05.27.07
Rotation Roundup
Data thanks to Baseball-Reference.com and ESPN.com.
This time around the rotation resulted in two average starts and two bombs. Can you tell by the results that the recent opponents feature strong offenses? The Ballpark is a tough place to visit, and you have to be happy with the sweep no matter how ugly some of the innings were to watch.
The next six are at home against the Indians and Yankees. Will the Red Sox take advantage of the off-day to advance Beckett in the rotation to face the Yankees? Or will they trust in Schilling for the third game (likely facing Pettitte)?
Josh Beckett: 7-0, 2.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 60 AGS
Last three starts:
05/13 BAL (ND) 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 0 HR, 55 GS
05/08 @TOR (W 7) 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 67 GS
05/02 OAK (W 6) 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 0 HR, 58 GS
Gem: 5 (GS of 60+)
Avg: 3 (GS of 40-59)
Bomb: 0 (GS of 39-)
Beckett’s injury ended up doing very little to slow the Red Sox rampage. While two spot starters were needed while he was on the DL, one would have been required anyways due to postponements. Beckett is all set to slip back into his accustomed spot in the rotation on Tuesday.
Tim Wakefield: 5-5, 3.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 54 AGS
Last three starts:
05/26 @TEX (W 5) 7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR, 54 GS
05/21 @NYY (L 5) 5 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 22 GS
05/15 DET (L 4) 7 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 42 GS
Gem: 5 (GS of 60+)
Avg: 4 (GS of 40-59)
Bomb: 1 (GS of 39-)
Opposing batters are hitting .227/.307/.361 off Wakefield this year. That’s roughly what Ryan Freel is hitting in the midst of his slump.
Daisuke Matsuzaka: 7-2, 4.43 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 54 AGS
Last three starts:
05/25 @TEX (W 7) 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 2 HR, 36 GS
05/19 ATL (W 6) 8 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 58 GS
05/14 DET (W 5) 9 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 76 GS
Gem: 4 (GS of 60+)
Avg: 4 (GS of 40-59)
Bomb: 2 (GS of 39-)
Matsuzaka stank for the second time this season, but a ten-run offensive outburst goes a long way towards excusing such peccadilloes.
Curt Schilling: 4-2, 3.94 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 51 AGSLast three starts:
05/23 @NYY (L) 6 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 29 GS
05/17 DET (ND) 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 50 GS
05/12 BAL (ND) 5.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 0 HR, 36 GS
Gem: 4 (GS of 60+)
Avg: 3 (GS of 40-59)
Bomb: 3 (GS of 39-)
Schilling is beginning to worry me. His strikeout rate is down from 8.1 K/9 last year to 7.0 K/9 this year, while his walk rate has jumped. He talks about “adjustments”, and seems to have a plan to improve, but right now he’s looking more like he did in 2005 than like the 2006 edition.
Julian Tavarez: 3-4, 5.40 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 46 AGS
Last three starts:
05/27 @TEX (ND) 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 46 GS
05/22 @NYY (W 3) 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 0 HR, 53 GS
05/17 DET (W 2) 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 0 HR, 64 GS
Gem: 2 (GS of 60+)
Avg: 4 (GS of 40-59)
Bomb: 3 (GS of 39-)
Tavarez has a way of looking bad even when he is effective, yet he has only allowed more than four earned runs once this year. I’ll take that from my fifth starter.
Spot starts: 1-1, 5.27 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 46 AGS
05/20 Gabbard vs. ATL (W) 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 0 HR, 53 GS
05/19 Hansack vs. ATL (L) 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 37 GS
Gem: 0 (GS of 60+)
Avg: 1 (GS of 40-59)
Bomb: 1 (GS of 39-)
Overall rotation:
303.3 IP, 291 H, 140 R, 134 ER, 30 HR, 96 BB, 237 K
Was: 3.73 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 7.0 K/9, 2.4 K/BB
Now: 3.98 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 7.0 K/9, 2.5 K/BB
Gem: 20 (GS of 60+)
Avg: 19 (GS of 40-59)
Bomb: 10 (GS of 39-)