A Shiny Penny Earned For Your Thoughts: Royals-Sox Gamer I

Quick, name the pitcher: 3.68 ERA, 71 innings, 55 strikeouts, 17 walks since May 1 -- and perhaps most importantly a fastball averaging 95 mph over the past month. Not bad for the Sox' fifth starter.

Tonight, Brad Penny looks to deliver against the Royals, whom the Sox somehow haven't faced yet this season. Luke Hochevar is on the bump for KC. Comment away!

Comments

[Atheose]

PAPI! 3-0 Sox.

[Atheose]

Oh wow, homer #300 for Ortiz.

[Lar]

Well, that was quick. Do you guys get Grienke?

[Lar]

who is also not pitching as insanely as he was earlier in the season anyhow.

[Atheose]

Nope! A 4 game series with the Royals and we miss Grienke entirely. Me gusta.

[Atheose]

Varitek throws a ball into center field, now only 4-2.

[Atheose]

Manny in. Not a fantastic start by Penny, but solid enough.

[Atheose]

Oh hey it's one of those "bullpen blows the game" games. Awesome.

7-5, Royals.

[AndrewYF]

A little known fact, but the Yankees bullpen has been better than Boston's since around the middle of May.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Andrew, I actually was thinking that earlier today.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Jesus. We can't lose to the fucking Royals.

[Atheose]

I walk away and come back, and we've given up more runs. 5 runs in 2.2 innings from our bullpen, though Bard comes in and closes the door on the 8th real quick.

[Lar]

Wow, didn't think the KC could score so many runs. Tied league. This is.. "exciting"..

[Lar]

(You have to keep in mind that we haven't been in the playoffs for a year and wasn't even close last year for most of the year!)

[Brad]

Last night was Tito's fault.

Going with MDC and Masterson, and then Ramirez forever was a bad move. With guys on, he should have used Bard (someone who can actually blow guys away) instead of Masterson.
I have NO FUCKING IDEA why he's not going with Bard when he should be - why use those guys in the bullpen at the most important times, who are about 20% as talented as Bard is?
Being tied doesn't bother me at all - nobody is going to run away with anything in this division, so I fully expect there to be swaps from here on out - especially with Boston at home a larger percentage of the time and NY (FINALLY) going to the west coast after Boston has been twice already.
NY's bullpen has been fantastic, or more specifically, Aceves has been fantastic. He has been their go to guy a lot, and Hughes has provided some talent out there as well. Funny how that worked out with Joba in the rotation and Hughes in the bullpen. Goes to show - you never know.

[IronHorse]

In the bullpen Hughes has actually been extraordinary. In 17 IP over 12 games he has given up 7 total hits and 2 earned runs. As a reliever his ERA is 1.06, his WHIP is 0.588, and he is holding opponents to a BA of .109 and OBP of .156.

This is a relatively small sample size, but the fact is that the 23-year-old is a major contributor to the team's recent success, he is staying in the majors learning how to pitch there from the veterans around him and gaining confidence every time he has another strong outing rather than bouncing up and down between Scranton and the Bronx. It's both satisfying to see and rather vindicating of him and the Yanks in light of some of the snarky commentary that followed him to the bullpen (re: him being relegated to "mop-up" duty and the such).

[dc]

"...Funny how that worked out with Joba in the rotation and Hughes in the bullpen. Goes to show - you never know...."

amen brad...much like paps and mo starting out their careers as starters...whooda thunk it?

"...It's both satisfying to see and rather vindicating of him and the Yanks in light of some of the snarky commentary that followed him to the bullpen (re: him being relegated to "mop-up" duty and the such)...."

couldn't agree more ih...he's still exposed to some snarky commentary despite the success, given that his role as a reliever is not as hype-worthy as a stud starter...i'll happily take what we're getting right now...

[dw (sf)]

I can't believe they lost to the Royals. that was just inept. although Bard is looking more and more like the future closer.

[IronHorse]

Not that I want to make SFs feel all that much better about anything, but it's not like you lost a home series to the Washington Nationals, dw...

[dw (sf)]

I know IH, but that was a long time (in baseball years) ago! this is now! and the Empire has ties the Nation! ACCCKKKK. gurggle choke.....

although Pedroia's getting hot again, and Ortiz is not to be pitched to anymore.

[Atheose]

Brad, Masterson came in to face the #9 hitter. I think Tito was saving Bard to face the top of the Royals lineup during the next inning. Obviously it didn't work, and Masterson gave up a single and a homer, but Tito's move was certainly logical.

[Brad]

think Tito was saving Bard to face the top of the Royals lineup during the next inning

Then why didn't he bring him in after Masterson and MDC, once again, were rocked?

Seriously, neither of them can hold Bard's cup, but both get the spots ahead of him. It's getting freaking redonkulous.

[Brad]

Not to mention Ramirez has looked horrible for nearly a month now..

[dw (sf)]

yeah Ram Ram was looking unhittable, but that has all fallen apart. I don't understand leaving him in for 40 pitches yesterday. Eck couldn't either. On another note - love Eck in the booth.

[IronHorse]

Could an SF (or anyone who watches them) comment on Papelbon? I've seen - including on this site - commentary that he is not as "sharp" as in previous years though he seems to me to be converting saves at the same high rate he generally has. Why are some people knocking him? Is his velocity down or control off or is this just a case of some fans over-reacting to a few games where he happens to get nicked. I'd love to hear that there are concerns of a sustained drop-off but I'm not holding my breath...

[Brad]

IH - Papelbon's velocity is fine - it's that he's relying too much on his fastball, and hitters are sitting on it because he's not throwing his off speed stuff for strikes. So, he's allowing (or it appears to me) many more baserunners than in the past. Guys are just sitting red, and getting it, so either they're hitting him or not catching it.
This is especially bad when Kotteras is catching him.
Other than that, he looks fine (not as good as Bard), and is getting the job done, but not without some unneeded excitement.

[Brad]

I agree, dw. Eck pointed out that maybe Tito was leaving him in because he isn't going to go with him again before the break to give him a needed rest.
Whatever the reasoning, it was stupid to leave him in there to give up the run - especially after Bard just make them look silly with his stuff. He hit 99 on pitch one, then dropped a 79mph curve for a strike. Tell me one other player in the pen that has that kind of stuff and looks so effortless doing it?
Yeah, he's going to hit his bumps as all young pitchers do, but for now, he's so much better than any other options out there when you need a strikeout or 12 (he's struck out something like 14 of the last 16 guys to face him or something silly like that.