Brandon Drury is just one of several Diamondbacks hitters with serious home/road splits. Yesterday Drury ranked first in the National League with a .441 average at home
Danny Salazar has a 14.14 ERA in the first inning of seven starts so far this season. He has 11 earned runs on 15 hits along with five walks in the first inning. Four of those 15 hits went for home runs. In his first 17 starts last season, Salazar went 10 and 3 with a 2.75 ERA and even made the All-Star team.
He was unable to pitch in the All Star game though due to elbow issues and that is when all his problems started. After that he went 1-3 with a 7.44 ERA over his final eight starts. Salazar is 3-6 with a 6.26 ERA in 15 starts since last year’s All-Star break.He has allowed 83 hits, including 12 homers, with 35 walks and 96 strikeouts. He’s averaging 4.6 walks per nine innings and 12.52 strikeouts per nine innings.
I’ve been having problems getting my fastball down, It might be that I’m doing something different. I think that’s the only problem. Every time I need to throw my change-up or slider down, I leave it right in the middle. Then when I’m ahead in the count and try to throw my fastball down and away, it’s up. I started doing the weighted balls last year when I got hurt, It’s good. I don’t know if that’s it. I started doing it in spring training last year, but I started throwing pitches all over the place. I couldn’t find my release point. Then I stopped doing it and I was fine. When I got hurt and started using the weighted balls again, I got loose much faster, It felt good because I got loose, but when you throw that thing, you can’t do it the same way that you throw a regular fastball because it’s too heavy and you might get hurt. Every time you pitch it’s a rhythm,If you don’t have just one movement to throw the ball, then it’s not going to help. My mind, my arm, my legs, everything is fineDanny Salazar
Jeff Hoffman became the third Rockies rookie starter to win a game this week. They have combined for 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA. Over their last nine, Rockies starters have a 2.86 ERA with seven quality starts. Six of those nine have been at home in Coors Field.
- Antonio Senzatela beat the Cubs in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader
- German Marquez threw a no-hitter for six innings in Colorado’s 3-0 over Chicago on Wednesday.
- Kyle Freeland was hurt by one bad inning against the Cubs in an 8-1 loss in the nightcap of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
Carlos Correa came into yesterday with three home runs and ten doubles over the last 16 games. 1Over the 15 games before that, he had just one extra-base hit – a home run on opening day.
Dallas Keuchel is on an even better pace through eight starts than he was in 2015 when he won the American League Cy Young Award, and the Astros have won all but one of his starts so far this season.
Keuchel has held opponents to a .183 batting average over 58 ⅔ innings. Lefties are extra bad against him with four hits in 35 at-bats and 13 strikeouts.
Jason Vargas is a 34 year old veteran with twelve years under his belt. He has the slowest fast ball among qualified starters in the American League, at 86 mph. His ERA is 1.01, which is currently the best in the majors. Vargas has pitched at least six innings and allowed one run or less in six out of seven starts so far this season.
Neftali Feliz is 0-4 with a 6.19 ERA after he allowed a three-run home run to Mookie Betts in the top of the ninth inning last night. He has allowed five home runs in 16 innings so far this season. Why don’t the Brewers use Corey Knebel as their closer since he is pitching great. Knebel has 29 strikeouts in 18 innings with a 1.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Neftali Feliz is costing them $5 million this season.
Mike Napoli hit two home runs last night after just five hits over his last 32 at-bats and .172 average on the season. Part of his struggles include a .190 BABIP that should even out over time.
Rougned Odor went 2-for-4 and has multiple hits in two of the last three games. Odor has also been unlucky with a .217 BABIP so far this season.
Travis Shaw entered yesterday hitting .314 with one home run, seven RBI and a .923 OPS over his last 35 at-bats. He is also hitting left-handed pitching much better than he did last season.
Injury Updates
Kenta Maeda was placed on the 10-day DL with tightness in his left hamstring. He pitched 8 ⅓ innings Wednesday, throwing a career high 104 pitches. The outing was his best this season and perhaps the best of his career so far. He had no visible health issues during that game but manager Dave Roberts admitted that Maeda was haivng troubles with his hamstring a few weeks ago.
Trevor Story was sent to the disabled list yesterday. Is he really hurt? Who knows, but he hurts the lineup so far this season thats for sure. He is hitting .180 with six doubles, six home runs and 15 RBIs, along with 48 strikeouts in 111 at-bats. That is a 43% strikeout rate.
David Price will need a minimum of two minor league rehab games before he comes back, which might be as early as May 24. Fingers Crossed people
Ryan Braun hit the DL after he sat out yesterday with a left calf strain, which was serious enough to warrant an MRI.
Greg Bird isn’t ready to return to baseball activity as he is still feeling discomfort in the bone bruise on his right ankle. He was seen by team physician Chris Ahmad on Thursday and will continue to do strengthening exercises, but hasn’t run yet — and there is currently no timetable for his return
Team News
Braves starting pitchers are 7 and 15 with a 5.02 ERA. Only one team has more losses and only one team has fewer wins. They aren’t the same team either. Toronto starters have fewer wins and San Francisco starters have more losses.
The Braves bullpen is almost as bad, ranking 23rd in MLB with a 4.77 ERA
The Braves have lost eight of their last nine.
Bartolo Colon currently has a 7.22 ERA, the worst in the majors among qualified starters.
The Cubs may need pitching and the White Sox may have pitchers for sale, but the chances of the two rival teams making a trade is about as probable as the Yankees and Red Sox making a deal. Have a listen to Theo Epstein on 670 The Score radio yesterday
The Kansas City Royals have won three of their last four and six of 11 in May.
On The Farm
The Twins top pitching prospect, Jose Berrios, will be called up to start Saturday against the Indians. He has been excellent down at Triple-A this season with a 1.13 ERA and a 39:8 K:BB in 39.2 innings.
He was also great last season in the minors, but struggled at the major league level with an 8.02 ERA and 5.4 walks per nine over six starts.
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