Saturday's Streaking and Slumping Starting Pitchers
Streaking
Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds
Arroyo has frequented this list so often in the past three months, we’re fresh out of rock references to go along with his stellar pitching stats.
The Reds' guitar hero (yes!) has been on a roll since late July. Since the All-Star break Arroyo has an ERA of 2.33 and has totaled 52 strikeouts in those 12 games. Unfortunately for the right-hander, a lack of support from his teammates has led to a less-than-stunning 4-4 record in that span.
In his most recent trip to the bump, Arroyo allowed just one run on six hits in seven innings of work – marking his 10th straight quality start.
Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox
It seems that a Red Sox pitcher is on the streaking side of this article every day.
Lester is perhaps the most notable of Boston’s pitchers, going 5-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 11 starts since the break. The BoSox's left-hander is coming off back-to-back shutout efforts, having kept opponents of the scoreboard for his last 15 innings of work.
He is unbeaten in his last 10 starts, which is the longest active streak in the American League. Lester’s also been a strikeout artist, collecting 80 Ks since the mid-summer classic.
C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees
Some people were doubting if Sabathia was actually worth the money earlier this season. But in recent appearances, the burly hurler has been worth his weight in gold.
Sabathia has given up just 13 runs over his last 58 1-3 innings on the hill and has pitched into at least the seventh inning in nine straight starts. He has seven victories and an ERA of 2.48 in that stretch. The southpaw has cracked double figures in strikeouts three times in those games and has a K-to-BB count of 83-to-20 since the All-Star Game.
Slumping
David Hernandez, Baltimore Orioles
Hernandez can’t wait for the season to get over. The last two months have been trying times for the Orioles’ young righty. Since the break, Hernandez is just 2-6 with a 6.28 ERA in 11 starts. In his last three trips to the mound, things have gone from bad to worse.
Hernandez is posting a 0-2 record and a fat-ass ERA of 13.50 in his last three starts. He hasn’t gone past the fifth inning in any of those starts and has served up nine – count ‘em nine – home runs in just under 11 innings of terrible pitching.
Debuting
Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox
Southsiders finally get to see what Jake Peavy looks like in black and white when the former Cy Young winner makes his debut for the ChiSox.
Peavy has been nursing a tender ankle and was limited in workouts since joining Chicago via a trade-deadline deal. He hasn’t pitched since June and brings a 6-6 record and 3.97 ERA with him from 13 starts as a Padre this season.
"I don't expect to be 100 per cent," Peavy told reporters. "I'm not. I'm excited about getting out there and competing."
Baseball Today
SCOREBOARD
Saturday, September 19
Los Angeles Angels at Texas (7:05 p.m. EDT). Jered Weaver (15-6) and the Angels are trying to build an insurmountable lead in the AL West over the second-place Rangers and Scott Feldman (16-5).
Kansas City at Chicago White Sox (7:05 p.m. EDT). Jake Peavy makes his White Sox debut after being acquired from the Padres and rehabbing a strained tendon in his right ankle.
STARS
Friday
- Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners, hit a two-out, two-run homer off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning to lead Seattle to a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees.
- Matt Holliday, Cardinals, homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win over the Cubs.
- Ryan Howard, Phillies, homered twice to help Philadelphia beat the Braves 9-4.
- Vladimir Guerrero and Scott Kazmir, Angels. Guerrero hit a solo homer and Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings for his first victory with Los Angeles in a 2-0 win at Texas.
- Luke Hochevar and Miguel Olivo, Royals. Hochevar pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout, Olivo hit a pair of two-run shots and had a career-high six RBIs in an 11-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
- John Baker, Marlins, hit an RBI single that highlighted a four-run rally in the ninth inning as Florida beat Cincinnati 4-3.
- Brian Duensing, Twins, gave up just four hits and only one walk in 6 1-3 innings, helping Minnesota get within 3 games of the Tigers for the AL Central lead in a 3-0 win.
- Casey McGehee, Brewers, singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of a 3-2 victory over Houston.
ROCKY ROAD
Colorado lost for the fifth time in six games, 7-5 at Arizona on Friday night. The NL wild card leaders had their lead over San Francisco pared to 2 1/2 games when the Giants later beat the Dodgers 8-4.
CLOSIN' IN TWINS
Minnesota won its fifth straight, beating Detroit 3-0 Friday nigth to get within three games of the AL Central lead. The Twins are 6-1 at home against the Tigers this year, and have one more visit to the Motor City left as they try to win the AL Central. This is the closest the Twins (75-72) have been to first place since Aug. 2.
HURTS BUT IT'S WORTH IT
Ichiro Suzuki lined a two-out, two-run homer into the right field seats to give the Mariners a stunning 3-2 win over the Yankees on Friday night. Afterward, he had no choice but to face the mob waiting at home plate, a day after he ran away from teammates following a game-winning hit.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
The Marlins finally got a ninth-inning win against the Reds. Cincinnati had been 57-0 when leading after eight innings before John Baker's RBI single highlighted Florida's four-run rally in the ninth for a 4-3 win Friday night.
BIG TEN
Brett Anderson had a career-high 10 strikeouts in six shutout innings to help Oakland win its fifth straight, 2-1 over Cleveland on Friday night.
GET 'EM NEXT YEAR
Jake Peavy is scheduled for his White Sox debut Saturday night against the Kansas City Royals with Chicago 6 1/2 games out of the division lead and fading. The 2007 NL Cy Young winner was acquired from San Diego at the July 31 trade deadline but has been on the disabled list since June 13 with a strained tendon in his right ankle and was struck on his pitching elbow during a rehab game on Aug. 24.
SPEAKING
"I think my motivational speech before the game didn't work at all. It was very bad. I wasted 25 minutes of my time to try to motivate those guys.'' White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen after Chicago's 11-0 loss to Kansas City.
L.A. Angels (88-59) at Texas (80-66)
The Angels are looking to hand the Rangers their sixth straight loss and move 8½ games ahead in the A.L. West standings when they send right-hander Jered Weaver (15-6, 3.71 ERA) to the mound at Rangers Ballpark opposite Texas righty Scott Feldman (16-5, 3.65).
Los Angeles blanked the Rangers 2-0 on Friday, with Vladimir Guerrero providing the offense and Scott Kazmir and three relievers combining for the shutout. The Angels remain just 2-5 in Texas this season, but they are on positive streaks of 6-2 against A.L. West teams, 12-5 in the second game of a series and 10-2 on Saturdays.
Friday’s shutout was the fourth time in this five-game losing streak the Rangers have failed to plate a run and they’ve been outscored 26-1 during the skid. Texas is 17-8 at home against teams with winning records, but otherwise, this team is fading fast, on negative streaks of 3-12 on Saturdays, 1-4 as a favorite, 0-5 at home and 0-5 against the A.L. West.
The Angels have lost three of Weaver’s last five starts, including Monday in New York when he allowed three runs in 7 1/3 innings of a 5-3 loss to the Yankees. Los Angeles has split his four starts against the Rangers this season, losing both in Texas and winning both in California. In Arlington, he’s allowed 10 runs on 14 hits in 13 1/3 innings. With Weaver on the hill, the Angels are on positive runs of 16-6 overall, 8-3 on the road, 20-8 in the second game of a series and 10-4 when he gets four days between starts.
The Rangers have won seven of Feldman’s last nine outings, but they lost his Monday start at home against the A’s as he gave up six runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 9-0 loss. They have won all three of his outings against the Angels this season, including two in Texas where he’s given up three runs on 10 hits over 12 innings. Texas is on a host of positive streaks when Feldman toes the rubber, including 20-8 overall and 8-3 in the second game of a series, but just 1-4 in his last five at home.
Los Angeles is on a plethora of “under” streaks, including 19-7-1 overall, 5-0-1 against the A.L. West, 9-1 on the road, 5-1 on Saturdays, 3-1-1 in Weaver’s last five starts overall and 19-6-3 when he starts the second game of a series. It’s also been a host of “unders” for Texas, including 37-14-4 at home, 78-34-6 overall, 18-6-2 on Saturdays, 26-9-3 at home against righties, 11-1 when Feldman starts on a Saturday, 10-3-1 when he starts at home and 12-4 when he pitches on Saturdays.
Finally, this series has stayed under the total in seven of 10 outings with Weaver on the hill and five of the last six when he pitches in Texas.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
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