Brad Penny developed a blister in the first inning of last night's start against the Braves and limped to his worst outing of the season, allowing 6 runs, all earned in 4 IP on 9 hits, 4 walks and 5 Ks. Brad hadn't walked more than two batters in a start all year but he used that up that against Chipper and Andruw Jones in the first after the blister showed. Jeff Francoeur lead off the second with just the third HR allowed by Penny all year and the Braves got to Brad for 3 runs in the inning. This start breaks a streak of 5 starts in which Penny allowed just one run while working at least 7 innings. The Dodgers get a 4-day ASB so Brad should be healed by the time they return to action. The problem is the ASG in which Penny is scheduled to pitch. There are 4 days until then so we will have to see if the Dodgers or Penny decides to sit the game out to heal this blister.
John Maine collected a career high 9 strikeouts as he manhandled the Astros on Thursday. John allowed just 2 runs (both came after he got his last out) in 7.2 IP on 6 hits and two walks and improves to 10-4 on the year with a 2.71 ERA. Hey, personally I didn't think he had this in him. It's all good in terms of his indicators too. He is benefiting from a very low .258 BHIP%, but over his 243.1 career MLB IP his BHIP% is .250 so perhaps he's one of those guys that can reproduce better than average results in that column. He is a fly ball pitcher and as such, you have to check his HR rates. That is where you find some significant outliers. John has cut his 2007 HR rate to 0.82/9, down from 1.5 in 2006 and a 1.2 career rate. There has also been a huge drop in his HR/FB% this year. That rate sits at 7.2%, down from 12.6% last year and 11.0% overall. This is happening while his .81 GB ratio mirrors last years .81 and his .89 career rate. John is obviously benefiting from some of his fly balls staying in the park this year. That has contributed to a very high 82% strand percentage, which even improves on his abnormally high 76.4% career percentage. John isn't dancing with the Devil or anything like that, but some of these things are going to correct themselves as we go forward and keep in mind that his 109.2 IP this year is already 20% more IP than his previous career high total. All I am saying is to enjoy this. John is about as good as he is going to be in 2007 right now.
Bronson Arroyo held the Giants to 3 runs in 6.2 IP on Thursday, earning just his 3rd win of the year against 9 losses and improving his ERA to 4.84. Bronson has posted 4 QS in his last 5 outings and collects his first win since May 6th, snapping a 7-decision losing streak. There's nothing in Bronson's peripherals that suggests he is a terribly different pitcher than he was in 2006 when he went 14-11 with a 3.29 ERA. He's been a bit unlucky with baserunners, or more accurately he was luckier last year when he stranded 78%. This year he is stranding just 65.2% which is closer to his 68% career %. His ERA is about 30 points higher than his WHIP would indicate as a result. His .330 BHIP% could be considered unlucky as well when you compare it to his .298 career % and his .279 last year. His GB ratio also sits at career low (0.73). This isn't what you hoped for out of Bronson this year but there's hope for a rebound of sorts in the second half and frankly a repeat of 2006 was too much to hope for.
Mike Fontenot snapped an 0- for -16 slide in a big way on Thursday going 3- for -5 with an RBI, raising his average back up to .365. He credits last night's success to a decision to be more aggressive at the plate despite the slump. After a .397 June in which Mike was runner up in Rookie of the Month voting, and despite his hitless streak, Fontenot has still hit in 20 of 24 games. What's amazing is that he's doing this with just 4 walks in 96 ABs this year and 1.6 GB ratio, and he's not fast. His .400 BHIP% will account for that, and that rate, my friends, cannot last.
Jason Bergmann showed flashes of his pre-DL-stint self against the hot Cubs yesterday and managed to hold them to 2 runs in 5.1 IP on 6 hits without a walk while striking out 2. It was his longest outing since returning from the DL so we are going to assume he's not at 100% yet. Jason posted a 2.79 ERA in 5 April starts and a 2.70 ERA in 3 May starts before getting hurt but he is living off of a scary .244 BHIP% and an even scarier 5.6% HR/FB despite his low 0.69 GB%. I smell market correction. Still, Jason bears watching, and should be ridden, like any hot hand, if he starts to redevelop his April, and May mojo after the break. By the way. He probably won't pitch next week for the Nats.
Felipe Julio Lugo Lopez was 2- for -2 on Thursday with his 15th double. That raises his average to a limp .237. He has hit in 4- of his last -5 since being dropped to 7th, good for 5- of -20 with 2 SBs ... Naw ... I'm not impressed either ... but it is something right? ... Naw ... you are right ... it is nothing. We Lopez owners got hosed on this season.
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