Scott Kazmir- LAA- Hot- Kazmir took the loss against the Yankees last night, but still pitched decently. It was a quality start, with 3 runs allowed on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4 in 6 IP. Since joining the Angels Kazmir has a 2.01 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. As in Tampa Bay, usage is an issue. In Kazmir’s 5 starts since being traded he has crossed the 110 pitch mark twice. This raises questions heading into 2010.
Mark Teixeira- NYA- Hot- Teixeira is closing the season with a flourish. So far this month he is hitting .346 with 5 homers, a .402 OBP and .704 SLG. This is not abnormal for Teixeira, so next year when he gets off to his usual wretched start, just think of what you will get later.
Rick Porcello- DET- Hot- Porcello picked up his 14th win of the season by pitching the minimum 5 innings to qualify. He only allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 3 walks while picking up a lone strikeout. Porcello won’t help you in the strikeout column, but the 20-year-old has the makings of a front line starter, with a high GB rate. The Tigers have been careful about his usage this season, only allowing him to throw 100 pitches 3 times. Porcello never crossed the 110 pitch mark. This is a good sign for potential 2010 effectiveness.
Jeremy Guthrie- BAL- Cold- Guthrie picked up his 16th loss of the season as he gave up 7 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out just 1 in 7 IP. Control problems plagued Guthrie. Despite only walking 2, he threw 47 of his 105 pitches outside the strike zone. Guthrie has not approached his success of the past two years as he has been far more hittable. His luck was not quite as good in 2009 as it has been (with a .273 BHIP) but it hasn’t been bad, so that can’t be the reason. A big part of the problem is that Guthrie is not striking batters out. With 101 Ks in 185.1 IP, there just isn’t much room for error. He is far more hittable this season, with his opponents’ average rising 40 points, from .242 to .282. Guthrie had the title of ace of Baltimore’s staff, but that really isn’t saying much.
BJ Upton- TB- Hot- Upton had his third consecutive multihit game, going 2-for-3 with a walk, 3 RBI and a steal. There may be a little regression to the mean going on. Although his .244 BHIPx is close to the major league average, a player with 44 steals last year would be expected to be higher. It still is not a good month for Upton, as even after going 6-for-11 in his last three games his average for September is only .222. Expect a rise in Upton’s production in 2010, if only because his luck will likely be better.
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