Giles has a far longer track record of success than just 5 appearances in 2016. He's not a rookie. It's totally stupid to say he sucks based on this. His stuff is phenomenal, it's far more likely he turns it around than not.
Giles is Mitch Williams 2.0 so far. I recognize it's very early, but his problems didn't just start over the last 3 innings...we saw this from him in the Spring. To suggest there isn't cause for concern is ridiculous. The man can't keep the ball in the yard. These games count.
Worst part about it is, that HR never should have happened. Alex Gordon was caught looking, but the home plate ump screwed us.
Of course... but again, he also didn't just start his MLB career. He has 2 years worth of data to suggest *this* is the outlier (spring included). They mentioned last night that his velocity increased the last two years as the season went on... there's also undoubtedly an adjustment when changing teams/franchises. Without an injury, or a Mitch Williams/Brad Lidge-like traumatic event/HR leading to a mental breakdown... this has to be something that works itself out from both a mental/physical standpoint. Even within the same inning, he's making batters look completely foolish with a sharp breaking curve and an out-of-nowhere changeup.... and then he hangs one on an 0-2 count that had no business being anywhere near the zone. Mental and mechanics.
The track record is pitching with a bad team where games were NOT important. Now he is pitching in a team were EVERY GAMES is important. I think that Hinch CAN'T use him anymore in close games ahead or tied until he can PROVE he can pitch for this team. So far he has been terrible from ST up to now. Will he pitch good again? I hope so, but right now, he is not, so give the ball in the 8th to Harris and Sipp. Thats why it was stupid to use harris for 2 innings losing by 1 two days ago, stupid. I prefer to see Giles pitching in those games right now until he proves otherwise. How many more games do we have to GIVE? Using Valbuena hitting 4th and Castro 7th, or using Gattis over Tucker, or pitching Giles when we all see he is struggling. Are we going to do with Davenski what we did with VV and Feliz last year where we did not develop them to be good in big time situations late in games? Davenski has shown in ST and now in the first 2 games pitched that the guy has good stuff. That change up looks really tough, and has a nice fastball. Come on Hinch, do what Toronto and Texas did last year and gave the ball too two rookies (Osuna and Kela) in big game situations and they delivered. This team is very good, and we are 3 and 6 and part of it is decisions so far by the manager. If you want to defend Hinch, great but i see same mistakes we saw last year. It is time to see what Davenski can do pitching in the 7th or 8th inning in tied or 1 or 2 runs ahead situations.
I understand all that. I've also seen closers just "lose it." Suddenly..unexpectedly. We saw that with Lidge where he'd look amazing for 2 of the 3 batters he faced...and then give up a monster shot to the other. I'm not thrilled with trading prospects like VV for a guy who is now a setup man...and a setup man who can't keep the ball in the park. Him walking out before the media got there last night doesn't thrill me either.
Was a close call... ump was inconsistent the whole night. Still doesn't absolve Giles from hanging an 0-2 slider to a free-swinging catcher that has power. Better in April than September/October. Plenty of time to make people forget it... like you said, he was one missed call pitch away from having the most impressive outing of any Astro reliever thus far.
Agreed 100%. If he gets that called strike 3, we are looking at a dominant 16 or 17 pitch inning where he induces a weak groundball, and strikes out two, solid professional hitters. The whole pitch sequence to Kendrys Morales was dominating.
Like I said... without a traumatic event (HR in a playoff or WS game) or injury, its unlikely for guys of his age/track record to just lose it with little to no hope of recovery. I'm glad he's pissed... he should be. He's a 25 year old kid that hasn't had to deal with adversity thus far. If he *didn't* care as much, I'd be less thrilled. In the end, this team needs a shut-down bullpen pitcher now moreso than they need a young #3-5 starter who may put it all together one day, may be simply a reliever, or may get injured again as he has been prone to do.
The slider is his best pitch... moreso than his fast (but straight) fastball. A hanging slider OTOH....
I'd respectfully disagree with you there. I felt he was very good last night. His fastball was crisp, and hit the outside spot a few times with it. He threw 2 absolutely filthy sliders (although one could have been a straight change, which I didn't even know he had) to Kendrys Morales. He made a professional hitter look terrible, and that's pretty hard to do. That was a strike to Gordon, the home plate ump's strike zone seem to jump around. He called a pretty terrible strike 3 on Correa in a big spot. If that was a strike, then Gordon's was absolutely strike 3.
Fair enough. If he's a mental case, then yeah... no guarantees. However, if he's resolved enough to get better, its hard to fake the numbers he's already put up (along with the break on his slider... when he executes it).
Was talking about the ump... not Giles. I edited it just now because I could see how it could sound confusing.
If his best pitch is the slider we are screwed. His slider in the games has not been great, last night it was, but not in other games. In other games looks more like a pitch to keep the hitter unbalance for his fastball, yesterday it looked like Lidge up until the homer. The scouting on his slider is "solid" but the fastball is his pitch, and he can throw up to 100.
Reason for hope: 3.2 IP; 6 Ks - that's a Wagner-esque 14.7 K/9. So you could argue (not very effectively but...) that he's been other worldly dominant, save for three bad pitches. Now, having said that ... his WHIP last year was eyesore-ish (1.200) and it hasn't gotten better this year (1.37) - it's possible that, having seen him for a full year, the league has caught up to him; ie they now know to lay off the slider and his fastball - while fast - doesn't move enough to be a truly effective out pitch. A team like Kansas City would absolutely know that because they're stocked with an overabundance of really smart, patient hitters. If that's the case.......
I was on record saying i thought we gave to much for a reliever. I did not know about the 1.20 whip, but that is awful, even Neshek had a better whip than him, 1.161. I don't like that trade one bit, i want to see Hoyt in the majors.
Wow, i saw the stats from our relievers from last year, ALL OF THEM had a whip lower than Giles, yes, all of them, INCLUDING QUALLS.
