September 22, 2009

G150: Royals 5, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 000 000 010 - 1  2  0
Royals - 500 000 00x - 5 9 1
Greinke (6-2-0-3-5, 91) pitched as expected, with a nasty slider and a fastball at 96-97 with pinpoint control. He has now allowed only one earned run in his last 35 innings, over five starts.

Byrd (6.2-9-5-4-0, 101) was also good -- as long as you forgot about his first 19 pitches. Four singles and two walks to the first eight Royals he faced put the Sox in a 5-0 hole. However, he was getting seriously squeezed by home plate umpire Andy Fletcher: two of the four balls he threw to Mike Jacobs in the first (who he walked to force in the first run) were clearly strikes. In the seventh, consecutive pitches to the exact same spot in the zone to Billy Butler were called a ball and strike.

Meanwhile, Greinke got a few calls on pitches 6-12 inches outside (two strikes to Ellsbury in the third and two strikes to David Ortiz in the sixth). The final outcome of the game was likely not changed, but it was still annoying and wrong, and Greinke did not need the extra help.

Boston's two hits extended the hitting streaks of both Victor Martinez (21 games, sixth inning single) and Dustin Pedroia (14 games, first inning double). Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 64th base of the year in the eighth.
Example
Paul Byrd (5.79, 82 ERA+) / Zack Greinke (2.14, 204 ERA+)

KC has Greinke -- the only choice for the American League Cy Young Award among people with brains.

He had an 0.84 ERA through his first ten starts, his ERA did not go over 2.00 until the All-Star break, he has a 1.24 ERA in his last seven starts, and a 0.34 ERA (one earned run in 29 innings) in his last four starts. In his eight no-decisions, his ERA is 1.95.

If any writer(s) penalize(s) Greinke for his W-L record -- which is 14-8 right now because the Royals have scored more than three runs in only 11 of his 30 starts -- they should be locked up in a mental institution. Instead, they will probably be offered a job as an ESPN Baseball Tonight analyst.

Boston has Byrd, who a couple of months ago was spending his afternoons throwing batting practice to the Georgia Road Runners, the 13-and-under team his two sons play on.

Sometimes mismatches turn out exactly how they "should". Other times, they don't.
Example
Out West at 10: Yankees/Angels (Gaudin/Santana) and Rangers/A's.

43 comments:

MacLeodCartoons said...

C'mom guys,let's look on the bright side - at least tonight's game won't get pissed away by the bullpen.

Will Stoutamire said...

I read an article the other day about how Greinke and Lincecum should not win the CY because neither team will make the playoffs and neither pitcher has 16 wins (since when did that become the magical number?). I was pretty close to sending the columnist an angry email about it.... Greinke has absolutely been the most dominant pitcher in the AL this season, no question, and he shouldn't be penalized for being on a team with no offense. The argument against Lincecum is even worse - he leads the league in ERA and Ks! How on earth can a guy with two legs of the triple crown not win the CY?

allan said...

They are the same people who worship RBI or think the best hitter is the one with the highest batting average.

Yesterday, Jeff Blair of the Globe & Mail wrote that Jeter was his choice right now for AL MVP, but it could change to Mauer if the Twins made the playoffs. ... He might as well wear a sign around his neck all day that says "I AM AN IDIOT WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT BASEBALL".

allan said...

My MVP/CY definition is:

"Who is the pitcher or hitter from 2009 you would pick first when assembling your team? Money is no object and no one else is choosing any players (this is not like a fantasy draft, where you might have a plan a strategy of picking). If you could have anyone, who would it be?"

Patrick said...

The match up is so lopsided that I have a good feeling about it.

Who will emerge as the dragon slayer?

allan said...

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Victor Martinez, 1B
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. David Ortiz, DH
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. J.D. Drew, RF
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

allan said...

got nesn with sean "i want food NOW" casey. yay.

allan said...

tyrd with the bases loaded in the 1st, no outs. love-lee.

allan said...

don already mentioning bowden as possible long man.

allan said...

two straight 4 pitch walks. byrd getting squeezed. ball 4 was right down the middle, a tad lower than dead center of the zone.

fuck

allan said...

and this guy is gonna face the mfy on sunday?

man, that is "fuck the division" tito right there.

allan said...

5-0.

FML.

nick said...

I just got home and WTF. really? wonky strike zone?

I already missed The Princess Bride on the big screen tonight because I had to go to a meeting and now... some CY guy pitching like a CY guy and Byrd...well...

nick said...

Crikes...and only Allan here? I expect more woe-ing to be had.

Hi, Allan.

allan said...

byrd straightened out after the first 5 guys reached and scored ...

and zack is pitching like he totally knows what he is doing.

sigh

allan said...

hi nick!

nick said...

I expect that now that I'm home and watching the sox will take notice of that fact and shape up.

runs, if you pleazors. do unto them as they would (did) do unto you.

allan said...

leadoff BB will score, so that's 1

nick said...

fuckers trying to drive me to drink my sorrows away (there's a K in my beer).

allan said...

they* don't call it "pain go bye-bye juice" for nothing.





*: they = patton oswalt

Amy said...

I am here but too pissed off that we are losing to KC to post. SO annoying.

allan said...

shit, this guy is good.

allan said...

self-control by cactus = BB!

nick said...

I want to hear..."going back, back, back...that ball is gonzo!"

nick said...

right, then.

allan said...

76 thru 5. we need guys to foul off 10 pitches per Ab and get him gone.

allan said...

vic needs a hit

allan said...

21

nick said...

Do my eyes deceive me? an actual hit!

allan said...

colon up in kc pen

HOPE!

nick said...

beat on the pen with a baseball bat. oh yeah, oh yeah..

nick said...

pop-up heavy inning.

allan said...

don't waste AB -- let's attack

allan said...

mdc up

yay

allan said...

tito in "better see now if mdc is worthless in october or if he can give us anything" mode.

allan said...

zack gets pitches a foot outside and byrd gets fucked on pitches IN THE FUCKIN ZONE!!!!!!!

allan said...

GONZO!!!!!!!!!!

tim said...

Just got in from class.


FUCK

allan said...

maybe the hint of a sense of a semblance of a rally

nick said...

rally vapors.

allan said...

you BETTER get yr closer up

allan said...

GIFT!

Benjamin said...

Yeah, well, there was that.