Game 19: Angels 5, Indians 2

by Ryan on Apr 27, 2010 1:40 AM EDT in Game Recaps

David Huff allowed three early runs, battled to get through five innings, but then gave up a key two-run homer to Bobby Abreu in the sixth. Huff gave up a constant stream of base runners in his 5+ innings of work (12 hits 1 walk). Manny Acta left him in the game a couple batters too long, but Huff did keep the Indians in the game despite all those hits.

The Indians continued to squander scoring opportunities. In the seventh, Angels reliever Jason Bulger walked the bases loaded with Travis Hafner and Russ Branyan due up, but the two left-handers couldn't deliver against Kevin Jepsen. In the eighth, Fernando Rodney brought the tying run to the plate, but Abreu made a running grab on Grady Sizemore's line drive to end the threat. The Indians pitching staff has overachieved in April, and that's been a good thing, considering how poor the offense has performed. Austin Kearns has been a bright spot; he hit his first home run of the season in the eighth inning, and had three hits on the night. But good offensive lines are a rare sight on the Indians nowadays; Kearns and Choo are the only Indians with an OPS over .800, and three everyday players (Marson, LaPorta, Peralta) have an OPS under .600.

Rafael Perez didn't give up any runs in relief, but he looked awful. From an aesthetic point of view, he's frustrating to watch, taking a long time between pitches, and many times having to come back from 2-0 or 3-1 counts to get outs. If MLB wants to speed up games, making guys like Perez stay on the mound between pitches would be a great place to start.

20100426_indians_angels_0_86_lbig__medium

via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Austin Kearns	.107	David Huff	-.158
Shin-Soo Choo	.041	Grady Sizemore	-.137
Tony Sipp	.027	Travis Hafner	-.117

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Comments

Three comments:

(1) I liked the way Acta handled Huff in the fifth, pushing him. A good example of playing for the long term, not for tonight. Huff came close to pitching a quality start. By the time he got to Abreu he was out of gas.

(2) If Raffy Perez were a starting pitcher his games would last six hours. Maybe if he pitched faster he would actually throw strikes.

(3) Grady: warning-track power. Just sayin’.

by odradek on Apr 27, 2010 1:57 AM EDT reply actions

I’ve thought a few times this year that the ball isn’t quite jumping off Grady’s bat as it used to. But last night’s drive was a line-drive rope, so I don’t think you can read much from that.

I think he’s swinging the bat better right now, but obviously the results really aren’t there. I was also positive about Hafner for the first couple weeks but now am back to being apoplectic about him.

by TribeJay on Apr 27, 2010 8:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Grady looked good last night. Stun the ball in his first and last ABs.

by afh4 on Apr 27, 2010 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Hafner starts every at bat 0-2.

And if Grady were hitting ropes, Bobby Abreu wouldn’t be able to catch them. I think there was more than a little arc on that out. He had a previous at bat where I thought the ball was gone and it barely got to the track.

by odradek on Apr 27, 2010 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Hafner has in fact started 19 out of 73 PA with an 0-2 count. That strikes me as a whole lot.

Out of those 19 PA …

15 ended on the next pitch, including 14 outs and 1 HBP. 7 K, one sac-fly, six other BIP outs.

4 ended later in the PA, including 1 HR, 1 K, and two BIP outs.

by Jay on Apr 27, 2010 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Hafner (20.5%) and Branyan (22.2%) lead in that particular category. At the other end of the spectrum are Brantley (2.8%), Marte (5.0%) and LaPorta (5.3%). Kearns hit his homer after an 0-2 count, which combined with only seeing three such counts, gives him a gaudy .952 OPS. Strangely (to me, anyway), 2 of Jhonny’s 3 doubles also came after an 0-2 count.

by FredOx on Apr 27, 2010 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

This makes Brantley’s K-rate even more staggering.

by afh4 on Apr 27, 2010 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s as if he’s using the rope-a-dope.

by Jay on Apr 27, 2010 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Float like a buffalo, sting like a flea.

"...maybe this year, there's no gorilla" - YoDaddyWags

by woodsmeister on Apr 27, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

Huff’s velocity was down again, at 88-89 vs. 90-92 in his first two starts. You could tell right away that his fastball was flat. It didn’t have that zip at the end, and the hitters were on it. I give him credit for getting through the fifth, but that’s about it. It will be tough for him to survive with that stuff.

I had hoped his arm strength would be better this year, and the first two starts seemed to support that. But not the last two. Perhaps it’s mechanical. Whatever it is, he needs to find it.

by TribeJay on Apr 27, 2010 8:29 AM EDT reply actions

You could tell from the first inning on last night that Huff was trying to avoid his fastball. I don’t have the pitch breakdown, but from a viewer’s standpoint it looked pretty clear.

by APV on Apr 27, 2010 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions

Fastball % by inning (Gameday pitch identification caveats apply):

Inning	FB%

1	57%
2	60%
3	47%
4	50%
5	42%
6	56%
Total	52%

There were definitely batters Huff wouldn’t throw a fastball to. Matsui saw three fastballs in 3 AB, for example.

by FredOx on Apr 27, 2010 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions

Last year and in the early going this season he average 65% fastball usage…so way down last night. I don’t know if this is a good thing, showing he can adapt to a bad night, or not. But I think if he can’t consistently use his fastball he is in deep trouble.

by APV on Apr 27, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions

Jhonny has added 90 points to his OPS in the last week and is closing in fast on 600. Reached base in all but two games and second on the team in walks. Look out world, he might be mediocre someday.

by FredOx on Apr 27, 2010 12:46 PM EDT reply actions

He’s starting to zone in. He drilled a ball over Weaver’s head last night (though he looked terrible in two strike outs).

by odradek on Apr 27, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

A weak showing. But you know what? It’s Joe Saunder and Ervin Santana next. Let’s pound those guys.

by dgcambridge on Apr 27, 2010 1:56 PM EDT reply actions

Oh no! Pino struggling, though it was helped along by a Hodgerror.

Columbus is fighting back, using a Santana walk, and doubles by Duncan and Hodges (sorry Wes, you’ve can’t be a total train wreck in the field). Adn then a Buscher home run.

But I’m most happy about a 2nd HR by Donald, as many as he hit all last year. I’m buying.

Oh, and the opposing pitcher is Dan Hudson, who is the clear #6 on the White Sox SP chart.

by dgcambridge on Apr 27, 2010 7:03 PM EDT reply actions

Indians have to be feeling good about how the positional prospects are starting. Santana, Wegz, Chisenhall and Donald all off to strong starts.

by APV on Apr 27, 2010 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Kipnis too. Not crazy like some of the others, but an OPS of 895 so far. He’s not in the lineup tonight, but White is off to a good start tonight. 3 IP, 3 K, no baserunners.

by dgcambridge on Apr 27, 2010 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Columbus put up another 5 runs in the second inning, chasing Mr. Hudson. No BBs or XBH this time, all singles. And a GIDP to end the inning.

by dgcambridge on Apr 27, 2010 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions

continuing to pepper Charlotte with hits. Bixler and Brantley with singles in the 3rd, one down.

by APV on Apr 27, 2010 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions

and Donald brings in Bixler with another single

by APV on Apr 27, 2010 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions

and Crowe follows with a single. 14 hits against 7 outs right now.

by APV on Apr 27, 2010 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m hoping for the Bases Loaded IBB with Carlos here.

by dgcambridge on Apr 27, 2010 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I know MLE is a very very blunt instrument, but there is no reason, after 600 some ABs, for Columbus to have a better translated numbers than our big leaguers.

by dgcambridge on Apr 27, 2010 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions