Jeremy Guthrie- BAL- Hot- Guthrie bounced back from his worst start of the year the last time out to record his best start of the year last night. He held the Astros to 1 run over 8 innings, allowing 3 hits and a walk, while striking out a season-high 8 batters. As has been the case for much of this season, however, the Orioles failed to support Guthrie offensively. He didn’t lose this time, but left the game with a no decision as the Baltimore offense only mustered a matching run while Guthrie was on the mound. In his 7 losses, the Orioles have scored a total of 10 runs, explaining a 3-7 record while Guthrie has pitched 12 quality starts in his 16 outings and owns a 3.51 ERA. His peripherals are not that great and his BHIP% is below average, but that was also the case last year when he broke out with a solid season.
C. J. Wilson- TEX- Cold- Wilson has been flirting with disaster for a while now, allowing hits in his last 6 appearances. It caught up with him again last night, as he was charged with 3 runs (1 earned) and tagged with the loss. The unearned runs were a result of his own error, so he was certainly not blameless. Wilson allowed 2 hits and a walk in the outing. Every time on the mound seems like an adventure now. The Rangers don’t have a good option to replace him at this point, but will have to look for one if Wilson doesn’t calm things down.
R. A. Dickey- SEA- Cold- It’s looking like Dickey has fallen victim to the Peter Principle. As a reliever he had given up 15 hits and 5 walks in 21 IP and owned a 1.29 ERA. With batters getting to see more of his knuckleball as a starter, he is 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA in three games covering 11-1/3 IP. The Mariners are going to send him out there again for at least one more start, but that might be his last.
Carlos Gomez- MIN- Hot- After going 1-for-14 in his previous 3 games, Gomez broke out last night with a 3-for-5 effort in which he scored 3 times and knocked in a run. Gomez has posted a BHIPx of .293, which is not that high for a player with his speed. He would be expected to be above the average due to a greater tendency to beat out ground balls and take advantage of bunting for base hits, as he did last night. Of more concern is his Batting EYE, which is only .17 for the year. It is a bit higher (.24) for June, but he walks far too seldom for a leadoff hitter, In addition, he has only stolen 1 base in his last 22 games. That is the column where Gomez should be providing value, as his average will show streakiness.
Brian Bannister- KC- Hot- For the second straight start, Bannister did not walk a batter in 7 IP. Unlike his last start, it was of the quality variety, as he gave up just 2 runs instead of 4. On the flip side, Bannister allowed 9 hits instead of 6 and struck out just 1, instead of 4. While improving on his .47 KI ratio of 2007, his .55 is still not outstanding. Bannister has allowed only 20 walks in 91-2/3 IP this season, but taken together it means that he is not missing many bats in any way. This leaves him dependent on the winds of fortune. Last year Bannister enjoyed a favorable .258 BHIP% and saw his ERA finish at 3.87. This season his BHIP% is a more average ,287 and his ERA is 4.81. This could also help explain the extremes of his performances. In his 15 starts he has allowed at least 5 earned runs 6 times and 2 or fewer earned runs 6 times. Bannister’s unpredictability makes him tough to recommend.
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