MLB Daily Thread: 9/18/2017: Price the long reliever, Astros clinch, Bellinger sets record

[Rock Strongo]

why is that funny slinky?

 

[Rock Strongo]

Meh.

I think it's just static. Granted, for his career, Kluber's home/road splits favor home, but he was better away last year and it was more or less identical his CY year.

I'm not worried about that split.

klubers got a 1.85 ERA at home

3.07 on the road

hes been great on the road, but other worldly at home.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

oh and @SlinkyRedfoot

technically, sales ERA over "the past 2 months" is 3.05

12 starts

9/15 back to 7/15

Fair enough. I should have said Aug/Sept. Still, that ERA compares unfavorably to Kluber's 1.92 over the same period.

The way things are going, once September is complete, that difference will be even bigger.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

why is that funny slinky?

It just felt a little grasping and I chuckled at it.

No doubt, you were right and I worded my comment poorly.

Ultimately, what we're talking about is that since July, Chris Sale has been a shell of what he was to that point.

 

[Rock Strongo]

Fair enough. I should have said Aug/Sept. Still, that ERA compares unfavorably to Kluber's 1.92 over the same period.

The way things are going, once September is complete, that difference will be even bigger.

yup. either guy winning it would be fine. sales been better all year long on the road, klubers been hot as shit for 2 months or so.

if i had to vote today myself i would vote kluber based on the last 5-7 stars or so.

 

[black francis]

so the suspension is over?

 

[black francis]

royals > indians

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Sale will dominate the fucking Reds

And win the award

 

[Rock Strongo]

Sale will dominate the fucking Reds

And win the award

could happen

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

yup. either guy winning it would be fine. sales been better all year long on the road, klubers been hot as shit for 2 months or so.

if i had to vote today myself i would vote kluber based on the last 5-7 stars or so.

What's blowing my mind is Verlander's turn around. I wouldn't be surprised if gets a bit of CY consideration.

I thought he was finally dead. First 17 starts - 98 IP, 4.96 ERA. Subsequent 14 starts - 95 IP, 1.99 ERA. That's crazy.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Yanks skipping Severinos start vs Twins
Smart move

 

[Rock Strongo]

What's blowing my mind is Verlander's turn around. I wouldn't be surprised if gets a bit of CY consideration.

I thought he was finally dead. First 17 starts - 98 IP, 4.96 ERA. Subsequent 14 starts - 95 IP, 1.99 ERA. That's crazy.

seems it takes him time now for that arm to come alive.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

yup. either guy winning it would be fine. sales been better all year long on the road, klubers been hot as shit for 2 months or so.

if i had to vote today myself i would vote kluber based on the last 5-7 stars or so.

I think with their recent performance, Kluber's put some distance between him and Sale.

The innings difference is now less than 10 IP and Kluber's ERA is more than a half-run better. A half run is pretty significant.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

seems it takes him time now for that arm to come alive.

Yeah, did the same thing (although I don't think quite as dramatic) last year.

 

[Rock Strongo]

from WEEI



Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale will finish no worse than second in the American League Cy Young race, but that doesn't mean he's finishing the season on a roll.

The award that was once Sale's to lose now looks like it has ticked into the column of former winner Corey Kluber, the Indians ace who leads the American League in wins (16) and ERA (2.44).

Sale had a chance to win No. 17 on Friday night in Tampa, but in what has become a disturbingly regular occurrence since the start of August, he didn't quite have it.

Sale allowed four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 13-6 victory. He was touched for two more home runs -- that's nine in his last nine starts -- and surrendered his share of hard contact, particularly on hung sliders and changeups. He would've taken the loss, but the Red Sox rallied with a three-run ninth to force extra innings and then won it with a seven-run 15th. For more on the game, click here.

While there had been some thought that Sale was tipping pitched against the Indians last month, the issue on Friday was execution, and Sale lacked his early-season crispness.

Since Aug. 1, he is 3-4 with a 4.25 ERA. This continues a career-long trend of Sale wearing down in the second half, prompting the natural question of how good he'll be when he makes the first postseason start of his career next month.

September remains the only month of Sale's career in which he has a losing record (10-15) and it's home to his worst ERA (3.80) by a wide margin, too. It's also worth noting that he has allowed twice as many homers in August (30) and September (34) as any other month.

So what's going on? Given Sale's frame, it's easy to wonder how much of the issue is endurance. At 6-foot-6 and 180 pounds, Sale is a string bean. By means of comparison, former Celtics forward Jae Crowder is also 6-6, and he outweighs Sale by 55 pounds.

If that's the problem, then the Red Sox could be in trouble come October. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Kluber, for example, is a chiseled specimen who's built to withstand the rigors of the postseason. It remains to be seen how Sale will handle that extra pressure, as well as the increased frequency of appearances, since starters are often asked to pitch on short rest.

On Friday, Sale blew leads of 1-0 and 2-1, in part by serving up homers to Wilson Ramos and Adeiny Hechavarria. He was yanked in the sixth after allowing a triple to Peter Bourjos.

Sale (16-8) saw his ERA climbed to 2.86, though he did boost his league-leading strikeout total to 287. With three starts left in the season, he's in excellent position to join Pedro Martinez as the only hurlers in team history to record 300 Ks, though it will take an average of nine punchouts a game to tie Martinez's 1999 mark of 313.

That's just a nice footnote, though. The real issue will be making sure Sale's right when the playoffs start, and on that front, time is growing short.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

royals > indians

At what?

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Kluber, for example, is a chiseled specimen

Am I the only one this creeped out?

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I hate my fucking avatar.

 

[black francis]

At what?

winning a world series

 

[bksballer89]

I hate my fucking avatar.

I think you look amazing