White Sox against the Yankees. Wood did not retire a batter in game one, allowing six runs. He lasted 4 1/3 innings in game two, allowing seven runs. It was not one of Wood’s better days. Matt Harrison only walked eight batters in 37 innings this season, but allowed five home runs.

The Mariners and Yankees is a good candidate for slugfest of the day as former Yankees pitcher Hector Noesi faces Phil “On the bubble” Hughes. Both come in with ERAs over 6.00, and with Andy Pettitte coming back on Sunday, a poor outing by Hughes could mean a move to the bullpen.

San Diego and Philadelphia offers a potential pitchers duel as Edinson Volquez battles Roy Halladay. Volquez managed to start six of his seven games in San Diego this season, one reason his ERA stands at 2.98. In his one road start in Los Angeles, he gave up four runs in five innings. Halladay doesn’t seem quite as invincible this season. He already walked 11 batters in 49 1/3 innings, and while that’s very good, he only walked 35 all last season in 233 2/3 innings.

Finally, Matt Cain needs to start hitting, as he needs the offensive support. He takes his 2.38 ERA against the Diamondbacks and Trevor Cahill. Although Matt allowed just seven runs total in his last five starts, the Giants are just 2-3 in those games. Cahill allowed just one home run this season, but four of his six starts have been on the road.

Enjoy!

May 7, 2012

Games of the Day

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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!

May 2, 2012

Games of the Day

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It’s 12 hours of baseball as the first game starts at 12:30 PM EDT and the last at 10:15 PM EDT. The Rangers and Blue Jays get things rolling with Matt Harrison taking on Ricky Romero. Both are lefties, both own three wins, and both posted ERAs in the low threes so far. Harrison excelled away from Texas so far, with two walks in 15 innings and a 2.30 ERA. Romero does better at home, with a 2.57 ERA on a .200/.277/.320 opposition slash line.

Joe Saunders brings his MLB best ERA of 0.90 to Washington as the Diamondbacks continue their series with the Nationals, facing Edwin Jackson. Saunders upped his strikeout rate a bit this season, helping to lower his hit total to just 19 in 30 innings. His ERA is way below his FIP, however. Jackson is showing the best power of his career as well, with 26 K in 25 2/3 innings, and he only walked six.

The Phillies continue their series with the Braves as Roy Halladay faces Tommy Hanson. Roy has yet to allow a home run in 37 innings this season after giving up just 10 in 233 2/3 innings during the 2011 season. He allowed 24 his first year with the Phillies. Hanson has been lights out in the first inning, usually the best inning for an offensive team. Tommy allowed a .211/.211/.316 slash line so far.

Blake Beavan faces James Shields as the Mariners play the Rays, but the big story here is Seattle’s poor hitting with runners in scoring position. They are 0 for 30 in their last four games, and 5 for 55 with men on base. They’ve hit .305/.327/.547 with the bases empty (five solo home runs), but they just can’t follow up.

Finally, a rejuvenated A.J. Burnett takes on Lance Lynn as the Pirates try to gain ground on the Cardinals. In his two starts, Burnett has yet to allow a long ball. Home runs plagued him all three years with the Yankees, his rate increasing every season. Lynn brings a 1.33 ERA into the game, and with 24 K and six walks in 27 innings this year, he’s pitching like the ace the Cardinals needed with the injury to Chris Carpenter and the slow recovery of Adam Wainwright.

Enjoy!

April 27, 2012

Game of the Day

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Ivan Nova

Ivan Nova returns to the 21st century against the Tigers on Friday. Photo: © Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

The Tigers already have a loss even before they start their series with the Yankees. On the field, however, Justin Verlander faces Ivan Nova as the 2011 ALDS opponents face each other for the first time in 2012. Verlander’s 2012 so far has been a continuation of his 2011. He’s striking out batters at a high rate, not walking very many, and he’s even tougher to hit than last season. Nova allowed four home runs so far in 2012, but walked just two and struck out 20 in 19.0 innings. He’s one of the brighter spots in the Yankees rotation.

The Rays meet the Rangers with James Shields battling Matt Harrison. A nice rivalry should be developing here, as Texas defeated Tampa Bay two years in a row in the ALDS. Shields, a right-handed pitcher, is shutting down left-handed batters, holding them to a .188/.233/.261 slash line. Harrison brings a 1.66 ERA into the game on the strength of holding opponents to an 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. He keeping both the opportunities and success rate low.

The Brewers travel to St. Louis for the first time after dropping two of three to the Cardinals at home during their first series of the season. Yovani Gallardo takes on Jake Westbrook. The Cardinals give Yovani trouble, hitting 17 home runs against him in 65 2/3 career innings. That helped up Gallardo’s ERA at 6.17 with a 1-8 record against St. Louis. Westbrook held opponents to a .189 BA and a .216 slugginer percentage despite a ton of balls in play against him. We’ll see how long his .219 BABIP holds up.

Finally, two first place teams meet in Los Angeles as Ross Detwiler and the Nationals face Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. Ross ranks fifth in the Nationals rotation but owns a 0.56 ERA. He struck out 15 batters in 16 innings with just four walks. Kershaw was king of the Ks in 2011, and is off to another good start with 22 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings, and just six walks. Clayton does beat Detwiler in the home run allowed category, zero to one.

Enjoy!

April 21, 2012

Games of the Day

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Saturday offers a bevy of bodacious pitching matchups, but only one Blake Beavan. 🙂 The Marlins and Nationals get the day started with Anibal Sanchez facing Stephen Strasbrug. Sanchez handled lefties well so far this year, holding them to a .240 BA with a .320 slugging percentage. He’s pitching around them a bit, as they hold a .367 OBP (all four of his walks were issued to lefties), but as long as he keeps the hits low, he’ll get away with that. Strasburg averages 6 1/3 innings per start. At that rate, he’ll make 25 starts this season. The Nationals offense could help by scoring lots of runs early so Stephen can come out early.

The Rangers and Tigers play a double header to make up for the rain out on Friday, and it’s tough to rate one game above the other. Matt Harrison takes on Rick Porcello in the afternoon game, while Neftali Feliz battles Justin Verlander in the split admission night cap. The starting rotations for both teams are amazing. Texas brings a 9-0 record with a 2.37 ERA into the day, and their starters allowed just five home runs in 83 2/3 innings. Detroit starters deserve a better fate as they stand 3-4, but with a 3.14 ERA. They are holding opponents to a .247/.302/.368 slash line. Detroit relievers are undefeated at 6-0.

The aforementionEd Blake Beavan hosts Phil Humber as the White Sox play the Mariners. Humber struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings during his first start, rounding out the Chicago rotation nicely. Beavan started each of his two games with a 1-2-3 inning.

Baltimore tries to stay in first place in the AL East as they send Jake Arrieta against the Angels and Jered Weaver. Jake averages nearly seven innings a start this season, showing great control with just four walks in 20 1/3 innings. Weaver tops him in that department, however, with 23 K and just two walks in 20 2/3 innings

Enjoy!

October 28, 2011

Playoffs Today

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One of the most exciting playoff months of recent history ends today with the crowning of a World Series champion. Major League Baseball will have seen 38 of a possible 41 playoff games, and the edge of your seat series so far should bring in the casual fan to the winner-take-all contest.

Matt Harrison takes the mound for Texas against Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals, and both these decisions may get second guessed. With the extra day off, many felt Derek Holland should have gotten the nod for the start for Texas, due to his excellent pitching in game four. Washington would not throw Harrison under the bus, however, and stuck with his game plan, even using Holland for two innings in game six. Harrison pitched very well in 2011, showing good control and the ability to keep the ball in the park. He’s been a bit wild in the post-season, but the home run he allowed in 3 2/3 innings in game three of the World Series was the only ball that left the park against him in the post season. What’s really hurt his is a .400 BA allowed with runners in scoring position.

St. Louis took the opposite approach, going with Carpenter on three days rest. According to Baseball Reference, Carpenter never made a regular season start with three days rest, nor has he done so in the post season. Of course, if Carpenter does tire early in the game, a perfectly fresh Kyle Loshe is standing by.

In the first two games Carpenter pitched, the Rangers were only able to score on him with home runs, all four runs coming on two solo homers and a two-run shot. Chris held Texas to a .275 OBP, which means the homers don’t have a chance to do much damage. If the Rangers can keep the score low, that might be just enough damage to win.

What a way to end an exciting season! Enjoy.

October 22, 2011

Playoffs Today

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Game three of the World Series takes place in Arlington Texas as the Cardinals send Kyle Lohse against the Rangers and Matt Harrison. Lohse was a bit of a road warrior in 2011, going 8-3 with a 3.13 ERA away from St. Louis. He only allowed five of his 16 home runs on the road, although The Ballpark in Arlington should challenge that. With only 16 home runs allowed in 188 1/3 innings, Kyle is a good choice to try to stem the power. Kyle gives up a decent number of fly balls, but had the lowest HR/FB ration of his career.

Harrison, too, was great in 2011 at keeping the ball in the park, giving up just 13 homers in 185 2/3 innings. Matt induced more ground balls than Lohse, but also produced the lowest HR/FB ration of his career. Matt is also a reverse lefty, as he was more effective against right-handed batters. Righties hit just .249/.309/.358 against him in 2011.

Enjoy!

October 12, 2011

No-No Through Two

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Both Rick Porcello and Matt Harrison have not allowed a hit through two innings. Porcello is throwing strikes, 19 of his 23 pitches resulting in a positive outcome. Harrison has thrown 15 balls and just 14 strikes. I suspect if that ratio holds up, he won’t be throwing a no-hitter for long. The Rangers and Tigers go to the third with no score in the game.

October 12, 2011

Playoffs Today

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The Rangers and Tigers send their number four starters to the mound in game four of the ALCS, getting underway a little after 4 PM EDT. Matt Harrison faces Rick Porcello. These two represent a nice example of how won-lost records don’t always reflect underling ability. Both pitchers posted 14-9 records, but a side-by-side comparison shows that one pitched much better than the other. Harrison struck out batters at a higher rate, gave up fewer home runs and many fewer hits, and had his ERA come in nearly 1.4 runs lower than Porcello. The only area where Rick turned in a better performance than Matt was in walks, where both posted a very good rate. So while their records match, this pitching duel should favor the Rangers.

The small sample size of head-to-head competition tells a different story. Porcello did make one start against the Rangers, giving up just one run in six innings. The Tigers, on the other had, hammered Harrison. The collected 17 hits and five walks in ten innings against him, good for eight runs.

The Brewers travel to the third incarnation of Busch Stadium as they battle the Cardinals in game three of the NLCS, the teams tied at one game each. The team aces face-off tonight as Yovani Gallardo takes on Chris Carpenter. Gallaro cut down on his strikeout rate a bit, but it seemed to result in better control as he walked many fewer batters. That balanced his increased home run rate as he finished with the best ERA he posted in a full season of play. The home runs were especially on display against the Cardinals as eight of his 27 long balls came in 23 2/3 innings against St. Louis. The LDS for Carpenter was much like his regular season, a poor start and a strong finish. He pitched one of the all-time great post-season performances to defeat the Phillies in game five, but only lasted three innings in game two. The same pattern happened against the Brewers this season as he pitched poorly in his first two starts, but came back strong in his last two.

Enjoy!

October 4, 2011

Holland In

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The Rangers bring in game two starter Derek Holland to pitch the sixth inning. The broadcasters are wondering why, given Matt Harrison‘s success in the game. After 90 pitches, however, batters hit Harrison for a lot more power, and Harrison threw 97 pitches. In a one-run game, a big hit is all it takes to turn a close victory into a close loss.

October 4, 2011

Playoffs Today

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Texas and Tampa Bay play the first elimination game of the the 2011 LDS round as Matt Harrison takes on Jeremy Hellickson. Harrison lowered his ERA by over 1.30 runs for the second year in a row, moving from the bullpen into a starting role as smoothly as C.J. Wilson. He cut his home run rate nearly in half from last season. He allowed many fewer hits on the road this season where his ERA came in at 2.99. His one relief appearance this season was also his only one against the Rays, holding them hitless for two innings. Hellickson used the Tampa Bay defense well, as batters hit .210 against him despite a low strikeout rate. He’s been especially effective with runners in scoring position, holding opponents to a .167 BA.

Philadelphia and St. Louis each try to gain the upper hand as they play the late afternoon game with Cole Hamels taking on Jaime Garcia. Hamels posted the lowest ERA of this career as he showed better control and held batters to a .214 BA, leading to a .259 OBP allowed. He became a reverse lefty, as right-handed batter hit worse than left-handed batters against him, with a .204/.251/.326 slash line. Garcia posted a 2.55 ERA at home, due to many fewer hits allowed. In 3 1/3 more innings at home, he allowed 41 fewer hits.

The Tigers go for the kill as the Yankees send A.J. Burnett against Rick Porcello. Burnett did seem to put things together a bit in his last four appearances, striking out 25 and walking five in his last 18 innings. Unfortunately, he also allowed four home runs. If A.J. can avoid the long ball for five innings, then the Yankees can go to the pen and have a chance of surviving. Luckily for the Yankees, Rick Porcello isn’t much better than Burnett. He doesn’t allow home run, but he does allow the ball to be put in play. That’s not what a pitcher needs against a lineup of good hitters. This game has slugfest written all over it.

Finally, the Brewers can clinch a trip to the NLCS with a win over Arizona. Shaun Marcum faces Josh Collmenter. The last three years, Marcum posted consistently good OBP allowed numbers, .293, .288 and .284. He does give up a few home runs, however. He finished poorly, allowing a 5.17 ERA in September. Collmenter completed a great rookie season. He walked just 28 batters in 154 1/3 innings, good for a 3.38 ERA. His extreme overhand delivery is fun to watch and tough to hit.

Enjoy!

Correction: Fixed the Arizona pitching matchup.

September 23, 2011

Games of the Day

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The reeling Red Sox head for New York to play under the clouds as Jon Lester faces Freddy Garcia. Lester pitched fine down the stretch, with a 3.52 ERA in four September starts, but that was only good for a 1-2 record. He’s been a bit wild, walking 11 in 23 innings, but allowed just one home run. Garcia, on the other hand, owns a 10.95 ERA in September and a 6.92 ERA against Boston this season. He walked nine and struck out seven Boston batters in 13 innings.

The reeling Braves make their way to Washington as they send Tim Hudson against Stephen Strasburg. Hudson owns the Nationals this season with a 2.16 in four starts, walking six and striking out 20 in 25 innings. Strasburg has logged 14 innings since returning from Tommy John surgery, allowing nine hits and no walks while striking out 11. It looks like the surgery was a success.

The Rangers can clinch a division title with a win and an Angels loss. Anthony Vazquez and the Mariners try to stop Matt Harrison from achieving that feat. Vazquez pitches to contact, with eight walks and 11 strikeouts in 24 innings. Unfortunately for him, many of the pitches put in play end up out of the park, as he allowed nine home runs so far. Harrison is finishing up the best season of his career, with an ERA a run lower than his career average. He did an excellent job of cutting down his home run rate.

Milwaukee can clinch the NL Central with a win and a St. Louis loss. Yovani Gallardo hosts Chris Volstad and the Marlins. Volstad got killed by left-handed batters this season, with a .313/.374/.550 slash line against the righty. Gallardo pitched great at home in 2011, 10-2 with a 3.13 ERA. He only allowed 10 of his 27 home runs at Miller Park.

Finally, the Diamondbacks clinch the NL West with a win over the Giants tonight as Matt Cain visits Joe Saunders. Cain had his best season keeping the ball in the park, with just nine home runs allowed in 214 1/3 innings. Saunders has trouble in Arizona with a 4.46 ERA there, despite giving up many more home runs on the road. He gives up a lot more singles at home.

Enjoy!

September 18, 2011

Games of the Day

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Jered Weaver tries to keep the Angels in the playoff race as he faces the Orioles and Alfredo Simon. Weaver goes for his 18th win and tries to catch Justin Verlander in the ERA race, Jered trailing by 0.04 runs. Simon comes off a strong performance against Tampa Bay in which he struck out nine in seven innings. I understand Scott McGregor has been working with pitchers since the series against the Yankees in New York and the last turn through the rotation showed some good results.

The Rays have come a long way to get back in the AL Wild Card race, and today stands as extremely important game to them. A win against Boston puts them two games back with 10 to play, a loss four games back. The pitching matchup favors the Tampa Bay as David Price takes on Tim Wakefield. Price pitched as well if not better than his 2010 season in which he competed for the Cy Young award. He simply allowed a few more hits and a few more home runs, bringing his ERA up about 0.6 runs. He deserves much better than a 12-12 record. He owns a 2.70 ERA against Boston in four starts. Wakefield needs a ton of run support win at this point in his career. That will be difficult against Price.

Matt Cain takes on Esmil Rogers as the Giants go for a sweep in Colorado. Cain owns a 2.32 ERA since the start of June, fifth best in the majors. He allowed just three home runs in 139 2/3 innings during that time. Rogers gave up eight runs in three innings in his only start against the Giants this season. That one start accounts for about 1/6 of the runs he allowed this season.

Justin Verlander goes for his 24th win as the Tigers take on the Athletics. Randy Johnson was the last pitcher to win 24 games, doing so in 2002. One of Justin’s few losses this season came at the Coliseum in April.

Finally, the Mariners send Felix Hernandez against Matt Harrison as the Mariners try to spoil the Rnagers’ playoff run. Harrison handled the Mariners well this season, 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA. He walked just one batter in 14 2/3 innings. Hernandez struck out 12 Rangers in 14 2/3 innings against the Rangers this season, but has an 0-2 record and 3.68 ERA to show for the effort.

Enjoy!

August 24, 2011

Games of the Day

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The day starts with one Cy Young winner and ends with another. Felix Hernandez tries to help the Mariners play spoiler to the Indians as he takes on Josh Tomlin at noon. The King owns a 3.93 ERA since the All-Star break as his home run rate rises. He allowed nine long balls in 144 innings before the break, seven in 50 1/3 innings since. Tomlin’s 4.03 ERA is pretty good for someone with just one solid leg of the pitching tripod. His 20 walks in 160 2/3 innings is excellent, but he combines that with a low strikeout rate and a high home run rate. The low walk rate helped him to allow 15 of his 23 home runs with no one on base.

Hiroki Kuroda has to hope for some of the support Clayton Kershaw received in the Dodgers 13-2 win over the Cardinals Tuesday night as he faces Jaime Garcia in St. Louis. Kuroda comes into the game with a 2.88 ERA but a 9-14 record. The Dodgers scored three runs or less in 17 of his starts. They’ve done better lately, scoring seven and eight runs in his last two. Garcia owns a 2.06 ERA at home, where he’s allowed just four of his 12 home runs.

Josh Beckett tries to earn the Red Sox their second win against the Rangers this season as he battles Matt Harrison in Texas. Beckett pitched well against left-handed batters this season, holding them to a .185/.253/.306 slash line, better than he pitched against RHB. Harrison had a rough August so far, giving up 24 hits in 22 2/3 innings despite 19 strikeouts. That led to 16 runs allowed.

Jered Weaver makes his first start under his new contract as the Angels host the White Sox and Zach Stewart. Stewart walked just eight in 29 1/3 innings as a starter posting a 3.68 ERA in that capacity. Weaver is battling Jered Weaver for the AL Cy Young title. Weaver holds the better ERA at the moment, but Verlander pitched more innings and allowed fewer hits.

Finally, former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum hosts Tim Stauffer as the Padres continue their series at the Giants. Stauffer’s ERA is up about 1 1/2 runs from 2010 as he allowed 21.3 home runs this season per 200 innings versus 7.3 per 200 innings in 2011. Lincecum’s numbers are similar to 2010, but his ERA stands about a run lower. Last season, he allowed a .236 BA and a .373 slugging percentage with men on base. This season, that’s down to .177/.273.

Enjoy!

July 17, 2011

Games of the Day

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Jair Jurrjens

Jair Jurrjens leads the NL with a 1.87 ERA. Photo: Icon SMI

Washington gets a tough assignment as they send Tom Gorzelanny against the Braves and ERA lead Jair Jurrjens. Gorzelanny posts good walk and strikeout rates, but he’s allowed 14 home runs in just 77 2/3 innings. His 1.62 HR/9 IP is one of the worst rates in the majors. Jurrjens is tough to hit despite a low K rate, allowing just a .229 BA. Combined with a very low walk rate, opponents are getting on base against him at a .276 clip.

Texas goes for a sweep of the Mariners as Matt Harrison takes on Blake Beavan. Harrison has done very well in day games this season. He’s allowed one home run in 37 day time innings, nine in 66 2/3 night-time innings. His ERA in the afternoon is just 1.70. Beavan makes his third MLB start, the first two being of the quality variety. So far his strength lies in control, as he’s only walked two batters in 13 1/3 innings. That’s a big reason the two home runs he allowed were solo shots.

Enjoy!

July 10, 2011

Harrison in Control

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Matt Harrison walked one and struck out seven as he pitched a 7 2/3 innings short shutout, the Rangers defeating the Athletics 2-0. After walking 27 batters in 60 2/3 innings in the first two months of the season, he’s walked 10 in 43 innings since the start of June. It doesn’t seem to have helped his ERA much as he’s traded walks for hits, but I’d rather see a pitcher do well in things he can control, and walks are a big element of that.

Adrian Beltre homered for the only runs in the game. His value at the plate this year lies almost entirely in his .499 slugging percentage.

At 14 games under .500 and 12 games back in the standings, it appears this is another lost season for the Oakland Athletics. The are averaging 3.4 runs per game for the season, and 3.0 runs per game in July.

June 30, 2011

Games of the Day

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Justin Verlander tries to stop the Mets offensive juggernaut and cap an incredible June as the Tigers host the Mets. New York sends Mike Pelfrey to the mound. Mike is recording the lowest WHIP of this career, but not his lowest ERA. He’s already allowed 14 home runs in 96 innings after giving up just 12 in 2010 in 204 innings. Verlander comes into this game with a 0.86 ERA in June, allowing just 22 hits in 42 innings. Justin and Cliff Lee could end up with two of the best June ERAs in the expansion era.

Lefties battle in Philadelphia as Jon Lester takes on Cole Hamels, the Phillies going for a sweep. Both come in with 9-4 records, but Cole’s ERA stands over a run lower than Jon’s. The southpaws sport high strikeout and low walk rates, but Lester allowed 14 home runs to Hamels’s six.

Finally, Matt Harrison battles Wandy Rodriguez as the Rangers try to take five out of six games in the Texas interleague series. Harrison is pitching very well lately, with quality starts in seven of his last eight outings and a 1.95 ERA over that time. His walks are a bit high and his strikeouts a bit low, but he only allowed three home runs. Rodriguez has been tough with runners in scoring position this season, opponents posting a .203/.289/.311 slash line against him in that situation.

Enjoy!

May 11, 2011

Games of the Day

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My daughter is coming home from college today so I’m a bit rushed today. This will be a quick post.

The Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers play the rubber game of their series with second place on the line in the AL West. Gio Gonzalez takes on Matt Harrison. Gio upped his strikeouts this season and is holding batters to a .133 BA with runners in scoring position.

Cleveland tries to make it two in a row over Tampa Bay as David Price visits Carlos Carrasco. Three of Price’s four home runs allowed this season came on the road.

The Marlins can move to one game out of first in the NL East as they host the Phillies in the rubber game of their series. Cliff Lee faces Ricky Nolasco. Lee is getting hit hard with runners in scoring position this season, giving up a .295/.340/.523 slash line. Nolasco’s control is right up their with the best as he’s issued seven walks in 47 1/3 innings, about one every seven innings.

Finally, Jake Peavy makes his 2011 debut as the White Sox finish their series with the Angels. Tyler Chatwood takes the mound for the Angels.

Enjoy!

April 26, 2011

Games of the Day

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Seattle visits Detroit with the King on the mound as Felix Hernandez faces Phil Coke. He’s pitching about as well as in 2010 in terms of the three true outcomes, but his ERA is about a run higher as both his home runs allowed came with men on base and opponents are hitting well with runners in scoring position. Coke’s 2.75 ERA should give him a smile, but with 10 walks and nine strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings, I’m not sure how long that low number will last. K and BB numbers in parity is never a good sign for a pitcher. Either he’s walking too many, or not striking out enough batters.

Matt Cain leads the Giants into Pittsburgh to take on Charlie Morton and the Pirates. Cain is giving up a few extra hits this year, his BABIP at .280 compared to a career .266 mark. His ground ball rate is way up, to 47% from 37% for his career. As a fly ball pitcher who keeps the ball in the park, Matt doesn’t get a lot of balls finding holes in the infield. With more balls on the ground, more are getting through. Morton’s ERA improved greatly compared to 2010, but like Phil Coke, Charlie walks more batters than he strikes out. Don’t expect his ERA to stay low.

Jesse Litsch tries to help Toronto make it two in a row against Texas as he battles Matt Harrison. Jesse owns a huge platoon split so far this season, with right-handers hitting just .083 (2 for 24) while lefties touch him for a .356 BA (16 for 45). For his career those numbers are .249/.286 respectively. Harrison, a lefty, also shows a similar platoon split, but with right-handers getting most of the at bats and recording a .147 BA, it’s working to Matt’s advantage.

Finally, Jair Jurrjens tries to get the Braves back to winning as he takes on the Padres and Aaron Harang. He wasn’t slowed by his injury as he struck out 10 and walked just three since returning from his oblique strain. Harang seems reborn in San Diego. He allowed zero home runs so far, despite his highest fly ball rate since his rookie season. In the past, 10% of his fly balls left the park, but in PETCO those are turning into outs.

Enjoy!

April 20, 2011 April 20, 2011

Games of the Day

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With two double headers (both split admission) there are 17 games on tap Wednesday. They should cover 12 hours, so there’s no excuse not to catch some action!

The Giants go for a sweep of the Rockies this afternoon as Matt Cain faces Jorge de la Rosa. Cain appears to be pitching to contact early in the season as he only struck out ten in his first 19 innings of work. That’s not a bad strategy for the pitcher, as he always induced a low BABIP, although his .220 mark this year is probably unsustainable. As a fly ball pitcher who keeps the ball in the park, Cain can get a lot of outs on contact. High fly balls don’t sneak through the infield, and they usually come down in someone’s glove. The left-hander de la Rosa is allowing a .167 BA to both right and left-handed hitters, while holding righties to a .245 OBP.

The Angels and Rangers play the rubber game of their series with first place on the line in the AL West. Jered Weaver battles Matt Harrison. Weaver brings an 1.30 ERA into the contest. Opponents hit .137/.219/.221 against him, with lefties not doing much better than righties. Three of the four runs he allowed came on the two home runs against him. That’s good news for Texas, as they are one of the better home run hitting teams in the league. Matt Harrison’s ERA is even better at 1.23. Although he doesn’t strike out as many batters as Weaver, Harrison holds batters to a low average as well, .187. Lefties do hit him well, with a .304 BA, but don’t face him much to to the perceived platoon disadvantage. That wasn’t true of Harrison in the past, and he seems to have developed movement on his off speed pitches away from righties, which is the hallmark of a reverse lefty (a left-handed pitcher who gets RHB out better than LHB).

Finally, Jordan Zimmermann takes on Jaime Garica in game two of the day for Washington and St. Louis. The return from Tommy John surgery has not diminished Zimmermann’s control, as he walked just three in 18 1/3 innings so far this season and 42 in 140 2/3 innings for his career. Garica upped his strikeout rate to nine per nine innings this season. The lefty is holding RHB to a .203 BA so far in 2011.

Enjoy!