One day after Friedrich couldn’t find the strike zone to save his life, Jeremy Guthrie couldn’t leave it alone. Pounding the strike zone to get ahead in the count is baseball pitching 101. Apparently Guthrie skipped remedial baseball – the class that teaches you when you have a batter in an 0-2 count you get them to chase, throw it in the dirt, pretty much anything but serving it up on a tee.
Maybe Guthrie should go back to pitching school.
He only lasted three innings, thanks to a rain delay and Tracy’s decision to bench him after Mother Nature moved on, but in those three innings he gave up four hits in 0-2 counts.
Let me repeat that: four batters were behind 0-2 and went on to get hits (two singles, two doubles).
If you dig even deeper you will find something even more disturbing in the stat.
All four were down 0-2 on two pitches. That is a pitchers dream! Only two pitches, to four batters, and you are one good pitch away from sitting them down. In Guthries case the very next pitch to three of them was center cut and hit hard. The fourth batter? That would be Prince fielder, who fouled off four more pitches to eventually double in a run.
None of the four batters saw a ball in their at bats. Not one ball. Not one out of the zone. Not one.
If you can point to anything wrong with how Guthrie is pitching, any one thing, it would be letting hitters hit your third pitch after two strike calls.
Embarrassing.
As if losing wasn’t bad enough, 10 in our last 11, having to learn at game time that Carlos Gonzalez was pulled from the lineup due to a right knee strain was icing on the urinal cake of this failed season.
Oh, and insult to injury? Dexter Fowler was put into CarGo’s spot hitting third. THIRD!!! The spot Tyler Colvin should have been hitting in was taken by Fowler who, other than a few weeks of brilliance, couldn’t hit a softball in church league.
Dex’s first at bat came with EYj on 3rd and one out. He just needed to get the ball in play and let the fastest man in the league work his magic. What did he do? Strikeout by swinging at pitches bouncing in front of him.
What did Colvin do his first at bat? Single.
Dex’s second at bat he struck out to end the inning after Scutaro singled.
Colvin’s second at bat? A double.
Swap the two in the lineup and instead of getting blanked 5-0 you are looking at at least two runs off Colvin’s bat. One small thing that Jim Tracy could have done to put the players on the field into their actual correct lineup position, and that could have made the difference.
What’s worse than losing? Seeing your past players, ones that “couldn’t pitch very well” go on and play amazing…
- Franklin Morales started for the red sox tonight and struck out 9 in five innings…
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22388327&c_id=bos&partnerId=aw-4747806748850662986-1022
- Jason Hammel pitched last night for the O’s (you remember Hammel, right? We traded him for Guthrie)…well, he pitched a freaking ONE HITTER!
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/06/17/hammel-pitches-1-hitter-orioles-beat-braves/
Also Kevin Millwood’s no-hitter through 6 (and his destroying of the Rockies)…
I think all roads lead to Apodaca getting some heat for this…
That’s my manta for the year.Admittedly,the pitchers BIB DOD gives Apodaca leave alot to be desired,but +6,00 ERA and he’s still here!I was one of those who started the tar and feather I.Stewert chant,jumped on the show Frankie M. the door band wagon,and now believe my new chant is:”we won’t get back{to the WS} with Dac!” If we won’t throw money at a free agent pitcher,then I say again lets throw some big bucks at Greg Maddox and see if a true PITCHER can turn things around.He’s about due to want back in the game and we should grab him first.Actually,on further review,maybe we should just talk him out of retirement to be our ace!He’s younger than Moyer,and I’ll bet he could go 4 innings right now!That would make him staff ace immediately.
I was really happy for Frankie last night.
Gary,
I’ve been advocating we get rid of Apodaca for several years. Even before 2007, so I agree with you there. But there are a couple flaws in your above comments I need to point out, as you have made them before.
First, it’s Maddux, not Maddox.
Secondly, he has already come out of retirement three years ago.
On January 11, 2010, Maddux was hired by the Chicago Cubs as an assistant to General Manager Jim Hendry. In his return to Chicago, his focus was on developing pitchers’ styles and techniques throughout the organization, including minor league affiliates. For the 2012 season Maddux left his position with the Cubs and joined the Texas Rangers organization, where his brother Mike is a pitching coach.
Third, Maddux hates Coors Field. With a passion he hates Coors Field. At one time after he pitched here he said something about how the stadium should be blown up.
I can assure you there is only one chance in Hell Maddux would ever come here to pitch or coach. If his brother was named the Manager. Not much chance that will ever happen either is my guess.
Trip,thanks for setting this old guy straight.Must of been the Vodka and late hour.I knew it was bulldog[Maddux],and not Sarge[G.Maddox],and knew he hated Coors.But,didn’t realize he was now in the Rangers Org.Mainly,we both agree that “Dac’s” body of work,especially since 2009,is not worthy of continued employment.
jare I understand throwing Hammel in there but where else has he pitched well besides Baltimore? Same can be said for Guthrie. I really thought Guthrie would be ok and be a good thing for the Rockies.
He pitched really well for us at times, while not complete seasons, you did see flashes of an excellent pitcher…for example in 2010 he had a stretch of over 34 innings of 3 runs and a 0.78 ERA…you put that into perspective and that is 5 games of seven innings that he only gives up 3 runs total…
Over the years he pitched for us I could tell that he had the talent and knowing he had health issues and medication problems, I was hoping that the change in his meds would make the 2010 season better…it seems like either it took a year for his meds to filter out, or more likely it took him going to the O’s to have a pitching coach really work with his talent in a way that allowed him to pitch his game…
He is currently 7-2 with a 2.87 ERA and that is averaging 6 1/3 innings an outing…yes, saturdays complete game one hit shutout brought his ERA down and his innings average up, but you’d be crazy not to think he is having a better year than every single starter we’ve throwin out there this season…
Another comparison: Jeremy Guthrie innings pitched so far: 59 while Jason’s pitched 81.2. We gave up an innings eater to get Guts and no glory…
Jason made his share of mistakes on the mound as a Rockie, but I felt he came a long way towards the mental toughness needed to minimize a bad inning.
It seems the Rockies have started from scratch this season. They have a bunch of pitchers who give up 3 or 4 or 5 runs in the 3rd or 4th inning, and they are down for the count leaving the bullpen to carry the rest of the game.
Jeremy Guthrie needs to go 7 innings in each of his remaining 20 starts if the great “Innings Eater” is going to make it to 200 innings this season.
Gary,
I’m with you on Dac, but everyone knows Maddux hates Coors Field. If he was gonna get back in the game, you really think this would be his #1 choice?
Getting pitchers outside this org to pitch here is a pipe dream. The only reason they’d do it (see Hampton and Neagle) is for the $$$ and that’s the wrong motivation for stocking a team, especially, here.
Player development has to be imperitive. We’ve heard that for eons but I’m for picking the best position players early. Those are gonna be the everyday guys here. To win here you have to have offense not a pitching staff that’s offensive. Load up the lineup with .300 – 30 – 100 guys and any pitcher will be happy to play here where a few mistakes can be erased by some real “Blake St Bombers”
And to follow up….
No more pitchers for pitching coaches. Catchers are better equiped to handle a staff. They don’t baby the hurler. Remember Girardi getting in the staffs’ faces in his day? I’ll never forget him at the mound jabbin’ that finger in their chests.
Dave Duncan, La Russa’s pitching guru, not a pitcher. A catcher.
Still waiting for my pipe dream to come true – Tommy Lasorda as manager and Dave Duncan as pitching coach….. nitey nite….
That would give Tommy the “big one”in the first week,which would be a shame as he’s great for baseball.