The word of the day is Pitching with good starts from every level except Rome. Also I will probably have the first monthly recap and Hot Sheet up on Sunday sometime.
Gwinnett 2, Pawtucket 0
Kris Medlen has pretty much outdone Tommy Hanson every chance he has received this season. Actually their numbers are frighteningly similar.
Hanson: 26.8IP 19H 7R 9BB 38K .67GB:FB .194AVG 1.69 ERA
Medlen: 23.2IP 15H 4R 6BB 28K .80GB:FB .188AVG 1.52 ERA
Looks like Hanson has the higher K/9, but both guys are just destroying the IL. At this point I think the Braves pretty much have to give Medlen a shot in the rotation. Let him do it until he proves he can't. Diory Hernandez just won't stop hitting either. He raised his AVG to .383 and batting average is easily the most useful stat to show if a guy is productive or not.
Montgomery 1, Mississippi 3
Venters gets through this game with mostly smoke and mirrors. He allowed 4 baserunners in the first to give up his lone run, but picking off a runner and having two thrown out in laters innings and Montgomery's complete inability to hit with RISP pretty much bailed him out after allowing 10 base runners in 5 innings.
Salem 0, Myrtle Beach 2
The GREAT Jeff Locke showed up tonight tossing a no hitter into the 7th for the second straight game but he gave up a lead off single to start the inning. He started the game with a walk and then set down the next 12 guys before walking the leadoff hitter in the 5th and then setting down the next 6. Very impressive. We might be seeing a Tommy Hanson like rise from him this season. Also, I hope Cody Johnson proves me wrong in every way. The dude could hit 50 bombs this year. I mean he probably won't but damn if he just keeps doing this he will.
Rome 1, Lexington 4
Stupid Rome ruining our chance of having the organizational sweep.
0 recs | 15 comments
0 Ks for Cody Johnson ...
I’ll sleep well tonight.
FrankyWren - May 2, 2009
Has anybody else noticed the job Benino Pruneda is doing in Rome:
8 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 13 K’s, 0.80 batting average allowed, 6 Saves.
If you put these numbers up against his numbers last year it’s easy to see that he is an impressive young pitcher. Maybe a future closer? He’s only 5’9" and 170 lbs but he has been unhittable so far this season.
KC Ryan - May 2, 2009
It is not fair for Benino to be in the Sally League. He was pretty dominant there last year, this year he just won’t be touched. Little guy comes in and slams the effin’ door.
timmy3 - May 2, 2009
Pruneda
He has been moved up to MB as of today. Kimbrel was sent down to Rome.
Jay212033 - May 2, 2009
Thats probably the right move, Kimbrel got fast tracked last season and probably shouldn’t have been
bigjoe - May 2, 2009
“batting average is easily the most useful stat to show if a guy is productive or not”
I agree
Bobby Cocks - May 2, 2009
A couple of numbers....
With 9 HR in Myrtle Beach’s first 22 games, Cody Johnson is on pace for 57 HR. I really don’t think he’ll keep this pace up, but damn would that be cool if he did. I think he hits 40+ is within reach though.
Also Jeff Locke’s numbers subtracting the one bad start:
22.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 10 BB, 25 K, 1.19 ERA, 0.84 WHIP
And his ground ball rates have just been unreal, before tonight he had a 74.5% GB% which is just unsustainably good.
Between Medlen, and Locke I wound up getting excited about no-no bids two different times tonight, both times scrabbling to get the radio feed on. I’m worried I jinxed em though. Also, Thompson wound up giving up 4 runs, but he was tossing a helluva a game until the 7th when he gave up the two home runs.
timmy3 - May 2, 2009
One other thing...
Does Kris Medlen have a really quick move to first?
He picked off the first two base runners he had allowed tonight on walks I know. And I know he’s picked off at least one other guy this year.
timmy3 - May 2, 2009
Yes he does. He picked off a guy the game I was at. I think it has something to do with him being a shortstop, using that quick arm motion.
cbwilk - May 2, 2009
I hate to jump on the Cody Johnson bandwangon so soon, but I love his increased plate discipline this year. If he keep this up, good chance he cracks the braves BA top 10 list next year or maybe even the top 5?
On another note, we have so many good young starters ready to go, I hated the fact we signed Kawakami to a 3 year deal.
BravesFan - May 2, 2009
yeah, that was the issue I had with the signing. We have so many guys that could be ready in the next couple of years, but with all the guy we just signed there may not be any room for them.
yondaime4 - May 2, 2009
I understand the point, especially when because I felt a cleanup hitter was priority numbero uno… But you just can’t have too much starting pitching. If you have an excess of quality starting pitching it’s not simply going to waste away. Too many teams need good pitching.
timmy3 - May 2, 2009
Brett DeVall
Has also been reassigned to Rome from extended ST.
Jay212033 - May 2, 2009
:applause:
Looking forward to seeing what he can do in a full season league. Is Stovall gonna start off in Danville does anyone know?
bigjoe - May 2, 2009
We probably will end up trading some of that young pitching for a power bat either this year or in the offseason. It’s gotta happen.
KC Ryan - May 2, 2009
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