re: DAT 4/9: A's (Manaea) @ Astros (McCullers) 7:10 pm

We're 9 days into the season so everybody needs to settle down on the individual pitchers who may be struggling. Give it all a month to start shaking out.

We're missing Baez for sure. Stanek looks completely ready to be a high leverage guy so that's good.

Enoli may come back fine from the IL, and I suspect he'll have his wild times mixed in with good relief throughout his career. Taylor has good stuff so needs to get locked in again. Scrubb has a superb curveball which will add to the pen soon. Abreu and eventually Javier will be multi-inning weapons.

Dumspter Aggy? We'll see. He sucked with the Reds before we got him but showed he can be a very useful piece. I think he has value as a matchup guy.

shite on LaForce all you like though. Quitter things.

I’d like to see Yuli get an at bat this inning

We’ve hit a lot of balls tonight caught at shoestring height.

But some people will be ignorant bitches and disagree.

We really lost because ahunt started the thread so late.

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And people like him have less value with the 3 hitter rule

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Same with Raley. I hate the rule, but it is what it is. MLB can’t waste time with left handed specialists, but pitchers still being pinch hit for in the NL is totally cool...

This game was about math and probabilities. Please understand this.

Let it be known that Joe Smith was identified as a negative contributor to the Astros the day he opted out by me

If he closes a crucial game to reach the playoffs or a playoff game, please remind me at that time

I will eat my due rewards

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Enoli may come back fine from the IL, and I suspect he'll have his wild times mixed in with good relief throughout his career. Taylor has good stuff so needs to get locked in again. Scrubb has a superb curveball which will add to the pen soon. Abreu 

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All of these are inexperienced guys with command issues. Last year Enoli 4.8 BB/9, Taylor 5.2 BB/9, Scrubb 7.6 BB/9. Both Taylor and Scrubb posted high walk rates of 5 BB/9 in the minors so you can't chalk it up to young pitchers learning to deal with more selective major league hitters.

The young bullpen and the walks were what got us in so much trouble last season. They blew too many games and its hard to say it's a trend so far but in the two close games we've played, the pen has blown a lead and a tie in the 8th inning. Right now it looks like we've got 2 pitchers we can trust in Stanek and Pressly and for some reason Stanek keeps coming in before the 7th inning.

We need Baez back and effective and maybe that gives us some depth in 7, 8 and 9 with Stanek, Baez, Pressly.

Yes, we have plenty of young arms and more very talented ones coming soon if needed (Ivey will be a factor at some point this year, for example) but also those veterans who will do a good job. We also have the best pitching coach in baseball.

Strom loves a bunch of these guys, and I think Abreu and Javier end up as multi-inning beasts. It'll work out.

I saw this on Twitter. I'm just gonna leave this here and see if the Tatis or Soto fanboys respond(they probably won't). Look at the last name on the list:

John Kincade Retweeted
Ryan M. Spaeder
@theaceofspaeder
First 320 games:

Mantle
.299/.384/.500, 49 HR, 18 SB

Mays
.307/.382/.563, 68 HR, 20 SB

Aaron
.300/.346/.504, 47 HR, 5 SB

Bonds
.250/.332/.473, 54 HR, 77 SB

Griffey Jr.
.286/.353/.451, 40 HR, 38 SB

Trout
.319/.405/.548, 58 HR, 85 SB

Acuna Jr.
.283/.372/.545, 84 HR, 63 SB


Holy Christ!