Category: Pittsburgh Pirates
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Zach Duke looking sharp; was J.J. Hoover tipping pitches?
April 25, 2016 Chicago White Sox – Zach Duke had been used more like a LOOGY in the early going — he didn’t pitch a full inning in any of his first six outings — but he’s now had five straight outings where he’s gone an inning or more, including Sunday, when he pitched the…
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Ryan Madson grabs another save in Oakland
April 9, 2016 Oakland A’s — A few days ago, Bob Melvin explained that though Sean Doolittle was the team’s closer, he could be used in the eighth if matchups required a strong lefthander. And in a tie game Friday night, Doolittle came on in the eighth to face the middle of the Seattle order, including two lefties and…
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Neftali Feliz could have a bigger-than-expected role
April 4, 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates – With a three-run lead in the seventh inning, the Pirates went to Tony Watson first, handing the 8th inning to Neftali Feliz. Matchup-wise, it made sense, as Watson faced a pinch hitter followed by two lefties, but it was still a little bit surprising to see Feliz thrust into such…
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Just a flesh wound for Andrew Miller
April 1, 2016 New York Yankees — Wikipedia informed Andrew Miller that his broken pisiform bone wasn’t very important, so the lefthander decided he’ll pitch through the injury. “It’s my right hand; I don’t really need it,” Miller said, in a quote that reads like an April Fool’s joke about Carlos Marmol. The news was not as good for Bryan…
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2016 NL Central preview
March 2, 2016 Chicago Cubs – Hector Rondon took over the closer role in July, and never looked back. Joe Maddon has always been a wild-card with his bullpen, (see: Fernando Rodney’s career), but Rondon enters 2016 with a firm grip on the late innings for what is projected to be one of the best…