209 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

Hammel vs. Archer

 

This Game Thread is brought to you, courtesy of Greenspring.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Interested in seeing Archer throw tonight. He is the Rays #2 prospect, and made his debut last season and had some success. He got shelled in his first start this season, so hopefully we can get to him.

 

For the good guys, Hammel needs to replicate his outing vs. the Nationals on Memorial Day and put his last outing vs. the Tigers behind him. I didn't think he was awful in that game, then the 3-homers happened and the HBP. He just seemed to lose it that inning for whatever reason.

[You Play to Win the Game]

I like Dickerson, he's a very easy guy to root for.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Nate hit to start the game. Agreed about Dickerson.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Nate out around 2nd on the tag. Machado safe at 1st.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Nick hits into a double play, ending the O's 1st.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Damn double plays. 

[BSLChrisStoner]

Joyce grounds into the shift. 1 down.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Zobrist drops the barrel, singles into right.

[You Play to Win the Game]

I still can't believe James Loney's emergence this year. I keep waiting for him to regress, but it isn't happening.

 

His .389 wOBA is 117 points higher than last year. His .188 ISO is 100 points higher than last year, and 43 points higher than his best MLB season, and 21 points higher than his highest minor league season. That's just ridiculous.

 

His 30.4% LD% is about 7% better than any other season, and is helping him maintain his .348 BABIP.

 

His plate discipline #'s aren't really drastically different. About 3% less O-Swing. Oddly, the one thing that's substantial is his O-Contact, which you would assume wouldn't be good contact, but he's 7% higher in that category.

 

I just don't get it. Something happened, and he's very good this year. Sometimes it takes a while to click, but it makes sense when it happens (See: Davis, Chris). Other times, stuff happens that you can't just make any sense of.

 

Maybe I'm sensationalizing Loney's turn around just-a-bit (I probably am), but other than him being a divisional foe, it's one of the things I love about baseball.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Johnson down swinging. 2 out.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I surely didn't see Loney doing this.... but he was a real prospect once. Coming up, people compared him to Grace. Sometimes there is a tendency to completely write people off. Agree about loving to see stories like that.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Hammel also gets Longoria, ending the 1st.

[You Play to Win the Game]

I surely didn't see Loney doing this.... but he was a real prospect once. Coming up, people compared him to Grace. Sometimes there is a tendency to completely write people off. Agree about loving to see stories like that.

 

Yeah, I remember him being a real prospect... then the hype when he came up his first two seasons in very limited time and lit it up. But it's still crazy that he never even had a minor league season like this. Of course, there's still 2/3rds of the season to go, and it's not likely he'll maintain his 30.4% LD%. He'll regress some, but overall he's poised to have a very strong season. A season better than he ever did in the minors, which is pretty surprising. 

 

I agree people write prospects off a bit too early often times... It's hard to wait for a hot prospect, and then have to deal with their adjustments to big league life... which is the biggest jump of all and should be expected. 

[BSLChrisStoner]

Jones grounds out to Escobar. 1 down in the 2nd.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Yeah, I remember him being a real prospect... then the hype when he came up his first two seasons in very limited time and lit it up. But it's still crazy that he never even had a minor league season like this. Of course, there's still 2/3rds of the season to go, and it's not likely he'll maintain his 30.4% LD%. He'll regress some, but overall he's poised to have a very strong season. A season better than he ever did in the minors, which is pretty surprising. 

 

I agree people write prospects off a bit too early often times... It's hard to wait for a hot prospect, and then have to deal with their adjustments to big league life... which is the biggest jump of all and should be expected. 

 

His '08 season was liveable... but yeah, '09-'12 is a long time and a lot of ab's to wait for that prior performance. Was pretty ugly with Boston after the trade. Good for him coming back from the dead.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Davis to Jennings, 2 down.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Archer has a baby face. Granted, he is just 24... but he looks like he's 18. His fastball looks all grown up though.

[You Play to Win the Game]

His '08 season was liveable... but yeah, '09-'12 is a long time and a lot of ab's to wait for that prior performance. Was pretty ugly with Boston after the trade. Good for him coming back from the dead.

 

I hear ya. Just glad it wasn't Boston, right? 

[BSLChrisStoner]

Wieters flies out to left, ending the O's 2nd.