Despite this week’s sweep, we clearly have a problem with our pitching. Roper (3.56 ERA) has done the best by far and in recent weeks has started to look like the Friday night starter we hoped for and expected. Solesky (5.32 ERA) has been less consistent and after a couple of good games has allowed 13 earned runs in his last 13 innings. When he loses it; he loses it quickly. Gillies (7.09 ERA) has only had a couple of good starts all year and seems to fade rapidly after the first time through the batting order. Opponents are hitting .306 against him. Still, nothing has suggested we have anyone else to take their place as weekend starters.
Over his last seven appearances, Johnson (3.38 ERA) has only allowed one earned run in 7 1/3 innings. But that's a little misleading. During that time he has allowed 8 hits and 10 “free passes” and his good ERA over that period is due more to being “bailed out” by his relief than his good pitching. And, like yesterday, he’s done no favors for the pitchers he has replaced. He's come in several times with a couple guys on base, allowed them to score, and then got the out or two necessary to get out of the inning without allowing any earned runs attributable to him. Campbell (4.46 ERA) has pitched very well on several occasions recently with only one truly terrible outing. His pitching against UCF, of course, was spectacular. And Cellucci (4.21 ERA), after a slow start, has been excellent for the last few weeks (2 earned runs in 16 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and 5 walks). He’s become our “go to” guy in the bull pen. He and Campbell are clearly key to our bullpen success. But, we need more guys to “step up.”
Pellerin (5.01 ERA) has apparently “lost it” since giving up the walk off HR against UNO. Including that game and his last three appearances, he’s walked 12 in 7 1/3 innings, allowing 7 earned runs. And Raj (4.93 ERA), since his outing against Wichita State a week ago, has appeared twice, giving up 4 hits, 5 “free passes,” and 7 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Whelan (5.79 ERA) has looked pretty good at times, but over his last 4 appearance (2 total innings) has allowed 7 hits, 3 walks, and 5 earned runs. Price (6.39 ERA) pitched pretty well for a while but faced only three batters earlier this week, allowing three straight hits to raise opponent’s BA against him to .321. And Green (8.10 ERA) hasn’t pitched in a couple of weeks due mostly likely to the fact that opponents are hitting .379 against him. We need a couple of these guys to pull it together... soon.
That leaves us four players who haven’t pitched at all of late. I can only assume that in their day-to-day performance in practice that they are not as good as the pitchers we are using. Still, Bates (1.26 ERA) pitched very well in his first two starts of the year, allowing no runs in 12 innings, though he walked or hit 9. Since then, he’s only appeared in three games, walking or hitting 8 in 2 1/3 innings. Can he simply not get the ball over the plate? Is it time to give him another change? Or does his day-to-day performance preclude that? Boeneke hasn’t pitched in a while but did OK in four earlier appearances (3 hits, 1 walk, 2 HBPs, and no runs in three innings). In Segar’s only game he allowed 1 earned run and 2 hits in 2 2/3 innings—pretty good. Should he get another chance or is he injured/redshirting for some reason? Finally, there is our freshman, All-American from three years ago, Ross Massey. We’d all like him to show the stuff he had back then, yet… He pitched one inning in garbage time this year and took 29 pitches (13 strikes and 16 balls) to dispose of a lineup composed mostly of backups. He didn’t look particularly comfortable to me but he didn’t allow any runs while walking two and striking out two. Can he contribute?
Not knowing how some of these guys are pitching outside of their game-time experience, it’s hard to know how to evaluate kids who aren’t playing. Most of us still trust Latham though many of our pitchers seem to be regressing rather than improving. Who should we turn to? Tomorrow night’s game against UNO and this weekend at Memphis could go a long way to finding out.
Roll Wave!!!
Over his last seven appearances, Johnson (3.38 ERA) has only allowed one earned run in 7 1/3 innings. But that's a little misleading. During that time he has allowed 8 hits and 10 “free passes” and his good ERA over that period is due more to being “bailed out” by his relief than his good pitching. And, like yesterday, he’s done no favors for the pitchers he has replaced. He's come in several times with a couple guys on base, allowed them to score, and then got the out or two necessary to get out of the inning without allowing any earned runs attributable to him. Campbell (4.46 ERA) has pitched very well on several occasions recently with only one truly terrible outing. His pitching against UCF, of course, was spectacular. And Cellucci (4.21 ERA), after a slow start, has been excellent for the last few weeks (2 earned runs in 16 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and 5 walks). He’s become our “go to” guy in the bull pen. He and Campbell are clearly key to our bullpen success. But, we need more guys to “step up.”
Pellerin (5.01 ERA) has apparently “lost it” since giving up the walk off HR against UNO. Including that game and his last three appearances, he’s walked 12 in 7 1/3 innings, allowing 7 earned runs. And Raj (4.93 ERA), since his outing against Wichita State a week ago, has appeared twice, giving up 4 hits, 5 “free passes,” and 7 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Whelan (5.79 ERA) has looked pretty good at times, but over his last 4 appearance (2 total innings) has allowed 7 hits, 3 walks, and 5 earned runs. Price (6.39 ERA) pitched pretty well for a while but faced only three batters earlier this week, allowing three straight hits to raise opponent’s BA against him to .321. And Green (8.10 ERA) hasn’t pitched in a couple of weeks due mostly likely to the fact that opponents are hitting .379 against him. We need a couple of these guys to pull it together... soon.
That leaves us four players who haven’t pitched at all of late. I can only assume that in their day-to-day performance in practice that they are not as good as the pitchers we are using. Still, Bates (1.26 ERA) pitched very well in his first two starts of the year, allowing no runs in 12 innings, though he walked or hit 9. Since then, he’s only appeared in three games, walking or hitting 8 in 2 1/3 innings. Can he simply not get the ball over the plate? Is it time to give him another change? Or does his day-to-day performance preclude that? Boeneke hasn’t pitched in a while but did OK in four earlier appearances (3 hits, 1 walk, 2 HBPs, and no runs in three innings). In Segar’s only game he allowed 1 earned run and 2 hits in 2 2/3 innings—pretty good. Should he get another chance or is he injured/redshirting for some reason? Finally, there is our freshman, All-American from three years ago, Ross Massey. We’d all like him to show the stuff he had back then, yet… He pitched one inning in garbage time this year and took 29 pitches (13 strikes and 16 balls) to dispose of a lineup composed mostly of backups. He didn’t look particularly comfortable to me but he didn’t allow any runs while walking two and striking out two. Can he contribute?
Not knowing how some of these guys are pitching outside of their game-time experience, it’s hard to know how to evaluate kids who aren’t playing. Most of us still trust Latham though many of our pitchers seem to be regressing rather than improving. Who should we turn to? Tomorrow night’s game against UNO and this weekend at Memphis could go a long way to finding out.
Roll Wave!!!