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Post by kaybli on May 18, 2024 11:33:28 GMT -5
Watching a little on the dots from a friend house.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 11:54:52 GMT -5
Brad Keller starts for the White Sox today. Drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 8th round of the 2013 draft, he had a good season at A-ball in 2019, before floundering in high-A and AA in 2016 and 2017. Arizona didn't think enough of him to put him on their 40-man roster after the 2021 season, so the Reds scooped him up in the Rule 5 draft that December, then immediately traded him to the Royals for a player to be named later or cash. As far as I can tell, no player was ever named, so it turned out to be cash.
In spite of his never having pitched in AAA, the Royals had him in the majors from the start of the 2018 season. He made 20 relief appearances and 1 start, and then, in early June, they moved him into the rotation and he did well, going 8-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 19 starts. He pitched decently for an awful Royals team the next season, going 7-14 with a 4.19 ERA for a team that lost 103 games, just four years after they won a title. He pitched very well in the COVID season of 2020, going 5-3 with a 2.47 ERA And then, for no apparent reason, the bottom fell out. In 2022-2023 he went 14-26 with an ERA of 5.24 and a WHIP near 1.6.
Last year, he started well. After 3 starts, he was 2-1 with a 2..19 ERA, and then he must've felt something wrong with his shoulder. His performance plummeted, and he made just 6 more starts before he had to be put on the IL for 3 months with shoulder impingement syndrome. He only pitched one inning of relief in each of two games when he came off the IL in mid-September. The Royals let him leave for free agency, and the White Sox, desperate for pitching having traded away the bulk of their once vaunted starting staff last winter, signed him in March as a stop-gap. He made three starts in AAA before Chicago called him up in mid-April. He pitched in relief one game, then made a fill-in start in St. Louis on May 3rd. Two long relief appearances followed and now the White Sox have thrown him back into the rotation to face the Yanks today. In his 4 games this year so far, he's 0-1 with an ERA of 2.84. In 12 2/3 innings, he's allowed 10 hits, 4 runs, all earned, 1 HR, 5 BB and has 9 K's. His WHIP so far is a decent 1.184.
This is the 4th game Keller has pitched against the Yanks, and the 3rd game he's started. He hasn't fared very well, going 1-1 with a 6.17 ERA. In 11 2/3 innings, he's given up 18 hits, 8 runs, all earned, 3 HR and 7 BB, with just 5 K's. His WHIP against the Yanks is a horrible 2.143. The Yankee team quadruple slash line against him is .367/.456/.571/1.028. It's just 57 plate appearances, but it's bad luck for a pitcher if a team hits against you as if they were all Ty Cobb. His last start against the Yanks came in 2021, and it wasn't a good one. He managed to make it through 5 innings, allowing 9 hits, 4 runs, all earned, 2 HR, and 4 BB with just two K's. Considering the 2 HR and the 13 baserunners, he's very lucky to have allowed just 4 runs. Must've been a bravura RISP performance by the Yanks, though they won the game 8-1. (Looked up the box score; the Yanks left at least one man on in every inning, Sanchez killed a rally in the 2nd with an inning-ending DP, and they loaded the bases with 1 out in the 5th, but didn't score )
Repertoire: Keller is basically a 4 pitch righty, but has made big changes to his pitch mix; he's using the slider and change much more, his FB much less, and he's all but eliminated his curve, although he might use it more if he stays in the rotation, So far this year, he throws a 93 FB about 32% of the time, a slider 85-6a about 39%, a change 88-9 about 26% and a curve 82 about three times a start.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 11:56:09 GMT -5
Playing the name game...way too many "Brad"s or Bradleys in MLB history to survey. As for Keller, he's one of seven to play in the majors, including current Pirates mid-rotation starter Mitch. The most famous Keller is the Yanks' own Charlie "King Kong" Keller, the 3rd member of the great OF triumvirate of Henrich-DiMaggio-Keller than won 4 pennants and 3 titles from 1939-1943. He went into the U.S. Merchant Marine in 1944, missing all of that season, and most of 1945 as well. He came back and had one more great season in 1945, before his career was derailed by a ruptured disc in his back that he tried to play through, but couldn't. He tried to play for the Tigers in 1950 and 1951, and then came back for two more games with the Yanks in 1952 before calling it quits. Before the back injury, he had a decent shot at a Hall of Fame selection, having played six outstanding seasons by age 29, and he would likely have been a big part of the next great dynasty teams from 1947 through 1953. He had lasted long enough as a good player to compile just 20 more WAR in those 7 seasons, he'd have wound up top 6 or 7 all-time in WAR for right fielders, and been part of 10 pennant winners and 9 championship teams.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 11:56:23 GMT -5
Luis Gil pitches for the Yanks. In 8 starts, he's done a terrific job filling in for Gerrit Cole. Gil is 4-1 with an ERA of 2.51 which would be good enough for 9th in the AL if he had pitched 2 more innings. If he can go just 4 innings today and give up no more than 1 more, he'll be in the top 10 at game's end. He's allowed a preposterously low 21 hits, but leads the league in walks with 26 (Or at least he did until Triston McKenzie of the Guardians passed him last night with 28. Well, unless Gil walks at least 2+ batters today...you get the idea). He's given up 13 runs, 12 earned, just 3 HR and struck out 48. His WHIP so far is a solid 1.218. Gil is trying to throw his fourth dominant start in a row. In the last 3 starts, he's gone 6 innings or more, given up a total of 6 hits, just 1 run, walked 7 and struck out 13 with just 1 HR allowed.
This is his 2nd start against the White Sox. The first one did not go well. In his only start in 2022, the Yanks gave him leads of 2-0 and 6-3, but he couldn't stay in long enough to get the win. In 4 innings, he gave up 5 hits, 4 runs, all earned, 2 BB and stuck out 5. The Yanks bludgeoned Dylan Cease and 3 of 4 relievers that followed him in a 15-7 win in Chicago just over 2 years ago. It's just 19 PA, but the White Sox team quadruple slash line against Gil is .294/.368/.353/.721.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 11:57:05 GMT -5
Yanks' lineup vs. Keller
Volpe has never faced Keller
Soto is 1-3 with 3 BB
Judge is 2-2 with a HR, 2 RBI and a BB
Verdugo is 2-7 with 1 double, and 2 BB
Stanton is 3-6 with a HR and 2 RBI
Rizzo is 1-5 with 1 K
Torres is 1-3
Wells has never faced him, Trevino is 1-1
Cabrera has never faced him
On the bench: Grisham has faced him twice and walked twice.
White Sox lineup vs Gil
Despite the fact he started against them just 2 years ago, only one White Sox player on the current 26-man roster has faced Gil. Vaughn and Jimenez were on the IL for that game in 2022, and will likely face him today for the first time. Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert, Jr. faced Gil in that 2022 game but are on the IL now and will miss this game. The one and only player who appears to be able to play in both the 2022 and 2024 game is Gavin Sheets, who went 1-3 that day with 1 K and 1 BB.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 11:58:04 GMT -5
Last night, the Yanks opened the 3-game series against the White Sox with a steady, quiet, 4-2 win. Judge and Stanton both HRed, Nestor Cortes pitched 7 excellent innings to lower his ERA to 3.56.
The Yanks' win put them 16 games over .500 for the first time this season. The O's pummeled the Mariners 9-2 at Camden Yards and remain 1 game back. The Rays topped the Jays 4-3 while the Red Sox lost to the Cards 8-5. As a result, the Rays gained a game on both Boston and Toronto and are now 1 1/2 up on the Sox and 3 1/2 up on the Jays. The Rays stay 7 games back of the Yanks, while the Sox and Jays fall to 8 1/2 and 10 1/2 back, respectively.
Elsewhere in the AL East today: Besides the Yanks-White Sox game at the Stadium at 1:07, the Rays play their middle game against the Jays. Zach Eflin, 3-4 3.91 ERA vs. Kevin Gausman, 2-3 3.95 ERA. The M's and O's play their middle game at 4:05. M's ace Luis Castillo, 4-5 3.31 ERA vs. Dean Kremer (Probably, MLB.com says the O's starter is TBD) 3-3 with a 3.72 ERA. The Red Sox and Cards play their middle game at 7:15; Kutter Crawford, 2-2 with a 2.24 ERA for the Sox, Miles Mikolas, having a dreadful season, 3-5 with a 6.19 ERA, but he's pitched 3 decent games in his last 4.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 11:58:44 GMT -5
Here comes The Saturday Leaders™ for May 18th:
Among AL hitters....
Bobby Witt, Jr. of the Royals leads in bWAR at 3.0.
Steven Kwan of the Guardians leads in BAVG at .353
Soto's slump has him dropped to 5th in OBA. Kyle Tucker of the Astros now leads at .415, in slugging at .600, and obviously in OPS at 1.015.
Witt leads in runs with 40, but J.J. Bleday of the A's now leads in games played with 47
Marcus Semien of the Rangers leads in AB with 196 and is tied with Soto in PA with 210.
Jose Altuve of the Astros leads in hits with 56.
Tucker leads in total bases with 96, just one ahead of both Gunnar Henderson of the O's and a suddenly white-hot Aaron Judge, who now leads the AL in doubles with 15.
Jarren Duran of the Red Sox still leads in triples at 6.
Tucker still leads in HR with 13. but he's tied with Henderson. Judge and Josh Naylor of the Guardians are 1 HR behind.
Jose Ramirez has jumped into the lead in RBI with 38; Soto is now tied with 2 others for 2nd at 34.
Judge leads with 37 BB, two ahead of Tucker.
Randy Arozarena of the Rays has zoomed into the lead with 57 batting K's, 3 ahead of Edouard Julien of the Twins.)
Jose Caballero of the Rays leads in steals with 17, two ahead of Witt, Jr. Caballero also leads in caught stealing with 8.
Vinnie Pasquantiino of the Royals leads in sac flies with 5
Jeffers still leads in HBP with 8 but is now tied with Tyler Freeman of the Guardians.
Judge continues to hold a wide lead the AL in GIDP with 11, and Jose Trevino is tied with 5 others for 2nd with 7.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 11:59:16 GMT -5
In the NL
Mookie Betts leads all of MLB in WAR at 3.5
Ohtani leads in BAVG at .358,
And Ohtani now leads in slugging at .676 and an OPS at 1.102, but Betts still leads in OBA at .440.
Betts is back on top with 185 PA and he's one of 6 Dodgers and Padres who lead in games played with 47 (which figures, because the two teams played those first two games in Korea)
Ohtani now leads in hits at 64, in total bases at 121, in doubles at 18, in HR with 13, but Ozuna has retaken the lead in RBI with 41.
Betts leads in walks with 33, 3 ahead of his teammate Freddie Freeman.
CJ Abrams of the Nationals leads in triples with 4.
Betts has retaken the lead in runs with 40.
Elly de la Cruz has lapped the field with 30 steals, 14 ahead of Brice Turang of the Brewers. de la Cruz is on pace for 108 steals. As with Caballero, he also leads in caught stealing, but at just 5, so his SB/CS ratio is 6 to 1, not 2 to 1.
Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies leads in strikeouts with 67.
Brandon Nimmo of the Mets leads in HBP with 6
Ketel Marte of the D'backs is still tied for the league lead in sac flies, but now with Max Muncy of the Dodgers; both have 5 of them.
Manny Machado of the Padres is coming up fast on the outside with 9 GIDP. He leads the NL now, but is still 2 behind Judge for the major league lead.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 11:59:45 GMT -5
Among AL pitchers:
Tyler Anders on the Angels is now the surprise leader in pitching bWAR at 2.4
Seth Lugo of the Royals has taken the league lead in ERA with 1.66, just ahead of Tarik Skubal of the Tigers at 1.80, and both are tied for the lead in wins with 6.
Scott Barlow, Emmanual Clase and Nick Sandlin of the Guardians lead in games pitched with 23, but T.J. McFarland of the A's has joined them on top.
For the moment, Garrett Crochet of the White Sox still leads in game started with 10, but is now tied with Cole Ragans of the Royals, and Nestor Cortes of the Yanks.
The same four AL starters have 1 complete game and 2 of those are shutouts, but it doesn't mean much anymore.
With his 60 2/3 innings pitched after last night, Nestor Cortes is the momentary leader in the AL. At least until Lugo starts another game, or Logan Gilbert does, or Tanner Houck, or...well, you get the idea.
Crochet also leads in K's with 70, and in K/9 at 12.2
Tarik Skubal leads the AL in WHIP at 0.78
Zac Eflin of the Rays leads in BB/9 at just 0.68, but Jack Flaherty of the Tigers has passed him in K/BB ratio at 10.5.
Triston McKenzie of the Guardians has passed Gil for the AL lead in BB with 28. Maybe.
And Clay Holmes of the Yanks leads in saves with 13, but Clase is now tied with Holmes.
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Post by kaybli on May 18, 2024 12:00:29 GMT -5
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 12:00:48 GMT -5
On the NL side
Ranger Suarez of the Phillies leads in pitcher bWAR with 2.5, but he's tied with Shota Imanaga of the Cubs.
Imanaga leads in ERA at 0.96, but real rookie Jared Jones of the Pirates has passed Imanaga in K/BB ratio at 9.00, and in BB/9 at 1.19
Suarez leads in wins with 8, also the MLB lead.
Suarez also leads in WHIP at 0.76
Dylan Cease of the Padres leads in H/9 at 4.22.
Ryan Glasnow of the Dodgers leads all of MLB with 81 K's, and the NL in K/9 at 11.76. He's also tied with Zack Wheeler of the Phillies for the league lead with 10 starts.
There are 4 complete games in the NL this season, and three of them are shutouts, but nobody has more than one of either.
The annually injured Glasnow leads in innings pitched with 62. Dodgers "black magic", perhaps?
And Ryan Helsley of the Cards leads in saves with 13, but he's now tied with Kyle Finnegan of the Nationals at 13 (also tied with Holmes and Clase for the major league lead.
And that wraps up The Saturday Leaders™.
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Post by qwik3457bb on May 18, 2024 12:03:49 GMT -5
White Sox lineup:
1. Pham CF
2. Sheets RF
3. Vaughn 1B
4. Jimenez DH
5. Benintendi LF
6. DeJong SS
7. K. Lee C
8. Lopez 2B
9. Mendick 3B
P. B. Keller
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Post by chiyankee on May 18, 2024 12:03:54 GMT -5
I'm glad this is an early game.
I can watch this and then go to see my daughter graduate high school. Seemed like the other day she was just a freshman.
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Post by kaybli on May 18, 2024 12:06:19 GMT -5
I'm glad this is an early game. I can watch this and then go to see my daughter graduate high school. Seemed like the other day she was just a freshman. They grow up fast! Congratulations to your daughter. I know she is making you proud! 👩🎓 🎉 |
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Post by JEGnj on May 18, 2024 12:07:02 GMT -5
I'm glad this is an early game. I can watch this and then go to see my daughter graduate high school. Seemed like the other day she was just a freshman. Graduation on Saturday? |
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