The difference on effectiveness for some pitchers who throw it all out there in 1 or 2 inning stints... vs those that have to conserve to last 4-5 innings (or more) is night and day. Octavio Dotel was a meh starter... but a lights out bullpen guy when he didn't have to worry about conservation or seeing guys multiple times through the lineup. Arm trouble also weighs into it... but most converted starters who went to the bullpen (John Smoltz comes to mind) say that it ends up being similar if not slightly more arm stress due to throwing max innings every time out, and having to warm up on the fly without much of a routine between appearances.
We need to get out of this "one step forward - two steps back" funk. In other words, don't funk up this homestand.
No team has out performed their skills more than Oakland this year No team has under performed their skills more than Houston Correction will occur on both, might as well begin today
Really anxious to see how Arrighetti performs here. If he does well then I think he sticks as the 5th SP for a few more weeks, and Brown moves into Bielak’s long relief role (where I think he will excel). SP: Verlander, Valdez, Javier, Blanco, Arrighetti High leverage relief: Montero, Abreu, Pressly, Hader Low leverage relief: Dubin, Scott, Martinez Multi-inning relief: Brown I really like that setup provided Arrighetti shows he belongs.
In Spaghetti (and pretty much all the Astros starters this year's cases) it should be all about how to minimize damage of the "big" inning. This team does not come from behind all that well and early deficits at home (dating back to last year) have pretty much equaled automatic losses. This year has been more than enough "big innings spiraling out of control" to last an entire season... yet here we are having almost one every series right now. Sure, some of that comes with young pitching... but I think the entire staff (catchers, pitchers, pitching coaches, managers) need to know to the best of their abilities on how to get things under control BEFORE the kill-shot comes in. Friday's game, Framber did the one of the better jobs he's done in his career of preventing the inning from spiraling out of control, and they ended up winning largely because of that limited damage. Of course it always helps to have a lefty stud that can induce double plays with the best of them (along with getting K's when needed). Need to be even more pro-active/on top of things with the younger pitchers who don't have those natural abilities... even if it costs you an extra mound visit, should be worth it (presuming they know the right adjustments to make, right things to say, etc.).
Clearly they don't see Loperfido as an everyday, or even platoon vs every RHSP player at this juncture. Maybe they are showcasing Meyers for potential trade, or just trying to capitalize on his hot streak.
Yes. Anything less and it's not good enough. Need to go 25-15 the next 40 to get to .500 with 82 games left.
Theres no version of a lineup that appeases everybody here... ever. I would undoubtedly love to never have Yordan in the field (especially not in the massive Detroit OF)... but he does take a lot of pride in his fielding improvement/work, and even if it transiently impacts how he performs at the plate on the most indirect of indirect levels, he's going to still get opportunities (you just hope they're mostly at MMP where injury risk may be mitigated). Joey-Chas-Dubon-Myers... going to be a lot of musical chairs when it comes to who's starting, who's coming in later innings, who's giving one of the better guys a breather/rest day... etc.
Bregman .534 OPS. That's the fifth worst in all of baseball among guys with at least 3.1 plate appearances a game. That's gotta change like TONIGHT, right?!
He's already cost himself a fortune with how he started out his contract season. I'm not sure there's anything he can do to fully make up for it.
It's a disaster for him to be sure. Someone will probably still overpay if he can ever snap out of it, but it's a BAD bad look.
What's an owner to do? Hoes before 'outrageously expensive bros who don't perform well enough'. Hire the prostitute...fire the bro. So long, Bregman! Don't forget the nice boat with the hoe.
Agree but I think if he does well we will go to a 6 man rotation like they have been wanting to do. Then when Urquidy is back Brown or Arrigheti move to the pen depending on how they do their next couple of starts
