Arizona Diamondbacks (10-9, L 1, 3.5 GB, 3rd)
You Should Know: The 23 year old lefty Patrick Corbin is off to a hot start at 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA. He is getting 6.61 K/9 and walking 3.32 per 9 innings. Hitters may be a little unlucky against him so far, posting a BABIP of .226, down from 3.17 last year and 3.49 the year before. But the number that jumped out at me was his 91.8% of runners left on base. Without having actually watched him pitch much, these numbers suggest he has either figured out how to navigate traffic on the bases by striking guys out or getting weak contact on his impressive off speed stuff, or he is getting very lucky.
Fangraphs shows that he is throwing more sliders, 22.2% up from 16.4% the season before, and has gone more to the 2-seam fastball rather than the straighter 4-seam version. He threw 30.0% 4-seam fastballs last year. That number is down to 19.9% while his two-seam fastball has jumped from 38.9% to 50.5%. In other words, Corbin is relying on movement a lot more this year, and so far it seems to be paying off. He shut down his childhood heroes, the New York Yankees, in his last start. I found this especially interesting after reading Jay Tymkovich's (excellent) piece on how pitchers are approaching Wilin Rosario by doing everything they can not to throw the straight fastball. It will be interesting to see these forces meet, assuming scheduling works out, when the Rockies visit Arizona for a 4 game series starting Thursday.
Last Week: 2-5, 2 road wins. The Diamondbacks had a tough week dropping 2 and then salvaging 1 @ the Yankees. Wash, rinse, repeat @ Coors field against the Rockies (thanks to an unlucky Wilton Lopez blown save in game 3!!!!) then they dropped the first game @ the Giants yesterday in way too obvious a fashion, on a Brandon Belt walk-off.
This Week: 2 more @ the Giants then the Diamondbacks return home for a 4 game set against the Rockies in which they will be looking for revenge. Man, it would have been nice to get that sweep.
News: Martin Prado is versatile. Anyone who plays fantasy baseball, or has been paying general attention to the MLB these last few years, knows this. I've always been a fan, but when I heard he was the main piece being returned to the Diamondbacks in exchange for the phenom Justin Upton, I was a bit surprised. For now, he is posting an underwhelming .241/.289/.386 slash line which is good for a 79 wRC+. He made a few fantastic defensive plays in the series against the Rockies, but his biggest value to his team this year has been in giving his manager the flexibility to get guys like Eric Chavez, Eric Hinske, and any other Eric they may have on the bench.
Prado played 4 positions in two-games last week, making him an NL manager's dream player, a double-switch waiting to happen. He is essentially the bizzaro Eric Young Jr. at this point.
Date | Transaction |
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04/02/13 | Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent C Humberto Cota. |
04/03/13 | LF Cody Ross assigned to Visalia Rawhide from Arizona Diamondbacks. |
04/04/13 | CF Ender Inciarte returned to Arizona Diamondbacks from Philadelphia Phillies. |
04/06/13 | Arizona Diamondbacks claimed Will Harris off waivers from Oakland Athletics. |
Arizona Diamondbacks optioned Will Harris to Reno Aces. | |
04/09/13 | Arizona Diamondbacks sent SS Didi Gregorius on a rehab assignment to Reno Aces. |
04/12/13 | LF Cody Ross assigned to Reno Aces from Arizona Diamondbacks. |
04/13/13 | Arizona Diamondbacks placed LF Jason Kubel on the 15-day disabled list. Strained left quadriceps. |
04/12/13 | Cody Ross roster status changed by Reno Aces. |
Cody Ross roster status changed by Reno Aces. | |
04/13/13 | Arizona Diamondbacks activated LF Cody Ross from the 15-day disabled list. |
04/16/13 | Arizona Diamondbacks placed 2B Aaron Hill on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 15, 2013. Broken left hand. |
Arizona Diamondbacks activated SS Didi Gregorius from the 15-day disabled list. |
Los Angeles Dodgers (8-10, W 1, 5.0 GB, 4th)
You Should Know: Stop me if you've heard this one before, the Dodgers are struggling to meet expectations. It's still very early, but I must admit I was worried that the bru-ha-ha between them and the Padres would light a fire under the Dodgers and they would come together as a team to wreak havoc (not EYJr) on the rest of the league. Since then they are 2-7, having played the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Orioles. It took a big comeback win, after being down 7-4 in the final game against the Orioles to snap their 6 game losing streak. They have certainly been dealing with their fair share of injuries to the pitching staff with Chad Billingsley now joining Zack Greinke, Chris Capuano, and Ted Lilly on the DL.
The streak-snapping win also came with a lineup adjustment from manager Don Mattingly who switched Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp (Gonzalez now batting 3rd, Kemp 4th) and says that they may keep experimenting with the idea at least until the return of the injured Hanley Ramirez.
Last Week: 1-4, 1 road win. Swept by the Padres, salvaged game 3 against the Orioles.
This Week: 3 games @ the Mets, 3 games at home vs. the Brewers, then they begin a 3 game series at home vs. your Colorado Rockies.
News: As previously mentioned Don Mattingly has announced that he is open to experimenting with his lineup. It remains to be seen how exactly this will manifest itself, but this article on mlb.com suggests that he is open to moving guys around based on pitching match-ups, health, or even current production of his hitters. This could be a little thing, or it could be a radical redefinition of how to do things in a sport where tradition has often been king. The king in this case is the idea of consistency. The Rockies keep Carlos Gonzalez in left-field because, they argue, it keeps things simple from game to game and he can focus on doing that job the best he can.
I like the idea of being more open to lineup experimentation. Purple Row's Kevin V. Minor wrote an incredibly intriguing piece on what the numbers say in contrast to conventional wisdom about how the Rockies lineup should be constructed. But, it could be argued, switching guys around in the lineup regularly could mess with their focus and consistency, especially because the job description for different parts of the lineup often vary wildly. In general, I tend to be of the opinion that the less your guys have to think, the better. Keep it simple. On the other hand, the best lineup for each situation on each day makes sense. It will be interesting to see what Mattingly really does here, and if it will work out.
4/21/2013 | Los Angeles Dodgers placed RHP Chad Billingsley on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 16, 2013. Right elbow pain. |
Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent RHP Anthony Ortega. | |
Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Stephen Fife from Albuquerque Isotopes. | |
4/17/2013 | Los Angeles Dodgers placed LHP Chris Capuano on the 15-day disabled list. Left calf strain. |
Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Tim Federowicz from Albuquerque Isotopes. | |
4/15/2013 | Los Angeles Dodgers placed RHP Shawn Tolleson on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 13, 2013. Lower back strain. |
Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Josh Wall from Albuquerque Isotopes. | |
4/12/2013 | Shawn Tolleson roster status changed by Los Angeles Dodgers. |
Los Angeles Dodgers placed RHP Zack Greinke on the 15-day disabled list. Fractured Left Collarbone | |
Los Angeles Dodgers recalled RHP Shawn Tolleson from Albuquerque Isotopes. | |
4/10/2013 | Los Angeles Dodgers activated RHP Chad Billingsley from the 15-day disabled list. |
Los Angeles Dodgers optioned C Tim Federowicz to Albuquerque Isotopes. | |
Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent 3B Sean Burroughs. | |
4/6/2013 | Los Angeles Dodgers traded Aaron Harang to Colorado Rockies for C Ramon Hernandez. |
4/5/2013 | LHP Ted Lilly assigned to Rancho Cucamonga Quakes from Los Angeles Dodgers. |
4/4/2013 | RHP Chad Billingsley assigned to Rancho Cucamonga Quakes from Los Angeles Dodgers. |
4/3/2013 | Los Angeles Dodgers released RHP Kevin Gregg. |
San Diego Padres (5-14, L 4, 8.5, Last)
You Should Know: Well, at least they can beat the Dodgers. Other than that the Padres would probably like to start playing some teams outside the NL West. The Fathers managed to create some momentum and hope by sweeping the Dodgers and telling themselves that maybe the Rockies just had their number early. Then came what Cory Brock of MLB.com called a "lost weekend at AT&T Park." Sound familiar? Yes, those bleeping Giants, specifically the starters Bumgarner, Lincecum, and Zito, held the Padres to 2 earned runs in 19 2/3 innings pitched. That's called domination.
Last Week: 2-4, 2 road wins. Finished off a sweep @ the Dodgers, then were swept @ the Giants, returned home to drop the first of a 3 game set against the Brewers.
This Week: 2 more vs. the Brewers, then they get the Giants again (yay!) this time at home for 3 games, then on the road for a 4 game set against the Cubs.
News: Chase Headley now has 5 games and 21 plate appearances under his belt in the 2013 season. He hasn't made a major impact yet, posting the small-sample-size slash line of .222/.286/.389. He has already hit his first (and only) home run of the season, a feat just accomplished yesterday by Buster Posey for some perspective. Headley's return can only mean good things for the Padres lackluster offense, and with him not taking the rest of his ABs this season against Giants pitching, I'd expect to see his numbers rise.
4/20/2013 | San Diego Padres placed RHP Tyson Ross on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 18, 2013. Left shoulder subluxation. |
San Diego Padres recalled Thad Weber from Tucson Padres. | |
4/17/2013 | San Diego Padres activated 3B Chase Headley from the 15-day disabled list. |
San Diego Padres placed CF Cameron Maybin on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 16, 2013. Right wrist impingement. | |
4/16/2013 | Chicago Cubs claimed 3B Cody Ransom off waivers from San Diego Padres. |
4/14/2013 | LF Carlos Quentin roster status changed by San Diego Padres. |
San Diego Padres optioned RHP Thad Weber to Tucson Padres. | |
San Diego Padres recalled Kyle Blanks from Tucson Padres. | |
4/12/2013 | 3B Chase Headley assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from San Diego Padres. |
San Diego Padres designated 3B Cody Ransom for assignment. | |
San Diego Padres selected the contract of Thad Weber from Tucson Padres. | |
4/8/2013 | San Diego Padres signed free agent 1B Brandon Allen. |
San Francisco Giants (13-7, W 4, 1.0 GB, 2nd)
You Should Know: The Giants pitching staff is absolutely dominating the league...in sacrifice bunts? Yup, you heard it right, these guys aren't just frustrating to get wins against (Zitooooo!!!) but they lead the league, by quite a large margin, with 13 successful sacrifice bunts. Miami and St Louis are tied for 2nd with 7 each. Barry Zito alone has 5. Rockies fans know how frustrating it can be to blow the "productive out" play, especially in close National League games where sometimes every base matters. So it is a few hundred times more frustrating to know that the Giants, who's offense often gives them barely enough to win at the last possible second, are getting this kind of production from their pitchers in the batter's box! Grrrr and fiddlesticks!
Last Week: 4-3, 0 road wins. The Giants were actually swept on the road @ the Brewers, then returned home to sweep the Padres and take the first of 3 from the Diamondbacks.
This Week: 2 more vs. the Diamondbacks, then on the road for 3 @ the Padres and 3 @ the Diamondbacks.
News: The Giants have not had the most difficult schedule thus far. Ok, maybe not breaking news, but still it should be noted that they have only played the Dodgers, Cubs, and Brewers on the road. They managed to take 2 of 3 from both the Dodgers and Cubs but neither of those teams looks in the least bit like a powerhouse at the moment. Nor do the Brewers, and the Giants couldn't get any games in that series, losing two close ones. There is a lot of talk this time of year about which teams are legit, and which are a mirage. The upcoming Rockies versus Braves series stands as a head-to-head match-up of people's expectations. If the Braves sweep the Rockies, many will say that this is proof that the Rockies are a mirage and the Braves are legit. If the opposite happens, some may begin to take the Rockies a bit more seriously, but still many, regardless of the outcome of this series, will still be waiting to see on the Rockies, while no one expects the Braves to turn into a mirage.
The same could be said for the San Francisco Giants, and they've earned that status as defending champs, but their success so far could be as misleading as anyone's. Playing only good teams at home and mediocre to bad teams on the road will not hold up all season, so I am still in wait-and-see mode on the Giants.
Transactions:
Date | Transaction |
---|---|
04/02/13 | San Francisco Giants claimed RHP Hunter Strickland off waivers from Pittsburgh Pirates. |
San Francisco Giants optioned RHP Hunter Strickland to San Jose Giants. | |
04/04/13 | San Francisco Giants sent 1B Brett Pill on a rehab assignment to Fresno Grizzlies. |
San Francisco Giants released LHP Matt Yourkin. | |
04/15/13 | San Francisco Giants activated 1B Brett Pill from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Fresno Grizzlies. |
04/17/13 | San Francisco Giants placed LHP Jeremy Affeldt on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 15, 2013. Strained right oblique. |
San Francisco Giants recalled Jean Machi from Fresno Grizzlies. |
Insert your favorite anti-Giants remarks here.