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Post by kaybli on Aug 11, 2024 10:19:49 GMT -5
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Post by donniebaseball23 on Aug 11, 2024 11:05:05 GMT -5
Heading out to enjoy the unseasonably mild temps. With Stroman on the bump, don't have high hopes for this one.
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Post by JEGnj on Aug 11, 2024 11:36:37 GMT -5
After an ugly loss it's nice to know we have Stroman and Cortes to turn things around.
Big G with a non-clutch HR in a blowout.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 11:50:33 GMT -5
The Rangers send veteran lefty and ex-Yankee Andrew Heaney to the mound for the rubber game this afternoon. Heaney was drafted by the Marlins with the 9th pick of the 2012 June Amateur Draft, and signed with the organization in time to make 6 starts, 2 in rookie ball, 4 in low-A. In 2013, he was held in developmental camp to begin the season, He made 13 extraordinary starts at high starting in mid-May, going 5-2 with an ERA 0.88, which ended in a 5 start scoreless streak of 27 innings. He was promoted to AA in August and pitched well there as well, 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA. He started 2014 again in AA, pitched 8 more excellent games there, and was promoted to AAA in late May, made 3 great starts and one poor one, and the Marlins called him to the majors in mid-June. He was winless in 4 starts with an ERA of 6.53 when they sent him back to AAA. He spent 2 1/2 months there, and in 11 starts, he went 2-4 with a 4.30. The Marlins called him back to the majors in to appear in 3 more games, 2 good relief games and one poor start to end the season. That offseason, the Marlins cashed in Heaney's potential, and that of Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes and Enrique Hernandez, sending them to the Angels for veteran starter Dan Haren, Dee Gordon and Miguel Rojas.
The Angels sent him back to AAA to start 2015 and he made 14 mediocre starts, going 6-2 with a 4.71 ERA, and Anaheim called him up for good. He was brilliant in his first 7 starts (5-1 with a 1.97 ERA), but struggled the rest of the way (1-3 with a 4.65 ERA in 13 starts). In 2016, he opened as the Angels' #2 starter, but after one start, he was put on the IL with elbow discomfort. The Angels tried the platelet-rich injuection rehab plan, but it didn't take, at the end of June, he was re-evaluated and they decided he should have Tommy John surgery. He missed the whole rest of the season, and nearly all of 2017 as well. He came back to make 5 awful starts from mid-August to early September going 1-2 with a 7.06 ERA in 21 2/3 innings and the Angels shut him down for the rest of the season. He was healthy for all of 2018, 30 starts, 9-10, 4.15 ERA. In 2019, he was put on the IL twice for elbow inflammation, once from spring training to late-May. and again from mid-July to mid-August. He made just 18 starts, going 4-6 with a 4.91 ERA. He was healthy for the whole 2020 COVID shortened season, making 12 starts, going 4-3 with a 4.46 ERA. In 2021, Heaney was having a terrible year, going 6-7 with a 5.27 ERA. With his team control set to expire at the end of the season, the Angels traded him to the Yanks for two pitching prospects, Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero. Junk hasn't really made it, but Peguero was traded to the Brewers (with Junk and another prospect) for outfield Hunter Renfroe. Peguero has become and effecitve middle reliever/set-up man for Milwaukee last year and this.
With the Yankees, he immediately fell on his face. In his first 3 starts, he gave up 15 earned runs in 15 innings with 8 HR. He had one outstanding start against the Red Sox, and after one more short start vs. the Braves, the Yanks gave up the ghost and moved him to the pen at the end of the season. He went free agent and signed with the Dodgers. He had two more long stays on the IL in the first half, making 3 outstanding starts in between, but came back in late July, and stayed in the Dodgers rotation through the end of the season. He pitched well in his first 7 starts, but the Dodgers didn't let him go 5 innings in most of them. In September, he was finally stretched, and had 3 more great starts and 3 poor ones. In the end, 2022 was his most successful season to date: 4-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 72 2/3 innings in 16 starts. He again went free agent and signed a 2-year deal with the Rangers. He stayed healthy in 2023, made 28 starts, going 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA. In the postseason, he made 3 starts and two relief appearances, a short but decent start against the O's in in the ALDS in game 1, got knocked out in the first inning of the ALCS game 4 vs. the Astros, came back to throw the last inning of a 9-2 win in game 6. He pitched mopup duty in a 9-1 loss to the Diamondbacks in game 2 of the World Series, then came back to reach his finest moment, 5 strong innings starting game 4, getting his only postseason win to date.
This year, he's been in the Rangers' rotation the whole way, going 4-11 in 23 starts with an ERA of 3.98. In 115 1/3 innings, he's allowed 109 hits, 57 runs, 51 earned, 15 HR, 32 BB and struck out 111. His WHIP on the season is slightly better than average, 1.223. He's been a bit unlucky with run support, the Rangers are scoring about 4.5 runs a game this year, but just 3.3 per 9 innings while Heaney is in the game. He's been somewhat better in his last 8 starts; 2-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 42 2/3 innings. This is Heaney's 7th career start against the Yanks; he's 1-3 with a 5.23 ERA in the prior 6 starts. In 32 1/3 innings, he's allowed 25 hits, 20 runs, 19 earned, 8 HR, 14 BB and struck out 39. His WHIP against them is 1.206, but his K/9 against them of 10.9 is his highest against any AL team. The Yankees' team quadruple slash line vs. Heaney is .214/304/.444/.748. His last start against the Yanks was at the end of April last season. In a game in Arlington, he went 6 innings, gave up 4 hits, 3 runs (earned), just one walk and struck out 6, but also 2 solo HR in a 4-2 Yankee win.
Repertoire: Heaney has now a 5-pitch lefty, sort of. He's tried adding a cutter this year to his fastbal, slider, change and curve, but has thrown just 3 cutters all season. The FB has average rise, and extreme run in on righties, 11th most in MLB among 400 pitchers. The slider acts more like a cutter, with very little drop and far less than normal break into righties, 12th lowest among 307 pitchers who use a slider. The change gets below average sink but well above average tail, top 10% in MLB. He uses the curve only 3% of the time, and gets less than average drop and break arm-side. I won't even quantify the 3 cutters. In run values, the FB is a small plus, the change is a bigger plus, and rarely used curve is a big minues, which is why he uses it rarely, and the slider has been more or less neutral. His FB velocity is sub-par, but the spin rate is near elite. The curve spin is average, more or less, as is his extension. His line drive rate is average, the ground ball rate is quite low, the FB rate is high, but the popup rate is a bit low. His barrel and hard hit rates are slightly above average. His swinging strike rate is slightly better than average, but the called strike rate is somewhat low, so his CSW ia about average. His HR/FB percentage is very low, 14th lowest among 67 qaulified MLB starters (Ironic, isn't it? With the Yanks it seemed like HR derby when he pitched...), but his BABIP is slightly high and his strand rate is below average, 17th lowest among the 67. The "luck factors" almost cancel each other out, and his ERA estimators think his ERA should be about 0.10 higher than his current 3.98. The pitch mix so far this season: FB averaging 91-2 about 52% of the time, slider 82 about 28% of the time, change 84 about 16%, curve 75 about 3 times a game, and the cutter 86-7 about once every 8 games.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 11:56:10 GMT -5
Playing the name game: Andrew...we've played before, when Andrew Abbott pitched against the Yanks in early July. Andrew McCutchen is the best hitting Andrew in MLB history, and believe it or not, Heaney might be the best pitching Andrew, though the Rays' Drew Rasmussen might far surpass Heaney if he can stay healthy. If not for the brace procedure in his pitching elbow knocking him out of action for most of 2023 and 2024, he might have already blown right by Heaney. Andrew is also the only Heaney in MLB history.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 11:56:50 GMT -5
Marcus Stroman starts for the Yanks, hoping to win the series and the give than a an above-.500 homestand, but he's very lost right now. In his last 6 starts, he's been hammered, 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA. In 25 innings, he's allowed 39 hits, 6 HR and a WHIP of 1.92. His last start was his worst of the season, 7 runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Jays in an 8-5 loss at the Stadium 9 days ago. On the season, Stroman is now 7-6 with a 4.10 ERA. In 116 2/3 innings, he's allowed 114 hits, 60 runs, 53 earned, 18 HR, 49 walks (4th most in the AL) and has struck out 86. His WHIP for the season is a miserable 1.401. He's near the bottom of a lot of negative lists: 9th worst hits per 9 among 36 qualified starters, 2nd worst BB per 9, 6th worst HR per 9, 3rd worst WHIP, and the worst K/BB ratio in the AL.
This is 6th career start against the Rangers, and things don't look any better here. He's 2-3 with an ERA of 6.00 vs. Texas. In 27 innings, he's allowed 27 hits, 18 runs (earned), 4 HR, and 11 BB with 23 K's. His WHIP against them is 1.407, and the Rangers' team quadruple slash line against Stroman is .262/.336/.418/.754. His last start against the Rangers was in April last year in Texas, and it was a very good one: 6 shutout innings, allowing just 2 hits and 3 BB and striking out 6 in a 2-0 Cubs win.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 11:58:08 GMT -5
Yankees' lineup vs. Heaney:
1. Verdugo (LF) is 1-6 with 1 RBI and 1 GIDP
2. Soto (RF) is 1-7 with 3 BB and 1 K
3. Judge (CF) is 1-9 with a 2-run HR, 1 BB and 7 K (!!)
4. Stanton (DH) is 1-6 with 4 BB and 3 K
5. Wells (C) has never faced Heaney
6. Torres (2B) is 2-9 with a 2-run HR and 3 K.
7. Chisholm (3B) is 0-2
8. Volpe (SS) is 1-3 with 1 RBI and 1 K
9. LeMahieu (1B) is 7-15 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, and 3 K
On the bench: Cabrera is 0-1
==============
Rangers' lineup vs. Stroman:
1. J. Smith (DH) is 1-1 with a HBP
2. C. Seager (SS) is 1-7 with 3 BB, 2 K and 1 GIDP
3. Semien (2B) is 7-16 with 2 BB, 2 K and 1 GIDP
4. Jung (3B) is 0-3 with a K.
5. Langford (LF) has never faced Stroman.
6. N. Lowe (1B) is 3-13 with 2 doubles, 2 BB and 8 K
7. Ad. Garcia (RF) is 0-2 with 1 BB and 1 K
8. L. Taveras (CF) hasn't faced him either.
9. Kelly is 0-2 with 1 K
On the bench: Grossman is 0-11 with 3 BB and 4 K; Heim (C) has never faced Stroman
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 11:58:56 GMT -5
Yesterday, the Yanks split another doubleheader, their 2nd split this week. In the opener, Carlos Rodon battled through 5 2/3 shutout innings and Austin Wells drove in 4 with a 2 run double and a 2 run single, and the Yanks routed the Rangers 8-0. The win was Rodon's 4th win and 4th good start in a row, he's now tied for the major league lead in wins with 13. Nathan Eovaldi took the loss and is now 8-6 on the season. In the nightcap, Gerrit Cole gave up just 1 run in his 5 1/3 innings, striking out 10, but as soon as Luke Weaver came in to relieve him, the Rangers jumped all over him, knocking him out with 5 runs on 4 hits and a BB in 1/3 of an inning, the big blow being the 3-run HR by Corey Seager, his 25th of the season, to cap the rally. The Rangers added 3 in the 7th and the rout was on. Stanton hit a 2 run HR in the 8th, and Chisholm went back-to-back with a solo HR, but that was just window dressing on the final score of 9-4. Cody Bradford did his best Jordan Montgomery imitation, striking out 7 and giving up just 1 run on 5 hits in 5 innings to get to 4-0 on the season, Weaver's loss dropped him to 4-3 on the year. The split left the Yanks at 29 games over .500 at 69-49.
In other AL East action: the A's Osvaldo Bido threw 6 shutout innings of 2-hit ball, and Brent Rooker provided the only run of the game with his 29th HR in the 6th, and the A's shut out the Jays 1-0, evening up the series in Toronto. Three A's relievers pitched 1-2-3 innings, with Mason Miller striking out the side in the 9th for his 17th save. Yariel Rodriguez gave up just the solo HR in 5 2/3 innings, and dropped to 1-5 on the year. At Fenway Park, the Astros scored all 5 runs on 4 HR, two by Yordan Alvarez, built up a 5-2 and withstood a 2-run rally in the 8th on a 2-run single by Wilyer Abreu, hanging on to win, 5-4 over the Red Sox. Spencer Arrighetti had a big day, holding he Sox 2 runs on just 2 hits, both solo HRs by Jansen and Yoshida, and struck out 13 while walking just one. The win raised his record to 5-10. Brad Keller gave up 2 of the HR and 3 of the runs and took the loss in relief of Josh Winckowski, dropping to 0-3 for the year. Josh Hader pitched a scoreless 9th for his 25th save. In Tampa, the O's took a 4-0 lead in the first two, innings, but the Rays tied it up, scoring 3 in the 5th and tying it in the 7th on a solo HR by Jose Caballero, his 8th of the year. The O's immediately struck back with a 3 run rally in the 8th on a solo HR by Ramon Urias and another in a seemingly neverending list of clutch 2-run singles by Ryan Mountcastle to take a 7-4 lead, and held off a Rays rally in the 8th on a bases loaded walk to make it 7-5 and Serathony Dominguez closed it out in the 9th for his 2nd save this year and 1st with the Orioles for a 7-5 O's win. The win clinched the series for the O's, was their 5th in 7 games, and moved them back into first. Burch Smith blew the win for Corbin Burnes on the Caballero HR, and vultured his 4th win of the year. Colin Poche gave up the 3 runs in the 8th to drop to 1-2.
Going into today's games, the O's lead the Yanks by 1 game, the Sox are 6 1/2 back of the Yanks, the Rays are 10 back and the Jays are 14 1/2 back.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 12:01:31 GMT -5
Elsewhere in the AL East today...at 1:35 pm in Fenway Park, the Astros send Hunter Brown (9-7, 3.98) to the mound to try to complete the sweep of the Red Sox. Brown got off to a terrible start, but is now 8-3 in his last 14 starts with a 2.34 ERA. The Sox will start James Paxton (9-3, 4.42 ERA) to try and salvage the 3rd game. At 1:37 pm at the Rogers Center, the A's send J.P. Sears (9-8, 4.35 ERA) to the mound to try to win the rubber game; Sears has won his last two starts, giving up just 1 run in 14 innings against the Giants and White Sox. Chris Bassitt (9-10, 3.95 ERA) starts for the Jays; he broke a 5-start skid with an outtanding game against the O's last time out, giving up just 3 hits and 2 runs while striking out 9 in 7 innings. At 1:40 pm in the CrappyDome™, the O's look for the sweep of the Rays with Albert Suarez (5-4, 3.66 ERA) making the start. Suarez had thrown 4 bad games in a row, giving up 16 ER in 13 innings before shutting out the Jays for 5 innings his last time out. Jeffrey Springs (0-2, 8.02 ERA) makes his 3rd start for the Rays since coming off the IL after missing most of both last season and this season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. As you can see from the fast stat line above, the first two have not gone well.
And, at 1:37 pm at the Stadium, it's Heaney vs. Stroman. See you in about 1/2 hour.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 12:38:03 GMT -5
Yankees have taken the field.
Storman throwing his warmups.
Smith almost ready to step in.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 12:39:51 GMT -5
Game underway. Smith...
Sinker in the zone low/away for strike 1.
Slider down and in, hit hard down the line at first, Lemahieu bobbles, goes behind, he recovers and flips to Stroman who beats Smith to the bag by an eyelash, 1 down. Rangers do not challenge.
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Post by chiyankee on Aug 11, 2024 12:41:34 GMT -5
Not sure how the umpire missed that one.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 12:42:26 GMT -5
Seager...
Takes a sinker well below the knees in the middle, 1-0
Fouls off a sinker down and in, 1-1
Fat splittter below middle, lined to the corner in right, one hops to the wall, Soto plays the carom well, whells and fires to 2nd, a bit short and on the 1st base side, Volpe catches, makes a lunging tag as Seager tries to slide around to the infield side, and it's a bang bang call. Ump says safe, Yanks challenge and it's overturned! Seager out trying to stretch it to a double. 2 down. Stroman lucky so far. Both ball hit hard, but 2 outs.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 12:44:29 GMT -5
Semien...
Slurve bounced outside, 1-0
FB near middle taken, 1-1
Fouls off a sinker, 1-2
Slurve misses low/away, 2-2
Slider well outside and low 3-2
Fouls off a sinker again
Cutter misses low/away, ball 4. Semien walks with 2 down.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Aug 11, 2024 12:46:40 GMT -5
Jung....
Takes a sinker outside, 1-0
A 2nd sinker also well outside, 2-0
Takes a slider thigh high in the middle, 2-1
Throw over on Semien.
Sinker about 3 inches inside ties him up just enough so that his soft liner one-hops to Volpe, who goes to Torres for the force to end the inning.
Stroman gets some luck to help out, but gets out of the 1st unscored upon. 16 pitches in the 1st for Stroman.
Bottom 1, 0-0.
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