Strasburg: 2 GS in AAA --
6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
3 baserunners, 13 K in his first 12 innings of AAA. It does not have speed or break, but you can replay the at-bats with pitch locations on the Gameday here: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_05_12_noraaa_syraaa_1
The Next Middle Infield Combo:
Triunfel April: .268/.318/.366/.684, 6:17 BB:K
Triunfel May: .333/.375/.444/.819, 1:1 BB:K (12 H in his last 10 G vs. 1 K)
Not dominating AA at age 20, but if you wish away the cold start, he's likely to end up with an OPS around .800 playing SS everyday. And he effectively missed all of last year. Where does that put him on the Bill James age-evaluation chart, Doc?
Ackley April: .147/.289/.227/.519, 13:14 BB:K
Akcley May: .333/.474/.533/1.007, 7:7 BB:K
Two doubles yesterday and 10 H in his last 7 G.
One more organizational filler:
Not making anything major about it, but Steven Shell needs to be added to the depth chart of AAAA pitchers. Big right hander (6-4, 215) is 27, was a 3rd-round pick, didn't quite climb the ladder fast enough in the LAAA org, signed with Washington as a minor-league FA and put up credible numbers in the bigs for the Nats in 2008. Got caught in a roster squeeze last year and refused assignment to AAA, making him a FA again. Came to Seattle, but didn't light up Tacoma last year.
This year, he is. Complete game 4-hit shutout last night puts him at 1.62 ERA in 8 G, 6 GS. His last 3 starts have been very strong:
22.1 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 15 K
Don't know if he's doing something different or just on a hot tear, but given that he has some MLB experience, seems like we ought to move him up on the list compared to, say, Pauley. He's probably still behind French, who has also been hot and is on the 40-man, and Olson who has been inconsistent but mostly solid and is also on the 40-man.
Same gigantic downward plane, same laser accurate fastball, same mushy secondary pitches (Fister has a better change-up, but he doesn't use it that often). I'm all for giving Shell a chance to synergize quite nicely with the Mariner defense.
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
They have put themselves in an absolute no-win with Jr. Can't release him in the near-term or it will look like they're reacting to Nap-gate, and now they are out on a limb saying it was false. Of course, that means they've designated two teammates as either snitch-embellishers or liars. Ugly.
Clubhouse has gone toxic. Even before this, Drayer said tickle-mania was fading. Media relations now toxic, too.
Then to lose like that, to drop a series to a 10-24 team when Felix spots you a 5-1 lead.
Ouch.