Game 61, Mariners at Tigers
Chris Flexen vs. Casey Mize, 4:10pm
Casey Mize put together the best start of his young career back in Seattle last month. It’s the longest outing of his career at 7 2/3 IP, and that was due to the fact that he was ruthlessly efficient, and faced 27 batters to get those 7 2/3 IP. That meant he didn’t have to face anyone a fourth time. He gave up just 3 hits and one run on a solo HR. It wasn’t his first great start of the year – he went 7 shutout in April – but he’s been quite good since. If you need confidence, sometimes facing the Mariners is just the ticket.
Mize went through a rough spell in April, immediately after that sterling start against Houston. But as we saw, he got over it, and has been pitching quite well since. Has anything changed? Ehh, a tiny bit, sure: he’s stopped throwing his splitter as much, and he’s replaced it with sinkers. As I mentioned last time, he’s got a version of Marco Gonzales’ approach (or at least, Gonzales’ approach a few years ago) of throwing four pitches about equally: a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a slider, and his split-change. At the beginning of the year, four-seam and sliders were just about equal, followed by the splitter and then the sinker a step or two behind, and a curve rarer still. Now, the four-seam, sinker, and slider are all about equally likely, with the splitter and curve somewhat equal, but clearly behind the top three.
Is that enough to “explain” anything? No, I don’t really think so. What’s happened is that his BABIP has fallen through the floor: batters are hitting under .200 on just about every pitch he throws over the last month plus. He’s not the strikeout machine that I think people thought he could develop into when he was picked #1 overall, and thus his FIP is not all that impressive. But like Justin Dunn (whose FIP is nearly identical to Mize’s), you just ignore that and ignore the regression fears and hope he keeps doing what he’s doing. Or, er, if you’re an M’s fan, you say “Sure, getting everyone to hit into outs is easy enough in Seattle, but let’s see you do it in the more spacious Comerica outfield!”
1: Crawford, SS
2: Haniger, DH
3: Seager, 3B
4: France, 1B
5: Fraley, LF
6: Trammell, CF
7: Long, 2B
8: Dillon Thomas, RF (MLB debut)
9: Godoy, C
SP: Flexen
Cal Raleigh nearly hit one over Cheney’s gigantic CF wall yesterday for the second time in a week, belting a long double about halfway up it to extend his hitting streak to 18. He’s knocking on the door pretty loudly at this point, which Jerry Dipoto acknowledged in a Q and A with reporters the other day. Tacoma beat Salt Lake 7-3 thanks to dingers from Jose Marmolejos and Jack Reinheimer. David Huff was great in 6 IP, giving up 1 R on 4 H. The R’s are off today, but host Sacramento beginning on Thursday.
Arkansas dropped an 8-6 contest to Springfield, as the Cards got 2 in the bottom of the 8th to win it. Cards prospect Nolan Gorman homered. Travs catcher Brian O’Keefe hit two bombs, giving him 7 on the year, and a .333/.404/.591 line. O’Keefe was once in the St. Louis system, and played for Springfield in parts of two seasons. Adam Hill starts for the Travs tonight.
Everett beat Eugene 8-6 in a somewhat ugly game that featured *22* walks, 11 by each team. Juan Then got the win despite a mediocre line of 5 IP, 3R, 4BB, 4K. C Carter Bins homered as part of a 2-2 with 3 BB game. He, too, has a gaudy season line of .300/.423/.588. Matt Brash takes the mound for the AquaSox in tonight’s contest.
Fresno dominated Modesto 9-1 behind Breiling Eusebio’s 6 IP, 2 H, 0R, 0BB, 7K gem. Victor Labrada had a single and a walk. No word on the Nuts’ starter tonight.
This might have been the funnest game yet!
Yay! We just beat a (checks notes) 25-26 team for the first time in 5 tries!
Nice to see a crappy bullpen that isn’t yours for sure, though.
Huh, Jake Bauers. I don’t hate this. I actually like it. I’d have liked to see it a move like this months ago, but if not then, now is fine.
Ugh! It’s hard enough watching these games without the terrible umpiring behind the plate. Bring on the computers! NOW!
I don’t think I’d hate strike zones called by a robot, as long as it doesn’t turn into dead ball era mk 3…