I can see it with Smoltz, but I don't know what it has to do with Penny or Pedro. Brad Penny has thrown >70% fastballs for his career and was at 71.9% in Boston. If anything it was more Varitek relying on the curve and slider instead of the changeup for an offspeed pitch. Pedro's always been known for switching speeds and didn't exactly do poorly in Boston.If you're talking about his RS sample size, he was unlucky in that he didn't deserve an ERA in the high 8's, but his FIP was still around 5 and it was clear he wouldn't be able to go twice through an order in the AL postseason. Since he refused to go into the bullpen where he belongs, it made sense to drop him and his $35k/day for being on our active roster.

What ESPN guy was saying is that AL teams rely much more on overpowering hitters in their pitching calls. Whereas the NL is more about changing speeds and keeping hitters off balance. It's why guys like AJ Burnett, Josh Beckett and a young Pedro can come over to the AL and do fine. But it's also why guys in their twilight tend to pitch better in the NL (not to mention you don't face a DH).

The scout they were talking to on ESPN stated that was a philosophical difference (esp when it comes to teams like the Red Sox, Yankees and Angels).

I still don't think it really fits with Penny (who still throws very hard) or Pedro (who always changed speeds beautifully) but I can see the overall point.

As for tonight.... nothing like September baseball, where your team can go down 12-1 and replace 7 of the 8 defensive starters in the 5th inning.

I'm starting to think these Angels are like the 1995 Angels. They're going to do whatever it takes to keep the Rangers in it. Tuesday they made Fister look like a star, and tonight it's Tejada. They haven't scored now in 26-27 innings now, and it's not like they're playing the Yanks-Red Sox.

Fruit basket from Angels to Trey Hillman now for not going to Soria when he had two different chances in the 8th.

Not only did he have a chance to start the inning. But he could have done it instead of going to Bale. Or after Bale injured himself. But no, Roman Colon gives up the (likely) game winning hit to Vlad.

SI

Yeah, tough luck for the Royals on Bale. Isn't Soria the closer? Or am I forgetting who your closer is?

Sure, Soria's the closer but 2 on with 1 out in the 8th, up just 1-0 seems like about the most high leverage situation you'd see in the game.

SI

I would agree, except that's more saber-think than conventional wisdom. The traditionalists would only have Soria come out for the ninth.

This is one of those spots when I would lean to go with the sabermetric approach, but I'm not surprised to see Hillman go with the traditionalist approach (after all, most of baseball thinks this way).

Plus they used Soria for a two-inning save the other day and he threw a lot of pitches, plus he's complained of feeling sore all season. I think they would have used him in the ninth but not in the eight.

The rest of the bullpen is a gas can. Too bad to waste the yeoman's work of Tejada filling in for Meche, who along with Bannister also has a sore shoulder. But it's OK 'cause the Angels are getting a can of Greinke whoop ass served to them tomorrow night!

I think it's time to just shut down Banny and Meche and decide what to do with Soria. Then, clean house with the training staff in the offseason so they can't do more damage to their arms.

SI

Tomorrow should be a good one. Greinke versus Lackey.

One of Greinke's two losses when allowing two or less runs was against the Angels earlier this year, when he was (rarely) outdueled by Joe Saunders in a fantastic two-pitcher complete game 1-0 game. It would be fun to see another one like that tomorrow night (although Lackey needs to pitch like the Lackey of old to do it).

I will say, I find the Rangers fascinating this year, especially since they are doing it with pitching. Millwood and Feldman have been very good and recently Hunter and Nippert have been excellent - and the bullpen has been lights out.

Yup, Rangers have been very good this year, and fielding a squad that is very much atypical of what they usually put out there. It's a testament to their re-focus on pitching.

I certainly don't want them to catch the Angels, of course, but I am rooting for them to get the wildcard.

Yeah, same (I want Boston out of the playoff picture ;) - got the Yanks out last year, now for Yankees Lite to get the same :D).

Of course their hitting was supposed to be better. Kinsler is not doing so well from what the projections were on him and Salty was supposed to be the C that could hit (while Teagarden was the one who could field). Neither can hit, so Pudge was brought back!

I was at the Rays Tigers game and watched Rodney almost blow one....a great game, pitchers duel and good defense before things opened up in the 9th.

Has to be my fault. Needed to add some saves to my fantasy team, and, inexplicably, I found him just sitting out there. So I picked him up.

I also picked up Piniero on St. Louis, Felipe Lopez on whichever team he's on now, and Ubaldo Jimenez on COL. So if you're fans of these teams, I'm sorry in advance.

The funny thing about this is this used to be the traditionalist approach until a confluence of things - Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan helped reshape bullpen usage in the late '80's and early '90's and the "Save" statistic gained currency around the game (and thus in the pocketbooks of closers).

Remember back when good relievers would pitch 100+ innings a year? When a guy like Gossage or Fingers or Sutter would be brought into a tight game in the 7th because it was a high leverage situation and then he'd finish the game from there?

I wonder if any other sport has seen the invention of a statistic result in managerial decision-making that goes against providing the best chances of winning the game...

Don't want to see us again in October? (I don't blame you - it feels cliche at this point.) Plus I'm hoping Nolan goes all out and goes back to a 4-man rotation. :)

Nope, not one bit! :D

I think we can beat the Red Sox (I always do). But if we just flat don't have to play them, I'm fine with that. ;)

Angels... don't want to play them again.
Athletics were the Angels until 2005
Rangers terrify me this year, which leads to one inescapable conclusion: Dawgfan/Seattle Do Work!

(PS CR - If we miss the playoffs and Texas keeps playing well, you get to play at NYY then at Arlington. Not ideal ;))

As long as a trip to Fenway is not in the cards, I am fine with that. Besides, you may have noticed that, on those few occasions when we have managed to avoid you, we're kinda like what you guys are to us to the Yankees. They love seeing us in the postseason. ;)

Texas has given us problems this year. Maybe Detroit will take care of them.

Seriously. They've killed us, they've killed you - who's beating them this year? (Apparently Detroit, and to a lesser extent MIN, NYY and the NL.)

Hey, quick question fellas.
I'm not a big baseball guy, but I love my Astros...

What happened last night?!?

And are we about to rebuild? or do we still have a chance to make some noise (over the next 2 years or so).

Phils aren't hitting for sh!t recently - I think it's like 11 runs in the last 7 games (with a winning record over them, but still). Cliff Lee's second bad outting in a row, so I don't know what's going on with that. Still, I thought the 'Stros were looking strong this season and you say they're going to rebuild? Seems odd to me, although I think last night was more of a confluence of factors than an indicator.

Well... I say rebuild because Berkman, Lee are getting old, Oswalt is solid, but not getting younger.
They could be trade bait for some very solid prospects. We don't have any young guys from what I've seen, and it doesn't bode well from our future.

Nothing more disappointing than seeing Randy Winn in the lineup everyday. Guy is DONE!

Its fucking pathetic that Bochy and Sabean insist on keeping the useless old farts around: Winn, Aurillia, Bengie - Buster Posey is our 2nd best hitter, Fred Lewis has the 2nd highest OBP, but no, they sit cuz fucking melonhead has a goddamn veteran fetish.

Love watching Uribe take those huge hacks

Have you considered adopting Kansas City as an AL team. You can watch Miguel Olivo instead of Bryan Pena. Or Willie Bloomquist instead of trying out and seeing what Mitch Maier can do. Why check out Lenny DiNardo in AAA when you could run Bruce Chen or Sidney Ponson or Horacio Ramirez out there for starts. And let's not even get started on the Carlos Rosa problem.

SI

Haha, I'm not willing to subject myself to that much misery SI. There are limits.

Well, I'll be out seeing said Giants in about 3 weeks (26th vs the Cubs in San Fran) :)

That's going to be 6 parks in about 2 months this year (Yankee Stadium, Citizens Bank in Philly, Nationals Park, Camden Yards, the renovated Kaufman, and soon AT&T in San Fran)

SI

Pac Bell / AT &T is an amazing park; love going there. I might come out for a game then; there's a few of us in the Bay Area I think.

The Astros are winning again tonite??
What's going on here?!? :P

Wow. Rays imploding last half inning and now that game is tied.

Speaking of imploding: Zack with 0 ER an 8 K's but left the game with it tied 1-1 after an unearned run scored in the 8th.

Z. Greinke

8.0

8

1

0

2

8

0

1.08

2.22

SI

GO ASTROS!!! HELL YEAH!!!
(sorry... got a bit excited :D)

Brett Myers will be closing for the Phillies within the next week. Book it.

The Braves are pretty much out of it with that four game losing streak. They kept it interesting longer than I thought they would in April but then again I also thought the Cubs and Mets were going to be good.

Tigs are on a nice roll, and just won their second straight road series after losing 10 in a row, beating Anaheim and Tampa at that. They're up 6 games in the Central right now but they have a few games with the Twins left that'll go a long way in determining the division.

I believe today will clinch another losing Season for the Bucs. At least maybe Ohlendorf has established himself as a solid major league starter. 2.70 ERA since the break in 9 starts. Whip of about 1.2.

I had hoped Lidge had turned it around after his last couple outings and then he does that yesterday. It looks like he pitches well until he either gets behind a hitter or gets a runner on base. He looks totally f'd up in the head when that happens, like he's just waiting for it to come crashing down. I noticed that a couple weeks back when an error led to a baserunner; they showed him and his body language looked like he was already defeated. It's like he thinks that he has to be absolutely perfect or he will blow it.

Hey, hey, ho, ho Lidge has got to go!

Having a closer who has more than 2 different pitches might be a good idea.

Sadly, I get the feeling that keeping Lidge as closer is financially motivated.

Removing him from the closer's role will likely cause Lidge to lose any effectiveness he has left, for the remainder of his time in Philly since that's what happened in Houston. With two more years on his contract, that's a pretty expensive gamble.

Mariano Rivera and his one pitch say "Hi!"

Not to restart arguments on its effectiveness, but FRAA has him as the 3rd best defensive outfielder this season. Plus his BABIP is 30-40 points below last year's. Not sure why Aurilia gets any starts though.

Woo

17!

Are you talking about Winn? His BABIP is probably low because he can't make solid contact on anything. Watching his recent AB's is one of the more depressing things you can be forced to endure.

(17 whats?)

SI

:(

Losing seasons.

Oh.

SI

Ok, MLBN, I expect a bit more from you. They're talking about the Pirates and all agree that Pittsburgh is a small market. Then one of the morons goes on to say "Well, it doesn't affect the Steelers and the it doesn't affect the Penguins. There's something wrong with the Pirates." Yeah, the Penguins may not be your best example what with the bankruptcy and all. Never mind that they the other two sports have vastly different financial systems that even the playing field.

SI