In last night's New York Mets game, starter Orlando Hernandez's numbers were horrendous. In three plus innings, against 19 batters, he gave up eight runs on six hits and four walks. He averaged almost 25 pitches an inning.
El Duque attributed his poor performance to a lack of control rather than to the foot problem that sidelined him for 12 days. It appears that the Mets coaches prematurely returned him to the battle zone. Unfortunately, all the Mets' minor league teams' regular seasons have ended, so he couldn't get sent down for a rehab start. Instead, for his rehab start he faced the Braves. They did more than help him to return to pitching form; they sent notice that the Mets will pay when they put a not-ready-for-prime-time pitcher on the mound against them.
With both Pelfrey and Humber on the roster, there was no need for the Mets to rush El Duque back into service.
Humber did make it into the game, eight innings too late. In the ninth he faced Johnson, Escobar, and Prado. Ten pitches later he'd retired the side on two groundouts and a lineout.
In the Pacific Coast League playoffs, Adam Bostick pitched much better than did El Duque, but New Orleans also lost, 5-3, though Bostick wasn't the losing pitcher. In six innings, he gave up just two hits and two runs. He walked three while striking out nine.
Six innings seems to be his limit. Since June 12, in his last 10 starts he was able to reach the sixth inning only three times and complete it only twice. Only 20% of those starts were quality starts.
Unfortunately for the Zephyrs, with star reliever Willie Collazo promoted to the New York Mets, their available relievers couldn't prevent Sacramento from scoring. The last run was given up in the ninth by ex-Met Joe Smith. Unlike Humber, who pitched a scoreless ninth yesterday, Smith gave up two hits, a walk, and one run. Didn't matter though. The Zephyrs would have lost anyway.
Showing posts with label Bostick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bostick. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Start the best
One of the visitors who leaves comments on this blog, Dave, gave a lot of thought to the one he left on September 9; however, his philosophy as how the New York Mets should fill vacancies in their 2008 starting rotation differs dramatically from mine.
I'd commented that I'd set aside spots for Tom Glavine and El Duque, if they both return, and put the other three up for grabs. That seemed to surprise Dave, who responded "Have they [Maine and Perez] not already proven themselves as legitimate starters this season?"
That's a valid question.
"Proven" themselves? To me, no.
In my book, a pitcher has proven himself when he can produce quality starts on a consistent basis. As of September 8th, Tom Glavine had 21 quality starts in 29 starts (72%), El Duque 17 in 23 (74%), John Maine 15 in 28 (54%), and Oliver Perez 14 in 25 (56%).
A pitcher who can produce a quality start in at least 70% of his starts has proven himself to me. A pitcher who can only produce a quality start about half the time he's on the mound hasn't. Glavine has proven himself, as has El Duque.
As a result, I'd make both John Maine and Oliver Perez compete for spots with Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber, Adam Bostick, Jason Vargas, and Kevin Mulvey. The Mets need to give their best pitching prospects a better chance to make it into their rotation than they have in the past. Otherwise,what message are they sending to them? Pitch well so you can pitch for someone else?
In pro football, many coaches in training camp encourage competition for all positions except possibly a few manned by stars. It adds a spark to the camp. If the Mets did that next string training with their starting rotation, I believe it would have the same effect. If either Maine or Perez complains, so be it. Let's see if they have the wherewithal to ward off the challengers. And if they don't, that should send a message loud-and-clear to the Mets front office.
It's all about winning, not maintaining the status quo just to keep players happy.
To make matters more interesting, the Mets should invite Dylan Owen to spring training. Last night in Brooklyn's first playoff game, Owen pitched five innings of four-hit, no walk, shutout ball in which he struck out seven. He's continuing to pitch in the playoffs as he did during the regular season when he led the New York-Penn League in both wins and ERA while compiling a strikeout to walk ratio of almost 6 to 1. If any Mets' pitching prospect deserves a chance to rub shoulders with its big leaguers, it's Owen. And though he's a long shot to win a spot in the rotation, he's a winner, so I wouldn't bet against him.
Finally — Dave, keep the comments coming. You've stirred up my thinking, and I really appreciate it.
I'd commented that I'd set aside spots for Tom Glavine and El Duque, if they both return, and put the other three up for grabs. That seemed to surprise Dave, who responded "Have they [Maine and Perez] not already proven themselves as legitimate starters this season?"
That's a valid question.
"Proven" themselves? To me, no.
In my book, a pitcher has proven himself when he can produce quality starts on a consistent basis. As of September 8th, Tom Glavine had 21 quality starts in 29 starts (72%), El Duque 17 in 23 (74%), John Maine 15 in 28 (54%), and Oliver Perez 14 in 25 (56%).
A pitcher who can produce a quality start in at least 70% of his starts has proven himself to me. A pitcher who can only produce a quality start about half the time he's on the mound hasn't. Glavine has proven himself, as has El Duque.
As a result, I'd make both John Maine and Oliver Perez compete for spots with Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber, Adam Bostick, Jason Vargas, and Kevin Mulvey. The Mets need to give their best pitching prospects a better chance to make it into their rotation than they have in the past. Otherwise,what message are they sending to them? Pitch well so you can pitch for someone else?
In pro football, many coaches in training camp encourage competition for all positions except possibly a few manned by stars. It adds a spark to the camp. If the Mets did that next string training with their starting rotation, I believe it would have the same effect. If either Maine or Perez complains, so be it. Let's see if they have the wherewithal to ward off the challengers. And if they don't, that should send a message loud-and-clear to the Mets front office.
It's all about winning, not maintaining the status quo just to keep players happy.
To make matters more interesting, the Mets should invite Dylan Owen to spring training. Last night in Brooklyn's first playoff game, Owen pitched five innings of four-hit, no walk, shutout ball in which he struck out seven. He's continuing to pitch in the playoffs as he did during the regular season when he led the New York-Penn League in both wins and ERA while compiling a strikeout to walk ratio of almost 6 to 1. If any Mets' pitching prospect deserves a chance to rub shoulders with its big leaguers, it's Owen. And though he's a long shot to win a spot in the rotation, he's a winner, so I wouldn't bet against him.
Finally — Dave, keep the comments coming. You've stirred up my thinking, and I really appreciate it.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Braves can't sink the Maine
With the Triple-A season winding down, it seems that Zephyr starters want to end their seasons on a positive note. The latest working toward that goal was Adam Bostick. Last night against the Round Rock Express, Bostick threw six innings of one-hit ball in the Zephyrs 3-0 victory. The lone hit was a double in the first.
Bostick still had control problems, walking five, but he did strike out seven. He threw 91 pitches of which 56, or 62%, were strikes. It was Bostick's sixth win agains seven losses.
The losing pitcher was Chan Ho Park, the ex-Met. The loss was his 14th; he's won six.
In the Zephyrs previous game, another ex-Met, Dave Williams, pitched well. He only surrendered four hits and two runs in seven innings. And two games ago, Jason Vargas, who also pitched briefly for the New York Mets this season, gave up only five hits and two runs in 5.1 innings. The Zephyrs won both games.
In Double-A, the Binghamton Mets lost as starter Robert Paulk lasted only 4.1 innings, surrendering all four runs that Akron scored in the game. Though he struck out seven, he also gave up seven hits and three walks, including a home run.
In Single-A, St. Lucie won behind the seven-hit pitching of Deolis Guerra. Though he gave up three runs in 5.1 innings, no Mets reliever gave up any, so the Mets were able to beat Daytona 6-3.
Brooklyn got another stellar pitching performance from Dylan Owen, who upped his record to 9-1. In six innings, he limited Aberdeen to four hits, one unearned run, and struck out four. He walked none while lowering his ERA to 1.65. Owen continues to lead the NY-Penn League in Wins, ERA, and WHIP, which before yesterday's game was 0.94.
On the hitting side, Cyclones leadoff batter Ezequiel Carrera pounded out four hits to up his average to .378. This guy can hit. Before being promoted this season to the Cyclones he hit .341 with the GCL Mets. In 179 at-bats with them his OPS was .866.
And finally, the New York Mets. Mets fans can breathe again. John Maine, who's been struggling for awhile, ended the Mets struggles last night. Against Atlanta, another pennant contender, Maine returned to pitching the way he did in the first half of the season when he deserved to be selected to the All-Star team (which didn't happen). He held the Braves to just three hits and one run, striking out eight. He still threw a lot of pitches (112), of which 62 were strikes (55%), but was able to last seven innings, giving the bullpen a bit of rest. It was Maine's 14th win.
Bostick still had control problems, walking five, but he did strike out seven. He threw 91 pitches of which 56, or 62%, were strikes. It was Bostick's sixth win agains seven losses.
The losing pitcher was Chan Ho Park, the ex-Met. The loss was his 14th; he's won six.
In the Zephyrs previous game, another ex-Met, Dave Williams, pitched well. He only surrendered four hits and two runs in seven innings. And two games ago, Jason Vargas, who also pitched briefly for the New York Mets this season, gave up only five hits and two runs in 5.1 innings. The Zephyrs won both games.
In Double-A, the Binghamton Mets lost as starter Robert Paulk lasted only 4.1 innings, surrendering all four runs that Akron scored in the game. Though he struck out seven, he also gave up seven hits and three walks, including a home run.
In Single-A, St. Lucie won behind the seven-hit pitching of Deolis Guerra. Though he gave up three runs in 5.1 innings, no Mets reliever gave up any, so the Mets were able to beat Daytona 6-3.
Brooklyn got another stellar pitching performance from Dylan Owen, who upped his record to 9-1. In six innings, he limited Aberdeen to four hits, one unearned run, and struck out four. He walked none while lowering his ERA to 1.65. Owen continues to lead the NY-Penn League in Wins, ERA, and WHIP, which before yesterday's game was 0.94.
On the hitting side, Cyclones leadoff batter Ezequiel Carrera pounded out four hits to up his average to .378. This guy can hit. Before being promoted this season to the Cyclones he hit .341 with the GCL Mets. In 179 at-bats with them his OPS was .866.
And finally, the New York Mets. Mets fans can breathe again. John Maine, who's been struggling for awhile, ended the Mets struggles last night. Against Atlanta, another pennant contender, Maine returned to pitching the way he did in the first half of the season when he deserved to be selected to the All-Star team (which didn't happen). He held the Braves to just three hits and one run, striking out eight. He still threw a lot of pitches (112), of which 62 were strikes (55%), but was able to last seven innings, giving the bullpen a bit of rest. It was Maine's 14th win.
Monday, August 27, 2007
As the race heats up, Maine cools down
John Maine threw 111 pitches last night. Unfortunately, he did it in 5.2 innings. The Dodgers collected nine hits, six runs, and a walk off Maine, who was outpitched by David Wells, whom the Padres released earlier this month because of poor performance. If Maine can't outpitch Wells, the Mets have a problem. But then, Maine's been having problems in his last four starts. During that stretch he's lasted only 5.1, 5.0, 5.2, and 5.2 innings, averaging 112 pitches per start. That's about 21 pitches an inning.
Maine's faltering at the worst time, and Peterson seems unable to get him back on track. If arm fatigue's causing Maine's problems, he needs rest, not more innings. But then, this is the pennant run, and Maine's one of the Mets' horses running in the race.
Maine wasn't the only pitcher in the Mets organization who threw too many pitches in too few innings yesterday.
In New Orleans in an afternoon game, the Zephyrs' Adam Bostick gave up three runs while striking out three. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
But Bostick also has problems finding the strike zone. In his next-to-last game he threw 85 pitches in four innings. Yesterday, he threw 92 pitches in five. Only 43 were strikes, not a good percentage if you want to win baseball games.
In the third inning, his pitches danced outside the strike zone often enough to grant free passes to three batters. Specifically, he walked the leadoff batter. The second batter tried to bunt, but Andy Tracy, the Mets first baseman, turned it into a 5-6-4 double play. Then, Bostick walked the next batter. And the next batter. But not the next batter. That hitter, Geovany Soto, cleared the bases with his 24th home run.
Luckily for him, he didn't lose the game even though he walked twice as many batters as he struck out. That's because the Zephyrs scored eight runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings; but Zephyr reliever, Steve Schmoll, couldn't hold the lead. In one and two-thirds innings he gave up five runs, none earned, on three hits and two walks. And then his replacement, Ryan Cullen, gave up a solo homer to give the Iowa Cubs a 9-8 lead, which is how the game ended.
This is the first game in Bostick's last 11 in which he walked more batters than he struck out. In the previous 10 he had never walked more than three. Maybe he just doesn't like pitching during the day. His ERA in day games is 12.27; whereas, in night games it's 5.49. And his ERA when the bases are empty is an amazing 1.99.
If any pitcher has to puzzle the Mets management, it's Bostick. He can strike batters out. In 582 innings he's struck out 619 batters. But he continues to linger in the minors. This is his sixth season in in which he hasn't made it to the majors.
If only the Mets pitching coaches could mix a potion that would make Bostick's pitches less adverse to avoiding home plate, especially during day games, then he might be able to break the bonds that are confining him to the minor leagues.
And now, news about four good pitching performances.
Down a level in Double-A, a starter is having more success. Kevin Mulvey pitched six innings of four-hit ball, holding the Trenton Yankees to the only two runs they scored in the game. He walked just one batter while striking out 10. Though he didn't gain the victory, the five Mets relievers that followed him held the Yankees scoreless until the 14th inning when a single, double, and error produced the Mets winning run.
In Single-A, St. Lucie sent the Mets fans who attended their game home with a smile. Deolis Guerra, a man the Mets are counting on to pitch at Shea some day, limited the Palm Beach Cardinals to two hits and no runs over five innings as the Mets shut out the Cards, 5-0.
In short-season Single-A, Brooklyn won 8-2. It was won by a pitcher whose record is even better than the game's final score. Dylan Owen. In recording his eighth win against only one loss, Owen held Vermont to five hits and a run in five innings. He leads the NY-Penn League in ERA, wins, and WHIP. His ERA's under 2.00, and his WHIP is under 1.00.
And for those who missed it, in Kingsport on Saturday Michael Olmsted, a pitcher whom I consider to have a lot of potential, started and pitched six innings of one hit, one run ball in which he struck out seven.
Maine's faltering at the worst time, and Peterson seems unable to get him back on track. If arm fatigue's causing Maine's problems, he needs rest, not more innings. But then, this is the pennant run, and Maine's one of the Mets' horses running in the race.
Maine wasn't the only pitcher in the Mets organization who threw too many pitches in too few innings yesterday.
In New Orleans in an afternoon game, the Zephyrs' Adam Bostick gave up three runs while striking out three. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
But Bostick also has problems finding the strike zone. In his next-to-last game he threw 85 pitches in four innings. Yesterday, he threw 92 pitches in five. Only 43 were strikes, not a good percentage if you want to win baseball games.
In the third inning, his pitches danced outside the strike zone often enough to grant free passes to three batters. Specifically, he walked the leadoff batter. The second batter tried to bunt, but Andy Tracy, the Mets first baseman, turned it into a 5-6-4 double play. Then, Bostick walked the next batter. And the next batter. But not the next batter. That hitter, Geovany Soto, cleared the bases with his 24th home run.
Luckily for him, he didn't lose the game even though he walked twice as many batters as he struck out. That's because the Zephyrs scored eight runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings; but Zephyr reliever, Steve Schmoll, couldn't hold the lead. In one and two-thirds innings he gave up five runs, none earned, on three hits and two walks. And then his replacement, Ryan Cullen, gave up a solo homer to give the Iowa Cubs a 9-8 lead, which is how the game ended.
This is the first game in Bostick's last 11 in which he walked more batters than he struck out. In the previous 10 he had never walked more than three. Maybe he just doesn't like pitching during the day. His ERA in day games is 12.27; whereas, in night games it's 5.49. And his ERA when the bases are empty is an amazing 1.99.
If any pitcher has to puzzle the Mets management, it's Bostick. He can strike batters out. In 582 innings he's struck out 619 batters. But he continues to linger in the minors. This is his sixth season in in which he hasn't made it to the majors.
If only the Mets pitching coaches could mix a potion that would make Bostick's pitches less adverse to avoiding home plate, especially during day games, then he might be able to break the bonds that are confining him to the minor leagues.
And now, news about four good pitching performances.
Down a level in Double-A, a starter is having more success. Kevin Mulvey pitched six innings of four-hit ball, holding the Trenton Yankees to the only two runs they scored in the game. He walked just one batter while striking out 10. Though he didn't gain the victory, the five Mets relievers that followed him held the Yankees scoreless until the 14th inning when a single, double, and error produced the Mets winning run.
In Single-A, St. Lucie sent the Mets fans who attended their game home with a smile. Deolis Guerra, a man the Mets are counting on to pitch at Shea some day, limited the Palm Beach Cardinals to two hits and no runs over five innings as the Mets shut out the Cards, 5-0.
In short-season Single-A, Brooklyn won 8-2. It was won by a pitcher whose record is even better than the game's final score. Dylan Owen. In recording his eighth win against only one loss, Owen held Vermont to five hits and a run in five innings. He leads the NY-Penn League in ERA, wins, and WHIP. His ERA's under 2.00, and his WHIP is under 1.00.
And for those who missed it, in Kingsport on Saturday Michael Olmsted, a pitcher whom I consider to have a lot of potential, started and pitched six innings of one hit, one run ball in which he struck out seven.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Bostick and Maine, more of the same
A second after I glanced at the New Orleans boxscore for last night's home game, I knew the Zephyrs were in trouble. Before the first Zephyr had stepped into the batter's box, the team was already three runs down.
The victim? Starter Adam Bostick.
In the top of the first he faced eight batters. After striking out the leadoff man, he walked the next batter, who then stole second. (Bostick needs to work on keeping runners close.) I don't know if the theft of second also stole Bostick's concentration, but he grooved a pitch to Oklahoma's cleanup hitter who smashed it over the left field fence. The next three batters were also happy to step to the plate, doubling, singling, and singling. Finally, Bostick was able to end the inning by getting the eighth batter to pop out to first.
In the third inning, an Oklahoma batter homered.
In the fourth, an Oklahoma batter homered.
In the fifth, six Oklahoma batters came to the plate, but by then Bostick was gone.
His ERA's now 6.07.
In his four innings, Bostick threw 85 pitches. That's about 21 pitches an inning. Control problems?
For the past few weeks the Zephyr starters have struggled on the mound, something I expound upon this week in my column.
Tonight Philip Humber starts. In his last outing he was also out fast: He lasted just 3.2 innings during which he surrendered four walks and five earned runs.
Stay tuned.
Thirteen hundred forty miles away, in Flushing Meadows, Queens, John Maine lasted 5.2 innings. He also had control issues. He threw 118 pitches or more than 22 an inning. Forty six of them were outside the strike zone. When he was pulled from the game in the sixth, Mike Cameron had homered, Josh Bard had doubled to deep right, and pinch-hitter Marcus Giles, hitting only .224 this season, had tripled to deep left. Did Willie leave Maine in an inning too long?
Maine's explanation of his outing? The New York Times quoted him as saying "“I felt all right today.” ... “It was just tough in the weather.”
It was a cooler than usual August night in Queens, the temperature sinking into the upper fifties after the game began; however, I suspect Maine's problem are due more to a tired arm if not a tired body.
North of the Big Apple, in Portland, Maine, at least one pitcher in the Mets organization still has his sea legs under him. Though Portland's temperature matched that in Queens, Kevin Mulvey, the Binghamton Mets ace, showed in seven innings what he's capable of: three hits, no runs, six strikeouts. The B-Met notched his 11th win as he lowered his ERA to 3.34.
For Zephyr weather watchers, the temperature hovered around 100 degrees at game time yesterday in the Big Easy.
The victim? Starter Adam Bostick.
In the top of the first he faced eight batters. After striking out the leadoff man, he walked the next batter, who then stole second. (Bostick needs to work on keeping runners close.) I don't know if the theft of second also stole Bostick's concentration, but he grooved a pitch to Oklahoma's cleanup hitter who smashed it over the left field fence. The next three batters were also happy to step to the plate, doubling, singling, and singling. Finally, Bostick was able to end the inning by getting the eighth batter to pop out to first.
In the third inning, an Oklahoma batter homered.
In the fourth, an Oklahoma batter homered.
In the fifth, six Oklahoma batters came to the plate, but by then Bostick was gone.
His ERA's now 6.07.
In his four innings, Bostick threw 85 pitches. That's about 21 pitches an inning. Control problems?
For the past few weeks the Zephyr starters have struggled on the mound, something I expound upon this week in my column.
Tonight Philip Humber starts. In his last outing he was also out fast: He lasted just 3.2 innings during which he surrendered four walks and five earned runs.
Stay tuned.
Thirteen hundred forty miles away, in Flushing Meadows, Queens, John Maine lasted 5.2 innings. He also had control issues. He threw 118 pitches or more than 22 an inning. Forty six of them were outside the strike zone. When he was pulled from the game in the sixth, Mike Cameron had homered, Josh Bard had doubled to deep right, and pinch-hitter Marcus Giles, hitting only .224 this season, had tripled to deep left. Did Willie leave Maine in an inning too long?
Maine's explanation of his outing? The New York Times quoted him as saying "“I felt all right today.” ... “It was just tough in the weather.”
It was a cooler than usual August night in Queens, the temperature sinking into the upper fifties after the game began; however, I suspect Maine's problem are due more to a tired arm if not a tired body.
North of the Big Apple, in Portland, Maine, at least one pitcher in the Mets organization still has his sea legs under him. Though Portland's temperature matched that in Queens, Kevin Mulvey, the Binghamton Mets ace, showed in seven innings what he's capable of: three hits, no runs, six strikeouts. The B-Met notched his 11th win as he lowered his ERA to 3.34.
For Zephyr weather watchers, the temperature hovered around 100 degrees at game time yesterday in the Big Easy.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Is Minaya missing something?
On a Mets discussion board, Chico posted a message revealing the highlights of WFAN host Mike Francesa's recent interview with Omar Minaya.
According to Chico, Minaya said that he
Here's an abbreviated log of what Zephyr Philip Humber's did in his final inning of a start that lasted just 3.2 innings:
Should Minaya be calling up Humber to be a Mets reliever during a pennant race? The Mets need relievers with nerves of steel who won't flinch in the face of adversity.
Three other Zephyr pitchers didn't do any better in their last starts. Adam Bostick gave up six earned runs in five innings. Dave Williams gave up seven earned runs in 6.1 innings. Jason Vargas gave up five runs in five innings.
The only two who had decent last starts were Mike Pelfrey and Jose Santiago. Pelfrey gave up three earned runs in five innings; however, he threw 94 pitches, which indicates control problems. Only Jose Santiago had a quality start, giving up only one run in six innings, but his ERA's 5.27.
According to Chico, Minaya said that he
- has tried to claim relievers who were placed on waivers, unsuccessfully
- tried to trade for Eric Gagne
- may call up Zephyr starters to relieve (The Zephyrs are the Mets Triple-A affiliate)
Here's an abbreviated log of what Zephyr Philip Humber's did in his final inning of a start that lasted just 3.2 innings:
- Single
- Walk
- Double steal
- Home run
- Home run
- Popout
- Flyout
- Walk
- Double
Should Minaya be calling up Humber to be a Mets reliever during a pennant race? The Mets need relievers with nerves of steel who won't flinch in the face of adversity.
Three other Zephyr pitchers didn't do any better in their last starts. Adam Bostick gave up six earned runs in five innings. Dave Williams gave up seven earned runs in 6.1 innings. Jason Vargas gave up five runs in five innings.
The only two who had decent last starts were Mike Pelfrey and Jose Santiago. Pelfrey gave up three earned runs in five innings; however, he threw 94 pitches, which indicates control problems. Only Jose Santiago had a quality start, giving up only one run in six innings, but his ERA's 5.27.
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