Daily Notes: Sunday’s Games, Considered for Your Pleasure
Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.
1. Today’s Notable Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)
2. Today’s Notable Minor-League Games
3. Today’s Game Odds, Translated into Winning Percentages
Today’s Notable Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)
Oakland at Tampa Bay | 13:40 ET ***MLB.TV Free Game***
Tommy Milone (18.2 IP, 97 xFIP-) faces Roberto Hernandez (18.2 IP, 92 xFIP-). Regarding the latter: he’s posted a 21.2% strikeout rate and 10.6% swinging-strike rate thus far, both figures considerably better than his previously established levels. A brief inspection of his PITCHf/x data reveals that, rather than having demonstrated improvement with any one pitch, that all of Hernandez’s pitches are currently eliciting more whiffs than in 2011, for example, when he last pitched significant innings.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Tampa Bay Radio.
Kansas City at Boston | 19:10 ET
Right-handed prospect Allen Webster, acquired last season from the Dodgers in that one trade, makes his major-league debut for the Red Sox. Here’s where Webster ranked on Marc Hulet’s preseason top-100 list: 55th. And on Baseball America’s top-100 prospect list: 49th. And on Bullpen Banter’s same kind of list: 93rd. Mike Newman has seen Webster a couple of times, noting both that (a) Webster is capable of “working full innings at 94-96 mph, touching 98” but also that (b) “Webster’s stuff has fallen off a cliff” after four innings each time.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Boston Radio or Television.
Today’s Notable Minor-League Games
Click here for entire MiLB.TV schedule on just one page.
Louisville (Reds) at Indianapolis (Pirates) | 13:35 ET
Former No. 1 draft pick and right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole starts for Indianapolis. Here’s where Marc Hulet ranked Cole among all of baseball’s prospect: fifth. And here’s where Baseball America did: seventh. And Bullpen Banter: fifth. Also likely to appear in this game: the very fast Billy Hamilton.
Broadcast: MiLB.TV.
Reno (Diamondbacks) at Sacramento (Athletics) | 20:05 ET
In what is being described as a “a feast for all six senses” by the present author, right now, sitting at his desk, right-hander (and inaugural member of The Fringe Five) Chase Anderson faces Dan Straily, who is also great and will suffice. Also likely to be seen: Oakland outfield prospect Michael Choice and Arizona third-base prospect Matt Davidson.
Broadcast: MiLB.TV.
Today’s Game Odds, Translated into Winning Percentages
Note: the very proprietary and also critically acclaimed NERD game scores will become available again at the end of April/beginning of May.
Here — for purposes entirely of entertainment and not for gambling, which is a Scourge of Propriety — are all of today’s games with moneyline odds (from relatively “sharp” sportsbook Pinnacle Sports) translated into projected winning percentages (and adjusted to account for the vigorish).
Games are listed in Eastern Time, and presented as they appear at Pinnacle — which appears to be in order of (a) National League and then (b) American League and, finally, then (c) interleague play.
| Game | Teams | Starters | IP | xFIP- | —– | Line | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:10 | Washington Nationals | Jordan Zimmermann | 22.0 | 92 | | | 1.73 | 56.8% |
| ET | New York Mets | Dillon Gee | 14.0 | 137 | | | 2.27 | 43.2% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 13:10 | Miami Marlins | Alex Sanabia | 17.0 | 134 | | | 3.19 | 30.8% |
| ET | Cincinnati Reds | Homer Bailey | 19.0 | 93 | | | 1.42 | 69.2% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 13:35 | Atlanta Braves | Kris Medlen | 19.0 | 117 | | | 1.60 | 61.4% |
| ET | Pittsburgh Pirates | Jonathan Sanchez | 8.1 | 141 | | | 2.54 | 38.6% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 14:10 | Chicago Cubs | Scott Feldman | 9.0 | 169 | | | 2.21 | 44.4% |
| ET | Milwaukee Brewers | Wily Peralta | 16.0 | 101 | | | 1.76 | 55.6% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 16:05 | San Diego Padres | Eric Stults | 16.0 | 86 | | | 2.28 | 43.0% |
| ET | San Francisco Giants | Barry Zito | 16.2 | 119 | | | 1.72 | 57.0% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 16:10 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Brandon McCarthy | 15.2 | 99 | | | 2.17 | 45.2% |
| ET | Colorado Rockies | Juan Nicasio | 16.0 | 138 | | | 1.79 | 54.8% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 20:05 | St. Louis Cardinals | Jake Westbrook | 15.2 | 141 | | | 1.87 | 52.4% |
| ET | Philadelphia Phillies | Kyle Kendrick | 18.2 | 95 | | | 2.06 | 47.6% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 13:05 | New York Yankees | Ivan Nova | 9.2 | 79 | | | 2.32 | 42.3% |
| ET | Toronto Blue Jays | Josh Johnson | 14.1 | 99 | | | 1.70 | 57.7% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 13:35 | G1 Kansas City Royals | Ervin Santana | 22.0 | 93 | | | 2.36 | 41.5% |
| ET | G1 Boston Red Sox | Ryan Dempster | 17.0 | 66 | | | 1.68 | 58.5% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 13:40 | Oakland Athletics | Tommy Milone | 18.2 | 97 | | | 1.86 | 52.6% |
| ET | Tampa Bay Rays | Roberto Hernandez | 18.2 | 92 | | | 2.07 | 47.4% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 14:10 | Cleveland Indians | Ubaldo Jimenez | 12.0 | 124 | | | 1.86 | 52.6% |
| ET | Houston Astros | Erik Bedard | 7.2 | 136 | | | 2.07 | 47.4% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 14:10 | Minnesota Twins | Scott Diamond | 4.1 | 121 | | | 2.27 | 43.2% |
| ET | Chicago White Sox | Gavin Floyd | 15.2 | 79 | | | 1.73 | 56.8% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 15:05 | Seattle Mariners | Aaron Harang | 5.0 | 86 | | | 2.51 | 39.1% |
| ET | Texas Rangers | Justin Grimm | 4.0 | 133 | | | 1.61 | 60.9% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 15:35 | Detroit Tigers | Doug Fister | 20.0 | 102 | | | 1.98 | 49.5% |
| ET | LAA Angels | C.J. Wilson | 18.0 | 120 | | | 1.94 | 50.5% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 13:35 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Stephen Fife | N/A | N/A | | | 2.15 | 45.6% |
| ET | Baltimore Orioles | Jake Arrieta | 15.0 | 124 | | | 1.80 | 54.4% |
| — | — | — | — | — | | | — | — |
| 19:10 | G2 Kansas City Royals | Jeremy Guthrie | 19.2 | 85 | | | 2.29 | 42.8% |
| ET | G2 Boston Red Sox | Allen Webster | N/A | N/A | | | 1.71 | 57.2% |
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
It should be noted, lest the casual reader be deceived, that the game between the Blue Jays and the Yankees actually starts at 13:07, NOT 13:05, as advertised on these pages.