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BULLPEN STRATEGY

Dr. D settled into the game mostly to --- > see what proactive measures the M's would take to secure a 5-3 lead.  As it turned out, their proactive measure was "Inflict a base-out RE24 matrix such that Enrique Romo will suffice to protect the lead."  Dr. D approved of this strategy.

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Here is a 46-MPH eephus pitch from Clayton Kershaw last month.  The reader is invited to decide for himself whether 65 MPH qualifies as an eephus, but what Kershaw's and Johnson's curves have in common are that your 14-year-old can throw them.

Why was Gauipe sent out and Steve Johnson retained?  I dunno.  It's an old habit of Dr. D's to wonder whether personalities play in, when you get inexplicable 25th-man decisions - a coach who flushed a player's mitt down the toilet, or somesuch.  In terms of ability to throw effective pitches, Johnson doesn't register on the SSI seismo, but the roster slot does represent an open invitation to Furbush or Diaz or K-Pax.  In the meantime, there are worse things in life than watching taunt pitches in 10-run games.

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MILB.com has a good read up on Edwin Diaz' last outing - 98 MPH, five strikeouts in two innings.

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THAT'S DEALIN', SKOAL BROTHA

Wade "Black Death" Miley gave his postgame interview in front of a prominent can of Copenhagen in his locker.  Not to profile or anything, but the can seemed more appropriate in Miley's locker than in Ichiro's.

SSI has maintained that Miley throws approximately the same pitches every time out, whereupon the batted balls either cause runs or they don't.  If Mojician cares to cross-examine here (and we're sure he doesn't) we would wheel out the 10-0 Orioles game as Exhibit A.  Miley threw exactly one (1) strikeout, but flirted with a no-hitter thanks to Seth "Death to Flying Infield Popups" Smith.  The Orioles had their share of hard-hit balls, no doubts there.

That said, Miley did keep the ball away from supergreedy Orioles sluggers, who rolled them over and popped them up.  He moved the ball in and out, changed speeds, and ... hold it.  Can we cut-and-paste this stuff for five days from now?  No, to be fair, Miley had a BTA fastball on the day - he touched 94, threw 29/40 strikes, and hit the low-away teacup many times.

The M's have won Miley's last five starts and his slash line has rubber-bounced back to 6.6/2.2/1.4.  When you can run the table like that off your #5 starter, you're unlikely to mail in your season by May 15.

Hold it.  It's already May 18.  House money, baby!  Next up:  our #1 and #2 starters ....

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MEN IN BLAZERS "THE WEEKEND TINGLES" Dept.

Slap me silly, at the quarter pole the M's are holding solid to a 120 ERA+ and 108 OPS+.  No American League teams were comps for this in 2015 or 2014 or 2013; flip back through the almanac and it's rare enough to find a team 120 ERA+, much less one that paired off with a good offense.  

Hmmmm... the 2012 Rays, who won 90, had a 120 ERA+ and 100 OPS+ ... ah!  the 2011 Yankee$ had a 119 ERA+ and a 106 OPS+.  They won 97 games.  Have a look-see at their roster. 

It's going to take a major swerve in the 2016 story arc for the M's to avoid 90 wins.

BABVA,

Dr D