Game 76, Athletics at Mariners
Aaron Harang vs. Dan Straily, 7:10pm
The M’s playoff chances are no better today than they were yesterday, but I can’t muster any cynicism. It’s a perfect day in the Northwest and Everett, Tacoma and Seattle are all playing at home. Stop reading this and go catch a ball game.
M’s 2nd round pick Austin Wilson’s signed and in uniform for Everett’s double header against Hillsboro. Looks like he’s not in the line up for game 1 (though 1st rounder DJ Peterson’s starting) but may play game 2. The M’s *other* Brazilian hurler, Thiago Vieira starts game 1 with Tyler Olson pitching game 2.
Tacoma kicks off a homestand tonight with James Paxton on the mound. Looks like Erasmo Ramirez is still slated to start tomorrow.
Dan Straily, the great out of nowhere story for the A’s last season, tore through the minors piling up absurd strikeout totals. His cup of coffee with the A’s was underwhelming given his MiLB numbers, but promising despite his HR/9 coming in at 2.5. A 90% strand rate helps make up for a multitude of sins, I guess. This year, the HR rate is normal, so his FIP looks ok, but an equally absurd strand rate of under 60% means he’s given up a ton of runs.
He throws a rising fastball at about 91, a slider (to righties) and a change (to lefties). The latter’s been ok, but he’s prone to hanging
it. His major problem, especially against lefties, is that MLB hitters are barreling his fastball. He may have made some adjustments, but he’s still a fly balling righty throwing 91.
A year ago, AJ Griffin followed right in Straily’s footsteps: late round pick tearing through the minors and putting in some credible work for a playoff A’s team. Griffin was also a flyball pitcher with a rising fastball and even less velocity. Straily got more K’s in the minors, while Griffin’s been better in MLB. If you’d like to work in MLB, definitively answer why Griffin’s done well, why Straily’s been up and down, and, for good measure, why Blake Beavan has been so much worse than both.
Line-up:
1: Chavez
2: Franklin
3: Seager
4: Morales (DH)
5: Ibanez
6: FRANKLIN GUTIERREZ?
7: Smoak
8: Blanco
9: Ryan
SP: Harang
You read that right, Guti’s off the 60-day DL and playing CF. See what I mean about cynicism being essentially futile today? To make room on the 40-man, the M’s DFA’d Eric Thames and placed Mike Morse on the 15-day DL retroactive to Friday.
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Is Nick Franklin single handedly saving Jack Z’s job?
Given that the team isn’t exactly setting the world on fire, I doubt one prospect who’s doing well in his first stint in the majors will make one whit of difference regarding Jack Zduriencik’s continued employment (or lack thereof).
Bonderman has a defense behind him to day. He’d better appreciate it.
Wedge actually should have had Saunders in there last night instead of Raul, with Harang pitching, but then that game-tying home wouldn’t have happened, eh?
Guti.