SB Nation - Luke Hochevar

Miguel Olivo is Irish, The White Sox Are Lifeless

The Cheat — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:02:28 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Look at this pale redheaded Master Flamer

We can't even joke about the White Sox playoff hopes anymore. Ozzie has begun filling out lineup cards featuring a bench (instead of an outfield) of Jermaine Dye, Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin. Hawk spent the evening acting as if this game meant the Sox season. To which the Sox responded with a 3-hit barrage, including 1 that left the infield, extending their scoreless inning streak to 18.

The season is officially over; Luke Hochevar serving as coroner, Miguel Olivo as undertaker.

Next year starts tomorrow. Jake Peavy arrived just in time.

Orioles 7, Royals 3. Hey, there was a game today!

duck — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:27:08 -0000

Quickly lost in the news of the condition of Brad Bergesen's shin and George Sherrill going to the Dodgers for a portly 3B prospect and the son of O's broadcaster and ex-pitcher Dave Johnson is the elation of a split at home against the Royals.

Dave Trembley said on Wired Wednesday yesterday he could feel the frustration of his lineup, and stated "Someone's gonna pay. We're gonna put double digits on someone. Someone's gonna pay."

The Orioles didn't get 10 runs against the Royals today, but it wasn't for lack of effort. Fortified by the steady presence of Brad Bergesen's 7.0 IP of one-run baseball, scattering seven hits and two walks while picking up six. He looked a little tired in the 7th, and was destined to come out after the inning when he took a wicked line drive off his left shin from the bat of Billy Butler. As if we didn't already have enough reasons to hate that guy. Probably works on a ship with Kevin Youkilis in the off-season.

Bergesen has now gone at least six innings in each of his last 12 starts and has had a Quality Start in 11 of his last 12. Makes Brian Burres and Radhames Liz seem like a long, long time ago, doesn't it?

Everyone in the O's lineup, even Luke Scott, got a hit today, and KC starter Luke Hochevar took the beating. The O's got multi-hit games from Felix Pie, Aubrey Huff, and Ty Wigginton, and Aubrey drove in as many runs today (three) as he had since July 3. The beer will taste a little better tonight for Mr. Huff. Don't forget to tip the doorman, Aubrey.

Brad's X-rays came back negative, although Brad had his doubts. On 105.7 FM, he told their reporter " Yeah, I thought it was broken, I got to the dugout and fell down. The pain was bad, I wanted to throw up. The X-rays said no break, and I hope that’s the case. They said sometimes a hairline (fracture) can be hidden with swelling, we’ll know tomorrow when the swelling goes down."

Here's hoping it's nothing more than a nasty ~~sprain~~ bruise. The Boston Red Sox come into town tomorrow, and let's just hope John Smoltz pitches as bad tomorrow as he did on Sunday.

Royals vs Orioles recap | Royals vs Orioles boxscore | Royals Review

Poll

Who was the Most Birdland Player for Thursday, July 30, 2009?

Brad Bergesen (W, 7.0 IP, 1 R, 7 H, 6 K, 2 BB)

227 votes

Aubrey Huff (2-4, 3 RBI, 2B)

5 votes

George Sherrill (Got us a 3B prospect and Dave Johnson's kid. One last chance to thank Flat Breezy)

106 votes

Felix Pie (2-4, RBI, R, super sub OF)

9 votes

347 votes | Poll has closed

Washington Nationals: Trade Deadline Roundtable - Joe Beimel, Willie Harris, "Acting" DC GM Mike Rizzo And Stephen Strasburg.

Ed Chigliak — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:00:15 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

5 months ago: Washington Nationals relief pitcher Joe Beimel reacts after making a throwing error against the Colorado Rockies to load the bases in the eighth inning of the Rockies' 5-4 victory in a baseball game in Denver on Tuesday, July 7, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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(ed. note - "I asked the Federal Baseball.com readers recently, if they'd be interested in participating in a roundtable discussion about what they expected to see happen and what the Washington Nationals should do in these last few days before the July 31, 2009 MLB Trade Deadline. What follows are the transcripts of those discussions, with myself, Ed Chigliak moderating. Now For Part Three...But First, Reintroductions..."):

Ed Chigliak: Quick Roll Call...Nationals' Fan or Old Expos' Fan, I'll Go First??

Ed Chigliak: Old Expos' Fan...

Mezza: Nats fan. Personally, I dont think two kinds of blue 'works' on a uniform.

Doghouse: Nats fan! They got me back into baseball after 15+ years away from the game.

John: I'm a Nats fan. I grew up in the area, and I went to Orioles games on occasion, but they never felt like the home team.

Martins: Nats Fan, love the dynamic of the team this year. They are the last place team that is much better than a last place team!

Graysnail: Old Expos fan who somehow ended up where the Nats are. Not sure how that happened.

Jim: Old Expos fan who longs for the glory days of the early 1990s.

AFTER THE JUMP...

• Ed Chigliak: Joe Beimel? Willie Harris? Are There Any Other Nationals You Think Might Get Dealt? Or Should Get Dealt?

• Ed Chigliak: Do You Expect Mike Rizzo To Be Given The Full-Time GM Job With The Nationals?

• Ed Chigliak: Will The Nationals Be Able To Sign Stephen Strasburg? How Much Will Washington Have To Pay Their 1st Round Pick?

Ed Chigliak: Joe Beimel? Willie Harris? Are There Any Other Nationals You Think Might Get Dealt? Or Should Get Dealt?

Mezza: YES! While Im starting to think that it would be a mistake to trade Beimel or McDougal, I think its possible they could both be moved. I think that if we kept them both, and acquired a good closer in the off season, our horrific bullpen doesnt look anywhere near as bad as at the start of the season. Think Beimel, McDougal, Clippard, Begman...plus closer of note. Not that bad. Add Storen as a learner and its all roses.

On who should be dealt - I think if the organi(z)ation can move Guzman with his $8m contract for next season...they should be considered for the Nobel Prize in Baseball management. Guz is starting to flop and next season we're stuck with a player in serious decline, earning way too much money with poor defense (highest error count on the team).

Doghouse: Much as I like TAWH, he's the epitome of league-average (100 OPS+, even!). Of course, he's league average at almost every position (although I can't seem to find his ERA numbers, and I don't know how well he blocks the plate). That's a "luxury" any contender would value, but which isn't a necessity for a team a bad as the Nats (Manny described Harris as a "luxury" in a press conference at one point, and that's what he is for DC). Guz and AK should get dealt, but no one will want to pay their share of $8M for either one. I'm calling Guz2010 = AK2009. Beimel is likely the only pitcher we can get something for, and I can see him going for a prospect--and he should. It'll return some of the early-season bullpen pain, but with the steadier rotation it's a risk I'd take.

John: Given the chance, I'd clean house. I'd definitely try to trade Joe Beimel and Willie Harris, but beyond that I'd trade MacDougal, Villone (definitely Villone, he's getting old), Belliard and Guzman. Good teams are built around solid pitching, and when the Nationals' starting pitchers have an average age of 24 or so, I don't think there's much reason to have guys too much older than that around. Bring in some younger guys, let them play together and watch the Nats grow as a team. We've got a young leader in Zimmerman, a fantastic young pitcher in Lannan (and the others aren't bad either), and some good prospects in the system. Trade the older guys we have for younger ones, polish them up, and then start bringing in older guys as the Nationals become contenders.

Martins: Well, I definitely agree with the sentiment that Guzman has to go. If there is a team out there who is fooled into thinking that his .300 batting average makes him a good hitter, then let them have him. As far as the bullpen goes, my attitude towards relievers has always been "don't panic, they fluctuate." And I believe this situation is no different. All you have to do is look at Heath Bell, Brad Lidge, Al Reyes, Chris Ray, George Sherrill, Eric Gagne, and Jose Valverde (to name a few) to realize that one inning pitchers ebb and flow. This year the bullpen has been shaky, next year they could be world beaters. It's the nature of the position.

Graysnail: Do you see anyone nailed down in the clubhouse? I don't. Move 'em all. If you have to prioritize, Guzman may get something decent (provided you pay his way, otherwise it's a straight salary dump, which could be useful for reasons stated below), Harris can net something I'd think, Beimel hasn't been infected with the Suck Virus, and maybe someone even wants Belliard. Maybe. Kearns ...I wouldn't mind moving him, but I think that boat's sailed.

Jim: Without question, there should be more moves. Retaining Beimel is far from a certainty, and the club should move him (I'm sure there are offers, and I know the rumor mill's working overtime with him) for prospects. The biggest name that they should (have already) move is Guzman, and they've already missed a couple of opportunities to do so on both sides of Missouri (both the Royals and Cardinals have added shortstops, with the Royals making one of the worst deals the league has seen since..... wait. I still cry every time I think of Omar Minaya running the show in Montreal). I doubt there would be any takers, though he's at least decided to try during deadline week in the hopes that someone will want him.

I don't think Harris is real movable. Maybe some team will want him as a depth pickup, but I can't imagine that the return would warrant dealing him. Kearns is just dead weight that nobody has wanted to take on for over a year. He'll close out the year so that the Nats can buy him out instead of getting stuck paying a larger portion of his option year in 2010. Belliard had value at the beginning of the year, but doesn't anymore. I don't think any team would be willing to give much up for McDougal either. Basically, the Nats should have some luck moving two of Willingham, Dunn, and Johnson (ideally one of the first two and the last one) and Beimel. While I'd like to see more players go, I just don't see the club getting anything more than depth in the low-to-mid minors (in other words, "prospects" who don't really have any future).

Ed Chigliak: Do You Expect Mike Rizzo To Be Given The Full-Time GM Job With The Nationals?

Mezza: I do. And I think if he signs Strasburg... children from our village will sing his name. Consider this: He signed Zimmerman to a long term deal. He stabilized a terrible bullpen. He drafted one of the best pitching prospects of all time. He made a decent draft overall with guys like Storen looking good. He made a good trade for Morgan and Burnett (and fixed a troubled clubhouse). He ALMOST got Teixeira. What exactly do fans want from this man?

Doghouse: Rizzo is doing right by the fans, but what about the Lerners? If he signs Stras and doesn't do anything stupid at the deadline, I think he has the inside track.

John: I think Mike Rizzo should be given the full-time job, but I don't know if that will actually happen. He's put together a solid draft class and signed most of them, made a good trade with the Pirates, and hasn't made any boneheaded moves. The fact that he hasn't been given the position yet says a lot. Rizzo did some great stuff with the Diamondbacks and has proven himself with the Nationals, so I'm not sure what more the powers that be are looking for. Bringing in anyone else would be a mistake -- why give up a known positive for an untested manager? The Nationals would be trading a very positive influence on this team for an unknown, and, as young as the Nationals are, that's a bad move to make.

Martins: I'm really not sure about this one. I think the trade deadline will have a lot to do with this decision. He is being graded on performance right now, in my opinion. Let's see how he does.

Graysnail: The sick cynicist in me wants to say that Rizzo is gone in favor of another retread. The realist in me says that Rizzo probably comes cheaper than most of said retreads, so he stays. Rizzo understands the farm system, which is always a plus. Coming from the Expos, that's the one thing the 'Spos always had (and the one thing Minaya firebombed when he was with the team), so if that returns, great. Either way, I think we'll know more about this come next week.

Jim: I'm not sure how to answer this question at this time. I feel that he has to get something positive done at the deadline and/or I feel he needs to sign Strasburg. By accomplishing either of those feats, I think he both gets (and probably deserves) the full-time job. If he's unable to move anyone from a roster that will top off (four game winning streak = hope!) at 35 wins by the deadline and he fails to sign Strasburg, I see no reason that the "Acting" should be removed from his title. The current grade is incomplete.

• Will The Nationals Be Able To Sign Stephen Strasburg? How Much Will Washington Have To Pay Their 1st Round Pick?

Mezza: I certainly think they are ABLE to sign Stras...but I also think it will come down to how reasonable Stras is about the deal. I dont think Stras wants to not play and lose out on getting some Major League service time. I think the Nats need to sign him. Id expect him to sign...possibly for $25m-$27m. Anymore than $30m and I think we were robbed. Any less and I'll think Rizzo should be in charge of negotiating the next multilateral trade round.

Doghouse: "Yes," and "too much."

John: I am 100% certain the Nationals will sign Strasburg. I think one of the reasons we haven't seen more trading activity from the Nationals is because they need to save every penny to sign Strasburg. Rizzo has handled the situation very well in not venturing out into the media, and the front office has made statements that strongly suggest he'll be signed: "People in the front office, we know what Stephen Strasburg means to our major league ballclub" and "I believe he will soon be wearing a Nationals uniform." The front office is smart, and I don't think they'd be saying these things unless they have every intention of signing him. As for how much, I'd be surprised to see anything less than $20 million, but I'm going to take a stab and say he'll be signed for $22 million.

Martins: I think the absolute lack of pitching on this club has the Nats over a barrel, and they will be forced to pay whatever Strasburg and his agent want. My only fear, as is always my fear with prospects, is that he does not materialize. This would be a huge black eye for the front office, but at this point, I don't know that they have a choice.

Graysnail: See you in 2010.

Okay, fine, I'll actually answer this one. The funny thing with the Strasburg signing is both parties have each other over a barrel. Strasburg can't really play somewhere else for a year; he's not going to shoot himself in the foot by going to Japan, and there are more horror than success stories of guys pitching in the independent leagues. He's not going to pitch somewhere for pennies when he can blow out his arm and be done for it. For every Luke Hochevar, there's a Matt Hutchinson. By the same token, the Nats absolutely can't afford not to sign him. On the heels of failing to sign Aaron Crow last year, the Nats can't pull that stunt again. They'll not only squander the one nice thing you get by fielding a joke of a team, but sending a message that they're not willing to spend to bring in talent. Casual fans won't stick around if that happens. Couple that with the Nats' craptastic pitching staff and there's a painfully obvious need for a player of his caliber.

The Nats set up this draft perfectly to sign Strasburg, too - Storen's a fine piece but senior college reliever = autosign - so failing to pull the trigger will indicate failure across the board. If he signs, it'll be in the $25 million -$30 million range.

Jim: I'm with Doghouse. "Yes" and "Too Much." They don't really have much of a choice in the matter, and have to sign him after having failed to sign Crow last year. Storen was a draft-eligible sophomore who signed pretty cheap (and fast), which should have helped them save a little on the budget. I think that the Nats will get the deal done somewhere around the $25 million range. Anything less than $30 million and they'll probably chalk it up as the cost of doing business. If they sign him for over $30, the best thing would have been to tell him to take a hike and hope to get more money being selected third overall next year.... oh, and warn him that he'd better get his right arm insured at Lloyd's of London.

The End. (ed. note - "Thanks to everyone who participated, and for anyone who might want to next time, I'm hoping to make this sort of discussion a regular feature. Thanks, Ed Chigliak.")

Clayton Kershaw is not for sale at any price

Phil Gurnee — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:13:56 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

The Dodgers best young LHP since Fernandomania is being offered as a sacrifice for a World Champion by the local media. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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via minos-the-minotaur-comic.dumbbum.net

The Minotaur is in the house today, can the best young Los Angeles Dodger LHP since Fernandomania break the Dodgers first three game losing streak of 2009? Only if the Dodgers oblige with a few runs of their own as he can't win the game on his own. If Clayton does what he normally does he will give us 5-6 innings of brilliant pitching. In his last eight starts he's shut out the opponent five times, given up one run once, and two runs twice, dropping his ERA from 4.13 to 2.96. Only twice has he not gone at least six innings. With this kind of performance and the subsequent struggles of Chad he may have moved into the number one spot in the rotation, a spot he may never relinquish.

Some scribes in Los Angeles may not have noticed but Clayton Kershaw is having a historic season given his age and southpawness. For more on this, turn the page.

Earlier this year Clayton Kershaw threw a special game but I didn't realize how special it was until reading a column by Joe Posnanski yesterday in which he mentioned this Bill James rule.

Bill James once wrote about how, if a big league pitchers strikes out 15 or more in a game while not walking anyone, you can conclude that he probably will be an outstanding big league pitcher. It’s one of those persuasive achievements. Look: Twenty-one pitchers have pulled it off since 1954 …

Dominant, Hall-of-Fame-type pitchers (9): Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Luis Tiant*, John Smoltz, Curt Schilling*, Johan Santana, Nolan Ryan, Mike Mussina*.

*These pitchers may or may not get into the Hall of Fame … but they have a case. Clemens is a whole other thing.

Pitchers seemingly on their way to dominant careers who were derailed by injury or some other issue (8): Dwight Gooden, Kerry Wood, Frank Tanana (who still had an excellent career), Mark Prior, Gary Nolan, Sam McDowell, Vida Blue, Erik Bedard.

Darned good pitchers (3): Mark Langston, Mario Soto, Sid Fernandez.

Anomaly: Sterling Hitchcock.

The day after Joe wrote the above quote Luke Hochevar struck out 13 and walked none, so Joe wondered how many pitchers had done that and what that might mean for the future of Luke Hochevar, which got me to wondering where Clayton Kershaw's April 15th masterpiece placed him. In that game Clayton struck out 13 and walked one which changed the dynamics of Hochevar's game, since Luke didn't walk anyone.

Part of the reason I was interested was the irritating comment from Tom Hoffarth in Monday's Daily News in which he advocated trading Kershaw for Halladay.

Someday, sure, he might throw a complete-game shutout, strike out 15 and walk just eight. But for now, he's unremarkably become the No. 2 bullet in an L.A. five-shooter that lacks anything to put fear into a playoff opponent. And don't even get us started on the bullpen.

Whatever description you want to place on Clayton's season so far unremarkable is the last adjective I'd use. Evidently Tom, was unaware that Clayton at the tender age of 21 on April 15th had already almost accomplished the above feat but he did it as a Dodger and he did it while only walking one. Now it is very possible that Tom andPlaschke are completely unaware of this game because the Lakers were still playing and the local media doesn't pay attention to the Dodgers until the Laker's close their doors for the summer. It might also explain why they have been oblivious to the great beginning that Chad Billingsley had to the season.

Tom and the other media guys would have traded 20 year old Fernando Valenzuela for Vida Blue thinking we needed an established "ace" to win a world series. Funny thing happened in 1981, we won a World Championship and it was Fernando who led us to that World Series.

So I looked into how many lefthanded pitchers had struck out 13 and walked one since 1954 since that is as far back at baseball reference goes for their play index on individual performances. The list is very impressive and even more impressive is that ClaytonKershaw is the youngest LH pitcher to have managed the feat. Only 20 southpaws have managed the feat in 55 years of baseball and of those 20 you have some of the greatest LH pitchers to ever pitch in the post integrated era. Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, Vida Blue, Ron Guidry, Johan Santana, and Mickey Lolich are names that anyone familiar with the history of baseball knows about. This doesn't prove anything but I was just curious how many southpaws had done this feat and how they stack up in history.

Every-time I do something like this I'm always reminded just how awesome Sandy Koufax was. He did this trick six times, with Randy Johnson pulling down four entries. Carlton, Hamels, Higuera, and Baylor Moore were able to do it twice.

Pitcher	Earliest Age	One	Two	Three	Four	Five	Six
Koufax, Sandy	24.225	9/29/65	8/11/60	7/12/63	9/29/66	8/16/64	6/26/62
Johnson, Randy	29.36	9/26/93	9/5/93	5/10/00	9/5/99
Carlton, Steve	27.13	10/3/82	5/7/72
Hamels, Cole	23.275	9/28/07	6/11/08
Higuera, Teddy	28.23	5/19/87	6/28/87
Moore, Baylor	21.18	8/23/72	7/23/72
Abbott, Jim	24.005	9/24/91
Blue, Vida	26.36	7/23/76
Downing, Al	22.058	8/25/63
Guidry, Ron	28.26	5/16/79
Hurst, Bruce	31.017	4/10/89
Kershaw, Clayton	21.027	4/15/09
Langston, Mark	32.043	10/2/92
Leibrandt, Charlie	34.327	8/27/91
Lolich, Mickey	27.007	9/19/67
Norman, Fred	31.26	5/7/74
O'Dell, Billy	29.14	7/4/61
Santana, Johan	30.03	4/12/09
Short, Chris	28.28	6/30/66
Wolf, Randy	26.03	9/21/02

According to game score the Kershaw April 15th game was not that special other then for the age at which he accomplished the task. Given time I expect him to move up the list and I'm much rather see him do it as a Dodger then as a Blue Jay. I've watched the Dodgers since 1969 and this is the best young arm I've ever seen come out of our system, not seeing him mature as a Dodger would break many a Dodger fans heart.

Many a good young lefthander has peaked early and ended with a mediocre or shortened career, even the hard throwing ones. So now I'm curious, just how good does the 21 year old Clayton compare to the other young lefthanders in the history of the game since integration. The ERA+ numbers don't make me comfortable, 34 LHP under the age of 23 have had a season like Kershaw is having and barely a HOF among them with quite a few pitchers who never reached the heights they reached at that young age again. While looking at the pitchers and those who were strike out artists likeKershaw it is even more uncomfortable viewing. Is Kershaw the next Kazmir , Sudden Sam McDowell, Herb Score, or god forbid Oliver Perez? I hope not, I hope he writes his own chapter and does not follow the path of anyone on the list. I hope for more, I hope that is not a false hope.

Face it, the Dodgers had baserunners against Carpenter and Wainwright but these are two of the best RHP in the NL right now. The bullpen imploded against a now potent Cardinal offense with the addition of DeRosa and Holliday to the lineup.

I can't really talk about Billingsley's game. I turned it on in bottom of the sixth so all the waxing about his brilliant five innings meant nothing to me as I saw him fail to finish the sixth in a fiasco of an inning. Not exactly the way to go about silencing the critics.

I'd also like Tripon to quit showing tweets from the idiots. If I wanted to know what the idiots were tweeting I'd follow them.

We like to see the big picture here but in the short picture the scribes from hell have been telling us we need an "ace", we need to upgrade our bullpen, and the first two games of this road trip only gave these scribes all sorts of ammunition for a big trade.

Over the next two games it would be nice if we came back with a statement of our own. Kershaw and Kuroda can show the doubters that they can compete against the tough Cardinals, and the offense needs to remember how to drive in a run. Two games into this road trip this is starting to smell like the awful road trip in August last year when the Dodgers forget how hit with runners in scoring position. Let us stop the carnage now so we don't start comparing this road trip to that road trip from hell. It is alot to ask of a 21 year old to be a stopper, but we didn't ask any less of Fernando in 1981.

Luke Hochevar Dazzles as Royals End Losing Streak

royalsreview — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:54:19 -0000

More photos » by ED ZURGA - AP

5 months ago: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Luke Hochevar throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Saturday, July 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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Luke Hochevar pitched the game of his life en route to a rare win for the Royals. Hochevar struck out 13 Rangers Saturday night, against zero walks and just five hits. I'm absolutely floored by Luke's performance tonight. Floored.

In Hochevar's last three starts, he's struck out 27 batters and walked just one in 19.1 innings. When did this guy turn into Zack Grienke on a hot streak?

Amazingly, the Royals did enough at the plate and in the 'pen to get him a win, thanks in part to a nice night by the top of the order.

The game's unexpected drama began in the eighth inning, when Joakim Soria appeared. After a week-long controversy regarding Soria's usage, Hillman went against his previous statements swearing that Soria would not be used for anything beyond a four-out save. Some are suggesting that this may have been Gibbons's call, but I would find that extremely unlikely. Bench coaches just don't make a decision like that. Sure, there's a part of me that wants to blast Hillman for being a hypocrite, but that wouldn't be totally fair. I'd rather have him start making better decisions after tough experiences -- I believe this is called "learning" -- than being consistently dumb.

A Royal Dud

The Cheat — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:02:36 -0000

The White Sox seemed poised to run their winning streak to 8-games holding an early lead against a beleaguered division punching bag. Oops.

Gavin Floyd blew through the first inning with ease, but it was clear he didn't have it after that. Ozzie Guillen seemed slow to notice thanks to the Royals doing their thing, keeping runners off the basepath and the scoreboard stuck at zeroe. Floyd somehow took a no-hitter into the 5th despite falling behind seemingly everyone, which is why the gamethread lit up asking for bullpen help when he lost that no-hitter and let two runs cross home in the 5th. Unfortunately, Guillen set his hook by the scoreboard, which saw the Sox with still clinging to a 1-run lead, and not by Floyd's effectiveness, which gave the Royals enough time to chip away at the Sox meager lead.

That lead was built over the first 3 innings when Luke Hochevar was even less sharp than Floyd. Dewayne Wise plated the Sox first run following one of Gordon Beckham's signature thrown-out-at-second-on-a-lawn-dart-slides, and Jermaine Dye added 2 more with a bomb. But Hochevar started throwing strikes in the 4th inning and the Sox followed suit by taking early hacks. The Sox managed only 3 baserunners, including Beckham's bomb, after Hochevar's rocky 2nd and 3rd innings.

By the time Ozzie had finally decided to call on Matt Thornton from the pen, the Sox lead was down to one and the go-ahead run was on base. Guillen didn't have much of an excuse for not having anyone warmed up to start the 6th. DJ Carrasco and Aaron Poreda, the Sox two long-men who've been excellent this seaosn, haven't pitched in a week and Jimmy Gobble hasn't pitched in even longer (though his absence is a welcome one). The point is, the Sox bullpen is more than rested. There is an off-day on Monday, and it was clear from the second inning that Floyd was laboring. Today wasn't the day to keep running him back out there in hopes that the Royals would just get themselves out.

Hawk was stewing about a double play that wasn't made with Floyd on the mound in the 6th. Alexei Ramirez was "out of position" and slow to get to second, which resulted in another one of his lob throws to first as he was flying across the bag. But that shouldn't have been the deciding factor in the game, and it's not like the Sox inability to turn a double play this season is anything new. Though I suppose that could be at the root of his anger.

I know I should be feeling pretty good about the way the Sox have been playing lately, but it just feels like they gave this one away hoping the Royals would continue to give them easy victories.

* * * * *

Also, Fuck Fox and Manny Ramirez. I didn't really care about his suspension. The ridiculous media reaction and coverage was far more interesting to me. I mean ESPN had planned on cutting into the deciding game of the College World Series to show his first rehab at-bats... during a national championship game... WHY?!

Now on a rainy 4th of July when I'm currently stuck inside with nothing to do but clean FOX is giving me the SD-LA game. Seriously? An NL West match-up? The two top AL Central teams are playing on FOX right now (just not in Chicago) but I've got to watch the Dodgers and Padres because of Manny Freaking Ramirez! And they don't even have their "A" crew there, so I can't rip on Joe Buck. FOX' blackout restrictions are ridiculous, but the reasoning behind their regional game selection is even worse.

34-46

NHZ — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:17:44 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

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What? We came back and picked up a starter who didn't have a great day? Is that legal?

Luke Hochevar wasn't good today, but wasn't terribad either. The two dingers aren't good for a sinkerballer's ERA, but Hooch got nine groundouts against four flyouts today. He also K'ed three, which he's going to need to start to do more often. While you have to wonder how much better Luke's ERA would be if the Royals fielded a real-live major league defense, less than 4 K/9 is too low to expect much success. Call it the Jeremy Sowers principle, if you want.

Callaspo's back over .300, and continues to impress with the bat. Given Billy Buckner's recent struggles with the Diamondbacks, it seems like we might have won at least one trade in the Moore era. Well, two. There was the one where we gave the Marlins Ross Gload.

One thing I am sure of: Brayan Pena will maintain a 900+ OPS if inserted into a more regular role.

One thing I really am sure of: I'd rather have Brayan Pena than Miguel Olivo. Moore really should be looking to parlay Olivo's recent hot streak into a deadline deal.

Bloomquist Batting Average update: .266.

Props to Trey Hillman for recognizing that Mike Jacobs can't hit lefties and PHing Pena in the first place. I cracked wise in the game thread, but at least it's a sign than Trey has learned....something....sometime....somewhere.

Soria is on pace for about 40 innings this year. He was very good today, but it still seems like a waste.

Happy 4th! The Royals Win! Miguel Olivo walked for the third time this year! The Giants win the pennant! Canada is invading Michigan!

Kansas City 4, Minnesota 2: "Cy" Hochevar dominates Twins

Jon Marthaler — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:56:21 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Luke Hochevar threw seven strong innings to beat the Twins. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Ron Gardenhire didn't stick around to see the end of the Twins' loss to the Royals on Monday night.

The way Kansas City starter Luke Hochevar was pitching, Gardy didn't need to.

Hochevar gave up just two Twins hits in seven innings, shutting out Minnesota and earning his third win of June in the process. The 25-year-old struggled with his control early on, walking four hitters in the first three innings, but pitched around the baserunners and settled himself down thereafter. Apart from a double and a 14-hop single, the Twins couldn't touch the starter - and Minnesota's Nick Blackburn couldn't match his performance.

The Twins righty needed his bullpen for the first time in three starts, going just six innings. Blackburn lived dangerously the entire evening, dancing around hit after hit, but it was two long balls - back-to-back dingers from Alberto Callaspo and Miguel Olivo to lead off the sixth inning - that sealed the deal. R.A. Dickey gave up a run in an inning of relief, as the Royals finished off the victory.

Olivo was the offensive star for K.C., finishing just a double short of the cycle and figuring in three of the Royals' runs. The catcher scored following a single and a Michael Cuddyer throwing error in the second inning, homered in the sixth, and blasted an RBI triple off the center field fence in the seventh.

The Twins did briefly attempt a comeback in the eighth. Justin Morneau smashed a line-drive homer to right field with a man aboard off of John Bale, cutting the Royals' lead in half. It was too little, too late, however, and Kansas City closer Joakim Soria came on to shut down the Twins in the ninth, striking out the side in the process.

Gardenhire, meanwhile, was gone by the top of the sixth, after a strange play involving Jason Kubel. The Twins DH pounded a ground ball into the dirt that hopped down the line, bounced off the bag, and was turned into an out without Kubel ever leaving the batter's box. He claimed the ball hit his foot, not the dirt. Replays were inconclusive. Gardenhire came out to argue with home plate umpire Larry Vanover, who incensed the Twins manager by refusing to ask any other umpire for help. Eventually, Gardy threw his hat and yelled a few choice swears, and earned a vacation in the process.

Given the Twins' lack of success at the plate, on the mound, and in the field, the Twins' manager probably only wished that the vacation had come a lot sooner.

Three Stars:

3. Alberto Callaspo - Homered and scored twice.
2. Miguel Olivo
1. Luke Hochevar

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Post-Game Recap: Giants beat the A's

Grant — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:28:20 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

This picture reminds me of the final boss in "Revenge of Shinobi," but I'm not going to make the reference because only two of you will know what I'm talking about. So I'll just write this: Tim Lincecum is better than you.

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Congratulations to Tim Lincecum for the (non-forced) complete game shutout of his career! Even the biggest pitch-count weenie in the world would have left Lincecum out there, as he threw only 98 pitches. Jonathan Sanchez has done that several times -- he calls it "the fourth inning" -- but that shouldn't detract from Lincecum's amazing performance.

Part of me wants to believe that Lincecum has an imaginary rivalry in his head with 2006 1st-overall pick Luke Hochevar, who also threw a complete game tonight. But Hochevar gave up a run. So eat it, Hochevar.

Also of note: Pablo Sandoval started the run barrage (three!) with a deftly placed bunt. Ten pounds of Ty Cobb in an eight-pound sack, that one is. Without the virulent racism, of course.

Joe Posnanski appreciates the contrast to the 1975 Reds. Cincinnati's offensive woes plumb new depths in 4-1 loss.

Brendanukkah — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:52:51 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Here is one of Luke Hochevar's pitches. He only threw 79 others. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Luke Hochevar. Former #1 pick Hochevar looked like Greg Maddux going against Cincinnati's terrible offense. He only needed 80 pitches to throw a complete game, giving up three hits and a run, striking out three and walking one.

Key Plays

Matt Maloney put himself in an early hole, giving up a solo homer to Billy Butler in the first inning.
After much futility, the Reds tied the score with a solo shot of their own, courtesy of Jonny Gomes's first dinger of the season.
Any shred of hope quickly vanished in the bottom of the inning when Alberto Collaspo was hit by a pitch and Miguel Olivo singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Coco Crisp moved Collaspo to third on a ground out, and David DeJesus hit a well-placed single to score him.
In the sixth inning, Collaspo struck again, hitting a two-run homer right after Mark Teahen's single.

Crummy graph

Other Notes

Hochevar's pitches per inning: 1st - 4, 2nd - 7, 3rd - 8, 4th - 10, 5th - 15, 6th - 9, 7th - 12, 8th - 9, 9th - 4. Jay Bruce and Laynce Nix tied for longest at-bats, seeing six pitches one time each.
Willy Taveras is 0-28 and does not have a hit in the month of June.
Matt Maloney pitched decently, going another six innings and striking out five. He did give up two home runs.
Mike Lincoln pitched two scoreless innings in relief, the first time he's had two scoreless innings in an outing since May 6. His ERA is down below 9.00 for only the third time this year, the first being after he pitched 0.1 innings on Opening Day.
Game time was 2:12. These things fly when nobody's hitting.

Final - 6.12.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cincinnati Reds	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	0
Kansas City Royals	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	X	4	6	0
WP: Luke Hochevar (2 - 2) LP: Matt Maloney (0 - 1)

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