Question of the Day

I asked the question yesterday, but with the holiday, didn’t get the amount of responses I had hoped so I’ll ask it again.

If you could go back and attend any sporting event in history, what would it be? As a bonus, if you could attend any event in history, regardless of sports, what would it be?

We had a couple of good ones in the comments, but I want more from you.

Scouting Today’s Starters

Ted Lilly – Continuing his streak of success on the road, Lilly went eight-plus innings in his last start in San Francisco and didn’t allow any runs until the final frame. Lilly has allowed just four runs in his previous three road starts. Against the Giants, he was throwing three pitches — fastball, curveball, changeup — for strikes, and he allowed just seven hits while striking out five.

  • Lilly is that rare pitcher who can throw with control and power and all with his left arm. Can pitch well late into his starts and is rough on left-handed hitters.
  • In general, Lilly has very good stuff but when he gets hit, he gets hit hard, mostly because he offers too many pitches up in the zone that hitters can drive. Also has trouble with right-handed hitters.
  • Decent mid-rotation lefty.
  • 3-0, 2.93 in last 27.2 IP
  • Pitches – Fastball (49% / 87 mph), Slider (23%, 82 mph), Curveball (11% / 70 mph), Changeup (18% / 78 mph)

Kyle Lohse – Over the offseason, several teams passed up on Lohse rather than take him off the free agent market. The Cardinals took a $4.25 million chance on him during Spring Training and their investment has more than paid off. At 10-2, Lohse has already won as many games as he did last season and has the fourth-highest win total of any Major League pitcher. Four wins short of a career high, Lohse has catapulted himself into All-Star consideration and looked sharp in his recent outing against the Mets. Lohse struck out four over seven innings and allowed an unearned run in his last start.

  • Though he has low 90’s heat, it’s his curveball that does most of the damage, particularly against right-handed hitters. Knows his limitations.
  • Left-handed hitters smack him around mercilessly. Needs to work on his endurance, because he clearly gets weaker after the fifth inning.
  • A decent back-of-the-rotation starter.
  • 1-0, 4.09 in last 11 IP
  • Pitches – Fastball (60% / 91 mph), Slider (23% / 84 mph), Changeup (10% / 83 mph), Curveball (7% / 76 mph)

Scouting Info taken from MLB.com / TSN.ca / Fan Graphs

News & Notes

  • Arizona Phil mentioned that Rich Hill threw a simulated game that featured a new delivery. Apparently it went well for him. Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best. Getting him back to form would be like making a trade for a good starter. It would also up his stock if we wanted to include him in a package for a starter down the stretch. (Source)
  • Joe Borowski was designated for assignment by the Indians. Anyone want a sweaty closer that can barely hit 80 mph? Anyone? – (Source)
  • Milwaukee is apparently willing to offer Matt LaPorta and J.J. Hardy in a deal for C.C. Sabathia. I don’t want to break your spirits, but if the Brew Crew is willing to throw names like that around, we’re not going to get Sabathia and may want to turn our attention elsewhere.
  • Gian Guzman hit 2 home runs
  • Luis Bautista hit 2 home runs
  • Rebel Ridling was 3-for-4
  • Nathan Samson was 3-for-5
  • Israel Camacaro allowed 1 hit in 4 innings pitched
  • Jake Fox hit 2 doubles
  • Jeff Samardzija allowed 4 runs in 6 innings pitched
  • Micah Hoffpauir hit a home run and drove in 4 runs
  • Felix Pie was 4-for-5
  • Eric Patterson was 1-for-4 with a double

Minor League Player Tracker

Game Recaps

Tennessee 6, Carolina 0 - (Box Score) – The Tennessee Smokies (38-49, 11-6) took on the Carolina Mudcats (47-40, 9-8), from Five County Stadium in an Independence Day Night showdown Friday Night in front of 8,769. The night was owned by the Mudcats Josh Johnson who was 2-for-3 at the plate with a homerun and three runs driven home, while shutting out Tennessee through eight innings in the start in a 6-0 win.

The loss for Tennessee allowed Carolina to climb to within two games of their first place second half lead. The Smokies did not score a run for the second straight game and have gone eighteen innings without touching home.

Mudcats All-Star first baseman Gaby Sanchez gave the sellout home crowd something to cheer about in the bottom of the first as he had an opposite field homerun. The line drive over the right field wall gave Carolina a 1-0 lead.

Carolina added a second run in the third inning to push ahead 2-0. Pitcher Josh Joshson got things started with a double and would score on a single by Chris Coghlan.

Josh Johnson would revisit the plate in the fourth inning and again touch up Caridad. He crushed a 1-2 pitch over the leftfield wall for a three-run homerun. The hit was only his second of the season and Carolina took a commanding 5-0.

Esmailin Caridad pitched 5.2/3 innings in the start which resulted in his first loss of the season. Caridad allowed six runs on ten hits with three homeruns. He didn’t walk a batter and had two strikeouts.

Josh Johnson not only had a huge offensive game as a hitter, he was stellar in the start on the mound. Johnson pitched eight shutout innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. He was making a Major League Baseball rehab start and looked ready to head back to the Marlins.

Boise 4, Vancouver 0 – (Box Score) – Four Boise pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout as the Hawks blanked the Vancouver Canadians 3-0 before a sell-out crowd of 3,911 at Memorial Stadium.

Israel Camacaro fanned five batters in four one-hit innings for the Hawks, who tossed their first shutout of the season. Justin Bristow struck out four in his two innings of relief to notch his first professional win.

Boise scored an unearned run in the first and added two more in the fourth on a Rebel Ridling two-run homer, part of his 3-for-4 night. It would get tight in the ninth, as the C’s brought the tying run to the plate, but Ryan Sontag caught Dante Love’s long drive at the wall in left to send the Hawks in the win column.

Game 3 of the series is tomorrow night, with Harol Tolentino meeting Carlos Hernandez at 7:15 p.m.

Iowa 11, Oklahoma 5 – (Box Score)

Daytona 1, Brevard County 4 – (Box Score)

Peoria 9, Wisconsin 7 – (Box Score)

AZ Cubs 3, AZ Athletics 2 – (Box Score)

DSL Cubs 1, DSL Twins 2 – (Box Score)