The penultimate.
You’ll be forgiven if your attention is elsewhere today. Already, we’ve seen the Yankees get blown out by the Rays, the Orioles dropped their contest to the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are narrowly up on the Nationals, and if that holds it will tighten up the AL wild-card race even further. The prospect of the four-way Aplayoffpocalypse still hovers menacingly overhead at the time of writing. The Giants, with their magic number at one for the division, are also ahead of the Padres, who may be on the verge of firing their manager, even though they are currently 26 games ahead of the D-backs, who gave an extension to theirs. Expectations can be a real bitch.
Closer to home. Arizona’s meltdown last night reduces their tragic number in Tankapalooza 2021 to one. So a defeat tonight or tomorrow, or an Orioles win tomorrow, would do it. Yesterday was the 41st bullpen loss for the team, six more than in any other season, and almost three times that of the 2011 campaign (14). It also set an all-time MLB record, breaking the previous high of 40, by the 2013 Astros bullpen. However, the Nationals are nipping on our heels, with 40 relief losses this year (and a significantly higher percentage, as they have “only” lost 95). We’ll see what happens over the remaining couple of games, and whether Arizona can hang on to the record.
Torey Lovullo notes
Sunday Starter is still TBA. All options are on the current roster, but Luke Weaver is not one of them.
The Reno game cancellations due to COVID Protocols has not affected the MLB team
Zac Gallen’s start today: It’s a pretty important start for him. I know that he takes every start seriously. Each of these starting pitchers knowing it was their last one went out there and emptied their tank. Merrill Kelly was trying to arm wrestle me and go back out there for a 6th inning and throw 115 pitches. It’s just everyone of them is at right now. I think in Zac’s case he wants to build off that last quality outing.
Were there any trends leading to primary Starting Pitchers having ERA in same range: Torey does not know why this happened and he will do soul searching and try to figure it out. People will have to fight to earn their spots on the team next year.
Asked about the fact that the team ranks at or near bottom in both Fastball Velocity and Strikeouts, and whether that is a disadvantage: I’ll never disagree with the 28 guys we are going there with on a nightly basis. I feel like we’re going to go out and compete and win a game no matter the challenges we have. I’m not aware of that information you are sharing with me. Obviously it’s good useful information to some. I believe in the guys we have here and I believe in the team the front office has constructed. We’re gonna ride with what we got.
FASTBALL VELOCITY TABLES
STRIKEOUT PERCENTAGE TABLES
- 30th in team strikeout percentage
- 23rd in Starting Pitcher Strikeout percentage
- 30th in relief pitcher strikeout percentage