What a weird season Chapman is having. Yesterday he faced 5 hitters and only 2 put the ball into play, 40%. That is above his season average. He is striking out around 40% of batters he faces, and walking around 25%. Both of those figures are remarkable. A two true outcome pitcher.
13 inning 6 hits 15 walks. Hitters have a .125 batting average against him this year. I think I heard he has the lowest lifetime batting average against of all active pitchers. Bringing him in with the bases loaded is a bad idea. Bringing him in with the bases empty usually gets you a baserunner or two with no runs.
I think the rain might have messed with his control. After that, it looked like it was the pressure not being able to throw strikes on the big stage just got magnified.
Gotta give the Pirates credit for fighting back and holding on for the victory. Maybe, just maybe the offense is ready to start pulling their weight. And maybe, Keller is ready to stake his claim as the true Ace of this staff. Lord knows Pirates could use a dominant SP performance after seeing what the bullpen has endured so far in this series.
Has to be a Pirate record setting game in a few categories, such as "number of bases loaded walks allowed" and "Exit Velo" by Oneil Cruz. That should handle both extremes!
I think the Pirates will make a lot of progress this year, and have already accomplished quite a bit. First, they have added two excellent 22 year old SP's to the Rotation in the first 2 months of the year. Second, our power hitting SS is starting to feel the game more each day after missing all but 9 games of last season due to injury. All we have left to accomplish in my estimation is to trade for a young Center Fielder who can hit and play strong defense. We have pitching and middle infielders galore to offer other teams - how about jumping on that Ben!
I would add to this list a 2Bman, C, and SS. Cruz should be playing 3B, where any team not named the Pirates would have him. Hayes should either be at SS or on the bench. They also have a problem in the bullpen, where no one has been consistent. The bullpen though is the only place on the roster where there is any chance of a turnaround with the current personnel.
Connor Joe could hold down 1B and getting Endy Rodriguez back will help solve that issue at 1B to give him rests from Catching. We have started the clock on two of our young SP's, therefore waiting for the off-season to satisfy our needs is out the window.
We need a young, VG hitting CF who has power to possibly hit 15-25 HR in MLB and play strong defensively. Some of the mentions have been Everson Pereira, Jorge Barrosa, and Alex Ramirez. Pereira is with the Yankees who need a strong MI to bump Gleyber Torres or Pitching. Everything else we can work at, but we need that CF at AAA Indy right now and ready to come to the Pirates as a regular in late July.
Again yesterday Cherington said : "we are going to get this thing going with the group that we have." Until or unless Cherington and fans to the extent that we matter at all, which is probably not very much, stop pretending that players currently on the roster are just underperforming and will "breakout" there's not much chance for the improvement needed. It's a fantasy other than for the four (now down to three with Hayes on the IL and Gonzales as a wild card) actual major league caliber hitters they have.
You can't fix a problem if you don't acknowledge it and Cherington's either in denial or is simply being untruthful and making things up again.
The only player really slumping at this point is Suwinski. Cruz has come out of his slump. The rest are doing what they do. Hayes might be a MLB bat but marginally. If he were a high-end defensive SS, his bat would play. Instead, he is at 3B for.... reasons, where his constant stream of groundballs does not play at the MLB level.
Or sucking up to an owner to keep his job. Apparently BC doesn't have enough confidence in his ability to get hired by another team since he's willing to sacrifice his reputation as a competent GM with the ability to produce a winning franchise. It appears he believes that "lightning in a bottle" success he had in Boston can strike twice!
What a weird season Chapman is having. Yesterday he faced 5 hitters and only 2 put the ball into play, 40%. That is above his season average. He is striking out around 40% of batters he faces, and walking around 25%. Both of those figures are remarkable. A two true outcome pitcher.
13 inning 6 hits 15 walks. Hitters have a .125 batting average against him this year. I think I heard he has the lowest lifetime batting average against of all active pitchers. Bringing him in with the bases loaded is a bad idea. Bringing him in with the bases empty usually gets you a baserunner or two with no runs.
I just listened to the game. Do we think Nicholas’s control might have been affected by the rain?
Rain didnt really start until he was done, fleming had more rain to deal with
I think his lack of control was affected by his head.
I think the rain might have messed with his control. After that, it looked like it was the pressure not being able to throw strikes on the big stage just got magnified.
obviously
Gotta give the Pirates credit for fighting back and holding on for the victory. Maybe, just maybe the offense is ready to start pulling their weight. And maybe, Keller is ready to stake his claim as the true Ace of this staff. Lord knows Pirates could use a dominant SP performance after seeing what the bullpen has endured so far in this series.
Has to be a Pirate record setting game in a few categories, such as "number of bases loaded walks allowed" and "Exit Velo" by Oneil Cruz. That should handle both extremes!
I think the Pirates will make a lot of progress this year, and have already accomplished quite a bit. First, they have added two excellent 22 year old SP's to the Rotation in the first 2 months of the year. Second, our power hitting SS is starting to feel the game more each day after missing all but 9 games of last season due to injury. All we have left to accomplish in my estimation is to trade for a young Center Fielder who can hit and play strong defense. We have pitching and middle infielders galore to offer other teams - how about jumping on that Ben!
It was more than any team has issued in a game in over 50 years. And more, in one inning, than any other team has issued this season total.
They need a 1B, 2 OFs and a DH, from a GM who has yet, in five years, to acquire a single worthwhile everyday player.
I would add to this list a 2Bman, C, and SS. Cruz should be playing 3B, where any team not named the Pirates would have him. Hayes should either be at SS or on the bench. They also have a problem in the bullpen, where no one has been consistent. The bullpen though is the only place on the roster where there is any chance of a turnaround with the current personnel.
Connor Joe could hold down 1B and getting Endy Rodriguez back will help solve that issue at 1B to give him rests from Catching. We have started the clock on two of our young SP's, therefore waiting for the off-season to satisfy our needs is out the window.
We need a young, VG hitting CF who has power to possibly hit 15-25 HR in MLB and play strong defensively. Some of the mentions have been Everson Pereira, Jorge Barrosa, and Alex Ramirez. Pereira is with the Yankees who need a strong MI to bump Gleyber Torres or Pitching. Everything else we can work at, but we need that CF at AAA Indy right now and ready to come to the Pirates as a regular in late July.
And a catcher that can actually play?
Yesterday was a good day WTM. Hold off on the snark for awhile
He ain't wrong!
Hmm... that's not what snark is. That's stating the obvious!
Again yesterday Cherington said : "we are going to get this thing going with the group that we have." Until or unless Cherington and fans to the extent that we matter at all, which is probably not very much, stop pretending that players currently on the roster are just underperforming and will "breakout" there's not much chance for the improvement needed. It's a fantasy other than for the four (now down to three with Hayes on the IL and Gonzales as a wild card) actual major league caliber hitters they have.
You can't fix a problem if you don't acknowledge it and Cherington's either in denial or is simply being untruthful and making things up again.
The only player really slumping at this point is Suwinski. Cruz has come out of his slump. The rest are doing what they do. Hayes might be a MLB bat but marginally. If he were a high-end defensive SS, his bat would play. Instead, he is at 3B for.... reasons, where his constant stream of groundballs does not play at the MLB level.
Or sucking up to an owner to keep his job. Apparently BC doesn't have enough confidence in his ability to get hired by another team since he's willing to sacrifice his reputation as a competent GM with the ability to produce a winning franchise. It appears he believes that "lightning in a bottle" success he had in Boston can strike twice!