Game 143, Rockies at Mariners
Roenis Elias vs. Yohan Flande, 6:10pm
The delightfully-named Yohan Flande is a walking embodiment of the replacement-level concept. A left-hander who’s pitched in the Phillies, Braves and Rockies orgs – and who was acquired as a minor league free agent – Flande has spent several years putting up mediocre results in several minor leagues. Without a real putaway pitch and with surprisingly suspect control, Flande seems like a great guy to stash in the upper minors to ensure someone can make a start every 5 days while your prospects shuttle up and down the ladder. For someone like that, of course, signing with the Rockies may be kind of appealing, because the nature and severity of their pitching woes means you might get to do the whole “well, he’ll be able to make a start every 5 days” thing in the big leagues. Such is the case with Flande, who got to make 10 starts for Colorado last year. He gave up comparatively few HRs, but a sub-60% strand rate meant his ERA started with a 5. The decent FIP was encouraging, but it hasn’t lasted. This year, Flande has gone the other way, stranding plenty of runners and benefiting from a low BABIP. But all the fly balls that found gloves this year are finding the seats, and thus his FIP is firmly in sub-replacement-level territory. His ERA is better, and by RA/9 WAR, he’s been a contributor thanks in large part to the soft bigotry of huge park effects.
Flande is actually a bit like Chad Bettis in that he has a very sinker-ish four-seam fastball. Paired with a change and slider that both get ground balls, and Flande is actually an elite GB% guy. As his GO/AO ratio shot up upon his arrival in the Colorado org, you have to figure this was a conscious decision, or the product of a slight tweak. Whatever it is, it’s been successful at getting grounders, but it hasn’t exactly solved the larger problems. Namely, that Flande is a lefty with a 90mph fastball and spotty command. If everything goes right, he’s capable of getting a grounder. If he misses, the ball goes a long, long way. Worse, his change-up is actually more effective against lefties than righties. For whatever reason, righties seem to see his fastball well and have a high HR/FB ratio on everything he throws. Thus, Flande has huge platoon splits and it’s not clear how he’s going to fix them. This is a game where Trumbo/Cruz et al need to make Flande pay.
1: Marte, SS
2: Seager, 3B
3: Cruz, DH
4: Cano, 2B
5: Gutierrez, LF
6: Trumbo, LF
7: Montero, 1B
8: O’Malley, CF
9: Hicks, C
SP: Elias
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Gutierrez is back! All is right in the world…
I like how O’Malley DIVES rather than slides. I am almost positive that you slow down when you slide
Monty!!
Little League triple! Excuse me Little League home run! ( Note no slide)
Nice suicide squeeze!
Speaking of diving…
Cholesterol Awareness Night? At a ballpark famous for its garlic fries?
F______G Franklin. I heard he was leading the lead in slugging.
Guti!!
Yeah isn’t it amazing? He’s being platooned… but still!
Where was this team in May?/??