Darvish next game9/24/2023 ![]() ![]() A throwing error (one of two by the team in the game) by reliever Tony Watson gave the Astros an insurance run in the fifth, Puig’s boldness backfired when he was thrown out in the fourth trying to stretch a single into a double while trailing by three runs, and the lineup collectively went 0-for-7 (including some uncharacteristically undisciplined swings) with runners in scoring position. 340/.386/.547 slash line this postseason, generating the highest average exit velocity (93.6) of any player with at least five balls put in play.Īlthough Gurriel, Peacock, and Darvish put the Dodgers in a deep hole in Game 3, they could have done more to escape it. If Gurriel is suspended, the Astros-who could move Marwin González to first and start Cameron Maybin in the outfield-would lose a hitter who’s produced a. If Gurriel isn’t suspended, though, the decision would be difficult to defend, sending one of two reprehensible signals: either that slurs against some groups are more acceptable than others, or that racism is only intolerable when a team’s season isn’t on the line. In his latest opportunity, though, the transition from a starter who threw 61 percent breaking balls to a reliever who threw 89 percent fastballs seemed to faze L.A.Ĭommissioner Rob Manfred plans to speak with Yuli Gurriel tomorrow.- Ken Rosenthal October 28, 2017 Starting in the latter stages of the ALCS, Hinch-driven to desperation by his regular relievers’ struggles-has used Peacock in short, high-leverage situations for the first time in months, and prior to Friday, Peacock hadn’t been dominant: His first two October relief outings, in ALCS Games 5 and 6, both yielded solo homers, and in World Series Game 1 he faced only two hitters, allowing a walk and a deep fly ball. with three hitless innings marred by only one walk.Īlthough Peacock spent the last four-plus months of the season (and the ALDS) almost exclusively in the starting rotation, he has experience with this type of appearance in late July, he picked up a win with a four-inning outing in relief of Dallas Keuchel, although in that game he gave way to more habitual late-inning arms Chris Devenski and Ken Giles. ![]() In this case, the pitcher who entered in the sixth for a three-plus-inning save-his first career save of any length, as was McCullers’ in Game 7-was Brad Peacock, who allowed two inherited runners to score on a Yasiel Puig groundout and a wild pitch, but finished off L.A. Hinch got through the game using only two pitchers who spent most of the season as starters. But just as he had in Game 7, Astros manager A.J. The Dodgers didn’t chase as often as the Yankees had, drawing four walks (three of them to consecutively to start the third inning) and making McCullers throw 87 pitches to get through 5 1/3. Under different scheduling circumstances, he might have exited even earlier.ĭarvish’s Astros counterpart, Lance McCullers, was neither quite as curveball-reliant nor nearly as in command as he was in Game 7 of the ALCS. ![]() And aside from issuing one walk, Darvish wasn’t doing anything but allowing batted balls: For the first time in his career, the righty didn’t notch a single strikeout and failed to finish the second inning. In only 14 of those games did a pitcher allow a higher average exit velocity than Darvish’s 97.2. Here’s one way to express how hard Houston hit Darvish: Including the playoffs, there have been 4,977 pitcher appearances this season that included at least 10 batted balls tracked by Statcast. Of the 10 batted balls off of Darvish that Statcast clocked (one wasn’t tracked), seven left the bat faster than 99 mph. And when Houston’s hitters made contact, the exit velocities routinely touched triple digits. The Astros, who led the majors in contact rate during the regular season, swung and missed only once against Darvish, who had never before failed to induce more than one whiff in an outing. Pit a pitcher without a working breaking ball (or his usual fastball command) against the best offense in baseball and fireworks will follow. Although he kept trying to find it, throwing it 14 times in 49 pitches, the pitch consistently sailed out of the strike zone or stayed up and over the plate. None of that mattered on Friday, because Darvish didn’t have his slider. ![]() Heading into Game 3, Yu Darvish had been a different man with the Dodgers than he had with the Rangers prior to the trade deadline: mechanical tweaks, a lower release point, altered pitch locations, and increased cutter usage had helped him record an ERA nearly a run lower in 11 starts for L.A., accompanied by improved peripherals. Some games are easy to analyze: a starter doesn’t have his stuff, and a powerful lineup doesn’t miss his mistakes. ![]()
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