Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tale of two pitchers


Identify these 2010 stat lines:

Pitcher A: 128.2 IP, 4.06 ERA, 1.236 WHIP, 41 BB, 97 K
Pitcher B: 137 IP, 4.01 ERA, 1.182 WHIP, 28 BB, 120K

It's fairly close, but Pitcher B appears to be having the better season, right?

Pitcher A is Matt Garza (photo above), who threw a no-hitter Monday night. Not just a no-hitter — a 27-batter no-hitter. One man reached, on a walk, and he was erased on a double play. Yeah, the Tigers are missing some key players, but it was a marvelous game from a talented young arm.

Pitcher B is Zach Greinke, last year's Cy Young winner, who got embarrassed Monday night by the Twins (eight runs in four innings); Greinke's ERA rose 42 points in that outing, from 3.59 to 4.01.

Greinke has made three starts against the Twins this season. He's 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA in 14 innings against Minnesota. Against everybody else, he's 6-7, 3.29 — not Cy Young stats, but quality work for a bad team.

1 comment:

  1. this date in Twins history


    2004
    The Twins defeat the White Sox‚ 7-3 and Minnesota's Corey Koskie ties a ML record by being hit by pitches 3 times in the game. Johan Santana (9-6) goes 6 innings for the win.



    2003
    Former Metrodome superintendent Dick Ericson tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he tried to manipulate the outcome of Twins games by the use of electric fans in the late innings. The power of the electric fans needed to be increased near the end of games to keep the roof inflated as doors were opened for spectators to leave. Ericson said he would increase the number of fans blowing from between first and third bases‚ starting in the last of the eighth if the Twins were behind‚ thus giving the Twins the chance at two innings of batting in these conditions and with only one inning at bat for the visiting team. Despite Ericson's admission‚ which was backed up by another Metrodome employee‚ it remains unclear how much effect the added fans had on the distance of fly balls. Ericson also made clear that he manipulated the air flow on his own‚ not at the request of the Twins nor the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. Bobby Valentine‚ when he was managing the Texas Rangers‚ was the most vociferous in suggesting that electric fans behind the plate were turned on to blow air toward the outfield when the Twins were at bat. The Twins scoffed at the charges.

    1991
    Dan Gladden's 3-run homer in the 9th enables the host Twins to beat Milwaukee‚ 7-4. Gladden's hit follows a bunt single by Shane Mack and a dribbler by Randy Bush. He has now driven in the winner in three straight games



    1978
    Mike Cubbage goes 4-for-4‚ hitting for the cycle and driving in 4 to lead the Twins to a 6-3 win over Toronto. Stan Perzanowski (1-0) throws a complete game for the Twins.

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