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Felix
BSR sez,
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So has Felix finally hit the Pedro/RJ level at this point, where you just don't expect the opponent to have a chance to get more than a couple runs on the board unless he has a really bad day? It feels that way to me.
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It does feel that way, and I was kinda wondering why, when Mike Blowers put his finger on it. The whole time, Felix has taken 4 pitches per game out the mound. That has been true of each outing in 2014, except the little "flu" period.
If you just joined us, a human being takes his fastball out to the mound, and then spends the 1st inning figuring out what is his #2 pitch that day. That was the way with K-Pax the other day; he didn't have that much of a curve, but he did have a feel for his changeup.
Felix happens to get behind 2-0, bam, there is a slider on the low-outside corner to a RH. A dangerous lefty comes up, bam, there is a 12-6 curve to put him ahead in the count.
Blowers' idea is precisely correct in SSI's view. Felix has refined his skills over the years, while somehow not losing his stuff. It's quite unusual.
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It's hard enough to find a pitcher who pitches 7 innings for 10 starts in a row, much less doing it with 0-2 earnies every time.
What you haven't heard yet, but soon will on TV ;- ) is that Felix' season has gone like this:
| Time |
IP and ER |
Remark |
| Opening Day |
6 IP |
Everybody's getting loose the 1st week |
| Next 4 starts |
Ultra Quality Starts |
|
| April 26 - May 2 |
4 consecutive non-UQS |
Flu |
| Last 16 starts |
16 consecutive UQS |
Previous record: 13 (includes Deadball era) |
In other words, take away the flu, and Felix has thrown a lockdown UQS in EVERY start this season.
I wouldn't put it past him to throw a lockdown in every start the rest of the way, either, "doubling" the previous record. It may only be the bounce of the ball that keeps him from doing so.
Anyway, he's got a great shot at a 1+ ERA this year. Albeit using a different mode -- fewer K, more grounders -- Felix has indeed now reached Pedro / Unit level.
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Robinson Cano
It was an intense playoff atmosphere at Safeco; Blowers went so far as to say that was the most fun he'd ever had broadcasting a game (!). Five awesome things Cano did in this one game:
- Rembrandt-pretty, unhurried baserunner kill at 3B (Rasmus, 2nd inning, after leadoff double)
- Calm, unhurried catch of a dangerous high pop down the RF line (Valencia, 5th inning)
- Walked to score the first run
- Home run the other way to extend the lead from 2-1 to 3-1 and launch the bat-around inning
- Continued to slowly, gently convince his fellow M's that Safeco Field is --- > not the devil
- This doesn't even mention 3-4 other great things he did in the game
Stars & Scrubs, baby.
Had you noticed that the M's, this homestand, have evened their home record at .500 and, more importantly, snuffed* the question of whether the park will mentally implode them?
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By the way, Cano is starting to load up on pitches more. If you didn't see the game, he missed a 2nd homer by a foot or two. This one into the left-center power alley.
His OBP is now over .400 (! in Safeco) and his OPS+ is equal to what it was in 2012 and 2013. Hard to believe this man plays second base.
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The Royals
Mojician with yet another chuckle-inducing Shout, right before the Royals beat the Orcs 3-2 on Monday:
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The Royals, who lead WC2, start a four game set with Oakland. This is a perverse situation where one might be tempted to root for the Orcs. Don't do it! Winning isn't everything and you will have to live with yourself at the end of the season.
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The Royals have won +8 in a row and are +11 -1 over the last two weeks. I don't expect that they will continue to play .917 baseball. And though the Tigers have momentarily blipped underneath them, it's hard to see them losing the division. Maybe if Sanchez AND Verlander were out the rest of the way, which they're probably not, but ... nah.
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You've noticed that the Royals are configured the way the M's are ... with a 114 ERA+ and a 90 OPS+. However, the Royals are only +26 in run differential, compared to the Mariners' +84. That's a legion of boom's worth of difference, in NFC West terms.
Go up and down the roster and check it out ... in essence, the Royals are what the Mariners would be, if the Mariners lost Felix Hernandez and Robinson Cano. Or the Mariners are the Royals, plus Felix and Cano. Which sounds better?
BABVA,
Dr D