OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: New season of plundering begins

[Factorial]

Complete game. Good job Mitch.

Angels are bad but it's always nice to see a complete game pitched.

Game also was under 2 hours.

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

Keller threw a CG on May 8, 2023, and now a CG on May 6, 2024.

Next year, a complete game on May 4, 2025.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Big statement game from Keller. I would like to see some more whiffs out of him, but the fastball velo ticking back up is a good sign.

Now the pressure is on for the Angels as they have basically been losing as much or more as us. I don't know if there's a world where you can bank on a sweep, but we badly need some big momentum. We'll see if Priester can be effective and the offense can actually get going. At the very least we'll have a solid matchup on Wednesday with Perez going.

My general feeling is similar to what I think most people's is, which is that there's absolutely no reason for much optimism. However, I still don't really think the Brewers or Cubs (or Reds) are juggernauts. If we get our heads out of our asses and don't just keep shitting away games, we can hang around for a while longer. The most optimism I can squeak out is that we can remain relevant enough not to sell (though I'm not sure who we'd sell) and maybe make a small acquisition on offense.

I'd still really like to see Gonzales get the call, but with the series starting and Indy being off today, I guess it's not happening. Maybe there's a chance he'd come up tomorrow, before Indy's series gets going, but usually the way these promotions work is that they break the news Sunday, though it's not like it's his MLB debut. Dunno, I had a lot of patience with Triolo due to the defense and contact, but it's time to see what Gonzo can do with another opportunity.

 

[BusinessGoose]

I think the thing that sucks, is, that outside of one inning where we had five hits and got the grand slam... We did jackshit at the plate.

Gotta string hits together more

I'm hoping we sweep. I dont hold much hope for the division or playoffs, but i just want a winning (eh .500 works) record. That is my expectation this year.

 

[Fogel]

Bart has lost his helium, might as well have him up and give Davis some time to find his confidence again in AAA.

Interesting comment from JJ Cooper at BA on a recent story he looked into:


Now the caveat to this is the recent trend of maxing out velo and spin has not been that long so there isn't a lot of history to parse for this most recent generation of pitchers. Maybe we shouldn't be treating them with kid gloves?

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Bart has lost his helium, might as well have him up and give Davis some time to find his confidence again in AAA.

Interesting comment from JJ Cooper at BA on a recent story he looked into:


Now the caveat to this is the recent trend of maxing out velo and spin has not been that long so there isn't a lot of history to parse for this most recent generation of pitchers. Maybe we shouldn't be treating them with kid gloves?

The problem with this type of analysis is that you cant rerun the same sample without the kids gloves. Theres no doubt that pitchers are getting hurt more even while trying to prevent it but if they were not being handled this way it might be even worse.

Someone did a look at the factors that correlate to pitcher injuries recently to boil it down spin rate, IP and velo (specifically breaking ball) were the biggest risk factors

 

[DJ Spinoza]

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/jason-mackey/2024/05/07/pirates-paul-skenes-mlb-debut-prediction-prospect/stories/202405060088

Mackey basically stakes his claim that Skenes will debut on Saturday.

 

[TimmyD]

Mackey also staked his claim all offseason that the Pirates would swing a trade for starting pitching help and it never happened. I’ll believe it when I see it. Until then I’ll expect it to be in late June or after the All-Star break.

 

[MrBrightside]

Waiting to announce it makes no sense. You want the excitement and ticket sales. It’s counterproductive to sit on it.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Waiting to announce it makes no sense. You want the excitement and ticket sales. It’s counterproductive to sit on it.

They could announce Skenes starting on Friday and I bet Saturday would still get a huge influx of ticket purchases. Unless they literally don't announce it until Saturday, I don't think that's a major concern.

That's why I've been all "let's wait and see" with it. No need to get worked up over scenarios that haven't happened.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Therr be squalls, mateys.... Firrst pitch at 7pm now, arrrr

 

[sovietsanta87]

I think we should try to swing a trade for Jared Walsh. Not sure how open the angels would be to trade him but their season is over without trout and they have one of the worst farm systems in baseball. Walsh is playing left field this year but also has experience playing first base

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

I think we should try to swing a trade for Jared Walsh. Not sure how open the angels would be to trade him but their season is over without trout and they have one of the worst farm systems in baseball. Walsh is playing left field this year but also has experience playing first base

Walsh has been dfa’d twice this year and i believe is a ranger right now

 

[BusinessGoose]

Priester strugglliiiiiing ugly all of the sudden

 

[Empoleon8771]

This game is showing why I think Priester wasn't nearly as good as what his ERA showed. He was getting hit pretty well and wasn't striking out a lot of guys, the results just didn't align with the batted ball data. He's going to have more middling games like this.

At the same time though, giving up 3 runs in 5 innings isn't terrible if he can finish out the 5th inning. I think his upside may ultimately just be a Falter type of guy, a fringe starter/bullpen guy that can either look competent or terrible in a depth spot in a rotation.

 

[BusinessGoose]

This game is showing why I think Priester wasn't nearly as good as what his ERA showed. He was getting hit pretty well and wasn't striking out a lot of guys, the results just didn't align with the batted ball data. He's going to have more middling games like this.

At the same time though, giving up 3 runs in 5 innings isn't terrible if he can finish out the 5th inning. I think his upside may ultimately just be a Falter type of guy, a fringe starter/bullpen guy that can either look competent or terrible in a depth spot in a rotation.

*spoiler alert*

It did not improve

The pitching behind him didn't execute

And the team couldn't hit the ground if they tripped at the plate

 

[sovietsanta87]

Walsh has been dfa’d twice this year and i believe is a ranger right now

I need sleep. I meant Taylor Ward lmao

 

[ChaosAgent]

0 runs, again.

The pitching will falter at times. You have to be able to score 6-10 runs.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I picked a good one to completely miss. Gotta clutch up and win the series tomorrow, but Soriano may be the most talented pitcher we're facing, and the influx of offense the other day looks more like nice timing for someone to run into one.

Still, I think you can take a step back and look around and see tons of teams hovering right where we are in the standings and also having pretty poor offensive performances. It's cliche but the season moves forwards and not backwards. Have to take care of business against a weak team with Perez on the mound and then regroup for crucial division games. I'm not looking forward to writing up this last stretch for my little summaries tomorrow although I am not sure anything needs commentary.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Tellez is just unbelievably brutal to watch. He is doing nothing at all that indicates he'll improve.

It's infuriating that the Dodgers basically gave away Michael Busch, who is pre-arb with tons of control remaining, to the Cubs while we try for a bottom barrel stopgap signing.

 

[sovietsanta87]

My kingdom for some sense of urgency.

 

[metalan2]

Lol not one base runner in the final 4 innings vs one of the worst in baseball. I know we are also one of the worst teams in baseball, but still.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Honestly pathetic.

Tellez is here because of Ben "vibes, culture, stoked" Cherington.
Alika Williams is now back to auto-out, a poor man's Newman.
Triolo has proved me wrong, in a bad way. Just brutal.

You can't score in 1 inning a game. Offensively they are trash.

Good game Cruz though.

 

[MrBrightside]

Going 3-6 in a 9-game stretch against 3 of the worst teams in MLB certainly suggests that the Pirates are also one of the worst teams in MLB.

 

[WickedWrister]

Rowdy Tellez is so useless... seriously what do you have to lose calling up Lamb/Gonzales at this point?