Monday
What
a difference a week makes. Maybe the hitters got comfortable, maybe the
pitchers got scouted, who knows… but the week began roughly, Monday,
for some high caliber guys:
Luke Hochevar - Got lit up in his second start, lasting 2.1 innings and yielding seven runs (five earned). The 2006 No.1 overall pick allowed six hits and a walk, struck out a batter, and finished with a 32:21 strike to ball ratio.
Jeff Niemann - Pitched into the fourth inning, with solid results. After allowing a run in both the first and second innings, Niemann settled in. He allowed five hits and a walk, but overall his command was good, as he struck out four and finished with a 44:22 strike to ball ratio.
Troy Patton - The lefthander once again came on in relief, although this time with mixed success. In one inning of work, Patton allowed two runs on three hits and a walk – the two runs scored after he left the game. Working on a second inning, he allowed the first two batters to reach before being pulled. He did strike out two, however, and finished with a sterling 24:6 strike to ball ratio.
Tuesday
An
oft-critiqued Blue Jay saw no quarter, and a Twins Prospect encountered
some hot bats. Also, an unheralded reliever continues a recent string
of dominance.
Dustin McGowan - His second start saw him lose complete control, as he walked five batters in 2.1 innings, to go with four hits. Having bounced around from rotation to relief over the last couple of years, McGowan still doesn’t look comfortable, and was charged with six runs with a 34:28 ratio.
Kevin Slowey - Facing a fierce lineup featuring Kevin Kouzmanoff and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Slowey was hit hard in his 1.1 innings of relief. He gave up just one run on three hits, but was fortunate to get a double play off a line drive. He had good control, though, striking out a batter and finishing with a 14:6 strike to ball ratio.
Billy Sadler - Billy who? Well, the Giants’ 2003 sixth rounder had a terrific 2006 campaign first in Double-A and then later in the PCL (Triple-A). He struck out 79 batters in 55.2 innings, and has carried over that success into the AFL. The 25-year-old registered his second fall save, striking out two more batters to give him nine strikeouts in four scoreless innings of relief.
Friday
A
Mets’ future No. 1 look very sharp, a Philly Prospect rebounded, and
Patton made yet another relief appearance - this one his most
successful.
Mike Pelfrey - Needed just 32 pitches (21 strikes) to pitch three scoreless innings. No walks and a lone single to go with a strikeout. Very impressive.
Gio Gonzalez
- A much better effort from Gonzalez, who like Pelfrey threw three
scoreless frames with a lone single. Gonzalez added three strikeouts on
a 23:14 strike to ball ratio. Prior to the game, Gonzalez was on MLB
Radio's Around the Minors with Jonathan Mayo and Lisa Winston of MiLB.com.
Troy Patton - Registered a scoreless two-inning save, striking out three batters and allowing a lone single. Excellent 22:8 stike to ball ratio - although it’s odd that Patton keeps pitching in many different situations.
Saturday
Tiger went wild but hung on for a quality start, and Hochevar saw his third start go much better than his second.
Jordan Tata - Allowed just one run in three innings, but had huge control issues. He threw 54 pitches but managed just 24 strikes, walking four batters and allowing three hits. Tata only struck out one batter, but with timely fielding yielded just the lone run.
Luke Hochevar - Struck out four batters on a very solid 37:16 strike to ball ratio, but did allow five hits resulting in two runs scored in his three innings of work. Still, a dramatic improvement over his Monday start (2.1 innings, 5ER).
Prospect Watch: Hitting
As usual, there are a bunch of recognizable names in the AFL. Here’s a list of some of the week’s notable names and their performances. Interestingly, a lot of top prospects are struggling to hit for power:
Ryan Braun - Cooled off noticeably. The 2005 No. 5 Overall Pick went just 4-of-18, including two home runs to keep his slugging percentage at a robust .722 thus far. Braun also has 15 RBI, so with runners on base he’s been deadly.
Trevor Crowe - Cleveland’s speedy prospect cooled off some, but continued to look productive at getting on base. He now has a .463 OBP in his eight games.
Eric Duncan - The 21-year-old Yankee prospect looked better this week, going 10-of-27. Still, not much power from the third baseman: he’s currently sitting on a .383 slugging percentage.
Joe Koshansky - After stroking 31 home runs this year in Double-A Tulsa, Koshansky enters the AFL on a high note. He’s gone ice cold, however, ending up hitless this week to drop to a 4-for-25 line.
Kevin Kouzmanoff - Business as usual for the guy who hit .380 in the minors this year. He’s on the most powerful hitting team in the AFL and continues to stroke. His line: 8-for-23 (four doubles), and a .922 OPS.
Fernando Martinez - After a 1-for-15 debut, the new 18-year-old (10/10/88) improved with a 7-for-23 performance this week, albeit with one extra base hit - which happend to be a home run. The older competition is still winning.
Nolan Reimold - Continues to show great plate discipline, as he now has eight walks in two weeks, giving him a robust .500 OBP - his slugging percentage is the same, giving him a tidy 1.000 OPS.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia - He’s not getting that much playing time (just four games last week). But when he plays he delivers. He has now posted a 1.479 OPS, including nine hits and four walks.
Troy Tulowitzki - One of most highly regarded position prospects in the AFL this season, the shortstop finally got into the action this week. Good news: 8-for-22. Bad news: only one hit for extra bases and five strikeouts.
Neil Walker - The Pirates’ catcher of the future has not looked good at all so far, with just seven hits (two doubles) in 27 at-bats and six strikeouts vs. one walk. A .619 OPS in the AFL ain’t getting it done.