Daily Notes: Guide to Weekend Programming

by
April 13, 2012

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for this weekend edition of Daily Notes.

1. A Quick Word
2. Friday, April 13th
3. Saturday, April 14th
4. Sunday, April 15th

A Quick Word
Below are brief previews for select weekend games — each including the preferred television feed of FanGraphs readers, per the results of our offseason crowdsourcing project.

Furthermore, for the benefit of those whose viewing options are limited, each day contains a preview for that day’s featured MLB.TV Free Game.

Information on probable pitchers from MLB.com.

Friday, April 13th
Chicago NL at St. Louis | 15:15 ET
Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija, owner of a 3.9 BB/9 rate in 485.1 minor-league innings and 5.3 BB/9 in 169.2 major-league innings (prior to last week), was excellent in his season debut, posting this line in 8.2 innings (box): 31 TBF, 8 K, 0 BB, 10 GB on 22 batted-balls (45.5% GB) — for a single-game 2.54 xFIP (70 xFIP-). Our Bradley Woodrum is optimistic about Samardzija for 2012, especially if he (i.e. Samardzija) continues to emphasize his mid-90s two-seamer and slider… Samardzija faces Adam Wainwright, who, despite allowing three runs, was excellent in his return from Tommy John surgery. Line (box): 5.2 IP, 6 K, 1 BB, 9 GB on 14 batted-balls (64.3% GB), 1.94 xFIP (53 xFIP-)… The Cardinals’ center-field camera angle — among the top five in the majors — provides an opportunity to see the repertoires of each pitcher… Through seven games — and as of Thursday afternoon — the Cardinals hitters lead the league with a 3.2 WAR.

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Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Chicago NL.

Houston at Miami | 19:10 ET ***MLB.TV Free Game***
The main attraction of this game is probably that it’s free and also (maybe) that it will feature the broadcast team (Houston’s) that finished fourth in our offseason broadcast crowdsourcing project… Among the many things Lucas Harrell is, one of them is (a) tonight’s starter for the Astros and also (b) a pitcher who threw 7.0 scorless innings in his season debut on April 7th (box). Harrell induced grounders on 14 of 19 batted balls (73.7%) in that start, a rate too high to represent any pitcher’s true-talent level, but likely representative of some kind of skill for Harrell, who entered the season with a ground-ball rate of ca. 53% in 42.0 career major-league innings… Ricky Nolasco pitches for Miami.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Houston.

Saturday, April 14th
Arizona at Colorado | 20:10 ET ***MLB.TV Free Game***
This game features two former and beloved Twins who left Minnesota via free agency this winter: outfielders Jason Kubel (Arizona) and Michael Cuddyer (Colorado). Here are their respective lines as of Thursday evening. Kubel: 17 PA, .200/.294/.200 (.300 BABIP), 24 wRC+. Cuddyer: 21 PA, .400/.429/.800 (.438 BABIP), 231 wRC+… In related news, constructing a compelling narrative for this game requires more talent than the present author possesses… Starting pitchers: Josh Collmenter and Jhoulys Chacin.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Arizona.

Oakland at Seattle | 21:10 ET
Despite inducing swinging strikes on only three of his 93 pitches (3.2%) and recording zero strikeouts while walking three, Oakland left-hander Tom Milone, 25, managed to hold the Kansas City Royals scoreless over 8.0 innings in his season debut on April 9th (box). His single-game xFIP was 5.30… Offseason signing, center fielder Yoenis Cespedes has been effective so far — 28 PA, .273/.429/.773 (.375 BABIP), 258 wRC+ (all as of Thursday) — but has taken an unusual route in getting there. To wit: Cespedes has recorded 11 strikeouts in just those 28 plate appearances, a rate of 39.3%… Right-hander Hector Noesi starts for Seattle.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Oakland.

San Diego at Los Angeles NL | 21:10 ET
Right-hander Joe Wieland, acquired at the trade deadline last season (along with left-hander Robbie Erlin) in the deal that sent Mike Adams to Texas, makes his major-league debut. Our Marc Hulet ranked Wieland 10th among Padres prospects in a very deep system. Here’s Wieland’s Steamer projection: 6.41 K/9, 2.57 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9, 4.02 FIP. And his ZiPS projection, too: 6.34 K/9, 2.09 BB/9, 0.86 HR/9, 3.75 FIP… As of Thursday afternoon, the Dodgers’ two outfield stars, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, had already combined for 1.0 WAR (not including defensive runs)… Left-hander Ted Lilly pitches for Los Angeles.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Los Angeles NL.

Sunday, April 15th
Tampa Bay at Boston | 13:35 ET
Uberprospect Matt Moore pitches for Tampa Bay. The left-hander’s season debut — and first start as an official member of the Tampa Bay rotation — was less dominant than expected, probably. Moore struck out only four of the 28 Tigers he faced (14.3%), while walking five and posting a single-game xFIP of 6.32 (box)… Something to monitor: the PITCHf/x data from Moore’s first start has his average fastball velocity at 92.9 mph — down from the 95.3 he averaged in his 9.1 major-league innings last season (albeit partly in relief)… Boston’s straight-on center-field camera will give viewers the first opportunity this season to see Moore’ repertoire clearly… Left-hander Felix Doubront pitches for Boston.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Boston.

Detroit at Chicago AL | 14:10 ET ***MLB.TV Free Game***
Making his first start on Monday after 79 career relief appearances, left-hander Chris Sale — this afternoon’s pitcher for the White Sox — was quite strong. Line (box): 6.2 IP, 25 TBF, 5 K, 2 BB, 10 GB on 17 batted-balls (58.8%), 3.26 xFIP. Our Jack Moore looked at how Sale handled the seven right-handed batters in Cleveland’s lineup in that game… Totally trivial information: only two pitchers since 2002 have recorded more innings than Rick Porcello through their age-22 seasons. In order: Felix Hernandez (666.1 IP), Jeremy Bonderman (535.0 IP), Porcello (515.1 IP). Despite being third on the innings list, Porcello has actually posted only the ninth-highest WAR (6.7) by that same criteria… While the quality of their defense likely might be an ongoing concern this season, Detroit’s offense does look dangerous: as of Thursday, the Tigers had posted the league’s highest wRC+ (147).

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Detroit.





 

Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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Drakos
13 years ago

Just a comment on the Padres @ Dodgers game. Vin Scully has been sick recently so the Dodgers TV feed might be the 30th ranked Dodgers Away team (I think that’s who have been filling in for him). Also, one of the main complaints about the Padres broadcast in the past was that Dick Enberg wasn’t enough of a pro-Padres announcer. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re a neutral observer. However, it does seem that he has become more pro-Padres over time.

Of course if Scully is healthy this is all worthless commentary and even this Padre fan will probably be tuning into the Dodgers broadcast.

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