4/1 Game thread

[DWKB]

I thought I'd organize the game talks (or at least try to ).


First thought:

Curt's line of 5 Ks and 2 BBs through 7+ IP isn't quite dominating. I think durring the 6th Inn they showed us the two pitchers ERA pitch count and balls/strikes breakdown.

Curt was at 95 pitches with 30 balls and 65 strikes and no runs
Perez was at 87 pitches with 25 balls and 62 strikes but had given up 4 runs.

Second thought:

Watching Cora at 2B made it obviously appearant on Juniors lack of defensive proficiency, but as long as Junior performs offensively like last night I can get over that

Third thought:

We appeared to do much better last night about working the count and not going up there hacking at anything we see. Or maybe we just chose better first pitches to swing at last night.
LAst night we swung at 14 first pitches or 36% of the PAs. On monday we swung at 11 first pitches or 37% of the PAs.

Final thought:

Sign Grace to another 5 year extension. The man is so clutch.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Fun game, I only got to see the last two innings, but it was nice to have a nail-biter so early on...really gets you into the baseball mood.

Dessens tonight, can't wait to see how he does.

Mike

 

[Derek in Tucson]

Curt's line of 5 Ks and 2 BBs through 7+ IP isn't quite dominating. I think durring the 6th Inn they showed us the two pitchers ERA pitch count and balls/strikes breakdown.

I think part of this is the Dodgers having a lineup with hitters that have a good contact rate. Roberts, LoDuca, Cora, and Izturis all get the bat on the ball more often than not and are not prone to being struck out.

I was surprised that nothing was said in here about Randy's displeasure with Brenly the day before. For those that didn't hear about it, Johnson wasn't too happy with Brenly's visit to the mound in the 6th inning on opening day with Jordan batting and McGriff on deck. The reason for the visit was to remind Randy that the lefty McGriff might be a better option to pitch to if he wanted to walk Jordan. Johnson took offense to this and didn't like being treated like a normal pitcher.

The reason why I bring this up is because I thought maybe it influenced Brenly's decision not to go to the mound after Schilling walked Ward in the 8th. But then Brenly has given both Schilling and Johnson a long leash when it comes to giving them the hook in games. I think any of the other DBacks pitchers besides those two would've been heading towards the dugout after that walk. I'm not trying to 2nd guess Brenly here, just making an observation. With Johnson and Schilling, it seems like Brenly has to walk this fine line between winning the game, and keeping from pissing off the 2 star hurlers. Obviously from Johnson's reaction, it's something Brenly hasn't mastered yet. FWIW, I think Johnson was right in his criticism of Brenly, but making that criticism in front of a camera with a bunch of reporters around isn't the best way to air those feelings. A private talk with Brenly would have served him better.

Mantei sure was impressive. I can't ever remember him mixing up his fastball with his offspeed pitches like that, and I sure hope that's a glance at what's coming from him for the rest of the year. Last night he had electric stuff that kept the hitters from sitting on his fastball. His slider is a pitch that's going to pay big dividends if he continues to have the same kind of command with it that he did last night.

Koplove I always enjoy watching, but last night he seemed to work higher up in the strike zone than usual, and it had me a bit nervous. He's much more effective when he keeps the ball around the hitter's knees.

edit: Forgot to add something. The baserunning by the Diamondbacks was horrible at times. Eddie Rodriguez sending Bautista on the ball that got away from Beltre was particularly brutal to watch after he was thrown out by a mile at home. Thow in Finley's and Womack's baserunning errors, and this game might not have had to go to extra innings.

 

[RLakin]

I think Johnson's main problem was Brenly's sheepish approach. Randy basically said "if you want me to walk the guy just come out and say it." If not, don't come out here and throw me off my rhythm. Probably could have been kept in house, and it could foreshadow future problems w/ Brenly this year. Word on the street is that Brenly isn't the best communicator and rubs a lot of guys the wrong way. Bob Melvin supposedly fixed a lot of these problems over the last 2 years and was the mediator in tough situations. Moreover, he (reportedly) was the guy who approached Durazo about playing RF.
I also think the Johnson situation was exactly why Brenly went out and made a quick decision on taking out Curt. Brenly has a history of doing things the opposite way after criticism (by either players or writers) in the media.

 

[moviegeekjn]

Originally posted by RLakin
I think Johnson's main problem was Brenly's sheepish approach. Randy basically said "if you want me to walk the guy just come out and say it."

Another factor I haven't seen thrown out yet... The unspoken factor. It was a surprise to see BB go to the mound to talk to Randy, just as much as it is a rarity for BB to go to the mound to talk to any pitcher if he's leaving the pitcher in the game... Generally, he sends the pitching coach out for those duties.

So, perhaps going through Randy's mind at the time was ... "BB is coming to see me at the mound??? He never does this unless he's going to yank me, so wtf???"

Had he sent Mifflin to converse briefly with Randy about the situation, doubt that Randy would have said anything.

 

[schillingfan]

Curt said last year that he doesn't get bothered so much about not going all 9 innings like when he was younger. He used to hate being taken out of games, so he sees that it's about more than just him, and the manager may have good reasons to take him out. I think he really only got mad in Houston when they took him out and Kim had a meltdown and lost the game.

But generally Curt is respectful of his managers, so I'd be surprised that he would fuss over that. In fact last year BB took him out of a lot of games after 7 innings when he was cruising, whereas he generally left Randy in.

I would suspect it was more a concern over having a short bullpen with Prinz being hurt than worrying about Curt's reaction. But maybe he was smarting from Randy's comments.

DWKB through 7 innings he had given up 2 hits and 1 BB with 0 runs. Sorry if his strikeout rate was lower. Sheesh. That's a WHIP of less than .5 so I'd consider that dominating. If BB had taken him out after 7 as he should have given it was opening day it would have been a superb outing.

 

[moviegeekjn]

Originally posted by DWKB
Curt's line of 5 Ks and 2 BBs through 7+ IP isn't quite dominating. I think durring the 6th Inn they showed us the two pitchers ERA pitch count and balls/strikes breakdown.

?? But with only two scattered hits, no runs, and most balls hit into routine flies and grounders against a team that wasn't swinging for the fences . . . it certainly had a FEEL that Curt was dominant through seven innings!!!

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Re: Re: 4/1 Game thread

Originally posted by moviegeekjn
?? But with only two scattered hits, no runs, and most balls hit into routine flies and grounders against a team that wasn't swinging for the fences . . . it certainly had a FEEL that Curt was dominant through seven innings!!!

Agreed, just because he didn't have 12 K's by the 7th didn't mean he wasn't dominating. ZERO runs allowed is pretty much dominating.

Mike